Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Gospel Coalition
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Should Christians Send Their Kids to Public School? — Good Faith Debates
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![Andrew Wilson Wants to Help You Pursue Happiness [Gospelbound Ep. 186]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w55Hdq3KWQc/mqdefault.jpg "Andrew Wilson Wants to Help You Pursue Happiness [Gospelbound Ep. 186]
Andrew Wilson is one of the happiest guys I know. So it only makes sense that he would write a book called Happiness: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Make It Last Forever, published by Crossway. He’s the expert. I’m delighted when I see Andrew at a TGC conference, or a retreat for The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. I look forward to every chance to spend time with him. He writes in this book, “Nothing is more honoring to a friend, a child, or a spouse than saying they make you happy. Nothing is more demeaning to them than telling them they don’t.” I can say, with no reservation, Andrew makes me happy when we’re together.
Ok. But where does that leave the rest of us? If we’re not naturally happy? If we’re not feeling happy right now? If we’re not hanging out with Andrew? The Declaration of Independence, 250 years ago, put happiness at the center of life’s aim: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Andrew covered that statement in his excellent earlier book, Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West. Given the anniversary, I plan in this interview to sneak in a question or two about that fateful year. And we’ll discuss much more, including the difference between joy and happiness, whether God promises happiness, and why millennials grew up to be sad.
*In This Episode*
00:00 – What makes us genuinely happier
00:40 – Why Andrew Wilson wrote a book about happiness
04:29 – Happiness, sorrow, and biblical examples of deep joy
07:26 – Is joy different from happiness?
11:53 – Does God promise happiness to Christians?
13:35 – Why millennials became less happy as adults
19:41 – Freedom, responsibility, and the limits of liberation
23:21 – The “problem of superfluous happiness”
26:01 – How pursuing happiness helps us fight sin
29:23 – Why virtue, gratitude, and humility make us happier
32:53 – Compassion versus empathy
34:15 – Turning delights into disciplines
37:06 – Remaking the World and America’s 250th anniversary
39:48 – What makes the United States unique?
47:08 – Discovery, defense, temperament, and optimism
48:55 – Closing and book recommendations
*Resources Mentioned*
_Happiness_ by Andrew Wilson - https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-What-Where-Find-Forever/dp/1433599961/?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Remaking the World_ by Andrew Wilson - https://www.amazon.com/Remaking-World-1776-Created-Post-Christian-ebook/dp/B0BY3K4XQ5/?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Generations_ by Jean M. Twenge - https://www.amazon.com/Generations-Differences-Millennials-Silents_and-Americas/dp/1982181613?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Happiness Hypothesis_ by Jonathan Haidt - https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Hypothesis-Finding-Modern-Ancient/dp/0465028020?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Expulsive Power of a New Affection_ by Thomas Chalmers - https://www.amazon.com/Expulsive-Power-Affection-Crossway-Classics/dp/143357067X?tag=thegospcoal-20
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![How Kevin Vanhoozer Bridges Biblical Studies and Theology [Gospelbound Ep. 189]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wwozrnrq47U/mqdefault.jpg "How Kevin Vanhoozer Bridges Biblical Studies and Theology [Gospelbound Ep. 189]
Back in 2024 Kevin Vanhoozer’s book (https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christian-Hermeneutics-Transfiguring-Theologically/dp/0310234387/?tag=thegospcoal-20) Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What It Means to Read the Bible Theologically won the Christianity Today book award in the academic theology category and also won The Gospel Coalition book award in biblical studies. I couldn’t even begin to account for all the other awards he’s won for earlier works.
I had the blessing of studying under Dr. Vanhoozer at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. And I was challenged in this book just as I was challenged and encouraged in his courses. Mere Christian Hermeneutics helps all of us who live on the far side of the “demise of biblical civilization.” When Westerners want to tell the story of the world, we no longer open the Bible. Vanhoozer aims to reconnect us with Scripture as our means of enjoying “covenant fellowship with the triune God.” I loved this summary in the book: “How an unholy people can come into the presence of a holy God is the chief complication in the biblical narrative to which the gospel is the solution.”
So let’s get into mere Christian hermeneutics, reading the Bible spiritually, the Transfiguration, and much more.
*In This Episode*
00:00 – The transfiguration of Jesus and the way Christians read Scripture
00:39 – Introducing Mere Christian Hermeneutics
01:58 – What makes this approach to hermeneutics “mere”?
03:26 – How different reading cultures divide Christians
05:01 – Polarization among Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians
06:52 – The loss of Christianity’s cultural influence in the West
07:46 – Does Catholic authority solve Protestant interpretive pluralism?
10:43 – What does it mean to interpret the Bible spiritually?
13:23 – How the transfiguration guides Christian interpretation
16:08 – Why Christians should not separate Jesus from the Bible
18:24 – Johannes Oecolampadius and Scripture’s Christ-centered scope
21:57 – Bridging the divide between biblical scholars and theologians
25:05 – Kant, critical thinking, and the rise of biblical criticism
27:34 – The hidden assumptions modern readers bring to Scripture
30:14 – Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and teaching systematic theology
32:37 – Cultural hermeneutics and the formative power of culture
36:24 – The current state of theological interpretation of Scripture
39:29 – Potential dangers in theological retrieval
41:40 – Protestant catholicity and unity amid secondary disagreements
42:02 – Vanhoozer’s work with the Alexandrian Institute
44:35 – His four-volume systematic theology project
46:19 – Brahms, young theologians, and reasons for hope
47:13 – What pastors can learn from Henry James
48:54 – Outro
*Resources Mentioned*
_Mere Christian Hermeneutics_ by Kevin Vanhoozer - https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christian-Hermeneutics-Transfiguring-Theologically/dp/0310234387/?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Mere Christianity_ by C. S. Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652926?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Meditation in a Toolshed_ by C. S. Lewis - https://www.cutsinger.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/3_saints_1.pdf
_The Bible Made Impossible_ by Christian Smith - https://www.amazon.com/dp/158743329X?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies_ by Michael C. Legaspi - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199845883?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Portrait of a Lady_ by Henry James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0141439637?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics_ - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/thekellercenter/
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https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/gospelbound
🎁 Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Lets Build Together: Donate Today at https://www.tgc.org/together
🎧 Don’t miss an episode of Gospelbound with Collin Hansen
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![Ancient Remedies for the Ills of Modernity [TGC Podcast Ep. 421]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x9YA8pIuPUA/mqdefault.jpg "Ancient Remedies for the Ills of Modernity [TGC Podcast Ep. 421]
For centuries, readers have been struck by how modern the book of Ecclesiastes sounds. It diagnoses the human condition with stunning depth and timeless relevance.
In this message recorded at a TGC Nashville regional gathering, Bobby Jamieson argues that by addressing our experiences of the absurd, alienation, and resonance, Ecclesiastes offers fresh pathways to the gospel and equips us to evangelize secular neighbors.
📝ON THIS VIDEO:
0:00 – Opening remarks
1:40 – Blaise Pascals insights on apologetics and evangelism
4:49 – Ecclesiastes and the deep roots of discontents and delights
10:04 – The absurdity of life and the insatiable heart
27:39 – The gifts and gift of life
35:32 – The joys of resonance
41:02 – Christ as the answer to lifes absurdity
47:37 – Conclusion and call to faith
———
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![Worship Is More than a Playlist (with Emily Jensen) [The Deep Dish - Ep. 35]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xGCO6volqo0/mqdefault.jpg "Worship Is More than a Playlist (with Emily Jensen) [The Deep Dish - Ep. 35]
Melissa and Courtney talk with Emily Jensen about how to broaden our understanding of worship to think of it as a response to God’s worth. They discuss how worship is more than singing on Sunday morning, but that corporate worship is an essential part of the worship God desires. They talk about the role that our feelings should play in how we think about worship and how to offer up the mundane moments of our lives to the glory of God.
📝ON THIS VIDEO:
0:00 – Exploring Worship Beyond Music in Everyday Life
6:38 – Living a Life of Gratitude and Devotion to the Lord
8:50 – The Purpose and Challenges of Worship Beyond Feelings
20:29 – Worship Through Daily Tasks and Gods Presence in Mundanity
25:35 – Cozy Earths Buy One Give One Sheet Set Offer
26:39 – The Importance of Worshiping God in the Right Way
33:01 – Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth Through Christ
41:43 – Gods Delight in Our Imperfect Offerings
44:19 – The Timeless Power of Worship and Hymns
Resources Mentioned:
Worship (Disciplines of Devotion) by Emily A. Jensen - https://www.amazon.com/Worship-Disciplines-Devotion-Emily-Jensen/dp/B0FTZFL4G2/?tag=thegospcoal-20
“God Moves In a Mysterious Way” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v 8k1pQxT2lI
“Holy Forever” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ngQETNj_bE
“We Rest on Thee” - https://hymnary.org/text/we_rest_on_thee_our_shield_and_our_defen
Related Resources:
A Biblical Theology of Worship - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/tgc-podcast/a-biblical-theology-of-worship/
Leading Worship Is Worship - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/leading-worship-worship/
Gospel-Shaped Worship - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/series/gospel-shaped-worship/
For more resources, visit our website.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/deep-dish/
———
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🎧 Don’t miss an episode of “The Deep Dish” with Courtney Doctor and Melissa Kruger!
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![AI and Ethics: Can AI Promote Truth and the Common Good? [Silicon Spiritualities - Ep. 7]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z-Fn0rmLPMU/mqdefault.jpg "AI and Ethics: Can AI Promote Truth and the Common Good? [Silicon Spiritualities - Ep. 7]
The question isnt simply whether AI is good or bad, but good or bad for whom?
This is a question that shapes this episode with Joshua Baru. Joshua is an AI researcher and data science lead in Nairobi, and he brings a perspective too often missing from Western AI conversations: the perspective of justice, labor, and the common good. In our conversation, he challenges the idea that AI is a neutral tool floating above human realities. Instead, he asks who designs these systems, who benefits from them, and who bears the cost when they go wrong.
We talk about AI in the courtroom, the importance of human accountability, and the hidden labor behind supposedly frictionless tools. Joshua also introduces the idea of digital colonialism: the extraction of data, land, and labor from the global majority for the benefit of powerful corporations elsewhere. It is one of the most illuminating and unsettling conversations in the series.
Again and again, Joshua brings the discussion back to distinctly Christian ground. Christ is sovereign over AI, our deepest problem is not technological but spiritual, and our calling is to love God and love our neighbor even here. Joshua joined me on Silicon Spiritualities to explore what AI reveals about justice, power, and human sin, and how Christians can pursue technological wisdom without losing sight of the people hidden beneath the system.
*Resources Mentioned:*
_The Abolition of Man_ by C. S. Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652942?tag=thegospcoal-20
_The Chronicles of Narnia_ by C. S. Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061992887?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Amusing Ourselves to Death_ by Neil Postman - https://www.amazon.com/dp/014303653X?tag=thegospcoal-20
_AI Snake Oil_ by Arvind Narayanan - https://www.amazon.com/dp/069124913X?tag=thegospcoal-20
_Authority_ by Jonathan Leeman - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433587637?tag=thegospcoal-20
00:00 Welcome to Silicon Spiritualities
01:43 Should AI be used in criminal sentencing?
03:02 Why AI justice raises biblical concerns
05:47 Why accountability matters
06:09 Are humans also a black box?
07:33 AI safety, warfare, and judgment
09:34 Why most people still want human judges
10:44 AI as tool, authority, or deity
12:06 AI development from Nairobi
13:25 Six pillars for AI development in Africa
15:04 Kenya and AI adoption
17:21 Bible passages for thinking about AI
18:10 Jesus is sovereign over AI
20:35 Why AI cannot be our hope
24:37 AI and the first commandment
25:58 AI as a mirror of human sin
28:50 AI, neighbor love, and the hidden supply chain
30:43 Data workers and the cost of clean AI
33:14 Advocating for fair work in AI
36:15 Prayer and the AI supply chain
37:23 Should Christians stop using AI tools?
37:59 How to choose safer AI models
40:25 What churches can do
41:53 What is digital colonialism?
43:24 Technology and modern imperialism
47:43 Land, labor, and data
48:50 Carbon offsetting and AI infrastructure
50:25 Data extraction and exploitation
51:19 Can AI help the global majority?
54:22 AI as a democratizing force
55:44 AI snake oil and technosolutionism
57:41 What AI developers need to hear
1:01:04 The inefficient habit Joshua is keeping
1:03:08 What AI reveals about Joshua’s heart
1:07:10 Closing invitation
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PREORDER The AI Apocalypse: A Survival Guide for Humanity, featuring Ridenour, Watkin, Brett McCracken, and many others, such as Ben Sasse and Alan Noble - https://store.thegospelcoalition.org/product/9781956593211/the-ai-apocalypse-paperback
JOIN the conversation on Discord, along with other Silicon Spiritualities listeners - https://discord.gg/6FDsErApG8
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#ai #formation #ethics #technology #christianity #altools #christianformation")
