defragmenting

In a recent issue of Cairn University’s magazine, Cairn professor and dean of the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Dr. Victoria (Tori) Aquilone, reviewed the book The Two-Parent Privilege by economist Melissa S. Kearney. She writes, “While [the author] does not exactly approach the cultural dynamics of family formation from a biblical worldview, her book investigates the proliferation of non-marital parenting arrangements as well as highlights the range of negative impacts of the decline of marriage in the West, especially the impact on children.” In this episode, Dr. Aquilone joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss how Kearney’s research both confirms God’s design for the order of marriage and childbearing and raises important issues worthy of Christians’ consideration.

Neuroscientist and educator Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath recently testified before a US Senate hearing on the impact of technology on American youth where he claimed, “Evidence indicates that indiscriminate digital expansion has weakened learning environments rather than strengthened them.” This negative impact and what to do about it is the subject of his latest book The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning—And How to Help Them Thrive Again. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer for an informative exchange we trust will benefit and challenge parents, teachers, and educational administrators alike.

In their book Are We All Cyborgs Now? Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine, Robin Phillips and Joshua Pauling examine how our ongoing interaction with especially digital technologies could be altering our conceptions and expectations about how life should be. “Under the subtle catechesis of our machines,” they ask, “do we come to see our humanity—the flesh and blood bodies that God has given us—as problems to be overcome? Do we begin to perceive the human body as merely a machine or mechanism that doesn’t always work very well?” In this episode Joshua Pauling talks with Keith Plummer about how the Christian doctrines of creation, the mystery of the Incarnation, the promise of the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come can and should stabilize us in the dizzying, high velocity world of technological change.

Matt Smethurst says the aim of his book, Tim Keller on the Christian Life is to synthesize and distill Tim Keller’s best teaching on the Christian life. We believe he succeeded at that task, and we’re not alone. World magazine selected it as its 2025 Book of the Year, stating, “This well-written book will convict but also encourage Christians who read it, helping them as they pray, pursue friendships, go to work, consider how to help their poor neighbors, and endure suffering themselves.” Pastor Smethurst joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about why he wanted to write the book and some of the recurring themes of Tim Keller’s thinking, writing, and preaching about following Jesus.

The adverse effects of a screen-immersed life on children and teens becomes harder to ignore on what seems to be a daily basis. What are parents to do? In her book The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide for Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones, Clare Morell offers well-researched and hope-giving answers. She joined Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about the dangers screen immersion, the inadequacy of screen limiting and parental control software, how to prepare for a family digital detox, and how and why to fill the time previously consumed by fixation on devices. This informative and encouraging exchange is not foremost about saying no to digital tech but rather, about acknowledging and embracing what God has made us for.

One doesn't have to look too hard or too far to recognize the church's shortcomings. But according to Brad Edwards, author of The Reason for Church, these obvious flaws aren't the main reason people dismiss the idea that church helps humans flourish. Edwards argues that both Christians and non-Christians have absorbed two powerful assumptions: anti-institutionalism and radical individualism. These beliefs make many view the church with cynicism and suspicion, preventing people from recognizing how its work and witness can help address our deepest needs. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss these cultural assumptions and how even committed Christians can mistake these ideas for genuine biblical faith.

In his book, The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory, Dr. Robert S. Smith offers a biblically grounded critique of transgender theory’s central claim that there is no inherent connection between the sexed body and the gendered self. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss how he came to be interested in this subject; some of the factors that have led to the current confusion about the relationship between biological sex and gender; and what biblical revelation reveals about the significance of embodiment for sexuality, marriage, and personal identity.

Emily Harrison, author of the Substack newsletter Dear Christian Parent, sits down with Dr. Keith Plummer to explore the impact of technology on children and teens. They discuss a four-part series she wrote on what parents need to know about Artificial Intelligence (AI) that covers its pervasive presence in daily life, its implications for education, the dangers of AI-created deep fakes, and its impact on artistic creativity. They also discuss the importance of fostering real-world skills and the need for collective action within the church to help families navigate the challenges of the digital age.

Episode Notes Drawing from his own journey of deconstructing and reconstructing his Christian faith, Ian Harber describes deconstruction as an existential crisis of faith that consists of much more than intellectual questioning. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to offer insights about how we are to understand and accompany loved ones in the midst of such crises. Among the topics they discuss are contributing factors to deconstruction, the importance of a theology of suffering, and the vital roles that sound biblical truth and genuine Christian community play in healing and reconstruction.

Episode Notes Because the triune God has graciously revealed himself, he is knowable. But because he is infinite, there is always more to him than finite creatures can comprehend. Dr. Ronni Kurtz explains and explores the profound and often overlooked doctrine of incomprehensibility in his book Light Unapproachable: Divine Incomprehensibility and the Task of Theology. In this episode, he and Dr. Keith Plummer discuss the biblical basis of the doctrine; its historical development; and why its contemplation should elicit worship, foster humility, and produce joy-filled hope.

Episode Notes What could a book written about television forty years ago possibly have to teach us about living well and wisely in our world of smartphones, social media, and high-speed connectivity? According to the editors of Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age, a lot! In this episode, Brett McCracken and Dr. Ivan Mesa join Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss why Neil Postman's classic volume Amusing Ourselves to Death is still amazingly relevant and how they hope their project will help the body of Christ.

Episode Notes Chris Martin, author of The Wolf in Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead, returns to the podcast to talk with Dr. Keith Plummer about why Christian leaders need to understand how our relationship with social media changes the ways we think, feel, and believe. Chris explains why he calls social media “the most pervasive discipleship force in the world right now;” details the wrong ways we approach social media; and suggests how pastors, ministry leaders, parents, and teachers can foster cultures that better enable believers to resist the seductive snares of online life. Even if you’re not on social media, you’re affected by it somehow, so there’s something for everyone to take away from this conversation.

Episode Notes Seasoned journalist Bonnie Kristian believes America is in the midst of a knowledge crisis that the church cannot afford to ignore. In fact, she thinks it could be the most pressing and unprecedented challenge for contemporary discipleship. Her book Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community describes the multiple forces contributing to an atmosphere characterized by mounting misinformation, mistrust, and polarization. Bonnie joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss why Christians need to understand the crisis and what measures we can take to resist it and its destructive effects.