Last year's Christmas episode provides a study in contrast. Nathan and Cameron hosted a jovial discussion on Santa. This year, that kind of tone seems utterly out of place. In this episode, Nathan and Cameron discuss the nature of our celebrations in the midst of deeply surreal circumstances and consider the greater hope of Christ's promise to make all things new. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

RZIM: Thinking Out Loud Broadcasts

A Very Strange Christmas and a Very Real Hope

For most of us, a significant part of Thanksgiving involves food and lots of it. More importantly, it involves a shared meal with those we love (and often struggle with). Of course, this year things looked a bit different. Some of us headed into the holiday with increasing levels of anxiety. Others chose to forego travels altogether this year. In this episode, Nathan and Cameron discuss some of the complex dynamics surrounding shared meals in the midst of a global pandemic.Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Eating Together in the Midst of a Global Pandemic

This week, Nathan and Cameron discuss the challenges of friendship in the digital world as well as the nature of their own friendship. (Cameron also tries not to take offense at Nathan's initial question about the status of their friendship). Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Are We Friends?

In this re-run of a Thinking Out Loud episode recorded last year, Nathan and Cameron discussed the election and how to follow Christ through a turbulent time. While the US wait for the 2020 election results, we thought it would be an ideal time to re-air this episode recorded live from 2019. Though only a year has passed since this recording, the world in which the event took place now feels very distant. How do we follow Christ through it all? This live exchange from last year remains pertinent to our current political climate, so we invite you to take a deep breath and enjoy Nathan and Cameron trying to stay on their feet in front of a crowd. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Thinking Out Loud Live! Discussing the Election

Many Christians feel conflicted about Halloween, even as they usher their costumed kids out the door for tricks or treats. In this episode, an enthusiast (Cameron) and a naysayer (Nathan) try to make sense of this deeply strange American holiday, and consider the light that the gospel sheds on the matter.Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Wrestling with Halloween

Nathan and Cameron feel a bit down in this episode and they have a feeling that some of you may be in the same boat. That's 2020 in a nutshell. In this episode, they discuss what it looks like to hold to Christian hope, even when there doesn't seem to be a clear light at the end of the tunnel. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Fighting Against Despair

The term "religion" is wildly unpopular and many contemporary Christians sidestep the issue with the neat phrase "personal relationship with Jesus." While the phrase is not necessarily false, it leaves both Nathan and Cameron uneasy. In this episode, they discuss that unease and try to offer a more holistic response. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Is Christianity More than a Personal Relationship?

For the first time in history, it's possible to "bracket death." But death is the one thing we can all be certain of. So, what does it mean to be mortal? Why do many struggle in Western culture with elderly care? Nathan and Cameron "think out loud" about these questions, pulling from Dr. Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End to take a timely and deeply helpful meditation on our mortal condition, end of life ethics, and more.Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

The Fantasy of Being Ageless: A Discussion on Our Mortality

One of the surprising national pastimes that have emerged during the pandemic is a growing obsession with conspiracy theories. A phenomenon that touches all points of the political spectrum, what does this new hobby say about us? In this episode, Nathan and Cameron tackle this question.Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Why Are We So Obsessed with Conspiracy Theories?

In a time of deep cultural unrest, many of us long for "things to go back to normal." But if this is what our nation looks like under extreme stress, what does that say about our sense of normal? And what is the Christian posture in a time of wide-spread fear and division? Sound uplifting? Join Nathan and Cameron for a discussion of our troubled moment. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Peace That Isn't Peace

Few would dispute that the past few weeks have been some of the more tumultuous America has experienced in recent years. Far from merely political or cultural tensions, the most recent crisis is a matter of life and death and can be seen most clearly in the three faces of those who unjustly lost their lives: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. These three names don't represent isolated incidents and the great travesty is that the list of names keeps growing. As has been repeatedly said, this is a fundamental human rights issue, one that goes to the heart of America's struggle with racism, prejudice, and discrimination. In this episode, Thinking Out Loud hosts Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister are joined by their colleague Brandon Cleaver for a candid discussion about this cultural moment and how Christ's life, death, and resurrection intersect with our current predicament. Listen to Part 1Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1Brandon Cleaver - @BrandonCleaver1

Racism, Civil Unrest, and the Hope of the Gospel: A Difficult Yet Necessary Conversation, Pt. 2

It seems 2020 has been full of difficult news. In this episode, Nathan and Cameron push pause on the relentless news cycle to discuss gardening. As usual, this seemingly light-hearted topic leads into a much deeper discussion of the human condition. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Let's Talk about Gardening

Few would dispute that the past few weeks have been some of the more tumultuous America has experienced in recent years. Far from merely political or cultural tensions, the most recent crisis is a matter of life and death and can be seen most clearly in the three faces of those who unjustly lost their lives: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. These three names don't represent isolated incidents and the great travesty is that the list of names keeps growing. As has been repeatedly said, this is a fundamental human rights issue, one that goes to the heart of America's struggle with racism, prejudice, and discrimination. In this episode, Thinking Out Loud hosts Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister are joined by their colleague Brandon Cleaver for a candid discussion about this cultural moment and how Christ's life, death, and resurrection intersect with our current predicament. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1Brandon Cleaver - @BrandonCleaver1

Racism, Civil Unrest, and the Hope of the Gospel: A Difficult Yet Necessary Conversation, Pt. 1

We live in a cultural moment that vigorously punishes mistakes, often in a very public fashion. Indeed, this is one of the key aspects of our deeply polarized landscape. Yet, if we aren't allowed the freedom to make mistakes—to be wrong—moral growth is short circuited. In this episode, Nathan and Cameron discuss how mistakes can be an occasion for tremendous growth, rather than simply shame and retribution. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

The Moral Necessity of Being Wrong

Given the deep divisions that define our cultural moment, empathy is often touted as the central virtue of our age. But our growing tribalism continues to undermine our efforts to understand people who remain culturally remote. Add a pandemic to the mix and the difficulties are multiplied. In this episode, Nathan and Cameron discuss the limits and possibilities of empathy in our divided age. Follow the Thinking Out Loud hosts on Twitter: Cameron McAllister - @CamMcAllister7Nathan Rittenhouse - @N_Rittenhouse1

Empathy and the Limits of Distance

Thinking Out Loud is podcast for Christians who want to welcome difficult conversations. Every other Thursday, Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister will discuss these timely issues and draw from their experience as frontline apologists to show how Scripture addresses all of our most pressing cultural concerns.

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RZIM: Thinking Out Loud Broadcasts

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