In this episode, Todd Pruitt and Carl Truman welcome back Lydia Brownback, the director for women's resources at Crossway and a well-known author. They dive into Lydia's journey from seminary to writing and teaching, and how the Lord wove all of these experiences together in her life to prepare her for the work she is now doing.

Isn't it true that what He is doing in our lives is always preparatory, in some way or another? – Lydia Brownback

Lydia shares her insights on the growth of women's ministries, as well as the inspiration that led her to write her popular book, Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us From Self-Focus. She also addresses the topic of loneliness, something experienced by everyone at some point in their lives, and how churches can address this common issue with their members.

The goal is to incorporate everybody into the larger body so that it feels like family, whatever your stage of life. – Lydia Brownback

Tune in for an engaging conversation covering a wide range of topics that is sure to be insightful and encouraging.

We are pleased to offer three copies of Lydia Brownback’s book, Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus, to our listeners, thanks to the generosity of Crossway Publishers. Enter here for the opportunity to win.

Show Notes:

Check out more of Lydia’s books at Reformed Resources!

https://reformedresources.org/books/authors/lydia-brownback/

Todd and Carl, now officially an American citizen, dive into the challenging subject of immigration. Together, they explore the theological concept of the "order of love," its implications for prioritizing our obligations to others, and how this intersects with the responsibilities of the State versus the Church.

The situation is complicated. How do we navigate? How do we develop a hierarchy of loves and obligations that is faithful to Scripture but also handles the complexities that Scripture throws up? – Carl Trueman

In other words, how do we balance our responsibilities to our neighbors and the laws of the land? With references to contemporary issues and personal anecdotes, this episode challenges listeners to consider their perspectives on immigration and community, as Christians and citizens.

We are pleased to offer Mortification of Spin swag to three of our listeners, including a t-shirt, a baseball cap, and a mug! Enter here for the opportunity to win.

In this episode of Mortification of Spin, Carl and Todd engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Brad Littlejohn, director of Programs and Education at American Compass, about Brad's newly published book, Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License.

Christians in the modern West hear a lot about—and talk a lot about—"freedom." The word has taken on so many meanings that Christians often fail to realize how much our contemporary ideals of freedom stray from what freedom has meant in Scripture and the Christian tradition.

We need to redeem and recover a properly Christian way of thinking about freedom. – Carl Trueman

Today's conversation touches on the Reformation's impact on individual liberty, the tension between authority and conscience, and the contemporary challenges Christians face in understanding freedom.

As Protestants, we have to care about freedom because it's central to our theological heritage. – Brad Littlejohn

Tune in for an insightful exploration of these critical themes!

Thanks to the generosity of B&H Academic, we are pleased to offer three copies of Brad's book, Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.

Show Notes:

Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License

https://bhacademic.bhpublishinggroup.com/product/called-to-freedom-3/#flipbook-sampler/

In this poignant episode, Todd and Carl welcome author Whitney Pipkin to discuss her book, We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us. Drawing from her own experience, Whitney sheds light and hope, reminding us that we are not alone in our grief. And she reveals the mysterious way God ministers to and transforms us through death and suffering.

"The places you are most afraid to go, feel most ill-equipped to venture to, are the places Christ has gone before you." – Whitney Pipkin

Tune in as they explore how facing mortality can lead to deeper faith and understanding.

This is coming for each of us. How then shall we live? This is the question that each of us has the opportunity to consider at a funeral, but also when we read the news and when loss is far away, and when it's close, really close to home. – Whitney Pipkin

Thanks to the generosity of Moody Publishing, we are pleased to offer three copies of Whitney Pipkin’s book, We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.

Show Notes:

Whitney Pipkin’s Book https://www.moodypublishers.com/we-shall-all-be-changed/

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10

Today, Todd and Carl are joined by Chris Ansberry, associate professor at Grove City College, and a colleague of Carl's who refuses to wear socks, much to Carl's chagrin. Wardrobe choices aside, Chris recently wrote a commentary on the Book of Proverbs, published by Zondervan Academic as part of their Exegetical Commentary Series. Wisdom literature seems to be a little bit obscure to many students of the Bible, but Chris has a deep love for these books that have often been marginalized.

"Proverbs is not only designed to form our intellect, but it's also cultivating and directing our desires, it's shaping our forms of life, it's helping our perception – how do we see people, how do we see the world? So within that realm of ethics, I think that there's a lot in which Proverbs can do for us…I can't read Proverbs without seeing the same sort of moral vision that's on offer in the Sermon on the Mount." – Chris Ansberry

Discover the intricacies of wisdom literature and its place in Christian life and pastoral teaching. Find out how Proverbs can shape ethical understanding and spiritual formation, and how pastors can approach preaching from this often-overlooked biblical text. And find out the answer to Carl's question, "What is the church missing if the pastor never preaches on wisdom literature in general, and specifically if the pastor never preaches on Proverbs?"

Thanks to the generosity of Zondervan Academic, we are pleased to award copies of Chris Ansberry’s Commentary on Proverbs to three of our listeners. Congratulations to Donald T. from Omaha, NE, Keith F. from Troy, IL, and Yulia S. from Mililani, HI!

Show Notes:

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series:

• Old Testament: https://zondervanacademic.com/promotions/zec#1151215
• New Testament: https://zondervanacademic.com/promotions/zec#1151637

Chris Ansberry’s Proverbs Commentary: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/proverbs-2

Join Carl and Todd as they tackle the pressing issues of gender ideology and pastoral practice with special guests Mary Rice Hasson and Theresa Farnan from the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Mary and Theresa have worked on a book titled Gender Ideology and Pastoral Practice: A Handbook for Catholic Clergy, Counselors, and Ministerial Leaders, which Carl believes to be immensely valuable for Protestants and Catholics alike. Discover insights from their book as they discuss the challenges facing pastors today, from pronoun use to public education to the influence of social media on youth.

Our children feel so lonely and alone, so what do they do? They go online, and they find a community of people. So we, as churches – our role has to be that online community. I don't care what denomination you are; if you're not there giving community to your young people, they will go looking for it somewhere, and what they will find is so toxic. – Theresa Farnan

Learn how pastors and churches can equip themselves to address these complex issues with love and truth.

Thanks to the generosity of Notre Dame Press, we are pleased to offer two copies of Gender Ideology and Pastoral Practice: A Handbook for Catholic Clergy, Counselors, and Ministerial Leaders to our listeners. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.

Show Notes:

Ethics and Public Policy Center: https://eppc.org/

Person and Identity Project: https://personandidentity.com/

Gender, Ideology and Pastoral Practice: A Handbook for Catholic Clergy, Counselors and Ministerial Leaders

Todd and Carl, the self-proclaimed Hall and Oates of podcasting, spend a few minutes reflecting on the longevity of Mortification of Spin – "We've been doing this for over a decade now. Easily we must be one of the longest-standing podcast partnerships in history." They then turn their attention to today's returning guest and their friend, Kevin DeYoung, to discuss his latest book, Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology. Deemed by Todd to be his "Book of the Year,” this daily devotional has been designed to make systematic theology clear and accessible for the everyday Christian.

Daily devotions are a huge privilege and a tremendous powerhouse for Christian living. – Carl Trueman

The conversation delves into the importance of understanding systematic theology, the value of daily devotions, and how Kevin's book aims to equip lay Christians with the historic vocabulary of the church.

Thanks to the generosity of Crossway Publishing, we are pleased to offer three copies of Kevin DeYoung's book, Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology, to our listeners. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.

Show Notes:

Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

https://reformedresources.org/daily-doctrine-a-one-year-guide-to-systematic-theology-hardcover

Todd is pretty excited to have today’s guest on “his podcast,” who is none other than his Mortification of Spin co-host, Carl Trueman. Together, they discuss Carl’s latest book, To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse, where Carl examines the historical roots of critical theory, its evolution, and its impact on contemporary culture.

I wanted to produce a book that was not a kind of “goodies” and “baddies” book…Everybody coming to critical theory has their opinion on whether the critical theorists are good guys or bad guys. I didn’t really want to address that. What I wanted to do was look at critical theory through the historical lens and say, okay, why did this group of men start thinking this way? What was going on? What sources are they using? What problems are they trying to address or questions are they asking in order to get below the surface? – Carl Trueman

Todd and Carl discuss some key figures of critical theory, such as Marx, Hegel, and Freud, and how they and other early critical theorists shaped modern thought. What are the implications for Christians today? Tune in to find out!

Thanks to the generosity of B&H Academics, we are pleased to award a copy of Carl’s book to Zach C. from Streator, IL!

Show Notes:

To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse

https://reformedresources.org/to-change-all-worlds-critical-theory-from-marx-to-marcuse-hardcover/