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27 Jan

Ruth Malhotra: The Woman Who Told The Truth About Ravi Zacharias

In this powerful episode of The Just Life, Benjamin Watson sits down with Ruth Malhotra, a key whistleblower in the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) scandal. Ruth’s journey is one of unexpected advocacy, sitting at the intersection of faith, justice, and public engagement. The conversation begins with Ruth’s early days at Georgia Tech, where she successfully sued the university for violating free speech rights, setting a precedent for students across the nation. However, the interview takes a somber and gripping turn as Ruth details her time as the Public Relations Manager for RZIM. She pulls back the curtain on the culture of fear, the "don't question Ravi" mandate, and the systemic abuse of power that allowed a global ministry leader to hide a double life. This is a raw look at what happens when institutions prioritize reputation over righteousness, and how to maintain faith when leaders fail. Key Topics & Takeaways: From India to Atlanta: How Ruth’s upbringing and exposure to the slums of India shaped her view of global injustice. The Georgia Tech Lawsuit: The story behind Ruth’s battle against university speech codes and the Dean who admitted to "indoctrinating" students. The RZIM Culture: The gradual realization of "optics" issues, financial extravagance, and the idolatry of leadership. The Turning Point: The 2017 allegations by Lori Ann Thompson and the accidental email that revealed the cover-up to Ruth. The 4 Stages of Cover-Up: Ruth breaks down how organizations hide abuse: Deny, Defy, and Defame. Surviving Gaslighting: How ministry leadership tried to label Ruth as mentally unstable to discredit her whistleblowing. The Definition of Justice: Why justice requires not just protecting the vulnerable, but exposing the darkness, even when it is within the church. Check out the video version at: https://www.youtube.com/@thejustlifeofficial Connect with Benjamin at: https://benjaminswatson.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Season 1, Episode 1

Who Killed Mars Hill?

In 2014, after more than a decade of tremendous growth and ministry, Mars Hill Church imploded with the resignation of its lead pastor, Mark Driscoll. Once a hub for those disenfranchised with cultural Christianity, Mars Hill’s characteristic “punk rock spirit” became its downfall as power, fame and spiritual trauma invaded the ministry. But how did things fall apart? Where did Mark Driscoll take a wrong turn? Who could be held responsible for the hurt and disillusionment that resulted? In this inaugural episode of “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill,” host Mike Cosper begins at the end, investigating the rubble of Mars Hill’s fall for answers. Meet Mark, the firebrand “cussing pastor” whose ministry of breaking conventions called men and women to transformation and whose rebellion touched a nerve with those inside and outside the church. Meet a church culture that considered relational fallout as simply part of the job. And, take a look in the mirror to ask why we keep doing this -- elevating leaders whose charisma outpaces their character. Loaded with piercing and poignant interviews, this episode invites you to release preconceived notions about this familiar story and listen afresh to a narrative that feels painfully relevant more than a decade later. Wonder why Christianity Today features stories like these? Stick around at the end of the episode as Kate Shellnut and Daniel Silliman discuss why talking about church culture and leadership matters. Read more at “If You See Something, Say Something” and Why We Report Bad News About Leaders. Here is the letter presenting formal charges against Mark Driscoll from 21 former Mars Hill pastors. Here is the letter from nine pastors who were serving in August of 2014, asking Mark Driscoll to step down from ministry and enter a restoration process. “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producer, Writer, Editor, and Host: Mike Cosper Associate Producer: Joy Beth Smith Music, Sound Design, and Mix Engineer: Kate Siefker Graphic Design: Bryan Todd Social Media: Nicole Shanks Editorial Consultant: Andrea Palpant Dilley Editor in Chief: Timothy Dalrymple Theme song: “Sticks and Stones” by Kings Kaleidoscope Closing song: "Slow and Steady Wins the Race" by Pedro the Lion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Season 1, Episode 5

The Things We Do To Women

Sex sells. It might be hard to imagine a church harnessing this popular marketing technique for church growth, but that’s exactly what Mark Driscoll did in Seattle in the early 2000s. Whether condemning the Western erosion of manhood or elevating women as Christian pornographic ideals, preaching from the Mars Hill pulpit mixed toxic cultural messages with biblical theology in the name of forming men, women, and families for God. And, like Mark’s campaign against diminished manhood, when sex sold in church, both men and women came up short. In this episode of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, host Mike Cosper addresses the femininity, fear, and fantasy that fueled conversations around gender and womanhood at Mars Hill. With delicate care, he unpacks the reactionary stream of sexuality that emerged at Mars Hill and exposes the struggle for authority and power beneath Mark Driscoll’s classic sermons on womanhood and sex. Cosper explores what happens when words meant to protect women end up hurting them and how theology about headship and submission can create fear and shame when wielded by the wrong hands. If you’ve seen Mark’s famous viral videos or heard the sermon sound bytes, tune in to this episode for the fuller story. “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producer, Writer, Editor, and Host: Mike Cosper Associate Producer: Joy Beth Smith Music, Sound Design, and Mix Engineer: Kate Siefker Graphic Design: Bryan Todd Social Media: Nicole Shanks Editorial Consultant: Andrea Palpant Dilley Editor in Chief: Timothy Dalrymple Theme song: “Sticks and Stones” by Kings Kaleidoscope Closing song: “Woman” by Jackie Hill Perry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Season 1 Trailer

Be Afraid - Trailer

Hosted by Dr. Kutter Callaway, Be Afraid is an exploration of fear, faith, and stories that scare the hell out of us. You’ll hear from filmmakers, film critics, psychological scientists, and even an exorcist or two, each of whom shares their unique insights on the horror genre and its growing popularity. Listen to the trailer and subscribe today. The full series launches on October 6th, 2023. From the studio that brought you "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" and "The Bulletin," “Be Afraid” is a production of Christianity Today, Fuller Seminary, and Uncommon Voices Collective More from Kutter Callaway on theology and culture: https://www.kuttercallaway.com/ More from Uncommon Voices Collective: https://www.uncommonvoices.faith/ More from Fuller Seminary: http://fuller.edu/beafraid Join the conversation at our Fearmakers Conference: https://www.fearmakerscon.com/ Executive Produced by Erik Petrik Produced, Written, and Edited by Kutter Callaway Produced and Edited by Stephen Scheilder Associate Produced by TJ Hester Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
23/10/2024

Be Afraid Bonus Episode 5: Chad and Carey Hayes

This week on Be Afraid, we offer you a bonus episode in the form of a full-length, unedited interview with Chad and Carey Hayes. The Hayeses are twin brothers who launched what is now known as The Conjuring Universe, which, at over $2 billion, is the highest-grossing horror franchise in history. Together, they wrote The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2, which has generated a series of sequels and prequels, including three Annabelle movies, The Nun and The Nun II, and a third Conjuring film. More from Kutter Callaway on theology and culture: www.kuttercallaway.com More from Qoheleth: qohelethnoise.bandcamp.com “Be Afraid” is a production of Christianity Today, Fuller Seminary, and Uncommon Voices Collective Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producer, Writer, and Editor: Kutter Callaway Producer, Editor, Graphic Design: Stephen Scheidler Producer: TJ Hester Music: Jeremy Hunt and Qoheleth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08/10/2024

October 7, 2023 Remembrance with Yossi Halevi

The Bulletin welcomes American-Jewish journalist Yossi Klein Halevi to recall the tragic events that took place in Israel on October 7, 2023 and discuss the year of turmoil that has come after. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Follow the show in your podcast app of choice. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. Leave a comment in Spotify with your feedback on the discussion—we may even respond! ABOUT THE GUEST: Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic. His first book, Memoirs of a Jewish Extremist, tells the story of his teenage years as a follower of the militant rightwing rabbi Meir Kahane, and his subsequent disillusionment with Jewish radicalism. The New York Times called it “a book of burning importance.” Born in Brooklyn, Yossi moved to Israel in 1982, and lives in Jerusalem with wife, Sarah, who helps run a center for Jewish meditation. They have three children. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08/02/2021

S6E5 -Alvin Sanders

Dr. Alvin Sanders is President of World Impact and author of Uncommon Church as well as a pastor and urban leader. Dr Sanders talked systemic racism, the distraction of CRT and why a healthy, holistic local church is the best asset for an urban neighborhood. Of course, Dr Sanders gleefully submitted to the gauntlet of anxiety questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
01/03/2024

Where's That Line, Anyway?

This week on The Bulletin, hosts Mike Cosper and Nicole Martin discuss the recent self-immolation of protestor Aaron Bushnell, joined by journalist Madeleine Kearns. Conversation continues with Kearns as the three talk about Nikki Haley’s seemingly fated bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The episode ends with fascinating insights into the limits and benefits of free speech as CT ideas editor Bonnie Kristian joins the show to talk about the recent Supreme Court review of Texas and Florida laws restricting free speech on social media. This week’s guests: Madeleine Kearns is a staff writer at National Review and a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She is from Glasgow, Scotland, and is a trained singer. Bonnie Kristian is the editorial director of ideas and books at Christianity Today and a fellow at Defense Priorities. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing on religion, foreign policy, the modern American right, civil liberties, electoral politics, and more has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, The New Atlantis, Reason, and The Daily Beast. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Producer: Clarissa Moll and Matt Stevens Associate Producer: McKenzie Hill Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps Show Design: Bryan Todd Graphic Design: Amy Jones Social Media: Kate Lucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/02/2024

The Nature of Every Belief

Most Christians would probably say that relaxing in the presence of God sounds like a beautiful idea. But do we know how to do that? And do we understand what gets in our way? On this episode of Being Human, Steve Cuss helps listeners identify the reactivity in their lives that keeps them from experiencing connection with God, themselves, and others. He walks through a brief history of systems theory, noting the key figures who have built a body of work exploring how relational dynamics affect us. He explains the ways that ego drives decision-making, how to recognize and respond to stuck patterns, and what it looks like to “get off the treadmill” of expending energy and effort on trying harder. Cuss shares stories from Scripture, history, and his own life that shed light on how to look at the nature of our beliefs. And he digs down to the surprising roots of the word “gospel,” illuminating the ways that only Christianity has a God who sacrifices that humanity might benefit. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Bowen Family Systems Theory Edwin H. Friedman Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue by Edwin H. Friedman Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs by Steve Cuss Gregory Bateson Margaret Mead Mental Research Institute The False Self Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age by Tom Holland Virgil Timothy Keller Faith Within Reason by Herbert McCabe “Being Human with Steve Cuss” is a production of Christianity Today Executive Produced by Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Produced and Edited by Matt Stevens Associate Producers: McKenzie Hill, Raed Gilliam, and Abby Perry Theme song by Dan Phelps Original Music by Andy Gullahorn Mix Engineer: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Amy Jones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
26/04/2021

S6E16 - Matt Thomas

As a former convict who found God and reaped the benefits from an aftercare program in Arizona, Matt saw the great need for a similar kind of program here in the Midwest after moving to Wichita in 2011. After two years of prayer, planning, brick walls, and dead ends, God’s spirit began to move in a mighty way. An unlikely team of people was brought together, and doors that had been closed for years began to open. Matt and his wife Christina live in Shawnee, KS. with their two young sons. They have also been blessed with three grandsons from their older daughters. Matt is as a published author, preaches, and consults with organizations focusing on re-entry programming and church planting. As the Executive Director, Matt provides visionary leadership and oversight for the ministry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcasts that elevate the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God.