It was November 1, 1973, and Marvin Olasky—a then self-proclaimed atheist and communist—was reading an essay by Vladimir Lenin. Suddenly, Olasky began to have thoughts he couldn’t shake.
What if this is all wrong?
What if there really is a God?
Within eight hours, Olasky had decided he was no longer an atheist or a communist. He became a Christian a few years later. Olasky went on to become a leader in Christian higher education and publishing—most notably as the editor in chief of World Magazine.
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Olasky—author of 29 books, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, and affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute—joins Moore to discuss religion, politics, and philosophy. They talk about two of Olasky’s latest book releases: Pivot Points and an extensively updated Moral Vision, which includes a new foreword by Moore.
Olasky shares thoughts on his conversion, his relationship with George W. Bush during his presidency, and the evangelical embrace of some politicians and rejection of others. He and Moore consider the state of journalism, Christian symbolism in political movements, and the danger of echo chambers. Their conversation covers abortion and the pro-life movement, the Hamas attacks, and American involvement in world politics.
Olasky encourages listeners to live a life they’ll be glad to look back on, and offers words of wisdom for doing so.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com.
Special offer for listeners:
Russell Moore will join friends David French and Curtis Chang in Washington, DC for The After Party LIVE! on April 19. As a faithful listener to the podcast, we'd love for you to join us and use this $20 off offer just for listeners! The After Party is a free six-part video curriculum designed for people & pastors alike, and offers "a better way" for Christians to engage in politics. Learn more and buy tickets here — we've saved a seat for you!
Click here for a trial membership at Christianity Today.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Ashley Hales
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hip-Hop Artist FLAME on Theological Shifts
All Life Is Hospitality with Charlie Peacock + Andi Ashworth
Ethan Hawke on Flannery O'Connor's Christian Imagination
John Mark Comer’s Call to Practice, Not Performance
Mike Cosper on Church Hurt and Church Hope
Nancy French on Love, Trauma, and Partisan Politics
An Update to The Anxious Generation with Jonathan Haidt
’90s CCM, Slogans, and Joy: What We’re Reading
Marilynne Robinson Reads Genesis as a Story of Grace
Q+A: Reasons for Christian Hope in an Election Year
Jennie Allen’s Help For Tangled Emotions
Bonus Episode: Should You Watch 'The Chosen'?
Michael Wear's Solution to Political Captivity
Seth Kaplan's Answer to Our Collective Problem
Christian Wiman's Work Against Despair
Kate Bowler Tells Us Where We're Wrong on Suffering
Tom Holland on the Price of Peace
Tender Questions on Parenting, Adoption, and Sexuality
Jen Wilkin on Women in the Church
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Kingdom Power Fellowship Podcast
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)