The Russell Moore Show

Russell answers a listener's question: How can I be friends with atheists?  Submit your own question for the show! Email questions@russellmoore.com — and remember: attach a voice memo! 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

You may know Philip Yancey as the bestselling author of What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Where Is God When It Hurts?, and The Jesus I Never Knew. We’ve even had him on the show a few times to talk about these books and more. For decades, his writing has guided Christians who are wrestling with disappointment, doubt, and suffering. But in recent years, his own life has required deeper study into such things. In this episode, Philip Yancey joins Russell Moore for an honest conversation about suffering, lament, and the God who meets us in our pain. Yancey opens up about his own story, from the trauma of losing his father to living with cancer and Parkinson’s. He reflects on how those experiences have shaped his faith and why simplistic religious answers so often do more harm than good. Together, they talk about what the Book of Job does—and doesn’t—say about suffering, and why Jesus didn’t “solve” pain during his earthly ministry. Yancey explains why lament is not only permitted but essential, and what it means for the church to be a place of comfort rather than clichés.Plus: what surprising things led him to see the graciousness of God before writing the book(s) on it. If you’ve been sitting in the silence of God, or are grappling with the problem of pain in your own life, you may find comfort in this conversation. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A reading of the latest from Russell’s weekly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter, Moore to the Point, where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show (and include a voice memo!) 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

Today we put the “Sho” in the Russell Moore Show with Sho Baraka, Christianity Today’s director of the Big Tent Initiative. Five years after the murder of George Floyd, many wondered if the United States—and the church—was headed toward lasting change. Talk of a “racial reckoning” filled headlines, pulpits, and boardrooms. But where do things stand now, in 2025? Sho joins Russell to reflect on the promises and disappointments of the past half-decade. The child of a Black Panther, Sho shares thoughts about race and reconciliation but also the deeper struggles of spiritual disillusionment, even in his own life. Sho speaks candidly about his own journey through spiritual dryness over the last 5-7 years as he navigated attitudes of cynicism which gave way to a time of terrible decisions that left his life in freefall. He and Russell explore what repentance and renewal can look like—not only for individuals, but for communities and institutions that have lost their way. Together, they discuss why conversations about racial justice often stall, how and why multi-ethnic churches struggle, and how Moses is an example of endurance in radically changing a broken institution. Plus: hear which book of the Bible Sho would take with him to a desert island that no other guest has chosen before. This is a thoughtful, vulnerable conversation about failure, repentance, and the possibility of restoration—for leaders, for churches, and for the witness of the gospel. — 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. 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

Russell answers a listener's question: Should church leaders be transparent about finances? Submit your own question for the show! Email questions@russellmoore.com — and remember: attach a voice memo! 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 does it mean to have character in a world that doesn’t care? Or even worse: platforms and incentivizes a LACK of character?  If anyone should know, it’s a retired four-star General whose career ended in resignation. In this episode, Russell talks with General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and author of On Character: Choices That Define a Life. They discuss the Rolling Stone article that ended McChrystal’s military career, why his wife’s single-word reaction changed the trajectory of his life, and how character is shaped over decades by family, mentors, mistakes, and moral decisions under pressure.  Along the way, McChrystal shares his thoughts on why the U.S. needs a mandatory service year as a way to heal divisions, how leadership choices prevented a hostile environment toward Islam in the United States, and his process for making difficult decisions of national importance. Plus, hear a retired four-star general give his take on the tensions in the Middle East and what should be done to ease them. You don’t need to be weighing options of national security to appreciate this conversation — If you’re weary of living in an era that excuses a lack of integrity and honor in its leadership, this conversation may give you hope that it’s possible to bring those back. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: On Character: Choices That Define a Life by Stanley McChrystal Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Carl Sandburg’s six-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln Listener question: Where are all the mature single Christian men? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell answers a listener's question: Where Are All the mature, single christian men? Listen to the recent episode with Christine Emba about porn’s contribution to relational intimacy. Submit your own question for the show! Email questions@russellmoore.com — and remember: attach a voice memo! 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

Even where nobody talks about it, porn is everywhere--so much so that many, even those who think it's immoral, have concluded that it's an inextricable part of 21st century digital culture. But what if that attitude is leading us to levels of brokenness we never even imagined? In this episode, Christine Emba joins Russell to talk about what she calls a “quiet catastrophe”: the normalization of pornography in an era marked by loneliness and disconnection. Drawing from her widely read New York Times essay, “The Delusion of Porn’s Harmlessness,” Emba offers a pointed and profound look at what pornography is doing not just to our minds, but to our relationships, our desires, and our sense of self. Emba and Moore explore why the idea of intimacy feels threatening, and how a generation raised on digital pleasure might struggle to imagine and practice real relational connection. They also talk about how porn shapes our expectations of each other, why Christians often mishandle this issue, and what it might look like to recover a deeper, more beautiful ethic of intimate relationships. Emba even shares ways she sees society combatting our perceived defeat and possible despair when it comes to AI’s influence on porn–and the good news is, she has a positive outlook. This is not a frantic conversation about culture war panic. It’s a thoughtful and sobering conversation about what kind of restoration is possible when desire is distorted, but not beyond healing. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: C.S. Lewis letters, Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S. Lewis “The Delusion of Porn’s Harmlessness” by Christine Emba (The New York Times) Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba Kate Julian’s “The Sex Recession” (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell answers a listener's question: Am I Being Disciplined—or Just Legalistic? Submit your own question for the show! Email questions@russellmoore.com — and remember: attach a voice memo! 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

Maybe you know Tony Hale as the bumbling Buster Bluth on Arrested Development. Or maybe you know him as the bag-toting assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer on Veep. You might even know him as the googly-eyed Forky in Toy Story 4 or Riley’s Fear on Inside Out.  No matter how you’ve come across him before, perhaps you haven’t heard him like this. In this episode, Tony Hale joins Russell Moore for a candid conversation about anxiety, art, faith—and why he’s drawn to characters who never quite have it all together. Hale opens up about his personal journey through grief and doubt, and how these experiences shaped both his faith and his creativity. He reflects on the healing power of storytelling, the importance of making space for emotions we often suppress, and what it means to parent children through grief and suffering. Together, Moore and Hale explore the themes of Hale’s new family film Sketch, a story about a girl who processes loss by drawing monsters. But this isn’t just a kids’ movie—it’s an honest look at pain, beauty, and what it means to sit with discomfort. Hale shares why he wanted to make a film that respects the emotional complexity of children and adults alike. They also talk about the influence of Tim Keller, Tony’s early years as an actor, the inner development of his iconic roles (be aware, there could be some spoilers!), and how to choose roles and shape a career as a Christian in Hollywood. And be sure to listen until the end, when Tony shares insights on how to be the one Christian among nonbelievers and how to show the love of Christ with authenticity.  This is a warm, thoughtful conversation about surrender, sacred imagination, and how telling the truth might be one of the most redemptive acts we can offer the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell answers a listener's question: Should I go to a church that practices infant baptism? Listen to the episode with Ligon Duncan: Ligon Duncan Tells Me Where I’m Wrong on Infant Baptism Listen to the recent episode with Jefferson Fisher: Jefferson Fisher on How to Have Difficult Conversations 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. Submit a question for the show by emailing questions@russellmoore.com — and attach a voice memo! 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 a movement built on moral seriousness gives way to one powered by cruelty, resentment, and nihilism? In this episode, New York Times columnist David Brooks joins to talk about what he calls one of the greatest ruptures of his lifetime: the implosion of the conservative movement’s moral center. Drawing from his widely discussed essay in The Atlantic “I Should Have Seen This Coming,” Brooks offers a deeply personal—and deeply unsettling—account of how a reactionary fringe rose to power and reshaped American public life. Together, Moore and Brooks trace the descent from Burkean virtue to clickbait outrage, from civic institutions to “own-the-libs” performance art. But this conversation doesn’t stop at diagnosis. The two turn toward questions of cultural repair and spiritual renewal: Is there any real possibility of revival—in literature, in politics, in faith? What might it look like to recover a moral vision strong enough to resist the acid of our age? And what role could Christians play in offering a better way? Along the way, they talk about why the next spiritual awakening might not look like the last one, the legacy of Tim Keller, how we can engage in conversations on issues of the soul, how the Trump White House culture is different from other presidents’ and whether AI is really going to change American life as much as Moore thinks it will. This is a candid, searching conversation about what it means to be human in a disordered world—and what kind of moral courage is needed to hold fast when the center does not. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: How to Know a Person by David Brooks David’s Atlantic article, I Should Have Seen This Coming Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaus David’s article that talks about Alasdair MacIntyre in The Atlantic, Why Do So Many People Think Trump is Good? Diminish Democracy by Julian J. Rothbaum The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy by Christopher Lasch  David’s New York Times Article: When Novels Mattered  David’s novel suggestions: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  Selected Essays by Samuel Johnson  Middlemarch by George Eliot 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. 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

Russell answers a listener's question. Does God want me to have fun? 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. Submit a question for the show by emailing 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

Beth is back for mo(o)re.  It’s been a couple years since Beth Moore has been on the show, so it was high time to catch up with her. Russell and Beth (no relation) sit down for a free-wheeling conversation, starting with what’s been happening in her life these days.  Amid the laughter, conversation touches on all manner of important topics: pain, suffering, prayer, study of scripture, and Heaven itself.  Beth shares about her yearly journaling practice, what recent surgeries have taught her about how God draws us to him in our suffering, postures of prayer, and the importance of ritual as a believer and an artist. Listen to find out the two books of the Bible Russell has never taught, the Biblical scene both Beth and Russell would want to time travel to experience firsthand, and what surprise book recommendation Beth brought for listeners. If you find yourself wanting to hear good friends laughing while also acknowledging how hard life can be…this is for you.  Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Tarot card article link  LIfting the Veil, Malcolm Guite  Daily Rituals: How Artists work by Mason Currey — 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. 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

Russell reads his recent newsletter article on the public outcry for release of the Epstein files.  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. Submit a question for the show by emailing 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

How do you handle conflict? If you said “not well,” let conversation expert Jefferson Fisher offer you practical tips for navigating difficult conversation. And there’s good news: if you’re afraid of conflict, you don’t have to be.  Jefferson Fisher is an attorney, author, and a bonafide conversation expert. His videos–about conversation and communication–serve an audience of over 6 million on Instagram, and 1 million on TikTok. And for good reason: Fisher’s ease of conversation and human psychology in communication provides opportunities for everyone to learn how to talk to each other better with more honesty and curiosity.  Russell and Jefferson also make the connection that Jesus himself–who asks questions, answers slowly, and speaks with assured calmness–provides excellent examples of engaging in effective conversation in controversy. Get ready to make notes, because this conversation will provide you with heaps of practical takeaways for immediate application. Including how to be a safe person for your children to turn to, what to say in times of marital conflict, and how to effectively set boundaries without shutting down a conversation. If you’ve ever thought that you’re not good at having difficult conversations, you might be emboldened to try it out after you listen to this episode.  Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher — 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. Submit a question for the show. 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

Doomscrolling, algorithms, artificial intelligence—these concepts have become so familiar to us and such a part of our everyday monotony that they’ve become jokes. But Nicholas Carr isn’t laughing.  Carr’s work in tech journalism has given him a front-row seat to watch the shift of culture around technology over the last decade. His recent book, Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, explores his observations—and the news isn’t great. Online platforms and algorithms seem to know us better than our churches, families, or friends do—especially when the products we glanced at for a fleeting moment now fill our timelines and social media feeds. But we already knew that, right?  And still we face obstacles to capture our own conscious minds. Carr’s work is a call for a cultural revolution to reclaim the human experience from the clutches of technology. Especially when what’s at stake is the understanding of community, which finds its roots in the ability to focus to form empathy for others. This conversation shines a light on the profound need for deeper connections and the importance of attention in fostering meaningful relationships. Moore and Carr also talk about the mirage of screens as socialization, an AI priest (whose story doesn’t end well), positive outcomes from machines and technology (gasp! Is it possible?), and the way separating from technology might feel an awful lot like excommunication.  If you need to be emboldened to cut your screen time or make a change in the way you use technology for your sake and the sake of future generations, this conversation may be the thing you need. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholas Carr “The Vacation” Wendell Berry poem The Empathy Diaries by Sherry Turkle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For Independence Day, we are running an episode of particular relevance from our archives. Could the Constitution provide the antidote to polarization? Yuval Levin thinks so. The director of social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Levin is the author of a new book titled American Covenant. In it, and during this episode, Levin identifies the reasons people feel as though America is at a breaking point, as well as meaningful opportunities for reuniting. He and Moore consider why fragmentation is happening, the naiveté of cynicism, and ways the party system has—and hasn’t—worked well for the United States. They discuss partisanship, the potential upsides of ranked-choice voting in primaries, and the importance of seeing one another not primarily as political beings but as human beings. Yuval Levin’s work: American Covenant, How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again by Yuval Levin American Enterprise Institute National Affairs The New Atlantis National Review The New York Times Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance “My Unsettling Interview with Steve Bannon” by David Brooks The West Wing: “Night Five” The Sword and the Trowel by Charles Spurgeon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gary Haugen has seen the darkest things imaginable. He’s spent decades fighting human traffickers, corrupt governments, and mobs that enslave men, women, and children to sell them for sex and profit. But he’s not one bit cynical. As president of International Justice Mission, Haugen has worked to abolish modern-day slavery and to put the bad guys in jail while building the kind of institutions that ensure people are never treated that way again.   In this episode, Russell and Haugen discuss the objection that “justice issues” distract from the gospel. They also talk about how people can know whether God is calling them to some area of justice and mercy and about how those who are doing this kind of work can keep from burnout or despair. Haugen quoted from C. S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters: “Despair is a greater sin than any of the sins which provoke it.” He talks about how he learned from the writings of Dallas Willard and others the kinds of spiritual disciplines he needs to stay grounded and hopeful. The two also talk about going to church 13 times a week, the complex psychology of an oppressor, the power of art and music to move us to action, practical steps toward seeking justice, and of course, Wendell Berry. Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription to CT magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are we in the last days? Yes. Everything from the empty tomb onward are the last days. Could Jesus return at any moment? Absolutely. But can we track that coming based on the bombing schedules of Israel or Iran? No. Russell reads a piece from his newsletter every Monday on the podcast but there’s more to be found in the weekly email! Sign up ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices