The SkyePod

Drew, King of the North, brings his royal decrees and news from around the internet. He and Skye wonder why religious couples seem to be insulated from the sex recession. Does it all come back to smartphones? Then they talk about how AI is pushing people to find meaning and purpose outside of their vocations. And why does Skye seem less excited about Greta Gerwig's rock-infused Narnia than Drew is? All that, and Skye explains why he thinks Anthropic is a little like Uncle Buck. 0:01 - Theme Song 2:08 - Christians Resisted the Sex Recession? 8:14 - Why Religion Helps Sex 17:59 - Mathmeticians Look for God 26:44 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/6ec53a32-f8e6-46ae-a7dc-252b05bb6494?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-15T18%3A41%3A00.353Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true Articles: The Sex Recession: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/religion-sex-recession-marriage/688774/ AI Mathematician on The Meaning of Life: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-a-i-comes-for-your-purpose-in-life/id1200361736?i=1000796109623 New Narnia Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDJ-ini7fF0 Article on AI and the Church: https://holypost.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-drill

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was his most public and spectacular miracle ever. But why were most of his miracles before this marked by secrecy and subtlety instead? In this message, Skye explores the role spectacles play in our faith, why we are so drawn to them, and why they usually fail to foster a transformative, sustainable love for God. 0:00 - Preamble 1:21 - Theme Song 1:52 - American Duels 6:46 - Lazarus and Duels 10:39 - How Jesus Creates Spectacle 16:04 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/f8df4b24-a965-417a-803a-56d559e03a56?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-01T19%3A24%3A32.487Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Is a "tsunami" really coming for the American church? How many of your favorite sermon illustrations are completely made up? Are parents raising successful young men who are boring to talk to? Skye and Drew also discuss the Gen Z stare, why worship leaders are burning out, and why women may be more suspicious of AI than men. Plus, if the people building AI think there's a chance it could destroy humanity, should the rest of us be a little more worried? 0:03 - Theme Song 6:13 - Can We Predict Church Change? 18:10 - Bogus Sermon Illustrations 25:45 - How to Raise an Unattractive Son 28:41 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/e0a58469-27ba-49a7-9cd2-b88d13a18252?postPreview=free&updated=2026-09-17T21%3A36%3A38.704Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

It's back to school and off to college season. Sociologists and master of "Graphs About Religion," Ryan Burge, is back with new data about which college majors are the most and least devoted to Christianity. He also has stats about declining birth rates even among religious groups, and why some kids raised with and without faith switch their beliefs as adults. 0:11 - Theme Song 2:17 - Religiosity Among Different College Majors 10:42 - Finance Bros are Major Church-Goers 20:14 - Deconstruction and College 27:32 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/so-you-want-your-child-to-keep-the

Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, but Lazarus was not transformed. He was still mortal, subject to the curse, and destined to die again. In other words, Lazarus was resuscitated; he was not truly resurrected. This message contrasts the difference between being rescued by God and being reborn, and asks whether we have accepted a lesser gospel of mere resuscitation when the life we are called to is one of transformation possible through the power of Christ's resurrection. 0:05 - Theme Song 0:20 - Intro 4:42 - John Newton's Resuscitation 10:00 - Two Tombs 14:01 - Jesus Came Back Different 18:52 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/skyedive-resuscitation-vs-resurrection?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Skye wants to wrap his head around what's happening with A.I. There's the economic factor, the ethical factor, the societal factor… too much for most of us to keep up with. Skye sat down with Meghan Sullivan, a leading voice on ethics with A.I., to talk about how people in Silicon Valley are navigating this thorny topic. 0:00 - Intro 8:18 - Theme Song 8:38 - LLMs with Personalties 14:57 - Market Pressure 23:45 - Theory of Secularization 27:57 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/6bb8ed52-78c1-45d3-bb70-4851140b06b2?postPreview=free&updated=2026-08-06T22%3A10%3A37.356Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true Read more about Meghan Sullivan's work at her website: https://meghansullivan.org/

Christopher Nolan's take on Homer's epic "The Odyssey" is the biggest film in the world right now. Holy Post Pundit and New Testament scholar, Nijay Gupta, joins Skye to talk about what it tells us about pagan religion in the ancient world. He explains how the faith taught by the Apostles contradicted the kind of idolatry and superstition described in "The Odyssey," and what the ancient Greek understanding of hospitality toward strangers—a major theme in the movie—shares in common with both the Old and New Testaments. 0:07 - Theme Song 2:03 - The Odyssey and the Ancient World 8:28 - Demigods Among Us 22:02 - Hospitality as a Virtue 28:13 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-bible-with-nijay?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true Link to Nijay's Substack series on Paganism: https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-world-of-the Engaging Scripture (Nijay Gupta's Substack): https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/ Link to Nijay's Substack series on Paganism: https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-world-of-the Engaging Scripture (Nijay Gupta's Substack): https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/

Historian Daniel G. Hummel joins Skye Jethani to talk about the changing relationship between American evangelicals and Israel. Driven by a particular view of the end times, Hummel explains the origin of evangelical support for the modern state of Israel, and why current events are testing that commitment. They also examine influential media voices, like Tucker Carlson, who are aggressively pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories and half-truths about the origins of Christian Zionism. 0:07 - Theme Song 6:54 - Secularism and Zionism 12:03 - Dispensationalism 19:29 - Israel and Blessings 22:02 - Controlling God 27:56 - Carlson's Anti-semetic Anti-zionism 30:33 - End Credits CT's article on Tucker Carlson and the Scofield Bible: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/06/what-tucker-carlson-got-wrong-cyrus-scofield-christian-zionism/

It's a history lesson on today's French Friday. David French explains the parallels between the Vichy French government that cooperated with the Nazis in WWII and Christian nationalists in America today. Both were highly misogynistic, nativist, and blamed liberal democracy for all of the country's problems. Obviously, things did not end well for the Vichy government in France. David and Skye discuss why the authoritarianism pushed by Christian nationalists won't work in America either. They also discuss the 2026 midterm elections and what the Democrats are learning from the popularity of pugilistic candidates like Platner in Maine and the decency of candidates like Talarico in Texas. 0:00 - Theme Song 1:11 - Vichy France and Modern America 8:18 - Mistrust Toward Democracy 17:50 - Why Do We Return to Authoritarianism? 33:08 - Graham Platner 43:41 - What's a Good "Representative?" 1:02:09 - End Credits David French's Vichy France article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/opinion/christian-nationalism-maga-france.html

The internet keeps serving up strange stories, and Drew Dyck is back to help Skye figure out what they reveal about faith, wisdom, and our very weird cultural moment. They start with a Christianity Today article on marijuana and the Christian life, but the conversation quickly turns toward a bigger question about how believers learn discernment when Scripture doesn't give a simple rule. Then they discuss Freya India's warning that prayer apps, livestreamed sermons, and gamified discipleship can quietly train new Christians to experience faith as one more thing to consume on a phone. Also this week, Skye and Drew talk about microwaved fish, AI-generated Christian content, ghostwriting, UFOs, demons, and why the modern world may be getting stranger, not less spiritual. 0:05 - Theme Song 2:10 - Christianity Today on Weed 11:02 - Fundamentalism 21:35 - Commodification of Christianity 24:46 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/drews-news-weed-prayer-apps-and-ufos

The Supreme Court recently struck down a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill that prevented the dilution of votes by racial minorities, unleashing red states throughout the South to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome is likely to be fewer Black representatives in Congress. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the issue of gerrymandering—partisan and racial—and why it is contrary to both the Constitution and the Christian call to love our neighbors. They also offer suggestions for fixing the problem in order to heal our broken politics. 0:00 - Theme Song 0:21 - Being on Bill Marr 6:04 - What is Gerrymandering? 11:27 - Racial vs Political Gerrymandering 26:22 - Christian Podcast and Politics 29:57 - Disempowering the People 40:22 - Possible Solutions 52:37 - Do We Need a Third Founding? 1:10:47 - End Credits

Drew's back to talk about the youth and the Church. YouTube prophets preach about UFO's! Christian singles join dating shows on Hulu! Kids are saying "Christ is King..." but mean something different than allegiance to Jesus. It's a wild world, but Skye and Drew are here to talk about it. 0:08 - Theme Song 1:12 - Youtube Prophets and UFO Panic 16:46 - Christian Dating Reality Show? 24:52 - Gen Z Wants to be 80's Kids 26:08 - The full episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/158271605/

Skye reacts to recent comments by Pope Leo about the danger of assuming the church only cares about sexual morality and the backlash to his remarks from conservative evangelicals. He explains the origin and widespread acceptance of what Skye calls "crotch Christianity," why the over-correction by more progressive Christians is also problematic, and how Pope Leo points us to a healthier, more biblical vision of Christian ethics. 0:04 - Theme Song 0:45 - Live Show Recap 7:00 - Is Sex the Slippery Slope? 14:10 - What is Crotch Christianity? 19:14 - Crotch Christianity and Roe V Wade 23:54 - Reflecting Our Culture This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/157011066/ Skye's Explainer Video on Abortion: https://youtu.be/RvWD7ykNjCc