Ed Stetzer

Sharon Hodde Miller, co-lead pastor and scholar on women and calling. Adam Mesa, multicultural lead pastor and creative leader. Ed Stetzer, professor of leadership and church trends. They debate when to speak up or stay silent in a polarized moment. They wrestle with social media fallout, pastoral care for anxious congregations, managing DMs and donations, and a five-question rubric for public response.

In a gripping discussion, Ed Stetzer, a thought leader on church leadership and cultural engagement, tackles the challenges of leading during a time of outrage. He probes the moral implications of political wins versus values, raising questions about pastors addressing political issues. Stetzer predicts heightened division in 2024 compared to 2020 while offering insights on how the church is better equipped to respond. He also emphasizes the importance of respectful dialogue and the church’s critical role in promoting unity amidst escalating societal tensions.

Ed Stetzer, dean, church planter, and scholar with global church leadership experience, joins to unpack why Christians differ. He outlines an essentials/convictions/preferences framework. They discuss defining core doctrines, why marriage is treated as essential, baptism practices, and how churches cooperate across traditions while practicing charity on secondary matters.

Why does the church reflect the polarization of the culture at large? What is the future of Christian higher education? Why is formal theological education sometimes seen as irrelevant by the church? Sean and Scott will answer these questions and more with our guest, new Talbot dean Dr. Ed Stetzer.Dr. Ed Stetzer is the new dean of Talbot School of Theology, starting in July, 2023.  Dr. Stetzer hosts a weekly radio program, Ed Stetzer Live, the Church Leaders Podcast, speaks widely on areas of Christian mission and contemporary culture, is the Scholar in Residence at Mariner Church, Irvine, California and is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, Christians in an Age of Outrage.  He has a background as a church planter and holds a Doctorate in Missiology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.This episode is also available as a video on Biola's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/K_QScu4qNu8Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/do-christian-universities-still-matter   ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.   Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.  

Ed Stetzer, evangelical leader and pastor-scholar, walks through church history and personal denominational roots. He traces early splits, the Reformation, and modern Protestant diversity. He contrasts spiritual family unity with organizational divisions. He outlines reasons denominations form and calls for humility, patience, and practices that reveal unity in Christ.