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(Episode 83) DESCRIPTION Matthew Loftus is a family physician who teaches and practices at a Presbyterian mission hospital in Kenya. He has been treated for depression himself. He is not against therapy. His argument is that therapy is a discipline with boundaries, and that what has escaped those boundaries is something else. In this conversation we work the distinction. Therapy finds a barrier and helps you get past it. Therapy culture invites you to settle in, and eventually to move in, until the diagnosis stops describing you and starts being you. Loftus names the cost in one word: agency. We ask how much of this the church built for itself, and whether decades of pragmatic, seeker-sensitive ministry left soil that therapy culture could root in. We press on shame, which Loftus calls a fence around a pit, and on what that fence does once you are already in the pit. We get to concept creep, linguistic inflation, and the fire alarm you pull only when the building is actually burning. We also ask what you say to someone who cannot pray to a heavenly father because their own father was abusive. His answer is the best four minutes of the episode. And we end where his book ends, with an old prayer that is the opposite of an affirmation. Matthew Loftus, Resisting Therapy Culture: The Dangers of Pop Psychology and How the Church Can Respond (IVP, 2026). KEY QUOTE "My best form of resistance is self-medication." Loftus, describing the story people tell themselves once they've concluded the forces arrayed against them are too large to fight. He calls it the end point of a lot of therapy culture. RESOURCES MENTIONED Matthew Loftus, Resisting Therapy Culture: The Dangers of Pop Psychology and How the Church Can Respond (IVP, 2026) Brad Edwards, The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism (Zondervan), with Michael Keller Fredrik deBoer, All in Your Head: Illness as Identity, Trauma as Fashion, and the Desire to Be Disordered (Simon & Schuster), and his essay on the gentrification of disability Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind (2018) Brené Brown on the guilt and shame distinction Norman Vincent Peale and the attractional church model "Are Therapists to Blame for the Rise of Adults Cutting Off Their Parents?", The Wall Street Journal The Jesus Prayer Matthew 16:25; the Day of Atonement and the scapegoat, Leviticus 16 Loftus writes at matthewandmaggie.org KEYWORDS therapy culture, Matthew Loftus, Resisting Therapy Culture, pop psychology, mental health and the church, diagnosis as identity, loss of agency, shame, Brené Brown, cognitive behavioral therapy, reverse CBT, concept creep, family estrangement, no contact, Fredrik deBoer, Christian counseling, pastoral care, medicalization, self-actualization, the Jesus Prayer TAGS therapy culture · Matthew Loftus · mental health · Christian counseling · pastoral care · agency · shame · CBT · diagnosis · estrangement · pop psychology · church leadership · PostEverything HASHTAGS (promo post) #PostEverything #TherapyCulture #MatthewLoftus #MentalHealthAndFaith

(Episode 82) Acts 16 is usually read as a travel log — Paul crossing into Macedonia, planting a church at Philippi. Missiologist Daniel Yang reads it as the record of an impossible coalition: a businesswoman, a trafficked girl, a Roman jailer, held together by nothing the ancient world would recognize as common ground. John Houmes and Yang trace that same tension into the present: the homogeneous unit principle and its costs, what the pandemic exposed about the American church's capacity to hold disagreement, and Yang's discipline of asking whether his convictions are formed by scripture or borrowed from a movement. The conversation closes on trauma as mission field — the body as a spiritual vehicle, and where the therapeutic and the theological pull apart. Key Quotes "Good theology, if it's truly good, will certainly end up doing good." Resources MentionedBecoming a Future-Ready Church — Daniel Yang, Adelle M. Banks, Warren Bird (Zondervan, 2024) · Yang's forthcoming book on the church and displacement (World Relief / InterVarsity Press, expected spring 2027) · Divided by Faith — Michael Emerson & Christian Smith · Understanding Church Growth — Donald McGavran · The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt · Resisting Therapy Culture — Matthew Loftus · Diane Langberg (trauma/mission field) · Tim Keller, Matt Chandler (Acts 16 commentary) · Barry Henning (reconciliation/justice quote) · Greg Perry (previous guest) · Pastor Serve · Spanish River Church counseling center · Pew Research, 2013/2025 Religious Landscape studies (58% of U.S. immigrants are Christian) Keywords — future-ready church, oikos, homogeneous unit principle, Jerusalem to Antioch, embodied gospel, trauma-informed ministry, World Relief, Churches of Welcome, meaning crisis Tags: Daniel Yang, Post Everything, John Houmes, Becoming a Future-Ready Church, Acts 16, World Relief, Church Diversity, Christian Nationalism, Immigration and Faith, Tim Keller Chapters 00:00 🎙️ Cold Open 01:06 📖 Meet Daniel Yang 02:33 ⛪ Acts 16's Unlikely Cast 06:48 🏠 Oikos, Not Synagogue 10:15 🎯 The Homogeneous Unit Principle 14:27 💜 Inside a Purple Church 16:49 🔥 Antioch Was Born From Conflict 18:05 👪 Salvation Isn't Just Individual 20:31 🐺 When the Tribe Eats the Church 23:14 🪞 Am I Proof-Texting My Politics? 26:34 🛂 Immigration Justice Under ICE 29:16 🌍 A Vision for the Nations 34:17 🍇 Communion in a Divided City 35:52 🧭 Jerusalem to Antioch 38:54 🤝 Partnering With Minority Churches 46:50 ⚖️ Reconciliation Without Justice 49:10 🌾 McGavran and the Masses 51:48 🧠 Trauma as Mission Field 58:26 💎 Glory Outweighs the Trauma 1:02:03 📜 Psalms and a Breaking Point 1:07:14 📗 A Borderless Church, Coming 2027 1:08:14 🎬 Solo Reflection Begins 1:10:40 🕊️ Mothered in Jerusalem, Modeled in Antioch 1:15:28 🫂 A Word for Burned-Out Pastors 1:17:54 👋 Outro

(Episode 81) Description Brad Edwards cross-posts a conversation recorded for his church after a sermon on Romans 13:1–7 — the passage where Paul tells believers to "be subject to the governing authorities," and one that gets used and misused every political season. Joining him is returning guest Brad Vaughn — author of Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, specialist in the Bible's theology of honor and shame, and a former underground-seminary teacher who spent 15 years training pastors in China. Working through real questions texted in by the congregation, they explore church, state, and Christian allegiance with honesty and unusual practicality. The conversation covers why Romans 13 legitimizes and relativizes the state in a single move; the difference between the church's responsibility for the oppressed and its grasp for power; whether the American Revolution was justified or sinful; how to move from national outrage to human-scale, local love; and why submission to authority is never the same as endorsing it. A thoughtful, grounded conversation for anyone trying to follow King Jesus faithfully without being absorbed into a political team. Brad Vaughn's book: Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes. It helps to reread Romans 13:1–7 before listening. "Faithfulness holds loosely when and how things will be accomplished. Control dictates them." — Brad Vaughn Resources: Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes (Brad Vaughn) • Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes (Richards & O'Brien) • Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex / the lesser-magistrate principle • N.T. Wright • Ken Burns, The American Revolution • Billy Graham Center (Wheaton) study on Gen Z and politics • Preston Sprinkle • Romans 12–14; Daniel 1–8; Acts 4:19–20; Luke 20; Colossians 2:15 Keywords: Romans 13, church and state, Brad Vaughn, honor and shame, submission to authority, Christian politics, political theology, American Revolution, lesser magistrate, responsibility and power, allegiance, render unto Caesar, underground church, Post Everything, Brad Edwards #PostEverything #Romans13 #ChurchAndState #BradVaughn #HonorAndShame #PoliticalTheology #Bible #ChristianPodcast #Allegiance #FaithAndPolitics #Discipleship Chapters: 00:00 ⚖️ Responsibility Is Not Power 00:33 🎙️ Welcome to Post Everything 02:00 📖 Meet Brad Vaughn 04:30 🐎 Facing the Firing Squad 05:33 🌏 Fifteen Years in China 07:27 🕳️ Teaching the Underground Church 08:35 🔍 Scripture Gives Us Principles 10:15 🧭 East and West Read Differently 11:28 👑 Authority Derives from God 12:06 🐴 The Theocratic Trojan Horse 13:39 🎭 Selectively Applying the Passage 13:50 🏛️ God Prefers Broken Government 15:14 🤲 The Church Ceded Responsibility 15:56 ⚔️ Is the State God's Servant? 17:17 ❓ Who Counts as Oppressed? 18:29 🌍 Every Decision Has Tradeoffs 19:48 📏 Human-Scale vs. National Scale 20:52 🧳 Do You Know Any Refugees? 22:44 🗳️ Voting Isn't Enough 24:26 ⭐ The Starfish Story 25:54 📿 The Vote as Civil Sacrament 26:36 🙋 American Individualism and Blame 27:33 🔥 Does This Breed Complacency? 28:51 🎯 Faithfulness Versus Control 31:33 👑 Nebuchadnezzar and God's Sovereignty 33:48 🇺🇸 Was the Revolution Sinful? 36:00 📜 Tax Resistance, Not War 37:00 ⚖️ The Lesser Magistrate Principle 38:45 🛤️ Good Results, Sinful Means? 40:41 🗡️ Two God-Ordained Authorities 43:38 ✝️ Jesus and Cruciform Submission 46:34 🔗 Peter and John in Acts 4 48:50 🤝 The Church as Benefactor 50:40 🪙 Render Unto Caesar 51:36 📊 Leaving Church Over Politics 54:54 👓 Reading Romans with Fresh Eyes 57:24 🫱 What It Means to Honor 58:01 🙏 Closing Thoughts

The Ahistoric Age Meets AI: Time, Memory, and Being Human (Episode 80) Dr. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker — historian and author of Priests of History — returns to PostEverything to explore what happens when artificial intelligence meets a culture that has already lost its grip on the past. In her first appearance, she diagnosed "the ahistoric age": a moment that treats history as irrelevant, grows ignorant of it, and reduces it to an ideological weapon. Here, John Houmes and Brad Edwards push the conversation forward into the age of AI. Does AI help us make sense of the past or sever us from it? Does it hand us mastery over knowledge while letting wisdom slip away? The conversation moves through how AI is quietly reshaping our very experience of time; the day Sarah asked AI to retrieve real manuscript photographs and it fabricated them instead; how the eighteenth-century idea of "useful knowledge" once ranked whole civilizations and returns now in the age of algorithms; the connection between the drive to master knowledge and the oldest temptation in Genesis; why a large language model can never produce the idiosyncratic spark of genuine beauty; and how the church's ancient, embodied practices offer a hopeful counter-formation — anchoring us in a larger story in an anxious age. A rich, wide-ranging conversation for anyone trying to stay human, and hopeful, in the age of AI. Sarah's book: Priests of History: Stewarding the Past in an Ahistoric Age. Her next book — an invitation to the Christian story — is in progress. "When there is no larger story, you have no meaning and no purpose. These are counterfeit stories, because they don't have an end." — Dr. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker Resources: Priests of History (Sarah Irving-Stonebraker) • Sarah's forthcoming book, an invitation to the Christian story • The Reason for Church (Brad Edwards) • The Drama of Discipleship with Dr. Greg Perry (previous episode) • Adam Ferguson, Adam Smith, Lord Kames — Scottish Enlightenment "useful knowledge" • Francis Bacon — "the improvement of mankind's estate" • Robert Boyle — "priests of nature" • Max Weber • George Santayana • Antonín Dvořák — New World Symphony • James K. A. Smith, How to Inhabit Time • Tristan Harris / Center for Humane Technology, Your Undivided Attention • Pope Leo's encyclical on AI • Dallas Willard / Eugene Peterson — "a long obedience in the same direction" • transhumanism; metamodernism AI, artificial intelligence, ahistoric age, Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, Priests of History, history, useful knowledge, epistemology, time, spiritual formation, counterformation, church, liturgy, wisdom, beauty, technology and faith, Christianity and AI, discipleship, Post Everything #PostEverything #AI #AhistoricAge #SarahIrvingStonebraker #PriestsOfHistory #History #Faith #SpiritualFormation #Church #Wisdom #ChristianPodcast #Technology #Discipleship CHAPTERS 00:00 ⏳ Time as Meaningless Moments 01:21 👋 Meet Dr. Irving-Stonebraker 02:50 🤖 When AI Meets Ahistoricism 05:25 ⌛ AI Alters Our Time 08:59 🪞 The Digital Pool of Narcissists 10:57 💬 No Real Relationship 12:00 📚 The Biggest Epistemic Shift 13:56 🏺 Can We Still Know the Past? 15:53 📜 AI Faked the Manuscripts 17:27 🎬 Midway and Missing Context 19:09 ⚠️ Rewriting History at Scale 21:53 🕳️ The Collapse of Trust 23:36 🕰️ Counterfeit Stories, No End 25:43 🧭 Useful Knowledge Explained 31:51 🍎 Mastery and the Fall 38:52 🎨 Beauty, Kitsch, and Creativity 44:01 ⛪ The Pagan DNA of AI 46:08 🌱 Givenness and Counterformation 50:18 🕯️ Two Stories Entwined 54:01 ✨ Finding Hope in Small Things 57:09 📖 Sarah's Next Book 58:12 🪶 Priests Who Steward Stories 1:02:52 💭 John and Brad Reflect 1:07:28 ⏱️ Stewarding Time and Attention 1:12:51 🧍 What Will Humans Become?

The Drama of Discipleship: Re-Narrating Our Lives in God's Story Episode 79 Dr. Greg Perry—New Testament scholar, President of Thirdmill Seminary, and author of The Drama of Discipleship—joins John Houmes fresh off a teaching tour across Asia. Their conversation moves from what the global church is actually asking (and how different it is from the West) to a fresh vision of discipleship: not a curriculum to master, but a drama to perform together inside God's story. Greg unpacks the six "episodes" of the biblical story—Creation, Rebellion, Israel, Jesus, Church, New Creation—and the practices that flow from them. The conversation covers integral mission and the holding together of word and deed, the church as an embassy of Christ's kingdom in a host culture, the improv principle of "no blocking" as a posture toward our neighbors, the difference between fieldwork and heartwork, and why the small stories on offer from consumerism and politics can't bear the weight of a human life. A rich, hopeful conversation for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone longing to live inside a bigger story. Greg's book: The Drama of Discipleship. His next book, Grace with Skin On: What Deacons Do (with Chris Sicks), releases Fall 2026. "All the little stories on offer—consumerist, political, about physical beauty—they cannot bear the weight of being an image-bearer of God." — Dr. Greg Perry The Drama of Discipleship (Greg Perry) • Grace with Skin On: What Deacons Do (Perry & Sicks, Fall 2026) • Third Millennium Ministries / Thirdmill Seminary • Adoniram Judson • The Lausanne Movement / integral mission • Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be • Dorothy Sayers • Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God • Trevin Wax, The Thrill of Orthodoxy & Eschatological Discipleship • René Girard • Aaron Renn ("negative world") • Covenant Theological Seminary • New City Fellowship, St. Louis discipleship, Greg Perry, The Drama of Discipleship, spiritual formation, evangelism, integral mission, global church, missions, Thirdmill, gospel, re-narration, meaning crisis, church as embassy, reconciliation, worship, witness, shalom, Christian discipleship, Post Everything #PostEverything #Discipleship #GregPerry #DramaOfDiscipleship #SpiritualFormation #IntegralMission #GlobalChurch #Evangelism #Thirdmill #ChristianPodcast #Missions #Discipleship #Worship #Reconciliation CHAPTERS 00:00 🎭 Witnesses, Not Mere Messengers 01:21 👋 Meet Dr. Greg Perry 02:51 🌏 The Asia Tour Begins 04:27 🏙️ Singapore's Affluent Pressures 07:30 🙏 Myanmar's Extraordinary Prayer 09:59 💰 Rich, Poor, and Mission 10:46 ✋ Gospel Show and Tell 12:06 📖 Reading Luke 4 Whole 14:06 🏛️ The Church as Embassy 18:31 🔄 Power and the Powerless 20:02 ❓ Our American Blind Spots 21:30 🎬 Why Discipleship Needs Drama 24:17 🎟️ Six Episodes, Not Chapters 30:36 🍂 Naming Our Broken Places 32:22 🚫 Unpacking "No Blocking" 34:30 🎹 The Pianist and Girl 36:00 🌮 From Strip Club to Tacos 37:13 👂 Evangelism as Listening 39:51 🌱 Fieldwork and Heartwork 43:42 🪐 Liturgy Pulls Life's Orbit 45:09 📚 Stories Too Small 49:05 🛂 Immigration and the Embassy 52:12 ✨ Celebrating Little Restorations 56:18 📕 Greg's Next Book 58:09 💭 John's Closing Reflections

New Atheism & the Returning Ride w/ Justin Brierley: Faith's Surprising Rebirth Episode 78 Summary: Justin Brierley spent nearly two decades hosting debates between the world's leading atheists and Christians on his show Unbelievable?. In that time he watched New Atheism rise, peak, and collapse—and then witnessed something he calls "the surprising rebirth of belief in God." In this episode of Post Everything, Brad Edwards and John Houmes talk with Justin about the renewed openness to Christianity across the West, why young men in particular are exploring faith, and what the withdrawn Quiet Revival Report does (and doesn't) tell us. Justin unpacks the difference between revival and rebirth, the limits of cultural Christianity, the rise of "lapsed atheists," the gamification of faith through apps, and why the dehumanizing effects of AI make embodied Christian community more vital than ever. A thoughtful, hopeful conversation for pastors, church leaders, and anyone trying to read the cultural moment we're living in. Quotes: "If all you're aiming for is Christian culture, sadly you won't even get that. You'll get a sub-biblical, idolatrous version of it… you can't have the effects without the source." "Cultures only get changed when human hearts get changed—and that happens through Christ, ultimately." Resources Mentioned: Unbelievable?; The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God (book & podcast); Uncommon Ground — all by Justin Brierley • Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion • the Four Horsemen (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Dennett) • Tom Holland, Dominion • Matthew Arnold, "Dover Beach" • Douglas Murray • N.T. Wright • Rowan Williams • Jordan & Tammy Peterson • Bible Society's Quiet Revival Report; YouGov • Freya India, "The Commodification of Christianity" (GIRLS Substack) • Hallow, Glorify, YouVersion • Ayaan Hirsi Ali; Niall Ferguson • James Davison Hunter, Democracy and Solidarity • John Vervaeke • Mark Sayers, Rebuilders ("When the Fringe Becomes the Center") • Chris Martin, Terms of Service • The Gospel Coalition, Making Sense of Us • Brad Edwards, The Reason for Church Key words: New Atheism, surprising rebirth of belief in God, Justin Brierley, Unbelievable podcast, Christianity, apologetics, cultural apologetics, Gen Z faith, young men Christianity, Quiet Revival, cultural Christianity, meaning crisis, secularism, Tom Holland, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Richard Dawkins, Jordan Peterson, post-Christian culture, AI and faith, embodied community, church leadership, discipleship, revival, Post Everything #PostEverything #JustinBrierley #NewAtheism #SurprisingRebirth #Christianity #Apologetics #CulturalApologetics #GenZ #MeaningCrisis #Faith #Church #Discipleship #ChristianPodcast #PostChristian Chapters: 00:00 🪤 The Cultural Christianity Trap 01:25 👋 Introducing Justin Brierley 03:19 ⚔️ Inside The New Atheism Era 06:00 🔄 A Shift In The Atmosphere 10:17 🌊 The Tide Could Come Back 12:09 📊 The Quiet Revival Report 15:39 ⚠️ The Report Is Withdrawn 19:20 🐣 Rebirth Versus Revival 21:58 🚫 Settling For Christian Culture 23:36 📱 The Commodification Of Faith 26:00 🎮 Gamifying Prayer And Faith 28:21 🤖 AI Prayer Apps 29:45 ⛪ New Faces In Church 32:11 ❓ How The Questions Changed 33:43 🌱 Why Gen Z Is Open 36:10 ✝️ A Conversion Through TikTok 38:01 🥀 Losing The Christian Story 40:27 🤝 Coercion Versus Persuasion 43:03 🚩 The Christian Nationalism Question 45:28 🌾 The Wheat And The Tares 49:09 🌍 Expanding The Good Soil 50:57 🧠 What Holds Thinkers Back 54:48 🙏 Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Conversion 57:08 💭 The Meaning Crisis 59:33 👥 Faith Needs Real Community 1:01:57 📵 The Dehumanizing Pull Of AI 1:04:28 📖 Cultural Apologetics Done Well 1:08:44 🎬 Brad And John Reflect 1:11:08 📡 When The Fringe Becomes Center 1:13:11 🔮 AI And Re-Enchantment 1:17:35 ⚖️ Why Gen Z Chose Justice 1:21:19 🕹️ Counterfeit Institutions 1:23:55 🚸 Formation And The Screen 1:27:46 💡 The Church As Antidote

Brad Edwards sits down with Jay Kim, pastor of Westgate Church in Silicon Valley and author of Analog Church, to discuss the spiritual implications of artificial intelligence—and why church leaders urgently need a response. Key points: • The difference between attention economy (social media) and attachment economy (AI) • Why AI companions create relational attachment in ways social media never could • How tech workers in Silicon Valley are experiencing spiritual crisis over AI displacement • Marshall McLuhan's theory: When pushed to extremes, technology inverts on itself • The spiritual discipline of sober-mindedness in an age of endless stimulation • Why the church must become "weird" again to counter digital culture • Practical formation practices to help your congregation think deeply (not just consume) • How pastors can help disciples navigate vocational uncertainty in tech fields • The role of curiosity and meandering as countercultural spiritual practices Themes: •      Spiritual formation in digital age •      AI and human relationships •      Church in Silicon Valley •      Pastoral leadership in tech cities •      Technology ethics and faith Key words: AI companion, Spiritual formation, Church leadership, Discipleship, Silicon Valley, Artificial intelligence, Technology ethics, Sober-mindedness, Pastoral care, Formation practices, Jay Kim, PostEverything, Digital culture, Embodied community, Tech workers CHAPTERS: 🎙️ Welcome to Post Everything — 00:00 👋 John Introduces Jay Kim — 01:05 💬 Brad Welcomes Jay — 02:17 📖 Analog Church's Cosmic Irony — 04:00 🏘️ Last In-Person Gathering — 05:00 😷 Pandemic Forces Publishing Decision — 06:15 ⛪ Church Growth Model Problem — 10:44 💻 Digital Cannot Replace Embodied — 12:19 📡 Technology Shapes What's Possible — 14:30 🤖 AI Isn't Built, but Grown — 15:26 ⚡ Efficiency Over Effortful Growth — 19:05 👁️ The Attention Economy Trap — 21:22 💔 Enter the Attachment Economy — 23:18 🧠 AI Creates Relational Bond — 25:27 ❓ Is This Really Human? — 27:12 🚨 Training Your Own Replacement — 29:36 🙏 Lament Before Theological Hope — 33:03 🤔 Curiosity as Vocational Superpower — 35:03 📺 Technology Inverts at Extremes — 39:08 🧠 Brain Losing Cognitive Capacity — 42:44 ⛪ The Church Must Be Weird — 53:26 🌐 Silicon Valley Exports Culture Worldwide — 57:28

Making Meaning by Making Enemies:  Tribes, Mimetic Rivals, & Gospel Peace With John Houmes and Brad Edwards Why do we need enemies to feel like we belong?  In this conversation, John and Brad unpack Trevin Wax's article "When the Tribe Eats the Church" through the lens of René Girard's scapegoat mechanism—revealing why communities (left and right) use the same tribal pattern to maintain unity. From mimetic desire to mythological justification, from McCarthyism to cancel culture, we're watching the same mechanism play out in real-time: communities make meaning by making enemies. But the Resurrection changes everything. 🎯 What You'll Hear • How expressive individualism evolved into tribalism • Girard's mimetic desire: we learn what to want by imitating others • The scapegoat mechanism: communities uniting through accusation and expulsion • McCarthyism vs. cancel culture—same pattern, different tribes • Why mythology hides the violence of persecution • How Christ's resurrection vindicated the innocent victim • Why double imputation means Christians don't need another scapegoat • What the church must offer: belonging rooted in worship, not enemies • How gathered worship reorders our tribal identity 💡 KEY QUOTES BRAD EDWARDS: "We don't know how to exist, how to make sense of the world and make meaning without an enemy. That is an incredible enslavement that we have willingly walked into." JOHN HOUMES: "We're living in a story that's way too small. Jesus is victorious over our  deepest enemy—sin, death, and the devil. He rises from the dead in victory." 📚 RESOURCES Trevin Wax, "When the Tribe Eats the Church" (Gospel Coalition, April 9, 2026) René Girard, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life Eugene Peterson, The Pastor Michelle Margolis, From Politics to the Pews #Tribalism #Polarization #ScapegoatMechanism #RenéGirard #TrevinWax #Gospel #Church #Belonging #Identity #Discipleship #PostEverything Chapters 00:00 🎯INTRO 01:17 🏘️Trevin Wax: When Tribe Eats Church 01:44 👤What Are Tribes? Examples Everywhere 03:32 🎭Tribalism's New Function: Making Meaning 05:47 📱Eugene Peterson: Digital Ecstasy 07:30 🚫Escape Isn't Transcendence 08:51 👎Making Meaning by Making Enemies 09:15 🤖Algorithms Designed to Deliver Enemies 10:17 🏛️Digital Disembodies Everything 11:41 🐴Horseshoe Theory: Same Battlefield 14:16 💔Church Planting on Enemy Opposition 16:36 🔄Echo Chambers Refuse New Ideas 19:45 ❌Tribal Concerns Become Gospel Tests 24:24 🗳️Politics Replaced Religion as Primary 27:34 🔍Introducing René Girard 29:41 🧠Mimetic Desire: We Learn Wanting 30:52 🏆Mimetic Rivalry: Victory Over Object 34:13 🎪Scapegoat Mechanism Brings Peace 37:11 📖Mythology Justifies the Perpetrators 38:20 ☮️McCarthyism and Cancel Culture Parallel 42:30 ✝️Gospel Uniquely Sides With Victim 43:10 🙏Resurrection Breaks the Mechanism 43:55 💫Double Imputation Means No Scapegoats 45:52 📜Stories Too Small, Jeremiah Example 57:25 🤝Church: Thick Belonging, Gospel Posture

Paideia Not Perfection: Kingdom Family Formation With Pastor David Cassidy What does it mean to disciple your children? It's not just rules and Bible verses. It's paideia—the ancient Greek word for formation, enculturation, shaping a person's reflexes, habits, and loves. In this conversation with Pastor David Cassidy from Spanish River Church, we explore: • Why behavior management isn't the goal (we don't want "chocolate soldiers") • The role of beauty, literature, and nature in forming kingdom citizens • How to start: Who's discipling YOU? • Why the dinner table is a sacred space • The difference between a family with Christian elements vs. a family enculturated in the kingdom • How to build resilient faith in your kids—faith that doesn't crumble when life disappoints David offers hope: this isn't about perfection. It's about direction. It's a slow drip over 18 years, not a weekend seminar. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:17 Welcome & Paideia overview 01:44 What is paideia? (Greek word unpacked) 04:52 Kingdom paideia vs. family with Christian elements 06:08 Theology comes at your fingertips 08:01 The centrality of love in formation 09:20 Christian worldview isn't enough 13:15 What does a resilient disciple look like? 15:40 Remember whose you are 17:11 Gospel astonishment and enjoyment of Christ 19:07 What shatters faith? 21:28 Chocolate soldiers vs. hearts of repentance 23:34 Fear of the Lord can be taught 25:12 Anti-discipleship forces 28:16 The church's role in kingdom paideia 32:34 Christian schools as an extension of discipleship 34:19 Partnership between parents, church, and school 35:05 How do we practically bring kingdom paideia home? 36:54 Who's discipling YOU? 39:11 Great classics to read 42:11 Taking trips 44:41 Slow drip, not a week-long retreat 44:53 Why the dinner table matters 47:38 Food as connector and sacred space 49:36 Three takeaways from John 📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED Ephesians 6:4 (paideia language) Edith Hamilton's Greek Mythology Augustine's Confessions Shakespearean Sonnets John Milton C.S. Lewis (The Kilns, his home) Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Chronicles of Narnia Psalm 25 ("Remember whose you are") Westminster Shorter Catechism Heidelberg Catechism 💡 KEY QUOTES "We don't want chocolate soldiers. We want kids who have resilient faith." "Paideia is about forming reflexes, habits, loyalties, and loves. What kind of human being are we trying to produce?" "Theology comes at your fingertips—not just a statement of faith you sign your name to, but how you live." "Who's discipling YOU? That's where we start as parents." "The dinner table is not a sacrament, but it's a sacred moment." "This is about direction, not perfection. It's a slow drip over 18 years." 🎙️ ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION This is a crossover episode between PostEverything (a podcast on culture and formation) and Rooted by the River (a parenting podcast). While Rooted focuses on family discipleship, David's theology of formation through culture, beauty, literature, and everyday rhythms connects deeply to how the Church forms people in a post-Christian age. Rooted by the River is a Spanish River Church parenting podcast dedicated to equipping families to root deep in Jesus and His love. spanishriver.com | rootedbytheriver.com

Neil Shenvi on Wokeness, Truth, and the Church What does it mean to respond to wokeness without panic, caricature, or reactionary tribalism? In this episode of Post Everything, Brad Edwards and John Houmes sit down with Neil Shenvi, co-author of Post-Woke, to talk about the cultural position of Christianity in 2026, the power of contemporary critical theory, and how churches can form people who are neither ideologically captured nor politically naive. The conversation explores the complexity of our current moment: Are we in a “negative world,” an apathetic world, or something even more fragmented? How should Christians think about “woke natives,” younger generations shaped by DEI frameworks, oppressor/oppressed binaries, and moral urgency? And how do pastors offer both compassion and clarity when so much of the culture is driven by polarization, fear, and identity conflict? Shenvi argues that critical theory is not merely a tool or political lens, but a worldview with its own account of identity, justice, truth, and righteousness. But he also warns Christians against responding with simplistic anti-woke rhetoric or drifting toward equally unbiblical reactionary movements on the right. Together they discuss: Christianity’s changing cultural position Why “woke” ideas appeal to younger generations The importance of reading primary sources and steelmanning arguments The danger of raising kids with no immunity to bad ideas How critical theory reshapes identity, justice, and moral authority Why worship is essential for resisting all totalizing worldviews How the Church can remain biblical without becoming reactionary This is a conversation about formation, truth, and the future of the Church in a deeply contested cultural moment. Key Themes Negative world, apatheism, and cultural fragmentation Compassionate clarity as a Christian posture Critical theory as a worldview, not just a method The formation of Gen Z and “woke natives” Identity, social binaries, and hegemonic power Reading primary sources instead of caricatures The danger of anti-woke overreaction Worship as resistance to ideological capture Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:37 Christianity’s Cultural Position 07:03 Clarity Without Dismissal 13:36 Dialogue, Sources, Truth 18:45 Theory Becomes Religion 25:29 Four Pillars Explained 30:48 When Theory Corrupts 33:41 Poison, Not Meat 35:34 The Woke Right 40:20 Gen Z's Tension 43:39 Can't Split Jesus 47:51 Formation Without God 52:10 Trust Replaces Power 57:23 Love and Truth 01:00:40 Worship Reorients Everything 01:05:33 Pillars as Religion 01:12:44 Justice Without King 01:19:23 God First Vertically 01:28:29 Get to Church

Secularization Isn’t Gravity Apatheism, Exile, and Mission Without Power (with Stefan Paas) Is Christianity declining in the West—or are we misunderstanding what’s happening? Missiologist Stefan Paas argues that secularization isn’t inevitable. It’s not gravity. Instead, it’s the result of millions of personal decisions—and that means its trajectory can change. In this episode of Post Everything, John Houmes talks with Paas about the rise of apatheism—a cultural moment where God isn’t rejected so much as ignored—and what it means for Christian mission in a post-Christian society. Rather than responding with panic, nostalgia, or attempts to reclaim cultural power, Paas suggests that the Church may need to rediscover something much older: faithful witness from the margins. Together they discuss: Why indifference may be a bigger challenge than hostility The surprising religious curiosity among younger generations What Christians can learn from the biblical experience of exile Why worship may be one of the most countercultural practices left How the Church can maintain its identity without resentment Why mission today may look less like conquest—and more like creating small “niches” of hope and beauty Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:50 🧐 Christianity's Current Social Position 09:20 Christian Proclamation Amidst Apatheism 11:20 ⚽️ Christians on Liverpool FC 12:00 🎙️ Proclamation through Podcasting 16:00 Worship as Rebellion 20:55 ✝️ 🇺🇸Faith Identity & National Identity 21:30 Secularization as Exile 27:30 Learning From Historic Black Church 29:00 Identity Maintenance in Exile 34:00 Formation as Preparation for Exile 35:30 ⛪️ Six Western Types of Churches 36:30 🇺🇸 American Impulses in Church Style 40:00 Love of Enemies in Exile 43:40 ⏱️ The Kingdom of God - Geography or Chronology? 44:30 Doxology & Mission Aren't Efficient 50:05 John's Favorite Paas Quote 52:53 Is God Behind Secularization? 55:00 🌎 ⛪️The Church & the World 56:00 Christian Spirituality & Identity in Exile 59:00 Secularization = Sum of a Million Decisions 1:01:45 So Many Enemies

In this follow-up to our conversation with Dr. George Yancey, John and Brad wrestle with a pressing question: How do Christians live as holy, set-apart people—both hospitable and faithful—while navigating exile and cultural chaos? Drawing on current tensions in Minneapolis and the broader polarization shaping our moment, they explore how alienation on both the left and the right fuels entitlement, outrage, and a destructive feedback loop that makes collective problem-solving nearly impossible. But this episode isn’t just cultural analysis—it’s pastoral. Brad introduces a crucial distinction: revival chasing vs. remnant building. In a liminal age, the church’s calling may not be dramatic cultural takeover, but patient formation—becoming a people anchored in Christ, capable of loving our enemies without fear. In this episode: Why alienation is driving polarization on both sides How compassion becomes weaponized into coercion The “feedback loop” fueling culture-war escalation Why small churches may be uniquely positioned right now Revival chasing vs. remnant building Why loving our enemies is not optional Christianity Letting the Kingdom—not the culture—set the table for our faith At the heart of it all: Jesus did not come to defeat a political party. He came announcing the Kingdom of God. And He loved His enemies all the way to the cross. Hashtags: #PostEverythingPodcast #FaithfulInTheFracture #LiminalAge #ChristianLeadership #CulturalApologetics #SpiritualFormation #LoveYourEnemies #ChurchInExile Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:59 – Welcome Back 01:30 – The Big Question 03:39 – Beneath the Conflict 05:58 – A Human Example 07:21 – The Other Alienation 09:13 – Compassion and Power 10:53 – Entitlement Explained 13:12 – Minnesota Tensions 14:57 – The Feedback Loop 16:54 – Why It Feels Impossible 18:14 – The Small Church Moment 19:14 – Citizens in Exile 21:00 – Revival or Remnant 23:27 – Cultivating the Soil 25:09 – Human Effort, God’s Work 26:47 – Beyond the Cacophony 27:00 – The Kingdom Sets the Table 28:11 – “Are You for Us?” 29:53 – Discipleship First 30:30 – Love Your Enemies 31:47 – Closing Encouragement #FaithAndCulture #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualFormation

Identity Politics, Polarization & Moral Persuasion — with Dr. George Yancey Why does every political controversy feel like a Rorschach test? In this episode of Posteverything, sociologist Dr. George Yancey joins us to explore identity politics, polarization, and whether moral persuasion still works in a culture that rewards outrage over understanding. We discuss how framing everything through power and oppression reshapes public discourse, why polarization may be a crisis of moral formation rather than ideology, and what happens when shared moral language erodes. We also examine Tim Keller’s “Third Way,” the limits of political power, and the church’s role in forming people who can engage culture without being consumed by it. This is a conversation about truth, trust, leadership—and what kind of people we need to become in a liminal age. 🔍 Big Questions We Explore Is identity politics a strategy—or a substitute religion? When does moral persuasion break down? What happens when we lose shared moral language? What kind of people do we need to become in a liminal age? CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:15 The Cost of Identity Politics 06:59 Polarization and Its Consequences 13:38 The Evolution of Racial Dynamics 20:29 Understanding Identity Politics 28:19 Tim Keller's Third Way 34:34 Moral Persuasion and Its Challenges 40:20 The Role of the Church in Society 49:18 Navigating a Post-Secular World

John and Brad welcome back renowned political scientist, ethicist and specialist on 21st century warfare, Peter Warren Singer. They discuss advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for society. Singer reflects on the evolution of AI over the past two and a half years, highlighting both the positive and negative impacts it has had on various sectors, including politics and the economy. He emphasizes the dual nature of AI's influence, where it can drive economic growth while simultaneously raising concerns about job displacement and societal disruption. The conversation also touches on the military applications of AI, particularly in the context of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, where innovative uses of drones have transformed warfare dynamics. As the discussion progresses, Singer delves into the broader cultural and social ramifications of AI, noting how it affects personal identity and community roles. He shares insights from a survey of experts regarding the anticipated effects of AI on different aspects of life, including healthcare and social interactions. The episode concludes with a personal story from Singer about his son's charitable initiative, Cancer Kicks, which aims to support cancer patients while funding research, showcasing a positive response to adversity in the face of technological change. #warfare #artificialintelligence #cancer #dronewarfare #tech Chapters: 00:00-02:00 Intro 02:01-10:18 What's changed in two and a half years in AI? 10:18-20:29 Ukraine/Russia drone warfare and tech advances 20:30-35:00 U.S. Rivalry w/ China...and Taiwan 35:00-47:59 Military Advancements and Societal Impacts 48:00-54:05 Cancer Kicks (Peter's Son's Non-Profit) 54:06-1:07:33 John and Brad's Take-Aways Listen on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IduWunxhhDfZd8vYOGNab?si=a9c8901c0b5b43dc Apple Podast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/posteverything/id1676174977 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_posteverything Resources: Peter Singer books: https://pwsinger.com/books Cancerkicks: https://www.cancerkicks.org/ Cancerkicks store: https://store.cancerkicks.org/ Corporate Catalog (for groups buying with their own logo on the items): https://www.cancerkicks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CorporateCatalog.pdf

S2E2 (#69) In this conversation, Mike Graham discusses the implications of artificial intelligence on cultural apologetics, focusing on the AI Christian Benchmark report. He explores the methodology behind the report, the theological reliability of AI outputs, and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technology. The discussion also delves into the role of institutions, the church's response to technology, and the importance of navigating the complexities of AI in a redemptive manner.    CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:00 Why Study AI? 05:30 Cultural Complexity and the Church 08:20 Is AI Just a Smarter Google? 10:15 Spiritual Questions People Ask AI 12:25 Differing Outputs from Different LLMs 17:50 Why Are the Models So Different? 23:00 Epistemological Scrambling and the Future 25:00 More on Using AI vs Googling 30:57 Gemini’s Response to the TGC Report 34:25 Will AI Disrupt Society Like Social Media Has? 41:50 TGC’s Plan for Discipleship Tools Around AI 43:10 Digital Divination 46:45 More on AI and Social Media 53:35 The Future of the Church 01:01:30 Triperspectivalism 01:02:39 The Complexity of the Future 01:08:21 Brad and John’s Take-Aways   Follow Us Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/_posteverything Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PostEverythingPod