Ask the Pastor: Joan of Arc and violence in God's name
- How should we think about Joan of Arc and claims of divine direction toward violence?
A complaint-line listener asks how to think about Joan of Arc, who claimed divine visions directing her to support Charles VII in war. The host gives her history — peasant girl, Hundred Years' War, siege of Orleans, capture and execution in 1431, canonization in 1920 — then the hosts wrestle with whether God would direct violence post-Jesus. They grant biblical precedent in the judges (Samson, Gideon) but note the New Testament record is short and cautious, warning that affirming the pattern risks opening the door for anyone to claim divine backing for political violence.
More on Politics
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Maintaining hope for people who won't choose Jesus
- How do you maintain hope for someone who keeps rejecting Jesus when God won't override their free will?
The episode's centerpiece: Mike's pre-show question about how to maintain hope for people who reject Christ when God won't override their free will.
From No. 579 · Wanted: Paul and Hope | Paul’s Persecution of Christians and Radical Redemption
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Article one: does the Bible teach us to obey authority?
- Does the Bible teach us to obey authority?
- Is it worse for Christians now than it has ever been?
Framed by 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ('people will not put up with sound doctrine'), the hosts push back on nostalgia: persecution is real in some places but not worse than ever (Nero's garden torches; the sack-with-animals martyrdom).
From No. 561 · The Answer is Liverpool
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Dear LFTP: the political sister who won't stop debasing my candidate
- Is there a polite, non-confrontational way to make my sister stop debasing my political choice during her visits?
A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from a quiet listener whose sister visits weekly for cards but constantly debases the listener's political candidate, nearly bringing her to tears.
From No. 490 · QuickTrip Johnson
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Church image problem, point one: politics
- Does the church have an image problem, and are the article's six fixes good?
- Should Christians and churches stay out of partisan politics to witness better?
The Carey Nieuwhof article walkthrough begins: 'The church has an image problem — six ways to fix it.'
From No. 477 · Shofar, Shogood