Persuasion with Erin Straza And Hannah Anderson

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin and Hannah end their reading of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with professor Karen Swallow Prior. The trio look back at the life of Mary Shelley and explore the context of the novel's place in literature, Mary Shelley's life and situations, and the lessons we can still glean for today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Destiny and fate are central to Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein, which inspired our fall Persuasion series, What We Make of Ourselves. In this episode, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss the sixth and final reading (Volume III: Chapters 5–7), as Victor and his creation wrestle with fate and if they have any say whatsoever over the course of their lives. Now at the end of Victor's story, destiny is seen as the flip side of the ambition that launched us into this tale. Christians especially wrestle like this as we try to make sense of how our actions matter in light of God's sovereign will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mistakes and regret are central to Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein, which is inspiring our fall Persuasion's series, What We Make of Ourselves. In this episode, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss the fifth reading (Volume III: Chapters 1–4) and Victor's ongoing struggle with his decisions and the resulting fallout thereof. His inner turmoil is on display for us, giving a snapshot of his tortured mind and soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Frankenstein, which is the foundation of our fall Persuasion's series, What We Make of Ourselves. In this episode, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss the third reading (Volume II: Chapters 1–4), exploring the characters' expectations of and dependence upon others. Shelley's novel, while falling in the goth/horror genre, spends considerable time addressing the fallout we face when our connections with others are strained or severed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss the second reading of the series (Volume I: Chapters 4–7), in which the characters and their suffering take center stage. Shelley's rich descriptions of the inner turmoil provide readers insight into how suffering can alter a person's ability to function. Her story is raising those age-old questions about why suffering exists and what causes it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If we were to choose one word to describe modern life, busy would be a top contender. We are a busy people—busy making a living, busy making a name for ourselves, busy being busy. This is why productivity hacks are all the rage. We need better ways to make the most of every moment. But is this the point of it all? Does all of our ambition produce a life worth living? This is one of the questions being explored in Persuasion's fall series, What We Make of Ourselves. Week by week we will work through Mary Shelley's classic story Frankenstein, identifying what the themes of this 19th-century classic has to say about life in the 21st century.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dig into the background of the story, starting with what we've gotten wrong due to the many cultural adaptations. Hollywood has taken a seed of Mary Shelley's classic and grown an entirely new story that overshadows the original. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you consider yourself a reader? That answer isn't so easy to come by. How many books do you need to read a year—or a month—to qualify as a true reader? And does it matter what kinds of books you read? Do mystery novels count? What about young adult fiction or business books or graphic novels? Do you need to have read all 100 of the top books ever written to confidently claim you are a reader? If you've ever felt like an imposter when it comes to be well-read, this conversation is for you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our world came to a screeching halt with the pandemic. Schedules that used to be packed to the brim opened wide, creating unexpected space. Now that the world is opening up again, we have the opportunity to decide if the ways we had been in community before the pandemic are the ones we even want to return. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dig into the summer miniseries called Showing Up. Each episode explores the challenges we face to show up in the world. Erin and Hannah invite Rebecca McLaughlin to help us learn how to show up in conversations despite our differences. Rebecca grew up in the United Kingdom and holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Cambridge as well as a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is co-founder of Vocable Communications and former vice president of content at the Veritas Forum, where she spent almost a decade working with Christian academics at leading secular universities. Learning to have honest, charitable faith dialogue is a passion for Rebecca, whose latest book is titled The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This conversation covers a whole host of topics related to engaging others in matters of faith by showing up with your whole self—differing beliefs and all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dig into the summer miniseries called Showing Up. Since 2004, Rachel has lived in Djibouti, a primarily Muslim country, where she and her husband run a school and where they enjoy cross-cultural, cross-religious relationships. Rachel shares from her recent release titled Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus. The conversation covers a whole host of topics related to developing strong relationships by showing up with your whole self—differing beliefs and all.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March of 2020, none of us could have known the level of disruption we would be facing. In addition to the reality of illness and death, we also had to face a new way of going about our daily lives. Our daily routines were shattered and reformed to meet health protocols. Work, school, worship, community, sports, culture—every aspect of life was shaken. Now, more than a year later, our world is opening up once again. We're heading back to the office, back to school, back to our faith communities. But after a year away, are we ready to show up?

Over the past year, as communities implemented social distancing protocols, daily life came to a screeching halt. People stayed home to work remotely or attend virtual school. Without all our usual human hustle and bustle, wild creatures began roaming more freely. People began sharing photos of whales in harbors and goats running through towns. The conclusion? Nature is healing itself now that the humans are no longer interfering.

Some days life cruises along the course of your well-laid plans and everything runs like clockwork. Other days—most days, perhaps?—life takes a detour off the beaten path and you get lost in the wilderness and stuck in the muck. Life works great, except when it doesn't, which is more often than not. So what can we do in response? Do we bother making plans when they are likely to get turned inside out anyhow? Do we let chaos reign and become accustomed to the wild ride of life?

In the last episode, Erin and Hannah discussed the hurdles and struggles we face in our attempts to cultivate goodness, finding another point of shared experience in the brokenness of the world. In keeping with that conversation, we're taking a brief Interlude from our larger series, FINDING COMMON GROUND, and invite you to listen in as Hannah Anderson reads an excerpt from her recently released book, TURNING OF DAYS: LESSONS FROM NATURE, SEASON, AND SPIRIT. "How does one live in this place between longing and fulfillment? How do you dare to hope when the world is so harsh and cares nothing for your good work? How can you sustain hope in the face of it all? How can you not be chilled until your heart slowly freezes over?" Keep the conversation going on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

Last week we discussed our shared call to cultivate goodness in the world. While that is true, it's not the whole picture. Because as we work, we also find another shared experience. We all struggle in our work. We encounter barriers and failures. We grow weary. The world experiences disasters and pandemics. And we are left holding the brokenness of this life, wondering what to do next.

In this episode, Erin and Hannah explore our shared desire to find meaning through our work and in life. Our work may be more mental than physical, but whatever it is, we hope it means something more than a paycheck. We want to thrive on all fronts, to see our work take off and produce a harvest we can enjoy and share with others. To illustrate this truth, Sarah Pabody from Triple Wren Farms shares how her flower farm teaches her about the deeper truths of work and meaning. How is gardening a metaphor for our personal flourishing? What can the natural patterns of sowing and reaping and tending and harvest show us about life? How can we find shared ground in the human desire to flourish? Listen in for dialogue on questions like these as we find common ground together.

Communicating with others is something we're born doing. We emerge from the womb with limited skills, of course. Our skills grow in time, from wails to words and eventually to full sentences and fully nuanced, complex ideas. But that's not all it takes to communicate well. We can use all the skills at our disposal—verbal and nonverbal—and still experience a breakdown in communication with others. In the past few years, these breakdowns have become seemingly more common. We wonder what has changed and why we are unable to connect well with others as we once did.

Death has been a constant thought this past year, due to the pandemic that continues to rage among us and around the globe. It's rare in our society to think much about the end of our days. We tend to press on with our plans until death disrupts us, when it jolts us to the reality that all of us are living on borrowed time and breath. From dust we came, to dust we will return. The earth grounds us, binds us together in this shared fate, creatures, and creation. While we attempt to stay nature's course on our fleshly forms, creation pays no mind. Its rhythms of death and decay can be seen all around, as foliage and creature both are welcomed to final rest to become one with the dust. As Ash Wednesday approaches, we dust our foreheads remembrance of our fleeting nature. We are given sacred space to reflect on the limits of this life and these feeble frames. The sorrow of death will be present, of course, but our limits beckon us to remember our place in God's creation. When we repent of our attempts to outrun death, we are able to embrace the space God has appointed us in this life. Here we are called to till the soil of our lives, and plant goodness, and tend the seed to harvest. God calls His creatures to cultivate His creation and make something beautiful out of the days we're given.  

Erin and Hannah kick off a new series called Finding Common Ground. Each episode will consider a different aspect of natural revelation and how the world around us gives us the common ground we seek—and desperately need—with our fellow humans. Despite the rifts we feel with others ideologically, there is still much we have in common. By turning our eyes to the creation and its rhythms, we find commonality in our shared human experience. We can look to the patterns God embedded in the natural world as markers for our own experiences. Seasonal patterns, life stages, natural laws—things like these remind us that something greater is happening in the universe, regardless of our personal differences.

Our holidays are usually marked by all kinds of festivities. There are family gatherings, dinners with friends, work parties, community celebrations, church programs, and more. But this year? Most of these are cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. We will miss out on gift exchanges and cookie swaps and catching up with friends and family. It's disappointing for everyone.

Thanksgiving is typically full of feasting and family and friends. But this year? For most of us, gathering with others to enjoy our typical feast is off the table due to the global pandemic. Even if you are able to celebrate with your immediate family, the day is likely to be tinged with emptiness. And emptiness has a way of diminishing our gratitude, even on Thanksgiving.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a new miniseries titled Happy, Thankful, People. Each episode of the series includes a special guest who has something specific to share about how we can clear some of the hurdles that come with the holiday season. Barnabas Piper joins this episode to discuss our expectations of seasonal happiness and joy. In Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life's Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality (The Good Book Company, 2020), Barnabas offers a biblical framework for living a grounded, hopeful, and genuinely happy life—even in the midst of the holiday frenzy and even in a year like 2020

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap up their For God and Country series. Each episode has tackled an aspect of how faith and politics collide. This final conversation looks at the value and power of a single vote, the one we've been entrusted with for each item on our ballot. Voting truly is a privilege, but in these politically charged days, the weight of casting our vote in the right way is heavy indeed. There is fear and guilt all mixed together, and it's used by both sides to sway us to choose the way that benefits their party. In addition, Christians also struggle with the burden of making the right choice—the one that honors God and His ways.

With the amount of turmoil that's typically associated with political conversation and engagement, it can be very tempting to look for a reprieve. Every issue truly is connected to the common good that we're called to work toward. But when every conversation turns into a politically charged exchange, it's quite tempting to demand that others stop being so political all the time. While tempting, however, what is really behind our wish that others don't be so political?

Racial reckoning, a threatening pandemic, devastating wildfires... our country is practically pulling apart at the seams. In the middle of all this, we're facing the usual fervor associated with a presidential election. Except this isn't like other presidential elections, because of heightened turmoil of our times makes the discord all the more obvious. Emotions are running high. Everyone is looking for reason to take offense—and no one has to look very long or far to find it. The climate feels oppressive and hopeless. So for those who find hope in their Christian faith, it seems the best response to all this is to simply preach the gospel. Certainly if we just focus our energy on getting more people saved, that will solve everything. Certainly Jesus can fix this mess... right?

Perhaps during this series you've become open to the idea that political engagement is an avenue for kingdom flourishing to bring about the common good. And perhaps you've also clarified the sort of nation you want to build with your political engagement. Now we move from theory into practice, because political engagement will actually require you to dig into the system we have in order to make the world better.  

Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson invited Sam Perry to Persuasion to share about his research with Andrew Whitehead on Christian nationalism. Their book, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, helps us understand the driving factors that define and lead to Christian nationalism in our country. For episode 201 of the For God and Country series, Sam explains how Christian nationalism is a form of political idolatry that we must be aware of and reject.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dig into the For God and Country series. In this conversation, Erin and Hannah look to the pain points Christians are feeling and use them to unearth the way fear can sway our political leanings. In Christian circles, there has been increasing concern about religious rights and freedoms, as well as rally cries to take our nation back for God. To help us understand the factors feeding these ideas, Hannah speaks with Sam Perry, who has done significant research on Christian nationalism. Together with Andrew Whitehead, Sam authored a book of his findings titled Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. Sam addresses the growing conflation of Christian faith with nationalism, which at its core is political idolatry. Because we are so accustomed to these messages and stances within the Church, we can become blind to how we've adopted ideals and stances that are contrary to the gospel. Is it truly our mandate to take America back for God? Are Christians under persecution in the United States—or is it just a loss of privilege and status? Should Christians focus on protecting our own rights or is it more important to reach others with the love of God found in Jesus? Listen in for dialogue on questions like these as we learn to think more clearly about the intersection of faith and politics. Then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off their fall series called For God and Country. Each episode of the series will tackle an aspect of how faith and politics collide. To get the conversation started, Erin and Hannah host fellow Christ and Pop Culture writer Kaitlyn Schiess. Kaitlyn is a seminary student and bright thinker with a new book releasing September 8 from InterVarsity Press titled The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor. She wrote this book to help fellow Christians recognize the formative power of the political forces all around us and then to help us recover historic Christian practices that shape us in faith so that our political engagement is more effective. Considering the stress most people experience in political conversations, this is one area we could all grow in!

Humor has been rather hard to find in 2020. We've had month after month of very serious happenings. When the world is falling apart, laughter feels wrong—even callous. Serious things call for a serious countenance... right? In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a late summer miniseries called Getting By. Each episode of the series includes a special guest who has something specific to share about how we can get by in life considering the world as it is today. Luke T. Harrington joins this conversation to help us see the value of humor—especially in dark times. His latest release from Thomas Nelson is titled Murder-Bears, Moonshine, and Mayhem: Strange Stories from the Bible to Leave You Amused, Bemused, and (Hopefully) Informed. This nonfiction humor book looks at some of the odd tales in the Bible, examining and casting new light on some of the Bible's stranger moments. Luke's work flows from a truly unique perspective on life and faith. And that perspective is one we all need if we are to move forward and remain emotionally stable during life's trials, both personal and societal. Humor is good for our psyche—relieving stress and disarming our defenses. Although humor may not come naturally to us, we can borrow the lens from friends like Luke. Is it OK to chuckle at the absurdities we see in the world? How about the ones we see in Scripture? Does humor discount suffering and sorrow? How does humor enrich our faith? Conversation touches on the importance of humor and how our faith can actually be strengthened when we learn to take ourselves—and life—a little less seriously. Listen in for dialogue on questions like these as we learn how to get by together. Then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

Our current moment of political, social, and even religious upheaval has been isolating in many inexplicable ways. COVID-19 restrictions have eliminate many of our opportunities to build friendships and network with colleagues. Many of us are now working, schooling, and worshiping from home, severing limiting our social circles. As a result, psychologists are reporting higher rates of depression. More than ever, we can see the crucial role community and connectedness contribute to our well being. We need friends.  In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their Getting By summer miniseries. Each episode of the series will include a special guest who has something specific to share about how we can get by in life considering the world as it is today. Gina Dalfonzo joins this conversation to help us see the value of nurturing friendships even in the most dire of circumstances. Her latest release form Baker Publishing, The Remarkable Friendship Between C. S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers, provides a template for us. While Lewis is well known due to his Chronicles of Narnia series, Sayers may be relatively unknown. She was a wildly successful mystery novelist, best known for her Lord Peter Wimsey Series. This friendship is set against the backdrop of World War II; the unrest and uncertainty of their time parallels that of ours. By looking at their friendship—developed primarily via letters over a 15 year stretch—provides a picture of how we too could develop or maintain deep friendships even during difficult times. Conversation touches on the powerful way friendships can feed and shape our souls—as well as the trajectory of our very lives. Listen in for dialogue on questions like these as we learn how to get by together. Then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

In polite conversation, when someone greets you and asks how you are doing, the typical, benign reply is to say you "are doing just fine, thanks." But today, that reply feels disingenuous at best, considering the global pandemic, the racial reckoning across our nation, and the general polarization in society. Saying we are doing just fine, even when we're not, lines up with our country's indefatigable spirit. We are a nation of overcomers and go-getters—people who suck it up and keep moving ahead. 

After four months of navigating COVID-19 worries and addressing societal inequalities, it seems that most of us are embracing the reality that our world is forever changed. We're learning new ways to work, build community, celebrate milestones, and more. But none of it is easy or second nature. It's actually quite difficult. Most of us are getting by... but just barely.

We’re a people that loves to manage every scenario and have backup plans for every contingency. So what happens when the whole world screeches to a near halt and all the data we’ve used for decision making is no longer valid? Well, for most of us, this has produced a not so insignificant level of anxiety. As much as we like looking ahead toward the next thing, it’s tough to come to terms with something when the variables are unknown. In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap up their Growing Viral: Well-Being in the Age of Corona series. For this conversation, Erin and Hannah discuss how we accept our new reality that is largely unknown to us. Despite experts best guesses, no one knows how long the pandemic will last, what impact it will have on our society for the future, or if our global economy will recover. Our normal may be long gone, leaving in its place room for something new.

Loss and grief are central to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve lost loved ones, jobs, freedoms, and security. Some have lost their wedding dates or vacations. Some have lost sleep or a sense of purpose. Discouragement is common as we all scramble to find meaning in the midst of a crisis. This collective grief weighs upon our society, stretching it thin. For this conversation, Erin and Hannah discuss the discouragement we are all experiencing. Without schedules to hem us in, we wander aimlessly through our days, wondering if there’s any reason to get up early or get dressed or even shower. 

COVID-19 has taken away so much from us, including our sense of control. Our plans have been cancelled, and our movements are restricted. We can no longer go where we want when we want with whomever we choose. Loss of control may make us angry or fearful or frustrated (or all of those!). In its absence, we begin to play games of If Only or What If in an attempt to regain a bit of what we’ve lost. For this conversation, Erin and Hannah discuss the loss of control we are all experiencing. From rebelling against the restrictions to compulsively adhering to them, we all react differently to the way this pandemic is exerting its power over our lives.

Anger is on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic—and for good reason. Almost every aspect of our lives has been upended. We are now working and learning from home. All of our public gatherings have been cancelled or postponed, from weddings to funerals to sports to graduations. We have been asked to stay home with our family unit—and the lack of variety is enough to get on our last nerve. Anger is certainly understandable in this viral age.

The world is grappling with a pandemic that is changing life as we know it. We are grieving the loss of loved ones. Those who have recovered are facing uncertain long-term health conditions. The global economy is struggling along with unknown ramifications for millions of employees. As the coronavirus runs its course, the only thing we know for sure is that life as we know it is forever changed. Yet, facing this reality is no easy task. John Starke joins this conversation to help us look at our use of denial in this season and how lament offers a more fruitful way forward.

Unless you’ve been offline or off planet, you are aware of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. It is the major historical event of our time, affecting everything from work and school to church and community. We are all scrambling to figure out how to live and operate under a new normal—one without a playbook to reference. With all the upheaval, each one of us faces challenges and sorrows; life will not be the same again. Our only option is to find ways to adjust and grow and find stable footing in the One who holds every tear and hears every cry. This introductory conversation parses out two aspects of the current pandemic. First, there is the pandemic itself and all the ways we’ve had to alter our lives because of it. Second, there is the social phenomenon and how the changes we’re forced to make are impacting our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

If the meaning and purpose of home wasn’t top of mind before our Go Home! series began, it certainly is now. Of course, most of that credit belongs to the worldwide spread of COVID-19. Government leaders around the world have recently initiated Shelter in Place and Safer at Home policies to flatten the coronavirus curve. And suddenly, going home—and staying there—has become THE issue of our day, regardless of your gender, religious camp, or philosophical stance. In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap up their series titled Go Home! Finding Our Way. Each episode of the series explored the common assumptions regarding the home, both in the church and in society. This particular conversation is the series finale, giving Erin and Hannah the chance to tie together various threads from the series and their guests. Of course, the main discussion point is how the coronavirus pandemic has revealed unhealthy imbalances in how home and marketplace operate. Now that the economy is taking a hit, COVID-19 tests are hard to come by, and healthcare costs are skyrocketing, our society is being forced to face what has always been true: our culture prioritizes the economy’s well being over the very people who contribute to it. Even so, the crisis we face provides new opportunities to center our homes and families on kingdom values and priorities while also using our gifts and skills to serve as well as provide a livelihood. How do we need to adjust our priorities for home and family in the days ahead? Is it possible the marketplace can adjust for the flourishing of our families? Listen in for more on questions like these as we explore common presumptions and fallacies about home and family in this finale of the Go Home! series. Then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

If home is truly where your story starts, then our family members are the characters that make the story come to life. Every family has its own narrative, its own way of functioning and operating together. Those patterns profoundly affect us, for good and for ill. And sometimes, even long after leaving our childhood home, those family ties can even bind us a bit too tightly, causing us to live in ways we’d love to be free from. Home is where our story begins, but home sweet home isn’t always the case.

How does our perception of home affect the way we go about our work? One way is by adopting marketplace values and priorities and yielding our home life to achieve those ends—often to the detriment of our home life. The fallout of elevating the market above all else can even be seen in companies founded as an alternative to the traditional workplace, such as multilevel marketing businesses. A few weeks ago, news broke about the financial and operational difficulties at LuLaRoe, a women’s clothing company offering its consultants the opportunity to work from home. Because LuLaRoe consultants are primarily women, this business is presented as a way for them to build their own business on their own time. In reality, consultants report the impossible grind and monetary investment required to achieve success. Here again, home bows to the almighty dollar and the pursuit of the American Dream.

When John MacArthur told Beth Moore to “go home,” it revealed much about his framework for how the church and home should operate and who is responsible for each sphere. This perspective seems to see the spheres as quite separate. The church has a purpose and a mission, and the home has a purpose and a mission, but those only overlap because the biological family is the building block for both. But what if this framework undercuts the church as the family of God with brothers and sisters working together to build it? In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their series titled Go Home! Finding Our Way. Each episode of the series explores the common assumptions regarding the home, both in the church and in society. This particular conversation centers on the family of God and the relationships we have with each other as spiritual siblings. Certainly the biological family is important and needed for stable homes and societies. Within the church, however, the biological family is to yield to something greater: our church family. To help sort out this distinction, Erin and Hannah invite Laura Fabrycky to the conversation. Laura has immersed herself into the missional life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who saw the spheres of church and home as united in both purpose and operation. Bonhoeffer’s vision for the church operating as the family of God in the world is refreshing in light of the Go Home mandate. What does it look like to make the family of God primary? How did Bonhoeffer’s perspective of home and mission inspire his relationships and work? How did Jesus respond when the crowds elevated His biological family above the family of God? Conversation touches on questions like these, exploring common presumptions and fallacies in an attempt to find our way home. Listen to the latest episode in the Go Home! series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dissect the notion that families are under attack. Many a Christian leader has presented evidence of this war, pointing to everything from Hollywood films to dual income families to divorce rates. They discuss the possibility that these issues are not causing the breakdown of the family but are instead a response to something that has already happened. 

You can’t think about home without thinking about the people in it. Our most formative and important relationships are rooted here, an inextricable part of what we conceive of when we think about home. In our modern society, home is most often associated with the nuclear family: parents and children. This modern conception isn’t the only framework available to us, however, nor does it provide home for all people.

Our understanding of home affects everything about us, both individually and collectively. Home is vital to us all, but determining its value in a market-based society is fraught with troubles. Salary.com has attempted to help by giving stay-at-home-moms (or dads) a $160K valuation. The intent is to elevate the status of the home maker by giving it a professional-level salary. Our need for the marketplace to validate our home life tells us more than we may care to admit. In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson dig into their new series titled Go Home! Finding Our Way. Each episode will explore the common assumptions regarding the home and both in the church and in society. This conversation centers on home making—looking at the value we place on domestic life and the building of the home as the calling and vocation of us all. The church has tried to value the home by assigning it as women’s work. By claiming the home as the woman’s place and home making as a woman’s highest calling, the church initiates an unnecessary and unhelpful hierarchy that negates the varied experiences of women. In so doing, the church has sidestepped the role men play in home making and has assessed value according to marketplace standards. Is it possible to establish a vision for the home that is separate from cultural influences, both in the church and in the marketplace? How can we better approach the needful and important work of home making so that both women and men are fulfilling their proper role there?

Disagreements within the church are often and many, and in today’s digital age, that drama often spills out to the interwebs. Last fall, one in particular dominated Christian social feeds for several weeks that included Pastor John MacArthur and Bible teacher Beth Moore. It all started when MacArthur, as part of a panel discussion, was asked to play word association and was given Beth’s name. His two-word reply—“Go home.”—was met by laughter from the crowd and followed by his argument for why Beth (and all who listen to her) are in biblical error. As the clip of his comments made the social media rounds, it sparked afresh the debate over a woman’s place and role in society, within the church, and in the home. In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson kick off a new series titled Go Home! Finding Our Way to explore the common assumptions regarding the home and both in the church and in society. The way that we frame our definitions of home will shape how we operate in the world as well as in society and within our own families. It’s crucial that we parse out what contributes to our perspective, because that will inform the narrative of the stories we tell—and the ones we live out day to day. Even if we agree with MacArthur’s mandate, what does that mean, practically speaking? How does this directive affect men and women not only in the home but also in the church, in the workplace, in society? Where does our concept of home come from, and is it possible for it to be perfectly sanitized from cultural influence? Conversation touches on questions like these as an introduction to the series. As we explore our definitions and categories that influence our sense of home, we can better process our reactions to mandates like the one given by MacArthur and determine our reaction to women like Beth Moore who are challenging our preconceived notions of proper church structure. Listen in for dialogue on topics like these in the entire Go Home! series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap up their mini-series called A Persuasion Christmas. Each episode features conversation about a specific way pop culture is shaping our mindset and approach to celebrating the season. The first two episodes—A Hallmark Christmas and A Die Hard Christmas—cover all things merry and scary, yet in unrealistic narratives. This installment cuts through the make believe to reveal some truths about our current culture that couldn’t be received otherwise. This animated show is devoid of adults, leaving the Peanuts gang—mere children—to do the heavy lifting. And they deliver.

Every holiday season, a heated debate renews over the validity of calling the 1988 movie Die Hard a “Christmas movie.” The action-thriller is about a terrorist plot that takes place on Christmas Eve and is foiled by its hero, played by Bruce Willis. Technically, since the story takes place on Christmas Eve, it is a Christmas movie. The pushback is that it doesn’t have the typical seasonal elements viewers associate with Christmas: no magical/fantastical North Pole, no Santa and reindeer, no kids or elves. But it does have something threatening Christmas and our notions of peace on earth and goodwill toward men—a threat that takes on a real-world form rather than a magical one. In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their mini-series called A Persuasion Christmas. Each episode features conversation about a specific way pop culture is shaping our mindset and approach to celebrating the season. The first conversation, A Hallmark Christmas, covered our desire for goodness and predictability at Christmas. This installment begins with a discussion about the Christmas Spirit and how we’ve leaned hard into the merry-and-bright aspect of the season, almost to a fault. That’s why the nontraditional Christmas film Die Hard gets so much grief—it forces viewers to see the world for all it is—both good and evil, and evil doesn’t stop just because the calendar says December 25. Erin and Hannah use the Die Hard story to launch discussion about Christmas-like films that present realistic terrors. How does the action-thriller genre depict a more realistic backdrop for the Messiah’s birth? Why do we long to sanitize the nativity scene and the Christmas narrative? When we refuse to acknowledge the very real terror and brokenness in the world today, how does that weaken the rescue Jesus provides? Conversation covers everything from the historical backdrop of Jesus’ birth to the definition of the Christmas Spirit. Listen in for dialogue on topics like these for the Christmas mini-series, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.