Mere Fidelity

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] Ecclesiastic

Christ is risen indeed, alleluia! The Easter season is upon us, and the regular cast and crew have the Resurrection on their minds. This year Matt, Alastair, and Derek dive into the Gospel of John to discuss what makes this account different than the other gospels, including, but not limited to: why Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to touch him but invited Thomas to touch him, why Joh

As we approach Palm Sunday, Alastair, Matt, and Derek meditate—and ask incisive questions—upon the Cross, the Resurrection, the Triumphal Entry, the Transfiguration, and the true center of our faith. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: All Glory, Laud, and Honor [1:09] The Bible’s Third Day Problem [2:14] The Crucial Tension [3:12] Holy Saturday [6:13] Resurr

We can all feel it. Something about social media is just really unhealthy. But what to do about it? That’s the question on the table in this episode of Mere Fidelity. Should we pull the plug entirely? Should we seek balance? Should we embrace it? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: One More Episode [0:00] Like, Follow, Subscribe, Defend Yourself [1:47] Types of S

In yet another brazen foray into hot topics, Matt, Derek, and Alastair talk with eminent trinitarian theologian, Dr. Fred Sanders, about why masculine terms are used to refer to God. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: Pastoral Ethics [0:00] Our Trinitarian Correspondent [1:54] Referring to God [3:22] Matt’s Second Publication [7:19] Personhood & Revelation [8:42

Is asceticism good for the Christian life? Seems like a simple question at first, but there is a lot more there than you may realize. Matt, Derek, and Alastair unpack this deep issue on this episode of Mere Fidelity. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: Davenant [0:00] “Ash What?” says the Presbyterian [2:26] Defining Ascesis [4:44] Negative Over Positive [5:51]

C.S. Lewis is an odd figure. Beloved, cited, and recruited by both progressive and conservative Christians, his works have a very broad appeal. The very fact of this broad appeal raises questions about his legacy. Alastair, Derek, and Matt examine this phenomenon and how Lewis is read both in fundamentalist America and evangelical Britain. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. T

Alistair Begg hit a nerve with Christians online when he said in public that it might be ok for a Christian to attend an LGBTQ wedding. Given his opposition to same-sex marriage, this firestorm brings to the surface many questions about the nature of moral complicity, scandal, fraternal correction, and just how a Christian is to live day-to-day in a world so at odds with the truth.

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 aut

It’s come up on the show before, but this time Andrew and Matt are going to settle this once and for all, with some help from Alastair. How should the church deal with flagrant sins of professing Christians? Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: Most Irregular [0:00] Digging Up the Past [1:51] Range of Interpretations [3:24] Levels of Affiliation [8:44] Clarificati