Life and Books and Everything

After a summer in the sun (as much as Scandinavians can dare to be in the sun), the boys are back in town and full of witty banter—on everything from the World Cup to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Make it to the middle, and you’ll get a bevy of book recommendations (including several books Kevin plugs but hasn’t read!). In the last third of the podcast, you’ll get a serious discussion about AI and w...

A true LBE spectacular 250 years in the making. Come for Kevin’s amazing shirt. Stay for a slew of questions about America, including: What forgotten founding father deserves more attention? What is your favorite patriotic song? What four presidents would you put on Mt. Rushmore? What five places would you take a foreign visitor to in order to give him a snapshot of America? What is America’s greatest spiritual need for...

It is not an exaggeration to say that repentance is at the very heart of the gospel. And yet, Christians talk about repentance too little, and when we do, we are often confused about what repentance is and isn’t. In this episode, Chris Brauns, an author and pastor in rural Illinois, joins Kevin to talk about many of the misconceptions about forgiveness, how to discern true from false repentance, and why both fear and joy shou...

Over the past ten years, Carl Trueman has proven to be one of the most incisive and helpful voices when it comes to identifying and understanding the problems of our contemporary world. In his new book, The Desecration of Man, Carl not only laments what we’ve lost, he calls us to a reclaim a positive vision for the future. Join Kevin and Carl as they talk about the state of higher education, where Protestants can learn from C...

Good friend and fellow PCA pastor Rick Phillips joins Kevin to talk about the new book The Redeemed Man and why men don’t need a reactionary model for manhood but a comprehensive biblical model. That’s the last part of the episode, but mainly Kevin talks to Rick about redemption in his own life—from Rick’s upbringing from an elite Army family, to his conversion on James Montgomery Boice’s preaching, to...

If you don’t like freewheeling conversation, laughter, and banter among friends, then this may not be the episode for you. But if you are interested in hearing the three amigos share their thoughts on George Washington, figure skating, patriotism, and the state of the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, then you are in for a treat. And you won’t want to miss Collin’s list of favorite human beings and whether h...

This year is a special anniversary for the United States as Americans celebrate 250 years of independence. But 1776 was an important year in more ways than one. Besides the Declaration (and several other key events and people), 1776 was the year that Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations. In this episode, Kevin talks to Dordt professor Jan Van Vliet about his book on Adam Smith (P&R, 2024). Together, Kevin and Jan explore ...

The United States is unique in how much attention it pays to its founding, its founders, and its founding documents. Arguably, the most famous and most important thing that Americans have ever written is the Declaration of Independence. In this fascinating and illuminating conversation, Kevin talks to Matthew Spalding, of Hillsdale’s D.C. campus, about his new book The Making of the American Mind: The Story of our Declaration...

In this timely interview, Kevin talks to Neil Shenvi about his new book (co-authored with Pat Sawyer), entitled “Post Woke: Asserting a Biblical Vision of Race, Gender, and Sexuality” (Harvest). What does it mean to be woke, and is wokeness still a thing Christians need to be concerned about? Where did the idea of wokeness come from? How can we spot woke ideas and respond to them with biblical fidelity? Can wokeness exi...

In a rare cultural anomaly that may never be repeated in our lifetimes, the current SBC President and current PCA Moderator live in the same neighborhood just a few streets apart. What a time to be alive, people! In this hometown episode, Kevin talks with Clint Pressley—native Charlottean, senior pastor at Hickory Grove Baptist, and current president of the Southern Baptist Convention—about life and ministry in the Quee...

How should Protestants think about the Catholic Mass? About the Eucharist? About the history and development of the papacy? In this panel discussion, at the conclusion of Christ Covenant’s Faithful Conference, Kevin talks to three of his colleagues from Reformed Theological Seminary about what it means to be Protestant. They also explore potential weaknesses in their own tradition and how Eastern Orthodoxy differs from both C...

If you haven’t seen the viral clip, go see it right now. In this episode, Kevin talks to Alistair about the preaching clip he didn’t intend to give, he never put online himself, and he never expected to be one of the most well known moments of his ministry. The content from that clip has been combined with two other Jesus encounters in the Gospels and turned into a short book. Listen to Kevin and Alistair talk about tha...

You may not think you need 1,000 pages on the Heidelberg Catechism, but you do! R. Scott Clark, professor at Westminster Seminary California, has written a rich, theological, and historical commentary on one of the Reformation’s most beloved catechisms. Listen in as Scott and Kevin talk about the history of the catechism and walk through several key sections—including important differences with Lutheran theology and Cat...

What is conservatism? And why does it go hand in hand with religious freedom? How should we think about the American experiment of ordered liberty? Has it failed? It is worth preserving? And what about Christian Nationalism? And while we’re at it, how should Christians assess the Charlie Kirk memorial service? Listen in as Kevin talks to John Wilsey, a history professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, about these qu...

Dr. Guelzo is back once again for another record setting appearance on LBE. Although he just moved across the country, Allen still made time to talk to Kevin about his latest two-volume mega-project with James Hankins, their new book The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition. Listen in as Kevin and Allen talk about remembering, history as gratitude, and the fragility (and resiliency) of Western Civilization. You won&rsq...