In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a new Pew Research study that was conducted with participants from three dozen countries, reflecting a wide range of religious traditions. The findings showed that not only is belief in life after death widespread, but so is a belief in spirits. The majority of adults in most countries believe that animals and parts of nature can have spirits or spiritual energies - think mountains or rivers or trees. This begs the question: what is a spirit, at least as defined by those who believe in them? Is this the same thing as a soul? And what about ghosts?

The podcast recently looked at a topic related to life after death, specifically the occurrence of near-death experiences. You can find that episode HERE. And as Alexis mentioned, this is not the first time that the podcast has delved into the spiritual realm. We'd encourage you to go back and listen to these past episodes if you missed them: CCP11: On Wicca, CCP58: On Your Horoscope and Starbucks, and CCP77: On Angels.

Dr. White discussed the importance of having a sound understanding of Christian theology when it comes to things related to the spirit and the soul, particularly the knowledge of what it means to be made in the image of God. There is a fantastic course offered through Church & Culture called “Theology on Tap,” exploring answers Christians give to questions people have about God and all things related to God. You can find out more about that course HERE.

Finally, there are two series we suggest you check out that were delivered by James Emery White at Mecklenburg Community Church. The first is called “Paranormal” looking at the world of the occult and the map of our spiritual world. The second is called “So What's the Difference?,” which took a look at the key differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. As Dr. White said, in today's culture the younger generations seem to think that they are following the beliefs of the Christian faith while in reality, they are simply picking and choosing the parts of all the world's religions they like the best.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they take time to discuss all things related to the pope in light of the recent death of Pope Francis at the age of 88. He served as the head of the Catholic Church for 12 years, and his death certainly sparked a media storm. So this episode takes time to explore the history of the office of the pope, how future popes are elected through the process of the conclave, and more.

Dr. White mentioned the attention that the 2024 movie Conclave, has been getting, particularly since Pope Francis passed away. Holly Meyer wrote an article recently for Associated Press News titled, “So you saw ‘Conclave' the movie. Here's what it got right – and wrong – about real-life conclaves.” You can read that article HERE.

And then, if this episode sparked an interest in learning more about the papacy, here are a number of articles we'd suggest you check out:

“What are the Catholic Church's rites after the death of a pope and the election of a new one?” Los Angeles Times.

Russell Moore, “A US Evangelical Considers Pope Francis,” Christianity Today.

Olivia B. Waxman, “Pope Francis, the ‘World's Parish Priest' Who Led in an Era of Crisis, Dies at 88,” Time.

Joel Hodge and Antonia Pizzey, “Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms – and controversies,” The Conversation.

Thomas Reese, “Why the synod on synodality is confusing to American Catholics,” National Catholic Reporter.

“Sede vacante: What happens now, and who is in charge?” The Pillar.

Greta Cross, “Conclave smoke: What black and white smoke signal during election of a new pope,” USA Today.

Colleen Barry, “Tens of thousands file into St. Peter's Basilica to pay final respects to Pope Francis,” AP News.

Ross Douthat, “Can the Catholic Church Quit the Culture Wars?” The New York Times.

Marc Ramirez, “Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope of the Catholic Church. What is a Jesuit?” USA Today.

Matthew Walther, “The Real Legacy of Pope Francis,” The Atlantic.

Brian McGill & Marcus Walker, “Picking a Pope: Inside the World's Most Secretive Election,” The Wall Street Journal.

For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.