Podcasts about General revelation

Romans Vol. 1 - Coming Under GraceWe live in a self-made echo chamber—God's voice is loud in creation, but we plug our ears and call it silence. The problem isn't that we don't know the truth; it's that we don't want it.Sermon Preached by Chris Lewis on May 18, 2025Foothill Church exists to glorify God by living as disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. https://foothill.churchLearn about our For the Sake of His Name 2-Year Discipleship Journey: https://foothill.church/FTSOHN

In this episode, Cory and Gray finish their series reviewing Abraham Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism. This week, they discuss Lecture 6 on Calvinism and the Future.Sources mentioned in this episode:Abraham Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism: Six Lectures Delivered at Princeton University [in 1898] (Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans, 2002).N. Gray Sutanto, A Sense of the Divine: An Affective Model of General Revelation from the Reformed Tradition, 1st ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2025), https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/religion/theology/sense-divine-affective-model-general-revelation-reformed-traditionBrad S. Gregory, The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society (Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2012).Nathanial Gray Sutano and Cory C. Brock, eds., T&T Clark Handbook of Neo-Calvinism, T&t Clark Handbooks (London ; New York: T&T Clark, 2024).Cory C. Brock, A Student's Guide to Scripture, Series eds. John Perritt and Linda Oliver, (Fearn: Christian Focus, 2025). https://www.christianfocus.com/en-gb/product/9781527112834/track-a-students-guide-to-scripture-paperbackExploring Neo-Calvinism: Foundations for Cultural Apologetics6-SESSION WEEKLY ONLINE COHORTMONDAYS, MAY 26 - JUNE 30, 2025https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/cohort/neo-calvinist-theology-for-apologetics-august-2025/Reach us at graceincommonpodcast@gmail.com. If you want to make a donation, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://donorbox.org/graceincommon⁠⁠⁠⁠Our theme music is Molly Molly by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue) ⁠⁠⁠CC BY-NC 4.0⁠⁠⁠

The Book of PsalmsPsalm 19God has revealed Himself through both creation and Scripture—pointing us toward Him and showing us exactly how to know Him. When we truly see and hear His revelation, our only right response is worship, trust, and a life lived for His glory.Sermon Preached by Steve DuBransky on May 11, 2025Foothill Church exists to glorify God by living as disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. https://foothill.church Learn about our For the Sake of His Name 2-Year Discipleship Journey: https://foothill.church/FTSOHN

How has our Lord revealed His message in our world? Through nature and His Word! Join us as we look at Psalm 19 and begin to scratch the surface of all the ways that God has revealed His message to us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    The podcast mentioned two terms that theologians use to describe “revelation”. What is “General Revelation”? How do we see it described in Psalm 19? 2.    According to verse 1, what do the heavens “tell” and “declare”? In your opinion, what are some ways that they do this?  3.    According to verse 2, what pours forth every day and night? What are some ways that we see this reality lived out in our world?  4.    Verses 3 & 4 teach about the speech going out into the world. What is this speech? What are some place where we find information from God in nature?  5.    Why is the daily path of the Sun so amazing? What would happen if we were just a few thousand miles closer or further from the sun? What does this show us about God's love for our planet? 6.    The podcast explained that verses 7-14 speak about what theologians call “Special Revelation”. What is Special Revelation? How is it different from General Revelation?  7.    What are some of the benefits of God's Word in verses 7 & 8? What are some ways that a person might experience God's Word in this way? If they are not experiencing these promises from God's Word, what would you advise them to do? 8.    In verse 10, how does David cherish God's Word? What do you think led him to have this view? How does this reflect your own view of God's Word?  9.    Why does David end this psalm talking about his errors and faults? How does God make these realities clearer in our lives? What are we to do when God shows us a place in our life that is out of conformity to His Word? 10.    How does God's Word purity our words and thoughts? Is there any place in your own life that needs further transformation to be pleasing to God?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Romans Vol. 1 - Coming Under GracePaul sets the brilliance of the gospel against the dark backdrop of human sin, helping us see just how necessary and glorious it really is. Before we can celebrate salvation, we must first face the reality of our guilt and God's just wrath to understand our deep need for rescue.Sermon Preached by Chris Lewis on April 27, 2025Foothill Church exists to glorify God by living as disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. https://foothill.churchLearn about our For the Sake of His Name 2-Year Discipleship Journey: https://foothill.church/FTSOHN

After a review of the previous material this lecture delves into how to interpret Acts 17 in line with General Revelation. [1 hour 23 minutes]

Systematic Theology 1: Doctrine of God's Revelation 2, General Revelation in Romans 1 - General Revelation in Romans 1 [1 hour 21 minutes]

In this episode, we seek to show how as beautiful as general revelation truly is, it was never going to be enough. We needed God to specially reveal himself, and now that he has revealed himself primarily in Christ, we look to Christ and his word to define all things for us in thought and life.ResourcesThe Wonderful Works of God By Herman BavinckQuotes“When therefore, we review the whole terrain of general revelation, we discover, on the one hand, that it has been of great value and that it has borne rich fruits, and, on the other hand, that mankind has not found God by its light.”“In general revelation such objective teaching is adequate to its purpose. What God intends by it is to provoke man to seek Him, to feel Him out and find Him (Acts 17:27), and, not finding Him, yet be without excuse (Romans 1:20). But in His special revelation God has compassion upon man who strays about and cannot find Him. In it, God seeks man out and Himself tells man who and what He is.” p50“The central content of the special revelation is the person and work of Christ.” p50“Thus the whole revelation of the Old Testament converges upon Christ, not upon a new law, or doctrine, or institution, but upon the person of Christ. A person is the completed revelation of God.”  p77274 - The Beauty of General RevelationConnect With Usprovidenceomaha.orgInstagramFacebookEmail Usformation@providenceomaha.org

General Revelation vs. Natural Theology [1 hour 38 minutes]

In this episode we seek to define and display the beauty of general revelation. The hope is that this episode would help us understand what general revelation means, see God's grand design in his creation, and recognize God's kindness in revealing himself to us.ResourcesVersesRomans 1:18-23Psalm 19Acts 17:22-31Romans 1:18-23PodcastsThe Knowing God PodcastFurther ReadingWhat is general revelation and special revelation?What Is General Revelation?"Divine Revelation: God Making Himself Known"Quotes“As a matter of fact, all of the works of God, whether of word or deed, are constituent parts and elements of the one, great, comprehensive, and always continuing revelation of God.” - Bavinck“Revelation, therefore, cannot have its final purpose in man; in part it passes him by and soars on beyond him.” - Bavinck“In the general revelation God makes use of the usual run of phenomena and the usual course of events; in the special revelation He often employs unusual means, appearances, prophecy, and miracles to make himself known to man.”“When therefore, we review the whole terrain of general revelation, we discover, on the one hand, that it has been of great value and that it has borne rich fruits, and, on the other hand, that mankind has not found God by its light.” - BavinckConnect With Usprovidenceomaha.orgInstagramFacebookEmail Usformation@providenceomaha.org

(Isaiah 34:16) The Bible is the very Word of God. It is God's special revelation of Himself! The more we seek God in the Scriptures the more we come to know Him personally.  (0974250325) ----more----   What is the Bible? What is the Bible? Where did it come from? How can we be sure that it is accurate? Can it be trusted? And we're gonna deal with some of those questions over the next few episodes, and  The Bible's Divine Foundation I'm very excited about this final section in our study on what the Bible says because we've come to know what the Bible says about the word of God, literally what the Bible says about itself. Now, there are lots of external evidences that the Bible is the word of God. We're gonna talk about some of those, but internally, just read the Bible and the power of scripture will bring great conviction and assurance to your heart that indeed this is God's divine revelation. That it is the perfect revelation of our great God. I'm excited about this section, and I've saved it last, not because it's the least, but because, in fact, it lays a foundation for everything that we believe. All of the great truths we've been talking about for the last several weeks are built on the foundation of the word of God. If you don't have an authority to draw from, then it's just my opinion and your opinion. And this lays a foundation for any other question that might come up. Certainly, this study has not been exhaustive on even the subjects we've discussed, and then there are so many questions that arise in the world we live in today. Where do you find the answers? We believe that the Bible is the very word of the living God and that you can trust the word of God because you can trust the God of the word. Where Did the Word "Bible" Come From? Now the term Bible is an interesting term. Where does it come from? It actually comes from a word that means role or book. Now book. We understand role is a reference to the way an ancient civilization that they would write. I remember many years ago being in Cairo, Egypt, and they gave us a demonstration of how they created papyrus paper. These roles that would oftentimes become scrolls. They took reeds that grew along the Nile River and they would cut them into strips, lay them line up upon line at right angles, and then beat them and press them and polish them. And after they have dried and strengthened and bound together, it created a wonderful paper that could be written on. I remember bringing a sample of that back with me. It was just an idea about what an ancient civilization was done. We take so much for granted in our modern era with all the technology we have to convey writing, I. But in the early days, it was a very expensive and laborious process. Much work went into both writing it and then preserving it. The word Bible literally means a role or a book. It is a library of 66 books that all come together to be divine In fact, this is revelation. It's referred to throughout the word of God as scripture or the word of God. The Bible says in Isaiah 34:16, "16  Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read:" That's powerful, isn't it? This book that we're studying, this book we're talking about is not just any book. This is not man's book. This is literally the book of the Lord. And did you notice that he gave two action verbs? Two things we should do. He says, first, seek and then read. There is here a process. That's what reading is, but there's also heart in it. That's what seeking is. This is more than just something to read like you'd skim the headlines of the newspaper. No, my friend. This is something to read on a heart level. It's something to read with a great passion to know the God of the Bible.  The Bible as God's Revelation The Bible is the finished revelation of God. It is the place where God reveals his person, his work, and his will. For mankind, it is God's record of who he is. And he said to man, write it down. Now, the first mention of such writing is all the way back atf the Old Testament. In fact, in Exodus 24:4, the Bible says, " 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord," We believe that though men were used as instruments of writing the scriptures. That all scripture is given by inspiration of God. That means it has a divine source. It may come to us through many tributaries. It may come through many human penman, but it has one source, and that is, it comes from God. Peter wrote and said that Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, literally as they were born along by the Holy Ghost. In other words, this is a spiritual book because this is a book the Holy Spirit wrote. It is the foundation for everything that we believe. And now I wanna talk to you for just a moment today about the most basic truth about the word of God. And it is this the Bible is God's revelation of himself. The God of the Bible is a God who wants to be known. Is there mystery related to our God? Certainly because there are things we can't fully understand. Comprehend, fathom, we're finite beings. He's an infinite God. And yet how loving and wonderful to know that the God who created the world wanted man to know him. He wanted us to be brought into the knowledge of Him.  General and Special Revelation He began by giving us what we might call general revelation. That's the revelation that everybody on Earth has. It just reveals there is a God. For example, Psalm 19, "1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." What does that mean? It means that even the creation. Cries out. There is a God, the sun, the moon, the stars, the birds that fly through the air all are a testament to the fact that there is an all powerful, all wise, all good God that ma not only made the world, but sustains the world. So the creation testifies. Romans chapter one, alludes to this same principle. As a matter of fact, the Bible says in Romans 1:18, "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" In other words, they've been given some truth, but they've not responded the right way to it. He goes on to say in verse 19, "19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" In other words, God's made it so that all men have some light, and if they follow the light they have, God will give them more light. So many people reject the light that they've been given. As a matter of fact, Romans chapter one says, A great number of these people begin worshiping and serving the creature instead of the creator. They stop shy of the actual source, which is God himself. So there's general revelation that begins with creation. It also includes man's conscience. Every man has a conscience built into him. The very next chapter in Romans, Romans chapter two, verse 15, says, "15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)" So God gives us creation and conscience to reveal the reality of God. But he goes beyond that in scripture and the word of God. He not only gives general revelation, he gives what we might call special revelation because in scripture we have not only the reality of God. We have the message of redemption from God. Only through the word of God can we come to know how we can have a personal relationship with the creator God of the universe. We're born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abid it forever. General Revelation prepares man for special revelation, but the special revelation of scripture is necessary for any man to have a personal relationship with the creator God. And this revelation, of course, is given in the Bible.  Read Your Bible I wanna encourage you today to spend some time just reading your Bible. Seek ye in the book of the Lord and read. Spend some time today reading the Word of God and say to the God of the word, Lord, I want to know you better, because the Bible is the foundation of our faith. Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe.  Outro and Resources We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening, and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

jonesvillebaptist.comcameron@jonesvillebaptist.com

Welcome to another Classical Essentials, a special Best of Basecamp Live series! Over the years, we've had incredible conversations unpacking the foundational ideas of classical Christian education. In this series, we're bringing back some of the most popular and essential episodes to help parents, educators, and school leaders better understand the core principles that make this movement so impactful.Why should Christian students read pagan books? Wouldn't it be safer to stick to Christian authors? Shouldn't we only fill our children's minds with explicitly biblical works? These are common concerns among parents and educators, and in this episode, Dr. Louis Markos offers a compelling answer.Many of history's greatest books—from Homer to Plato to Virgil—were written by pre-Christian authors. Yet, these works wrestle with profound questions about virtue, truth, and human nature—questions that ultimately point to Christ. Rather than being a threat to faith, these books can deepen a student's understanding of God's truth and equip them to engage thoughtfully with today's secular world.

Why doesn't God just reveal Himself? He has! Nate dives into how God has revealed Himself to humanity.

From the Men's Breakfast series: This Book We Call The Bible.How God Reveals Himself in the Written Word(handout here)

"Let us know what you think."General Revelation can draw a seeker to God, but sadly will not save anyone.

Having described God's general revelation thru Creation (v1-6), Ps 19 transitions to God's special revelation thru His Word. Creation reveals God as EL, the Almighty Creator, whereas Scripture reveals God as YAHWEH, the God who brings His people into personal covenant relationship with Himself. Both revelations agree for God created His world by His Word. The written Word is more comprehensive, detailed, clearer & personal. Also, the fall means creation is under curse, so corrupted nature sends mixed signals, so people can misunderstand God's nature, when they see evil in the world. So, we need a clearer revelation of God - His written Word, which is perfect, without error, and extolled in v7-11. Psalm 19:7-9 lists 6 descriptions of God's Word (its nature), followed by 6 things it will accomplish in us if we receive it (its power). (1) “The LAW of the LORD is PERFECT (blameless, inerrant, complete & sufficient revelation of God and His will for our lives, 2Pet 1:3-4, 2Tim 3:16-17), converting (restoring, reviving, imparts new life to) the soul.” (2) “The TESTIMONY (His witness to Himself) of the LORD is SURE (dependable, reliable, firm, Ps 119:89), making wise the simple (imparting wisdom for life to the humble).” (3) “The STATUTES (precepts, instructions) of the LORD are RIGHT (morally right not crooked), rejoicing (imparting joy, peace, blessing & satisfaction to) the heart.” (4) “The COMMANDMENT (not suggestion) of the LORD is PURE (lit: 'radiant') enlightening the eyes (giving illumination for life).” (5) “The FEAR of the LORD (it reveals His majesty, authority & holiness, producing in us the fear of God - Deut 4:10), is CLEAN (free from impurity, making us clean, by imparting the fear of the Lord to us), enduring forever (enabling us to endure forever - 1Pet 1:23-25, 1John 2:17, our unshakable foundation for life).” (6) The JUDGMENTS (verdicts) of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (giving us reliable guidance for our life, to think & act right). In view of its origin, nature and beneficial transforming power, we should value & embrace it above all earthly things, for it is both (1) desirable & (2) enjoyable: “(1) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold (Prov 3:13-18), (2) sweeter also than honey & the honeycomb (‘honey in the combs'- Prov 16:24)” (v10). It imparts (1) spiritual riches of great value, above all natural possessions, and (2) the sweet grace of God. Honey is pleasant to eat, but God's Word is sweeter still, for it reveals the beauty of the Lord. It provides experiences greater & deeper than the experiences of the senses & the enjoyment of natural things. How much we value it is important, for "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34), and the measure of attention we give His Word determines the measure of blessing we receive (Mark 4:24). His Word can accomplish all the things in v7-10, as it is the Word 'of the LORD' (repeated x6), which reveals the Lord of the Word. Thru His Word we find, meet & know the Lord personally. We come into union with Him by faith, and thereby receive His life, wisdom, blessing, light, strength & cleansing (John 5:39-40). The Lord Himself imparts Himself to us thru His Word, and does great things in our lives. So, if you desire God, desire His Word, not just for its positive impartation of blessing (v10), but also because it reveals & warns us of our sin, bringing repentance & cleansing, for sin separates us from God & His life: “Moreover, by them (God's words) Your servant is warned (of folly, sin & dangers), and in keeping them there is great reward" (v11). God's purpose in revealing Himself to us thru His Word, is that we might come to know Him as our Redeemer & Rock (Strength). Therefore, the 3rd Part of Ps 19 describes our right response to His revelation (v12-14). His Word reveals His perfection and by contrast our sin. He also reveals Himself as our Redeemer from sin, and our Strength, to empower us to walk in righteousness (v14). Sin impedes our fellowship with God, so we must turn from sin, asking for His cleansing (v12,13), and surrender ourselves to God, for Him to fill us with His Spirit & strengthen us to do His will (v14). There are 2 kinds of sin (1) sins of ignorance & (2) deliberate sins. First, David prays about 2 kinds of sins of which he is unaware: “(1) Who can understand his errors? (2) Cleanse me from secret faults" (v12). Even though these are hidden to us, they still darken the soul. He asks God to (1) reveal his errors of thinking & (2) cleanse his sins committed in ignorance. He opens his heart to God's light inviting Him to cleanse him (1John 1:7). Then he prays about his deliberate sins, which must be confessed to God to restore fellowship (1John 1:9): "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins (wilful sins); let them not have dominion over me (when we yield to our sin-nature, we become enslaved to that sin, so it becomes habitual, increasingly dominating u

Having described God's general revelation thru Creation (v1-6), Ps 19 transitions to God's special revelation thru His Word. Creation reveals God as EL, the Almighty Creator, whereas Scripture reveals God as YAHWEH, the God who brings His people into personal covenant relationship with Himself. Both revelations agree for God created His world by His Word. The written Word is more comprehensive, detailed, clearer & personal. Also, the fall means creation is under curse, so corrupted nature sends mixed signals, so people can misunderstand God's nature, when they see evil in the world. So, we need a clearer revelation of God - His written Word, which is perfect, without error, and extolled in v7-11. Psalm 19:7-9 lists 6 descriptions of God's Word (its nature), followed by 6 things it will accomplish in us if we receive it (its power). (1) “The LAW of the LORD is PERFECT (blameless, inerrant, complete & sufficient revelation of God and His will for our lives, 2Pet 1:3-4, 2Tim 3:16-17), converting (restoring, reviving, imparts new life to) the soul.” (2) “The TESTIMONY (His witness to Himself) of the LORD is SURE (dependable, reliable, firm, Ps 119:89), making wise the simple (imparting wisdom for life to the humble).” (3) “The STATUTES (precepts, instructions) of the LORD are RIGHT (morally right not crooked), rejoicing (imparting joy, peace, blessing & satisfaction to) the heart.” (4) “The COMMANDMENT (not suggestion) of the LORD is PURE (lit: 'radiant') enlightening the eyes (giving illumination for life).” (5) “The FEAR of the LORD (it reveals His majesty, authority & holiness, producing in us the fear of God - Deut 4:10), is CLEAN (free from impurity, making us clean, by imparting the fear of the Lord to us), enduring forever (enabling us to endure forever - 1Pet 1:23-25, 1John 2:17, our unshakable foundation for life).” (6) The JUDGMENTS (verdicts) of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (giving us reliable guidance for our life, to think & act right). In view of its origin, nature and beneficial transforming power, we should value & embrace it above all earthly things, for it is both (1) desirable & (2) enjoyable: “(1) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold (Prov 3:13-18), (2) sweeter also than honey & the honeycomb (‘honey in the combs'- Prov 16:24)” (v10). It imparts (1) spiritual riches of great value, above all natural possessions, and (2) the sweet grace of God. Honey is pleasant to eat, but God's Word is sweeter still, for it reveals the beauty of the Lord. It provides experiences greater & deeper than the experiences of the senses & the enjoyment of natural things. How much we value it is important, for "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34), and the measure of attention we give His Word determines the measure of blessing we receive (Mark 4:24). His Word can accomplish all the things in v7-10, as it is the Word 'of the LORD' (repeated x6), which reveals the Lord of the Word. Thru His Word we find, meet & know the Lord personally. We come into union with Him by faith, and thereby receive His life, wisdom, blessing, light, strength & cleansing (John 5:39-40). The Lord Himself imparts Himself to us thru His Word, and does great things in our lives. So, if you desire God, desire His Word, not just for its positive impartation of blessing (v10), but also because it reveals & warns us of our sin, bringing repentance & cleansing, for sin separates us from God & His life: “Moreover, by them (God's words) Your servant is warned (of folly, sin & dangers), and in keeping them there is great reward" (v11). God's purpose in revealing Himself to us thru His Word, is that we might come to know Him as our Redeemer & Rock (Strength). Therefore, the 3rd Part of Ps 19 describes our right response to His revelation (v12-14). His Word reveals His perfection and by contrast our sin. He also reveals Himself as our Redeemer from sin, and our Strength, to empower us to walk in righteousness (v14). Sin impedes our fellowship with God, so we must turn from sin, asking for His cleansing (v12,13), and surrender ourselves to God, for Him to fill us with His Spirit & strengthen us to do His will (v14). There are 2 kinds of sin (1) sins of ignorance & (2) deliberate sins. First, David prays about 2 kinds of sins of which he is unaware: “(1) Who can understand his errors? (2) Cleanse me from secret faults" (v12). Even though these are hidden to us, they still darken the soul. He asks God to (1) reveal his errors of thinking & (2) cleanse his sins committed in ignorance. He opens his heart to God's light inviting Him to cleanse him (1John 1:7). Then he prays about his deliberate sins, which must be confessed to God to restore fellowship (1John 1:9): "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins (wilful sins); let them not have dominion over me (when we yield to our sin-nature, we become enslaved to that sin, so it becomes habitual, increasingly dominating u

A new MP3 sermon from Pagadian Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: General Revelation Speaker: Alden Manatad Broadcaster: Pagadian Reformed Presbyterian Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 8/11/2024 Length: 79 min.

Psalm 19 is another Messianic Psalm (in the middle of a cluster of Messianic Psalms). C.S. Lewis wrote: “This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendour of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'” It is an important source of the Doctrine of Revelation in the Bible. It is in 3 Parts: (1) God's General Revelation in Creation, a revelation of God's person, power and nature to all people (v1-6), (2) God's Special Revelation of Himself in His written Word (v7-11), and (3) God's purpose in revealing Himself to us and our right response to His Revelation (v12-14). In Part 1 the name of God used is EL - the Almighty Creator, and in Part 2, the name of God used is YAHWEH (x7), His personal Covenant Name, for it is His special revelation that is designed to bring us into a personal covenant relationship to Him. v1-6 describe God's Message in Creation, especially through the heavens: "The heavens declare the glory (splendour) of God; and the firmament (expanse) shows His handiwork (the work of His hands)" (v1). Creation is designed to be a revelation of God, His glory, wisdom, and creative greatness: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20, see also Acts 14;17 and 17:22-28). It tells us: "He is glorious in His size, having created something so big. He is glorious in His engineering, having created something that works together so well. He is glorious in His artistry, having created something so beautiful. He is glorious in His goodness and kindness, having created something for all humanity to see." Creation reveals the unity of God (it is a universe, with universal laws, and all life has God's signature of DNA, showing it all has a common Designer) as well as the plurality of the Godhead (manifested through all the creative diversity in the world). God's general revelation is continuous and abundant: "Day unto day utters (pours forth) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." The image is of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation. In v1-6, the Psalmist talks about both the revelation by day and the revelation by night. By day, the sun shines upon the earth, so we can see His handiwork down below, especially life, which proves there must be an intelligent Designer. By night, we see the stars, which reveal His immensity and power, as well as proclaiming the Gospel. Moreover this general revelation is universal: "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound - LXX) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (v3-4a). The Bible also teaches God used the stars and constellations to preach the Gospel to ancient mankind (who looked at the stars much more than us), before God's written Word was available. We know this for in Romans 10, Paul quoted from Psalm 19, which describes God's revelation in the heavens, and applies it to the Gospel: “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard (the Gospel)? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (v16-18). So the Gospel is in the Stars. This is confirmed in Genesis 15, when Abraham was justified by faith: “Then He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count (tell, declare) the stars if you are able to number (tell, declare) them.” And He said to him: “So shall your descendants (SEED) be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (v5-6). The word translated 'count' means 'to tell, to give an account'. In other words, God asked him to tell the story in the stars. It is the very same word that is translated 'declare' in Psalm 19:1. That is, he was to declare the message that the stars were declaring. This was the Gospel Message of the Messiah. When he did this, God confirmed (preached) the Gospel to him, by saying: "so shall your SEED (the Messiah) be" - that is, the Messiah is coming and will be the Seed of Abraham (see Gal 3:8). So, Abraham, our father of faith, was justified by faith, as we are, through believing the Gospel, not through believing God would give him many children - which is absurd! God had revealed the Gospel of the Coming Messiah to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15,21), and taught them the need for sacrifices, which they then passed down to their descendants. He also designed the stars to be signs pointing to His truth (Gen 1:14), and He named the stars and revealed their names to man (Isa 40:26, Ps 147:4). He named and designed the constellations to reveal His truth (Job 26:13, 9:8-9, 38:31-33, Amos 5:6-8). David knew the

Psalm 19 is another Messianic Psalm (in the middle of a cluster of Messianic Psalms). C.S. Lewis wrote: “This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendour of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'” It is an important source of the Doctrine of Revelation in the Bible. It is in 3 Parts: (1) God's General Revelation in Creation, a revelation of God's person, power and nature to all people (v1-6), (2) God's Special Revelation of Himself in His written Word (v7-11), and (3) God's purpose in revealing Himself to us and our right response to His Revelation (v12-14). In Part 1 the name of God used is EL - the Almighty Creator, and in Part 2, the name of God used is YAHWEH (x7), His personal Covenant Name, for it is His special revelation that is designed to bring us into a personal covenant relationship to Him. v1-6 describe God's Message in Creation, especially through the heavens: "The heavens declare the glory (splendour) of God; and the firmament (expanse) shows His handiwork (the work of His hands)" (v1). Creation is designed to be a revelation of God, His glory, wisdom, and creative greatness: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20, see also Acts 14;17 and 17:22-28). It tells us: "He is glorious in His size, having created something so big. He is glorious in His engineering, having created something that works together so well. He is glorious in His artistry, having created something so beautiful. He is glorious in His goodness and kindness, having created something for all humanity to see." Creation reveals the unity of God (it is a universe, with universal laws, and all life has God's signature of DNA, showing it all has a common Designer) as well as the plurality of the Godhead (manifested through all the creative diversity in the world). God's general revelation is continuous and abundant: "Day unto day utters (pours forth) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." The image is of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation. In v1-6, the Psalmist talks about both the revelation by day and the revelation by night. By day, the sun shines upon the earth, so we can see His handiwork down below, especially life, which proves there must be an intelligent Designer. By night, we see the stars, which reveal His immensity and power, as well as proclaiming the Gospel. Moreover this general revelation is universal: "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound - LXX) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (v3-4a). The Bible also teaches God used the stars and constellations to preach the Gospel to ancient mankind (who looked at the stars much more than us), before God's written Word was available. We know this for in Romans 10, Paul quoted from Psalm 19, which describes God's revelation in the heavens, and applies it to the Gospel: “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard (the Gospel)? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (v16-18). So the Gospel is in the Stars. This is confirmed in Genesis 15, when Abraham was justified by faith: “Then He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count (tell, declare) the stars if you are able to number (tell, declare) them.” And He said to him: “So shall your descendants (SEED) be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (v5-6). The word translated 'count' means 'to tell, to give an account'. In other words, God asked him to tell the story in the stars. It is the very same word that is translated 'declare' in Psalm 19:1. That is, he was to declare the message that the stars were declaring. This was the Gospel Message of the Messiah. When he did this, God confirmed (preached) the Gospel to him, by saying: "so shall your SEED (the Messiah) be" - that is, the Messiah is coming and will be the Seed of Abraham (see Gal 3:8). So, Abraham, our father of faith, was justified by faith, as we are, through believing the Gospel, not through believing God would give him many children - which is absurd! God had revealed the Gospel of the Coming Messiah to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15,21), and taught them the need for sacrifices, which they then passed down to their descendants. He also designed the stars to be signs pointing to His truth (Gen 1:14), and He named the stars and revealed their names to man (Isa 40:26, Ps 147:4). He named and designed the constellations to reveal His truth (Job 26:13, 9:8-9, 38:31-33, Amos 5:6-8). David knew the

This episode is from our 2023 Spring lecture series. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/_IKsWuRB8W4 DISCLAIMER Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical […]

This episode is from our 2023 Spring lecture series. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/_IKsWuRB8W4 DISCLAIMER Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical […]

A new MP3 sermon from CrossWay Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Knowledge of God and General Revelation Subtitle: Romans Speaker: R. Dean Linsky, Th.M. Broadcaster: CrossWay Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 11/4/2007 Bible: Romans 1:18-20 Length: 42 min.

In this episode, Cory and James sit down with Gray Sutanto to discuss his forthcoming contribution to the Cambridge Elements of Christian Doctrine series: 'A Sense of the Divine': An Affective Model of General Revelation. It is a great example of a constructive use of the neo-Calvinist tradition. Publications mentioned in this episode: https://www.cambridge.org/core/publications/elements/christian-doctrine Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, God and Humanity: Herman Bavinck and Theological Anthropology, T&T Clark Explorations in Reformed Theology, vol. 5 (London ; New York: T&T Clark, 2024). Our theme music is Molly Molly by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue) ⁠⁠⁠CC BY-NC 4.0⁠⁠⁠ Reach us at graceincommonpodcast@gmail.com. If you want to make a donation, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://donorbox.org/graceincommon

Are you trying to discern what God wants you to do? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 6. I've titled this chapter "From Confusion to Clarity." In chapter 6, the Philistines have had enough of the Ark of God. Since capturing the Ark seven months ago, they have been tortured with the Black Plague and severe hemorrhoids. Some pagan priests devised a plan to rid themselves of the Ark, and they decided to try this unusual experiment with a couple of cows. Here is how this plays out in verses 7-12: Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. — 1 Samuel 6:7-12 Test It For some reason, after seven months of torture, the Philistines are still unsure if God was behind the disease and pestilence that had struck their land. It had poisoned people, weakened wealth, and created conflict among their people. Yet still, the five kings of Philistine wonder if this is just a coincidence or if it is the God of the Ark. So they devise a plan to deploy a cart that will carry the ark, pulled by milk cows, to test and see if the God of the Ark takes it home. Milk It The pagan priests decided to use milk cows, not draft animals. Typical draft animals in their day were castrated oxen mainly because they were strong, steady, and orderly. Milk cows would not be the choice, mostly because they were tribal and protective mothers who primarily produced milk. Strapping them to a cart, freshly separated from their young, was a remedy for disaster. But we see they respond unexpectedly. They head directly for the closest Israel territory, lowing as if they were being called and guided to their home. This was highly unusual given all the factors that could have gone awry. Discern It God, by nature of his supreme authority, is always "leading the cart" of his creation. Yet there are times in our lives when his leading is more difficult to discern. When it is difficult, we will often look for his leading in and through the circumstances of this life. We look for his move so we can determine our move. We are trying to discern his general revelation, or how he reveals himself to us through the natural world and human experience. General revelation has a whole lot to say about God. The apostle Paul clarifies this in Romans 1:19-20: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. — Romans 1:19-20 Thus, through general revelation, we, like the Philistines, are without excuse. God demonstrates through creation that he exists. But we don't just have a general revelation. We have more specific revelations. God gave us Jesus, Scripture, and the Spirit. He also gave us a means to talk with him in prayer and a means to hear of him through the wisdom of other believers. When it comes to discerning God's leading, we have all kinds of resources at our disposal daily and all the time. Seek It So, if you need direction today, you could look merely to general revelation. Or, if you don't want to wait through seven months of torment and track down a couple of milk cows, you could turn to the resources and tools God has already given you. But I will leave it up to you. #DiscerningGodsWill, #SeekingClarity, #DivineGuidance Ask This: How can you distinguish between God's leading and mere coincidence in your own life circumstances?  What specific steps can you take today to deepen your reliance on God's guidance through prayer, Scripture, and wise counsel from fellow believers? Do This: Seek general and specific revelation. Pray This: Father, help me discern Your will clearly amidst life's uncertainties, relying on Your guidance through Scripture, prayer, and the wisdom of others. Strengthen my faith to trust in Your leading with confidence and obedience. Amen. Play This: Lead Me On.

Pastors Alex and Chris talk about general revelation and its implications to us and our faith. A dive into topics like AI and social justice seems nice and easy for a leisurely afternoon with less caffeine.Gospel Fluency by Jeff VandersteldtKey thought from this episode: General revelation is everywhere and it shows us who God is (in part).We look forward to hearing from you for future topics we might address!Email chris.stukenberg@parkhillsefc.org or check out parkhillschurch.com for more info.

This week, AJ and Brandon talk about the idea of general revelation. What is it? How much does it actually tell us about God? Once we have specific revelation, is there any reason to think about the general revelation anymore?

Scripture is the supreme source of revelation from God--but it isn't the only source. The Bible tells us that God reveals Himself in creation. Today, R.C. Sproul introduces the ideas of general revelation and natural theology. Request Three Resources from R.C. Sproul for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3324/foundations Meet Today's Teacher: R.C. Sproul (1939-2017) was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God's Word. He was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Meet the Host: Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, host of the Ask Ligonier podcast, and a graduate of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. Nathan joined Ligonier in 2012 and lives in Central Florida with his wife and four children. Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

How has our Lord revealed His message in our world? Through nature and His Word! Join us as we look at Psalm 19 and begin to scratch the surface of all the ways that God has revealed His message to us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    The podcast mentioned two terms that theologians use to describe “revelation”. What is “General Revelation”? How do we see it described in Psalm 19? 2.    According to verse 1, what do the heavens “tell” and “declare”? In your opinion, what are some ways that they do this?  3.    According to verse 2, what pours forth every day and night? What are some ways that we see this reality lived out in our world?  4.    Verses 3 & 4 teach about the speech going out into the world. What is this speech? What are some place where we find information from God in nature?  5.    Why is the daily path of the Sun so amazing? What would happen if we were just a few thousand miles closer or further from the sun? What does this show us about God's love for our planet? 6.    The podcast explained that verses 7-14 speak about what theologians call “Special Revelation”. What is Special Revelation? How is it different from General Revelation?  7.    What are some of the benefits of God's Word in verses 7 & 8? What are some ways that a person might experience God's Word in this way? If they are not experiencing these promises from God's Word, what would you advise them to do? 8.    In verse 10, how does David cherish God's Word? What do you think led him to have this view? How does this reflect your own view of God's Word?  9.    Why does David end this psalm talking about his errors and faults? How does God make these realities clearer in our lives? What are we to do when God shows us a place in our life that is out of conformity to His Word? 10.    How does God's Word purity our words and thoughts? Is there any place in your own life that needs further transformation to be pleasing to God?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

The grandeur of the heavens draws our eyes upward to something--or Someone--beyond them. In this episode, Barry Cooper considers God's general revelation in nature. Read the transcript: https://simplyputpodcast.com/general-revelation/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Today on Text-Driven Tuesday the guys are continuing their discussion of Romans chapter one and Paul's universal indictment of the human race. The discussion turns to idolatry as Paul unfolds what happens next to mankind after they reject the truth of God revealed in General Revelation. Conformed to Christ aims to engage the mind, affect the heart, and call people to follow Christ. Additionally, our aim is to introduce and explain passages of Scripture and difficult theological doctrines in a down-to-earth and easy-to-grasp manner. Theology and the Bible should impact your life, and our goal is that we might play a small part in seeing that happen. Conformed to Christ is a ministry of Christ's Fellowship Church. https://cfclawton.org/ ***Be sure to subscribe on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and Amazon Music Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCgQBeT-Mj1CmngPdhZyWybQ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conformed-to-christ/id1503247486 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NvbmZvcm1lZHRvY2hyaXN0L2ZlZWQueG1s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YruCZu4hla6Ll3rBu7UPY Podbean: https://conformedtochrist.podbean.com  

Today we are looking at...Theology and General Revelation. This is not the book of Revelation in the Bible, but this is the reality of God revealed through normal life. This is part of our Theology series at Church Public and I hope you enjoy this episode. To live out your faith you must know what your faith is, I'm here to help you out.SUPPORT - www.churchpublic.com/supportFor more episodes, go to churchpublic.com to learn about Current Events from a Christian perspective to help you live out your FAITH!..---At Church Public we create compelling content to equip you to follow Jesus and engage in the public square including Current Events from a Christian Perspective.Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!Listen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/church-public/id1520119356Listen on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3cWx1g4WfSOVs8MX05cSvH?si=8ajf5wFVSjakXiYS7HkmhgListen on GooglePodcastshttps://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMTc2MjU0LnJzcw?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwiI_4eugrbwAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAgFind Me:www.churchpublic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchPublic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/churchpublicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchpublic/Support:on PAYPALwww.churchpublic.com/supportToday is a great day to start your own podcast. Whether you're looking for a new marketing channel, have a message you want to share with the world, or just think it would be fun to have your own talk show...podcasting is an easy, inexpensive, and fun way to expand your reach online.Following the link in the show notes let's Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support our show.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1132064Support the show

Jarrod Williams

God's revelation drives us to a humble acknowledgement of who he is and who we are without him. In Psalm 19, God, through David, offers us self-revelation, which causes us to ascribe greatness to him. We will consider this text under three broad headings: 1. ⁠The General Revelation through God's Creation (vv. 1–6) 2. ⁠⁠The Specific Revelation through God's Word (vv. 7–11) 3. ⁠⁠The Response after the Revelation (vv. 12–14)

Is it possible for humans to know God apart from the Bible? If it is, what can we learn about God? Is it possible to know God through the use of human reason? Or what about observing God's creation? Are these things enough for a person to be saved?In this episode, we discuss the necessity of Special Revelation (i.e. the Bible) for a saving knowledge of God. This means that in order for us to know enough about God to experience true salvation, we need God to reveal himself to us in a special way. We argue that although there is much we can understand about God through General Revelation and human reason, these things apart from the Bible are insufficient to teach us all that we need to know about God.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. — Psalm 19:1 Once a week I meet with a friend early in the morning to run along the Chicago lakefront. When we begin, it is usually dark, and the city is quiet. Along the way we have seen a red fox that sleeps under bushes around Buckingham fountain, and we once came upon a handful of coyotes pacing the bike path, looking for rabbits. By the time we head back, the sun is just beginning to peek over Lake Michigan. Before long, the sun's rays reflect off Chicago's silvery, mirrored downtown skyline. The sky begins to take on pink and orange hues, and the water can be so blue. It's breathtaking every single time. The sheer beauty is something to behold. It is one of the few moments that weekly puts me in a state of awe. Maybe you have a favorite walk that you take, a favorite spot to watch the sun set, or a telescope to look at stars, planets, or the moon—something that creates in you a sense of awe. Whatever does this for you, can you set aside a few moments today and take in the beauty and awe of God's creation? Lord, there is so much beauty in your world. Open our senses to be aware of your beauty and power in your vast creation. Amen!

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts I'm so delighted to present you with an interview I did with Professor Nancy Pearcey, an author whose books have significantly helped me understand and live out my faith better. Today we're talking about masculinity. Have you noticed the critical and uncharitable tone in our culture towards men? Although our society celebrates women and girls who excel at sports, education, and business, men and boys often receive nothing but criticism, even outright hostility. Some even say masculine men are the cause of all the problems with the world. Listen in as I ask Pearcey about her recent book and how Christians should approach the whole issue of masculinity both biblically and historically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmzSm2_4RI Here are my 8 myths about masculinity that Pearcey responded to in this episode: Bible-believing Christians are slightly more likely to divorce than non-Christians or liberal Christians. Bible-believing Christian men are more likely to be harsh and abusive to their wives and children The Bible's endorsement of male patriarchy causes toxic masculine behaviors. Women initiated the suffragette movement in America because they wanted to be treated as individuals of equal value. Our time is the first when women in America have publicly accused men of toxic behavior. Men have traditionally worked outside of the home and have been the breadwinners. Traditionally women focused on keeping the home and raising the children rather than contributing economically. Blocking or limiting men's testosterone will solve the problems our society has with badly behaved men. Professor Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes,as well as Love Thy Body,The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She's been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual." —— Links —— Get The Toxic War on Masculinity here More about Pearcey at NancyPearcey.com Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Transcript —— This transcript was auto-generated and only approximates the contents of this episode. Sean Finnegan: Hey there I'm Sean Finnegan, and you are listening to Restitutio podcast that seeks to recover authentic Christianity put out today. I'm so delighted to present you with an interview I did with Professor Nancy Pearcy, an author whose books have significantly helped me understand and live out my faith better. Today. We're talking about masculinity. Have you ever noticed the critical and uncharitable tone in our culture towards men? Although our society celebrates? Women and girls who excel at sports, education and business men and boys often receive nothing but criticism, even outright hostility. Some even say masculine men are the cause. Of all the. Problems with the world listen in as I ask Piercy about her recent book and how Christians should approach the whole issue of masculinity, both biblically and historically. Here now is episode 515, The Toxic War on masculinity. With Professor Nancy Pearcy. Today on the show, I'm joined by Professor Nancy Pearcy. She's the author of the Toxic War on masculinity, how Christianity reconciles the sexes, as well as love thy body, the soul of science, saving Leonardo, finding truth and total truth, publish some other books and articles that I I don't have listed here, but she's a professor and scholar. And residence at Houston Christian University. She's been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek highlighted as. One of the five. Top women apologists by Christianity Today and hailed in the Economist as America's preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual. Well, Nancy Piercy, welcome to Restitutio. Nancy Pearcey:Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Sean Finnegan:So I first came. Across your work, when a friend of. Mine told me. He loved told Truth. So much that he read that book every year that intrigued me, I got to read it myself. Was really interested in the. Whole world view. Approach and but it was really the the love thy body book that hooked me. I really enjoyed this one. I think it was 2018. Such an interesting book, it hooked me and so now this new book, The Toxic War on Masculinity, has outdone them all, in my opinion. This is such a fascinating read. I've learned so much about the history of masculinity in America, which I was not expecting. I just thought it was just another culture war book, which I'm happy to read anyhow. But this was really a lot deeper and I found it very challenging, especially the last. The last whole section. You you really challenged husbands in a healthy way. I felt challenged and I've tried to make some changes in my my marriage with my wife and get get a little more involved and so forth. But so I just want to say thanks for courageously stepping out on the limb here and writing this book. Nancy Pearcey:Well, thank you and I didn't realize when I started that it was going to take courage to tell you the truth, but it has in fact been the most controversial book that I've ever written. I really thought love thy body would be more controversial because it deals with issues like abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, which is really exploding today. But in fact. This one caused more controversy, at least in Christian Circle. Here's an example. When I was writing the manuscript, I taught several classes on it. I LED several leading groups. I like to get lots of feedback, rub off all the rough edges, and when they would tell their family and friends about it. So people who weren't actually seeing the book just hearing about it initially, their first question was always. Whose side is she on with that tone? Whose side is she? On and by. The way the second question was always and why is a woman writing a book on masculinity any. Sean Finnegan:Right. Nancy Pearcey:So this is what I was up against all through the writing process. I rewrote that first chapter multiple times because I had to sort of overcome that suspicion that almost hostility that people have when they just, they're just triggered by the word masculinity. So and and even after the book came out. I. Don't know if you followed. Twitter it all but the day after the book came out, it was jumped on by a Christian egalitarians. Who accused me of giving ammunition their word to complementarians, even though I don't even address that in the book. I even explain why I don't you, you know, because the social scientist said it doesn't seem to make much difference. So I'm giving you data from the social scientist and then once that calmed down, I started getting. Not nearly as not nearly as vicious, but some counter attacks from conservatives as well. So all I had to say it has something to make everyone angry, I guess. Sean Finnegan:Yes, yes and. And and everyone should read it and. See see what it says because it is. It's accessible, but it's also very evidence based and I really appreciated that. Nancy Pearcey:Yeah, yeah, it's the. Most fact based book I've written, so it starts with evidence from sociology and what Christian men are actually like. What are they like? Get rid of the, you know, the accusations back and forth. What are they actually like? Let's look at the social science data where they went out and actually surveyed. Tentacles and then as you mentioned a minute ago, there's a lot of history there too because I wanted. To show where the secular definition of masculinity comes from. As you know, since you've read my books, I'm an apologist at heart. So my goal really is to answer the charges from the secular world. It's secular world that says, you know. Masculinity is toxic, and if you want to counter any social trend, you need to ask where did it come from? How did it develop? And so that's really my goal, is to get to the bottom of the secular. Charges understand where they're coming from and how we can respond to them more effectively. Sean Finnegan:I appreciate that your book is not just masculinity. According to Nancy Pearcy. And what you crazy guys should change or something like that, you know, it's it's very much historical. It's broad in its approach and it is very research based, and it seemed like you were very circumspect not to inject. Your own opinion? Don't think I encountered your own opinion very much. It was just like this is what these people did. This is what this this movement contributed and so forth. Very objective, if I can put it that way. So you'll be commended on that. Your book confronts a number of lies and half truths and false stereotypes floating around in the culture today. So I thought we could get your response to a number of incorrect statements I've concocted. And so these are sentences that on their surface appear obviously true, but when examined closely, turn out to be false. So I've written 10. I don't know how many we can get to in this conversation, but what do you think you Are you ready to debunk some false myths? Nancy Pearcey:Yes, I loved reading your list, so I'd love to get started on your list of false accusations that we often hear, especially against Christian men. Sean Finnegan:Alright, so #1. Bible believing Christians are slightly more likely to divorce than non Christians or liberal Christians. Nancy Pearcey:Yeah. So talking about Twitter feed, I've gotten that several times in recent days, and it's also something that we hear in the church, right. In fact, that's probably the first pushback I get is that don't Christians divorced at the same rate of the rest of the culture or even? And higher. And so the sociologists were looking at accusations like that. And So what they did is they did the studies, they did the studies. And here's what they found. They made a careful distinction between evangelical men who are actually committed to their faith, who are who attend church regularly versus nominal Christian men. And that distinction made all the difference, because committed Christian men actually test out the best of all groups in America in. Other words, they. Test test out as the most loving husbands and fathers their wives test out the highest in terms of saying they feel. Happy with their husband's expressions of love and affection, evangelical fathers spend the most time with their children 3.5 more hours per week than secular men, both in shared activities like sports or church youth group, and in discipline, like setting limits on screen time or enforcing bedtime. Evangelical couples actually divorce at a lower rate than any other major group in society, 35% lower than secular men, and they have the lowest rates of domestic violence. Of any group. In America, so this was a real shocker because we've all heard the charges that you just met. That believing in any form of male headship in the home turns evangelical men into overbearing, tyrannical, coercive patriarchs tyrannical. Did I say, tyrannical, trying to get all those? Words in there? Yeah. I mean, there's there's no. Sean Finnegan:Question that, as a pastor who regularly preaches, I'm the lead pastor here at a. Church in New York, Upstate New York, and this stat has it says torment to me. You know, this idea that the Bible doesn't work if you apply the Bible to your marriage, you divorce more, something that really has not fit for me. But I I'm the sort of person that wants to accept. Facts as they are and see if we can do better. And so reading that early on in your book that actually, no, the Bible is not hurting marriages is is helping men to be well not just men men and women to stay together more frequently. That was just like mind blowing it was just like this is. This is a breath of fresh air and I think it's a great. Place to start because you are. Wading into treacherous waters where there are All kinds of. Sharks and piranha and electric eels out to get you. So I think to start somewhere complementary is good because that does make sense to me that like guys that and women that are regularly attending church services. As as a a measurement of how serious they are about their faith that it that it would have an impact. So I I appreciate that on my next statement. You already just kind of dipped your toes into it, but I I wonder if you could elaborate it. It is #2 is Bible believing Christian men are more likely to be harsh and abusive to their wives and children. Nancy Pearcey:Let's go back to that distinction. When I said Church going committed Christian men test out at the top. And by the way, I'm glad you mentioned that we don't hear this very often. I had to go digging in the academic literature to find this, and this is really the final reason. You know, the final trigger that made me decide to write this book as I was, I was overwhelmed. I was. And you know it's it's so counter to the media narratives. And I said we need. To get this. Out there, this is not just a religious figure, you know, giving a pep talk. This is evidence based findings from the social sciences. But the reason that we have the wrong impression is that the social scientists went back and made that crucial distinction. Of nominal Christians, right? These are men who, on a survey like that, might check the Baptist box, for example, but who rarely, if ever, attend church. It's no more of a family background, coastal background. These are cultural. And they test out shockingly different. They test out with all the toxic stereotypes. They'll rise, report the lowest level of happiness with their husband's treatment of them. They spend the least amount of time with their children. They have the highest rate of divorce, higher than secular men, 20%. Higher than secular men and they have the highest rate of domestic abuse and violence, higher than secular men. And so what's happened is most studies have just looked at evangelicals, you know, as an overarching category. So they're picking up men who are better than secular men and men who are worse than secular men. And that's why the numbers get skewed. It does suggest a different way, maybe that churches can deal with this issue. On the one hand, I think they should be more positive and supportive. Of men who are doing a good job, one of my graduate students is the leader of a women's ministry in a large Baptist Church here in Houston. And she said on on Mother's Day, we hand out flowers and tell the women they're wonderful. On Father's Day, we scold the men and tell. Them to do better. And so I was very careful not to have a scolding tone in this book because I think we should get this positive information out there. Ohh, and here's another example. So in my class at Houston Christian University, when I told them I was writing a book on masculinity, one of the male students shot back what masculinity? It's been beaten. All of us. So in Christian circles, men are also feeling beaten down and demoralized. You know, they're picking up the message. You know that that, that masculinity is toxic and we need to come to. That in the church it does suggest too, that we need to do something about these nominal men if they're sort of hanging around the fringes of the Christian world and claiming an identity. As evangelicals, how do we reach out to them? They are using the language of headship and submission, but they're not giving the biblical meaning to those terms. Instead, they're imputing me importing, meaning infusing meaning from the secular script for masculinity. And so how do we disciple these men? You know, insofar as we have access to them because they're hanging around? You know, the edges of the Christian world? How can the church have a better ministry to disciple these men? Sean Finnegan:That's that's really an excellent question to address because it's these guys on the fringe, as you point out that. The old fashioned word for it are hypocrites. You know, there are people that are going to talk the talk but not walk the walk and they're giving the rest of us a bad name. And yet as a pastor, I can tell you that we are hopeful that by having them come whenever it is, they happen to come, that something will sink in and. That they will have a true. Heart change, you know. So I I think. It's a hard thing to figure out. We can't just cast everyone out of the church who's not living up to the standard of Christianity. Some churches have tried that, but it, you know, it, it ends up with this very judgmental, you know, holier than thou kind of environment. So. It you're right, it is. It is a really thorny problem. Problem but it is important to address for. Sure. Well, let's. Let's move on to number. Three. So the Bible is endorsement of male patriarchy, we're told causes toxic masculine behaviors. What do you think? Nancy Pearcey:Yes, that that's one of the reasons that I relied so heavily on the social science data. What was happening was, of course, evangelical men were being held up. Exhibit A of toxic masculinity. It was very easy to find examples with a quick Google search, but I will give you just one example. So this was the co-founder of the Church 2 Movement, which came after the Me Too movement and she said the theology of male headship feeds the rape culture. That we see permeating American Christianity Today. So what happened was the social scientists, psychologists, sociologists were reading these accusations and saying, oh, where's your evidence? You know you're making these charges, but where's your data? Yeah. And that's what really sent them back to the data to do the studies in my book, I cite some dozen studies or so. I was just looking at what the social scientists were actually finding. Like, some people have said, well, wait a minute. Who cares what the social scientists found? I want to know what the spokesman say. What did the theologians say? What does this Danvers statement say? For example, which is on complementarianism egalitarianism, and so on, and and frankly, that's not what I was concerned about. I don't want to hear what the spokesman. I wanted to answer the secular charge, which is, if you believe in this theology, it will turn you into an overbearing, tyrannical, coercive Patriarch. And my question was, does it does it? Let's look at what it does do, in fact, in terms of these surveys of evangelical couples. And so I have two chapters on this. And I was to tell you the truth. I was again. I was blown away by the the. Surveys the surveys where they went to Christian couples and said, do you believe in male headship and not all? But the majority of the evangelicals would say yes and then they would say what do you think it means? How do you live it out? I was blown away. The loving, respectful, mutual understanding that they had of headship. They would not usually define it in terms of, you know, the final authority or the tiebreaker or the bread. Dinner, the most frequent definition, was spiritual leader, spiritual leader, and then they'd be asked, what does that mean? And of course, they would start with the practical things, get your family to church, get your kids to youth group, have family devotions and family prayer. But it also most of them would talk about the intangibles as well, right? That you're responsible for your children's spiritual growth. You're responsible for your wives, spiritual health and the most frequent verse they quoted was Ephesians 5. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. That might not sound significant to you, but when I had chapters later on abuse in Christian homes, I literally ran into people who said they never heard that verse, one woman who said I had to go look it up in the Bible. I didn't believe it was there. I had never heard a sermon on Ephesians 5, the part of it. That is addressed to husbands, and there was another example where there's a pastor who works with abusive men in court ordered counseling. Most abusive men are not in counseling unless it's court ordered, but this is a Christian pastor and he was working with a man who was abusive and and his wife had actually fled the home to escape from his physical abuse. And he kept quoting the first part of Effusions 5. She's supposed to submit to me. This is wrong. She can't leave. The home and he. And so the pastor said, well, what about this other part of it? She didn't. And he said the man was shocked. Kid never heard the part of Ephesians 5 that was addressed to husbands. And so that's why it's so significant that the committed Christian men and couples. That was what they quoted all the time. Ephesians 5. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. And so I went to the actual studies. The surveys done of Christian couples to see. How do you live it out? What do you? Think it means. That's what I report in. The book. Sean Finnegan:Yeah, a lot of your book gets into the history of masculinity in America. And I thought that was really eye opening because as somebody who started a lot with early church history, Old Testament history, New Testament history, Second Temple Judaism. I could tell you all about. The Roman Empire, you. Know there's this, like memes going around. How? Often, do you think about? The Roman Empire too much, that's. That's my answer but. American history. I'm not so strong and much less with respect to gender. I really found this, this research you did fascinate. Thing. And so my next myth is about the suffragette movement. And it goes like this. Number four women initiated the suffragette movement in America because they wanted to be treated as individuals of equal value. It sounds just like obviously true, right. But is it? Nancy Pearcey:No, it's not true. First of all, women didn't initiate it. A small group of women did the early feminist. But even they acknowledge that most women were against it at the time. I had so many readers. You remember, I said I had readers on my manuscript. I had so many readers who were skeptical of that that I went out and find the quotes. Some people like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other early feminists saying the main opposition to the vote. For women, it's other women. So I got the quotes from people saying that why would they opposed to it? Because they did not want to be treated as individuals. It was just the opposite. Is the framework to understand it. The vote was not described in that day as men's vote versus women's vote. It was framed as household vote versus individual vote, and most women wanted the household vote. And why did they want that? Because it put responsibility on men to take into account the. Interest of the entire household. And even broader, I'll try to be short, but even broader. It was a shift in political philosophy. Early America was governed by political philosophy that saw so institutions like the family as an organic unit. Not just a collection of individuals who happen to be there, but there's an organic unit connecting them all to one another and therefore there was a common good. In other words, I look out for what's good for me. You look out for what's good for you, but who looks out for the common good of the marriage, of the family, of the Church, of the school and so on. That's what authority was for. Authority was a person who was not supposed to look out for his own interest. The favorite word of the time at the time was he should be disinterested by which they meant he doesn't pursue his own interest. He's the one who's responsible for the common good of the whole. America, after roughly after the revolution began to shift from that political philosophy to a political philosophy called social contract theory, which does see societies and social institutions as collections of autonomous individuals who've just come together out of a common interest. Well, in that case there is no common good. And so men were no longer held responsible for the common good. And so many women at the time realized this is actually letting men off. The hook. It's giving them a pass on moral responsibility. You know, they're no longer held responsible for the common good of the entire house. And so that's how the debate was framed. Many women that at the time said we want our men to two cents, that they are responsible for their wife and children, and back then the household was was larger, right? So it included extended family and servants and and so on. The man was in charge of the small. Commonwealth. So anyway, it was women who opposed the vote largely, and it was because they saw it as a way that men were going. To be held to a reduced standard that we were lowering the standard on male responsibility. Now I would say that eventually most women came around to it. It took. About a. Century. Eventually, women came out to around to supporting it. But why? Early feminists framed it in terms of autonomy and individual rights that did not speak to most women. Women came around to supporting it when the temperance movement. Began to say this can be a way that we can hold men in check because men are drinking. They're coming home drunk and beating their wives and children and women have little recourse when that happens. And so the head of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, her name is Francis Willard. Historian says she was the most influential. Women of the entire 19. And she began to see the vote as a way to give women power in the temperance movement against drunken, abusive husbands. And so she renamed. It she called it the ballot for home protection. No. If it was about home protection, women were for it, so that that, that shift is why women came around to endorsing it. But again, not for the reasons we think autonomy and individual rights. But ohh, this is a way to give us some leverage against some of the common male voices of drunkenness. And abuse. Sean Finnegan:This home protection at every turn seems like there's so much more to the story than you know on the surface you think? Ohh well. Women were hopelessly oppressed and you know until they got the right to vote, they couldn't do anything about it. You know, that's kind of like the typical way of saying it, but it's so much more complicated and new, nuanced. Just Dance between men and women in American history is incredible. To see it going back and forth throughout your book. So what about the statement our time today, the 21st century is the first when women in America have publicly accused men of toxic behavior. You think? Nancy Pearcey:Well, I just gave you a good example. Where the temperance movement certainly popularized a lot of public rhetoric that was very critical of men, here's the the bigger picture on that, too. So America was becoming more secular. And as that happened, they were governing their behavior less by a biblical ethic, naturally. And how did that happen? Well, the material conditions that gave rise to secularism. This before the Industrial Revolution, men worked alongside their wives and children all day on the family farm, family industry, the family business, and so the cultural expectation on men focused a lot more on their caretaking role and their like. I said a minute ago. Their responsibility for the common good of the whole. Even a secular historian says the masculine virtue was defined as duty to God and man. I I love these surprising facts that come out of history. A surprising fact is that most literature on child rearing was addressed to fathers. If you go to a bookstore today, they're mostly dressed to mothers, but back then they were dressed to fathers. Fathers were considered the primary parent, and so men were given. A lot more responsibility for the. Sean Finnegan:Right. Nancy Pearcey:The Industrial Revolution takes work out of the home and of course, men had to follow their work out of home, into factories and offices for the first time. They were not working with family members who the people they loved and had a moral bond with. They were working as individuals and competition with other men, and that's when you see the literature start to change. People began to protest that men were becoming individualistic, self interested, egocentric, make it at all cost, greedy and acquisitive to use the language of the day. And that they were making their career, their idol, as they were losing their biblical loyalty, they were making their career, their idol, actually using language from the day they complained that men were starting to make an idol out of financial success the first time that we see negative language applied to the male character. Was in the 19th century after the Industrial Revolution and the secularization was was happening at the same time, in a sense, with the Industrial Revolution, a large public sphere developed. You know, society kind of split into private and public people began to ohh public. What do I mean by that? Factories, businesses, financial institutions, universities. Of course the state. And people began to argue that these large public institutions should be operated by scientific principles by which they meant value free. In other words, don't bring your private values into the public realm, which is what we hear today. And since it was men who were getting that secular education and working in that secular field, they were becoming more secular in their outlook before women did. And so naturally, are we surprised that the 19th century saw a huge increase in what our kind of traditional male vices like drinking and gambling and fighting and crime and prostitution? And that's why there was, in response to that, a huge flowering of reform movements. The reform movements are where you see the negative language really develops as they begin to attack men. For all of these vices, I'll give you a quote. So one of my favorite historians puts it this. All of these reform movements were implicit condemnations of males. There was little doubt as to the sex of the Tavern keeper, the slave master, the drunkard, and the seducer. So the language of the 19th century was almost as hostile as anything that we hear today. From radical feminists. Sean Finnegan:It's interesting, you know, if there's smoke, there's usually fire, right? So and you, you do get into that a little bit at the end of the book, some of the misbehavior of men is driving the the modern complaints about toxic masculinity. I think a lot. Pundits advocates today for men are not really delving into the misbehavior of men in our own time. But I think getting this historical perspective can really help us to see, OK, well, what did you want the. Women to do. You want them to just get beaten and treated like punching bags in the home. Of course they they rose up and they advocated and there was rhetoric and. You know, women are powerful, just like men are powerful. Women are powerful, so it makes sense that that would happen. You talk so much and and and this. This is probably the biggest thing that blew my mind in the a lot of the historical work you did, you talked so much about the industrial revolution and you've already touched on it here, but this this next myth really ties into that. Number six men have traditionally worked outside of the home and have been the breadwinners. I think so many of Us are under that impression, especially as conservatives as Christians, Bible believing man, we're like ohh yeah, it's my job to, to, to work outside the home and be the breadwinner. And if I just do that, then I'm satisfied what God requires of me. Nancy Pearcey:The the fact that the literature on parenting was addressed to fathers speaks to the fact that fathers were in the home. See what happened is with the family industry, the family business, the the home was the economic center of society. They didn't have this distinction. A father could be working at home. And raising his kids, you know, and so could a mother, by the way, a lot of manufacturer with household manufacturer think of Proverbs 31, right? The the woman who's running several businesses. She wasn't going to an office to do that. She was working out of her home. And that was the case. That was case right up until the industrial revolution. Both men and women. Could be, could be involved in economically productive work while raising their kids and and in fact, historians say that fathers were just as involved with their children as mothers were. So that kind of blows your mind too. Wait, just as involved as as. Because we're, I mean, just it's just hard for us to use our historical imagination, you know, to think what that was like. So what we have to remember is prior to the industrial revolution, we're talking about all of human history. We're talking about millennia. So it's only very recently in human history, namely the 19th century, that fathers began to work out of the home. And by the way, another thing that I this helps explain is why our fathers ridiculed and mocked so much in the media today. That was another one. That I thought. Well, you know, we all know this is true. Homer Simpson, you know, from advertisements to animations and to movies. Fathers A you know the doofus dad, the the bumbling idiot, my, my, my own son loved the Bernstein bears. So you know the dad was always the bumbling idiot. Anyway, where did that come from? Well, when fathers were taken out of the home at the Industrial Revolution, they did lose touch with their children compared to when they worked side by side. All day they didn't know their children as well. They didn't know what was happening, their family dynamics and already in the 19th century, you see people say, you know, fathers are becoming kind of irrelevant, you know, to the family and even incompetent. You know, the idea that he's incompetent if he doesn't know what's going on in his family, he. Doesn't know the solutions. You know, he doesn't know how to how to solve the family problems, so he's considered incompetent and you see it in the literature of the day. So again, the deep roots to this. And of course, it does also suggest. What the solution is the solution is can we reconnect fathers to their children even after the industrial age? Are there ways to tweak the workplace? I have a whole chapter on that and and the pandemic had a very small silver lining in that a lot of fathers discovered they do like being at home more. One study found that 65% of fathers don't want to go back to the office full time. You know they prefer some kind of hybrids setup and and this one's not in the book because it just came out recently. But the New York Times had an article and the title was something like during the pandemic. Many fathers got closer to their children and they don't want to lose that. So I think that's encouraging that when fathers had a chance to be close to their kids, a lot of them said this is great. Look what I've been missing out on. I mean, I think Christians should really think creatively about ways to flex the workplace. I've had interviews with a lot of fathers who said I'm willing to pay the daddy penalty. You. Know they know they. May not move. Forward quite as quickly in their career if they take more time off to have time with their kids. But most of them said it was well worth paying the daddy penalty. Sean Finnegan:Yeah. I mean at the end. Of the day, let's say you choose to work. You know an extra 10 to 20 hours a week so that you're always the one who gets in the report or finishes the project. And you, you. Find some upward mobility and you know. You what do you? Do you just move your house to a different neighborhood? You move to a different neighborhood by a fancy your house. Now you've got, you know, some more. Expensive cars. Maybe you have a more expensive boat. Maybe you're going to a farther away place for vacation, but like. It's not. It's not worth the sacrifice to not know your children and to not be able to have a healthy marriage that lasts. You know, we tell women. Oh, well, don't. Sacrifice your family for the sake of your career. Because we see so much pressure to do that now. In whatever wave of the feminist movement we're in right now, and so much celebration for women in the workplace, any kind of achievement celebrated and yet the same is true for men. You know, don't sacrifice your family for your career because at the end of the day, you're going to be sitting on your. You got with people you don't even know, people that don't even care about, you know, like, even if you did succeed to that, to that degree. So let's switch sides. We were just talking about how the men are the breadwinner is a new term that was unused before the industrial revolution. Just a totally foreign idea. But what about on the women's side? Traditionally, women focused on keeping the home and raising the children rather than contributing economically, right? Nancy Pearcey:They didn't have to make that decision. There wasn't an either or choice until the Industrial Revolution took work out of the. Home. Remember, it took women's work out of the home too, not just men's work. So women back then, a lot of household manufacturer was presided over by women. So you Can you imagine when you had to cook everything. From scratch, turn your butter, bake your bread, and even grind your flour. And when you had to make all your clothing from scratch, you had to card the wool or the cotton, and you had to weave it. You had to design it and. Cut it out, I. Mean canning and preserving food, making buttons, making candles women's work was extremely rich and and varied. You know, women had a lot of different skills, they had to master. So in many ways, that was more intellectually challenging too. And so it was a true loss, a genuine loss when all of that was taken out of the home. You know, life got easier. On the other hand, it got a lot more boring. You know, when all that's left now is early child care and cleaning. I mean, you know, that's why you have advertisements that glorify, you know, getting your sink cleaner. So I think that that's an important thing to recognize because it it was one of the causes of the feminist movement. Like many secular movements, it identified a true problem. It just gave the wrong. Solution and most people don't want women to follow men out of the home if it means leaving kids in substitute care. They really want parents raising their own. Kids, what women are doing today, though in my studies, I found that the vast majority of women who are home with their kids are doing some kind of home based business or home. Nice work, because it's almost impossible in our economy not to have two incomes. But women want to be home, and so they white collar work is the easiest. Of course, in a knowledge economy. So there's all kinds of IT professionals and writers and editors and marketers. And I I list several of them in the book Blue Collar and pink color, where it can be done from home to some extent as well. I I give the story of when I went to. I have my. Their style and the the woman had a beauty chair in a basement, one chair. And so while she's working with her customer or her client, she's got a glass door that looks out onto the backyard in a fence fenced in backyard. So she's kind of we're keeping an eye on. Her kids. And blue collar workers, this is some of the. Pushback I get is what you know. What about men? Isn't this kind of an elitist thing that, you know, men? Can come home well. Aspects of almost every job can be done at home. A friend of ours owns a car repair shop. For the most part, he's not going to bring his cars home, although sometimes he does work on friends cars. That is in his driveway. But he can bring his bookkeeping home right. He can bring his bookkeeping home. And in the evening, he's sitting there working while his kids are sitting beside him at the kitchen table and doing their homework. He's talking to them. He's answering their questions. And so there's aspects of almost every job that can be done at home while your children are young. I'm not saying it's the ideal for everybody at every stage of life. I'm just worried about the kids while your children are young. That that's what I recommend. People trying to find at least some aspect that could be done from home, you know, at least part time. Sean Finnegan:You know, it certainly is the case that with the the way our economy is and inflation and everything else that. Being a single income household is closed to most people, even if you would. Want to be a. Stay at home. Mom, you have to make some serious sacrifice. This is a lot depends on what's available too, whether or not you can. You can do that and where you live and and so. Forth, but let's talk. About solutions my myth #8 here blocking or limiting men's testosterone will solve the problems of our society with badly behaved men. Nancy Pearcey:We have to start with how to God create men. And by the way, this is one of the questions I always got and therefore I had to put it at the front of the book. People would say, well, what do you think are the differences between men and women then? Well, let's start with basic biology. Men are larger, faster, stronger, 75%, greater upper body muscle mass, 90% greater upper body strength. Ohh, and I just read this one the other day. It was something like 300%. It was very high, 300% more punch force. Any woman who's been abused knows that and because of testosterone, men do tend to be more aggressive. And more risk taking and I think we have to start with just saying, well, this is all God made men and therefore it is intrinsically good. This is before the fall. These are the traits that God created men with. And I have to tell you, one of the things I found most encouraging is I have a couple of studies of men around the world. And they find that. Men do know that these unique masculine strengths are not giving them just to get whatever they want right to dominate others, but are giving them to provide and protect. I'll give you one of them. The this was a study done by an anthropologist. It was the first ever cross cultural study done on concepts of masculinity and what he found out is. Of course, there's differences between cultures. But what they? All share is what this anthropologist called the three P's. It is expected that the good man will provide, protect and procreate, meaning become a father, right, have a family. Build into the next generation, be future oriented and this was all across the world. These were not countries with the Western or Christian background and I thought it was really amazing to see that this just seems to be an inherent innate knowledge that men have universally. I would say they're made in God's image. And therefore they inherently know that their unique masculine strengths were not given them to just get whatever they want, but to provide, protect and build into the future the next generation. This gives us a better approach when we're dealing with men as we can, we can try to tap into that innate inherent knowledge, men. Don't respond well to being called toxic. Nobody would. But what we can do is to tap into their inherent and acknowledge of what it does mean to be a good man. What it does mean to use their unique strengths and abilities for good. And that way we support masculinity as God created it. Including the testosterone, we can then be. Obviously, and my book is full of criticism of the secular definition of masculinity, you have no problem with being a, you know, good critical thinker in analyzing secular thought. But we should start with really supporting, affirming and respecting men for the way God created them. Sean Finnegan:Yeah, that's so helpful. Because I think so many of us are feeling beaten down. I've got four sons. My oldest is 17, and you know, just seeing how Society is telling them over and over be more feminine? Change yourself, and of course you know who celebrated guys who dress like women. Those are those are like the most popular kids in the school. Now it's it's everything is kind of flipped on the the trans, LGBT and Q and so forth in the in the. Last few years. And you know the message they're receiving is you. Know if you. Could just be more like Sally then you know you'd be really great. We want to avoid toxic masculinity, but we don't want to avoid masculinity. There's a difference there. Nancy Pearcey:Yeah. Yeah. Let me give you another study again. I love these studies done by non Christians. But this was the study again. I put this at the front of the book. As well because answering remember I said, people said who? People would say, whose side is she on? Well, you don't have to take a side because there are different scripts for masculinity. And this study brought it out very well. This is done by a sociologist and again it's global. So this is. Around the world is universal. He gets invited to speak around the world, so he came up with this clever experiment where he asked young men two questions. The first question was what does it mean to be a good man? If you're at a funeral and in the eulogy, somebody says he was a good man, what does? Young men all around the world had no trouble answering that they would immediately say things like honor, duty, integrity, sacrifice do the right thing, look out for the little guy, be a provider, and be a productive. Be responsible and the sociologist would say, would you like that? And they say, I don't know, it's. Just in the. Air we breathe. If they were in a western country. They would often say it's part of our judeo-christian heritage. And then he would follow up with the second question. And he'd say, well, what does it mean if? I say to you, man up be a real. And the young man would say ohh no, that's completely different. That means be tough. Be strong, never show weakness, win at all costs. Suck it up. Play through pain, be competitive, get rich, *** ****. I'm using their language. And so the sociologist concludes that there is an inherent universal knowledge of what it means to be the good man. You know another way we could talk about this from a Christian perspective is general revelation, right? General Revelation is what we know. On the basis of creation, apart from Scripture, there are truths that we can know through general revelation. It's also Romans too, right? Everyone has a conscience. What these non Christians anthropologists are finding is that it is a universal awareness that men aspire to be the good man, but they are also feeling this. Cultural pressure to be the quote UN quote real man. And as you saw, those were somewhat more toxic traits. Especially if they are disconnected, decoupled from a moral vision, they can slide into the Andrew Tate phenomenon that we see today, where masculinity is, you know, fast money, fast cars, fast women, it can slide into that. I mean, that is apparently for many young men today that's becoming the real man I just got. A e-mail from a former graduate student of mine who's teaching now at the high school level, and she said all my boys, all my male students, are fans of Andrew Tate. They're even using both of his in the yearbook. And then she said I'm teaching at a classical Christian School. So even a Christian young men are looking to places like Andrew Tate, who are exemplifying a very secular view of masculinity. I'm finding out not everyone knows this, but you know he does. Run. He's made a lot of his money by running an only fans company. Sean Finnegan:Yeah. Andrew Tate is is a pretty complicated fella and he's, I, I have hopes that he will reform his ways, seen glimmers of hope there that, you know, he can embrace more the PPP that you mentioned before than the FFF fast cars fast. Come in and fast success, but instead protect, provide and. What was the? Third one. Procreate. Yeah. Within marriage, I would say. But yeah, there's no question about it. Tate has struck a nerve, and he's preaching a gospel of masculine excellence and. At the same time, there's a lot of that real man script mixed in with his message and really what we need is insight from the designer of masculinity himself, you know, and and we could find that in Scripture and we could find that. Also in our own souls, you know. Seeing these different. Sides of us, you know the the image of God, the imago day stamped upon us, but then also our fallenness, so really really deep points and I encourage you listeners that if you're curious about this at all, check out this book. Get yourself a copy the toxic War against masculinity. Well, this has been a great conversation. How can people find out more about? Hey, Nancy. Nancy Pearcey:Yes, I'm glad you asked because my publisher graciously just designed a new website for me, so it's nancypearcy.com, and Piercy is P/E, ARCEY, nancypearcy.com. And so you can come over there. You can browse my other books you've mentioned a few of them already today. You can browse them and find out what he. Was talking about. And you can also leave the message. I don't have time to answer them all, but I do read them all. So come on by nancypiercy.com. Come on by and say hello. Sean Finnegan:Very good. Well, thanks so much for joining me on Restitutio today. Nancy Pearcey:Thanks for having me. Sean Finnegan:Well, that brings this interview to a close. What did you think? Come on over to restitutio.org and find Episode 515 the Toxic War on masculinity and leave your feedback there and I can't stress to you enough how important. This book is. Whether you're a man or a woman, but especially I talked to the the men out there. I really found this book incredibly informative and very challenging. The whole last section, which I didn't really get into. She goes into issues within Christian marriage on how to handle yourself as a man, as a husband, and the whole thorny topic of domestic abuse and how to handle that. As a church leader and some really important thoughts there that we didn't get into in the interview, so take a look at that. For the record, I'm not receiving any. Compensation for promoting this book, I really just believe in it, and I think Piercy is really good. So take a look at that. Well, that's going to be it for today. If you'd like to leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcast or Spotify, we certainly appreciate that. If you'd like to support. Studio you can find us.online@restitutio.org select the word restitution with no n.org and thanks to all who are supporting us, we'll catch you next week and remember, the truth has nothing to fear.

Even people who have never opened a Bible know that God exists, for He has plainly revealed Himself in creation and providence. Today, R.C. Sproul teaches the doctrine of general revelation using the Westminster Confession of Faith. Get 'We Believe: Creeds, Catechisms, and Confessions of Faith' for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2896/we-believe Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

Scripture is the supreme source of revelation from God--but it isn't the only source. The Bible tells us that God's power and divine nature are revealed in creation. Today, R.C. Sproul introduces the ideas of general revelation and natural theology. Get the 'Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology' DVD Series for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2381/foundations Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.