We are all overwhelmed with data passing itself off as information. We are all pressured to form opinions about what we learn. We find ourselves in troubled territory, though, when we confuse opinions with knowledge, when we mistake our beliefs about the facts with the importance of the facts themselves. Stephen presses this point strongly and offers practical steps for rising above the curse of opinions.

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As the new year begins, Stephen looks back over the main events of 2016 through the lens of manhood. Our age seems to be crying out for a surge of righteous masculinity. Stephen lists some of the elements of this kind of manhood and calls for action from each of his listeners.

CC image courtesy of Zach Dischner on Flickr

T’is (almost) the night before Christmas: Stephen finishes up a two-part historical series on the lore and traditions behind our nation’s most beloved holiday. Who is “Santa Claus,” and where did he come from?

Listen to part 1 here: The Story of Christmas

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In our era of religious confusion and error, it’s easy to become confused about Christmas. Is it a religious fabrication? Did the early church celebrate it? Is it an invention of corporate America? In this calm, reasoned podcast, Stephen tells the history of Christmas and makes some recommendations for your own celebration.

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In our troubled age, we often hear people declare that these are “the worst of times,” that this is “a horrible time to be alive.” Stephen insists that not only is this a cancerous belief to carry in our souls, it simply isn’t true factually. This podcast is an antidote to the toxic cynicism of our generation.

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We live in a digital age, and we are glad we do. We are grateful for the benefits of our online lives. Yet it is possible for us to confuse digital information with genuine experience. Stephen explores this danger in his latest podcast and describes the troubles that come from confusing our digital and our authentic lives.

 

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It’s possible to get the impression from some highly visible American Christians that the church is the “Republican Party at Prayer.” In his new podcast, Stephen combats this idea by describing the elements of a Christian view of governing. As always, he’s controversial, hard-hitting, and disturbingly biblical.

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In what has become a Stephen Mansfield Podcast Thanksgiving tradition, Stephen tells the story of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving, the one that has inspired the American holiday. So gather the family and listen to this brief, exciting account of an episode from our nation’s history and from our heritage of faith.

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On the morning after the conclusion of the 2016 presidential election, Stephen discusses the surprises, the implications and the looming challenges of a Donald Trump presidency. You won’t want to miss this raw, “early-the-next-morning” chat with Stephen.

 

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On November 4th, a movie called Hacksaw Ridge will release nationwide. Stephen attended an early premiere of this film and is convinced it can help heal our country in the wake of a tumultuous presidential election. In this review of the film, Stephen tells the story of Desmond Doss, the film’s WWII hero subject, and explains why he believes it is one of the most significant “faith films” ever made.