Gospelbound

Goodwill's CEO on Christian Leadership and the Fight for Opportunity

April 23, 2024 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen talks to Steve Preston about how Preston's Christian faith has influenced his leadership and community service, particularly at Goodwill Industries where he serves as President and CEO. Preston is committed to addressing poverty and providing opportunities to strengthen communities through social enterprise, and his experience demonstrates how faith can impact significant, positive change and human flourishing.

Jonathan Edwards’s Vision for the 21st Century

April 16, 2024 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and George Marsden discuss Marsden's book, An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the 21st Century. They highlight the relevance of Edwards's theology for modern times, exploring his view of the universe as an expression of God's love and the beauty of Christ's sacrificial love. They also discuss Edwards's greatest sermons, changes in his studies, and the contrast between Edwards's spiritual perspective and Benjamin Franklin's more m...

Lessons on Evangelism from an Unlikely Evangelist

April 09, 2024 04:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Claude Atcho discuss the relevance of the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus (John 4) for Christian witness in contemporary society. Atcho emphasizes the power of personal transformation through Jesus Christ as foundational to effective apologetics, advocating for sharing one's genuine experiences with Christ as a bridge to engaging a skeptical world. Hansen and Atcho discuss the need for Christians to maintain authenticity and relational...

Melissa Kruger on Hopeful Parenting in a Secular Age

April 02, 2024 04:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Melissa Kruger offer hope and encouragement to parents as they discuss the challenges of Christian parenting in a secular age. They explore the importance of grounding parenting in the gospel, emphasizing the need for hope, trust in God's purposes, and the application of grace. The conversation also covers the role of community and the impact of digital technology on parenting. Melissa Kruger shares insights from her book, Parenting with Hope...

Hopeful Living in a Weary World

March 26, 2024 04:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MB

Collin Hansen and Irwyn Ince discuss Ince's book, Hope Ain't a Hustle, exploring how our hope in Christ impacts faithful living amid cultural and societal challenges, suffering, and injustice. They delve into the critical roles of Scripture, gathered worship, and community in sustaining our hope, and they highlight the importance of daily disciplines in cultivating our anticipation of God's victory over sin and injustice.

Live Wisely in a Digital Age

March 19, 2024 04:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Samuel James examine the profound ways smartphones have reshaped our culture and devotional practices. They discuss James's new book, Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age, and the necessity of biblical wisdom in an era dominated by digital narratives. Hansen and James also explore the influence of technology on identity and societal norms, particularly concerning the transgender revolution. Their discussion helps...

Jeremy Treat on the Transformative Power of the Atonement

March 12, 2024 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Jeremy Treat discuss Treat's new book, The Atonement: An Introduction, exploring how the cross of Christ defies worldly expectations and fulfills humanity's deepest desires. They discuss the inseparable link between the cross and the kingdom, the dynamics of the Trinity in the work of salvation, and how Christ's crucifixion addresses both our guilt and shame. They end their conversation on the transformative power of Christ's atonement and ho...

Authority with Integrity: How Jesus Guides Our Leading

March 05, 2024 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MB

Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss the complex nature of authority within both the church and broader society, highlighting its significance for protection and flourishing, while also addressing the challenges it presents in today's world. They draw on Leeman's book, Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing, to discuss how godly leadership, exemplified by Jesus, can lead to strengthened communities and serve as a beacon...

Unexpected Pathways to Faith

February 20, 2024 05:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

You probably consider yourself a Christian, if you listen to this podcast. But I can bet that you have questions about Christianity. You might even doubt aspects of Christianity. If not, then you definitely know someone who does. And maybe you’ll want to share this podcast with them. Whether you’ve believed for as long as you can remember, or you’re doubting right now, it can be comforting to know that the faith journey rarely looks simple. The journey is full of twists and turns. Politics,...

Why Your Community Needs Healthy Marriages

February 13, 2024 05:00 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MB

In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Brad Wilcox discuss Wilcox's new book, Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization. They delve into the topic of the role of churches in reinforcing the values and virtues of good families, the modern priority on money and free time, and the two-parent privilege, among other subjects.

Advent Meditation: Justice Brings Peace

December 12, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.07 MB

The birth of Christ from Mary's womb assured justice for the world. Collin Hansen reflects on the hope this gives us at Christmastime. Read the full meditation transcript, here.

Augustine's Apologetic Vision and How Doubt Can Lead to Faith

November 21, 2023 05:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB

What if the best way to defend our faith can be found by visiting premodern North Africa? That’s the premise of the latest book by the dynamic apologetics duo of Josh Chatraw and Mark Allen. It’s called The Augustine Way: Retrieving a Vision for the Church’s Apologetic Witness, published by Baker Academic. This is a special episode of Gospelbound. I normally record remotely from my office at Beeson Divinity School, where I co-chair the advisory board and serve as adjunct professor, but in ...

How New Atheism Collapsed and Gave Way to New Faith

November 14, 2023 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MB

If you know Justin Brierley, it’s probably for the debates and interviews he hosted for many years with the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast. He interviewed some of the most outspoken atheist critics of Christianity and convened some of the most intense debates of recent memory. During that time, however, Justin noticed a shift. The conversations changed in tone and substance—dramatically so. The bombast began to disappear. Secular guests opened to Christianity, at least its cultural an...

True Blessing Comes from Countercultural Living

November 07, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB

“Jesus hears and cares about the things that make your heart heavy and your cheeks wet.” That was perhaps the most moving line in Alistair Begg’s new book, The Christian Manifesto: Jesus’ Life-Changing Words from the Sermon on the Plain, published by The Good Book Company. It’s a challenging book. It’s a sensible book. It’s a book about how we approach the world, how we engage the culture in truth and love. Above all it’s a biblical book all about Jesus. Core to Begg’s manifesto is a cont...

Andrew Wilson on How the Year 1776 Shaped the Post-Christian West

October 31, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

There’s one big idea at the heart of Andrew Wilson’s remarkable new book, Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West, published by Crossway. He argues that more than any other year in the last millennium—the last 1,000 years—1776 made us who we are today in the West. I suppose many American listeners now are thinking, Of course! The Declaration of Independence! Ron Swanson says history began on July 4, 1776. But wait: didn’t Andrew just say the post-Christian West? What do...

Jen Wilkin and J. T English on Why We’re All Theologians

October 24, 2023 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38 MB

Jen Wilkin and J. T. English have given you an invitation—they want you to know and love God well. Sounds good, right? It’s hard to imagine any of us turning down that offer. There’s just one catch. You need to become a theologian. But you can do it. You were built for it! That’s their theme in a new book, You Are a Theologian, published by B&H. They’re bringing theology to the masses, something they’ve been doing together for many years. You know Jen Wilkin as a Bible teacher from Dallas, ...

Seeing the Genius of Jesus in the Parable of Two Sons

October 17, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

Jesus was and is a genius. Have you ever thought of him that way? We know him as a friend, Lord, healer, and teacher. Of course, Son of God, true God from True God. But genius? Einstein was a genius. Hawking was a genius. Men of science. Men of modernity. Men who created our world. Jesus? He’s a religious figure. And we don’t associate religion with genius. Even when we confess with Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of his power.’ Peter Williams, however, wants you t...

Ben Watson on the Sanctity of Life and True Justice

October 10, 2023 04:00 - 42 minutes - 39 MB

He calls abortion the “spiritual battle of our lives.” And he firmly believes that abortion will end when men make it so. Roe v. Wade has been overturned, but this former football star says the fight for life has only reached halftime. He is Benjamin Watson, author of The New Fight for Life: Roe, Race, and a Pro-Life Commitment to Justice, published by Tyndale Momentum. You may already know quite a bit about abortion. But you may have never seen the subject explored from this angle. Watson...

Does God Care About Gender Identity?

October 03, 2023 04:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB

It’s been dubbed the Gender Revolution. And if you’re listening from anywhere in the West, you see it everywhere. Gender identity has been disconnected from biology. What you feel about your body matters more than what you can see and touch. Even children, encouraged to believe they were born into the wrong-gendered body, now expect and even demand support from parents and other authorities as they seek life-altering drugs and surgeries to “confirm” the gender with which they identify. For ...

J. D. Greear on What Makes the Book of Romans Feel So Fresh Today

September 26, 2023 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MB

“The gospel is not just the diving board off which we jump into Christianity—it’s the swimming pool in which we swim.” That’s a line from J. D. Greear’s new book, Essential Christianity: The Heart of the Gospel in Ten Words, published by The Good Book Company. Greear is pastor at The Summit Church in North Carolina and the author of many books. He served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant church network in the United States. His book Essential ...

Where the Widening Generation Gaps May Take Us

September 19, 2023 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MB

Sometimes advice isn’t just bad. It’s delusional. That’s what Jean Twenge writes in her new book, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. She makes this comment about “the most optimistic and self-confident generation in history.” My generation. The Millennials. Here’s the advice we heard over and over growing up: “just be yourself,” “believe in yourself and anything is possible,” “express yourself,”...

Collin Hansen Remembers Tim Keller

May 25, 2023 04:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MB

“For as much as I'll miss, [Tim Keller] gave so much more—by God's grace—that no one or nothing can ever take away from us.” – Collin Hansen Melissa Kruger hosts a special edition of Gospelbound where Collin Hansen reflects on the life and ministry of Tim Keller. Hansen talks about the first time he met Keller, his experience writing a book on Keller's spiritual formation, discovering how important prayer was in the latter part of Keller's spiritual journey, and more. Through Hansen's refle...

What Happened to Historian Molly Worthen?

May 09, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MB

For 20 years, I’ve felt like Molly Worthen and I have lived parallel lives. We graduated college the same year. We wrote for some of the same publications, on some of the same subjects. But I chose to head into church ministry, while she settled into the academy and earned her PhD from Yale. Molly is associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You may have read her work in The New York Times, Slate, or Christianity Today. She is perhaps best known for...

Keller’s Formation: Richard Lints on Theological Vision

March 21, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MB

The Gospel Coalition’s Foundation Documents include a “theological vision for ministry,” originally drafted by Tim Keller. I had never heard of theological vision before I read this statement in 2007. Soon I learned that the concept originated by Richard Lints in his book The Fabric of Theology. Theological vision is the space between your doctrinal beliefs and your ministry programs. Theological vision helps you adapt your ministry to changing conditions while keeping centered on the unchan...

Keller’s Formation: Bill Edgar on Francis Schaeffer and L’Abri

March 07, 2023 05:00 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MB

Bill Edgar began his career as professor of apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1989 and retired last year in 2022. But his Westminster roots run even deeper than his 33-year tenure. Edgar’s great-great-grandfather, an elder at First Presbyterian Church in New York City, helped endow Princeton Seminary in 1811. In 1929, Westminster was founded in response to Princeton’s liberal drift. By 2017, Princeton Seminary had drifted so far that the school revoked Tim Keller’s Kuyper Pr...

Keller’s Formation: James Eglinton on Herman Bavinck

February 21, 2023 05:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

“When it comes to theologians that contemporary church leaders should be reading, I don’t know of a more important one than Herman Bavinck.” So says Timothy Keller in his endorsement of James Eglinton’s 2020 book Bavinck: A Critical Biography. Keller first read Bavinck some 50 years ago in class with Roger Nicole at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. But not much of Bavinck’s voluminous work has been translated until recent years. So, we live in a renaissance of appreciation for this Dut...

Keller’s Formation: Christopher Watkin on Charles Taylor and Social Criticism

February 07, 2023 05:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MB

In their booklet “Gospel-Centered Ministry,” TGC cofounders Don Carson and Tim Keller describe how the redemptive story of Scripture, or biblical theology, culminates in Jesus Christ and his gospel. And from Christ, that gospel then guides us in how we live every aspect of our lives. I’ve never seen a book do this work more effectively than Christopher Watkin’s Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life. It’s simply one of the best books I’ve ever r...

Keller’s Formation: John Piper on C. S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards

January 24, 2023 05:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MB

In his forthcoming book, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, Collin Hansen aims to add to our understanding of evangelical history in the second half of the 20th century into the early 21st century. Keller’s life spans and intersects with many of the most significant people, events, and trends within Christianity during the last 75 years. The same can be said of John Piper, who along with Keller is a founding Council member of The Gospel Coalition. Piper is nearly fiv...

Keller’s Formation: Behind the Book

January 10, 2023 05:00 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MB

In this unique episode of Gospelbound, pastor Jim Davis from Orlando Grace Church invites Collin Hansen into the interview spotlight to go behind the scenes of writing Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Jim Davis says, "Five hundred years from now, maybe two pastors or theologians will be remembered. I believe that Tim Keller will be one of them." Keller's influence comes from his sermons, books, and teaching as well as founding Redeemer Presbyterian Church, The Gosp...

Time Well Spent

December 06, 2022 05:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB

Jen Pollock Michel offers eight habits for reimagining productivity, resisting hurry, and practicing peace in her latest book, In Good Time. She invites us to seek wisdom that is more concerned with ethical practice than Type-A respectability. She helps us recognize that we detest waiting because we have to believe that God is acting when we are not. On this 100th episode of the Gospelbound podcast, Collin Hansen and Jen Pollock Michel discuss why we should redefine busyness and how to say ...

Confronting Spiritual Abuse

November 29, 2022 05:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MB

“We would rather have a leader who will beat up our enemies than one who will tenderly care for the sheep,” Michael Kruger writes in his new book, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church, published by Zondervan. Spiritual abuse is a relatively new and amorphous concept. Kruger defines it this way: Spiritual abuse is when a spiritual leader—such as a pastor, elder, or head of a Christian organization—wields his position of spiritual authority in such a way th...

How to Rediscover Orthodoxy as the Ultimate Adventure

November 15, 2022 05:00 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MB

In his new book, The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith, Trevin Wax writes, “The thrill of orthodoxy lies in its challenge. We are called to become not merely nice neighbors who are kind and polite, but holy people who look more and more like Jesus.” Trevin Wax joined Collin Hansen on this episode of Gospelbound to discuss why heresy hunters turn out to be heretics, how we can know if something is orthodox, and why he’s confident the future belongs to the or...

Thomas Jefferson: Hero or Villain?

November 08, 2022 05:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MB

Thomas Jefferson, whose lofty writings on freedom when compared to his practice of slaveholding are part of the real “wall of separation” in American politics and religion. These contradictions make him the subject of many biographies, including the most recent from Thomas Kidd: Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh. Dr. Kidd is research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City and the author of many outstanding works. Thomas Kidd joi...

Digital Life in the Slow Lane

November 01, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MB

In the digital age, it feels like life moves too far, too fast. That’s why we need wise guides such as Jay K. Kim, author of Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. Jay writes, “This is where we are in the digital age, existing in an untenable state of unceasing connection to the curated lives of others—all of their highlights, none of their low-lights.” Perhaps the simple solution would be to spend more time offline. But our colorful smartphon...

Philip Yancey on Family Wounds and God’s Grace

October 25, 2022 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MB

His latest book, Where the Light Fell: A Memoir, is the culmination of more than 50 years for Philip Yancey as a Christian writer. In it, you’ll see a clear display of his two life themes—suffering and grace—which characterize all his books. Where the Light Fell is remarkably honest as Yancey draws inspiration from God’s Word. He writes, “I know of no more real or honest book than the Bible, which hides none of its characters’ flaws.” Yancey joined Collin Hansen on Gospelbound to discuss t...

Hope from the Chinese Wilderness

October 18, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

In the new book, Faith in the Wilderness: Words of Exhortation from the Chinese Church, Hannah Nation and co-editor, Simon Liu, offer a perspective of what we can learn from Chinese pastors who are facing persecution. Nation says, “We descendants of Christendom fear cultural marginalization, but let us remember that those on the margins often preach the gospel more boldly, fearlessly, and humbly than those at the center, for they have nothing to lose and no stakeholders to upset.” Hannah N...

Why You Must Forgive

October 11, 2022 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MB

There is almost nothing so beautiful as forgiveness—but, must we choose between forgiveness and justice? Does forgiveness merely empower abusers? Enter Tim Keller in his latest book, Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? The bestselling author and co-founder of The Gospel Coalition doesn’t neglect the cost of forgiveness. He writes, “Forgiveness is always a form of voluntary suffering that brings about a greater good.” Sometimes that greater good accrues to the one who forgives. It may feel ...

The Jesus Revolution for Women

October 04, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB

In Jesus through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord, published by The Gospel Coalition, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives readers a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return. Rebecca McLaughlin joins Collin Hansen on this episode of Gospelbound to discuss the Gnostic Go...

The Disaster and Delight of Social Media

September 27, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB

In 2009, around 25 percent of American high school students said they had “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” By 2021, it was up to 44 percent, the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded. For girls, the number was even higher: 57 percent. What could account for such a dramatic change between 2009 and today? If you looked at a group of teenagers then and now, the main difference you’d see is the modern teens hunched over their smartphones. These stats come from an epi...

Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen

September 20, 2022 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MB

You are not in control. You never have been. You never will be. That fact of life is tough for many of us to swallow. “The cultural air I breathe has trained me to think that life should be more carefree, predictable, and in control than it is,” Scott Sauls writes in his new book, Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen: How God Redeems Regret, Hurt, and Fear in the Making of Better Humans, (Zondervan). Scott Sauls is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and aut...

Defiant Faith in the Face of Suffering

September 13, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MB

“We are all like Job,” write Bill Kynes and Will Kynes in their new book, Wrestling with Job: Defiant Faith in the Face of Suffering (IVP Academic). We are “engaged in a mysterious cosmic battle, as every day our faith is put to the test, and God himself is honored when we trust, obey, and worship him as the great and glorious God that he is.” In this book, Bill and Will Kynes find in Job real faith that holds us together when it feels like our world is falling apart. Defiant faith in the f...

Everything Sad Is Untrue

September 06, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MB

In his book, Everything Sad Is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri offers readers a refugee’s inside look at religion and geo-politics through his personal tale of a boy separated from his father and the only world he knew and loved. A world that he’s not even sure he can remember. But it’s Daniel’s mother who is the hero of this book, which released in 2020 and was named a book of the year by The New York Times, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal. Her conversion was a death sentence in Iran, so the family...

Passion for the Persecuted

July 26, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MB

As Christ's church continues to expand across the world, so does persecution. In this episode of Gospelbound from TGCW22, Collin Hansen talks with Karen Ellis and Kori Porter about how God's people fight for faith when it can cost their lives. Through this discussion, we'll learn how other Christians can support the persecuted church in prayer and advocacy.

Bonus: Escape from Kabul

May 31, 2022 04:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MB

On today’s bonus episode of Gospelbound, we’re featuring a selection from TGC’s narrative podcast, Recorded. In "Escape from Kabul", TGC senior writer Sarah Zylstra tells the story of God's dramatic work through the underground church in Afghanistan. To hear the full episode, subscribe to Recorded on Apple Podcasts.

Building Deep Community in a Lonely World

May 24, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

In her book, Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World, bestselling author Jennie Allen describes our problem today like this: “We fill a small, little crevice called home with everything we could possibly need, we keep our doors locked tight, and we feel all safe and sound. But we’ve completely cut ourselves off from people outside our little self-protective world.” Jennie Allen joins Collin Hansen on Gospelbound to discuss the difference between complaining and vulnerab...

Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith

May 17, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MB

In his book, Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith, Russ Ramsey helps his readers learn how to appreciate art without needing to be an expert. “If you have not yet learned to love beauty,” he writes, “learn to love it late.” We’re made to achieve perfection, at least on the other side of glory, he says. Beauty is glimpsing a preview of that perfection in what we make here and now of goodness and truth. God didn’t need to make this world beautiful. He di...

The Air We Breathe

May 10, 2022 04:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MB

If you live in the West, in much of Europe or North America or Australia, you don’t know the world apart from Christianity. It’s the water you swim in, the air you breathe. That’s the main point of Glen Scrivener’s new book, The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality, published by The Good Book Company. Glen is an ordained Church of England minister and evangelist who preaches Christ through writing, speaking, and online media. Glen Scrivene...

Why We Need to Debate in Good Faith

May 03, 2022 04:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB

Starting May 4, The Gospel Coalition is releasing a five-part video debate series called the "Good Faith Debates", featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today—ranging from gun control to woke churches to abortion to racial injustice to evangelical self-identity. When we keep the gospel central, we can disagree on lesser but still important matters in good faith. In the Good Faith Debates, we hope to model this—showing that it’s ...

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