Wisdom & Influence from Cornerstone University

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Wisdom & Influence, the official podcast of Cornerstone University, explores how Biblical wisdom shapes culture, leadership, industry, ministry, and everyday life. Hosted by President Gerson Moreno-Riaño, each episode features thought-provoking conversations with Christian influencers: national thought leaders, professors, students, alumni, and more — sharing actionable insights and inspiring stories to help you spread Biblical truth in our world.

  1. 4d ago

    Deconstruction, Progressive Christianity & Standing Firm in the Faith Ep. 32 Feat. Alisa Childers

    Author, podcast host and former ZOEgirl member Alisa Childers joins the Wisdom and Influence podcast to discuss the deconstruction movement, progressive Christianity and how Christians can stand firm in their faith. Childers, who co-authored "The Deconstruction of Christianity" and wrote "Another Gospel," shares her personal journey from contemporary Christian music artist to apologist, including a crisis of faith that nearly led her to agnosticism. In this conversation, Childers and Cornerstone University President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño explore the philosophical roots of deconstruction, the dangers of redefining sin, and the importance of Biblical sexuality as part of Cornerstone's Christ & Culture Chapel Week. They also discuss the state of contemporary Christian music, the rise of mysticism and the occult in churches, the impact of affluence on faith, and what true revival and renewal look like according to Scripture. Whether you are a college student navigating questions about faith, a parent concerned about cultural trends, or a church leader seeking clarity on progressive Christianity, this episode offers biblical wisdom and practical guidance for discerning truth in an age of deconstruction.

  2. Oct 27

    Revolution, Faith & America's Christian Founding Ep. 31 Feat. Eric Metaxas

    Eric Metaxas, a Distinguished President's Fellow at Cornerstone University and the New York Times bestselling author of "Bonhoeffer" and his latest book "Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World," joins the Wisdom & Influence podcast to discuss the Christian roots of America's founding. In this episode, Metaxas unpacks his journey of researching and writing "Revolution" — a sweeping account of the American Revolution written for America's 250th anniversary. He shares how the principles of liberty, self-government and freedom of conscience grew directly out of the Reformation and Biblical faith, not secular Enlightenment philosophy. Metaxas and host President Gerson Moreno-Riaño explore the lives of key founding figures including George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams and Dr. Joseph Warren, and discuss what it means to be a good citizen in light of America's Christian heritage. They also examine the role of Christian higher education, the need for revival and action among believers today, and how Metaxas' faith guided him through the daunting process of telling the story of America's birth. Eric Metaxas is the founder of Socrates in the City, host of "The Eric Metaxas Show" syndicated on 300 radio outlets nationwide and television on TBN, and author of multiple New York Times bestsellers.

  3. Oct 13

    Putting Children First Ep. 30 Feat. Katy Faust

    On this episode of Cornerstone University’s Wisdom and Influence podcast, host Gerson Moreno-Riaño welcomes Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us and editor of Pro-Child Politics, for a conversation on children’s rights and the cultural forces that threaten them. Faust argues that every child has a fundamental right to their biological mother and father, tracing how no-fault divorce, the redefinition of marriage, and reproductive technologies such as IVF and surrogacy have subordinated children’s needs to adult desires. The discussion also examines how the church and Christian institutions have often replaced a robust biblical worldview with a culture of sensitivity, leaving them ill-equipped to defend children against family breakdown and commodification. Drawing on sociology, firsthand stories from children of non-traditional households, and international child-rights frameworks, Faust contends that protecting children is both a universal human obligation and a distinctively Christian mandate. Listeners will gain a clearer understanding of how marriage, family structure, and reproductive ethics intersect — and why centering children’s rights is essential to a just society.

  4. Sep 15

    When Feeling Good Isn’t Getting Better: America’s Therapy Culture | Ep. 28 Feat. Jonathan Alpert

    In this episode of the Wisdom & Influence podcast, Cornerstone University President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño sits down with psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert to discuss his book, "Therapy Nation: How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It's Left Us More Anxious and Divided." Alpert, who has appeared on NBC's "Today" show, CNN, Fox News, "Good Morning America" and "NBC Nightly News," explores how therapy culture has moved beyond the consulting room and into American identity, politics, relationships and public discourse. The conversation examines the difference between feeling good and getting better, how validation culture enables rather than heals, and why clinical language like "trauma" and "toxic" has been diluted through overuse.

  5. Sep 8

    Free Speech, Satire and the Power of Humor | Ep. 27 Feat. Seth Dillon

    In this episode of the Wisdom & Influence podcast, Dr. Moreno sits down with Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, to discuss free speech, censorship and the role of satire in speaking truth to culture. The Babylon Bee, known as the world's most trusted and factually accurate news source, satirizes real-world events and public figures to make people laugh while championing freedom, truth and sanity.Dillon shares the inside story behind The Babylon Bee's 2022 suspension from Twitter (now X) following a satirical post naming Rachel Levine as its pick for Man of the Year, and how that controversial decision led to a phone call with Elon Musk — who reportedly joked, "Maybe I just need to buy Twitter." Eight months later, Musk did exactly that, and on his first day as CEO, he restored The Babylon Bee's account with a promise: no more censorship of humor.The conversation explores the critical difference between hard censorship — government or big tech platforms silencing voices — and soft censorship, the self-censorship driven by fear of consequences. Dillon argues that soft censorship has become parasitic, quietly eroding free expression as people choose silence over standing firm. He and Dr. Moreno also discuss the cultural shift toward hypersensitivity, drawing on examples from Jerry Seinfeld's decision to stop performing on college campuses to a study on overly safe playgrounds that left kids less prepared for real-world risk.Additional topics include the First Amendment and the problem of evil, the role of Christian apologetics in equipping believers to defend their faith, the devastating consequences of bad ideas taken too seriously, and how comedians like Dave Chappelle and Bill Maher use humor to expose foolishness. Dillon closes with a reflection on Proverbs and the delicate wisdom of knowing when to answer a fool — and when to hold back.Join us October 1 for the upcoming Wisdom Conversations event, "Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Faith, Freedom, and the Future of America," featuring Seth Dillon and other panelists on the Cornerstone University campus.

  6. Sep 1

    American Exceptionalism, Truth & the Future of Freedom | Ep. 26 Feat. Dr. Robert P. George

    In this powerful episode of Cornerstone University's Wisdom & Influence Podcast, host Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño sits down with Dr. Robert P. George — McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, former chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and one of America's leading Christian public intellectuals — for a wide-ranging conversation on the ideas that shape our nation and our culture. Together they explore what makes America truly exceptional: not superiority, but a shared commitment to the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence and the conviction that all people are created equal. Professor George traces the roots of the American founding through the streams of Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem, arguing that the biblical doctrine of the Imago Dei is indispensable to the American creed. They also confront the darker chapters of American history — slavery, segregation, and the failures of the past — with Professor George making the case for telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," while rejecting ideological distortions of history like the 1619 Project. The conversation then turns to some of the most urgent questions facing our culture today: the resurgence of communism, the corrosive effects of social media silos, the critical importance of free speech, the power of law to shape culture, and the special obligation of Christians — and Christian universities — to be courageous truth-seekers and truth-speakers. Whether you're a student wrestling with these questions, a citizen concerned about the direction of our country, or someone who simply cares about the pursuit of truth, this episode will challenge, inspire, and equip you to think more deeply about the ideas that matter most.

  7. Aug 25

    Freedom, Faith and Forming the Next Generation | Ep. 25 Feat. Scott Walker

    Join Cornerstone University President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño for a conversation with former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation. Walker traces his path from a high school Badger Boys State experience and the influence of America’s founders to eight years as governor and his current work training young leaders. He addresses the urgent need to teach the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the full truth of American history; the power of moral courage rooted in faith; the danger of socialist ideas; and the call for spiritual revival. Walker challenges listeners to counter division with love for America and Jesus Christ, defend God-given rights, and live as light in a darkening culture.

  8. Aug 18

    Love Your Enemies: Cancel Culture, Suffering & Faith | Ep. 24 Feat. Dr. Cornell West

    In this episode of Cornerstone University’s Wisdom & Influence Podcast, President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño welcomes Dr. Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, philosopher, author of “Race Matters,” “Democracy Matters” and the memoir “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud,” and a recent distinguished panelist at Cornerstone’s Wisdom Conversations. Dr. West reflects on the moral formation and “soulcraft” shaped by his parents, Irene and Clifton West, and Shiloh Baptist Church in Sacramento long before his studies at Harvard and Princeton. The conversation explores cancel culture within families and the Christian imperative to cancel canceling by loving neighbor and enemy; the enduring power and proper use of Scripture amid human limitations; a theology of suffering that refuses to let pain have the last word; and the courage of conviction illustrated by prisoners of faith in the gulag. Drs. West and Moreno-Riaño also discuss how to engage the past with both historical humility and timeless insight into the human condition, the protective role of the Imago Dei against the excesses of artificial intelligence, the lifelong cultivation of a hunger for wisdom, and the spiritual depth found in blues, jazz and other forms of popular culture that wrestle honestly with wounds and hope. This episode offers rich Christian insight into formation, faith, suffering and the pursuit of wisdom for a culture of comfort that often forgets the cost of discipleship.

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Wisdom & Influence, the official podcast of Cornerstone University, explores how Biblical wisdom shapes culture, leadership, industry, ministry, and everyday life. Hosted by President Gerson Moreno-Riaño, each episode features thought-provoking conversations with Christian influencers: national thought leaders, professors, students, alumni, and more — sharing actionable insights and inspiring stories to help you spread Biblical truth in our world.

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