Cross & Gavel Audio

With the end of Roe comes a renewed conversation about the meaning of sex and the purpose of our physical bodies. Here to discuss the theology of the body and his new book — Wonderfully Made — is a Lutheran man from a land down under: John Kleining. Check out John's faculty page at Australian Lutheran College (here) and buy his book (here) today!   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

With the end of Roe v. Wade comes the next chapter of the abortion saga. Here to discuss whether the pro-life movement has adequately prepared us for this moment, and what States must do next to help women, is three experts on the topics of employment, community, and life: Amelia Ragan (employment attorney and partner), Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa (Founder of New Wave Feminists), and Cherilyn Holloway (Founder of Pro-Black Pro Life). Also, check out this article from Destiny in the Church Life Journal at Notre Dame University: The Bigger Vision of a World Without Roe v. Wade.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

The loss of civility has not gone unnoticed, as more and more of us seek the institutional self over the service of community and higher principles. Discussing the intellectual history of the self in the work of Michel de Montainge — and, how his understanding of civility has failed today — is philosopher Ann Hartle. For more on Ann's work, check out her faculty page and buy her new book today!   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

When work becomes religion in Silicon Valley  — that is the topic for this episode. With UC-Berekeley sociologist Carolyn Chen serving as our guide, helping us understand how tech workers have ushered in a new era of ritual and life in the shadows of productivity. For more on Carolyn's work, check out her page and buy her new book today! Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

Finding a healthy work-life balance in the legal profession is a challenge. Here to discuss what students and faculty must do to help cultivate this balance is law professor at Georgia State University College of Law — Jonathan Todres. Check out more of this work here and read his brand new paper "Work-Life Balance and the Need to Give Law Students a Break."   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

With rates of suicide going up and depression rampant among teens, it is clear that many Americans are struggling to find some semblance of an enduring peace. Here to discuss the timeless question of how and how not to be happy is professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas and the author of the new book entitled “How and How Not To Be Happy” – J. Budziszewski. Check out his faculty page and his personal website here. And, buy his book today!   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

School officials at Bremerton High School suspended—and later fired—football coach Joe Kennedy because of his on-the-field prayer practice that drew widespread attention from students and press. Here to talk about Kennedy v. Bremerton School District and school prayer more generally is Keisha Russell — an attorney from First Liberty Institute. For more on Keisha's work, check out her profile at FLI here. For more on the case, check out the SCOTUSblog page here.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.  

In a time when protest reigns supreme, the right to associate under a common banner seems intuitive. But, as more and more of us become subservient to the will of the state and personal preference, the space for pure intermediate association dwindles. Here, to discuss the history and philosophy behind the freedom of association is Dr. Luke Sheahan of Duquesne University. For more on Luke, check out his page and buy his book, today!   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

Our Founding Fathers knew well the importance of religion to education. And, yet today, many have dismissed the utility of faith in the development of character. Here to discuss religion's surprising impact on academic success is author of "God, Grades, and Graduation" — Ilana Horwitz. For more on Dr. Horwitz, check out her website and her recent op-ed in the New York Times. More importantly, buy her book here.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciplines: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  Joining me today to talk about peace and the making therein is the founder of Peacemaker Ministries, now dedicating his time to Christian reconciliation and building his network through Relational Wisdom 360 – Ken Sande. Buy his groundbreaking book today.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.    

The public engagement of the church has been anything but boring. Joining me today to talk through 2,000 years of Christian public philosophy in 50 minutes is the director of the Oikonomia Network and a visiting assistant professor of faith and culture at Trinity Graduate School – Greg Forster. We discuss Greg's excellent overview study of the political philosophy of the church in The Contested Public Square (buy here).   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

The co-director of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, Crystal L. Downing, joins me this week to talk about the subversive Dorothy L. Sayers. Discover more about Crystal's work here and buy her wonderful biography of Sayers here.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

The formation of good habits and the appropriation therein by the bad is a perennial topic of concern for Christians aiming to live a life worthy of their calling. See Ephesians 4:1. My guest today has written two books that will form the basis of our two part discussion on this very issue. In this first part, we will talk about The Common Rule. Then, later in the semester, we will tackle Habits of the Household. For more on Justin and his work, go here and here. You can also follow him on Twitter at @Justin_W_Earley.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

It should come as no surprise that we are living in complex times. Christians are called to such a moment and should act accordingly by engaging more, not less, with the changing landscape. My guest today (Tod Bolsinger) has written two books helping us do just that (Canoeing The Mountains and Tempered Resilience): developing a vision for adaptive leadership. For more on Tod and his work, go here and here. You can also follow him on Twitter at @todbol.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

A recording of Lee Strobel's presentation at the 2021 CLS National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. For more on Lee's work, go here and follow him on Twitter at @LeeStrobel.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

A recording of James K.A. Smith's presentation at the 2021 CLS National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. For more on Jamie's work, go here and follow him on Twitter at @James_ka_smith.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

With the Supreme Court on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade, questions emerge concerning the state of our society and the ability of mothers to participate fully, therein. Here to talk about that whole life is the founder of New Wave Feminists — Destiny Herndon-de La Rosa. Follow her and NWF on Twitter (i.e., @DestinyHDLR, @NWFproTX) and read more about her work here.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

Joining us today to talk about the cultivation of the Christian imagination and the life J.R.R. Tolkien is the fellow of faith & culture at the Word on Fire Institute and visiting professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University – Holly Ordway. Her two books on Apologetics and Tolkien can be found here and here (respectively). For more, check out her website and Twitter account (@HollyOrdway).     JOIN US next week in San Antonio for the CLS National Conference. This year's event will feature Lee Strobel, Ruth Okediji, James K.A. Smith, and Laudir Lugo. Register today.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

Scripture instructs believers to "be anxious for nothing," creating the illusion that how we respond to stress is entirely a product of personal agency. Our guest today pushes back on this notion, calling for a holistic vision of anxiety rooted in theology and science. Dr. Matthew Lapine has written a wonderful book on the topic, and an accessible article for Christianity Today (here). For more, check out his website and his Twitter account (@matthewalapine).     JOIN US this month in San Antonio for the CLS National Conference. This year's event will feature Lee Strobel, Ruth Okediji, James K.A. Smith, and Laudir Lugo. Register today.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.

Every Sunday, pastors across the nation are telling their congregants to leave the stresses of work behind and focus instead on Jesus. Here to discuss this separation between work and worship, and how the church can do a better job in promoting the integration therein, is Matthew Kaemingk – assistant professor, director of the Richard John Mouw Institute of Faith and Public Life, and associate dean of Fuller Theological Seminary in Houston, Texas. Find his work here and here. Purchase his books on work + worship, immigration, and political theology today [link]. Find him on Twitter at @matthewkaemingk.     JOIN US this October in San Antonio for the CLS National Conference. This year's event will feature Lee Strobel, Ruth Okediji, James K.A. Smith, and Laudir Lugo. Register today.   Episode produced by Josh Deng, with music from Vexento. A Special Thanks to Nick and Ashley Barnett for their contribution in making this podcast possible.