Since he joined the staff of Christianity Today in 2005, Andy Crouch has become somewhat of a household name in many Christian circles. The last twelve years have seen a lot of mountaintops for him, including the publication of such influential books as Culture Making and Playing God and a successful tenure as CT’s executive editor.
This month, as he prepares for the April publication of his new book The Tech-Wise Family, Crouch is also stepping down from his position at CT to pursue work with the John Templeton Foundation. On his last day in the office, he sat down with CT managing editor Richard Clark to talk about video games, parenthood, and the many twists and turns of his truth-seeking calling.
In April, Andy Crouch will be hosting Christianity Today’s Church Leader Summit at The Outcomes Conference in Dallas Texas. We’d love to see you there! Check out the podcast for information on a special podcasts listeners discount.
On deciding to be a father: “I thought, ‘How do I maximally commit myself to participation in God’s love?’ Most of the people I’m going to love will forget me very quickly. Almost everything I do will be forgotten…. So I realized there’s only one way I could invest my life that would have the most endurance, and that would be if I ever had the chance to have children…. My life is most shaped by the ones who most embodied love.”
On what makes “Christian journalism” distinct: “I have a lot in common with my journalist colleague who may not be a believer. We are both seeking the truth and seeking to tell the truth. Really, the only difference is [that] we may have a disagreement about what sources of truth we have access to and what the framework of truth is. As a Christian, I have access to this beautiful reality that actually explains reality better than my neighbors understand it.”
On writing that Trump piece: “When I sat down to write it, I was on a plane to New Orleans, and I drafted it on the plane. I have to say, at that point, I felt a very clear sense of calling and freedom to say what had been brewing for a long time.”
On why journalists aren’t preachers: “It’s which end of truth you start with. The preacher begins with eschatological truth—ultimate truth—and works back to the situation of the people within that person’s hearing. Christian journalists start the other way around: the truth we are first faithful to is what things are like right now, in the light of ultimate truth.”
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The Calling is produced by Richard Clark and Jonathan Clauson.
Theme music by Lee Rosevere, used under Creative Commons 4.0.
