652: Families Need Formation Not Formulas with Emily McGowin

01/15/25 • 90 min

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How can we help those impacted by the L.A. wildfires? Because of A.I., climate change, and falling fertility rates, Ezra Klein says we are living “in the age of monsters,” but is he really just upset about Trump? And how is technology fundamentally rewiring our brains to avoid social interaction, and what should we do about it? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye offer their suggestions. Then Kaitlyn talks with Wheaton College theology professor Emily McGowin about her new book, “Households of Faith,” and what it means to think of our families formationally rather than formulaically. Also this week—the new Holy Post studio is killer!

0:00 - Show Starts

2:16 - Theme Song

2:38 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST

3:56 - Sponsor - Learn from some of the world’s most brilliant minds with this 10-day event at Calvin! Go to https://www.calvin.edu/JANUARY

7:57 - California Wildfires

15:22 - The Time of the Monsters

25:11 - The Time for Churches

31:25 - The Anti-Social Century

39:12 - Tiktok and Lonely Routines

45:25 - Bring Back Youth Group!

51:14 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off

52:16 - Sponsor - Pique - Pique’s tea is a superfood in a cup! Comes with a frother and glass beaker—get the starter kit at https://piquelife.com/HOLYPOST

53:53 - Sponsor - J29 Coalition - Guide your church into a Christ-centered approach to politics! Visit https://j29coalition.com to sign up today

55:00 - Interview

56:42 - Why Write About Family?

1:00:40 - Discernment and Improvisation

1:08:04 - Family of God

1:16:05 - Sabbath for Fellowship

1:22:31 - Rhythms of Life

1:29:30 - End Credits

Households of Faith: Practicing Family in the Kingdom of God by Emily Hunter McGowin: https://a.co/d/7hd5XIW

Links Mentioned in News Segment:

Ezra Klein’s “Now is the Time of the Monsters:”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/opinion/ai-climate-change-low-birth-rates.html

The Anti-Social Century:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/

Other resources:

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

0:00 - Show Starts

2:16 - Theme Song

2:38 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST

3:56 - Sponsor - Learn from some of the world’s most brilliant minds with this 10-day event at Calvin! Go to https://www.calvin.edu/JANUARY

7:57 - California Wildfires

15:22 - The Time of the Monsters

25:11 - The Time for Churches

31:25 - The Anti-Social Century

39:12 - Tiktok and Lonely Routines

45:25 - Bring Back Youth Group!

51:14 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off

52:16 - Sponsor - Pique - Pique’s tea is a superfood in a cup! Comes with a frother and glass beaker—get the starter kit at https://piquelife.com/HOLYPOST

53:53 - Sponsor - J29 Coalition - Guide your church into a Christ-centered approach to politics! Visit https://j29coalition.com to sign up today

55:00 - Interview

56:42 - Why Write About Family?

1:00:40 - Discernment and Improvisation

1:08:04 - Family of God

1:16:05 - Sabbath for Fellowship

1:22:31 - Rhythms of Life

1:29:30 - End Credits

Households of Faith: Practicing Family in the Kingdom of God by Emily Hunter McGowin: https://a.co/d/7hd5XIW

Links Mentioned in News Segment:

Ezra Klein’s “Now is the Time of the Monsters:”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/opinion/ai-climate-change-low-birth-rates.html

The Anti-Social Century:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/

Other resources:

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Previous Episode

651: The Jimmy Carter Cudgel & Preparing for Mass Deportations with Gabriel Salguero

Former president and born again Christian, Jimmy Carter, died at the age of 100. As the media reflects on his legacy of public service and humanitarianism, some are contrasting Carter’s faith with that of conservative white evangelicals. Esau McCaulley says Carter is being used as a cudgel by progressives to shame their political opponents. Is he right? Skye and Phil unpack two explanations for the country’s rejection of President Carter for Ronald Reagan in 1980. Was Carter too liberal or too humble? Then, pastor and Holy Post Pundit, Gabriel Salguero, is back to talk about a second Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and how Christians and church leaders should hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Also this week—Phil wants to do a telethon for turtles.

Holy Post Plus

Getting Schooled - Heresy 101:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/119252265/

0:00 - Show Starts

3:51 - Theme Song

4:12 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout

5:15 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order

6:54 - News of the Bubble Butt Turtles

16:15 - Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

23:36 - Is Carter Popular for Being a Progressive Evangelical?

30:36 - Carter, Mr. Rogers, and Pope Francis

49:42 - Sponsor - Wheaton - Go to www.wheaton.edu/communicatingchrist to learn more about the Doctor of Ministry program at the Wheaton College grad school

50:46 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off

51:53 - Interview

59:24 - The Ambiguity of the Trump Administration

1:11:46 - Developing a Pastoral Response

1:22:03 - Signs of Mass Deportation

1:28:18 - End Credits

Links Mentioned in News Segment:

Sea Turtle Bubble Butt 3D Printing:

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/28/nx-s1-5238294/sea-turtle-bubble-butt

Jimmy Carter Embodied the “Road Not Taken” by Many White Evangelical Christians:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/31/us/jimmy-carter-evangelical-christians-cec?cid=ios_app

Jimmy Carter’s Life Should Make Christian Right Feel Ashamed:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jimmy-carter-represented-christianity-in-politics-at-its-best/

Other resources:

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Next Episode

653: Character, Christian Colleges, & Why Trump Won with Robert P. Jones

According to New York Times columnist, David Brooks, our society has given up on moral formation to focus instead on individual success and happiness. Can we recover a culture of shared virtue? Surprising new data shows that overall college enrollment is down, but Christian colleges and universities are growing. What’s the explanation? Then Robert P. Jones, from PRRI, is back to unpack the numbers from the presidential election. Why did more Latinos support Trump, and are Democrats learning the wrong lessons from their loss? Also this week—animals hold grudges.

List of Ways to Contribute:

https://www.holypost.com/post/ways-to-contribute-to-la-fire-relief

Holy Post Plus:

Getting Schooled - Communion 201

https://www.patreon.com/posts/120202366/

0:00 - Show Starts

3:17 - Theme Song

3:40 - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/HOLYPOST to download the app today!

4:43 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/holypost

5:50 - The Inauguration

8:30 - Connecting to Relief Work

12:05 - Ants’ Tiny Grudges

17:30 - Character Building Toolkit

24:28 - Morally Fragmented World

39:21 - Christian College Growth

44:52 - Sponsor - J29 Coalition - Guide your church into a Christ-centered approach to politics! Visit https://j29coalition.com to sign up today

45:58 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST

47:15 - Interview

48:50 - Lack of Change

57:01 - Don’t Overread

1:12:44 - Fatigue

1:17:38 - Pray for Wisdom

1:21:40 - End Credits

Links Mentioned in News Segment:

World Relief:

https://worldrelief.org/advocate/

Christian Colleges Continue to See Enrollment Growth:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/christian-colleges-continue-enrollment-growth-record/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/religion

Biologists Antagonised Ants:

https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/biologists-antagonised-ants-and-found-out-they-can-hold-grudges/

Other resources:

The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future by Robert P. Jones: https://a.co/d/5ZoIHOp

White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones: https://a.co/d/0K5cI5W

Robert P. Jones’ Substack: www.whitetoolong.net

Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/

Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus

Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost

Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop

The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying

purchases.