The Russell Moore Show

• Christine Emba on the Fantasy of Porn’s Harmlessness

  Even where nobody talks about it, porn is everywhere--so much so that many, even those who think it's immoral, have concluded that it's an inextricable part of 21st century digital culture. But what if that attitude is leading us to levels of brokenness we never even imagined? In this episode, Christine Emba joins Russell to talk about what she calls a “quiet catastrophe”: the normalization of pornography in an era marked by loneliness and disconnection. Drawing from her widely read New York Times essay, “The Delusion of Porn’s Harmlessness,” Emba offers a pointed and profound look at what pornography is doing not just to our minds, but to our relationships, our desires, and our sense of self. Emba and Moore explore why the idea of intimacy feels threatening, and how a generation raised on digital pleasure might struggle to imagine and practice real relational connection. They also talk about how porn shapes our expectations of each other, why Christians often mishandle this issue, and what it might look like to recover a deeper, more beautiful ethic of intimate relationships. Emba even shares ways she sees society combatting our perceived defeat and possible despair when it comes to AI’s influence on porn–and the good news is, she has a positive outlook. This is not a frantic conversation about culture war panic. It’s a thoughtful and sobering conversation about what kind of restoration is possible when desire is distorted, but not beyond healing. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: C.S. Lewis letters, Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S. Lewis “The Delusion of Porn’s Harmlessness” by Christine Emba (The New York Times) Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba Kate Julian’s “The Sex Recession” (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Listener Question: Am I Disciplined—or Just Legalistic?

  Russell answers a listener's question: Am I Being Disciplined—or Just Legalistic? Submit your own question for the show! Email [email protected] — and remember: attach a voice memo! Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Tony Hale on Parenting, Powerlessness, and Processing Grief

  Maybe you know Tony Hale as the bumbling Buster Bluth on Arrested Development. Or maybe you know him as the bag-toting assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer on Veep. You might even know him as the googly-eyed Forky in Toy Story 4 or Riley’s Fear on Inside Out.  No matter how you’ve come across him before, perhaps you haven’t heard him like this. In this episode, Tony Hale joins Russell Moore for a candid conversation about anxiety, art, faith—and why he’s drawn to characters who never quite have it all together. Hale opens up about his personal journey through grief and doubt, and how these experiences shaped both his faith and his creativity. He reflects on the healing power of storytelling, the importance of making space for emotions we often suppress, and what it means to parent children through grief and suffering. Together, Moore and Hale explore the themes of Hale’s new family film Sketch, a story about a girl who processes loss by drawing monsters. But this isn’t just a kids’ movie—it’s an honest look at pain, beauty, and what it means to sit with discomfort. Hale shares why he wanted to make a film that respects the emotional complexity of children and adults alike. They also talk about the influence of Tim Keller, Tony’s early years as an actor, the inner development of his iconic roles (be aware, there could be some spoilers!), and how to choose roles and shape a career as a Christian in Hollywood. And be sure to listen until the end, when Tony shares insights on how to be the one Christian among nonbelievers and how to show the love of Christ with authenticity.  This is a warm, thoughtful conversation about surrender, sacred imagination, and how telling the truth might be one of the most redemptive acts we can offer the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Listener Question: Should I Go to a Church That Practices Infant Baptism?

  Russell answers a listener's question: Should I go to a church that practices infant baptism? Listen to the episode with Ligon Duncan: Ligon Duncan Tells Me Where I’m Wrong on Infant Baptism Listen to the recent episode with Jefferson Fisher: Jefferson Fisher on How to Have Difficult Conversations Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show by emailing [email protected] — and attach a voice memo! Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• David Brooks on Moral Courage for a Soulless Age

  What happens when a movement built on moral seriousness gives way to one powered by cruelty, resentment, and nihilism? In this episode, New York Times columnist David Brooks joins to talk about what he calls one of the greatest ruptures of his lifetime: the implosion of the conservative movement’s moral center. Drawing from his widely discussed essay in The Atlantic “I Should Have Seen This Coming,” Brooks offers a deeply personal—and deeply unsettling—account of how a reactionary fringe rose to power and reshaped American public life. Together, Moore and Brooks trace the descent from Burkean virtue to clickbait outrage, from civic institutions to “own-the-libs” performance art. But this conversation doesn’t stop at diagnosis. The two turn toward questions of cultural repair and spiritual renewal: Is there any real possibility of revival—in literature, in politics, in faith? What might it look like to recover a moral vision strong enough to resist the acid of our age? And what role could Christians play in offering a better way? Along the way, they talk about why the next spiritual awakening might not look like the last one, the legacy of Tim Keller, how we can engage in conversations on issues of the soul, how the Trump White House culture is different from other presidents’ and whether AI is really going to change American life as much as Moore thinks it will. This is a candid, searching conversation about what it means to be human in a disordered world—and what kind of moral courage is needed to hold fast when the center does not. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: How to Know a Person by David Brooks David’s Atlantic article, I Should Have Seen This Coming Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaus David’s article that talks about Alasdair MacIntyre in The Atlantic, Why Do So Many People Think Trump is Good? Diminish Democracy by Julian J. Rothbaum The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy by Christopher Lasch  David’s New York Times Article: When Novels Mattered  David’s novel suggestions: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  Selected Essays by Samuel Johnson  Middlemarch by George Eliot Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show at [email protected]  Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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