The Ezra Institute Podcast for Cultural Reformation

Bill C-9 is no longer just a troubling proposal. It is moving toward becoming law in Canada, and with it comes serious questions about hate crime legislation, religious liberty, public witness, and the role of the state. In this episode, Michael Thiessen and Nate Wright revisit Bill C-9 to explain what it does, why it matters, and why Christians cannot afford to treat it as just another political issue. They discuss the difference between sin and crime, the danger of the state trying to judge motives and regulate conscience, and how this bill could affect preaching, church discipline, Christian education, and public evangelism. Most importantly, they show why this is not a distraction from the gospel, but a direct implication of Christ’s lordship over every sphere of life.

What happens when progressive politics puts on Christian language and starts quoting Scripture? In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Joe Boot, Michael Thiessen, and Nate Wright examine the rise of a new public theology on the left, using Texas politician James Talarico as a case study. They discuss how bad exegesis, Gnostic ideas, and counterfeit Christianity are being used to bless abortion, feminism, and the modern sexual revolution with a veneer of biblical legitimacy.  The conversation explores why this moment matters, why many Christians are unprepared for theological arguments from the left, and how pastors and churches must respond with clarity, courage, and biblical faithfulness. This is not merely a clash between Christianity and secularism, but between Christianity and a public, persuasive imitation of it.

What does it really mean to defend the Christian faith? Pastor Nate Wright, Dr. Michael Thiessen, and Dr. Joe Boot challenge the popular notion that apologetics is about winning arguments or piling up evidence for God's existence. Drawing from 1 Peter 3:15, they make the case that faithful apologetics begins with Christ set apart as Lord — and flows outward as bold proclamation, not intellectual competition.The team explores how the collapse of a shared Christian worldview has transformed the apologetic landscape, why pragmatism has gutted the church's witness, and why true evangelism means confronting the idols of the age with humility, confidence, and total dependence on the Holy Spirit.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Nate Wright, Joe Boot, and Michael Thiessen continue their discussion on God’s law by exploring theonomy, its place in church history, and its fulfillment in Christ. They unpack the relationship between law and love, explain why biblical justice requires restitution and proportionality, and challenge modern misunderstandings that pit grace against God’s law.The episode closes by showing that Jesus did not abolish the law, but fulfilled it perfectly, bore its penalty for His people, and calls His church to live in faithful obedience to all He has commanded.

This week, Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen to help Christians think Christianly about the escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. Rather than reacting to headlines or repeating past debates about foreign wars, the conversation examines the issue through a Christian worldview—drawing on Scripture, sphere sovereignty, and the insights of Abraham Kuyper. What is the biblical basis for international law? Do nations have a right to defend themselves? And how should Christians think about war, treaties, and global conflict in a fallen world? The goal of this episode is simple: to help believers move beyond political talking points and think Christianly about international conflict, justice, and the responsibilities of nations under God’s law.

Is God’s law merely moral advice—or the creational structure that holds all things together? Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen to continue their Think Christianly series with “Think Christianly About Law (Part 1): The Meaning of Law, Natural Law, and Politics.” They argue that every “law word” of God orders creation, that all law is fundamentally religious (never neutral), and that removing God inevitably divinizes the state and fuels statism. They also challenge the appeal to “natural law” as common ground, calling Christians to recover the courage to speak God’s Word publicly—because from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things.

In this episode of the podcast for cultural reformation, Nate Wright and Dr. Michael Thiessen continue the Think Christianly series by examining the relationship between the Church, the Kingdom of God, and the mission of God’s people. Is the Church’s mission merely personal piety, church growth, political activism, or evangelism alone? Drawing from Dr. Joe Boot’s Think Christianly, they argue that the kingdom of God is the comprehensive rule and reign of Christ over every sphere of life—not something confined to Sunday worship or outsourced to the state. When that vision is reduced, Christians drift into either “churchianity” or a politicized view of the kingdom. The episode unpacks worship beyond Sunday, the distinction between the Church as institute and organism, sphere sovereignty, the central (but not exhaustive) role of evangelism, and the danger of sacred/secular dualism. Ultimately, the gospel calls believers into a world-encompassing mission: all of life lived under the lordship of King Jesus.

In this final AmFest 2025 episode, we reflect on the cultural shift unfolding before us. Public leaders are naming Christ. Christian language is re-entering the public square. But is this a revival, a political moment, or simply a starting point? We discuss the dangers of pietism, the church’s failure to disciple nations, and the need to clearly proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ in every sphere — politics, art, law, and beyond. The Great Commission is not just about private faith. It’s about teaching nations to obey Christ. The real question isn’t whether culture is shifting — it’s whether the church will steward the moment faithfully.

In this episode of The Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Joe Boot to walk through key clips from Joe’s keynote address at TPUSA’s AmFest. Joe explains how a last-minute shift—from a planned debate to a 13-minute mainstage address—became a providential opportunity to present Ezra’s core message: the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the all-encompassing reality of the Kingdom of God. Together, Nate and Joe challenge the idea that cultural renewal is primarily political, exposing the myth of neutrality and showing why every sphere of life is ultimately directed either toward Christ or away from Him. The conversation also presses a recovering theme in the Church today: Christ is King, whether you believe it or not—and the gospel is not a self-help invitation, but a proclamation of the King and His advancing Kingdom. A timely episode for anyone wrestling with the limits of “Christless conservatism” and looking for a truly biblical vision of cultural reformation.

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Michael Thiessen and Dr. Joe Boot continue their reflections on Ezra Institute’s time at AmericaFest, focusing on Dr. Boot’s interview with Lucas Miles, Director of TPUSA Faith. They discuss the need for cultural and political engagement to be rooted in the Church and shaped by a robust biblical worldview, emphasizing the Lordship of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the reality of human depravity. The conversation highlights why worldview formation—not issue-by-issue activism—is essential for lasting cultural reformation, and why unity around primary Christian doctrine matters in this moment. Ultimately, the episode calls Christians to think and live Christianly in every area of life by answering the fundamental question of our time: Who is King?

This week on the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Nate Wright, Dr. Joe Boot, and Dr. Michael Thiessen review Russell Brand’s remarks at TPUSA’s AmericaFest and reflect on what they reveal about public faith, repentance, and cultural renewal. They discuss the twin dangers Christians often fall into with celebrity conversions—either uncritically platforming new believers or cynically dismissing their professions of faith—and argue for a biblically grounded middle road marked by discernment, prayer, and patience. The conversation highlights Brand’s emphasis on repentance, his critique of statism, and his growing vision for Christian culture that avoids both pietistic retreat and forced political triumphalism. Ultimately, the episode points beyond personalities to the real hope of cultural reformation: transformed people, faithful discipleship, and the advancing kingdom of Christ.

In this episode, Joe Boot, Michael Thiessen, and Nate Wright reflect on an unexpected invitation to AmericaFest and why it became a significant cultural moment. From conversations at Turning Point USA to public engagement at a conference of tens of thousands, they consider what these opportunities reveal about the state of the Church today. They discuss Joe’s interview with Steve Deace, the problem of a Christianity that asks “how little can we do,” and the urgent need for Christian maturity. The episode explores the distinction between the church and the Kingdom of God, the dangers of privatized faith, and how believers should respond when church institutions fail to equip God’s people for cultural engagement. This conversation sets the stage for a multi-week reflection on AmericaFest, cultural responsibility, and advancing the Kingdom of God in our time.

As the Ezra Institute looks ahead to 2026, Pastor Nate Wright is joined by Dr. Michael Thiessen and Jordan Cecile to share what’s coming next—and how listeners can get involved. In this episode, the team unpacks new Ezra Press projects, the Foundations curriculum for churches, the launch of the Ezra Ambassadors Network, and the continued growth of Ezra Media. They also highlight key in-person training opportunities, including the Worldview Youth Academy and the returning Cultural Leadership Academy. With candid conversation, humor, and behind-the-scenes insight, this episode invites listeners to move beyond listening and take an active role in advancing biblical cultural reformation.

As a new year begins, Christians face mounting cultural pressure, constant bad news, and growing anxiety. In this opening episode of 2026, the Podcast for Cultural Reformation takes a pastoral turn—calling believers to lift their eyes from the chaos and fix them firmly on Christ. Ezra Institute Fellow Pastor Aaron Rock joins Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen to discuss fear, time, habits, and courage. Together they explore how constant media consumption shapes anxiety, why godly discipline matters more than short-lived resolutions, and how courage is cultivated through obedience, conviction, and love for God. This episode offers a steady, hope-filled call to faithful living—reminding Christians that victory in uncertain times is found not in fear, but in faithfulness to Christ.

In this Advent episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen continue the Think Christianly series by asking a world-shaping question: Who is the child in the manger? Marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, they explore the Arian heresy, the church’s defense of Christ’s full divinity, and why the Nicene confession—“begotten, not made”—is essential to Christian worship, salvation, and culture. The discussion also shows how Arianism persists today wherever Jesus is reduced to a moral teacher rather than confessed as Lord. This episode calls Christians, especially during Advent, to stand with the historic church and boldly confess Christ as fully God and fully man—the Word made flesh, for the life of the world.