Hill Country Institute Live: Exploring Christ and Culture  artwork

Hill Country Institute Live: Exploring Christ and Culture

152 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratings

Hosted by Larry Linenschmidt, Hill Country Institute Live is an ongoing conversation about issues of concern and interest to the Church today. We visit the life and works of giants of another day, such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and also spend time with people and ministries doing creative work to fight human trafficking, feed the poor, create quality art, be good stewards of the environment, and much more, all with the heart and mind of Christ. For more information about the events and resources Hill Country Institute provides, such as messages from our conferences on Faith & Science, Faith & Art, and impact of the work of C.S. Lewis, visit hillcountryinstitute.org

Christianity Religion & Spirituality Education christ and culture culture trends god faith and art faith and science postmodern c.s. lewis j.r.r. tolkien current cultural issues the inklings
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Herb Bailey Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

February 08, 2024 22:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

In this interview, Larry and Father Captain Herb Bailey, a motorcycle-riding, Anglican priest and artist, discuss the amazing way God has worked in Father Herb's life, how we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and how to be an evangelist where God has called us. You'll hear an amazing personal story of God’s moving in this man's life and calling him to ministry. Before he recently moved to Austin, Father Herb was leading a ministry center, a Christian coffee shop, in the Pittsburgh area...

Bob O'Dell Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

January 26, 2024 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

In this interview, Larry talks with Bob O’Dell, tech entrepreneur, author, screenwriter, and movie producer, about the little-known history of the impact that the Tonkawa Tribe had on the city of Austin, Texas. Bob and others are working on bringing friendship and recognition to the Tonkawa Tribe, and Bob is in the process of producing a documentary on the Tribe’s history. They also discuss how the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making life decisions and how listening to the Holy Spirit's l...

Larry Linenschmidt on Creation Care From Three Perspectives

December 03, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Presenting at Concordia University in Austin, Texas, Larry presents three perspectives from which we should consider creation care: 1) God's Word, the Bible; 2) God's World - what we observe as we study God's good creation; and 3) God's Work - what we do to take care of His amazing and bountiful creation. Areas of concern which he addresses are loss of biodiversity, the growing accumulation of waste and trash, pollution in various forms, and a warming planet.

Tracy King Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 21, 2023 06:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Water is an issue for Texans. We face droughts, floods, aging infrastructure, and increasing population. What is a Christian response to the problems we're experiencing, and how do we plan for the future? Larry discusses these and other issues with Chairman Tracy King, Representative for Texas House District 80, Chairman of the powerful House Natural Resources Committee, and member of the Energy Resources Committee.

Sarah Schlessinger and Jeremy Mazur Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 14, 2023 13:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

Two leading analysts and advocates for a data-driven, comprehensive approach to water policy in Texas, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation, and Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Analyst with Texas 2036 have a conversation with Larry on the water issues of Texas and the potential impact of Proposition 6 on meeting those challenges. Both Sarah and Jeremy are highly regarded for the important research and data they develop with their teams. They are both called on frequent...

Kim Patton and Bianca Neal Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

August 25, 2023 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

Third in a series of conversations related to the Dream Together2023 initiative which begins on August 28, 2023. Kim Patton, Executive Director of Life Anew Restorative Justice, talks about how their team works to rebuild lives and communities in a Biblical, restorative way. Bianca Neal, wife of hiphop artist SaulPaul and Executive Director of the SaulPaul Foundation, discusses the challenges and opportunities for ministry through SaulPaul Productions as well as her interest in higher educat...

Pastor Edwin Pope and Pete Inman Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

August 18, 2023 17:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MB

Pastor Edwin Pope and Pete Inman, both business leaders in the Austin Metro area as well as leaders in various Christian ministries in Round Rock and Austin, talk with Larry about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream Speech" and Dream Together 2030, the event on August 28 at the State Capitol which kicks off the Seven-Year Initiative to develop Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community in Austin. Please join us on the steps on the south side of the Texas State Capitol on Monda...

Joe Bland and Dr. Archbishop Sterling Lands Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

August 12, 2023 06:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

Joe Bland, a contractor in Austin who was led by God to begin Dream Together 2030, and Dr. Archbishop Sterling Lands, a key leader of the initiative, are interviewed by Larry on this episode of Hill Country Institute Live. They discuss the upcoming kickoff of the Dream Together 2030 initiative on August 28 at the Texas State Capital. The mission of Dream Together 2030 is to create a new season of flourishing, justice, and equity for greater Austin and the surrounding communities. The visio...

Doug Lewis Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

May 11, 2023 14:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MB

Doug Lewin Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

May 11, 2023 14:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MB

Doug Lewin, President of Stoic Energy, is a nationally recognized energy expert, particularly in the electric grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, utility regulation, and pollution reduction. He is regularly featured in local, state, and national broadcasts and publications on energy issues. In this interview, Larry and Doug talk about the electric grid in Texas - the issues we face, what happened during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and the winter storm of December 2022; t...

Daniel Cohan Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

April 22, 2023 13:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Dr. Daniel Cohan, an atmospheric scientist and environmental engineer, is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Rice University, as well as a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Clean air, water, and energy are important to the life and health of Texans and people around the world. Larry and Dr. Cohan discuss the health impacts of pollution, how Texas should address the issues we face with increasing numbers of ozone alert days in our major metropo...

Senator Charles Perry Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

April 08, 2023 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MB

Senator Perry represents District 28, which is the largest Senate District, geographically, in the State of Texas. We’ll be discussing water issues Texas is facing such as boil water notices, drought, flooding, and population growth. We'll also talk about  Senate Bill 28, which Senator Perry authored and has bipartisan support as it advances through the Texas Legislature. Due to the severity of the water crisis facing Texas, we encourage our listeners to learn about water policy in Texas and...

Schuyler Wight Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

March 18, 2023 03:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Schuyler Wight is a fourth-generation rancher who has raised cattle near Fort Stockton for decades. Now he's fighting a battle he did not create. Scattered across his sprawling 20,000-acre ranch are more than 100 abandoned oil and gas wells left behind by oil and gas companies. Water is now bubbling up from these abandoned oil wells and is polluting Wight's pasture and killing his cows. Abandoned “dry hole” oil wells are polluting Texas farms, ranches and groundwater. The state and the oil a...

Barry Smitherman Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

February 26, 2023 02:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MB

Barry Smitherman is an attorney, consultant, private investor, author, and board member for not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. He is the only person to have served as Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Texas Railroad Commission. He probably has as much knowledge of the oil and gas and the electricity business as anyone in the U.S. He is now Chairman of the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance. Barry authored the book,  If Jesus Were an Investment Banker...

Walter Bradley Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

November 13, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MB

Join us as we consider the wisdom and experiences of a Godly man of faith, science, and scholarship. Walter Bradley has been a longtime friend to the Hill Country Institute and is a Fellow of the Institute. He partnered with us to bring Christian leaders together with differing views on faith and science in our Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science Initiative. His statesmanship made it comfortable for people to come together as fellow believers who want to study science, theology, and philosoph...

Jay Richards Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live 11-22

November 05, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

Seen in its proper light, the market order is as awe-inspiring as a sunset or a perfect eclipse. It might not be enough to convince a skeptic that God exists, but surely the believer should see in it God’s glory. At the very least, it should settle the question: Can a Christian support free enterprise? The answer is surely yes. — Jay Wesley Richards, Money, Greed, and God: The Christian Case for Free Enterprise In this interview, Larry and Jay consider whether free markets or socialism pro...

Phillip Dukes Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 22, 2022 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

Pastor Dukes is a friend and classmate of Larry's from junior high school and high school. In this interview, Larry and Pastor Dukes discuss their experiences growing up in a small town in Texas and going through integration together. Pastor Phillip M Dukes is African American and Larry is European American, so their lives as young people were quite different. Black people were not allowed to eat in the dining rooms of restaurants, were not allowed to swim in the public pools, were not allow...

Ed Brown Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 18, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MB

Ed Brown is Director and CEO of Care of Creation, an organization which partners with the Lausanne Movement and the World Evangelical Alliance to encourage Christian stewardship of God’s good creation. Ed has recently completed a series of twelve consultations around the world with pastors and leaders in various geophysical areas to address how the Body of Christ might come to better understand the theology of creation care (God’s Word), the issues we face (God’s World), and how we should pr...

Jan Berry Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 16, 2022 01:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

Caleb Haynes Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

July 23, 2022 02:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

Living a Holy Life is an aspect of our calling as Christians. Have you ever considered how we treat our garbage as a part of being Holy? We’re called to take care of God’s good creation, but trash and waste encroach on the beauty of the earth and its capacity to support life. Caleb Haynes is the author of Garbage Theology: The Unseen World of Waste and What It Means to Every Person, Every Place, and Every Thing.  In this podcast, he shares his insights and experiences both theologically and ...

Emily Jansen Interviewed by Hill Country Institute Live

June 18, 2022 20:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

Larry chats with Emily Jansen, author of A Wilder Eden: How to Keep Dreaming in a World of Disappointment. Emily encourages us to acknowledge the dreams which have not worked out, to step into our own identity and uniqueness as a beloved child of God, and to step into a new place, a place of yieldedness to God, a place she refers to as "A Wilder Eden". In her book, Emily shares from her personal experience and heart for seeking God’s dream for each of us and bathes the story in scripture.  E...

Chef Oliver Hale Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

June 14, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

Perspectives of an African American and a European American on growing up in a town with Jim Crow restrictions such as white only restrooms and closing the separate schools for black students when Greenville, TX, integrated.

Interview with Eric Bryant on Creation Care

May 28, 2022 02:00 - 17 minutes - 12.4 MB

Eric Bryant, Pastor of Gateway South in Austin and author of "Not Like Me: Learning to Love, Serve and Influence Our Divided World", interviews Larry on environmental stewardship. They discuss the biblical calling to care for God's good creation, the issues we face today, and how the Body of Christ can be involved in solutions to those problems. We consider caring for the poor as well as future generations. 

Dr. Michelle Ami Reyes Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

December 29, 2021 02:00 - 58 minutes - 40.3 MB

Larry speaks with Dr. Reyes about her new book and how we learn from people with diverse cultural backgrounds and develop relationships, and how Christmas traditions from other cultures can both help us to better understand aspects of the Advent and Christmas stories and how diverse cultures celebrate this special time.

Richard Battle Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

November 28, 2021 03:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Larry talks with Richard Battle, award-winning author of eight books,  advisor to for-profit and non-profit organizations, and an accomplished speaker, about vocational calling, service, and trusting Christ in difficult times. 

Sandy Kress Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

November 07, 2021 20:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

In both Austin and San Antonio, there have been recent outbreaks of anti-semitic acts including banners with anti-Semitic language hung by members of a hate group on overpasses in areas with large Jewish populations, a fire set at a local synagogue, hate speech painted on the parking lot of a local high school, and others. How is a Christian to respond to such heinous acts? Are all people of faith put at risk when any of us are threatened and subjected to violence? In this episode, Larry tal...

Father Matt Dampier Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 16, 2021 16:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MB

Larry talks with Father Matt about the life experiences and culture which have impacted those who are under forty. What influences this age cohort-Millennials and Gen Z-to hear, resist, or embrace the gospel message? And for Christians under forty, what are they seeking in the church? They discuss community, the impact of technology, seeking justice, and more. 

Liuan Chen Huska Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 09, 2021 16:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MB

Larry talks with Liuan about how we can broaden our understanding of the life of Asian Americans. What is the history and current place of Asian Americans in the US, and in the church? What would Asian Americans want us to know about their lives and how they are treated? How has Covid contributed to increased prejudice and violence against Asian Americans? How might we come alongside our Asian American brothers and sisters and share their burdens? 

John Stonestreet Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 11, 2021 20:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

Larry and John discuss what it means to be made in the Image of God, our identity based in our relationship to Christ, and some issues of our times including sexual orientation, gender identity and racial relations. 

Jon Terry Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 11, 2021 20:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MB

Larry and Jon will discuss the vocational calling of caring for creation, as well as how each of us can personally participate in this Biblical mandate. They also consider some of the environmental issues which are common to both Michigan-Au Sable’s home base-and Texas, including industrial, plastic, and air pollution, algae blooms and dead zones, and the impact of a warming earth.

Frank McCamant Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

June 13, 2021 18:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MB

Winter Storm Uri, Icepocalyse, the Big Freeze in February — whatever you call it, we in Austin are still trying to understand what happened and how to prepare for the future to avoid power outages. Frank McCamant returns to Hill Country Institute Live to update us on what the data has revealed, plans that are being made for the future of the electric power grid in Texas, and the impact of the bills passed by the Texas Legislature. Frank is an independent consultant who works with many partic...

Hugh Ross Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

June 13, 2021 18:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

Dr. Hugh Ross and Larry discuss his book, Weathering Climate Change: A Fresh Approach. The natural history of the earth shows substantial volatility in its climate. However, for the last 9,500 years, humans have benefited from climate stability and civilization has flourished. How did the activities of man slow the global cooling which would have been consistent with the cycle of the last 800,000 years and contributed to climate stability before the Industrial Revolution? How are increased e...

Alan Graham Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

May 26, 2021 01:00 - 58 minutes - 39.9 MB

Alan Graham, Visionary, Founder, and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Community First! Village, discusses with Larry why and how people fall into homelessness; how the community lives together with respect and dignity; the micro-enterprises which many in Community First! operate (artisans, blacksmiths, and more); Genesis Garden, where they raise organic vegetables, fruits and nuts, chickens, goats and bees; and Alan’s exciting vision for adding new phases and new housing for the homeless.

Winn Collier Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

May 17, 2021 02:00 - 55 minutes - 38.5 MB

Larry interviews Winn Collier, author of A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson. Winn was one of many pastors who Pastor Peterson mentored. They had a long-term friendship and Winn was granted exclusive access to his personal papers to write the biography. Larry and Winn discuss the influences on Pastor Peterson’s life and spirituality, his personal growth and challenges, and how The Message grew out of his desire to make Galatians come alive for a Sunday schoo...

Jay Richards Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

April 11, 2021 20:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

Is artificial intelligence a welcome addition to our advancing knowledge and capacity to improve human life or an uncontrollable force that will dominate our lives? Jay Richards, author of The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines, reviews the history of technological advances and the benefits which they offer to our lives and society, even as we deal with disruptions along the way.

Joe Pojman Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

April 11, 2021 20:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MB

Joe Pojman, Executive Director of the Texas Alliance for Life, updates us on pro-life legislation which is currently in process in the Texas Legislature. Joe is asking for all of us to call our State Representatives in support of the seven pro-life bills which have passed out of the Senate to the House, including Senate Bill’s 8, 9, 394, 650, 802, 1173, and 1657. For additional detail on the bills, please visit the Texas Alliance for Life website.

Dr. David Anderson Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

March 31, 2021 02:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MB

How did the agricultural producers in Texas fare in Icepocalypse, now officially known as Winter Storm Uri? Will we have beef, grapefruit, and other food items from Texas in the future? How do farmers and ranchers prepare for the weather extremes we are experiencing including the ongoing drought? How much did the storm cost our agricultural community in Texas? How do the losses compare to past extreme weather events such as the drought of 2011 and Hurricane Harvey? David Anderson, Ph.D., Pro...

John Hall Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

December 20, 2020 02:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

John Hall, a longtime Texas leader who brings businesses, elected officials, and community leaders together to grow jobs, restore and maintain clean air and water, and take care of those who are poor and suffer most from pollution, is our featured guest on this episode of Hill Country Institute Live. We discuss the impact of John’s faith on his career, air quality issues (the five largest metropolitan areas in Texas all had over 100 days of bad air quality in 2018), the growth and potential ...

David French Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

December 06, 2020 21:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MB

In this episode, Larry and David discuss the division in our country and how Christians can work to heal our land while also advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and other issues that are important in a Biblical worldview. We’ll consider pluralism, toleration, federalism, and humility as aspects of respectful dialogue and coexistence, and the question of how we live Micah 6:8 in our times- He has told you, O man, what is good;     and what does the Lord require of y...

Jessica Moerman Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

November 27, 2020 23:00 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

Dr. Jessica Moerman is the Senior Director for Science and Policy at the Evangelical Environmental Network. In this interview, Larry and Dr. Moerman discuss the Biblical call to care for God’s good creation, women in STEM, the ministry of EEN, environmental issues of concern, and caring for the least among us and future generations.

Hugh Ross Interviewed on Hill County Institute Live

October 27, 2020 23:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

The natural history of the earth shows substantial volatility in its climate. For the last 9,500 years, humans have benefited from climate stability and civilization has flourished. How did the activities of man slow the global cooling which would have been consistent with the cycle of the last 800,000 years and contributed to climate stability before the Industrial Revolution began around 1750? How are increased emissions from industry, refining, oil and gas drilling, and our agriculture pr...

Ben Lowe Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

October 20, 2020 02:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

Larry and Ben Lowe, Board Chair of A Rocha USA and a longtime leader in encouraging and equipping Christians in creation care discuss our Biblical calling to care for God’s good creation. They also discuss environmental concerns Millennial and Gen Z Christians have about the world they have inherited; areas of concern including pollution, food production, and overfishing; and what it means to be good stewards of creation. 

Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 24, 2020 02:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MB

Rev Kyle is the Midwest Director of the Evangelical Environmental Network. In this interview, Larry and Rev Kyle discuss awe and worship of God as we observe and enjoy the beauty and intricacy of His creation, our Biblical calling to care for God's good creation, and why young people are so concerned about what is happening to our environement.

Archbishop Sterling Lands II Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 15, 2020 14:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB

Pastor  Lands has been a long term, steady voice for fairness and righteousness in Austin, speaking out for equality of education and city services on the East Side of Austin and for strengthened police-community interaction from a Biblical, Christ-centered perspective. We'll be discussing character development from a Biblical perspective, education as a means for living a full and productive life, and his efforts over many years to bring fairness and equity in education and city services to...

Daniel Geraci Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

September 05, 2020 16:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MB

Daniel Geraci, Founder and Executive Director of the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) was led by the Lord to start ADRN in 2009. ADRN has brought emotional, physical and spiritual relief to those devastated by fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornados.  Surviving families continue to be sponsored and lives transformed. The organization has grown to include a network of over 200 churches and thousands of trained volunteers. 

Walter Bradley and Dan Heinze Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live, Part 1 of 4

August 19, 2020 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.3 MB

Walter was a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University after a long career at Texas A&M. Dan has many years experience as geophysicist and frequently faced the question, "You're a Christian? But I thought you were a scientist," and of course at times the order was reversed. In this lively and informative interview, we discuss a Christian view of faith and science issues. This Is Part 1 of a four-part Interview

Walter Bradley and Dan Heinze Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live, Part 4 of 4

August 19, 2020 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.29 MB

Walter was a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University after a long career at Texas A&M. Dan has many years experience as geophysicist and frequently faced the question, "You're a Christian? But I thought you were a scientist," and of course at times the order was reversed. In this lively and informative interview, we discuss a Christian view of faith and science issues. This Is Part 4 of a four-part Interview

Walter Bradley and Dan Heinze Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live, Part 2 of 4

August 19, 2020 21:00 - 12 minutes - 8.31 MB

Walter was a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University after a long career at Texas A&M. Dan has many years experience as geophysicist and frequently faced the question, "You're a Christian? But I thought you were a scientist," and of course at times the order was reversed. In this lively and informative interview, we discuss a Christian view of faith and science issues. This Is Part 1 of a four-part Interview

Walter Bradley and Dan Heinze Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live, Part 3 of 4

August 19, 2020 21:00 - 13 minutes - 9.13 MB

Walter was a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University after a long career at Texas A&M. Dan has many years experience as geophysicist and frequently faced the question, "You're a Christian? But I thought you were a scientist," and of course at times the order was reversed. In this lively and informative interview, we discuss a Christian view of faith and science issues. This Is Part 3 of a four-part Interview

Pastor Joseph C. Parker Interviewed on Hill Country Institute Live

August 16, 2020 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

We're delighted to have Pastor Parker with us once again. His father was a classmate and friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., then a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, when the Montgomery Boycott occurred and then in Birmingham, Alabama, when Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail. We’ll be discussing Pastor Parker’s memories of those times and the Christian faith which was the basis for the actions and courage of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement including Martin Luthe...