On this episode of the podcast, we interview one of my most trusted teachers, Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer (who also happens to be a world class theologian!) It’s a conversation about what it means to read the Bible “transfigurally”: to take seriously the literal meaning of the text but also to make sure we follow the text as it leads us to see and savor Jesus Christ. Among the questions we discuss:

• How do we take each passage of Scripture on its own terms while also being attentive to the way it points us to Jesus?
• Is there value in a "step-by-step" method for reading the Bible?
• What does it mean (and not mean) to take the bible "literally"?
• What are some of the bad reading habits we've picked up and what are some better ones?
• What does it mean to be "biblical"?

Get the book: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/mere-christian-hermeneutics

More from Dr. Vanhoozer: https://www.kevinjvanhoozer.com/about

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Simon Kennedy about his buzzy new book Against Worldview. It’s a book that is provocative in the best way, especially for anyone who has used the phrase “Christian worldview,” in an educational context. It asks what we mean when we say worldview and whether the concept has been pressed beyond its usefulness. Among the topics we discuss:

• The ways that "worldview" can go wrong, especially when used as an organizing principle for Christian education.
• Why worldview can lead to "painting by the numbers" instead of the placing of tiles in a mosaic
• Why the biblical concept of "wisdom" may offer a better way forward, and why it is better to build towards worldview (inductively) than from it (deductively)
• Tensions in the concept of wisdom and whether there is a parallel to general vs. special revelation
• Whether the real problem is the modern push for uniformity
• Why Christian institutions need to double down on doctrine and catechesis, insisting that we look "at" what Christians believe and not just "through" the world view lens

Get the book: https://lexhampress.com/product/305968/against-worldview-reimagining-christian-formation-as-growth-in-wisdom

Justin's note: I wrote a review of this book for Christianity Today, and we bring up points of that review a few times during the podcast. The review is here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/against-worldview-wisdom-simon-kennedy-abraham-kuyper-christian-education/

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Jeremy Lundgren about his new book on a theology of safety. It’s a conversation about the uniquely modern way that we pursue safety and what it means to hold the value of safety in tension with other virtues like courage, and in light of the call of discipleship. Among the topics we discuss:

• On the “tokens of safety” that fill our world and what it says about our values
• How Covid manifested and accelerated our pursuit of safety.
• The history of our pursuit of safety in three stages: humanity against the gods, humanity against nature, and humanity against itself.
• Three core elements of the modern pursuit of safety: predicting the future, using technology to control the material world, and developing uniform procedures to ensure safety.
• How the call of discipleship situates and sometimes challenges the pursuit of safety
• What Christian parents might hope for their children when it comes to safety

Get the book: https://www.ivpress.com/the-pursuit-of-safety