When the news broke that world-famous apologist Ravi Zacharias had perpetrated years of abuse, many evangelicals felt like their world had been flipped upside down. Sam Allberry knows the feeling—he was a staff apologist at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) when the allegations emerged. On a new Losing Our Religion episode of The Russell Moore Podcast, Moore and Allberry talk about the devastating impact of Christian leaders who are living secret lives of sin. Allberry, a pastor, apologist, author, and speaker, shares what he learned about how institutions deal with crises and how he emotionally and mentally stepped away from the job. He and Moore discuss knowing when it’s time to leave and time to stay, grieving severed relationships, and how God’s grace shows up in seasons of loss. Tune in for a discussion of faith and doubt, growth in Christ, and gender and sexuality. Moore and Allberry also discuss the ministry of their dear friend, the late Tim Keller. And they point to the power of the gospel in discipleship, sanctification, and changing the lives of those we might be tempted to think of as far from God. This special series of episodes around Russell Moore’s newest book, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, explores the Christian faith in confusing times. Resources mentioned in this episode include:
- Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America by Russell Moore
- Is God Anti-Gay? And Other Questions About Jesus, the Bible, and Same-Sex Sexuality by Sam Allberry
- What God Has to Say about Our Bodies: How the Gospel Is Good News for Our Physical Selves by Sam Allberry
- 7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Allberry
- Why Bother with Church? And Other Questions about Why You Need It and Why It Needs You by Sam Allberry
- “Ravi Zacharias Hid Hundreds of Pictures of Women, Abuse During Massages, and a Rape Allegation” by Daniel Silliman and Kate Shellnutt for CT
- God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis
Grab a copy of Russell’s new title, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, here! Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com. Click here for a trial membership 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 Azurae Phelps CT Administration: Christine Kolb Social Media: Kate Lucky 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