We were joined by political scientist and author Dr. David Koyzis. He takes time to discuss his thoughts behind the general elections and his piece in The Gospel Coalition “The American Political Parties: History, Problems, and Prospects”

Blog: http://byzantinecalvinist.blogspot.com/

We were joined by political scientist and author Dr. David Koyzis. He takes time to discuss his thoughts behind the general elections and his piece in The Gospel Coalition &ldquo;<a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/american-political-parties-history-problems-prospects/">The American Political Parties: History, Problems, and Prospects</a>&rdquo;
Blog: http://byzantinecalvinist.blogspot.com/

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

The idea of &ldquo;the common good&rdquo; has a rich history within the Christian church. It&rsquo;s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God&rsquo;s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God&rsquo;s design for all of us fulfilled.

The Common Good Podcast

The Common Good

Guest: Dr. David Koyzis, Author and Political Scientist - Political Ideologies - October 20, 2020

A new Lifeway study finds that 76% of American Christians believe God wants them to prosper financially — and among younger churchgoers, that number climbs to 85%. The prosperity gospel didn't die with the TV preachers. It just got quieter, more therapeutic, and harder to recognize. Brian From unpacks why that matters and how to spot it. Then: June is Pride Month, and Brian pushes back on both the combative Christian response and the capitulating one — asking instead what it would look like for the church to be genuinely known as a friend of sinners, the way Jesus was. Should Christians flip tables like Jesus? A careful look at what scripture actually encourages us to imitate — and it isn't anger. A meditation on the "I am the Good Shepherd" declaration from John 10, and what it means that Jesus sleeps at the gate. A reflection on John James of the Newsboys and the message of his story for anyone who feels like they're on God's discard pile. Samaritan's Purse opening an Ebola field hospital in Congo. Church sign puns. And a closing word from Psalm 121: He who keeps you will not slumber.

A new Lifeway study finds that 76% of American Christians believe God wants them to prosper financially &mdash; and among younger churchgoers, that number climbs to 85%. The prosperity gospel didn't die with the TV preachers. It just got quieter, more therapeutic, and harder to recognize. Brian From unpacks why that matters and how to spot it. Then: June is Pride Month, and Brian pushes back on both the combative Christian response and the capitulating one &mdash; asking instead what it would look like for the church to be genuinely known as a friend of sinners, the way Jesus was. Should Christians flip tables like Jesus? A careful look at what scripture actually encourages us to imitate &mdash; and it isn't anger. A meditation on the "I am the Good Shepherd" declaration from John 10, and what it means that Jesus sleeps at the gate. A reflection on John James of the Newsboys and the message of his story for anyone who feels like they're on God's discard pile. Samaritan's Purse opening an Ebola field hospital in Congo. Church sign puns. And a closing word from Psalm 121: He who keeps you will not slumber.

Pride Month, Table Flipping & the Good Shepherd

Christians have done plenty of thinking about faith and domestic politics — poverty, abortion, local justice. But almost no one has systematically asked what it looks like to follow Jesus in international relations. Robert Joustra, author of Christ and Covenant in Global Politics: A Christian Introduction to International Relations, joins Brian From to fill that gap. He tackles America First nationalism head-on, arguing that loving one's country is genuinely biblical — fifth commandment stuff — but that ordered love is very different from whitewashed love or willful blindness. He applies the just war tradition to the war in Iran, making the case that all war properly conceived is a form of neighbor love aimed at reconciliation. And he closes with a biographical story about his Dutch father, born under Nazi occupation in 1943, who got his first taste of chocolate from a Canadian soldier — a picture of what war at its most just can look like. A timely, unusual, and genuinely illuminating conversation for anyone trying to think Christianly about a complicated world. Robert is joining the faculty at Calvin University in Michigan.

Christians have done plenty of thinking about faith and domestic politics &mdash; poverty, abortion, local justice. But almost no one has systematically asked what it looks like to follow Jesus in international relations. Robert Joustra, author of Christ and Covenant in Global Politics: A Christian Introduction to International Relations, joins Brian From to fill that gap. He tackles America First nationalism head-on, arguing that loving one's country is genuinely biblical &mdash; fifth commandment stuff &mdash; but that ordered love is very different from whitewashed love or willful blindness. He applies the just war tradition to the war in Iran, making the case that all war properly conceived is a form of neighbor love aimed at reconciliation. And he closes with a biographical story about his Dutch father, born under Nazi occupation in 1943, who got his first taste of chocolate from a Canadian soldier &mdash; a picture of what war at its most just can look like. A timely, unusual, and genuinely illuminating conversation for anyone trying to think Christianly about a complicated world. Robert is joining the faculty at Calvin University in Michigan.

Christians & Global Politics with Robert Joustra

He helped build one of the biggest Christian bands of the 1990s, toured America with a dream of using music to point people to Jesus — and at the height of it all, watched his marriage, his family, his ministry, and his life fall apart. John James, the original lead singer of Newsboys, joins Brian From to talk about his memoir Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances. He's honest about what fame actually does to a person over time — not overnight destruction, but a slow distortion of reality, a quiet disconnection from the vine, and the gradual exposure of whatever cracks were already in the foundation. He's also honest about what it took to come back: returning to Australia, bitter and broken, riddled with shame, going to church only out of obligation — until one day he encountered God in a way that changed everything. His message to anyone who feels too far gone to be reached: if God could find me in that mess, there is no one He can't reach. Find the book and connect with John at ireachusa.com.

He helped build one of the biggest Christian bands of the 1990s, toured America with a dream of using music to point people to Jesus &mdash; and at the height of it all, watched his marriage, his family, his ministry, and his life fall apart. John James, the original lead singer of Newsboys, joins Brian From to talk about his memoir Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances. He's honest about what fame actually does to a person over time &mdash; not overnight destruction, but a slow distortion of reality, a quiet disconnection from the vine, and the gradual exposure of whatever cracks were already in the foundation. He's also honest about what it took to come back: returning to Australia, bitter and broken, riddled with shame, going to church only out of obligation &mdash; until one day he encountered God in a way that changed everything. His message to anyone who feels too far gone to be reached: if God could find me in that mess, there is no one He can't reach. Find the book and connect with John at ireachusa.com.

Guest: Dr. David Koyzis, Author and Political Scientist - Political Ideologies - October 20, 2020

The Common Good

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