Life and Books and Everything

Was America founded on purely Christian principles and ideals? Or, were the founding fathers simply trying to prevent corruption and preserve the sanctity of consciousness? In this article for WORLD opinions, Kevin discusses three observable pillars that make up the famous and crucial founding principles of America’s heritage.

The three amigos enter into a meandering conversation about Christian Nationalism and try to discern the level of the world’s hostility to the church in this cultural moment. They also make some political predictions and (most importantly) encourage Christian leaders that, whatever the winds blowing against us, the fundamental realities of ministry have not changed. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:30] Sports Banter [1:31-2:51] Election Predictions [2:52-10:35] Christian Nationalism [10:36-33:12] How Bad Are Things? [33:13-1:05:23] Book Recommendations [1:05:24-1:13:44] Books and Everything: ESV Expositor's Commentary https://www.crossway.org/articles/introducing-the-esv-expository-commentary-series/ Ask Pastor John https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john Psalms Two Volume Set: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) https://a.co/d/d8zYc8m ESV Expository Commentary: Psalms–Song of Solomon Volume 5 https://www.crossway.org/books/esv-expository-commentary-premiumhc-5/ Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of America's Founding Ideas (America: a cultural history, Volume III) https://a.co/d/eWuCXan Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture https://a.co/d/aX6nKPZ The Case Against the Sexual Revolution https://a.co/d/8f8LjBF The War on the West https://a.co/d/8DA8NKv Albion's Seed (text only) illustrated edition edition by D. H. Fischer https://a.co/d/3ZAT9Qv The Origins of American Religious Nationalism (Religion in America) https://a.co/d/cUmSZVq The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate https://a.co/d/5U3SoF9

Reformation Day may be behind us, but a huge responsibility lies before us. The faith of the Reformation must be kept alive because the ideas Luther combatted are just as much present in our own day. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions on the modern world and its new forms of works righteousness.

Christians don’t just disagree on political principles or on a number of political conclusions. Christians disagree on how Christianity and politics relate to each other in the first place. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his recent article in WORLD opinions, "Does Christianity Transcend All Our Political Disagreements?"

Have you ever wanted to sit down with an older godly pastor and just ask him about life for an hour? Well, that’s what Kevin tries to do with Sinclair in this wide-ranging conversation that talks about Scotland, America, books, preaching, Shetland ponies, Groundskeeper Willie, and the Queen.Timestamps:Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:43]Talking about Yourself [1:44-2:47]A Scottish Perspective on the US [2:48-11:22]Where Did Scotland Lose its Christian Heritage? [11:23-21:39]Ministry in Scotland [21:40-36:42]Ferguson and Murray [36:43-43:04]Dead Mentors [43:05-44:09]Aspiring to the Academy [44:10-49:54]Sinclair's Greatest Impacts [49:55-52:39]Writing: A Love-Hate Relationship [52:40-55:00]Are Scots Dour and Cantankerous? [55:01-59:16]Preaching for the Queen [59:17-1:06:42]A Dog's Breakfast [1:06:43-1:08:05]Links:Theology for Ministryhttps://www.wtsbooks.com/products/theology-for-ministry-how-doctrine-affects-pastoral-life-and-practice-9781629956558?variant=41604258365640The Epistle to the Romanshttps://www.wtsbooks.com/products/epistle-to-the-romans-9781955859035?variant=41473237811400The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance―Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters https://a.co/d/a3RaCxcThe Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology) https://a.co/d/76VeDQV

Too often Christian leaders lay impossible burdens on their people, insisting that they solve a host of social ills and become experts in a thousand different areas, forgetting to assure them that to get married, raise children in the church, and stay married is a life well lived. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for First Things where he makes the case that the most significant thing happening in the world may very well be a thing that is not happening: Men and women are not having children, and how Christians ought to respond.

Coming out of a consulting background, Aaron Renn is now a regular contributor to many important conversations among Christians and conservatives. In this interview, Kevin asks Aaron about the three worlds of evangelicalism and how we should think about elites. They also discuss where evangelicalism has faltered and where it has been too hard on itself. Intro & Sponsor [0:00-1:37] Guest: Aaron Renn [1:38-7:47] Rose-Colored Rural Areas [7:48-10:29] What Does Western Society Think of the Church? [10:30-23:50] Evangelical Self-Flaggellation [23:51-26:50] Do Evangelicals Lack Cultural Influence? [26:51-34:48] The Evangelical "Middle-Class Mindset" [34:49-40:24] A Call to Lay Intellectual Engagement [40:25-50:44] Sponsor 2 [50:45-51:30] Evangelicals and Elites [51:31-59:22] Constantine and "Christian Nationalism" [59:23-1:08:31] Final Plugs [1:08:32-1:10:39] The Masculinist Aaron Renn Substack The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism - Matthew Continetti The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945 - George Nash "The Tinkerings of Robert Noyce" - Tom Wolfe To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World - James Davison Hunter The Mortification of Sin - edited by Aaron M. Renn

With more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, not to mention scores of edited works, Don Carson has written a lot. In this retrospective on life and books and everything, Kevin asks Dr. Carson about his father, how he sees the state of the church, and what books he especially enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) writing. From Bible commentaries to books on current events to a grammar on Greek accents, Kevin explores the why, what, and how of Don’s remarkable writing career. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor [0:00-1:40] Guest: D.A. Carson [1:41- 5:48] Book Discussions: Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor [5:49-18:33] For the Love of God devotionals [18:34-24:48] The Gospel According to John commentary [24:49-33:58] The Gagging of God [33:59-45:55] The Intolerance of Tolerance [45:56-48:42] Sponsor 2 [48:43-49:32] Most and Least Favorite Books [49:33-56:25] How to Write Like D.A. Carson [56:26-1:02:19] Exegetical Fallacies [1:02:20-1:04:50] The Theme of Carson's Writing [1:04:51-1:09:30] What Book(s) Does the Church Need? [1:09:31-1:13:46] Books: Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson   For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God's Word, Volume 1  For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God's Word, Volume 2  The Gospel according to John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC))  The Gagging of God  Praying with Paul Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament   The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures   Exegetical Fallacies  Christ and Culture Revisited  An Introduction to the New Testament   Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon  Collected Writings on Scripture 

Evangelicals who set down the path toward LGBTQ acceptance rarely turn around and head back in the other direction. In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads from the article he wrote for WORLD Opinions about why evangelicals surrender to the LGBTQ agenda.

Although Neil has a PhD in theoretical chemistry, he’s made a name for himself as an expert on Critical Race Theory (and Critical Theory more generally). Is CRT just a legal theory? Can anyone know what it really is? Is CRT just a plot by conservatives to gin up votes? Should Christians take CRT and chew the meat and spit out of the bones? Kevin and Neil answer these questions and many more. They also dive into Neil’s new book on apologetics and explore the wild world of evangelical Twitter. Timestamps: Intro and Sponsor: Crossway [0:00-2:35] Guest Introduction: Neil Shenvi [2:36-14:46] Neil's Map of Evangelical Twitter [14:47-22:27] Why Believe? [22:28-28:43] What is Apologetics For? [28:44-36:50] Sponsor 2: Westminster Seminary Press [36:51-38:02] How to Understand Critical Race Theory [38:03-1:10:06] Pastoral Responses [1:10:07-1:20:26] Books: Why Believe: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity - Neil Shenvi The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis Cold Case Christianity - J. Warner Wallace Critical Race Theory: An Introduction - Richard Delgado Is Everyone Really Equal? - Ozlem Sensoy & Robin D'Angelo God is a Black Woman - Christena Cleveland