This is Thinking in Public, a program dedicated to intelligent conversation about front-line

theological and cultural issues with the people who are shaping them.

I'm Albert Molar, your host and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville,

Kentucky.

Back at the early part of the last century, there was a panic about the fact that public school

children could not read and could not write.

It became very much topic of cultural conversation in the 1950s and the 1960s and of course the question that was asked

perverbially by a title that became well known was this why Johnny can't do

this or why Johnny can't do that. Long comes Professor T David Gordon to ask why Johnny can't do that. Long comes Professor T. David Gordon to ask why Johnny can't breach and why Johnny

can't sing hymns.

The titles alone.

I mean, this is a conversation we need to have. Dr. T. David Gordon is Professor of Religion and Greek at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.

He has taught there since 1999 teaching courses in religion, Greek, humanities, and media

ecology.

Prior to that, he taught New Testament and other institutions, including Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. He's also served as a institutions including

service at the Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashua, New Hampshire.

He's the author of several books, including a duo of very important recent books I want you to know about entitled Why Johnny can't preach, the media have shaped the messengers, and why Johnny can't sing hymns, how pop culture rewrote the hymnal.

Professor Gordon, welcome to thinking in public.

Thanks, Dr. Moller, it's great to be here.

You know, when I looked at these two books, my first thought was someone desperately needed to

write these and that someone turns out to be Professor T David Gordon. What

prompted you to write these books? I think it's very interesting how you begin the book, Why Johnny Can't

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