Daniel Darling's Blog, page 6

The Way Home podcast: Bart Barber on Southern Baptist Leadership

Today we have Dr. Bart Barber joining us on The Way Home podcast. Bart Barber is the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmersville, TX and serves as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Today we discuss pastoring in difficult times, why Bart feels called to this position of leadership in the SBC, and what makes Southern Baptist theology distinct from other evangelical traditions.

My new children’s book that I co-authored with Bri Stensrud called The Biggest Best Light is available for pre-order!

As we wrap up this year, and if you like what we’re doing here on the podcast, with my books, and at The Land Center, I want to ask you to think about donating to The Land Center through Southwestern Theological Seminary. Be sure to designate your gift to The Land Center by selecting “Other” and typing in “The Land Center for Cultural Engagement,” if the Lord has placed this form of generosity on your heart. I also want to thank everyone for your general support in everything that we’re doing.

Show Notes

Bart Barber Biography: Bart Barber has served FBC Farmersville since 1999 and was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention last year. Bart has a B.A. from Baylor University in their University Scholars program, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Ph.D. in Church History also from Southwestern. Bart writes occasionally for the SBC Voices blog, and even less frequently for his own blog, PraisegodBarebones, which is named after a 17th-century religious and political figure in London. He is active in denominational life, serving Southwestern, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and the national Southern Baptist Convention.

Twitter: @bartbarber

Facebook: Bart Barber

Instagram: @drbartbarber

The Way Home Podcast: Derwin Gray on Racial Divide

Today we have Derwin Gray joining us on The Way Home podcast. Derwin Gray is the author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation. There’s much conversation about race and tension surrounding it, but Derwin Gray takes an approach that remembers Scriptures and what they reveal about race and God’s heart for racial reconciliation throughout the entire Bible. Today we discuss these ideas with life and how to lead as Christians in this racially divided moment.

My book Characters of Creation is available for purchase anywhere books are sold.

Show Notes

Derwin Gray Biography: Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the co-founder pastor, along with his wife Vicki, of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community just south of Charlotte, North Carolina. He has written several books, most recently How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation.

After graduating from BYU, he played professional football in the NFL for five years with the Indianapolis Colts and one year with the Carolina Panthers. During that time, he and Vicki began their journey with Christ and experienced God’s faithfulness and direction as He moved their hearts to know Him and make Him known. Gray went on to graduate magna cum laude from Southern Evangelical Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Apologetics.

Twitter: @DerinLGray

Facebook: Derwin L. Gray

Instagram: @derwinlgray

Books: How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation, Building a Multiethnic Church: A Gospel Vision of Love, Grace, and Reconciliation in a Divided World, The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness

 

The Way Home Podcast: Ronni Kurtz on Fruitful Theology

Today we have Ronni Kurtz joining us on The Way Home podcast. Ronni Kurtz is the author of Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul. He has a great perspective on how Christians should pursue study of the Word, Christian theology, intellectual pursuits. Today we discuss the separation between deep theological study and everyday living when these things should overlap. Kurtz bridges that gap with the point that theology should not lead us to arrogance.

For those listening in the Houston area, join folks from Texas Baptist College for a special Worldview Night on Thursday, September 22nd, at Sagemont Baptist Church. We’ll share a meal, hear from engaging speakers, and enjoy fellowship.

My book Characters of Creation is available for purchase anywhere books are sold.

Show Notes

Ronni Kurtz Biography: Ronni Kurtz (Ph.D., Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Cedarville University. Before moving to Ohio, Ronni was a pastor in Kansas City, Missouri, for seven years where he also taught theology at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College.

Books: No Shadow of Turning: Divine Immutability and the Economy of Redemption, Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Mind of the Soul

The Way Home Podcast: Mark Talbot on Suffering

Today we have Mark Talbot joining us on The Way Home podcast. Mark Talbot is the author of a multivolume series on theology of suffering. He has a comprehensive look on suffering in the scriptures and how we should think about it coming from his own experience with suffering. Today we dive into his latest volume Give Me Understanding That I May Live where he walks through God’s redemptive plan and situates our suffering in a salvation context.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

Mark Talbot Biography:Mark Talbot (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is associate professor of philosophy at Wheaton College and the host of the podcast When the Stars Disappear. His areas of expertise include philosophical psychology, philosophical theology, David Hume, Augustine, and Jonathan Edwards. He and his wife, Cindy, have one daughter and three grandchildren. Mark attends Christ Presbyterian Church in Roselle, Illinois.

Books: Give Me Understanding That I May Live: Situating Our Suffering within God’s Redemptive Plan (Suffering and the Christian Life, 2), When the Stars Disappear: Help and Hope from Stories of Suffering in Scripture (Suffering and the Christian Life, 1)

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.

The Way Home Podcast: Matthew Soerens on Immigration

Today we have Matthew Soerens joining us on The Way Home podcast. Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, which is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals. In that role, he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values. Today we discuss some of the myths about immigration and problems concerning the immigrations process. We also talk about the refugee situation with Ukraine, Syria, and other troubled places.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

Matthew Soerens Biography: Matthew Soerens earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Wheaton College and his Master’s Degree from DePaul University’s School of Public Service. He is the co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2009) and of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (Moody Publishers, 2016). Soerens previously served as a Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited legal counselor at World Relief’s local office in Wheaton, Illinois and, before that, with World Relief’s partner organization in Managua, Nicaragua. He has also served as the Field Director of the Evangelical Immigration Table, an alliance of evangelical organizations advocating for immigration reform consistent with biblical values.

Twitter:  @MatthewSoerens

Facebook: Matthew Soerens

Books: Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis, Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.

The Way Home Podcast: Kelly Kapic on Creaturely Finitude

Today we have Kelly Kapic joining us on The Way Home podcast. Kelly Kapic is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He is the award-winning author or editor of more than 15 books. Today we discuss his newest book You’re Only Human where he discusses what it means to be human, made in the image of God, with his main focus on our creaturely finitude.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

Kelly Kapic Biography: Kelly M. Kapic is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2001. Kapic earned a Ph.D. in systematic and historical theology at King’s College, University of London (United Kingdom), an M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and a BA in philosophy and history from Wheaton College. He has written and edited numerous books and has also published articles in various journals.

Books: You’re Only Human, Becoming Whole, The God Who Gives, Embodied Hope

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.

The Way Home Podcast: Kristen Waggoner on Religious Liberty

Today we have Kristen Waggoner joining us on The Way Home podcast. Kristen Waggoner is general counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, the largest legal organization that protects religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the right to life. Today we discuss the fall of Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs case and religious liberty for all people, also addressing some common misconceptions about religious freedom.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

George Yancey Biography: Kristen Waggoner serves as general counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, a faith-based legal advocacy organization that protects fundamental freedoms and promotes the inherent dignity of all people. Waggoner has extensive experience in civil litigation, and in employment, education, nonprofit, and constitutional law. She regularly comments on religious freedom issues in television, radio, and print media. Waggoner is admitted to practice in multiple states, the Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.

Twitter: @KWaggonerADF

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.

The Way Home Podcast: George Yancey on Racial Reconciliation

Today we have George Yancey joining us on The Way Home podcast. George Yancey is a professor of sociology with an academic interest in race relations and anti-Christian attitudes in the United States. Today we discuss his newest book Beyond Racial Division and important topics like colorblindness, anti-racism, and systemic racism.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

George Yancey Biography: George Yancey graduated West Texas State University with a B. S. in Economics. He, then, attended the University of Texas at Austin and received his doctorate in Sociology. He began his studies on interracial romance but then moved to studying multiracial churches. Now, he works for Baylor University with a joint appointment in Sociology and Institute of Religious Studies, studies academic bias, and has also conducted research on anti-Christian attitudes in the United States.

Books: Beyond Racial Division, One Faith No Longer, Prejudice in the Press?, Beyond Racial Gridlock
Facebook: George Yancey
Twitter: @profyancey

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.

What do conservatives do after Roe? We need to focus on helping families – USA Today

Now that the nearly 50-year struggle to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to pass laws that recognize the unborn has proven successful, where does family-based conservatism go from here?

The Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe comes at a time when the conservative movement was already debating what it believes, as the unsteady three-legged stool of robust foreign policy, social conservatism and economic freedom has been knocked over in favor of the burgeoning populism of the New Right.

Those debates will undoubtedly continue, but I’d like to suggest that we are in a moment when shaping our policy proposals around the basic social building block of the family is both a winning strategy and one good for human flourishing.

What would family-based conservatism look like? First, it should begin by protecting the most fragile members of our human family. As the abortion debate moves to the states, conservatives should work to pass meaningful restrictions on the practice.

Though Americans don’t yet favor a total ban on abortion as advocates like me would like, there is growing support among Americans for significant restrictions. According to a new survey conducted by Lifeway Research and The Land Center for Cultural Engagement (full disclosure: I’m the director), 41% of Americans favor restrictions after the sixth week of pregnancy, 52% favor restrictions after the 12th week, 59% favor a ban on abortions after 15 weeks and 65% favor a ban after 20 weeks.

What’s more, 35% of Americans believe life begins at conception. Another 28% believe life begins at the detection of the first heartbeat.

The end of Roe could be the dawn of a new era in which the most vulnerable among us are seen not as inconveniences to be discarded but as full and welcomed participants in America’s promise of liberty.

But conservatives shouldn’t be satisfied with merely passing laws that recognize the dignity of the unborn. We should supplement the growing network of pregnancy resource centers and other compassionate endeavors by championing policies that help sustain a healthy and flourishing family life.

Patrick Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, wrote in the New York Times, “Helping women, including low-income and working-class women, gain access to more resources during pregnancy and after childbirth will reduce the demand for abortion while state legislatures pass bills restricting the supply. Republican lawmakers should coalesce around a legislative package that takes seriously the unique needs of mothers and their babies.”

Our survey showed there is significant support for this, with 81% of Americans, including 61% of pro-life Americans, saying they believe state governments have a responsibility to increase support and options for women who have unwanted pregnancies.

This growing support fits well with many conservatives’ growing openness to economic policies that buoy family stability. This is why pro-life advocacy groups such as Susan B. Anthony List are building infrastructure to help champion and deliver services to women and families in need.

This new realignment comes at a time when the political map is shifting, with increasing numbers of working-class voters, long the dependable voting block of Democrats, moving their votes across the aisle in resistance to the left’s identity politics and culture wars.

That movement was accelerated by a global pandemic in which many school boards decided to move to digital learning and to increase the teaching of ideologies many parents found objectionable. Conservatives should continue to stand up for the rights of parents to shape their children’s education, both through reform of public schools and school choice to ensure children get the very best education.

This advocacy fits alongside the sustained effort to ensure the religious liberty of people of faith, protecting the rights of Americans to live out their deeply held beliefs in the community, on campus and at work.

A family-first conservativism should also embrace new ideas on immigration. To sustain healthy family life, we need both strong border security and increased options for legal immigration. Haphazard border policies have led to the importing of drugs like fentanyl which prey on families, leading to despair and isolation.

Yet, conservatives should not be afraid of expanded opportunities for legal immigration, where those yearning to live in freedom, to raise their own families in peace and stability, and to become citizens who appreciate, perhaps more than those of us who were born here, the unique promise of America.

And recent voting trends seem to indicate that working-class immigrant families and their offspring form natural allies with social conservatives who value family, freedom and faith. Increased legal immigration might also help solve America’s birth-rate crisis.

Lastly, conservatives have a lot to offer when it comes to the growing problem of crime and gun violence. The multi-layered challenges of alienated young men, availability of guns and a mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic afford an opportunity for us to craft policies that make families feel safe when they drop their kids off to school or go to church.

Of course conservatives can and should debate the finer details of what a pro-family agenda looks like. and good people on all sides may disagree on exactly what is most efficient for government to execute and what is best left to mediating religious and civic institutions.

This kind of pro-family platform will require both a commitment to core principles and an openness to new ideas. And will demand new allegiances and new alliances.

Where a generation ago, conservatives saw corporate America as an ally, we might be more wary of the C-suite, which too often colludes with the left in blindly championing radical social policies.

At the same time, where conservatives might have not seen the working class as part of their coalition, today, they might welcome this new cohort in an attempt to build strong social foundations for family flourishing.

Where some see the end of Roe as an electoral earthquake, conservatives might see it as an opportunity to coalesce a coherent vision for flourishing. But it will take creativity and courage.

This was originally published at USA Today. 

Photo by Adam Szuscik on Unsplash

The Way Home Podcast: Thomas Kidd on American Religious History

Today we have Thomas Kidd joining us on The Way Home podcast. Thomas Kidd is an American historian, currently a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University and Distinguished Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Today we discuss his book Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh, Jefferson’s theology and faith, and the religious movement in early-America.

This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by Canopy. How do you protect your kids online without compromising speed and accessibility? Canopy is a great resource to help families find this balance. Go to canopy.us/wayhome for 30 days free and 20% off forever.

Show Notes

Thomas Kidd Biography: Thomas S. Kidd teaches at Baylor University and is research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He writes at the Evangelical History blog at The Gospel Coalition and also regularly contributes to outlets such as The Dallas Morning News and The Wall Street Journal. His newest book is Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh. Other recent books include Who Is an Evangelical? The History of a Movement in Crisis and American History vols. 1 & 2.

Books: Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh, America’s Religious History: Faith, Politics, and the Shaping of a Nation, The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America
Facebook: Thomas Kidd
Twitter: @ThomasSKidd

This episode is sponsored by Canopy.