Beyond Bowling Alone: Finding Community in an Isolated Age

From care for aging parents to concerns about money, life for modern-day Christians can feel, in a word, overwhelming. Russell Moore and Ashley Hales, CT’s editorial director for print, offer words of wisdom and a sense of solidarity with listener questions about all kinds of challenges. They provide practical advice, spiritual comfort, and reasons for hope in family life, social relationships, and society at large. Questions addressed during this episode include: How might Christians think about forgiveness as it relates to encountering people in heaven who harmed us on earth? What are some practical ways to think about living in the tension of being misunderstood, or even gravely sinned against or abused, and not yet having resolution? How should believers respond to seasons of life when demands on their time and energy, such as aging parents, loss of a spouse, and grandchildren, leave them feeling overwhelmed and depleted? How can a husband and wife determine together whether or not they should stay in a certain congregation?  How should Christians think about desiring financial success? How can parents determine and apply technology filters to keep their children safe?  What might the next right step be for a believer who is dating an unbeliever and has crossed intimacy lines that are producing shame?  Could a particular judgment from God come against the American church?  What Scripture passages does Russell return to for encouragement in light of the dechurching phenomenon, increase of misinformation, and rising nationalism around the world?  Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send an email to [email protected]. Resources:  A Fruitful Life: Discovering Jesus’ Invitation in the Sermon on the Mount by Bryce and Ashley Hales “Civility, Calvinism, and the Coming Judgment Day” with Richard Mouw “At My Mother’s Deathbed, I Discovered the Symmetry of a Long Life” by Jen Wilkin “Detoxing, Mapquesting, and Holy Kisses” with Carlos Whittaker Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Morally, the surrender of Ukraine will cost us. The Russell Moore Show is bringing Russell's weekly newsletter to all streaming platforms. Listen to his most recent newsletter every Monday! Subscribe to Russell's weekly newsletter here! Do you have questions for Russell Moore? Send them to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, theologian Russell Moore sits down with acclaimed poet and philosopher David Whyte to explore the terrain where faith meets poetry. Beginning with Whyte’s new book Consolations II, their conversation traverses the landscapes of language, spirituality, and what it means to be fully present in a fractured world. Whyte, whose work bridges the philosophical traditions of the East and West with the everyday struggles of being human, offers profound insights on why poetry serves as more than mere decoration—it becomes essential language for our deepest experiences. Moore—bringing his biblical, theological perspective—and Whyte dialogue about the “conversational nature of reality” that Whyte proposes and discuss how it resonates with and challenges Christian understandings of communion with God. Their discussion moves through territories both intimate and universal: The ways poetry gives language to experiences that resist explanation The nature of courage as vulnerability rather than bravado Navigating anxiety in a world that demands constant performance Approaching death, as a companion or an enemy The surprising spiritual journey that led Whyte from marine zoology to becoming one of our most vital poetic voices Whether the modern world is “disenchanted” and what difference that makes While coming from different spiritual traditions, Moore and Whyte explore together how human experience requires language that opens rather than closes, invites rather than insists. Their conversation models what genuine dialogue across philosophical differences can look like—curious, generous, and alive to mystery. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: David Whyte on On Being with Krista Tippett Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte “The Journey” by David Whyte Pilgrim by David Whyte Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte Selected Poems by Thom Gunn and Ted Hughes by Thom Gunn and Ted Hughes The House of Belonging by David Whyte Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment by Charles Taylor “The Opening of Eyes” by David Whyte The Book of Hours by Rainer Marie Rilke Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell shares counsel to a Christian who is discouraged almost to the point of giving up. The Russell Moore Show is bringing Russell's weekly newsletter to all streaming platforms. Listen to his most recent newsletter every Monday! Subscribe to Russell's weekly newsletter here! Do you have questions for Russell Moore? Send them to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In times of profound crisis, where do we turn? How do spiritual practices and Christian wisdom help us navigate life’s most challenging seasons? In this episode, Russell Moore sits down with Westmont College president Gayle Beebe to explore themes from his book The Crucibles That Shape Us. Together, they unpack how moments of intense pressure and uncertainty—whether personal, professional, or spiritual—can become transformative experiences that deepen our faith and character. Drawing from decades of pastoral and educational leadership, Beebe shares insights about facing crossroads with wisdom, courage, and resilience. Moore and Beebe discuss practical ways to maintain spiritual equilibrium during upheaval, the role of community in crisis, and ways to discern God’s presence in our darkest hours. This conversation offers hope and guidance for listeners wrestling with their own crucible moments, and it also explores how Christian formation happens not despite our trials but often through them. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: The Crucibles That Shape Us: Navigating the Defining Challenges of Leadership by Gayle Beebe  Traces of God by Diogenes Allen Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin H. Friedman “Four Quartets 1: Burnt Norton” by T. S. Eliot East of Eden by John Steinbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People become who they pretend to be (and why that only works in one direction). The Russell Moore Show is bringing Russell's weekly newsletter to all streaming platforms. Listen to his most recent newsletter every Monday! Subscribe to Russell's weekly newsletter here! Do you have questions for Russell Moore? Send them to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“ Precisely what brings you into communion with the church is not sitting—no matter how good the sermon is—it’s not sitting in an auditorium with 3,000 people,” says Robert Putnam. “It’s connecting with other cobelievers in a small group.”  Robert Putnam, political scientist and author of the cultural phenomenon Bowling Alone, joins Russell Moore to talk about social shifts in how we gather with—and separate from—one another. Putnam and Moore talk about religion, partisanship, and social shifts such as delayed marriage. Their conversation covers loneliness, the increasing number of people who do not identify with any religion, and politicization.  Moore and Putnam consider the importance of coming together, explore the history of communities in America, and encourage listeners with practical steps for cultivating fellowship.  Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy by Robert D. Putnam Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam  Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam Join or Die “If You Want to Destroy My Sweater, Hold This Thread as I Walk Away”   Christian Smith The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One may not expect Russell Moore and Jonathan Rauch, an openly gay atheist, to become friends—much less to be positive influences on one another’s lives and work. But as this conversation shows, this surprising fact is true. The two discuss their perspectives on politics, Christianity, and culture. They talk about their regular gathering on Thursday nights with fellow thinkers and the ways they see fear taking precedence in American churches. Their discussion covers race, gender, and sexuality, as well as Christian nationalism, parallels between the political left and right, and the reasons why Rauch considers forbearance to be a key aspect of liberal democracy. Moore and Rauch consider the “four Ms”—mortality, morality, murder, and miracles—and talk about why Rauch dedicated his new book, Cross Purposes, to two Christian friends who have passed—Tim Keller and Mark McIntosh. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Jonathan Rauch Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy by Jonathan Rauch Brookings Institution The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention Peter Wehner David French Mark A. McIntosh “Let It Be” “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time” No Compromise Tim Keller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walter Strickland didn’t read a book from cover to cover until he was 18 years old. Books—from that first read, The Screwtape Letters, to Strickland’s latest work, Swing Low—have shaped his life. So, too, has the Black church.  Strickland, an author, educator, and pastor, joins Moore to talk about the titles that have formed their experiences as Christians and academics. They consider how slaveholders used biblical texts to defend their actions and weaponized faith against enslaved people. Strickland and Moore observe the ways that God remains faithful to his Word amid oppression and explore the phenomenon of Black worshipers leaving predominantly white churches. They discuss African American theologians, the witness of the Black church, and the five anchors that Black Christianity has contributed to the body of Christ. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Walter Strickland Swing Low, Volume 1: A History of Black Christianity in the United States by Walter Strickland Swing Low, Volume 2: An Anthology of Black Christianity in the United States by Walter Strickland The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis The Decline of African American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity by Thabiti M. Anyabwile “The Black Church Has Five Theological Anchors” “A Quiet Exodus: Why Black Worshipers Are Leaving White Evangelical Churches” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesus’ refugee status ought to inform his followers about how to treat imperiled refugees right now. The Russell Moore Show is bringing Russell's weekly newsletter to all streaming platforms. Listen to his most recent newsletter every Monday! Subscribe to Russell's weekly newsletter here! Do you have questions for Russell Moore? Send them to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices