Upstream
304 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago -There are no ordinary things. We can meet God in the most surprising places…if we only know how to look. Go Upstream, discover a world charged with the grandeur of God—and learn to live in that bigger world.
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Episodes
The Thrill of Orthodoxy | Trevin Wax
May 03, 2022 11:44 - 57 minutes - 79.9 MBShane welcomes author and North American Mission Board vice president Trevin Wax to guide us through G. K. Chesterton’s most famous book, Orthodoxy, and to explain how this masterpiece can reignite the wonder of faith.
The Trill of Orthodoxy | Trevin Wax
May 03, 2022 09:25 - 57 minutes - 79.9 MBShane welcomes author and North American Mission Board vice president Trevin Wax to guide us through G. K. Chesterton’s most famous book, Orthodoxy, and to explain how this masterpiece can reignite the wonder of faith.
Should Christians Be Rebels?
April 30, 2022 12:04 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBWayne Stender asks Shane some upstream questions from his conversation with Sean McDowell earlier this week. Specifically, Wayne wants to know if Christians should build rebellious muscles, or if we should guide our practice to building culture.
How to Raise a Rebel | Sean McDowell
April 26, 2022 15:37 - 1 hour - 145 MBShane welcomes renowned apologist and author Sean McDowell to layout a countercultural approach to parenting teenagers, using his new book, A Rebel's Manifesto
Why Disney's Stories Matter - Further Upstream
April 23, 2022 11:54 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MBWayne and Shane go further Upstream to the root ideas they find at work in Disney. Wayne asks Shane why stories captivate us and how they shape us.
What Is Disney Telling Us? | Paul Asay
April 19, 2022 10:30 - 1 hour - 84 MBShane welcomes Plugged In reviewer Paul Asay to dig into the messages of recent Disney and Pixar animated features, and to figure out where the Mouse House is leading us…and our children.
Further Upstream - Christian Scandals Conversation with Warren Smith Revisited
April 15, 2022 16:32 - 40 minutes - 56.7 MBWayne Stender asks Shane to further define the role of individuals in churches and ministries to hold leaders accountable. Wayne asks if sin is inevitable and should scandals carry the weight in the church and community life that they do.
A Godly Response to Christian Scandals | Warren Cole Smith
April 12, 2022 14:19 - 55 minutes - 76.3 MBShane welcomes Ministry Watch president, Warren Cole Smith, to dissect the recent scandals that have toppled Christian pastors, apologists, and leaders, and to help us understand how we can guard our hearts and organizations against moral rot.
Is What's Happening in Russia A Reflection of Us? - Further Upstream
April 09, 2022 11:56 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBShane sits down with Product Manager Wayne Stender to consider his recent conversation with Peter Rutland on Russia. The two discuss Vladimir Putin and Wayne asks questions to dive deeper into what makes Putin's actions evil, and what happens if we're just on the wrong side of history.
Why Did Russia Really Go to War? | Dr. Peter Rutland
April 05, 2022 11:14 - 54 minutes - 75.6 MBShane welcomes Dr. Peter Rutland, a noted Russia expert from Wesleyan University, to explain the worldview motivations behind Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and to understand what happens if the Russian president succeeds.
Further Upstream - Everlasting Man and Dr. Dale Alquist Conversation Revisted
April 02, 2022 11:03 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBWayne Stender pushes Shane to explain some of the finer points of his conversation with Dr. Dale Alquist. Wayne asks if Chesterton had a low view of humanity, why we should read the book, and can't all civilizations value humanity well?
The World According to G. K. Chesterton | Dr. Dale Ahlquist
March 29, 2022 15:43 - 1 hour - 139 MBShane welcomes Dr. Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society, for an introduction to the faith and writing of one of the 20th century’s most influential Christian minds. They dive into Chesterton’s famous retelling of the human story, The Everlasting Man.
Further Upstream - Revisiting the Conversation on Minimalist Christianity from Bart Gingerich
March 25, 2022 19:15 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBShane fields a host of questions from producer Wayne Stender as they revisit the conversation this week with Bart Gingrich. Wayne asks Shane to explain why he referenced the early church figure of Marcion. He also asks Shane why it's important for Christians to consider Israel and Jewish history as we exercise our faith in America. To close, Shane encourages Wayne and other listeners to discover and search theology to guide how they live out their faith practically in this cultural moment.
The Trouble with Minimalist Christianity | Bart Gingerich
March 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBShane welcomes Rev. Bart Gingerich to talk about recent comments by megachurch pastor Andy Stanley, who says Christianity doesn’t stand or fall on the authority of the Bible. Should we slim down the faith to make apologetics easier, or should we insist on the authority of both Old and New Testaments as the Word of God?
Further Upstream - Questions on the Conversation with Dr. Thaddeus Williams
March 20, 2022 02:55 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBShane and producer Wayne Stender explore some of the finer points of the recent interview with Dr. Thaddeus Williams. Shane explains a handful of definitions before explaining how Christians can live into the image of God on the issue of race and identity in a time when many are confused and frustrated.
Racial Justice and the Church | Dr. Thaddeus Williams
March 15, 2022 16:08 - 1 hour - 96.1 MBShane welcomes Dr. Thaddeus Williams, author of "Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth" to talk about the state of race relations in America and American churches in 2022. For more information on Thaddeus' event visit: https://zondervanacademic.com/leads/confronting-injustice?fbclid=IwAR24vQVRkgelSVEq9Wtfc-sSNkzp8GGeQTcSOZ70URV6KARq1XkrwcOHf2I
Further Upstream - Questions on the Conversation with Seraphim Hamilton
March 11, 2022 13:46 - 46 minutes - 63.7 MBShane fields a host of questions from his producer, Wayne Stender, exploring the nature of symbolism in the Bible. The pair discuss the challenge it is to overcome stigmas around seeing everything as connected, while marveling at the beauty of God's design and the significance of the incarnation.
Seeing the World Through New Eyes | Seraphim Hamilton
March 08, 2022 15:10 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBShane welcome Seraphim (Thomas) Hamilton to explain how both Scripture and God’s creation are filled with symbols and typology—a language of meaning that was known and loved by ancient people, but has largely been forgotten in today’s world.
Is Invitro Fertilization a Problem? - Further Upstream
March 05, 2022 13:05 - 47 minutes - 108 MBShane invites Wayne Stender back on the show to ask probing questions on IVF (Invitro Fertilization) and where the Christian care and concern starts and stops on the issue.
Is In vitro Fertilization a Problem? - Further Upstream
March 05, 2022 13:05 - 47 minutes - 108 MBShane invites Wayne Stender back on the show to ask probing questions on IVF (Invitro Fertilization) and where the Christian care and concern starts and stops on the issue.
Making Babies Without Sex | Stephanie Gray Connors
March 01, 2022 14:16 - 1 hour - 154 MBShane welcomes pro-life speaker and author Stephanie Gray Connors to expose the ethical problems with in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy, which she confronts in detail in her new book, Conceived by Science.
Quitting the Gladiatorial ‘Gotcha’ Game – A reflection on the conversation with Dale Stenberg
February 26, 2022 14:00 - 7 minutes - 9.99 MBIn my discussion on Upstream with my good friend Dale Stenberg, we talked about podcasts as the return of a more human form of communication. In place of an ever-intensifying focus on soundbites in the news, ten-second videos on TikTok, and 280-character zingers on Twitter, podcasts stretch our shrunken attention spans so they can again accommodate complete thoughts. But this benefit is the result of more than runtime. It has to do with the way extended conversations force participants to be...
The Rise of Podcasts | Dale Stenberg
February 22, 2022 19:21 - 59 minutes - 136 MBShane welcome Davenant Institute teaching fellow Dale Stenberg to explore why podcasts have become such a powerful medium in recent years, why they can be dangerous, and how Christians can glorify God by producing and listening to good podcasts.
Further Upstream - Questions on Rethinking Christian Cliches with Jeff Myers
February 21, 2022 17:54 - 25 minutes - 58.2 MBShane fields questions from Wayne Stender on the value of questioning answers and if that practice is something Christians should hold tightly to, especially as they fall under the leadership of the church and Scripture.
The Fate of Feral Christians - A Reflection on the Conversation with Jeff Myers
February 19, 2022 13:41 - 10 minutes - 24.2 MBMove inland from our beautiful beaches here in Florida, and you’re bound to come across an attention-grabbing group of plants. Citrus trees grow all along the roadsides and woodland trails. These include oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and even the odd kumquat. Though these trees beckon to hikers in the winter with flashes of low-hanging color, their fruit usually tastes nothing like what you’d buy in a grocery store. You might as well try to eat battery acid as these fruits, which are so ...
Rethinking Christian Cliches | Dr. Jeff Myers
February 15, 2022 10:09 - 40 minutes - 91.8 MBShane welcome Summit Ministries president, Dr. Jeff Myers, to talk about his book, “Unquestioned Answers,” which identifies ten Christian cliches that mislead those inside and outside the Church. If you're looking to register your student for Summit, use the promo code BreakPoint22 for $100 off, and receive a $200 off early bird special if registered before March 31. Visit www.summit.org
Hitler and Human Rights – Reflection on the Conversation with Dr. Richard Weikart
February 11, 2022 17:00 - 7 minutes - 17.2 MBThe Reductio ad Hitlerum fallacy is a fixture of online political debates. It’s used often by secular progressives, who seem to view disagreements with their policy preferences as evidence of Nazi sympathies. The tendency is so common that it has prompted a satirical description known as “Godwin’s Law,” which predicts that as any two people argue on the Internet, the probability that one will compare the other with a certain German dictator approaches 100%. That the onetime chancellor’s na...
Darwin in the Third Reich | Dr. Richard Weikart
February 08, 2022 12:46 - 1 hour - 139 MBShane welcomes historian and author Richard Weikart to discuss his book, “Darwinian Racism,” which argues that the theory of evolution informed and motivated racism, eugenics, and genocide in the 20th century, especially in Nazi Germany.
Further Upstream - Questions on Natural Theology and the Interview with Dr. David Haines
February 05, 2022 18:42 - 40 minutes - 93.6 MBWayne Stender asks Shane a host of questions to get further explanation on Shane's conversation with Dr. David Haines. The two explore terms like natural theology and Hellenism while also considering if natural theology has a prominent place that the church rests on to guide the life of the believer.
God is Not Hiding - A Reflection on the Conversation with David Haines
February 03, 2022 22:29 - 5 minutes - 12.9 MBIf you’ve never heard the late Rich Mullins’ song, “Calling Out Your Name,” you should stop reading right now and listen to it. There are few pieces of music that have affected me the way it did from the first time I heard it as a young boy. The message of Mullins’ soaring poetry, untethered as it is from grammar and rushing to keep up with his hammer dulcimer, is simple: the western vistas he loved declare the glory of God. The “rumbling of the buffalo hooves” and the “fury in a pheasant’s ...
God’s Other Book | Dr. David Haines
February 01, 2022 12:20 - 1 hour - 145 MBIs Scripture our only source of knowledge about God? Shane welcomes Dr. David Haines, author of “Natural Theology: A Biblical and Historical Introduction and Defense,” to explain how God has revealed Himself to all mankind outside of the pages of the Bible.
Shane Answers Questions on the Pro-life Cause - Further Upstream
January 30, 2022 13:18 - 39 minutes - 90.9 MBShane welcomes producer Wayne Stender to ask a host of questions after his interviews with Dr. Catherine Wheeler and Dr. Tara Sander Lee. The two walk further upstream to ideas that guide the Pro-life movement, and how a view of philosophy, theology, and even eschatology impact how we process and engage the pro-life movement.
Abortion Confuses Kindness with Love - A Reflection on the Conversation with Dr. Tara Sander Lee and Kersten Hering
January 28, 2022 19:30 - 7 minutes - 16.5 MBWhy do women choose to have abortions? In one sense, it’s a question with as many answers as there are women who seek abortions. One may have found herself with a so-called “crisis” pregnancy, unattached to the father and unprepared to be a mother. Another may feel she has too many children, already. Another may have received a frightening prenatal diagnosis and not want that kind of life for her child. Another may have been the victim of a sexual assault. But I think there’s a belief that...
No Baby Is Better off Dead | Dr. Tara Sander Lee and Kerstin Hering
January 25, 2022 13:47 - 1 hour - 162 MBShane welcomes two pro-life voices to explain why children our society wants to discard deserve protection—even if they test positive for a disorder or simply weren’t planned. Dr. Tara Sander Lee with the Charlotte Lozier Institute reveals the inaccuracy of prenatal screening, while Colson Fellow Kerson Hering tells her incredible story of being rejected by her family but called by God to defend the unborn.
A Wall Is Not a Worldview - A Reflection on the Conversation with Natasha Crain
January 22, 2022 14:36 - 7 minutes - 16.4 MBI have a great appreciation for apologetics. Scripture calls us to “always be ready to give a reason” for the hope that is in us, and many apologists have done this admirably, defending the claims of the Christian faith with evidence, reason, and appeals to necessary truths. But we must never confuse our defense of the faith with the faith, itself. A worldview can’t consist only of arguments against competing claims any more than a city can consist only of a wall. There was a time when ...
Special March for Life Release: Convert for Life, Colson Fellow | Dr. Catherine Wheeler
January 21, 2022 13:47 - 54 minutes - 125 MBShane welcomes Dr. Catherine Wheeler, an OB/Gyn who once performed abortions but is now using her story and her training as a Colson Fellow to champion the lives of the unborn.
Swimming Against Secularism | Natasha Crain
January 18, 2022 13:44 - 59 minutes - 136 MBShane welcomes author, blogger, and podcaster Natasha Crain to discuss her new book, “Faithfully Different,” an accessible guide to help Christians understand our “worldview minority” status and what it looks like to joyfully live out our beliefs, even when most people don’t share them. Pre-order "Faithfully Different" at: https://natashacrain.com/faithfully-different-is-now-available-for-pre-order/
Shane Answers Questions on College - Further Upstream
January 15, 2022 14:21 - 33 minutes - 77.4 MBShane invites producer Wayne Stender to ask questions to clarify some terms and concepts he used in the interview with Colin Redemer.
Every Square Kilobyte – A Reflection on the Conversation with Colin Redemer
January 14, 2022 18:09 - 6 minutes - 15.3 MBI once came across a guy on Twitter who made a convicting observation. He wrote: “I have a device in my pocket containing the sum of all human knowledge…I use it to view pictures of cats, and start arguments with strangers.” That really stuck with me. The gap between the power of the Internet as a concept and our actual use of the Internet is staggering. I expect it would make an extraterrestrial explorer who was seeking intelligent life on this planet turn his ship around after observing wh...
Is College Still Worth It? | Colin Redemer
January 11, 2022 13:55 - 1 hour - 142 MBCOVID has exposed the rot and bloat in higher education. Shane welcomes Colin Redemer, vice-president of the Davenant Institute and head of an innovative new seminary alternative called Davenant Hall to explain how Christians are called to love God with our minds, even while institutions of learning collapse.
Shane Answers Questions on Miracles - Further Upstream
January 08, 2022 14:52 - 28 minutes - 65.3 MBUpstream producer, Wayne Stender, asks Shane to explain some of the complex terms he and Dr. Moreland used in their conversation earlier this week. Shane helps define traditions in viewing miracles and unpacks some details about prayer that he mentioned in his weekly reflection.
Does Prayer Change God? – A Reflection on the Conversation with J.P. Moreland
January 07, 2022 19:35 - 13 minutes - 31 MBWelcome to Upstream. I’m Shane Morris, and I want to reflect further on this week’s conversation. In our discussion of his new book, A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles, philosopher J. P. Moreland and I explored a number of subjects that mystify and fascinate Christians. Foremost among them, whether miracles still take place today, and if so, how we can experience them. But in the process, we touched on a question I have long pondered, and which anyone interested in miraculous answers ...
Do Miracles Still Happen? | J. P .Moreland
January 04, 2022 12:53 - 1 hour - 142 MBShane welcome philosopher and apologist J. P. Moreland to talk about the nature of miracles and how he believes Christians can and do still experience them. He shares stories from his new book, A Simple Guide to Experiencing Miracles.
Shane's Favorite 2021 Interview: Why Music Opens Hearts and Minds with the Arcadian Wild
December 28, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 163 MBShane welcomes Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick of the bluegrass/folk band, “The Arcadian Wild” to explore the strange and wonderful power music has to convey truth and remind us who we are as image-bearers. This episode was recorded in-person at the 2021 Wilberforce Weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Further Upstream: From Fast to Feast | Josh Bales
December 25, 2021 15:27 - 36 minutes - 84.6 MBShane welcomes singer-songwriter and Anglican priest Josh Bales to chat about how liturgical traditions keep Christmas, the role music plays in celebration, and the longing our secular neighbors have for deeper meaning this time of year.
The Light Is Increasing – A Reflection on the Conversation with T. M. Moore
December 23, 2021 22:02 - 7 minutes - 16.6 MBThis is the darkest week of the year, and I’m not a fan. Cold is no fun for me, either. If given the choice, this Florida man would never live above the Mason-Dixon. Snow lost its appeal for me after the first few times every car in Washington, D.C. simultaneously performed the blacktop ballet, and whatever blood-borne antifreeze my friends from New England enjoy was left out of my makeup. But it’s the darkness that really gets me. Knocking off work and finding that the sun has already vanis...
The Deep Theology of Christmas Carols - T.M. Moore
December 21, 2021 13:22 - 46 minutes - 107 MBShane welcomes theologian and Fellowship of Ailbe Principal, T. M. Moore, to unpack the rich, Biblical truth found in some of our most beloved seasonal hymns.
Further Upstream: A God We Can Touch | Dale Stenberg
December 20, 2021 20:17 - 43 minutes - 100 MBShane and the Davenant Institute’s Dale Stenberg share what Jesus’ Incarnation means to them, and demystify some 50-cent theological terms.
Remembering the ‘Foolishness’ of Christ – A Reflection on the Conversation with Ken Boa
December 17, 2021 22:44 - 7 minutes - 16.6 MBMy wife is one of those people who has a subscription to Amazon Prime every four months, when the company tries to tempt her back with another one-month trial. It turns out there’s a good bit of Christian fare on the service, and we occasionally resort to digital sedation for the kids. Last night’s feature was a cartoon adaptation of the gospels I’d never seen. It looked anime-influenced, and the voice-acting was a tad over-the-top, but it struck me as scripturally sound. While serving up...
The Reason for Liturgies in Christmas and Advent - Dr. Ken Boa
December 14, 2021 12:38 - 56 minutes - 130 MBShane visits with Dr. Ken Boa to explore the reason and structure of liturgies in the life of Christians. They explore how traditions and rhythms in the faith draw Christians to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Christ, spiritual maturity, and the reason for the seasons.