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The official home of every City on a Hill episode.
How to Vote! (E)
How should Christians vote? Should citizens of heaven's kingdom think about voting in earthly elections? You knew it was coming. Of course, we will tell you how to vote -- vote early and often. 😉 In this episode from the archives, we visit voting as stewardship. It...
Good Christian's vote! There, I said it. Well, that's what I was led to believe as I came of age. Good Christians vote, better Christians vote for the right things! That's what we're talking about in this episode. I hope you find it helpful. NOTES: First of all, then,...
In this episode, we're talking about memes. Pictures have become a short-cut for thinking. People can forward a meme faster than their good judgment can stop it. How do people make meaning with memes? NOTES: Def: Dictionary.com: an image, video, piece of text, etc.,...
Photo by Amada MA on Unsplash The Olympics captivated us! We found ourselves pulling for the Red, White, and Blue...sometimes in spite of ourselves. It made us ask, is that okay? Can we be over-the-top fans, yelling at our TV, and still have our patriotism in its...
Photo by Katerina Holmes: Pexels We received a letter from a listener who noticed that people sometimes equate voting for one political party with being a Christian, as though being a Christian is Jesus plus voting correctly. Sadly, voting for a certain political...
aaron-burden-TNlHf4m4gpI-unsplash We had an assassination attempt and the bowing out of a presumptive nominee within 8 days. What will happen next? With a title like this, you might expect we are talking about end times. But, God is king over all the nations,...
image by AP journalist Evan Vucci. Did God Spare Donald Trump? The short answer is "Yes." This episode discusses the implications of that answer. I hope it helps you think as a Christian about the events of July 13. NOTES: ABC News, July 18 Cohen, who specializes in...
We are so happy to have John Inazu on the podcast today. We planned to interview him about his new book, Learning to Disagree: the Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. Once our conversation began, we moved on to many of the other very...
In this episode, we discuss the material we used in the final of our three-part series at church called Family Conversations about Politics. This topic is right at the heart of what Christians claim to believe, namely the gospel. In what ways do promises made in...
This episode finds the intersection of the Bible and politics. What can we "claim" from the Bible for America? What must we do to have God bless us? How do Christians identify who is who? While it isn't exactly identity politics, the way that term is commonly used,...
Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash We are happy to introduce you to the six conversations. We used this material in a workshop we did at church. We wanted to help the church have better Thanksgiving dinners after the elections. The best way to do that is to start by...
In this encore episode, we encourage Christians to pray for governmental leaders and suggest some ways in which Christians should pray. Our church is highlighting our need to Pray First this summer. We think it is much more important to pray first than it is to worry...
The topic of today's encore episode: How did the Great Awakening affect the Revolutionary War? How is something so religious, that appeared other-worldly, stoke the fire of the American Revolution? What if religion was the engine for the rebellion against Britain? We...
A little over a year ago, we visited with Kaitlyn Schiess for the first time. It was an important conversation talking about spiritual formation and politics. I'm sure you will find it helpful. We will bring it back for round two. I'm confident you will enjoy our...
We are so excited to have Dr. David Koyzis, author of Political Visions and Illusions, with us on the podcast today! This is an encore presentation of one of our favorite conversations! We did a book report on the Political Visions book in the past several episodes...
Photo by Keith Johnston on Unsplash It is so ridiculous, I think, to say the last Superbowl was Mahomes vs. Purdy. However, it was commonly billed that way. They are the quarterbacks, sure, but they are not even on the field at the same time. They are technically...
Photo by tofayel ahmed on Unsplash In this episode, we reflect further on the question of whether morality equates to receiving God's blessing. We need to acknowledge that humans flourish when they live according to God's design. We need to acknowledge, as well, that...
Photo by tofayel ahmed on Unsplash In this episode, we consider the question of whether morality equates to receiving God's blessing. This is, of course, a question that people wrestle with in their own lives. If I am good, will God bless me? If you extend that to...
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash We've all felt the pressure. How does God want me to vote? Who would a Christian vote for? These and more questions circulate around election time. In fact, you'll find no shortage of people trying to articulate a "Christian...
Photo by David Travis on Unsplash It is easy to wash your hands of politics and disengage. It is also easy to overreact and make politics ultimate. How, and more importantly, why does a Christian engage politics faithfully? Ultimately, it comes down to a different...
Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash The other Biblical author who has much to say about politics is the Apostle John. Today, we will look at a passage from 1 John and then at Revelation, which is full of figurative political statements. While Revelation is more than a...
Photo by Joshua Hanson on Unsplash This episode adds to Paul's thoughts on politics. You can't get the whole story about Paul and Politics without thinking about what he says about principalities and powers. In this episode, we discuss the connection between spiritual...
Photo Credit: Joanna Kosinska We are still looking at what the New Testament says about politics. In this episode, we discuss how the Apostle Paul related to authorities and what he taught about politics. NOTES: Here are some key passage from Paul's experience and...
Photo by iam_os on Unsplash Peter learned his politics from Jesus. He also had personal experience with authorities who would quiet his preaching of the resurrection. So, Peter had a lot to say about how Christians relate to authority. That is what this episode is...
Jesus was political. He said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's but to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:17-21) He was crucified as "King of the Jews." In this episode, we explore how Jesus was more political than we sometimes recognize....
Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash In this episode, we go back to the beginning, to Genesis, and establish some of the history and theology of government. The legitimacy of government rests on its connection with God's authority. We try to make that connection in this...
In this episode, we take a look at some of the verses that mention the United States in them...yes, you are right. The United States isn't in the Bible. But, it is among the nations, and the nations are in the Bible. Listen to what the Bible says about our God and his...
Photo by Leonard Reese on Unsplash In this episode, we attempt to learn from Jesus about how to have a political conversation. Jesus raises the stakes and plays chess while his opponents play checkers. Is there a way that we can use the same board and play a different...
What a privilege to talk with Kaitlyn Schiess in the studio today! She was in town and made time for us. We are honored to talk with her about her new book, The Ballot and the Bible: How the Bible has been used and abused in American politics and where we go from...
Photo by Michael Carruth on Unsplash We have had some conversations recently that have made us ask, "How can I know something is true?" This is especially true when someone claims to know the "real story" about a news event. What separates real news from false news?...
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash During last week's webinar, one-quarter of the questions could be summarized with this question, "When do I not need to obey? This is a question about Civil Disobedience. Civil Disobedience is a last resort. NOTES: We are indebted to...
Scott was privileged to lead the first webinar for CV Northwest on the topic of The Church and Politics. They gave us permission to publish the audio here, too. You can watch the video version of the webinar here. Scott asserts that the church needs to be political...
We realized we rushed last week and didn't apply the lessons from history. So in this episode we try to pull some lessons from the flyover of history we did in the last episode. RECAP/TAKEAWAYS Here are the lessons we pulled out of our conversation last week. Be...
This week we take a quick look at 2000 years of church/state relations. Our goal is not to give the definitive answer on any one period, but to highlight the fact that there has always been challenges between the church and the state. It should provide a big dose of...
In this episode, we go back to talking about words again. We talk about church and state, and then the separation of church and state. NOTES: Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association GET IN TOUCH: We'd love to hear from you. Please send us an email...
Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash We recap 2023 in this episode and look forward to 2024. We trust the new year will be a one in which the church stands firm in the face of high political winds of the coming election. ***We will take a couple weeks off over the...
We are so excited to have Dr. David Koyzis, author of We Answer to Another: Authority, Office, and the Image of God as our first return guest! We loved his book, Political Visions and Illusions, and talked with him about that earlier (listen here). He delivers gold...
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash Today we recognized that our failure to communicate has little to do with our wives, but everything to do with whether or not we are clear about what we mean by what we say. In other words, do we use words in a way that is clear and not...
Photo by Maegan Martin on Unsplash In this episode, we remember what got us started with City on a Hill. Scott is going to teach a class on the church and politics. We thought we would pass along some of the content from the class as we develop it. These stories...
Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is at the top of our favorite holiday list! NOTES: Here is Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. Here is the article about the Mother of Thanksgiving and Abraham Lincoln. RECAP & TAKEAWAYS:...
We are pleased to welcome Scot McKnight on the podcast today. He is here to discuss his book, Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple. Dr. McKnight was born in Southern Illinois, came of age in Freeport, Illinois,...
Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash We have had more requests to talk about Israel than we have for any other topic. So, today we cave in to the pressure. We hope our conversation about Israel helps you discern at least how to think about current events in Israel from...
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash Just when Aeric began to be depressed about the coming election, he realized that the problem was partially of his making and that he had some responsibility. In this episode, we spend a few minutes trying to encourage listeners that...
Photo by Josh Eckstein on Unsplash Separation of Church and State is one of the central topics Christians think about when they think about politics. Today we talk about what separation is and isn't. We also address why it matters more than you think. NOTES: Here is...
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash In this episode, we talk about Biblical Justice. A few weeks ago we talked to Will Lathrop, candidate for Attorney General in Oregon. He mentioned the difference between social justice, criminal justice, and biblical...
In this episode, we talk about how we might teach or disciple our children politically. Politics has split families in these past few years. How can you approach the politics on the front end in a way that will build your family rather than destroy it? Deuteronomy...
In this episode, we begin to think about how we might interact with the sins of our fathers. Our guest last week got us thinking about how we interact with sins that others have done before us. Some are done by people we are related to. Others shape the places we...
credit: Zach Finch Photography In this episode, we interview Sarah Sanderson, author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate. We enjoyed a very fun conversation about a tragic historical event that happened within walking distance of our recording...
Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash In this episode, we take another look at the ways people bend scripture to support their points of view. The number one most referenced chapters in published sermons during the hundred years leading up to the Revolutionary War...
Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash Last week our guest, Will Lathrop, challenged us to pray. He listed that as the first thing Christians could do for justice. We are taking that challenge seriously and reminding you all again that prayer is your best political tool....
In this episode, we interview Will Lathrop, a candidate for Oregon Attorney General in 2024. We found his answers to several questions to be very helpful. We hope you enjoy meeting him as much as we did. NOTES: You can follow and support Will in these places:...
Photo by Jared Murray on Unsplash In this episode, we take an overview of Revelation to see that it must be read looking for the risen Jesus and the comfort of his church. How do you read Revelation if not looking for the antichrist and the signs of the times? We have...
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash In this episode, Scott could no longer postpone Aeric's exposition of Aquinas and his philosophy of four-fold goodness. Seriously though, it is a very helpful way to think about the decisions and the activities we engage in. What...
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash If you should approach the scripture without the biases of the Revolution or Civil War, how should you approach it? RECAP/TAKEAWAYS: Read your Bible within a community. Be afraid to be wrong in interpretation. Be humble! Be aware of...
Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash In this episode, we discuss how the Bible was used in churches, by ministers on both sides, to inflame political fervor during the Civil War! NOTES: Here are the two books that motivated this episode. The Civil War as a Theological...
Photo by Donovan Reeves on Unsplash In this episode, we discuss how the Bible was used in churches, by ministers, to inflame political fervor for a revolution! NOTES: Here are the two books that motivated this episode. Sacred Scripture, Sacred War by James P. Byrd A...
In this episode, we discuss Roger Williams's contribution to our understanding of church and state and how he shaped the liberal imagination. NOTES: Bonus fact: Our wives are descendants of Roger Williams! So we have a vested interest in his story. Here is the book...
Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash In this episode, we talk about what is at stake for the church in politics -- namely, that people will draw their first opinions about Jesus from how his followers engage in politics. Between how the "evangelical church" is reported...
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash In this episode, we struggle to admit another election cycle is upon us. Then, we talk about what someone might to do help others grow as disciples in a politically divided environment. NOTES: Here are the verses we mentioned in this...
Scott is back from his sabbatical. In this episode, we catch up on what we've learned in the past few months and the books we've read. NOTES: Here are the books we mentioned in this episode: Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity by Lilliana Mason The New...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Matthew 28: 16-20 -- Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: American Christianity has a hard time discerning what is American and what is Christian. Two of the simplest...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Matthew 16:21-23 -- From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. Matthew 22:15-21 -- Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. Philippians 4:8 -- Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we highlighted short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Matthew 22:34-40. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we are highlighting short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we aimed to highlight short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: 2 Corinthians 11:2-4 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we aimed to highlight short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Jeremiah 29:4-7 -- 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash Scott is on sabbatical so we aimed to highlight short thoughts that will help the church remain faithful in public life. NOTES: Matthew 4:17 -- From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at...
Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash Join us as we discuss the ever-challenging obligation of having a good attitude when it comes to paying taxes! Key verses today were: Matthew 22:15-22 is the classic text about what Jesus thinks about taxes. Romans 13...
Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash This Easter more Christians will gather to celebrate the risen King Jesus than ever before! Those worship services will, among other things, be political statements that Jesus is the true king. NOTES: Key verses today were: Revelation...
Photo by Michael Carruth on Unsplash In this episode, we talk about what will happen if we continue to allow certainty to substitute for truth. NOTES: If we have learned anything in recent decades, it is that we should not roll out heavy-handed political movements...
Photo by Lucas Santos on Unsplash In this episode, we talk about the implications of what it means to be secular as the church approaches the public square. We are greatly helped by James K. A. Smith's book, How Not to be Secular. NOTES: In addition to the Smith book,...
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash In this episode, we consider the question, Is Christian Nationalism a noble lie? While I'm sure none of our listeners would ever consider lying, it sometimes happens in ways you don't think about. NOTES: Definition -- In Plato's The...
Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash In this episode, we consider Jesus walking on water. The disciples either trusted Jesus or were fearful. They didn't have many options in between. When you look at our world do you see a storm? What will it take for you to trust...
Photo by Max Sulik on Unsplash In this episode, we talk about American Exceptionalism. America is exceptional. If the reasons for that exceptionalism bleed into a divine mandate or blessing, it reflects confusion about what the City on a Hill is all about. NOTES: Some...
Artistic impression of Epictetus, including his crutch from Wikipedia In this episode, Aeric brings his Great Conversations reading to City on a Hill! Is stoicism a viable ideology for Christians? NOTES: Epictetus is a Stoic philosopher whose ideas are very, very...
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash In this episode, we extrapolate from Aeric's C-SPAN addiction. Before the House of Representatives elected a speaker (which was also a spectacle) C-SPAN operated in the House without House rules. They did not have a fixed camera. We...
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash In this episode, we remind listeners to pray and not to complain about their government leaders. In fact, praying for them might be a good New Year's Resolution, if you are into that kind of thing! NOTES: Our key Bible verses were 1...
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash NOTES: We highlighted three key Bible passages today. Hebrews 11:10 -- For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Hebrews 12: 28-29 -- Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a...
We are pleased to welcome Dr. David Innes on the podcast today. He is the author of Scott's most highlighted book of 2022, Christ and the Kingdom of Men: Foundations of Political Life. NOTES: By day David is a professor of Politics at Kings College. By night he...
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash Today we discuss a retrospective on 2022 from Pew Research and Gallup Polls. NOTES: Here are the two sources we cited: Pew Research Gallup Poll RECAP & TAKEAWAYS: Don't forget to check out the newsletters from last week: The...
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash Today Scott is excited to get swag from "unbiased" newsletters. Aeric questions whether that is possible. NOTES: Here are the News Sources Scott recently found. Please subscribe and get him some swag! 🙂 One is the Morning Brew....
Photo by ElevenPhotographs on Unsplash Today we discuss The Civil War and what we can learn from the theology that supported it. We hope you'll find it as interesting as we did. NOTES: This is Scott's book report on The Civil War as a Theological Crisis by Mark A....
We are pleased to have Dylan Pahman on our podcast this episode. We had a great conversation with Dylan about his book and how Christians can apply economic thinking to their Christian faith. NOTES: Dylan Pahman is a research fellow at the Acton Institute for the...
Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash This episode seeks to explore the idea of authority. We do start off with some nerdy things, then explore the relation of God to human authority. Hopefully, this will help us understand the difference between tyranny and...
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash The mid-term election is over and Aeric did not win. But, we did learn a few things. Here are a few of our reflection on the experience. RECAP & TAKEAWAYS: SCOTT’S learnings: So many things were out of Aeric’s (or any...
Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is at the top of our favorite holiday list! NOTES: Here is Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. Here is the article about the Mother of Thanksgiving and Abraham Lincoln. RECAP & TAKEAWAYS:...
We are so excited to have Dr. David Koyzis, author of Political Visions and Illusions, as the climax to our book report! We did a book report on the Political Visions book in the past several episodes and invited Dr. Koyzis to bring the conclusion to the book. I think...
This is the sixth episode in our series on Political Visions and Illusions. Socialism is the ideology that elevates communal ownership over individual ownership. It can be defined by its desire for economic equality. Liberals take exception to socialism because it...
This is the fifth episode in our Political Visions and Illusions series. Democratism is the ideology that values the rule of the people above all else. Democratism is rarely, okay is never, as simple and pure as it sounds. As with each of these ideologies, in the...
Nationalism is the first ideology to take community seriously. We do live with other people and they matter. Nationalism defines who is in and who is out. The greatest evil is to be ruled by someone who is not one of us.Most of us are familiar with a nation/state, but...
Patrick's new book, The Political Gospel, comes out today. In honor of that, we rebroadcast our interview with him from earlier this year! We interviewed Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor, Dr. Patrick Schreiner about his book, The Political Gospel....
Conservatism is the idea that we must "conserve" what we have. It opposes change for change's sake. Conservatism can be an outlook on the world or a wise caution against wholesale change. And, conservatism can be ideology agnostic -- Some may desire to conserve a...
The first ideology in The Political Visions and Illusions book is liberalism. Liberalism, in the classic sense, is as common to us as water is to a fish. We found it very helpful to think a little more clearly about our own political assumptions. This episode and the...
What makes a political idea become an idol for Christians? In this episode, begin to talk about how David Koyzis's book has helped us see that political ideologies are incomplete and as a result comprise a false gospel. This episode and the next several will be...
We are pleased to have Paul Hoffman on our podcast this episode. We had a great conversation with Paul about his book and about how Christians can navigate divisions. NOTES: Paul is the pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport (RI) and the author of...
Photo by Philipp Potocnik on Unsplash This episode seeks to apply our admonition last week to engage culture specifically rather than in general. NOTES: One more plug for these two books: Center Church: Center Church Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your...