The Ezra Institute Podcast for Cultural Reformation

On this episode we conclude our overview of Joe Boot’s newest book, Ruler of Kings, and explain how the concept of heresy applies to political and social life outside of the church. We also lay out the difference between theocracy and ecclesiocracy, and describe how every society, from revolutionary France to modern North America, has a god-concept that demands ultimate allegiance. Visit Ezra Press and save 20% off Ruler of Kings until next Wednesday. Get tickets for the Mission of God conference East, and West on the Ezra Institute website. We’re live-testing the Ezra Learning Portal now! Drop us a note at the Ezra Institute website if you’d like to be a tester and help improve this brand-new service.

On this episode we discuss Joe’s newest book, Ruler of Kings. Joe explains why he felt compelled to write such a book at this time, and what the reign of King Jesus means for the way we understand and relate to civil government. Get Ruler of Kings at Ezra Press. Use code PODCAST to save 20% off. Register for the Mission of God conference! We have one in Ontario on May 21, and one in Edmonton on June 18.

Reflecting on the Easter season we’ve just come through, Joe Boot discusses the significance of the garden theme throughout Scripture, pointing to Christ as both the gardener and the king, and to the calling of his people to live in submission to him, holding forth dominion over the created world to tend and keep it. And if you’ve ever been unsure what Joe means by vice-gerent, we clarify it today! We discuss the following Ontario provincial legislation: Bill 100, about expanding police and emergency powers, and Bill 67, about neo-Marxist racism training in public education. We have two Mission of God conferences this spring! May 21 in Niagara, and June 18 in Edmonton.Apply for a position in this year’s Runner Academy.Don’t forget to subscribe for regular emails and ministry updates.

On this week's episode we're joined by Ezra Institute Fellow for Biblical Economics, Graeme Leach. Graeme explains why the realm of economics is frequently neglected or misunderstood by Christians, how a biblical vision for economic life, that emphasizes property rights, proportional taxation, and voluntary welfare, leads to a more free and prosperous society, and how Christians can take action to order our economic lives to the glory of God. 

As we wrap up the third chapter of a discussion on theonomy, law, and the Kingdom of God, we look at some historical cases where biblical law was applied to and positivized in the laws of the nations other than Israel, including Britain, the United States, and Canada. Because law is an inescapable condition of life, if we will not be governed by God’s law, we must necessarily be governed by some other law. Which one do we want for our nation?

We resume the conversation from last week on the place of God’s law in society, and interact with listener questions. We also examine the New Testament teaching on the law of God, and address the reality that all law is coercive, by its very nature.

The literal meaning of theonomy is simply the law of God. However, it has come to be used as a pejorative term by many who have not interacted with or understood the work on the subject. Pastor Norm Millar of Redemption Bible Chapel in London raised some common objections to theonomy in a recent sermon, and we respond to some of them in this episode. 

After a stretch of current events commentary, we return to the main themes of this season: worldview and informational thinking. As the world around us seems to devolve at an accelerating pace, it’s important to think and act from a principled and self-consciously Christian perspective.Also, we share some big news about the growth of the ministry of the Ezra Institute, and Joe Boot’s book, Ruler of Kings, is finally in print!

Last week we talked about the nature, origins, and features of totalitarian states, and ended with a promise to discuss practical tactics for Christians to use in response. This episode highlights some of those responses, beginning with the often overlooked and undervalued weapon of prayer.  

In this episode we examine and define totalitarianism- its meaning, origins, and some historic examples. We look at the ancient roots of this ideology as expressed by Aristotle and implicitly adopted by Thomas Aquinas and the Roman Catholic church. As we witness the continued push toward totalitarianism in Canada in particular, what were the assumptions and commitments that brought us to this point?  

John Cooper of Skillet joins us to talk about their recent album, Dominion, about the experience of writing music in a dark and confused cultural moment, and about the importance of Christians participating in civil life. Get John Cooper’s book Awake and Alive to Truth, at Ezra Press.  

The dispute over the meaning and extent of rights and freedoms is on display in the Canadian truckers' ongoing protest in Ottawa, and the response to it from media and elected officials. But this dispute is also rooted in an older and deeper philosophical system known as Critical Theory. As ever, the solution is ultimately and only found at the cross of Jesus Christ. Get Joe Boot's book For Politics at Ezra Press.

What a man avoids saying is often more telling than what he does say. As a 70-kilometer-long truck convoy approaches Ottawa in opposition to mandatory vaccinations, we have an opportunity to reflect on some of the reasons that evangelicals have seemed hesitant to publicly and clearly declare, from a scriptural foundation, what they oppose.