Episode Notes Michael Graham is the program director for The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and coauthor of The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will it Take to Bring Them Back? In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer and co-host Pastor Ben Best to talk about the 40 million Americans who have left the churc…

Faithfully following Jesus in a digital and media-saturated society involves more than not using our devices for explicitly immoral purposes. Forming biblical wisdom requires being aware of how our technological practices might be shaping us in ways contrary to that of Christ. Listen to Dr. Felicia Wu Song, author of Restless Devices: Recovering Pe…

Episode Notes Cairn University’s Professor of New Testament, Dr. Kevin McFadden is the author of Hidden with Christ in God: A Theology of Colossians and Philemon, in Crossway’s New Testament Theology series. He joined Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss Christ as our hidden hope, his preeminence and sufficiency, Christians’ union with Jesus in death and r…

Episode Notes “To live with OCD is to be vulnerable to the machinations of your own mind...It is an Affliction that lives in me as a powerful, painful intimidation.” So writes John Andrew Bryant in his award-winning book A Quiet Mind to Suffer With: Mental Illness, Trauma, and the Death of Christ, a book in which he recounts how a mental breakdown,…

Episode Notes Proponents of physician-assisted death present it as an act of compassion that recognizes the dignity of those suffering from terminal diseases and other illnesses. Dr. Ewan Goligher, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, is a critical care physician who is regularly involved with patients and their families fa…

Episode Notes Over his almost two decades as host of the UK-based radio program and podcast Unbelievable?, Justin Brierly facilitated countless thoughtful conversations about faith and unbelief between some of the world’s foremost atheists and Christian apologists. In his book The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God and podcast by the same name, Ju…

Episode Notes The Christian faith provides intellectually and existentially satisfying answers to many of life’s questions. But it likewise challenges us to consider whether the things we’re most curious about are really important and liberates us to ask new and better questions. Dr. Matthew Lee Anderson is convinced that the call to follow Jesus i…

Episode Notes Dr. Gary Schnittjer, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Cairn University, is co-editor of the Scripture Connections series to which he is also a contributing author. His book, Old Testament Narrative Books: The Israel Story, explores the histories of the Hebrew kingdoms—their rise, fall, exile, and restoration—and shows their…

Episode Notes The question “Am I being formed?” is never a valid one for the Christian. Rather, we must continually ask ourselves “By what am I being formed and how?” In his book Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age, Samuel D. James claims “Rather than being a neutral tool, the internet (particularly the social interne…

Episode Notes Our world is becoming increasingly polarized and we're prone to division before unity in any number of arenas. Technology fractures our sense of embodiment and the current culture wars see Christians parting ways over theology, politics, history, race, social justice. This division isn't only external...rather there is an ongoing pres…

Episode Notes Matthew T. Martens is the author of Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, a book in which he hopes “to demonstrate from Scripture that justice is, most fundamentally, an issue of love.” “Get love right,” he says, “and you will get justice right. But you will never set the justice system straight without a proper understand…

Episode Notes Christian colleges and universities committed to biblical authority endeavor to help students see the connection between their faith and the academic subjects they’re studying. This is sometimes hindered by the fact that some professors have been trained in settings where the implications of Christian doctrine for their areas of speci…

Episode Notes Artificial intelligence and deconstruction are topics receiving a lot of attention in a variety of Christian circles but rarely in the same place. Dr. Michael J. Svigel, department chair and professor of theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, creatively brings the two together in his latest novella, The AItheist. He joined Dr. Keith…

Episode Notes As evidenced by the multitude of tributes offered following his death, the pastoral ministry, speaking, writing, and example of the late Dr. Timothy Keller helped countless people better know, love, and obey Jesus. Even those who didn’t share his faith, have offered sincere expressions of gratitude and admiration for his life. In this…

Many believe higher education is facing an existential crisis. While nonprofit and for-profit schools are battling issues of affordability, enrollment, and latent COVID realities, the need for Christ-centered, academically rigorous, and biblically faithful institutions of higher education remains. In this episode, Dr. Todd J. Williams, president of…

Many believe higher education is facing an existential crisis. While nonprofit and for-profit schools are battling issues of affordability, enrollment, and latent COVID realities, the need for Christ-centered, academically rigorous, and biblically faithful institutions of higher education remains. In this episode, Dr. Todd J. Williams, president of…

The Edmiston Center focuses on Christian endurance in the midst of competing cultural narratives. Mrs. K.A. Ellis, its director, joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about how she came to Christ and the people and things God used to form her heart for Christians experiencing persecution around the world. What different forms does persecution take, and …

When Christians think about sharing the gospel, many of us tend to think primarily in terms of making a presentation. Dr. Randy Newman, the senior fellow for evangelism and apologetics at the C. S. Lewis Institute, is convinced that we need to think much more about how to engage people in conversations, and for years, he’s been teaching that asking…

We are most vulnerable to drifting from the core teachings of the Christian faith when we find them boring, irrelevant, or embarrassing. Dr. Trevin Wax wrote his book The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith to counteract the familiarity with Christian teaching that he says is “the enemy of wonder.” He joins Dr. Keith…

Episode Notes Chris Martin, author of The Wolf in Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead, returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Keith Plummer about why Christian leaders need to understand how our relationship with social media changes the ways we think, feel, and believe. Chris explains why he calls social media…

“Gift” and “good” aren’t words that usually come to mind when we think about our limitations. Dr. Kelly M. Kapic, author of You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News, thinks this reveals a serious theological problem, writing that denying our finitude “distorts our view of God and what Christian spirituality s…

Episode Notes Seasoned journalist Bonnie Kristian believes America is in the midst of a knowledge crisis that the church cannot afford to ignore. In fact, she thinks it could be the most pressing and unprecedented challenge for contemporary discipleship. Her new book Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, a…

Episode Notes Chris Martin, author of Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media, says social media has become so pervasive that not even non-users can fully escape it. He joins Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about how social media is influencing how we think and feel about life in largely negative ways and—most importantly, what Christians can do …

Episode Notes Faithfully following Jesus in a digital and media-saturated society involves more than not using our devices for explicitly immoral purposes. Forming biblical wisdom requires being aware of how our technological practices might be shaping us in ways contrary to that of Christ. Listen to Dr. Felicia Wu Song, author of Restless Devices:…

Keith Johnson and Nate Wambold talk about how to manage the current disruption to businesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The post Advancement: Disruptions appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the SECURE Act which makes a number of significant tax law changes effecting retirement planning as well as planned giving. The new legislation addresses a wide variety of areas that are likely to impact our alumni and friends. Keith Johnson unpacks the new policy in this episode of Advancement.…

Cairn University is excited to offer free will preparation services and estate planning documents through our friends at FreeWill. FreeWill also provides our donors with an option to gift qualified charitable deductions directly from their IRA to the university. The post Advancement: FreeWill appeared first on Cairn University.…

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson invites Dick Millham to the studio to discuss year-end gift planning strategies. The post Advancement: Year End Gift Planning (with Dick Millham) appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson has a conversation with three Cairn students who have benefitted from our donors' generous support through the Cairn Fund. Hear Angela, Rayhan, and Annie share about the ministries that God is calling them to, and learn how a charitable gift can make not only a lifelong impact, but an eternal one through the wor…

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson discusses the importance of estate planning, and how to use your will as a charitable giving tool. The post Advancement: Bequests – Giving Out of Your Estate appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson has a conversation with Sr. Advancement Officer Tammy Butler to help listeners understand the important role of Cairn University's Office of Advancement and the impact donors have on the lives of our students. The post Advancement: A Look Inside University Advancement (with Tammy Butler) appeared first on Cairn …

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson discusses the benefits of charitable giving, and introduces The Pathway Society. The post Advancement: Introducing the Pathway Society appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson discusses the importance of making sure your assets will actually go where you want them to when you're gone, along with some tips on how to use charitable beneficiary designations to reduce your tax burden. The post Advancement: Understanding Charitable Trusts appeared first on Cairn University.…

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson discusses the importance of making sure your assets will actually go where you want them to when you're gone, along with some tips on how to use charitable beneficiary designations to reduce your tax burden. The post Advancement: Beneficiary Designations and Property Titling appeared first on Cairn University.…

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson invites alumnus Steve Melniczak to the studio to discuss everyone's favorite topic - life insurance. The post Advancement: Legacies and Life Insurance (with Steve Melniczak) appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson unpacks the many benefits of Charitable Gift Annuities. The post Advancement: 7 Benefits of Charitable Gift Annuities appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University

Advancement is a brand new podcast from the Office of Advancement. Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson helps listeners understand financial principles, and establish practical and godly wealth management habits. The post Advancement: Market Turmoil and the Believer (with Bob Doll) appeared first on Cairn University.…

Advancement is a brand new podcast from the Office of Advancement. Planned Giving Officer Keith Johnson helps listeners understand financial principles, and establish practical and godly wealth management habits. The post Advancement: The New Tax Code appeared first on Cairn University.By Cairn University