Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

James Spencer - Christian Theology Author and Speaker
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Semiweekly

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ. Find more from James at https://www.thinkingchristian.org/.

  1. 1d ago

    What if every culture in history knew something about God that Western modernity made us forget?

    Is modern life quietly replacing God with something else? In Episode 60 of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ashish Farma welcome back historian and theologian Dr. Kevin Flatt (Associate Dean of Humanities, Redeemer University) to explore one of the most urgent and underexamined ideas in Christian thought today: Sacred Social Order. Every civilization in human history — from ancient China to Mesoamerican empires to early Christian Europe — understood that human society must align with something higher than itself. That intuition isn't gone. It's been replaced. By nationalism. By progressive identity movements. By civil religion. By the cult of the individual. In this wide-ranging conversation, James, Ashish, and Kevin map how the West lost its sacred social order, what quietly took its place, and what the Church must  recover — including a radical rethinking of time, space, the Sabbath, and Christian catechesis. If you've ever felt like the world is moving too fast, or that something foundational has been hollowed out — this episode names what it is. Key Takeaways: What "Sacred Social Order" means — and why virtually every pre-modern civilization shared it How secularization doesn't create a vacuum; it creates replacement religions (nationalism, identity politics, civil religion) Why the American founding contains an unresolved ambiguity between Christian and Deist foundations — and what happened when that ambiguity tilted secular How technology is catechizing us into seeing time and space as things to master, not gifts to steward The striking biblical parallel between Sabbath laws and land laws — and what exile means for a church that ignores both Why literal gardening might be one of the most counter-cultural spiritual practices a Christian can adopt today What a Christian catechism for our moment needs to address — and what sacred values compete against it Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    What if every culture in history knew something about God that Western modernity made us forget?

  2. 5d ago

    Is "secular" really neutral? A historian reveals what the West forgot — and why it changes everything for Christians today.

    What if secularization isn't the decline of religion — but the replacement of one social order with another? In this episode, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ashish Varma sit down with Dr. Kevin Flatt, professor of history at Redeemer University and author of Secularization, Social Order, and World History, to unpack one of the most provocative frameworks in contemporary Christian thinking: Sacred Social Order. Kevin introduces the idea that every human culture — until the modern West — has organized its life around something higher than itself. He argues that what we call "religion" is actually a uniquely Western, uniquely modern compartment, while Sacred Social Order is the operating system beneath all of culture. From there, the conversation moves through Christian nationalism, the liberal firmware of Western democracy, Philip Reif's cultural warfare thesis, and why your children's public school is not religiously neutral. If you've ever sensed that something deeper than a culture war is unfolding — that the ground itself has shifted — this episode gives you the language to name it. Key Takeaways: What "Sacred Social Order" means, and why it's a more accurate lens than "religion" for understanding culture Why secular order isn't neutral — it has its own values, telos, and demands on individuals How the Christian nationalism debate connects to identical movements in India, Iran, China, and the Muslim world Why Philip Reif's "third culture" thesis is partly right — and where Kevin respectfully pushes back Why public education is never neutral, and what Christians should really be asking about schools Why the gym or the yoga studio may be shaping your theology more than Hinduism is The Labubu doll illustration: how misidentifying spiritual threats reveals our blind spots Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian, so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Is "secular" really neutral? A historian reveals what the West forgot — and why it changes everything for Christians today.

  3. Jul 20

    Can a nation be "Christian" without Christ?

    Is "Cultural Christianity" a bridge to the gospel — or a counterfeit that replaces it? In this episode, Dr. James Spencer (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Dr. Ashish Varma respond to James Wood's widely-discussed First Things article, In Defense of Cultural Christianity. Together they unpack why calling a civilisation "Christian" when Christ is not its governing authority is not just imprecise — it's theologically catastrophic. From the Christendom narrative and American civil religion to the habituation of virtue, abortion statistics, and a profound meditation on Pentecost in Acts 2, this episode models what serious Christian thinking looks like when it refuses to foreclose on the full authority of Jesus Christ too soon. If you've wrestled with Christian nationalism, the "good, true, and beautiful" in culture, or what it means to vote as a follower of Jesus, this conversation is essential listening. Key Takeaways: Why "a culture influenced by Christianity" is an insufficient — and potentially dangerous — definition of "Christian culture" The concept of "inappropriate foreclosure": closing off our understanding of the good too soon and using that partial view as if it were complete How Robert Bellah's concept of American civil religion explains why Christian language gets co-opted by government without actually conforming people to Christ Why the Book of Acts — specifically Pentecost and the Gentile inclusion — fundamentally disrupts any vision of Christianity as a singular cultural program The Light Bright metaphor: God is the light source; culture is the peg pattern. Christians must point people behind the pegs to the light itself Why policy-driven virtue formation (habituation) has measurable real-world limits — and what the abortion statistics during different administrations actually reveal How Dr. Varma's personal experiences — from campus life on 9/11 to being randomly selected in airports — illustrate why Wood's "civilisational benefit" narrative forecloses on the experiences of many believers Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian, so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Can a nation be "Christian" without Christ?

  4. Jul 16

    What does it actually mean to be human?

    What does it mean to be human — really? In an age of AI, transhumanism, and relentless technological "progress," Christians are making confident claims about humanity without a solid theological foundation underneath them. In this episode, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ashish Varma sit down with Dr. Marc Cortez, Dean of the Litvin School of Divinity at Wheaton College, to explore one of the most urgent and underdeveloped doctrines in Christian thought: theological anthropology. Dr. Cortez challenges the tendency to let the Image of God do all the heavy lifting — and makes a compelling case that the human body is not merely an instrument of the soul, but is fundamental to what it means to be made in God's  image. Drawing from ancient idol language in Genesis 1, the resurrection, and modern cognitive science, this conversation reorients how Christians should think about embodiment, flourishing, technology, and even taking care of a tree. If you've ever wondered whether your theology can hold up in a world reshaped by AI, this is the episode to start with. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Image of God (Imago Dei) uses ancient idol language — humans are the material means by which God manifests His divine presence in the world We cannot think well about AI, transhumanism, sexuality, race, or disability without first building a robust theology of embodiment The soul-body hierarchy in Christian history was never meant to devalue the body — but it almost always has "Spiritual maturity" and "physical health" belong on the same list — our bifurcation of them reveals a modern, unbiblical blind spot Before making confident claims about technology making us "less human," ask the prior question: what does it mean to be human in the first place? Christian eschatology (resurrected, transformed bodies) gives us more theological complexity around human enhancement than most people realize Dr. Cortez's shorthand for the Image of God: "We are the material means by which God is seeking to manifest His divine presence in a unique way in the world." Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian, so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    What does it actually mean to be human?

  5. Jul 13

    Systems, Virtue & the Body of Christ

    What if the church is trapped in the same invisible loop as an addict — and doesn't know it? What does addiction science have to do with the body of Christ? More than you'd think. In this follow-up conversation, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Ashish Varma build on their interview with Dr. David Van Dyke (Wheaton College Marriage & Family Therapy) to explore how systems thinking unlocks a deeper understanding of church health, Christian formation, and why faithful people keep repeating the same destructive patterns. Drawing on Kent Dunnington's groundbreaking work Virtue and Addiction, the conversation reveals that the opposite of virtue isn't simply vice — it's addiction. Both are habit-formed, systems-shaped realities. The hosts then turn this lens on the church: from organizational cultures stuck in toxic loops, to single-issue political formation, to Pharaoh's fear-driven decision-making in Exodus — and what it all reveals about how invisible systems shape us without our awareness. This is a rare conversation: calm, theologically rigorous, and genuinely challenging for anyone who wants to think clearly about what it means to be the body of Christ in the world today. Key Takeaways: Why addiction is the true opposite of virtue — not vice — according to philosopher Kent Dunnington How invisible systems shape our habits, reactions, and identities without our awareness Why single-issue political engagement may be forming us into political animals rather than disciples The Pharaoh principle: how fear-driven, system-bound thinking causes us to miss what God is doing The Ephesus problem: the danger of being doctrinally right but missionally withdrawn What Jeremiah 7 and Acts 7 reveal about mistaking second-order goods (doctrine, temples) for first-order realities What does a multi-denominational coffee shop Bible study teach the church about unity? Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian, so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Systems, Virtue & the Body of Christ

  6. Jul 9

    What if your family's biggest problem isn't the person acting out — it's the system they're trapped in?

    Most people think of mental health as an individual problem. Dr. David J. Van Dyke — professor, marriage and family therapist, and co-host of the With You podcast — thinks that's exactly the wrong frame. In this episode, Dr. Spencer and Ashish sit down with David to unpack how family systems therapy fundamentally reorients the way we see suffering, relationships, and even the gospel itself. From a rebellious teenager who kept losing possessions until there was nothing left to take, to Paul's language of perseverance in suffering, David draws a sweeping line between relational science and redemptive theology. He argues the entire arc of Scripture — from the intimacy of Eden to the rupture of the Fall to the systemic intervention of the Incarnation — is a relational rupture-and-repair story. And that changes everything about how we do therapy, parenting, church leadership, and discipleship. If you've ever wondered why "doing everything right" doesn't guarantee good outcomes, why moral failure in a pastor becomes a congregational crisis, or what Phil Jackson and the Book of Job have in common — this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways Systems, not individuals, carry symptoms. Depression, anxiety, and misbehaviour often serve a function within the relational system — not just the person. The therapist's real question is "how," not "why." Asking why digs into individual meaning; asking how reveals the relational dance keeping a system stuck. The Incarnation as systemic intervention. Christ didn't just save individuals — He changed the rules of the game. Second-order change. Resilience grows from optimal frustration, not comfort. Numbing pain also numbs joy. The goal is to come alongside suffering, not remove it. Isolation is poison to the human soul. An embodied, safe community is the prerequisite for every hard conversation the church needs to have. Love your spouse as an act of worship. Not a transaction. Not what they deserve. As worship — and it rewires the entire relational dynamic. Western individualism is a therapy problem too. In Illinois, 1 in 15 licensed mental health providers is a marriage and family therapist. The rest are trained to see individuals. The relational blind spot is systemic. Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian, so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    What if your family's biggest problem isn't the person acting out — it's the system they're trapped in?

  7. Jul 6

    Why Your Parenting Checklist is Failing (And What Scripture Offers Instead)

    Is Christian parenting a strict formula to execute, or an art form to practice? In a culture that bombards Christian parents with exhaustive 10-step checklists and uniform blueprints for family life, it is remarkably easy to accidentally provoke or exasperate our children. This week, Dr. James Spencer, PhD and Dr. Ashish Varma return to the podcast to look at fatherhood through the lens of scriptural wisdom rather than cultural anxieties. True biblical wisdom doesn't produce recipe-followers; it forms adaptive disciples. Pulling from the book of Proverbs, the Sermon on the Mount, and the letters of Paul, James and Ashish discuss why parenting requires holy improvisation—a pastoral sensitivity that allows a father to receive his children exactly as they are and adjust his training to fit their unique design. In this episode, we discuss: The "Chopped" Mystery Basket: Viewing your child's distinct traits as raw ingredients that require expert, customized care. The Education Fit: An honest, non-judgmental look at public vs. private schooling, and why identical principles led both hosts to entirely different local schooling choices for their kids. Healthy Friction vs. Exasperation: Learning how far to push a child to build resilience without crossing the line into crushing their spirit. The Long Game: Moving past the urge to "fix" every behavioral issue instantly, focusing instead on building the profound, long-term trust your children will need well into adulthood. Form your character, drop the rigid checklists, and learn to enjoy the beautiful, improvisational calling of being a dad. Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. Join the movement: Sign up for our direct line loop of 140k believers at thinkingchristian.org. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Why Your Parenting Checklist is Failing (And What Scripture Offers Instead)

  8. Jul 3

    Women in Ministry: History, Stakes, and What Comes Next with Beth Allison Barr

    The Southern Baptist Convention just passed a constitutional amendment restricting women in ministry — and the implications reach far beyond the SBC. In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer and co-host Ashish Varma sit down with Dr. Beth Allison Barr, historian, Baylor professor, and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhoodand Becoming the Pastor's Wife, to break down what happened, why it matters, and where evangelical Christianity may be heading. Beth traces the amendment's path from 2022 to its overwhelming passage in 2025, explains why Al Mohler's role was decisive, and unpacks the striking inconsistency at the heart of the SBC's position: the same ecclesiology used to avoid accountability for sexual abuse was set aside the moment women's roles came to a vote. We also go deeper into the historical forces behind this moment, from the fundamentalist-modernist controversy to decades of seminary curriculum that have shaped an entire generation of Christians who have never encountered a different reading of scripture. If you've wondered how complementarianism moves toward biblical patriarchy, Beth explains exactly how that progression works and why it isn't accidental. The conversation also takes up the coordination problem: the SBC has Desiring God, the Gospel Coalition, and institutional momentum built over decades. Those committed to keeping these conversations open and honest largely do not. That gap matters, and we name it directly. Topics covered: SBC constitutional amendment, women in ministry, complementarianism vs. egalitarianism, Al Mohler, biblical womanhood, evangelical polarization, church history, Beth Allison Barr Check out Beth's Substack at bethallisonbarr.substack.com, and her books: The Making of Biblical Womanhood and Becoming the Pastor's Wife. Get early access and a bonus with a Patreon membership. Subscribe to our YouTube channel To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com. 📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ. Find more from James at https://www.thinkingchristian.org/.

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