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New Persuasive Words

New Persuasive Words

By: Scott Jones & Bill Borror
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 New Persuasive Words is a sharp and insightful podcast that dissects the intersections of culture, politics, and theology with intellectual rigor and a conversational ease. Hosted by Scott Jones and Bill Borror, the show offers a thoughtful examination of contemporary issues, blending humor, historical perspective, and philosophical depth. With a keen eye for nuance and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, New Persuasive Words invites listeners into a space where ideas are tested, assumptions are questioned, and meaningful dialogue thrives.© 2025 Scott Jones & Bill Borror Christianity Politics & Government Spirituality
Episodes
  • Episode 386: Arian Heresy, Aryan Headaches

    Episode 386: Arian Heresy, Aryan Headaches
    Dec 3 2025
    In this episode, Scott and Bill take a provocative historical detour, exploring whether there’s a meaningful connection between the ancient Arian theological heresy and today’s ascendant Aryan-inflected white nationalism. What happens when a 4th-century doctrinal struggle over the nature of Christ echoes—however faintly—into modern movements animated by racial mythmaking and pseudo-spiritual identity? We trace the parallels, interrogate the contrasts, and ask what lessons the past might offer a culture increasingly vulnerable to distorted stories of power and purity. We also welcome a new and very special addition to the NPW universe: Emily Acrigg, our freshly installed ombudsman. Emily joins us to help keep the show honest, sharp, and maybe even a little more civilized. It’s a lively, wide-ranging conversation—equal parts history, theology, and social diagnosis—that you won’t want to miss.
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    44 mins
  • Episode 385: Converting the Barbarians

    Episode 385: Converting the Barbarians
    Dec 2 2025
    In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill take a deep dive into the long, complicated, and often surprising history of Christian missions to the so-called “barbarians”—those peoples and cultures living at the outer edges of the empire and the church’s imagination. Drawing on episodes from late antiquity through the medieval world, they explore how the Church has, at its best, found creative, relational, and incarnational ways to reach those on the cultural margins. What happens when mission looks more like listening than conquering? When the gospel adapts without losing its heart? When the “barbarians” end up reshaping the Church as much as the Church shapes them? Scott and Bill unpack the lessons—both hopeful and cautionary—that history offers for engaging cultural outsiders today. Whether you’re a student of history, a leader navigating cultural change, or simply curious about how faith travels across boundaries, this conversation offers a fresh and provocative lens on the ongoing work of persuasion and conversion.
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    36 mins
  • Episode 384: The Afternoon of Christianity

    Episode 384: The Afternoon of Christianity
    Nov 22 2025
    In this episode of New Persuasive Words, Scott and Bill dive into Chapter 4 of Tomáš Halík’s The Afternoon of Christianity, exploring Halík’s provocative vision for faith in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on Halík’s rich metaphors of spiritual maturation, they unpack what it means for Christianity to move beyond its “adolescent certainties” and into a deeper, more contemplative season. Scott and Bill wrestle with Halík’s challenge to embrace mystery over dogmatism, dialogue over defensiveness, and a renewed openness to the hidden work of God in unexpected places. Along the way, they connect Halík’s insights to the cultural, political, and ecclesial tensions of our moment—asking whether an “afternoon Christianity” might be exactly what our fractured world needs. Thoughtful, candid, and characteristically hopeful, this conversation invites listeners to ponder where faith is headed, and what kind of wisdom the afternoon light might yet reveal.
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    40 mins
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