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Michael Horton on the Origin of ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’

A theological perspective on humanity’s longing for the mystical.

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We need to do a better job as Christians of talking about the body in ways that valorize creation—not just criticizing people who want to do things we think are morally wrong, but helping them understand what God made right.” So says professor, author, and theologian Michael Horton on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. He and Moore discuss Horton’s new book, Shaman and Sage: The Roots of “Spiritual but Not Religious” in Antiquity. Their conversation explores the growing cultural attraction to Wicca, why people long for a connection to the mystical, and the goodness of our created flesh. They talk about technological advances that attempt to transcend the body, how we arrived in a cultural moment where people are spiritual but not religious, and what it looks like to engage with people who don’t believe there are any answers to the universe. Tune in for an episode that encourages Christians to understand how the goodness of the gospel transforms our entire beings—body and soul alike. Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com. Click here for a trial subscription 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

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