What’s happening to Gen Z? Since 2010, this generation has seen a 150% increase in depression. One in four teen girls reports experiencing a major depressive disorder in the last year. 37% of college students report feeling anxious “all the time.” New research shows that social media is no longer just a correlation to this problem, but the root cause. Drawing data from Jonathan Haidt’s latest book, “The Anxious Generation,” Keith and Patrick team up on the pod to examine Gen Z’s current...

There’s no doubt that abortion will take center stage in this year’s election. From Roe v. Wade’s overturning to IVF controversies to Trump’s recent abortion stance to surprising state laws surrounding the issue, abortion is all over the news right now and Josh Brahm joins us this week to discuss. But he’s not the stereotypical pro-lifer. In fact, he claims that one of the main goals of his organization, Equal Rights Institute, is to “help make pro-lifers less weird” by bringing more...

Have you ever wished you could get inside the head of a Christian going through a deconstruction journey? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re joined by Abigail Favale, a Professor of Women’s Studies and author of “Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion,” to hear how she went from an evangelical upbringing to postmodern feminism to a proud member of the Catholic Church. Follow along her journey as she shares with Patrick how her views developed, what she wishes she would...

Did you know that 40% of American children are born to unmarried parents? Contrast that with the 1960s when this overall rate was less than 10%. So, why such a dramatic increase? And what impact is this having on our society? Melissa Kearney, author of the controversial book, “The Two-Parent Privilege,” joins the podcast today to weigh in. Listen as she makes a data-driven case for marriage, explaining why the two-parent model is the most advantageous family structure for children. She...

Donald Trump. Christ is King. Candace Owens. Antisemitism. Buckle up! On this episode, we’re examining all sorts of current events to prove that commingling politics and faith compromises the Church’s witness. First, Keith and Patrick discuss the Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA” Bible and how this mashup conflates our citizenship in heaven with our American citizenship. Then they bring on Daniel Darling, a former spokesman for NRB (National Religious Broadcasters), to discuss the...

Sports used to unify us. But today? Politics has checked into the game. And in many ways, introducing controversial topics into the sports world has benched more frequent conversations surrounding faith. Today’s guest, Jason Romano, knows a thing or two about this after working for 17 years as a content creator and producer at ESPN. He joins Keith to discuss how today’s sports media does (and doesn’t) cover topics of faith. He shares how he lived out his faith while at ESPN and what he...

The Gospel is more political than you may think. But how do we guard against our political ideologies turning into partisan idolatry? Today’s guest, Joshua Butler, joins Patrick to discuss further insights from his recent book, The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide. Hear him introduce four political religions, progress, responsibility, identity, and security, and explain how Christians are tempted to elevate the values found in each over the...

Pledging allegiance to the American flag. Singing the national anthem. Voting. Being patriotic. Is there a place for these things in the Christian life? Buckle up because this one will probably offend everyone in some way (including Patrick!). In this episode, we welcome Preston Sprinkle back on the podcast to discuss his newest book, “Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire.” Preston dives into the history of ancient Israel and explains how they postured themselves in relation to Babylon,...

Have you noticed this trend? People spend about 90% of their time diagnosing today’s problems and only 10% focusing on (typically weak) solutions. This is true of Christians, too. Why are we more known for what we’re against rather than what we’re for? Today, Keith and Patrick dissect this trend and confess how this podcast has even taken part. They describe the key differences between living for a positive or a negative vision. They discuss the need for stronger Christian leadership and...

Do you view your faith through the prism of politics? Or do you view politics through the prism of your faith? Today’s guest, Tim Alberta, believes that too many American evangelicals have lost their way, striving for political gains over furthering the Gospel. On this episode, he shares insights with Keith from his latest book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, which paints an expansive and troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Hear him explain if he believes it’s...

Keith Simon and Russell Moore discusses the shift in the pro-life movement, the challenges of the post-Christian right, controversy and change in his own life, the fracturing in the church, the loss of trust in the church, the importance of repentance and a credible Christian voice, the perception of Christian nationalism in politics, and the issue of easy believism and substantive faith. In this conversation, Russell Moore discusses the challenges facing the evangelical church in America and...

Incentives motivate human behavior. Incentives can be external or internal. The Bible uses incentives to encourage obedience to God. Incentives are everywhere and shape decisions in many areas of life. While incentives can solve problems, they sometimes have unintended effects or corrupt motivations. God offers incentives for those who love him like eternal life. Takeaways: 1. Incentives motivate all human behavior, whether external or internal. 2. Incentives are used throughout society in...

In this conversation, Keith Simon interviews Julie Slattery, the president of Authentic Intimacy, about navigating issues of sexuality and faith. They discuss the silence and polarity around sexuality in both culture and the church, the spiritual aspect of sex, the differences between sex inside and outside of marriage, and the misconceptions surrounding women and men's sexuality. They also address the impact of purity culture and the need for a more holistic biblical narrative of sexuality....

In this conversation, Nicholas Kristof discusses his experiences in dangerous situations, his views on religion and faith, and the importance of respecting different perspectives. He explores the decline of Christianity's cultural influence, the dangers of echo chambers, and the impact of economic factors on communities. Kristof also addresses the role of family and faith in success, the challenges of civil discourse, and the resonance of the message that 'the system is rigged.' Overall, the...

In this conversation, Patrick and Justin Whitmel Earley explore the role of discipleship and healthy spiritual practices in addressing problems and shaping personal and family life. It emphasizes the importance of forming habits to overcome fear and irritability in parenting and highlights the influence of parents' habits on their children. The impact of habits on political campaigns and the need to overcome discouragement in forming habits are also discussed. Patrick and Justin explore the...

Patrick and Keith discuss the ongoing debate between evangelicals on how to engage politics and culture. Should Christian punch right and coddle left? Should Christians have No Enemies To The Right? Or is there a different and more faithful way of engaging with politics as a Christian? They make observations on the arguments and explore how Christians can build unity between believers of different political persuasions. Highlights: - The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary kicking off...

Philip Yancey's story is a compelling journey of faith, doubt, and grace. Raised in a toxic, fundamentalist church, he grew disillusioned, seeing God misrepresented. His faith hung on by a thread in college, where he became a campus rebel, a heretic in the eyes of many. But Yancey didn't abandon his faith; instead, he deconstructed it to rebuild something more authentic. His writing career became a quest to rediscover Jesus, prayer, and the essentials of faith. Encountering grace in its...

End Times, the mark of the beast, and the Antichrist. Oh, my! Were these your takeaways from reading Revelation? You’re not alone! Today’s guest, Scot McKnight, author of Revelation for the Rest of Us, also grew up viewing this book as a prediction of End Times events. But what’s wrong with reading Revelation as a predictive prophecy? What’s the real purpose of this apocalyptic literature? In this fascinating episode, McKnight explains how John designed his Book of Revelation to disciple...

A city on a hill. The light of the world. The hope of nations. Are these about Jesus or America? These ideas might come from the Bible, but politicians love to apply them to our country. Why? And is there a problem with doing that? Today, Patrick speaks with Kaitlyn Scheiss, author of The Bible and the Ballot: How Scripture Has Been Used And Abused In American Politics and How We Go From Here. Both Republicans and Democrats toss Bible verses around like a basket of rolls at a church potluck...

Andrew Wilson discusses the importance of history and why Christians should care about it. He explains that our understanding of history shapes our worldview and influences how we navigate contemporary issues. Wilson also explores the significance of the year 1776, arguing that it played a crucial role in shaping the modern West. He highlights key events and ideas from that year, such as the Industrial Revolution, the publication of influential books, and the rise of democracy. Wilson...

One of our favorite topics to discuss on Truth Over Tribe is race and ethnicity, but one related topic we have yet to explore here is mixed ethnic identity. Today, we’re excited to do that when Eli Bonilla Jr., author of “Mixed: Embracing Complexity by Uncovering Your God-Led Identity,” joins Patrick on the pod! You’ll hear all about Eli’s experience having a mixed ethnic heritage, why he always felt caught in the middle, and why, after 2020, he stopped identifying as a white man. Eli dives...

Many Christians would claim to be pro-life. But a growing movement of Christians called abortion abolitionists believe that simply being pro-life isn’t enough, putting them at odds with the traditional, mainstream pro-life movement. So, what’s the difference between the pro-life and abolitionist movements? Today, Keith finds out when he talks with one of the best representatives of the abolitionist movement, Bradley Pierce. Bradley is a constitutional lawyer in Texas and part of the...

What is culture anyway? Despite being a cultural commentary podcast, we’ve never quite teased out the seemingly-simple-yet-actually-complicated definition. So today, Patrick teams up with Christopher Watkin, author of Biblical Critical Theory, to define and make sense of “culture.” The two discuss what culture is (and what it isn’t) and what it looks like for Christians to engage with culture. Given that we’re all enculturated, what should we strive for: Should we be more monocultural? Or...

The topic of Christian nationalism just won’t seem to go away. But do we really understand it? The definition is undoubtedly slippery and has led to much debate: Is calling someone a “Christian nationalist” a slur? Or something to be proud of? Is it good or bad for the country? For Christianity? Today, Keith sits down with Andrew Whitehead, a professor and author who has found himself at the center of the Christian nationalism debate. Hear Andrew share insights from his recent book, “American...