In a recent 60 minutes interview, Pope Francis sparked controversy when he claimed that humans are fundamentally good. Katelyn Beaty joins Phil and Kaitlyn to discuss the Pope's comments, and why our theology needs to include both the doctrine that all humans are made in the image of God and an understanding of original sin. Also, new survey data suggests that the "Religious Nones" have plateaued and religious affiliation among Gen Z is on the rise. We discuss why this might be happening and how the "weirdness" of Christianity is what makes it appealing to so many people right now. Then Skye sits down with Sean McGever to discuss his new book, Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield. They explore how these three historical evangelical leaders navigated the morality of slavery and the lasting impact it is still having on the Church today. Plus, even priests are not immune to Florida Man Syndrome.
In a recent 60 minutes interview, Pope Francis sparked controversy when he claimed that humans are fundamentally good. Katelyn Beaty joins Phil and Kaitlyn to discuss the Pope's comments, and why our theology needs to include both the doctrine that all humans are made in the image of God and an understanding of original sin. Also, new survey data suggests that the "Religious Nones" have plateaued and religious affiliation among Gen Z is on the rise. We discuss why this might be happening and how the "weirdness" of Christianity is what makes it appealing to so many people right now. Then Skye sits down with Sean McGever to discuss his new book, Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield. They explore how these three historical evangelical leaders navigated the morality of slavery and the lasting impact it is still having on the Church today. Plus, even priests are not immune to Florida Man Syndrome.
0:00 - Intro
1:36 - Show Starts
2:58 - Theme Song
3:20 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://ww.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order
4:24 - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to download your family refugee guide and learn more about the Path Community
5:39 - Italian Island Overrun by Goats
10:31 - Pope Francis Calls Humans “Fundamentally Good?”
28:20 - Ryan Burge and the Plateauing of the Nones
45:57 - Florida Priest Bites Woman
50:18 - Sponsor - Better Help - “This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get on your way to being your best self.” www.betterhelp.com/holypost
51:17 - Interview
59:56 - Opposing Slave Trade, but Not Slavery
1:09:47 - How Edwards, Whitfield, and Wesley Influenced Attitudes About Slavery
1:20:05 - Avoiding Moral Blindspots
1:27:12 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Alicudi: Italian Island Offers Goats Up for Adoption
Pope Francis Draws Accusations of Heresy for Saying Humans are Good
Ryan Burge and Nones Plateau
Florida Priest Admits Biting Woman in Defense of Eucharist
https://www.ncronline.org/news/florida-priest-admits-biting-woman-last-resort-defense-save-eucharist
Other resources:
Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield by Sean McGever: https://a.co/d/7SrPAZu
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
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Re: Francis, there is a simple explanation for his statement about human sinfulnes: Francis is characterized above all with love, and like a parent looking on his child, he sees with eyes of love when he speaks of hope for humanity. He wasn't making a theological statement. He just loves people and that love overflows in his optimistic view of what they are capable of.
The Southern Baptist denomination apologized for Slavery 130 years after the Civil War..... go figure....
It is interesting how often white Evangelicals submit themselves to non-biblical financial, social and political mores. No surprise as only 4% of the U.S. population have a biblical worldview.
Also the current US. Methodist Church is unwinding. I wonder what John Wesley would say....
Wesley was a slave holder? "all three men . . ." Where did this come from?
Considering the abolitionist movement in England, other than the Quakers, didn't take off until the late 18th century, I find it difficult to fault Wesley. Let's also remember that he was an employee of the state Church of England and how that would impact his political statements. His was an evangelical movement with social engagements for schools, clinics, etc., to help the impoverished. He primarily spoke against slave trading because that (and not slave holding) was the issue in his country. But he NEVER spoke favorably of slavery. Would we want him to speak more forcibly against it? Of course, but…
A quick thought on the difference in experience for the UK church (from an American working in ministry in the UK), one of the big differences, across the whole spectrum of church in the UK, is the embrace of a social action (the British term for doing socially good things) as a legitimate work of the church. Evangelicalism here is far more Stott than Graham, very few churches I've interacted with see social action as a distraction from the Gospel (to the point that many of them never get around to talking about the Gospel in explicit terms). I could write at length about some of the ways this social action is often harmful (mostly in the way it reinforces…
The ability to brand fellow humans for the cause of Christ is not baffling at all. It was (and other continuing sinful behavior to this day still is) based in very bad theology. Wesley and his fellows propagated "entire sanctification", a kind of second conversion said to remove our capacity to sin and which enables truly committed believers to lead a sinless life.
This, coupled with the notion that our holiness (certain outwardly prescribed behaviors) results in salvation, means that these people were NOT interested in the people they "saved" or motivated by their needs born out of love, but, rather, were only really interested in the number of spiritual scalps they could claim as proof of their own sanctification…