Show Notes
The national average gas price has increased to $4.50 / gallon, reflecting skyrocketing crude oil prices due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. While sticker shock at the gas pump is our most salient contact point, oil surrounds us from the moment we’re born. In today’s Long Read from the CT archives, writer Ken Baake traces the history of oil from its discovery to the transformation of our world. Have Christians become too accustomed to the luxuries oil provides? Is there a place for moderation in our consumption of oil? Tune in to this 2019 piece, read with updated statistics by James Thompson.
READ THE PRINT VERSION:
Oil is a Gift From God: Are We Squandering It? - Ken Baake
GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:
Join the conversation at our Substack.
Find us on YouTube.
Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ken Baake is an associate professor in the English Department of Texas Tech. He studies the art of communication, specifically focusing on “the rhetoric of science” and the language of technical communication. Ken studies art, poems, and songs looking to see people's perception and what is being conveyed through different types of language.
James Thompson is an international campus minister based in Thailand. He is a contributing writer to Christianity Today, where his reporting focuses on the global church and missions. His work has also been published in the Christian Standard and Religion Unplugged. Find him at jamescthompson.net.
ABOUT THE BULLETIN:
The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.
The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.
“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today
Producer: Clarissa Moll
Associate Producer: Alexa Burke
Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris
Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs
Music: Dan Phelps
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper
Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from The Bulletin
As anticipation and speculation increase for the midterm elections, Michael Wear joins Courtney Blair to discuss “faith forward” Democrats running for office and whether Christians should reconsider the idea of being “politically homeless.” Then, Mark Edington shares his perspective on pastoring a congregation in Paris during this week’s mass riots that swept France. And Courtney speaks with writer Kayla Craig and Dr. Lydia Dugdale about a disturbing new escalation in euthanasia in The Netherlands.
This week, President of the Trinity Forum Cherie Harder shares about what healthy political discourse looks like and what we can keep in mind as we approach the midterm elections. Then, Courtney Blair sits down at The Museum of the Bible with Christianity Today President and CEO Nicole Martin for a discussion about where CT has come from, where we’re going, and what remains at our core.
This week, Frances Haugen drops by The Bulletin to discuss the events in her life that inspired Aaron Sorkin’s new movie The Social Reckoning. Frances shares what she learned as a data scientist at Facebook that led her to become a corporate whistleblower, as well as how we can think about integrity in the workplace. Then, CT contributor Brad East joins the show to talk about his piece ‘Why Christians Should Delete Social Media’ and the value of living an offline life.
Theobros are a new genre of Internet influencer who discuss theology on podcasts. They have been gaining an online following by saying the Bible supports their segregationist and antisemitic views. Bob Smietana from Religion News Service reported on these Theobros, and spoke to The Bulletin about their beliefs. Then, as the mid-term elections approach, we discuss the phenomenon of pastors, seminarians and former clergy running as Democratic candidates. We re-air a conversation with Mockingcast’s David Zahl, diving specifically into the rise of Texas’s Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Lastly, Charlie Sykes and Russell Moore discuss how to interpret polling data around the 2028 election, if they think JD Vance or Marco Rubio is more likely to become the Republican candidate, and what to value when thinking about who to vote for.
This week, President Trump welcomed China’s president Xi Jinping to Washington, D.C. for a two-day summit. Knox Thames joins to discuss Chinese religious liberty violations and why the two world leaders will most likely avoid the issue. Then, President Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland regarding the US’s military presence in Greenland. We re-air a segment in which Noah Rothman, Mike Cosper, Russell Moore, and Clarissa Moll discuss Trump’s comments from January about wanting to claim Greenland, and the harm that those comments may have caused. Finally, amidst the AI alarmism in the media cycle, we re-play a conversation featuring Meghan Sullivan from Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. She discusses some ways we can approach the AI issue, and what is in store for our work.