Mere Fidelity

Send Us A Message Bonnie Kristian, deputy editor at Christianity Today, joins Derek, Brad, and Alistair to talk about why evangelicals are so uniquely hated in contemporary society, whether it is deserved, and what we should do about it. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the Month by going to: http://ba...

Send Us A Message Derek, James, Brad, and Alistair discuss the major and minor figures of the very influential Yale School in post-liberal theology. These are the voices that called for the church to speak in its native language and not to accommodate to the culture. Is their influence over, or does their voice yet speak? Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodox...

Send Us A Message Is there any hope of recovering real masculinity? Not the toxic type you hear about or the shallow performative type of manhood you see online. Real, Biblical, virtuous manhood. The Mere Fidelity cast and crew flip the script, so to speak, in this episode. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Boo...

Send Us A Message In what may be a Mere Fidelity first, the guys discuss a current popular movie--The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan. It's said that art holds up a mirror to culture. What do Derek, Brad, and Alistair see when they look into this post-Christian, pre-pagan, ambiguous adaptation? Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off t...

Send Us A Message Matt, Derek, and Alastair discuss the struggles and misconceptions surrounding prayer: how prayer becomes burdensome, prayer has experiencing God in a veiled way, and what petitions in prayer should we not ask for? Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the Month by going to: http://bakerbookho...

Send Us A Message What hath Enlightenment Liberalism wrought? According to Dr. Yoram Hazony, chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, it has led us to the place we are today where Neo-Marxism is ascendant and we cannot conceive a higher good than consent. What’s the alternative? National Conservatism. Listen to this lively conversation with Derek, Alastair, Matt, and Dr. Hazony. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this...

Send Us A Message How can each subsequent generation both be making more money and be considerably less wealthy? The answer is obvious. The solution may not be. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the Month by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity

Send Us A Message One of conservatism's brightest policy minds, Yuval Levin, joins us to talk about his book *The Fractured Republic.* — Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% of the Baker Book of the Month, The Pursuit of Character: Recovering the Virtues, by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity Mere Fidelity is a...

Send Us A Message How often do you think about denominations? Is this the way Jesus meant for the church to be? Are we actually united without realizing it? Derek, Brad, and Alistair examine the pros and cons of denominations, poke at Rome a little, and pursue authentic catholicity. — Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% of th...

Send Us A Message If you only read what you know you'll agree with, how will you learn? But if you read something from another theological tradition, do you risk weakening your faith? In this episode, James Wood and Joseph Minich explore the importance of reading widely across Christian traditions, the role of ecumenism, and how to deepen your understanding within one's own tradition while remaining open to others. They discuss the value of tradition, truth, and the future of the church in a ...

Send Us A Message Derek and Brad interview each other about their foundational theological influences. Which thinkers gave them that spark? How did looking at footnotes lead to unexpected discoveries? What surprising influences led to drastic decisions? By looking at twists and turns that God used to bring them to the understanding they have now, you will be able to examine better what God is doing in your own life. — Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-suppor...

Send Us A Message Last month Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses generative AI and the challenges it raises for human dignity, education, just war, good work, and much more. On this episode guest Brad Littlejohn joins regular co-hosts Derek Rishmawy and Brad East to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the encyclical as well as a host of other related questions. — Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. ...

Send Us A Message A lot of us want institutions to be clean, brave, and instantly fixed and then we join one, try to lead, and discover the painful math of limited power, limited time, and real people. We take that tension head-on by talking about what we’re calling the “Elijah syndrome”: the outsider’s sense that the whole system is compromised and that faithfulness can only exist at a distance. - Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to ...

Send Us A Message 1776 gets treated like a patriotic shorthand, but it also works like a master key for the modern world. We sit down with Andrew Wilson to talk about Remaking the World and why one crowded year can illuminate the rise of the post-Christian West better than a thousand hot takes about the last decade. We unpack Andrew’s “WEIRDER” framework (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic, ex-Christian, romantic) and trace the seven shifts that propel it: globalization, Enl...

Send Us A Message Idolatry is one of those Bible words that can feel obvious until you try to use it carefully. We live far from Baal temples, yet we still talk about idols constantly and sometimes we label everything as an idol until the word loses its bite. Derek and Alastair slow down and rebuild the category from the ground up, starting where Scripture starts: the Ten Commandments, the golden calf, and the question of what it means to worship the true God rather than a controllable substi...

Send Us A Message Kelly Kapic's The Christian Life — the newest volume in the New Studies in Dogmatics series — frames Christian living as a response to divine love, arguing that human agency is always Christological and ecclesial before it is personal. With Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and James Wood. — Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/members...

Send Us A Message Carl Trueman joins Mere Fidelity to discuss his book The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity. They examine why "desecration" captures something "disenchantment" misses — the frenzied, ecstatic violation of what is still recognized as sacred — and trace its implications for abortion, gender, technology, and end-of-life ethics. Trueman argues the church's answer is consecration: creed, worship, and a code of hospitality that restores genuine per...

Send Us A Message What does it mean to live well in morally incoherent times? Alan Noble joins the show to discuss his new book To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times, which uses the four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues as a framework f...

Send Us A Message Was the Apostle Paul Torah-observant — not just before the Damascus road, but throughout his apostleship to the nations? Brad East stakes out a thesis drawn from Messianic Judaism and the Paul Within Judaism school: that Acts 21 should be read straight, that James is telling the truth about Paul, and that Genesis 12 and 17 still bind Jewish believers. Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts push back hard, working through Galatians 2, 1 Corinthians 9, and the question of whethe...

Send Us A Message How do we hold together confidence before God and a proper sense of his holiness? Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Joe Minich take up a pastoral question at the heart of Christian worship and prayer. Working from the Lord's Prayer, the Psalms, Job, and John 8, they discuss the dangers of both presumption and paralyzing anxiety, the relationship between knowledge of God and knowledge of self, and why assurance is less a fact we verify than a relation we inhabit. Along th...

Send Us A Message On this episode of Mere Fidelity, historian of history Paul Gutacker joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to talk about the changing and sometimes fraught relationship that Protestants have had with the notions of "history" and "tradition." Paul's book, The Old Faith in a New Nation, particularly examines how nineteenth century debates about slavery, etc., influenced our ideas about the roles of Scripture and Church in regard to history. — Get the free ebook Spiritual For...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, James Wood, and Joseph Minich trace the nature-grace debate from de Lubac's challenge to neoscholastic "pure nature" through Blondel, Bavinck, and Betz's Christ the Logos of Creation — asking what's actually at stake: the gratuity of grace, the coherence of theological anthropology, and the twin dangers of secular dualism and pantheist collapse. — Get Spiritual Formation for the Family ebook for free at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family. Mere Fidelity is a...

Send Us A Message When students started turning in papers written by artificial intelligence, educators were caught flat-footed. We knew that machines would replace many human tasks, but we thought the humanities were immune to that. Have our writing standards fallen so low that we can no longer write better than computers? Or are we about to experience the awakening of Artificial Consciousness? Matt and Alastair discuss this situation with Jason Thacker, the Chair of Research in Technology E...

Send Us A Message What if death's presence in the cosmos is not native to creation but a wound running all the way down to its foundations, inflicted before Adam ever reached for the fruit? Philip Porter joins Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East to discuss his new book, which retrieves Augustine, Aquinas, Milton, and Tolkien to argue that the angelic fall precedes and precipitates every other form of evil, and that contemporary theology has been too quick to make peace with death...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, James Wood, and Alastair Roberts welcome Dr. Lyndon Jost, author of Transfiguring Headship: A Figural Theology of Gender. Jost argues that headship is rooted in Old Testament figural theology rather than Greco-Roman culture, that it fundamentally means representation rather than authority, and that this reframes debates between complementarians and egalitarians alike. — Get your copy of our free ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, at http://mer...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts explore the Ten Commandments — their structure, their two tables, the bookending parallel between the first and tenth commandments, and how the law is always oriented toward delight rather than mere prohibition. The law shapes the Christian life, testifies to Christ, and reflects the character of God. — Get the free ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family. Mere Fidelity is a podc...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East consider what Christian theology actually has to say about aliens — from the populated Christian cosmos to the angelic fall, demonic deception, and the Christological anthropocentrism that runs through Lewis, Edwards, and Aquinas. Are UFO encounters spiritual phenomena in disguise? And does any of this unsettle orthodox faith? — Get the ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/family....

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts take up the problem of Christian doomerism in an age of AI development, geopolitical instability, and algorithmic anxiety — diagnosing why our moment feels uniquely threatening, then building a theology and practice of realistic hope from the Sermon on the Mount, the Psalms, eschatology, and the concrete habits (prayer, scripture, crocheting) that keep despair at bay. — Get your copy of Mere Orthodoxy's ebook, Spiritual Formatio...

Send Us A Message In this Replay episode, Matthew Lee Anderson, Derek Rishmawy, and Alistair Roberts are joined by Andy Crouch — Partner for Theology and Culture at Praxis — to examine what the data on social media and video games reveals about the diverging formation of young men and women. The conversation turns on a pointed question: what happens when the skills adolescence develops are simulations rather than realities? And what does that mean for formative communities — home, school, and...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts host Jake Meador for a wide-ranging conversation on why evangelical institutions struggle with leadership transitions and long-term succession. They explore how evangelicalism's emphasis on discontinuity, charismatic personality-driven leadership, and brand-over-institution thinking undermines durability. The discussion touches on the boomer generational bottleneck, the producer-consumer framework shaped by technology, and what healthier ...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, Brad East, and James Wood trace the evangelical spiritual formation movement from Richard Foster through Dallas Willard to John Mark Comer. They explore why disciplines resonate today amid technological distraction and desire for embodied faith, while navigating tensions between individual and communal formation, liturgy's role, and concerns about practices becoming self-optimization divorced from gospel foundations. — Mere Fidelity is a p...

Send Us A Message Hosts Derek Rishmawy and Brad East are joined by Myles Werntz to discuss his Christianity Today Award of Merit-winning book, Contesting the Body of Christ: Ecclesiology's Revolutionary Century. Rather than systematic argument, Werntz uses narrative case studies examining how diverse Christian communities—from African Pentecostals to Korean Presbyterians—have embodied and contested the classical marks of the church. His starting premise: assume the Holy Spirit is at ...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts and Brad East talk with Dr. Jason Staples about his book 'Paul and the Resurrection of Israel.' The discussion explores the themes of restoration eschatology, the role of Gentiles in Paul's theology, and the nature of Israel's restoration. Staples argues that Paul's understanding of Israel is broader than just ethnic Jews, emphasizing the inclusion of Gentiles in the restoration narrative. The conversation also touches on the concept of infec...

Send Us A Message Derek, Brad, and Alastair talk with Leah Sargeant about her book The Dignity of Dependence. They discuss why the world is built for male bodies, how pregnancy exposes universal human dependence, whether artificial wombs would help anyone, what's wrong with workplace dynamics, and why autonomy is a dangerous cultural idol. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to The Dignity of Dependence 01:07 Unpacking the Feminist Manifesto 03:15 The I...

Send Us A Message Post-liberalism has escaped the internet and entered mainstream politics—but what does it actually mean? Derek, James, and Alastair map three competing visions: nostalgic return to pre-modern order, retrieval of Christian liberalism, or genuine revolution forward. Retry Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthod...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Brad East discuss the nature of preaching, exploring its purpose, context, and the role of the preacher. They discuss the importance of engaging the heart and conscience of the audience, the need for contextualization in sermons, and the common pitfalls that preachers face. The conversation emphasizes the collective nature of engaging with scripture and the significance of avoiding jargon to ensure accessibility for all listeners. Mere F...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts discuss how minds actually change—through paradigm shifts, careful arguments, or accumulated experience. They explore why steel-manning opponents and engaging charitably with the strongest versions of opposing views is more persuasive than antagonistic debate. The key insight: the best positions emerge when you're willing to incorporate real strengths from other viewpoints and make warranted concessions, which requires moving beyond polari...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Brad East engage with Paul T. Sloan, an expert in early Christianity, to discuss his book 'Jesus and the Law of Moses.' The conversation explores the relationship between Jesus, the law, and the restoration of Israel, challenging popular views on legalism and emphasizing the importance of understanding the law as a gift. They delve into the concept of nomism, the significance of Jesus' authority, and the implications of his death as a ransom for liberation...

Send Us A Message Most of what we talk about on Mere Fidelity presupposes a lot of reading. What is the real use of reading? Is what we read more important than how we read? Why do some people who read for years never develop the habits of reading well? Alastair, Matt, and Derek discuss these questions as well as summer reading on this episode. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today...

Send Us A Message In this episode of Mere Fidelity, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and James Wood engage in a deep conversation about the evolving landscape of evangelism and contextualization, particularly focusing on the concept of 'reality respecters'—individuals who are open to the gospel due to their recognition of certain truths in a world increasingly alienated from reality. They discuss the cultural shift towards a more right-leaning openness to Christianity, the importance of unde...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Alastair Roberts explore the Bible as a technological medium, discussing its historical context, the impact of the Reformation on biblical engagement, and the shift from oral to written culture. They delve into the implications of modern technology on scripture interpretation and the importance of internalizing the word of God. The conversation also touches on eschatology and the balance between technology and tradition in the church's life. Chapters &nb...

Send Us A Message Derek Rishmawy and Brad East engage in a conversation about the complexities of atonement, particularly focusing on penal substitution. They explore the historical context, personal experiences, and theological implications surrounding the topic, emphasizing the need for clarity and understanding in discussions about God's justice and mercy. Chapter 00:00 Pumped About Atonement 03:35 The Heat of Atonement Debates 10:49 Teaching Badly 17:32 Who's the Real Problem? 24:45 Exp...

Send Us A Message Now that Alastair has returned from his honeymoon, Mere Fidelity jumps right back into the liturgical year with a lively discussion of Pentecost. The guys endeavor to find the Holy Spirit in Scripture and to see His gifts in the Church. They also (with apologies to Andrew) touch briefly on the perennial question: What's the deal with charismatics? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would li...

Send Us A Message If Roe v. Wade is overturned, what comes next? Alastair, Matt, and Derek discuss the recent Supreme Court leak with a very special Mere Fi listener, Susannah Black. Susannah is a senior editor at Plough Magazine. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the M...

Send Us A Message Friendly disagreements are one of the best things about Mere Fidelity. In a previous episode, the guys were unable to come to a mutual understanding of the nature of apostasy and assurance. So they asked Reformed theologian Dr. J. Todd Billings to return for his fourth appearance on Mere Fi. Can he straighten things out? Can you *know* that you are saved? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you ...

Send Us A Message What is the Bible? What is it for? Does the Bible create the Church or vice versa? As God's people, how can we receive it for what it is? Dr. Brad East tackles these questions in his book The Doctrine of Scripture. While Derek and Alastair might not see eye to eye with him on Sola Scriptura or which theological monsters they are comfortable hiding under the bed, the spirited disagreement leads to some very healthy places. Big questions, loving argument, fun times. Plus, you ...

Send Us A Message Andy Crouch brings a much-needed Christian perspective to understanding how humans relate to technology in his new book, The Life We're Looking For. Do you know the connection between our basic need for recognition and our dependence on screens? What can we do to make our world more humanized? And when will we be able to achieve it? Derek, Alastair, and Matt discuss these questions and more with Andy in this high energy conversation. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.M...

Send Us A Message Dr. J. Richard Middleton has a unique interpretation of Genesis 22, Abraham's (near-)sacrifice of Isaac, which departs — radically, some might say — from both traditional Christian and Jewish readings of this foundational Old Testament story. And if he's right, it has significant implications for how we do ministry. Matt, Alastair, and Derek leave no stone unturned in this conversation. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy an...

Send Us A Message Can progress be made on the problem of racial division? Dr. George Yancey, professor of sociology at Baylor University (and thus a colleague of Matt's), proposes a third way to the controversial solutions of either Colorblindness or Antiracism in his book, Beyond Racial Division. In his conversation with Alastair, Derek, and Matt, Dr. Yancey shows that there is hope for moving beyond racism, using methods that build deep, lasting roots. They also explore how local churches c...

Send Us A Message Jen Pollock Michel, writer and Mere Fidelity listener, sent in an important and challenging question by email: There are several passages in the Bible that deal with scenarios of sexual violence. What is the best way to preach these texts, without traumatizing or triggering the congregation? We decided to not only address this question on the show but bring her directly on as a guest to talk about it. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Me...

Send Us A Message A recent New York Times essay by David Brooks, "The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself," kicked up quite a stir. Possibly missed in the brouhaha was an unusually detailed plan of action for saving evangelicalism, provided by none other than legendary Mere Fidelity guest (and honorary host) Tim Keller. So we invited him back on to talk about it — all of it: the Christian Mind project, the "second-generation" problem, the notion of "diagonalizing," and much, ...

Send Us A Message For many 21st century Christians in the West it seems that the world is unraveling. There are two questions we must ask: Is this time different than other times? and How can Christians offer hope to a world coming apart? These are the questions that Matt, Alastair, and Derek seek answers for with Jake Meador while discussing Jake's new book, What Are Christians For? Life Together at the End of the World. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from...

Send Us A Message Reading the Psalms individually as we often do, you can miss how they all fit together. Dr. James Hamilton's new two-volume commentary brings to life the wonder of how intricately the Psalms are linked literarily and structurally. Derek, Alastair, and Matt explore with Dr. Hamilton what the big patterns are, what the superscriptions indicate, and what David was perhaps thinking when he was writing about Christ. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podca...

Send Us A Message We humans have a complicated relationship with our limits. We constantly push them; expand them; try to circumvent them. But limits are inherent to Creation. Why would God, who could have made the world in an instant, use a process instead? And what does this mean for our own process of sanctification, which we often want to be instantaneous? Matt, Derek, and Alastair jump into these questions with Dr. Kelly Kapic, the author of You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God...

Send Us A Message A conundrum has been bothering Andrew: If you say that few people are saved, that raises certain theological problems, but if you say that many people are saved, that raises other theological problems. But this is what Mere Fidelity is for: tackling the tough questions that others avoid. Matt doesn't think this is the right question to be asking, but you'll be interested to hear where he ends up. And Derek coins a unique word. s Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere F...

Send Us A Message The modern mindset instinctively views everything, even texts, as objects to be pulled apart and understood rationally. When we do this to the Bible, we can inadvertently end up bifurcating Biblical studies from ethics. But that's not what the Bible is doing. When you read the Bible and let it change you, you discover that all of it is Wisdom Literature. That's what Mere Fidelity guest Dr. Jeff Dryden claims in his book, A Hermeneutic of Wisdom. Matt and Derek love where he ...

Send Us A Message You may get the impression that shame is always a bad thing. That's not exactly right. Dr. Gregg TenElshof, author of the book For Shame: Rediscovering the Virtues of a Maligned Emotion, discusses the nuances of bad shame and good shame with the Mere Fidelity crew. When should we feel shame? For what should we feel shame? How does the body and appearance relate to shame? Listen in! (The +1 on this one is particularly good.) Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fideli...

Send Us A Message On Mere Fidelity it's not just the guests that are experts. All four of our hosts have projects of their own that will be of great interest to our listeners. Three of our hosts (alas, Derek is not on this episode) open up about what has been taking up their intellectual space this past year: from 1776 to Dante to YouTube to Gossip and more. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to s...

Send Us A Message New York Times columnist Ross Douthat returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss his harrowing experience with Lyme disease as told in his new book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness & Discovery. Alastair and Matt take the conversation in some interesting directions that you'll probably only find on Mere Fidelity, like how the sociological experience of chronic illness compares with the psychology of witness in the Christian community. That, and more, in this episode. Full s...

Send Us A Message The church year begins with Advent. But Advent begins by looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Why would we start with the end? The doctrine of the Last Things sheds some light on this tradition. Matt, Derek, and Alastair examine Advent and the Last Things by taking a close look at Charles Wesley's classic Advent hymn, "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending." Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-suppor...

Send Us A Message What is our only comfort in life and in death? It's that we do not belong to ourselves, but that we belong body and soul to Jesus Christ. Alan Noble thinks that if we will embrace this teaching, the church will be able to weather modernity. How exactly does that play out in our daily lives? That's what he talks about with Matt, Derek, Alastair, and Andrew(!) on this episode. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listene...

Send Us A Message What's gone wrong in Biblical theology? We've turned the Bible into an object to master, instead of letting it master us. Rev. Hans Boersma's new book, Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew, opens this conversation up very well, reminding us the job of the Biblical scholar is not primarily historical. Matt and Derek talk with Rev. Boersma, and things get a little spicy when the topic of Sola Scriptura comes up. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidel...

Send Us A Message A conversation has erupted in Evangelical circles about elites and their willingness to accommodate worldly powers. But who counts as elite? Which worldly powers are they cozying up to? The answers can change depending on who's doing the accusing. Alastair, Matt, and Derek take up the conversation to pick apart confusing threads and lower the temperature of the argument. Will they succeed or end up disagreeing with each other? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fid...

Send Us A Message Death is an uncomfortable subject for many people. That makes funerals difficult at the least, and even worse, confusing and traumatic. How does the Christian understanding of death influence the way we do funerals? Dr. Tim Perry, author of Funerals: For the Care of Souls, published by Lexham Press, joins Matt and Derek to liven your understanding of what it means for a Christian to die. Practical considerations are covered as well, like cremation vs. burial, whether to eulo...

Send Us A Message Dr. Scott Swain is the President of Reformed Theological Seminary, and he is the author of The Trinity & the Bible: On Theological Interpretation published by Lexham Press. In this conversation with Derek, Matt, and Alastair, Dr. Swain helps ask and answer some big questions about the Doctrine of the Trinity: How do we find it in the Bible? Is it just imported Greek categories? Why do we use the terms Father, Son, and Spirit? How do you pronounce 'prosopological'? And wh...

Send Us A Message What's the difference between someone "deconstructing" their faith and plain, old apostasy? Are Exvangelicals really leaving Christianity? Andrew, Alastair, and Matt discuss the new trend of Evangelicals prominently deconstructing their faith and what it means for the church and the doctrine of assurance. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orth...

Send Us A Message The Jordan Peterson phenomenon is worth looking into. Even Aquinas scholar Dr. Christopher Kaczor is writing about the effect that Jordan Peterson is having. Matt and Alastair join the discussion, bringing a particular emphasis to how Peterson reads Scripture and what Christians can learn from his approach. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Or...

Send Us A Message With the ideas like technology, progress, and liberty shaping our lives, we are formed to believe that reality is tending toward an ever greater number of choices and ever fewer limits. But is this limitless ideal a good way to live? Dr. Ashley Hales has a different idea, which she explores in her new book, A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits. She returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss about how limits can actually increase our liberty and what ...

Send Us A Message Many Christians and ex-Christians have experienced severe trauma because of bad, even abusive, church leadership. Using the story of Mark Driscoll as a basis for comparison, Matt, Andrew, and Alastair discuss the causes and outcomes of bad leadership. They compare and contrast the US and UK churches, look at the sociology of trust, and ask how to examine one's own leadership to avoid becoming abusive. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Me...

Send Us A Message Dr. John Kleinig joins Matt and Alastair to discuss a Biblical approach to a theology of the body. More specifically, they talk about how we can acquire the vision with which God sees our bodies. Some questions that they cover are how ritual trains the body, what the significance of the body is in Protestant theology, and why Jesus's physical body is so emphasized in the Gospels. Dr. Kleinig's latest book also focuses on these issues. (There's also a particularly spectacular...

Send Us A Message You may think that Christianity and Judaism have gone their separate ways; that they have nothing to do with each other. But this is not necessarily the case. On this episode, Dr. Jennifer Rosner, author of Healing the Schism: Karl Barth, Franz Rosenzweig, and the New Jewish-Christian Encounter, joins Matt and Alastair to talk about how Christianity and Judaism should relate to one another. Full show notes at www.MereFidelity.com.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodox...

Send Us A Message Is the theory of natural rights really the best way to protect ourselves from tyrannical governments? This is the big question of Dr. Nigel Biggar's book, What's Wrong With Rights? Dr. Biggar is Regius Professor of Moral & Pastoral Theology, and Director of the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, & Public Life, University of Oxford. Matt and Alastair push on this argument with Dr. Biggar to examine the relationship between morality and law. Fun connection: Dr. Bigg...

Send Us A Message How should pastors address the issue of race in their churches? This is exactly what Andrew and Alastair are talking about with Dr. Matthew Kim on this episode. Dr. Kim has both academic expertise and practical experience with this issue. He is a contributor to Ministers of Reconciliation: Preaching on Race and the Gospel. In this conversation you will learn about preaching the Gospel in a climate of racial tension, the boundaries of the act of preaching, and advice for past...

Send Us A Message Have you ever wondered if Christian persecution really happens in America? Are you confused about how to respond when you are persecuted for your faith? In this episode, Alastair, Derek, and Matt finish their series of discussions on the Beatitudes. If you'll recall, in the last episode, there was some disagreement as to whether being persecuted for righteousness' sake and being persecuted for Jesus' name's sake are one beatitude or two. Can the guys come to an agreement? Fi...

Send Us A Message There's a movement in Evangelicalism you may have heard of: the New Calvinism. Apart from its theological significance, it turns out that this sort of movement is of great interest to sociologists too. The guest on this episode, Brad Vermurlen, decided to apply the tools of sociology to the young, restless, and reformed, and see what turns up. His book is Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism. He talks about his fascinati...

Send Us A Message Continuing the Mere Fidelity series of discussions on the Beatitudes, Alastair, Derek, and Matt talk about the blessing for those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. It's not as clear as it might at first seem. Specifically, why are there two beatitudes for persecution? What is the righteousness that is being persecuted? Why do multiple beatitudes promise the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor and to the persecuted? The answers to these questions have very real consequenc...

Send Us A Message Is gossip always bad? Are you sure about that? Inspired by a recent cover story of Christianity Today Derek, Alastair, and Matt take up the topic of gossip in the church. They explore the topic from Biblical, personal, and organizational perspectives. You may be surprised at the results. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a M...

Send Us A Message Everyone has a Beatitude that is their least favorite or that they are most confused by. We're not saying Matt has an issue with peacemaking. (We're just sayin'.) This episode in the Mere Fi series on the Beatitudes features a lively discussion of the role of peace and conflict in the life of the church and the Christian. Alastair, Derek, and Matt also talk about the profound ways that Christ is our peace. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mer...

Send Us A Message Mike Cosper, Director of Podcasting for Christianity Today, has created a podcast exploring the rise and the fall of Mars Hill church in Seattle. He joins Derek, Alastair, and Matt to discuss the story, the scandal, and what this project hopes to accomplish. What is the danger of celebrity pastors? Why does this keep happening? And how can pastors prevent it from happening to their churches? Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a...

Send Us A Message Many blessings are promised to the ones named in the Beatitudes. But the pure in heart are told that they will "see God." That is an amazing promise, indeed! What does this mean for us here in the world? Matt, Alastair, and Derek discuss this plus the concept of purity generally in the Old Testament and in the Gospel. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like t...

Send Us A Message Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm is the founder of The Joshua Project. He is one of the youngest leaders of a major Jewish organization in the U.S., serving as chief executive of Bnai Zion. Dr. Lamm joins the full cast of Mere Fidelity to discuss the recent resurgence of antisemitism in the world and how we can approach it from a Biblical perspective. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported....

Send Us A Message Continuing the series of discussions on the Beatitudes, Matt, Alastair, and Derek come to "Blessed are the merciful." Mercy is a virtue that has enormous possibilities for social transformation. It is so central to God's identity and to ours as His creation. But what is the relation of mercy to justice? And what is the relation of mercy to forgiveness? What does the structure of Scripture teach us about mercy? Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity...

Send Us A Message We need a renewal of baptismal imagination. Peter Leithart joins Andrew, Alastair, and Derek to help point the way toward that renewal. Did you know that baptism implies an anthropology that cuts across the grain of our modern notion of consent? There is a ton of typology. Water events! Food events! And of course the debate over full immersion makes an appearance. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy...

Send Us A Message Punching back against Eternal Functional Subordination theory, Dr. Matthew Barrett has written Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit. Matthew, Derek, and Alastair have questions. If you've ever wondered why God gave us the names "Father" and "Son," or what implications the Trinity has for our society, then this is the conversation for you. (Some free copies of Dr. Barrett's book are available for the Merrie Band of Patreon Supporters.) Full show notes at ...

Send Us A Message Continuing our series of discussions on the Beatitudes, Alastair, Derek, and Matt next consider "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness." At first glance this statement seems completely obvious. But when you dig deeper and look at the connected issues of justice, humility, and anger (as well as actual physical hunger) you discover so much more. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodox...

Send Us A Message As secularism has grown ascendant and liberalism has become decadent, Christians have used different strategies to respond. Some change to accommodate the culture, some hunker down and wait for it to blow over, and some propose re-Christianizing America. Ross Douthat recently wrote a piece analyzing these responses. You'll get a lot more out of this Mere Fidelity conversation if you read Ross Douthat's article first. Nothing says Mere Fidelity better than a heated exchange o...

Send Us A Message Meekness is not often understood. And when it's understood, it's not often commended. And when it's commended, it's not often lived out. And yet we are told that the meek will inherit the earth. How should we understand this virtue Biblically? And how should we practice it in our cultural moment? Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, b...

Send Us A Message He is risen indeed! This high holy day calls for reveling in the glories of the best Easter hymns. Visit the full show notes to read the lyrics of the three hymns that Matt, Alastair, and Derek discuss in this episode. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get...

Send Us A Message Continuing their series of discussions of the Beatitudes, Alastair, Derek, and Matt ask about mourning. What is the role of mourning in the Old Testament? Does our culture allow us to mourn properly? Is there joy to be found in mourning? Listen and consider why Jesus calls those who mourn blessed. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, ...

Send Us A Message Did you know that the Mere Fidelity cast & crew host live Q&A shows where you can ask your questions about theology, the church, and the culture? To hear the latest Q&A show, and to get to ask your question on the next one, become a Patreon supporter at the appropriate level at www.patreon.com/merefidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http:...

Send Us A Message Announcing "Passages," a new podcast from the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network. www.mereorthodoxy.com/passagesMere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the Month by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity

Send Us A Message Matt claims that the Mere Fidelity team won't read fiction with him (though they counter that this is merely due to lack of a suitable reading companion). Karen Swallow Prior joins the conversation to set the record straight about the value of fiction and literature, along the way clearing up misconceptions about moral formation, church community, and the values and dangers of empathy. Karen is the author of the new book, On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great ...

Send Us A Message Mere Fidelity's own Andrew Wilson (teaching pastor at King's Church London) has written a stunning book, devotional in nature, but premised on examining things as Things, theologically. So in this episode Andrew gets to be both guest and host as he converses with the other hosts, Alastair, Derek, and Matt. Since you deal with things every day, you will definitely get something valuable out of this conversation. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelit...

Send Us A Message Hannah Anderson is captivated by Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Her writing comes from that deep wonder at God's creation, and she approaches practical-theological issues in a poetic-devotional mode. This is a delightful conversation with the entire Mere Fidelity team. They talk about being formed in the school of nature, why we have lost the ability to read natural revelation, and so much more. There is also a new benefit for the Merrie Band™ of Patreon supporters: Exclusive Con...

Send Us A Message In the second part of the Mere Fidelity discussion of the Beatitudes, Matt, Alastair, and Derek tackle the first bombshell that Jesus drops: Blessed are the poor in spirit. There's a strong urge in most of us to spiritualize the "poor in spirit" part of that phrase. But it seems as if Jesus is talking about people who are literally lacking in money. How do we reconcile that with our Christian faith and trust in God? Listen. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories...

Send Us A Message Dr. James Eglinton from the University of Edinburgh joins us to discuss the great theologian Herman Bavinck. Dr. Eglinton just released Bavinck: A Critical Biography. The conversation ranges from a deep exploration of Bavinck's polymathic tendencies to the very basics of where to begin learning about him. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support thi...

Send Us A Message With all four of the Mere Fidelity crew on mic, the theological insights fly fast and furious as they take up the discussion of the Beatitudes. Highlights of this episode include: What is a blessing? What are the two kinds of blessings in the Bible? Why the Beatitudes are different in Matthew and Luke? Do the Beatitudes replace the 10 Commandments? And which authors should you skip to listen to Mere Fidelity instead? The answer to that last one will not surprise you. Full sh...

Send Us A Message There are so many questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Are they safe? Are they ethical? Do they work? In this episode, Matt, Derek, and Alastair ask the really burning questions really well, and the guest give really good and insightful answers. Dr. C. Ben Mitchell was a long-time professor at Union University and is now a fellow at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.Mere Fidelity is a podcast from ...

Send Us A Message Bioethicist Dr. Gilbert Meilaender published a short article in the Hastings Report questioning whether bioethicists should be making expert pronouncements about public policy. But if we can't turn to bioethicists for answers, where do we turn? Our local pastors? Dr. Meilaender helps Matt, Alastain, and Derek think through the hard questions about masks, vaccines, and church. You will be interested to hear where they end up. Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categorie...