Is Mercy in Judgment a Sign of Weakness?

s mercy in judgment a sign of weakness? In part 2 of their capital punishment conversation, James Spencer and Ashish Varma ask whether the death penalty fits God's long-suffering. Ashish Varma argues that Old Testament laws calling for death were less a mandate than an image of how serious sin is,…

Jonathan Leeman on the Church as Embassy | Faith & Politics #16

Jonathan Leeman — president of 9Marks and author of Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ's Rule — joins James Spencer for the eleventh episode in the faith and politics series. Leeman uses "political" functionally rather than partisanly: all of life falls under the rule of Chr…

Should Christians Support Livestreaming an Execution?

Should Christians support livestreaming an execution? James Spencer and Ashish Varma weigh capital punishment, the Bible, and spectacle. James Spencer and Ashish Varma respond to the proposal to livestream the execution of a man who committed a mass murder, a plan later called off. They ask what t…

Norman Wirzba on Land, Life, and Dominion | Faith & Politics #15

Norman Wirzba — Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Theology at Duke and author of This Sacred Life and Love's Braided Dance — joins James Spencer and Ashish Varma for the tenth episode in the faith and politics series. Wirzba grew up farming and wanted to be a farmer, then went through gra…

Suicide Prevention in the Church: A Biblical Guide for Pastors (David Gilleland)

Suicide prevention in the church: David Gilleland, author of Holding Hope, explains how pastors can recognize warning signs, ask directly, and walk with people toward hope. David Gilleland spent nearly a decade managing suicide prevention programs for the National Guard and Army Reserves before be…

Johnson Amendment Lawsuit: Can Pastors Endorse Candidates? (Troy Miller)

Can pastors endorse political candidates? Troy Miller, president and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters, explains NRB’s Johnson Amendment lawsuit against the IRS. The Johnson Amendment was added to the tax code in 1954 by then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. It bars 501(c)(3) organizations, includi…

Why Should Christians Engage Politics? (Vincent Bacote) | Faith & Politics #13

Why should Christians engage politics? Vincent Bacote of Wheaton College argues that political engagement needs a theological foundation, not an ad hoc approach. Vincent Bacote, professor of theology and director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College, joins James Spencer an…

Michael Rhodes on What the Bible Says About Politics | #12

Michael Rhodes — lecturer in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College in New Zealand, former pastor, and author of Practicing the King's Economy and Just Discipleship — returns to discuss his new book, Reimagining Biblical Politics: What Scripture Says About Public Life and Why It Matters. Rhodes wr…

Who Pays for the Data Center? AI, Politics, and Faith: Politics and Faith #14

Continuing the faith and politics series, James Spencer and Ashish Varma turn to artificial intelligence — starting with the data centers going up across the country, which consume enormous land, power, and water while generating far fewer local jobs than the factories and mills they're often compa…

Karl Barth on Church and Politics: Is the Church at War? | Faith & Politics #10

American Christians with his answer: the church’s task is to preach the word of God. Asked whether churches should urge members to enlist, buy war bonds, and preach the issues of the war, Barth answers with a counter-question: does the church know its mission is to preach the word of God according…