Posts by Mortification of Spin

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Is it ethical?
When couples struggle with the pain of infertility, surrogacy may be one of the available options. Is surrogacy as simple as finding a “carrier” for your baby, or are there more considerations to bear in mind? Carl and Todd sit down with Adeline Allen, associate professor of law at Trinity Law...
The Gavel of Judgment
Carl and Todd are virtually visiting the beautiful state of Georgia, sipping some peach sweet tea with Rev. David Hall. David is the senior pastor at Midway Presbyterian Church in the Atlanta area, the hot spot for a yearly conference on reformed worship emphasizing the simplicity of worship and...
The emperor of California has granted Joel Kim a temporary release to join Carl and Todd for a short conversation. The gathering happens at the usual spot—in front of an Ann Taylor boutique—so that the wives may have a good time as the men whine and opine! Joel is the president of Westminster...
Our dynamic duo brings in Chad Vegas with a plan to dig up some dirt he has on Big Eva without raising any controversy. But who are we kidding? Chad is currently the pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, CA, and was a pioneer in the Young, Restless, and Reformed (YRR) movement. We’re...
As for me and my house...
This week’s conversation brings in a New Englander, and--mind you--a Grove City College alum! Megan Hill is a pastor’s wife living in Massachusetts. She’s a pastor’s daughter, a mom, an editor, and the author of A Place to Belong - Learning to Love the Local Church . The image we personally hold of...
Are you connected?
Todd and his “sidekick” Carl believe that they have much wisdom to dispense to the world. They’ve picked a tech-free and quiet spot nestled in among the Amish in Pennsylvania to share their thoughts on the “evils” of social media—particularly regarding church officers. Since quitting Twitter Todd’s...
As the Covid-19 debate rages and protestors have taken to the streets, the US Supreme Court hands down an important ruling in a case, which—unfortunately—seems to have flown under the radar of the media: Bostock v. Clayton County . The smartest-dressed man on campus returns! Matthew Franck is the...
A sketch of Greenville Seminary
Carl rushes in to introduce today’s guest…lest he, once again, forget the man’s name! Jonathan Master is a friend of The Spin and the co-host of Theology on the Go , another Alliance podcast. Just a few days ago, Jonathan officially took the reins as president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological...
Owen, rockin' The Spin
Todd and Carl’s guest today is Kevin DeYoung. He’s the pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC, assistant professor of systematic theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte campus, and author/contributor for numerous outstanding books. Kevin joins us today for the first time...
We’re living in a time of many, simultaneous world crises. Are these global challenges in some way related? Seeking perspective and clarity, our hosts discuss one of Carl’s recent articles at First Things , where he ponders why the British seem more concerned with incidents of police brutality in...
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary debuted on “The Spin” in 2019 in the person of Michael Morales, the seminary’s professor of Biblical Studies. Who Shall Ascend the Mount of the Lord? is Michael’s latest work on the book of Leviticus, and part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology...
Matthew Barrett joined us in 2019. He’s associate professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas, MO. Matthew stopped by to chat about his latest work, None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God. If you’re wondering what Matthew means by the word “...
The crew receives a visit from Fr. Thomas Weinandy. He is a Franciscan Capuchin priest, systematic theologian, long-time professor, and author of many books. In his latest--Jesus Becoming Jesus: A Theological Interpretation of the Synoptic Gospels--Thomas focuses on the doctrine and theology of the...
Mortification of Spin is on holiday in June, so we are enjoying a few powerful episodes of the podcast just one more time. In 2018, Douglas Groothuis joined the conversation. He’s professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary and had recently written a very personal book titled Walking through...
The latest Barna Research Institute survey was recently released, and the Magnificent Three break down the results. Although the Barna definition of a “Bible-believing Christian” is a bit broader than ours, the poll results are still quite compelling. It appears the number of believers in...
Stay safe!
As many states' governments are talking about a “phased” reopening from the COVID-19 lockdown, our quarantined trio –bound in three different states—is asking some important questions concerning going back to church. When might Christians be able to congregate in person? How will we “do church” as...
John Owen, rockin' it Old Skool
As they continue “social distancing,” the team gets together virtually with Matthew Barrett. He’s associate professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, executive editor of Credo Magazine, and author and editor of several great theological books. His...
Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Defendant Aimee Byrd is called in, and the trial has begun. She’s representing herself in the court case, The Patriarchy vs. Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood . It is alleged that the defendant is the ringleader in an underground hysterical feminist movement. Among her crimes: refusing...
Mortification of Spin
A listener sends a question via paper airplane, in accordance with social distancing guidelines, and the crew responds from the quarantine bunker. Due to reports of some cases of conversion to Roman Catholicism by a few Reformed ministers, theologians, and laypeople, said listener is intrigued if...
Mortification of Spin
The team is excited to welcome an old friend and returning guest. Michael Kruger is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC, and professor of New Testament and Early Christianity. He’s contributed much to the Reformed theological world with his writings about the Canon and...
...open the doors, and see all the...pews!
After a quick break, the crew just had to return to the pandemic topic, as they remain in bunker lockdown. Stay-at-home orders and global shutdowns have had a huge impact on how we do almost everything—including, how we “do church.” What do church membership and commitment to the local body look...
The Spinners are quarantined in the underground bunker and take a break from all the pandemic talk to address a listener question: What should a church be looking for when searching for a new pastor, and how might they go about it? Of course, a candidate’s online presence can tell much about who he...
This is a special pandemic edition of The Spin, as Carl, Todd, and Aimee record—not just 6 feet away, but—100 miles distant from one another, just to be on the safe side. COVID-19 times can be challenging, and they’ve afforded Todd a new opportunity to complement his pastoral calling. The...
Owens is armed only with a iPhone 4, apparently
The Spin Team gathers once again to answer some of the great questions they’ve received from listeners. The first query concerns must-read classic books from authors long gone. Next, the intrepid trio considers just how many doctrinal differences a congregant should bear in a church before he or...
Carl's Colorful Pants
This week, the team receives a tall order. Listener Chad is requesting the return of Liam Goligher to the theological boxing ring. Can the outspoken pastor handle another two year-long battle for orthodox doctrine of God? As it has often been the case, the conversation quickly digresses to men’s...
Due to popular interest, and the large number of allegations emerging across the country, the team continues to address the topics of emotional and spiritual abuse. A broken bone may be evidence in a case of physical abuse, but emotional/spiritual abuse can go undetected, and the victim may be...
Christ’s incarnation is not solely a topic for discussion at Christmas. So today, the crew explores this great and amazing mystery of Scripture. Were the disciples and others seeing God when they looked at Jesus? The answer to this question reveals much about how one apprehends the doctrine of...
Good Leaders Enjoy Podcasts
The professor, the megachurch pastor, and the housewife theologian (AKA professional potato peeler) gather for a casual chat about a topic that it keeps on giving. Diverse scandals of abuse involving prominent Christian leaders have been occurring quite regularly, a number of which have come from...
Red, Red Wine and Brown, Brown Bread
Following up last week’s discussion on church discipline, Carl and Aimee bring up the closely related topic of the Lord’s Supper. What does church discipline tell us about the importance of church membership and the Lord’s Supper? Should membership in a church be required in order for a person to...
The term “church discipline” might have a negative connotation in the ears of many, but the team wants to dispel some of the misconceptions about it. Just what is “church discipline?” When needed, it’s a component of discipleship. So, when is church discipline necessary and justifiable? Where does...
We are but sheep...
Todd starts this conversation by setting the ground rules and letting everyone know his preferred pronouns: he, him, and his. The bearded one also claims to have the definitive pronunciation of the author’s name of the book topic of today’s conversation. The Care of Souls by Harold Senkbeil...
Aimee is away, and the boys are feeling empowered today, tossing out random thoughts from the dark recesses of their man cave. Pope Francis’ holy hand slap brings up the topic of unquestionable authority and the lack of accountability among the legions of little evangelical “popes” running around...
Our first subscriber!
The three amigos compiled a sizeable list of answers to that conditional statement—perhaps you have a few of your own! But why is this even a topic to be addressed? It seems that, even though the movement has been condemned by the NAPARC denominations over a decade ago, Federal Vision is still...
17 points, or 33 if you land that X on a triple letter score!
Following a discussion of various conspiracy theories, bad driving, and why the Spinners will never record episodes while in a car with Aimee at the wheel…the conversation turns to the topic of anxiety. To broach the subject, the crew welcomes Pierce Taylor Hibbs. He’s the associate director of the...
Todd’s been summoned to host a popular TV show, but Carl and Aimee guarantee that they can handle this week’s episode without his coaching. The two have learned a few things this past year that they’re willing to share. Carl discusses how pleasantly different 2019 was for him at his new job, the...
The three Spinners are back in the bunker to recommend a book and discuss its highlights. The topic of this conversation is actually a textbook titled Introducing Evangelical Theology by Daniel J. Treier, published by Baker Academic. Written for all kinds of theology students—from small reading...
Mortification of Spin
Guess who’s on the Christmas naughty list? That’s right--all three Spinners! Aimee’s compared to Yoko Ono , Carl gets blamed for it, and Todd justifies his patriarchal household decisions. When the banter is finally over, we get to today’s topic: the resurgence of classical theism. What is...
Emily Zinos of the Ask Me First Minnesota Family Council returns to the bunker following her outstanding appearance on “ Gender Confusion .” This time, Emily brings along her good friend Natasha Chart, who is on the board of directors of the Women’s Liberation Front - WoLF. What do a conservative...
Another curious word game introduction sets the stage for answering a few listener questions. Tackled today: Liturgical dance, Carl’s colorful pants and his “Christian journey,” Todd’s no-book deal, studio cough switches, and more. Seriously: are the children of believers considered to be...
Great questions keep coming from our listeners, and the Spin Team speaks ex cathedra , putting to rest once and for all a few queries related to this topic. Is there a true tension between being missional and being confessional? What does it mean to be missional in the current context? The crew...
The college professor, the housewife theologian from “Mary-land,” and the PCA pastor/conspiracy theorist invite David White to join them in the bunker for a superb conversation about God, You, and Sex: A Profound Mystery. David is a pastor, author of several books, and has served in several...
After the crew concludes that #EpsteinDidNotKillHimself, and plays a fun rhyming word game, it’s time to address some serious questions from our listeners. Among today’s topics: War and Just War Theory. Is there truly such a thing as a “just war?” What is pacifism, and are...
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary debuts on “The Spin” with the presence of Michael Morales, the seminary’s professor of Biblical Studies. Who Shall Ascend the Mount of the Lord? is Michael’s latest work on the book of Leviticus, and part of the New Studies in...
The Spin Team—yes, the fashion guru, the pastor to the “furries,” and the lead singer of the punk band “Feminist Outrage Machine”—have not one, but two special guests today! Kelly Kapic and Brian Fikkert, both at Covenant College, have authored Becoming Whole:...
David Ayers, Provost of Grove City College and professor of Sociology, is still Carl’s boss…and, he’s back in the bunker. David has recently done research on the sexual habits of evangelical teenagers and young adults, and he’s reporting some disturbing findings. What do...
One prodigal host has wandered off, so the other two discuss the many questions surrounding today’s topic. What is a prodigal child? Is every child that’s struggling with sin or indifferent to the Gospel a prodigal? Should parents take full blame for children who walk away from the...
Carl, Todd, and Aimee are joined by Rachel Green Miller. She writes for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals , and has a blog of her own. Rachel has recently published her first book, titled Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society. Rachel conducted several...
A listener asks "the famous Carl Trueman" what “to be Reformed” really means, as Aimee and Todd play the mediators. The term “Reformed” is full of meaning, but many times it’s reduced to simply mean holding to the five points of Calvinism or merely ascribing...
We enjoy a pleasant visit with Terry Johnson. He’s the senior minister of Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA, where he’s been serving since 1987. Eons ago, Terry had planned on teaching a 10-part series on the attributes of God…which turned into 82, as he immersed...
Worship: The Chief End of Man is the main theme of the Quakertown Conference on Reformed Theology, sponsored by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals , happening this November 8 and 9. The crew sits down with Quakertown conference speaker Jonathan Master to get a glimpse of the wonderful lineup...