What is cultural apologetics and why is it critical for today’s culture?

In this episode of Faith & Clarity, Mark Turman sits down with Skyler Flowers, Program Director for The Carson Center for Theological Renewal, to talk about what it really means to practice cultural apologetics. Skyler, who also serves as an elder at Grace Bible Church and is pursuing his PhD in Systematic Theology, shares how faith and culture intersect in the everyday questions people are asking about identity, technology, politics, and more.

Together, they reflect on voices like Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and Tim Keller, exploring how story, imagination, and truth work together to help people see the beauty and reasonableness of Christianity in our modern world. It’s a thoughtful, hopeful conversation about helping others understand—not just what Christians believe—but why those beliefs make sense and bring life in a shifting culture.

Topics

• (01:44): Introducing Skyler Flowers
• (03:04): Skyler's journey of faith
• (06:58): The Gospel After Christendom
• (12:56): Defining cultural apologetics
• (19:44): Tim Keller's influence and legacy
• (26:03): Paul's approach in Athens
• (30:37): The role of the Holy Spirit
• (33:13): Good, true, and beautiful
• (37:34): Historical anchoring of cultural apologetics
• (43:52): The power of storytelling
• (46:19): Current cultural shifts and opportunities
• (50:51): Conclusion and resources

Resources

• Ask Us Anything: [e-mail]
• How has Denison Forum impacted your faith?
• The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics
• The Gospel Coalition
• The Gospel After Christendom: An Introduction to Cultural Apologetics
• The rise of a post-truth culture - Denison Forum
• Apologetics for Gen Z: A conversation with Dark Room’s Mary Jo Sharp
• Why are some atheists becoming Christians? - Denison Forum

About Skyler R. Flowers

Skyler Flowers (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is the Program Director for The Carson Center for Theological Renewal and cohort director for all TGC cohorts. He serves as an elder at Grace Bible Church in Oxford, Mississippi, and is working toward his PhD in systematic theology at the University of Aberdeen. Skyler served as an editor for The Gospel After Christendom. He is married to Brianna, and they have two kids.

About Dr. Mark Turman

Mark Turman, DMin, serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of The Denison Forum Podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.

Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco.

Before joining Denison Forum, Mark served as a pastor for 35 years, including 25 years as the founding pastor of Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas.

Mark and his high school s