The Russell Moore Show

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: The Joker Is Our Spiritual Director Now Watch the episode here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can Wendell Berry’s novels help us understand love of country and community without stumbling into idolatry? ⁠Watch this episode on YouTube  In 2021, Russell did a talk at The Rabbit Room’s virtual conference, Hutchmoot: Homebound. Given in the main room of North Wind Manor, Russell shared how Berry’s fiction can help us see something underneath our political arguments, revealing the human longing to belong somewhere. Drawing from Jayber Crow, Hannah Coulter, and other works by Berry, Russell argues that the answer to Christian nationalism isn’t less Christianity, but Christianity that refuses to use Jesus as a means to some other end.  Special thanks to the Rabbit Room for allowing us to air this talk from Hutchmoot Homebound 2021. Learn more about the Rabbit Room here. Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: Reflections on Wendell Berry. Watch the episode here.Some of Russell’s Writings on Wendell Berry over the Years "Why You Should Read Hannah Coulter" "7 Books That Changed My Life" "My Favorite Books of 2019" On It All Turns on Affection On Life Is a Miracle "Faith, Fiction, and Christian Nationalism" My Library of America tribute to Wendell Berry on his 90th birthday "Good Riddance to the Robert E. Lee Statue" "Wendell Berry’s Grief and Gratitude" Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when Christians separate righteousness from justice? ⁠Watch this conversation on YouTube . In American Christianity, questions of personal morality and public justice are often treated as though they belong in different categories. Christians may speak confidently about some moral issues while dismissing others as distractions from the gospel or as politics the church should avoid. Charlie Dates’ new book, What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness?, challenges that distinction. Scripture, he argues, doesn’t allow Christians to choose between personal holiness and concern for the people and communities around them. On this episode, Russell and Charlie explore what that divide has done to the American church and why, in Charlie’s words, American Christianity can become “more American than Christian.” They discuss what the prophet Amos has to say to comfortable churches, why pastors can be tempted to avoid difficult subjects, and what Christian courage looks like when speaking the truth comes with a cost.  Dates has no easy optimism about where American Christianity is headed, in fact, he says he has a “healthy cynicism". But, he does have hope that, as he says, is needed “when the evidence is against you.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: Dolly Parton didn’t need you to love her (and that’s why most of us did) Watch the episode here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our most listened-to episode of all time. ⁠Watch this conversation on YouTube  We’re finishing our “Best Of” series with the most listened to, most engaged with, most OUTSTANDING listener favorite episode of all time: Russell’s conversation with Beth Moore from 2021. The topic of the conversation was supposed to be “lessons in leaving and staying,” as they had both recently gone through leaving the beloved denomination they were raised in, but as it often goes…the conversation went much further than that.  Beth has been on this show several times since this episode–and you all have loved every one of them–but this one remains the most beloved of them all. Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: God knows forgiveness is hard for us. It is not hard for him. Watch the video of this episode on The Russell Moore Show YouTube Playlist here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An early conversation with one of our favorite guests. This “Best of” episode is from the first few years of this show’s existence–back when it was called Signposts–with a guest we’ve had on many times since, Andrew Peterson. The conversation was recorded in 2016 (without cameras, so you won’t be able to watch this one on YouTube) in front of a live audience. You’ll hear shifting in seats, coughing, and even the sound of soda cans being opened.  The conversation wasn’t centered on a new book or new music or some new project, it was just an agendaless exchange about creating art from seasons of darkness, Buechner (par for the course with Russell and Andrew), burnout in leadership, marriage, and more.  Take a seat, grab a Diet Coke, and enjoy this conversation with Andrew Peterson. Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack⁠ Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter⁠  Submit a question for the show at ⁠questions@russellmoore.com⁠  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: ⁠Click here⁠ for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: A state that can define who is in or out of the kingdom of God is a state that has the power to do anything. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube here. Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the great American novelists on her little-explored Theological foundations Over the next few weeks, the Russell Moore Show is digging into the archives and bringing back some of our favorite episodes, like this one from 2021 (before the show included video!) with great American novelist, Marilynne Robinson. On the occasion of her new novel, Jack, Russell welcomed Marilynne to explore some of her Theological foundations that no one asks (but he wished someone would). They talk about the place of religion in society, sin and evil, and the transforming power of grace in each of our lives.  In a review of Jack, Russell wrote, "Reading this book, you will find yourself bound up in the stories and in the characters' spoken and unspoken internal dialogues, but you will end up realizing that you have been meditating on such big themes as love, fidelity, regret, and as always in Marilynne Robinson, a theology of creation, fall, redemption, meaning, and grace." These were things worth meditating on in 2021, and they remain so in 2026. Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: How you can protect yourself from brain rot—and why it matters to the rest of us. Find the David Brooks episode here. Watch the video of this episode on The Russell Moore Show YouTube Playlist here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell’s conversation with Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute). Watch this conversation on YouTube. Over the next few weeks, the Russell Moore Show is digging into the archives and bringing back some of our favorite conversations.  This inaugural “best of” episode from May of 2023 is with Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute from the TV series, The Office, who utters this phrase: “Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”  In an age of cultural division and religious disagreement, many people feel that talking to someone with a different perspective on faith is, well, something an idiot would do. But Rainn Wilson disagrees: he’s fascinated by spirituality, generally. In fact, he’s the cofounder of SoulPancake, which develops content rooted in human connection (remember Kid President?), and the author of the book Soul Boom.  Though Russell and Rainn have genuine disagreements, the conversation is respectful, and ultimately covers pop culture depictions of religion, Wilson’s upbringing in the Baháʼí Faith, and what it was like to skyrocket from relative obscurity to fame. They talk about trying to discuss religion in Hollywood, what transcendence means, and whether or not the longing for justice points to a judgment day. Resources discussed during this episode include: Soul Pancake Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution by Rainn Wilson The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you have what it takes to thrive in the era of AI? Watch the video of this episode on YouTube Playlist We talk a lot about AI on this show. And at a time when everyone is questioning the ethics of it all, David Brooks is more interested in what kind of people we should be no matter what happens with AI. His latest for The Atlantic, “The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age” starts with a comforting bit of research: AI is not necessarily taking our jobs or lessening our workloads. Instead, it’s changing the way we relate to our work. And, the way we respond to this change will have more to do with our success in an AI era than anything else. Brooks says that the future doesn’t belong to those who optimize every task, but to those who continue pursuing the uniquely human work of enthusiasm and volition. If you’ve been wondering what kind of person will succeed in the onslaught of AI technology, how to be the kind of person that weathers the perceived storm, or what the development of AI means for the modern Christian: this conversation is for you.  Resources mentioned in the episode: “The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age” by David Brooks What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity in Childhood by Susan Engel Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: No matter which way we turn, we don’t know what home is. That’s why Homer still rings true, even in the era of IMAX and SpaceX. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would it look like if Christians were known less for winning political battles and more for being good neighbors? ⁠Watch this conversation on YouTube . And now for something a little different! On the occasion of Lee C. Camp’s paperback release of his book Scandalous Witness, he invited Russell to interview him for his own podcast, No Small Endeavor. Since the conversation included topics like Christian nationalism, how Christians have been neighbors both good AND bad, and how Christian witness can actually recover some humility, it felt appropriate to share the episode here too. This conversation explores what it would mean if, in this divided and exhausted era, Christians (and others) stopped despairing and allowing themselves to be held captive to tribes and ideologies, and instead, actually did the patient work of loving God and neighbor. Keep up with Russell: Subscribe to Russell on Substack Sign up for the weekly Moore to the Point newsletter  Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: the spiritual reason our elderly leaders refuse to give up power. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What keeps a marriage standing after decades of walking through the ordinary and unimaginable?Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman have spent more than 40 years together, raising a family while navigating a life in the public eye. Their new book, Still Here, is the story of this life–one shared by two imperfect people learning over and over again what it means to bear with one another in love.  The Chapmans join Russell from Steven’s home studio to reflect on marrying young, surviving seasons of insecurity, balancing family with a demanding career, and why the real work of marriage lies in showing up again, day after day. They also speak candidly about the tragic loss of their daughter Maria, and the deliberate decision they made to fight the enemy rather than one another.  This conversation is an honest reminder that faithfulness isn't the absence of hardship, rather, it’s trusting Christ together on the long road home.Resources mentioned in the episode: Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home — Steven Curtis Chapman & Mary Beth Chapman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: the Graham Platner scandal shows us about how a good comeback story can be dangerous. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beth Moore returns as Russell's co-host for a conversation with acclaimed novelist Daniel Nayeri. Watch this episode on YouTube. It was Beth who first insisted Russell read Daniel's award-winning novel, Everything Sad Is Untrue. After dragging his feet to pick it up, Russell only had one regret: waiting so long. Together, the three talk about Nayeri’s novels, including Everything Sad Is Untrue and his newest hit, The Teacher of Nomad Land. Daniel reflects on fleeing Iran as a child refugee, Beth shares why these books affected her so deeply, and all three consider the Christian hope (and Tolkien reference!) that gives Everything Sad Is Untrue its unforgettable title.  If you've ever wondered whether stories can make us more truthful—or whether every sad thing really will one day become untrue—you'll find this conversation both beautiful and deeply hopeful. Resources mentioned in the episode: Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story) — Daniel Nayeri The Teacher of Nomad Land — Daniel Nayeri Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell answers a listener question about whether we’re actually teaching the Gospel to children in Sunday school, or just giving good advice.Submit your own question for the show! Email questions@russellmoore.com — and remember: attach a voice memo! Watch the video of this episode on YouTube here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices