Tennessee's failed execution of Krista Pike, and the press coverage casting her as a victim, sets up a broader question: is capital punishment just? Michael and Wade argue that the death penalty, lawfully administered, is biblically defensible and good. They work from Genesis 9, Romans 13, and Acts 25, from Augustine and Calvin, and from the difference between public justice and personal forgiveness. They close with where the American church has muddled its thinking, and the hope that God will finally deal with every sin.

AI Generated time stamps

[00:00] Intro

[01:00] The Krista Pike failed execution

[03:48] Hanging requests, lethal injection, and the firing squad

[08:28] What Krista Pike actually did

[11:26] C.S. Lewis on justice versus "curing" criminals

[14:09] The case for capital punishment in a sentence

[15:35] How rare the death penalty has become

[18:58] Why justice must be speedy

[20:03] Wade's family connection to a capital case

[22:00] Made in God's image, we crave justice

[25:32] Corporal punishment, restitution, and prison sentences

[29:56] The death penalty in American history

[32:01] Public justice and personal forgiveness are not identical

[34:17] The ship captain whose son commits a capital crime

[37:02] Acts 25 and Romans 13 — the sword is not borne in vain

[44:35] Genesis 9 and the image of God

[46:21] Pit bulls, the tiger enclosure, and Harambe

[50:02] The Apostolic Constitutions and Augustine

[53:57] "You shall not murder" versus "you shall not kill"

[55:16] Calvin on the woman caught in adultery

[57:35] Sophistry: "How will killing stop killing?"

[60:15] Logs and specks: where the church has failed

[67:34] Reason for hope: God will deal with every sin

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

The Apostolic Constitutions

The City of God, Book I — Augustine

Commentary on John, Volume 1 — John Calvin

Exodus, New American Commentary — Douglas K. Stuart

Lex Rex — Samuel Rutherford

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

• Loser Theology

  
  

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com

Christian nationalism gets thrown around as a slur and a slogan, but almost nobody defines it. Dr. Joe Rigney joins Wade and Michael to say plainly what he means by it, where he parts ways with Paul Miller, Al Mohler, and Doug Wilson in the new 5 Views book, and why Abraham Kuyper's famous "every square inch" was, in his read, loud shouting that covered a retreat. The conversation closes on the Lindsay Clancy trial and the untethered empathy that makes a society unable to name evil.

AI Generated time stamps

[00:00] Intro

[00:29] Why Christian nationalism, and who the secret guest is

[01:41] Joe Rigney defines Christian nationalism

[05:06] Paul Miller, natural law republicanism, and the two tables of the law

[07:52] Test cases — the Hindu statue in Texas and Obergefell

[12:21] Rigney and Doug Wilson on general equity theonomy

[14:29] Kuyperianism, and why "every square inch" covered a retreat

[18:28] How Doug Wilson and Tim Keller both claim Kuyper

[20:28] One Lord, two kingdoms, three institutions

[26:28] Prudence and statesmanship in applying the principles

[31:01] Abolitionism versus smash-mouth incrementalism

[32:54] What a Christian town would actually look like

[36:40] Al Mohler's Baptist case for Christian nationalism

[39:37] Is this moot, and what is wrong with a neutral public square

[45:51] Christendom's long run versus seventy years of secularism

[49:32] Western civilization as the prodigal son

[52:02] The Lindsay Clancy trial and female social contagion

[56:13] Untethered empathy and the victim you can see

[60:51] "The system failed you" — blame that lands on nobody

[63:27] Standing before God when the excuses run out

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

• 
  

• Resources mentioned in this episode

  5 Views on Christian Nationalism

  The Case for Christian Nationalism — Stephen Wolfe

  Leadership and Emotional Sabotage — Joe Rigney

  
  

  Follow us on Twitter

  https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

  https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

  Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

  • God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

  • Loser Theology

    
    

  Follow Michael’s writings

  • www.dmichaelclary.com

  
  

Michael and Wade set the usual topical format aside and walk through what is actually going on in their ministries and homes. Michael talks through the release of Loser Theology, what he learned about how Christian publishing really works, and the launch of Christ the King's School of Ministry with 23 men in its first class. The back half turns pastoral: why so many young moms are carrying anxiety and depression, whether a life of comfort has made all of us more fragile than we are, and how conservative Christians end up dividing over food, clothing, and other secondary matters.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:25] Life updates episode — the format and the plan

[06:59] Loser Theology — the new book and where it came from

[10:24] Willie Rice's endorsement and the risk it carried

[13:58] How Christian publishing actually works — proposals, edits, and rejection

[17:26] Why Canon Press, and what a publisher signals about a book

[21:28] The next book — nine questions on women in the church

[23:34] School of Ministry — what it is and why it is men only

[26:51] The 20-year vision: four church plants in the Cincinnati area

[29:21] Training pastors in a local church versus at a seminary

[31:36] 23 men enrolled, cohorts, and a three-year commitment

[33:02] Starting something similar at a smaller church

[35:14] Fall ministries — city groups, Sunday school, Raising Oaks

[39:22] Michael's family — kids growing up and the last first day of school

[41:36] A great-grandfather at 102: "I started all this"

[46:30] Wade's household — seven kids and teaching New Testament Greek

[48:37] Adoption update — walking after surgery and physical therapy

[51:45] Star Trek, Twilight Zone, and Narnia as discussion fodder for kids

[55:42] Pastoral care — anxiety and depression among young moms

[58:27] Comfort, idleness, and having more time to think about ourselves

[60:41] Why talk therapy can make the problem louder

[63:30] The 200-years-ago thought experiment

[66:04] Where the church under-challenges women

[70:28] Naming the things you feel entitled to but are not

[73:05] A time inventory, and a sign that reads "every second counts"

[75:11] Porn use among men, and what AI is about to make worse

[76:29] Crunchy convictions versus legislating what other people eat

[80:46] Yoga pants, virtue signaling, and provocation as the point

[83:01] Romans 16 and the man who causes dissension

[84:26] The annual conference returns after a year off

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• • God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality
  • Loser Theology

• Follow Michael’s writings

  • www.dmichaelclary.com

Why does so much of modern evangelicalism seem conditioned to apologize, shrink, andlose? Michael Clary walks through the argument of his forthcoming Canon Press book, Loser Theology — how a pietistic, winsome-at-all-costs impulse took root in the church and taught a generation of Christians to equate faithfulness with weakness. The back half turns to the remedy Michael calls high-agency Christianity. Listeners get both the diagnosis and the path out.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Cold open — Ryan Gosling and Mickey Mouse Club tangent

[03:23] Introducing the book: Loser Theology from Canon Press

[04:08] Where the title and the material came from

[06:48] Origin of the phrase "the poison of loser theology"

[09:20] Defining loser theology and the pietistic impulse

[10:02] Roots in the winsomeness era and church planting

[13:01] When Bible-speech clashes with cultural respectability

[15:00] A church conditioned to lose and feel shame

[20:00] Political correspondence and appeasing sins

[24:06] "Do not offend women" and the loser mindset

[29:02] Jesus with tax collectors — misreading meekness

[31:08] Big names: Tim Keller and Russell Moore's Onward

[34:00] Lampooning conservative doctrine in urban ministry

[37:04] Guilt over success, privilege, and unequal gifts

[40:49] John MacArthur and holding the line

[42:04] The "straight white man as oppressor" framing

[45:04] How not to become the next David French

[55:00] The fear of God as the anchor

[56:00] The remedy — high-agency Christianity

[61:05] Where to get the book and closing

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

• APA Academic Article on Kids, Screen Use, and Socioemotional Problems

• Pew Research (2025) on Screen Time

• Family Medicine and Community Health on Porn Use Statistics

• Psychology Today on Teen Porn Use

• Pew Research on Teen Gaming

• Academic Paper in Cureus on Teen Gaming

• World News: France Bans Social Media for Those Under 15

  
  

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Books

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

• Loser Theology: Why the Weak Will Not Inherit the Earth

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com

Why does so much of modern evangelicalism seem conditioned to apologize, appease, and lose? Michael Clary and Wade Thomas name the pietistic, winsome-at-all-costs impulse they call "loser theology" — tracing its rise through the city-mission era of the 2010s, how it teaches Christians to feel shame for strength and success, and how sin-appeasement quietly tracks political and cultural pressure. The back half turns to the remedy Clary calls "high-agency Christianity," the subject of his forthcoming Canon Press book.

TIMESTAMPS

[03:01] Today's topic — loser theology and the pietistic impulse

[06:04] How the phrase "loser theology" got its name

[07:03] Pitching the book to Canon Press; the high-agency remedy

[09:04] Origins — planting the church in 2010 and the winsome era

[12:05] Winsomeness and gaining an audience with the world

[15:00] A church conditioned to lose and feel shame

[19:04] How sins correspond to political leanings

[24:06] "Do not offend women" — the gendered pull

[26:01] Defining loser theology

[30:04] "Pastor, I have concerns" — appeasement in ministry

[33:01] NAMB's Send North America and mocking flyover-country Christians

[41:01] MacArthur, California, and when push comes to shove

[49:04] How not to become the next David French

[55:01] The fear of God and the profile of a loser-theology Christian

[58:05] Permission to be strong, bold, and high-agency

[61:05] Book release details and closing exhortation

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Order Loser Theology

  
  

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

  
  

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com

Why should you care about the Southern Baptist Convention if you're not Southern Baptist? Michael and Wade make the case that the SBC — the largest Protestant body in America —sets the tone for evangelicalism far beyond its own churches. They recap the 2026 annual meeting: the fight over women pastors, where the money goes, the resolutions that passed, and the slow reform of the convention's leadership. A practical look at why denominational plumbing matters.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:10] Intro — what the Current Reality Podcast is about

[00:45] What the Southern Baptist Convention actually is

[07:02] Why it matters, even if you're not Southern Baptist

[08:03] The Cooperative Program and SBC entities explained

[09:55] Size and scale — the largest Protestant body in America

[15:01] Comparing the SBC to other major denominations

[19:04] Takeaways from this year's convention

[20:29] No lady pastors, no professors who deny miracles

[24:03] The Law Amendment on women pastors

[30:02] What the convention means for American life

[31:02] Presidential reform — Mike Law, Clint Presley, Willie Rice

[36:02] Messengers, motions, and how voting works

[41:07] Which motions gained traction this year

[44:02] The fight over financial transparency

[47:01] Resolutions, including adding Charlie Kirk's name

[50:02] By What Standard and losertheology.com

[53:06] Stacking committees with representative conservatives

[55:02] Prudential compromise vs. moral compromise

[58:00] Closing — staying anchored and unashamed

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Baptist Press on the Truth and Unity Amendment

• SBC 2026 Statistics

• US Religious Data

  
  

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

  
  

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com

AI-generated music, AI-written poetry, AI-produced images — the tools are everywhere, and Christians are asking whether any of it counts as real art. Michael and Wade argue that art is not just pattern or product but transmission — something passes from a human soul through a medium to another human soul — and that AI, by definition, cannot transmit what it does not have. They work through listener questions, the Tolkien sub-creator framework, and practical guidance for how to engage with AI art without losing the ability to recognize the real thing.

[00:11] Intro — Speechify and AI voice tools

[07:08] Listener question — is AI art moral?

[10:02] Art as transmission between souls

[11:03] The bucket analogy — creator to audience

[15:05] Hard case — AI music from the Psalms

[17:00] Aaron's garments — God prizes human craft

[22:12] Antique Roadshow — why human origin matters

[25:01] Image of God and sub-creation

[27:03] Tolkien — man as sub-creator

[31:01] The medical exception — AI tools that heal

[32:02] Core concern — AI atrophies creative capacity

[40:04] Pilgrim's Progress — art through human voice

[48:00] Inspiration requires a human; AI cannot originate

[55:02] Mutiny on the Bounty — bittersweetness only humans transmit

[62:00] Can you consume AI art? Yes, with care

[66:05] More algorithm, less received

[68:13] Guitar pedal analogy — AI as tool, not artist

[70:08] Closing — use AI with caution

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Text of “On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien

  
  

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com

Vivek Ramaswamy has won the Ohio Republican nomination for governor, putting him on track to become the first Hindu governor in American history. Michael and Wade walk through what Hinduism actually is and why it matters, whether a first-generation Hindu American can be "truly American," how to weigh Vivek's stated views on Jesus, and whether Christians in Ohio should pull the lever for him over a pro-abortion Democrat. They close with a call for Christians to raise up political talent and a word of hope — Christ is on the throne no matter who wins.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:08] Intro — Vivek Ramaswamy wins Ohio GOP nomination; on track to be first Hindu U.S. governor

[02:17] Who is Vivek?

[05:07] Hinduism vs. Christianity

[10:04] Vivek's American identity

[15:00] The "magic dirt" theory

[20:01] Living in the house Christianity built

[24:53] Vivek's viral quote

[27:26] Should a Christian vote for a Hindu?

[30:06] The deeper concern

[35:00] What Vivek gets right a

[40:03] Vivek vs. Amy Acton

[45:01] Does it matter who's governor?

[50:08] Christians underrepresented in power

[55:00] The church needs political talent

[56:48] Closing note of hope

For questions or comments, send us an email at currentrealitypodcast@gmail.com.

Our church is Christ the King Church in Ft. Thomas, KY

The Current Reality Podcast is a resource of King's Domain

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Leo XIV

• New York Times: “For Earth Day, a Few Signs of Hope for Our Planet”

• AP News on West Virginia Trans Track Athlete

• ABC News Ellen/Elliot Page Interview

Follow us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmichaelclary

https://twitter.com/wadethomasjr

Michael's Book "God's Good Design" is now available everywhere

• God's Good Design: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Guide to Human Sexuality

Follow Michael’s writings

• www.dmichaelclary.com