The Westminster Podcast

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The Church and a Psychologized Culture w/ Alfred Poirier | Dissecting the Heart (1) Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Modern culture is saturated with the language of psychology. Words like identity, trauma, boundaries, self-esteem, and triggers shape how many people understand themselves, their relationships, and even their suffering. But what happens when those categories begin to replace the Bible's own understanding of the human heart?

In the first episode of this three-part series on Dissecting the Heart, a posthumous volume from David Powlison, Pierce Taylor Hibbs sits down with Dr. Alfred Poirier to explore what Powlison called our "psychologized culture." Together they discuss how modern psychology has reshaped the church's assumptions about counseling, why pastors have increasingly ceded soul care to mental health professionals, and how the gospel offers resources that no secular therapeutic model can provide. Along the way, they reflect on Powlison's extraordinary ministry, the recovery of biblical counseling at Westminster, and the church's calling to once again become a place where wounded people find genuine hope in Christ.

You can preorder Dissecting the Heart here.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the Bible for Christ and His global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Preaching in the Kingdom | Edmund Clowney | Westminster Radio #8 Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

What does it mean to preach the whole Bible as Christian Scripture? In this lecture, former Westminster president Edmund P. Clowney turns to Jesus’ description of the scribe of the kingdom who brings from his treasure “things new and old” to explore the task of Christian preaching. For Clowney, the preacher announces something genuinely new—the arrival of God’s kingdom and the renewal of all things in Christ—while proclaiming the fulfillment of promises God has been unfolding from the beginning.

Clowney warns against reducing the Old Testament to moral lessons or examples to imitate. Instead, he calls preachers to locate every passage within the history of redemption, showing how the judges, sacrifices, prophets, kings, and promises prepare for Jesus Christ. And that movement works in both directions: we preach the Old Testament in light of the New and understand the New Testament in light of the Old, as both testify to the one unfolding work of God in Christ.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Pulpit Apologetics w/ Rob Edwards Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

What does apologetics have to do with preaching?

In this episode of the Westminster Podcast, Nate Shannon talks with Dr. Rob Edwards about his new book, Pulpit Apologetics: A Christ-Centered Apologetic for Gospel Proclamation. Drawing on the apologetic tradition of Cornelius Van Til and his own years of pastoral ministry, Edwards argues that preaching and apologetics belong together more closely than we often assume.

Their conversation explores the apologetic character of the Apostle Paul’s preaching, the relationship between God’s Word and the world he created, and why apologetics should not be reduced to a specialized discipline for experts. Instead, the proclamation of Christ itself creates apologetic encounters, calling believers and unbelievers alike to reckon with the truth of God’s Word.

Edwards also considers what this means practically for the pulpit: how pastors can engage contemporary unbelief without allowing the culture to set the terms of the conversation, why biblical preaching must aim deeper than merely being “relevant,” and how the preacher can press the claims of Christ upon both the mind and the conscience.

Ultimately, apologetics is not simply about winning arguments. It is about bearing witness to Jesus Christ. A truly Christian apologetic therefore shares the goal of Christian preaching: to proclaim Christ and call sinners to repentance, faith, and reconciliation with God through him.

Get a copy of Pulpit Apologetics: A Christ-Centered Apologetic for Gospel Proclamation here.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at wm.wts.edu. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit wts.edu/donate.

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Christianity in a Post Christian Age | Hans Rookmaaker | Westminster Radio #7 Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

What does it mean to live faithfully as a Christian in a culture that no longer shares a Christian understanding of reality? In this lecture at Westminster Theological Seminary, Dutch art historian and Christian thinker Hans Rookmaaker explores the relationship between Christianity and culture, moving from art, music, wealth, and the church to deeper questions of knowledge, certainty, and the Christian’s starting point for understanding the world.

Rookmaaker challenges the illusion of neutral scholarship and argues that while every human interpretation is finite and shaped by its presuppositions, Christians nevertheless stand within a real, created world whose ultimate certainty is God himself. Along the way, he considers what this means for preaching, cultural engagement, and even the ordinary choices Christians make about music, art, money, and beauty. The result is a characteristically wide-ranging argument that Christianity concerns not merely a religious corner of our existence, but the whole of human life before God.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Van Til's Counseling Movement w/ Jared Poulton Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

What role should psychology play in pastoral ministry? How did Cornelius Van Til shape the biblical counseling movement? And what is the relationship between presuppositional apologetics and soul care?

In this episode, Brandon McLean Smith sits down with Jared Poulton to discuss his new book, Van Til's Counseling Movement: A Critical Analysis of Jay Adams and Biblical Counseling. Jared traces the origins of the biblical counseling movement at Westminster Theological Seminary, explores Jay Adams' theological debt to Cornelius Van Til, examines the relationship between biblical counseling and Christian integrationism, and considers how Van Til's doctrines of covenant, the antithesis, and common grace continue to shape conversations about counseling in the church today. Whether you're interested in apologetics, pastoral ministry, or the history of Westminster, this conversation offers a fascinating look at one of the Seminary's most enduring contributions to the life of the church.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the Bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Pre-order your copy of Van Til's Counseling Movement today!

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The God You Can't Escape w/ Tremper Longman III | Westminster Radio #6 Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

In this archival chapel sermon, Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III turns to Psalm 139 and its deeply personal portrait of God. Drawing on the Psalms as an “anatomy of the soul,” Longman explores the comfort and, at times, discomfort of being completely known by the God who searches us, surrounds us, and formed us in the womb. He also considers the conflict underlying the psalm, the psalmist’s difficult words concerning his enemies, and ultimately how Christians read Psalm 139 in light of Jesus Christ.

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Glorified in Christ w/ S.A. Fix | Redemption Accomplished and Applied (11) Aug 24, 2026

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What does the Bible mean by glorification? Is heaven merely an escape from this world, or does Scripture promise something far greater? And how does our future glory shape the Christian life today?

In this concluding episode of our series on John Murray's Redemption Accomplished and Applied, Nate Shannon is joined by S.A. Fix to explore the final benefit of redemption: glorification. Together they discuss why Murray ends his classic work with this doctrine, how glorification flows from our union with Christ, and why the Christian hope is not the liberation of the soul from the body, but the resurrection of the body and the renewal of all creation. Along the way, they consider the Bible's rejection of Gnostic ideas about matter, the corporate nature of the believer's future glory, and the pastoral importance of fixing our eyes on the world to come as we faithfully endure suffering in the present.

As this series concludes, Murray's vision reminds us that the order of salvation does not terminate in justification or even sanctification. It culminates in the certain hope that all who are united to Christ will one day share fully in His resurrection glory—a hope secured by Christ Himself and guaranteed to every believer.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the Bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Van Til on Common Grace | Westminster Radio on Common Grace #5 Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

How can Christians affirm a fundamental antithesis between belief and unbelief while also recognizing the genuine truth, goodness, and cultural achievements found among unbelievers?

In this archival lecture from his History and Nature of Apologetics course, Cornelius Van Til explores the Reformed doctrine of common grace and its importance for Christian apologetics. Van Til explains how God's restraint of sin allows believers and unbelievers to live and work together even while their fundamental interpretations of reality remain radically opposed. Along the way, he contrasts the Reformed position with Roman Catholicism, Arminianism, hyper-Calvinism, and neo-orthodoxy, arguing that a consistently Christian apologetic must begin with the triune God revealed in Scripture.

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Union with Christ w/ Sinclair Ferguson | Redemption Accomplished and Applied (10) Aug 17, 2026

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What does it mean to be united to Christ? Nate Shannon is joined by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson to discuss John Murray's climactic chapter on union with Christ, the fountain from which every saving benefit flows. Along the way, Dr. Ferguson reflects on Murray's remarkable influence as a theologian and teacher, the relationship between doctrine and piety, the Christian's union with the triune God, and the transforming power of communion with Christ from eternity past to everlasting glory. If you've followed this series from the beginning, this conversation brings Murray's vision of salvation to its fitting conclusion: every blessing of redemption is ours because we are in Christ.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the Bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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David Powlison: All Theology is Practical Theology | Westminster Radio #4 Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Can theology ever be merely academic? In this classic lecture from 2000, David Powlison argues that every doctrine is meant to shape the way Christians live. Far from being abstract speculation, theology answers the deepest questions of the human heart, directing our hopes, confronting our fears, and teaching us to interpret life through the lens of God's Word.

Drawing from passages including Habakkuk, Romans, Hebrews, 2 Thessalonians, and especially Psalm 131, Powlison explores what it means to live by faith, quiet the restless soul, and hope in the Lord. Along the way, he demonstrates that Scripture is not just a collection of theological propositions to be mastered, but God's living Word, given to transform His people.

If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the Bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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