Have you grown impatient with your church’s seemingly endless quest for being hip and relevant? Have you become weary of “meaningful worship services” that say more about radio dial preferences than biblical fidelity? Are you irritated by the constant flow of shallow, superficial and even narcissistic books that stock the shelves of Evangelical bookstores? On this program Michael Horton talks about these issues and more with Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith who describes his conversion to Roman Catholicism in his recent book, How to Go from Being a Good Evangelical to a Committed Catholic in 95 Difficult Steps. Michael also talks with Christian about his other new book, Lost in Transition.
Should We Reform or Abandon American Protestantism?
Series: The Great Commission

Should We Reform or Abandon American Protestantism?
50 min
Series: The Great Commission

Should We Reform or Abandon American Protestantism?
50 min

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Series • 32 Episodes
The Great Commission
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The Great Commission Survey
Is it more important to “be the gospel” to others, or to “preach the gospel”? To our surprise, sixty-nine percent of the Christians we polled sided with the idea of being the gospel. On this broadcast the hosts continue to interact with the results from our recent survey of Christians at a conservative Evangelical convention, […]

The Gospel Commission
On this edition of the program the hosts introduce their new theme for 2011: The Great Commission. In this important mission statement, Jesus does not begin with the imperative, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Rather, he first tells his disciples that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to […]

Gospel-Focused
There is a lot of talk these days about “living the gospel” or “being the gospel,” as if we ourselves are the good news. Some even say that the church is an extension of Christ’s incarnation, as if Jesus came to provide the moral example or template for us to complete. There is only one […]

The Gospel of the Kingdom
The kingdom of God can only be defined by attending closely to its unfolding in history. The reign of God takes different forms in this history, but its goal is nothing less than God’s dwelling in the midst of his people in righteousness, peace, and justice. But how does the Kingdom of God advance? What […]

Exile, Exodus, & Conquest
Starting with Matthew’s Gospel is like walking into the middle of a movie. We have to go back to the Old Testament in order to see the unfolding plot of which Jesus Christ is the main character. On this program the hosts will explore the themes of exile, exodus and conquest showing how they each […]

The Mission Statement
The Great Commission is both deep in its intensity (making disciples, not just converts) and wide in its extensiveness (“into all the world”). But even where it was once strongly preached and professed, the Gospel’s light seems today to be a flickering candle. How do we take the message of the gospel into all the […]

Is Faith in Christ Necessary?
According to a recent Pew study, 70% of Americans agreed with the idea that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” What’s more striking is that when this same question was put to self identified evangelical Christians, 57% agreed. So is this view correct, or is faith in Christ the only way to heaven? That’s […]

Abrahamic Faiths
What is the relationship between Christianity and other “Abrahamic faith traditions?” Is Abraham really the father of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and if so, does this mean that each of these religions are legitimate ways to God? What are we to do with Abraham himself and the other Old Testament patriarchs? Since they didn’t have […]

The Strategic Plan
In the Great Commission, Jesus did not merely tell his followers to “go into all the world,” but he also gave us specific instructions for the mission of the church. He said we are to preach, baptize and make disciples. Sounds pretty simple, but are these elements high on the priority of the average Christian […]

Lost Tools of Discipleship
Jesus tells his followers to “make disciples of all nations.” But what does it mean to become a disciple, and what are today’s churches doing to fulfill this mission? Is this something for new converts only, or is it also something that we all participate in and pass on to our children? On this edition […]
World Religions
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Imputed Righteousness and Self-Made Identity: The Crisis of Justification in Our Church Culture
This presentation analyzes the crisis of justification in today’s church, tracing its biblical foundations, reformational clarity, and modern challenges.

The Agency of God’s Word in Salvation | Aaron H.Y. Chan
Aaron Chan examines Paul’s use of Deuteronomy 30:11–14 in Romans 10, tracing the deep narrative and theological roots in Deuteronomy’s own theology of divine communication.

The Theological Anthropology of Paul in Colossians 3:1-17 | Sofanit T. Abebe
Dr. Sofanit Abebe explores how the image of God, though marred by sin, is tangibly restored through union with Christ.

The Reformation, Rome, and You
The Roman Catholic church has been in the news a lot lately, most recently with the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff, Leo XIV. Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, a cardinal originally from Chicago, is the first American pope and the first who belongs to the Augustinian order. […]

