Thinking Out Loud

In this Christmas episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep theological reflection on current cultural and institutional collapse through the simple yet profound story of a 94-year-old man planting a Christmas tree he may never see fully grown, using it as a lens to explore Christian hope, generational responsibility, and the calling to build lasting institutions in an uncertain age. Drawing on Scripture, church history, N.T. Wright, cultural criticism, and lived pastoral experience, they examine pessimism, stoicism, technological modernity, and the temptation toward utopian or nationalist solutions, while arguing for a distinctly Christian vision rooted in the Incarnation, Emmanuel, and an “open” universe shaped by divine intervention. This episode challenges believers to reject despair and shallow optimism alike, encouraging faithful investment in churches, communities, and cultural foundations that may outlast us, and inviting Christians who care about theology, culture, and current events to recover a resilient, contagious hope worthy of the gospel.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological conversation on Christian hope during Advent, wrestling honestly with the widespread sense of cultural exhaustion, despair, and decline shaping current events in the modern West. Drawing on Scripture, Christian tradition, and contemporary debates involving figures like David French and broader evangelical discourse, they explore the difference between optimism and true Christian hope, asking whether Western culture is in a moral and spiritual “death spiral” or whether that diagnosis misses something essential. Nathan and Cameron argue that biblical hope is not rooted in political solutions, economic progress, or cultural victories, but in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, offering a “living hope” that can coexist with suffering, weakness, and uncertainty. This episode is especially for Christians seeking serious theological reflection on cultural decay, Advent spirituality, moral formation, and how to live faithfully and joyfully in dark times without denial, despair, or false optimism.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron offer a deep theological analysis of current events by engaging Daniel Hummel’s provocative claim that “secular Protestantism is America’s religion,” exploring why both liberal Protestantism and evangelicalism may be declining precisely because of their cultural success. Through thoughtful discussion on sociology of religion, expressive individualism, ecclesiology, and biblical anthropology, Nathan and Cameron examine how Enlightenment values, spiritual individualism, and unintended theological consequences have reshaped Christianity in America. Drawing on insights from Christian Smith, Mere Orthodoxy, and historic Christian doctrine, they contrast liberal Protestantism, evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism while asking whether churches today take themselves seriously as spiritual entities. This conversation is designed for Christians seeking rigorous theological reflection on cultural change, church decline, spiritual hunger, and the future of Christian witness in a post-Christian age.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

In this episode, Nathan and Cameron dive deep into one of the most pressing theological questions facing today’s church: What happens when worship, sermons, and spiritual formation collide with AI and morally complicated creators? Using provocative thought experiments—like whether Christians would eat fruit from a tree planted by an immoral person—they explore how believers should think about AI-generated worship music, sermons, artistic integrity, and the character of those who shape our spiritual lives. From EDM and emotional engineering to pastoral authenticity, formation, and the “food sacrificed to idols” dilemma, Nathan and Cameron offer rich, intellectually serious Christian commentary on how technology is reshaping worship and the future of the church. Perfect for Christians hungry for deep theology, cultural discernment, and thoughtful engagement with current events.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

In this episode, Nathan and Cameron dive deep into the rise of the so-called “ortho bros” and explore why so many young men are converting to Eastern Orthodoxy in today’s chaotic cultural moment. Drawing on history, theology, and their own pastoral experience, they analyze Ruth Graham’s New York Times article, compare the trend to the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, and discuss the growing desire among Christians for rootedness, tradition, and doctrinal clarity. This thoughtful conversation challenges reductive explanations of hyper-masculinity and invites viewers into a richer understanding of how ancient Christian traditions speak into modern unrest. Perfect for Christians seeking deep theological reflection, cultural analysis, and Christ-centered insight on current events.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.