Individualism, Exclusion, and the Cult of Busyness: How to Build a Radically Christ-Centered Community

Christian communities should be strongholds of worship, godly love, and hospitality, but the Church elicits many negative perceptions in the modern day, some imposed by the surrounding culture and some of its own making. Dr. Brian Carrier, Pastor of Discipleship at the District Church in Washington, D.C., shares his experience in community-building and spiritual formation as a pastor in a highly individualistic and professional urban setting. We discuss modern Church struggles such as its perception by the outside world as exclusionary and unwelcoming, its need to fight radical individualism and the consumerist mindset of attendees, and its lack of substantial young male involvement. Dr. Carrier advises non-Christians on how to explore the Church and advises Christians on how to disciple others, how to practically love their neighbors, and how to encourage commitment and forge strong bonds within Christian community. This episode will help you to understand what it means to genuinely "do life together."

Dr. Sita Slavov grew up in a Hindu household, practiced Zen Buddhism for many years, and is now a professing Christian. Dr. Slavov embarked on a search for absolute truth from an early age, using her skills as a researcher to investigate the truth claims behind different world religions. In this episode, we address religious pluralism, the role of tradition and upbringing in religious identity, and the distinction between religious practice and faith. We explore the contrasts between the Buddhist and Christian concepts of the self, suffering, salvation and the practice of meditation.

Resources:

Christianity Today article by Dr. Slavov

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis:

In this episode, Dr. Noller engages the wisdom of a speaker with a wide-ranging expertise in Reformed theology, Dr. Gray Sutanto. We discuss the development of apologetics throughout church history and the influence of seminal Reformed theologians such as Herman Bavinck, Cornelius Van Til, and Alvin Plantinga on cultural apologetics. We dive into common yet weighty objections to Christianity such as: does evolution explain away the existence of good and evil? Why doesn't God save everyone, and does He predestine people for Hell? Do atheists have a burden of proof for denying the existence of a god? And how can a good and powerful God permit the existence of evil? We close with Bavinck's prediction of the rise of Aryan nationalism from the decline of Christian faith in Europe.