Mere Fidelity’s own Andrew Wilson (teaching pastor at King’s Church London) has written a stunning book, devotional in nature, but premised on examining things as Things, theologically. So in this episode Andrew gets to be both guest and host as he converses with the other hosts, Alastair, Derek, and Matt. Since you deal with things every day, you will definitely get something valuable out of this conversation. 
Full show notes at www.mereorthodoxy.com/categories/mere-fidelity.

‘God of All Things,’ with Andrew Wilson

A recent New York Times essay by David Brooks, "The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself," kicked up quite a stir. Possibly missed in the brouhaha was an unusually detailed plan of action for saving evangelicalism, provided by none other than legendary Mere Fidelity guest (and honorary host) Tim Keller. So we invited him back on to talk about it — all of it: the Christian Mind project, the "second-generation" problem, the notion of "diagonalizing," and much, much more.
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Saving Evangelicalism, with Tim Keller

When one advocates for good practices that are quite old and abandoned, these things that have been forgotten can seem new and radical. Peter Leithart returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss the vision and principles of the Theopolis Institute, especially as written in his new book, On Earth as in Heaven. The book is large but it reads well as a manifesto of how the church and the Bible are related in liturgy. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com.

Timestamps:
Theopolis Principles [1:44]
Bible and Church [8:01]
Wanting More than Liturgical Renewal [20:52]
Fundamentals [29:41]
Competing Visions [32:09]
Protestant Catholicity [40:59]
Practical Steps [49:25]

On Earth as in Heaven, with Dr. Peter Leithart

These days, it seems nobody without a doctorate in biology knows how to tell men apart from women. How did it come to this? And what can be done about it? Andrew, Matt, and Alastair talk to Dr. Abigail Favale, author of The Genesis of Gender, about how the gender paradigm arose, swallowed the concept of sex (like a "giant Pac-Man monster"), and brought into question the very existence of human nature.

Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 

Timestamps:
The Gender Paradigm [0:00]
Sex Becomes Gender [8:24]
Is Human Nature Real? [16:15]
Practical Excursus [18:12]
Contraceptive Context [24:11]
Contradictions [31:52]
Corrections [38:57]

The Genesis of Gender, with Dr. Abigail Favale

Neo-Calvinism is in the air. But is it theologically relevant or merely a political phenomenon? Or did the Americans just mess it up? Cory Brock and Gray Sutanto join Matt, Derek, and Alastair to make the case for Neo-Calvinism and discuss their new book on the subject. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 

Timestamps:
Family Friendly [0:00]
More than Politics [2:10]
Misunderstood Doctrine [9:15]
Lost in Translation [13:47]
Apartheid [20:12]
Too Programmatic? [24:01]
Necessary Context? [30:11]
Common Grace [34:44]
Doctrinal Development [41:43]

Neo-Calvinism, with Cory Brock and Gray Sutanto

Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Andrew Wilson discuss Calvinism and whether Arminians should claim Calvinists worship "another God." 

Is the God of Calvinism Really Another God?

In this conversation we discuss the question of whether there is such a thing as a 'moral orthodoxy.'

Is there a 'moral orthodoxy'?

Alastair, Andrew, Derek, and Matt discuss the influence and legacy of NT Wright and consider how best to read him. 

Surprised by NT Wright

Alastair, Derek, and Matt discuss the next part of Oliver O'Donovan's Begotten or Made? Show notes are available at MereOrthodoxy.com.

Oliver O'Donovan on Marriage, Procreation, and Gamete Donation

Was the Reformation really as much a break with what came before it as we are often led to believe? Dr. Matthew Barrett says the Reformers themselves thought not. In his substantial new book, he shows how strongly the Reformers sought to establish their connection with the catholic and universal church. Alastair, Derek, and Matt join Dr. Barrett for a lively and fruitful discussion on this episode of Mere Fidelity. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 

Timestamps:
Repeat Guest [0:00]
14.7 lbs. [1:49]
How catholic was the Reformation? [4:36]
Reformation(s) Plural [15:50]
Baptists [22:20]
Precipitating Modernity [32:57]
Medieval VIPs [41:06]
Principles of Retrieval [48:49]

Reformation as Renewal, with Dr. Matthew Barrett

What does embryo research mean for us today?  Matt, Alastair, and Derek take up the question of who is a person in light of this difficult ethical question. 

Who Is A Person?

What does the Gospel of Jesus Christ have to say to those who wrestle with mental illness? This month’s Lexham Press book of the month arrested Matt’s attention. It’s like Augustine’s Confessions in a contemporary idiom as a really profound searching exploration of one man’s personal experience of OCD and his identity in Christ. So, today Matt and Alastair talk to the author, John Bryant. You will better understand how to simply be with a person with mental illness in a way that is best for them. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 

Timestamps:
Making Up For a Lost Opportunity [0:00]
A Peculiar Title [4:00]
A Place Without Words [6:42]
Discerning Voices [10:47]
Scripture Speaks [19:34]
The Logic of the Body [24:24]
Pastoral Relations [30:58]
Practical Steps Toward Good Companionship [35:49]
Lessons About Grace [39:47]

A Quiet Mind to Suffer With, with John Bryant

Andrew, Alastair, Derek, and Matt discuss Pete Enns' review of Wilson's revew of "For the Bible Tells Me So." 

Responding To Enns

Andrew, Matt, and Alastair take up the oft-disputed passage from First Timothy that seems to restrict the authority of women in the church. What’s the best way to handle this in the twenty-first century?
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 

Timestamps:
Zwingli the Pastor [0:00]
Old Conundrum, New Energy [1:39]
One Weird Question [3:18]
One Further Question [6:35]
Ecclesiastical Evolution [11:22]
vv. 11-15 [16:25]
Load-Bearing Details [22:12]
Autheneo and Didasko [27:27]
Restricting Teaching [29:26]
Saved Through Childbearing [35:00]

Men and Women in I Timothy

Professor Oliver O’Donovan joins Matt and Derek once more. This time they discuss the relationship of Christian belief and practice to the contemporary political realities of our world. Do we need a new constitution? What’s to be done about the current wars? How can we properly utilize passion and reason in elections?
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
The O’Donovan Inception [0:00]
The Role of Scripture in Political Judgment [2:46]
How do we read Genesis? [7:31]
Carl Schmitt: Friend-Enemy Polarity [10:26]
Augustine: Objects of Common Love [16:24]
Rene Girard: Rivalry [21:42]
Pro- and Post-Liberalism [24:45]
New Beginnings [31:18]
The Role of Reason in Politics [36:22]
Remember the Rest of the World [40:31]

Christian Politics with Oliver O’Donovan

Is it useful to talk about finding our identity in Christ? Is that the language that the Scripture uses? How do our modern and post-modern ideas of identity thin out our understanding of self? Derek, Matt, and Alastair tackle these sticky issues with their signature tenacity and panache.
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Reunited [0:00]
Effectively Vapid [1:14]
Identity in Scripture [7:00]
Arriving at Identity [11:16]
Thick and Thin Categories [13:19]
I Identify As [16:12]
The Proleptic Case for Identity [22:10]
Finding Yourself Here [25:12]
The Language of Self [28:29]
Character and Virtue [34:07]
Unsettling of Identity [39:04]

Identity in Christ

Having recently been reminded of the ongoing disagreements about the ordination of women, the Mere Fi cast turn to the OG ordination, namely, the Levitical priesthood. What do the forms, narratives, and practices of the tribe of Levi in the Old Testament teach us about the role of pastor and priest now in the New Testamanet? And most importantly, should we require our pastors to wear swords?
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
It’s Raining in England [0:00]
A Better Beginning [2:08]
Scriptural Background [4:49]
Representative Function [7:17]
Vengeance [9:13]
Purity [19:15]
Sacrificial Genders [23:02]
Pastoral Forms & Hippie Slang [24:30]
The Grammar of Priesthood [27:05]
Natural Law Dissenters [34:53]
Narrative Reinforcements [38:15]
Exceptions to the Rule [43:22]
Testamental Continuity [49:22]

The Tribe of Levi and Women’s Ordination

The gang has a conversation with Joshua Ryan Butler about his new book on the mercy of hell, the surprise of judgment, and the hope of holy war. 

The Skeletons in God's Closet

The data is in. Social media has now been studied long enough that we are able to compile reliable data, not just anecdotal evidence, about its effects on the mental health of boys, girls, young men, and young women. Algorithms, video games, porn, and more affect boys and girls very differently. And as the results become clearer, it also becomes more clear what to do about it. Andy Crouch returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss the problems and the solutions with Matt, Alastair, and Derek. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Proper Attention [0:00]
Technology Correspondent [1:42]
We Have the Data [2:54]
Asymmetrical Effects [10:24]
Morality Is Actually Practical [14:01]
Idolatry Works Short-Term [15:16]
Shifting Discourse [19:20]
The Algorithm [27:54]
Mental Distance [32:18]
No Control Group [35:01]
Practical Application [36:40]
Should we ban mobile phones in schools? [39:46]

Put Social Media in Its Place, with Andy Crouch

How seriously should we take statistical numbers given in the Bible? If you need more of a prompt than that to listen to the Mere Fi cast and crew talk about ancient army sizes, genealogical ages, historical populations, and 153 fish… then you are not in our target audience! BTW, did you know that the ages given for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are in a sequence according to a formula involving square numbers? True story.
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Something of Moment [0:00]
The First Domino [1:32]
Fancy Accounting [6:34]
Rules of Thumb [9:04]
Unsatisfying Hyperbole [15:27]
Literally [18:48]
Hyperbole with a Point [19:36]
Textual Clues [28:12]
Triangular Numbers [33:15]
The Bottom Line [40:48]

Fishy Numbers in the Bible

In a recent podcast appearance (not here, thank God), N.T. Wright made some, shall we say, controversial remarks that caused quite a stir in the Evangelical world in England and the UK. Seeing as his theological work is so good, Derek, Matt, and Alastair are taking this as a chance to explore how we ought to respond when good theologians say bad things in public. They address not only the substance of Wright’s comments but also their context and effects. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Strong Recommendation [0:00]
Ungaurded Remarks [1:27]
Interestingly Stupid? [4:17]
Culture Shock Across the Pond [10:07]
The Real Issue [12:14]
Guns and Nuance [15:52]
New World Sensibilities [20:31]
Partisan Bundling [23:31]
Perceptual Problems [25:36]
Whither Prolife Politics? [27:13]
“Americans are foreign to each other.” [32:18]
Paving with Good Intentions [38:28]
New Game Plan [43:46]

Hot Takes Taken Cold

Politics has inflated beyond the realm where it can order our finite, common, physical lives. What is the natural realm of politics? How is it delimited by human mortality? Theologian Dr. Ephraim Radner joins Matt and Alastair to discuss the theme of his fascinating new book, Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty.
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Discount for All!! [0:00]
Speaking of Politics [1:48]
Defining Mortality and Politics [2:28]
Indifferentism [9:17]
Catastrophes Waiting to Happen [17:03]
Providence in Control [20:19]
Utter Grace [25:50]
Normal and Abnormal Politics [29:34]
The Monarchy [39:27]
Personal Sovereignty [46:02]

Mortal Goods, with Dr. Ephraim Radner

Dr. Tim Perry returns to Mere Fidelity with a (as Matt calls it) “spicy” book about how ancient heresies have structured the political witness of modern evangelicalism. This is bad. Maybe even very bad.  
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
One Correction [0:00]
Speaking of Politics (again) [2:04]
The Challenge of Critiquing Self-Loathing [5:59]
Straddling Worlds [8:14]
Sourcing Heresy [10:58]
Balancing Two Kingdoms [14:40]
Slow Down [18:02]
Presupposed Politics [22:00]
Patchwork Theology [25:25]
Gnostic Relevance [29:31]
Settle Down [36:57]
Idolatrously High Stakes [38:35]

When Politics Becomes Heresy, with Dr. Tim Perry

On October 23rd, 524, Boethius, the last of the Classical philosophers and the first Medieval Man, was executed. Today, 1,500 years later, his work, especially The Consolation of Philosophy, continues to influence many, including major thinkers such as C.S. Lewis. Dr. Tom Ward returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss what Boethius can teach us today. Dr. Ward has recently written a new book about Boethius: After Stoicism. With the resurgence of interest in Stoicism spreading rapidly online and off, you will certainly benefit from this conversation. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
A Very Important Book [0:00]
1,500 Years Ago Today [1:53]
Stoicism [4:07]
Apatheia and Ataraxia [7:07]
Self-Indulgent Sadness [10:00]
Joy [15:03]
His Christian Bona Fides [19:01]
Wisdom [25:27]
Therapy [28:08]
The Philosophers Who Don’t Do Anything [35:10]
The End of an Era [36:25]

The Last Roman Philosopher, with Dr. Tom Ward

Amy Mantravadi, Mere Fi’s snarkiest online critic has written a novel—a historical novel—about the heroes of the Reformation. Matt and Alastair bring her on the show to talk about it, what historical fiction can do that theology can’t, what the central issue of the Reformation was, and what it’s like inside the heads of Luther, Erasmus, and Melanchthon. Plus, Matt gets it exactly right at least once. Stick around to the end for a big announcement about the future of Mere Fidelity. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
A Big Tease [0:00]
Delighted and Terrified [1:48]
Psychologically Intense [4:55]
Historical Fiction [10:56]
Hazards [15:49]
Those Particular Years [23:05]
Melanchthon FTW [29:10]
The Peasants Are Revolting [34:45]
Ambivalence [45:13]
Mythological Force [50:17]

Broken Bonds, with Amy Mantravadi

When a prominent Biblical theologian changes his position on the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, it prompts numerous questions for Derek, Alastair, and Matt to tackle in this episode of Mere Fidelity.
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
Against Worldview [0:00]
A Change of Mind [1:41]
What Kind of Change? [3:06]
Hays’s Shift [6:55]
“Using” Scripture [9:13]
The “Right” Community [12:59]
Ignoring Marriage [17:57]
Different Questions Entirely [23:03]
No Longer a Sin [29:57]
Orthodoxy [35:22]
Leadership and Esteem [38:08]

Widening Gap

Is it literally possible to read the Bible literally? Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer joins Derek, Alastair, and Matt as the penultimate guest of 2024 to talk about frames of reference, transfigural reading, how the New Testament uses the Old Testament, and how to create a culture of reading at your church. You will literally love it!
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
The Alastair Roberts Endorsement [0:00]
Penultimage Delight [1:27]
Literally Reading the Bible [2:44]
Figural Reading [8:04]
Frames of Reference [10:35]
Literary Tropes [14:42]
Covenant [17:07]
Eschatological Meaning [20:48]
Lifting the Veil [29:11]
The Transfiguration [33:15]
The New Testament Model of Reading [38:44]
Creating a Reading Culture [44:41]

Mere Christian Hermeneutics with Kevin Vanhoozer

A lot can happen in ten years. A lot has happened in ten years. In this, Matt’s final episode as a Mere Fi co-host, the guys reflect on the changes, crises, developments, growth, learning, cursings, and blessings that have occurred since the podcast started. Each of them offers their younger selves what wisdom they can. May you profit from their experience. 
Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. 
Timestamps:
The OG Mere Fi Cast & Crew [0:00]
Decade Retrospective [2:55]
Andrew Now Knows What a Podcast Is [3:30]
Alastair Values Committed Conversation Partners [7:06]
Derek Still Doesn’t Know [11:25]
Focus on What Matters [17:06]
The Theology Underneath [23:48]
Matt Gives a Warning [29:23]
The Stillness Outside the Crisis [39:51]
Evangelicalism’s Hour [44:29]
Physical Relationships [47:56]
Links Mentioned:
Lexham Press Book of the Month
Merrie Band
“Twenty-Five Bloggers in One Sentence Each,” by Andrew Wilson, c. 2014
Credits:
To support Mere Fidelity financially, visit our Patreon here.
Follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Crouch for keeping us organized. Thanks to Tim Motte for sound editing. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.

The One Thing Necessary

John Piper said 'no.' Andrew Wilson said 'yes.' We discuss.

Should Women Preach?

Dancing and the Regulative Principle

Derek, Matt, and Alastair discuss the thorny relationship between exegeting the Bible and developing systematic theologies. 

On Biblical Exegesis and Systematic Theology

Pastor Tim Keller, whom you may have heard of, joins the whole cast to discuss his new book 'Making Sense of God.'

'Making Sense of God,' with Tim Keller

Dr. Tim Keller joins the show to talk about his new book on Jonah, *The Prodigal Prophet.*

Dr. Tim Keller on The Prodigal Prophet

Jemar Tisby joins Derek and Alastair to discuss the history of racism in the American church. Listen in as they discuss everything from the theological importance of "remembering" to why today’s political issues are often framed differently for black demographics and how our theology helps us to respond to issues of racism today.

"The Color of Compromise," with Jemar Tisby

Derek and Alastair sit down with pastor and theologian, Dr. Jeremy Treat to talk about his latest book on the Kingdom of God, 'Seek First: How the Kingdom of God Changes Everything.' Treat helps the guys work through the Christianese that surrounds discussions of "the kingdom," clarifies supposed dichotomies between the kingdom and the cross, and shares pastoral insights from this salient topic.

'Seek First,' with Dr. Jeremy Treat

How do we pray to our Father? Dr. Wesley Hill joins Matt, Derek, and Alastair to discuss his latest book, "The Lord's Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father." Is the prayer an exact model or more of a paradigm for Christians? What are the implications of spiritual warfare in the prayer? Will we not be forgiven unless we also forgive others? In conversation with the Christian tradition, Dr. Hill draws out the significance of Jesus' words to answer these questions and more.

"The Lord's Prayer," with Dr. Wesley Hill

What exactly is the gospel? Is it merely the message that Jesus is king, or is the forgiveness of sins and justification also constitutive to the gospel? The entire cast and crew are here to discuss the resuscitated debate between Matthew Bates, Scot McKnight and Greg Gilbert as to what the gospel truly is, pointing out strengths and weaknesses and political proclivities on both sides.

What is The Gospel™?

Justice issues are ever prevalent in modern society. Moreover, conversations around justice are often co-opted by overly simplistic solutions. Dr. Anthony Bradley joins Matt and Derek to get into the details of some of these issues and to share his insights from his book, "Ending Overcriminalization and Mass Incarceration: Hope from Civil Society." Listen in to hear questions on the flaws in the New Jim Crow thesis, what factor race plays in criminalization, and how the church should think theologically about its own task with respect to prison reform.

"Ending Overcriminalization and Mass Incarceration," with Dr. Anthony Bradley

From the Mere Orthodoxy Podcast Network: thoughtful weekly conversations about theology, the culture, and the church, hosted by Matthew Lee Anderson, Derek Rishmawy, Alastair Roberts, and Andrew Wilson.

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