Claim OwnershipThinking Out Loud
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© Nathan Rittenhouse & Cameron McAllister
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For those interested in thoughtful cultural analysis without all the apocalyptic forecasts, Thinking Out Loud is a podcast about current events and Christian hope. Hosted by Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister, co-founders of Thinking Out Loud, a ministry that seeks to bridge the gap between discipleship and apologetics, this is a show that seeks to connect the dots on the subject of Christian realism.
428 Episodes
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In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on late stage individualism, a term popularized by Ezra Klein, and examine why radical individualism is failing in modern Western culture. Speaking from a Christian worldview, they explore rising loneliness, loss of meaning, and social fragmentation through the lens of Scripture, church history, and contemporary cultural analysis. Nathan and Cameron argue that the biblical vision of community offers a compelling alternative, presenting the church as a village designed to form identity, cultivate responsibility, and restore purpose. Drawing on philosophy, current events, and lived experience, this conversation challenges Christians to rethink freedom, sacrifice, and belonging in an age of isolation, and to consider how faithful Christian community can respond to the cultural moment with hope and depth.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deeply theological analysis of current events, examining the moral, political, and spiritual turbulence shaping Christianity in North America today. Engaging Tripp Fuller’s essay “Bonhoeffer’s Warning Unheeded”, they explore the moral collapse of white evangelicalism, the “frog in the boiling water” metaphor, and the rapid shift in Christian attitudes toward character, power, and politics. Drawing on Scripture, church history, Bonhoeffer, and the witness of the early church, Nathan and Cameron challenge individualism, political idolatry, and the temptation to use worldly means to achieve Christian ends, ultimately arguing that the local church—not political power—is God’s primary antidote to cultural chaos. This conversation is for Christians seeking thoughtful, historically grounded, and biblically faithful theological discussion on faith, culture, discipleship, and Christian hope in a fractured age.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on Christian hope in the midst of cultural chaos, political polarization, and a media landscape driven by fear, anger, and spectacle. Drawing on Scripture, church history, Aristotle, C.S. Lewis, and contemporary examples, they challenge the modern tendency to reduce hope to mere optimism and instead recover the biblical vision of hope as a hard, muscular virtue—formed through suffering, discipline, and faithfulness to Christ. As they reflect on current events, true crime culture, discipleship, and virtue formation, Nathan and Cameron argue that Christian hope is not sentimental or naïve, but grounded in the resurrection of Jesus and expressed through perseverance, moral courage, and responsibility in everyday life. This episode is for Christians seeking thoughtful, intellectually serious theology that speaks honestly to the realities of the modern world.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep theological analysis of current events through the lens of Christian political theology, virtue ethics, and American history, centered on a striking 1798 quote from John Adams about morality, religion, and the limits of constitutional government. Engaging Christians who are concerned about cultural collapse, hyper-individualism, and the erosion of virtue, Nathan and Cameron explore how biblical Christianity, communal formation, and moral responsibility—not merely laws or rights—are essential for sustaining a healthy society. Drawing on theology, philosophy, education, and contemporary politics, they examine the failures of a rules-based order, the myth of the global village, and what faithful Christian presence looks like in an age of moral confusion, offering thoughtful insight for believers seeking serious theological discussion of today’s cultural and political moment.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on current events through the lens of Ross Douthat’s provocative new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, exploring whether Christianity should be embraced for its civilizational benefits or because it is true. Drawing on debates with New Atheism, secular sociology, and figures like Christopher Hitchens, Phil Zuckerman, Jordan Peterson, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nathan and Cameron wrestle with questions of truth, human brokenness, consciousness, demons, and the limits of scientific explanation, all while grounding the conversation firmly in historic Christian theology. This episode is designed for Christians seeking thoughtful, intellectually serious engagement with culture, politics, and belief, offering a robust defense of Christianity that moves beyond pragmatism toward truth, discipleship, and Christian hope in a rapidly changing world.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on the breaking news surrounding Philip Yancey, the influential Christian author of The Jesus I Never Knew and What’s So Amazing About Grace, who has publicly admitted to an eight-year affair and withdrawn from all public ministry. Framed for Christians seeking thoughtful, biblically grounded reflection on current events, the conversation explores sin, repentance, moral disqualification, trust in Christian leaders, and the dangers of celebrity and guru culture within American Christianity. Nathan and Cameron wrestle with hard questions about grace, perseverance, accountability, and how believers should respond when a beloved theologian or Christian thinker falls, while ultimately re-centering faith on Christ and Scripture rather than personalities. This episode will especially resonate with Christians looking for serious theological analysis, cultural critique, and spiritual wisdom in the midst of yet another painful church scandal.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep Christian theological analysis of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis involving Renee Nicole Good, examining the tragedy through the lenses of biblical anthropology, moral theology, and cultural analysis rather than partisan outrage. Drawing on thinkers like Augustine, Jonathan Haidt, René Girard, and Michael Polanyi, they explore how Christians should respond to politically charged current events, the tension between what is legal and what is moral, the danger of scapegoating and symbolic thinking, and why silence, prayer, and wisdom can sometimes be more faithful than instant commentary. This conversation is aimed at Christians seeking thoughtful, theologically grounded discussion of current events, Christian ethics, sanctity of life, authority, justice, and how to faithfully navigate polarized culture without surrendering compassion, truth, or hope.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on pop music, culture, and spiritual formation, responding to Billy Corgan’s viral claim that modern pop music may be more overtly satanic than traditionally “dangerous” genres. Drawing on Christian theology, cultural analysis, and lived experience, they explore idolatry, discernment, fantasy versus reality, and how entertainment subtly shapes moral imagination, habits, and desire. This conversation connects current events in music and media with biblical themes of worship, formation, and holiness, challenging Christians to think critically about what they consume, sing, and celebrate in everyday life. Thoughtful, candid, and at times confrontational, this episode is for believers seeking serious theological reflection on pop culture, spirituality, and the hidden formative power of modern entertainment.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister offer a deep theological analysis of current events, using U.S. involvement in Venezuela as a springboard to explore a much larger cultural shift where efficiency, power, and results increasingly eclipse ethical reasoning and Christian moral reflection. Engaging thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, Jacques Ellul, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Dallas Willard, Nathan and Cameron examine why just war theory, Christian political theology, and moral language often feel irrelevant in today’s public discourse—and what that means for Christians seeking faithfulness in a time of cultural transition. This conversation challenges believers to rethink the relationship between church and state, resist conflating Christian faith with political success, and recover a Christ-centered vision of hope, obedience, and vocation amid global instability, cultural upheaval, and moral fragmentation.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on parenting, childhood, and Christian formation in light of current cultural pressures, drawing on recent findings from Science that challenge the modern obsession with early specialization and measurable success. Through a distinctly Christian worldview, they explore how American competitiveness, metrics-driven education, and parental anxiety often crowd out moral development, spiritual maturity, and the biblical call to raise children toward wisdom, virtue, and love of neighbor rather than status or achievement. Nathan and Cameron reflect on Scripture, Christian anthropology, and lived experience to argue that letting kids be kids is not negligence but faithfulness, emphasizing that true success cannot be reduced to trophies, test scores, or bumper stickers but is found in character, humility, joy, and long-term formation under God’s providence. This episode is especially relevant for Christians seeking thoughtful theological insight on parenting, discipleship, cultural critique, and how faith shapes everyday decisions in a restless, results-obsessed age.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on the New York MAID Act (Medical Aid in Dying) and what medically assisted suicide means for Christians thinking faithfully about current events. From a Christian bioethics perspective, they explore end-of-life ethics, the sanctity and intrinsic value of human life, and how cultural ideas of autonomy, rights, happiness, and suffering are shaping moral decision-making—even within the church. Drawing on Scripture, Christian tradition, and real-world pastoral experience, Nathan and Cameron examine whether pro-life convictions can remain consistent from birth to death, why assisted suicide is gaining cultural acceptance, and how Christians can recover a robust theology of suffering, death, and hope in the resurrection. This episode is for Christians seeking serious theological reflection on medical ethics, assisted dying laws, and how to live and think Christianly in a rapidly changing society.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this Christmas episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep theological reflection on current cultural and institutional collapse through the simple yet profound story of a 94-year-old man planting a Christmas tree he may never see fully grown, using it as a lens to explore Christian hope, generational responsibility, and the calling to build lasting institutions in an uncertain age. Drawing on Scripture, church history, N.T. Wright, cultural criticism, and lived pastoral experience, they examine pessimism, stoicism, technological modernity, and the temptation toward utopian or nationalist solutions, while arguing for a distinctly Christian vision rooted in the Incarnation, Emmanuel, and an “open” universe shaped by divine intervention. This episode challenges believers to reject despair and shallow optimism alike, encouraging faithful investment in churches, communities, and cultural foundations that may outlast us, and inviting Christians who care about theology, culture, and current events to recover a resilient, contagious hope worthy of the gospel.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological conversation on Christian hope during Advent, wrestling honestly with the widespread sense of cultural exhaustion, despair, and decline shaping current events in the modern West. Drawing on Scripture, Christian tradition, and contemporary debates involving figures like David French and broader evangelical discourse, they explore the difference between optimism and true Christian hope, asking whether Western culture is in a moral and spiritual “death spiral” or whether that diagnosis misses something essential. Nathan and Cameron argue that biblical hope is not rooted in political solutions, economic progress, or cultural victories, but in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, offering a “living hope” that can coexist with suffering, weakness, and uncertainty. This episode is especially for Christians seeking serious theological reflection on cultural decay, Advent spirituality, moral formation, and how to live faithfully and joyfully in dark times without denial, despair, or false optimism.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep theological analysis of current events by engaging Daniel Hummel’s provocative claim that “secular Protestantism is America’s religion,” exploring why both liberal Protestantism and evangelicalism may be declining precisely because of their cultural success. Through thoughtful discussion on sociology of religion, expressive individualism, ecclesiology, and biblical anthropology, Nathan and Cameron examine how Enlightenment values, spiritual individualism, and unintended theological consequences have reshaped Christianity in America. Drawing on insights from Christian Smith, Mere Orthodoxy, and historic Christian doctrine, they contrast liberal Protestantism, evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism while asking whether churches today take themselves seriously as spiritual entities. This conversation is designed for Christians seeking rigorous theological reflection on cultural change, church decline, spiritual hunger, and the future of Christian witness in a post-Christian age.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode, Nathan and Cameron dive deep into one of the most pressing theological questions facing today’s church: What happens when worship, sermons, and spiritual formation collide with AI and morally complicated creators? Using provocative thought experiments—like whether Christians would eat fruit from a tree planted by an immoral person—they explore how believers should think about AI-generated worship music, sermons, artistic integrity, and the character of those who shape our spiritual lives. From EDM and emotional engineering to pastoral authenticity, formation, and the “food sacrificed to idols” dilemma, Nathan and Cameron offer rich, intellectually serious Christian commentary on how technology is reshaping worship and the future of the church. Perfect for Christians hungry for deep theology, cultural discernment, and thoughtful engagement with current events.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode, Nathan and Cameron dive deep into the rise of the so-called “ortho bros” and explore why so many young men are converting to Eastern Orthodoxy in today’s chaotic cultural moment. Drawing on history, theology, and their own pastoral experience, they analyze Ruth Graham’s New York Times article, compare the trend to the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, and discuss the growing desire among Christians for rootedness, tradition, and doctrinal clarity. This thoughtful conversation challenges reductive explanations of hyper-masculinity and invites viewers into a richer understanding of how ancient Christian traditions speak into modern unrest. Perfect for Christians seeking deep theological reflection, cultural analysis, and Christ-centered insight on current events.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan Rittenhouse sits down in Kona, Hawaii with Lindsey from the YWAM Countercultural School of Apologetics to unpack one of the biggest questions facing the modern church: how should Christians navigate influencer culture, online discipleship, and the tension between digital convenience and real spiritual formation? Lindsey and Nathan explore the rise of untrained “Christian influencers,” the responsibility of discernment, the longing for embodied community, the need for multi-generational mentorship, and the subtle dangers of intellectual shortcuts in the age of AI and endless content. Their conversation invites believers into deeper thinking, meaningful connection, and a return to slow, faithful discipleship rooted in the local church. Perfect for Christians hungry for thoughtful apologetics, theology, and wisdom for following Jesus in a digital world.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode, Nathan and Cameron dive into a thought-provoking conversation on how modern media, Hollywood, and even the church have reshaped our attention spans, communication styles, and expectations for depth. In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, they explore why today’s films and sermons feel “dumbed down,” how smartphones have changed the way we engage with story and truth, and what Christians should recover from past eras of richer, more thoughtful communication. With cultural analysis, historical insight, and theological reflection, Nathan and Cameron challenge believers to rethink entertainment, discipleship, and the habits shaping our spiritual lives.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron dive deep into the “junkification” of modern culture, using Christmas consumerism, cheap mass-produced goods, and the exhaustion of holiday commercialism as a launchpad for a thoughtful theological discussion. They explore whether our growing weariness with stuff is simply aging—or a sign of the times—while unpacking themes of relational poverty, cultural decadence, the loss of craftsmanship, and the ways economic values subtly replace biblical ones. Through humorous stories, honest cultural critique, and rich Christian reflection, Nathan and Cameron challenge believers to resist empty consumerism, rediscover meaningful presence over presents, and pursue a kingdom-shaped understanding of value, relationships, and holiday traditions.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
In this thought-provoking Thanksgiving episode, Nathan and Cameron dive into the surprising cultural rise of Black Friday, Green Wednesday, and the “cousin walk,” using these trends as a springboard for a deeper Christian examination of family tension, modern fragmentation, and the loss of shared spiritual continuity. Drawing on theology, literature, and pastoral experience, they unpack why holidays have become so difficult for many believers, how radical individualism fuels division, and why the historic Christian practices of feasting, gratitude, and communal life matter more than ever. Nathan and Cameron explore the difference between guilt, gloating, and true thanksgiving; the mystery of receiving God’s blessings in a suffering world; and the uniquely Christian capacity to feast with integrity while acknowledging global pain. For Christians craving rich theological discussion, cultural analysis, and practical wisdom for navigating family dynamics during the holidays, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful vision for recovering gratitude, community, and spiritual depth in a distracted age.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.
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John Stuart Mill is the person who said "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." in case you wondered.
Jesus would agree with your conclusion in this matter. He said in John 18:36 that His kingdom is not of this world. We do not achieve a godly end by employing a worldly means. Our witness and impact are better served by being the hands and feet of Christ.
Excellent framing of the issues facing America today. Progressives seeking a cause versus conservatives seeking a people very helpful. Rugged individualism will be the death of America if it continues unabated.