The Future of the Church in a Post-Cold War Age - w/ Skye Jethani

Voxology

Philosophy, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2019

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How does the church navigate a shifting cultural and theological landscape in the next 20 years? In this landmark 200th episode—affectionately dubbed "Bruce"—Mike and Tim are joined by longtime friend and thought leader Skye Jethani (Holy Post, With God Daily) to explore the future of Christianity in America. With Skye's background in pastoral ministry, publishing, and theological reflection, this conversation dives deep into how the church is evolving amidst political polarization, disillusionment with institutions, and the rise of digital influence.

Mike and Skye unpack where traditional evangelicalism is heading, the resurgence of both progressive theology and fundamentalist reactions, and how the church might reclaim its relevance outside institutional structures. They also reflect on parenting, discipleship, political entanglement, and fostering wisdom over certainty in an era of endless foreground decisions.

Key Takeaways: • Evangelicalism Is Shifting – Despite the outward success of conservative evangelical institutions, the theological convictions of younger churchgoers are aligning more with progressive Christianity. • The Rise of Fundamentalism on Both Ends – Cultural fragmentation and digital targeting are accelerating fundamentalist movements on both the right and left, leaving little space for thoughtful middle-ground discipleship. • Post-Cold War Christianity Requires Discernment – The church must move beyond 'us vs. them' culture-war mentalities and learn how to live wisely—embracing complexity over clarity. • Why Some Are Moving Past the Church – Disillusionment with power-driven churches and institutional failures is leading many to seek spiritual growth outside formal religious structures. • Hope for the Future Church – A remnant centered on Jesus, empowered by rest and love, and driven by the actual mission of God is quietly forming "outside the spotlight," echoing leaders like Dallas Willard and others who simply "smelled like Jesus."

Guest Highlights: Skye Jethani – Co-host of the Holy Post podcast and curator of the "With God Daily" devotional, Skye reflects on his decades of ministry experience to offer a systemic lens for understanding where American Christianity is going—and what must change.

Resources Mentioned: • With God Daily Devotional App – withgoddaily.com • Upcoming Book – "What If Jesus Was Serious?" (Moody Publishers) • The Holy Post Podcast – holypost.com • Dallas Willard – Teacher and author of The Divine Conspiracy • John Walton's Old Testament scholarship • Genesis 1, The Sermon on the Mount, and Parable of the Wheat and Weeds – Explored in the context of a wisdom-driven view of Scripture

Look forward to more conversations tackling the biggest questions about faith, culture, theology, and the mission of Jesus.

Thanks for walking with us these 200 episodes! Help us keep the conversation going—subscribe, leave us a review, and follow our community online.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Everybody, Mike and Tim here, and today we are celebrating the birth of our 200th episode.
0:19.1	Ladies and gentlemen, it has arrived.
0:22.2	We have named it Bruce.
0:24.7	And today on Bruce, we are so excited to talk to our friend Sky.
0:32.5	We've been, you know, again, I think we care more than anybody else in the world.
0:39.3	But we've been kind of working our way towards the 200th episode by asking some of our friends about their
0:46.2	thoughts on the future of the church and Christianity in America. And it's super interesting
0:51.1	conversation. Still more of that today. Sky is a good friend.
0:55.0	He and I went to the same college.
0:58.0	He insists he was several years behind me.
1:02.0	I don't remember it that way conveniently enough.
1:05.0	But he's got loads of insight.
1:08.0	This was a really fun episode.
1:10.0	And I think you'll find it super interesting
1:13.2	and thought provoking. And there were times in the conversation where I just lost track completely
1:20.7	of my job as an interviewer because I was writing stuff down and taking notes. I thought some
1:26.4	stuff was so interesting.
1:29.5	So I think you'll really enjoy this.
1:32.4	And again, we cannot say this enough.
1:36.3	Thank you for four years of participation in this community.
1:39.0	For some, you've been with us the whole way.
1:40.6	And I'm sorry.
	...

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