Take a peak behind the curtain with Bryce and Ashley as they discuss some of the articles they've been mulling over recently. Bryce and Ashley discuss the existence of double standards against men today, the cross-gender pornification of our culture, the desire men and women feel for discipleship, and how we can meet those desires in ways that are both affirmative and redemptive. The Agenda: - Jen Hatmaker and the double standard against men - Is hypermasculinity a problem? - The shift from individualism to mob identity - Pornography is a violent hallucinogen - Reflection questions! Sign up for The Willowbrae Institute substack here and find out more about the work Willowbrae does here. The Cartographers is a production of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of American Christianity and the common good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How safe should we be? This week, Jeremy Lundgren joins Bryce and Ashley to discuss the cultural pressures of 'safetyism' today, the shifting ways humans have related to safety across history, and the spiritual good of healthy risk in childhood. Jeremy Lundgren is director of the Nicolet Bible Institute and a professor of theology at Wheaton College. He is also the author of The Pursuit of Safety: A Theology of Danger, Risk, and Security. Sign up for The Willowbrae Institute substack here and find out more about the work Willowbrae does here. The Cartographers is a production of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of American Christianity and the common good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is it to be a man or woman, according to the Bible? Sam Allberry joins Bryce and Ashley to discuss the relationship of culture to the biblical vision of masculinity and femininity, the need for both grace and truth in discussions of gender today, and the constance of God's grace and presence in uncertain times. Sam Allberry is an apologist, speaker, and pastor at Immanuel Nashville. He is the author of several books, including Is God Anti-Gay?, Seven Myths About Singleness, and What God Has to Say About Our Bodies. Sam Allberry - "How Should We Think About Gender Identity?" Sign up for The Willowbrae Institute substack here and find our more about the work Willowbrae does here. The Cartographers is a production of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of American Christianity and the common good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do we actually form men? Bryce and Ashley sit down with Chris Bruno of the Restoration Project to talk about rites of passage, how men are formed, and what healthy masculinity looks like. Be sure to register for Restoration Project's free Restorative Manhood Digital Summit, taking place on Sept. 25-28, 2025. (If you're listening after the event, see the Grove Collective to get access). Sign up for our substack here and find out more about the work Willowbrae does here. The Cartographers is a production of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of American Christianity and the common good. Note: This conversation was recorded before the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back! On this season of The Cartographers, we are looking at Redeeming Manhood. In this episode, Bryce and Ashley map out what experts are saying about men, note the unique challenges young men and boys face in our society, and begin to present a vision for a redeemed masculinity that is neither a social construction nor a 1950s stereotype. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest info and to get extras for each series. *** The Cartographers is a production of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of American Christianity and the common good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the Cartographers, we sit down with Kyle Strobel, professor at Talbot Seminary, to get at what spiritual formation is and isn't. It isn't a life hack or even growth. Find out more about Kyle, his substack and his courses here. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter and rate and review the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brad East joins us to talk about Gen Z, the rise of magic, and what it might take to make Christianity weird again in a secular age. Tune in for a fascinating, down-to-earth conversation about what faith in Christ offers the world. Brad East is a professor at Abilene Christian University and we talk about his CT article, "Make Christianity Spooky Again." His most recent book is Letters to Future Saints. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gordon T. Smith joins us to talk about the position of the church in a secular age. Do we stay put? Do we form a moral enclave? How does worship form us into disciples? Join us for this conversation on the words and practices that form our imaginations: liturgical and sacramental. Gordon T. Smith is currently president of Ambrose University and the author of several books. We focus the conversation on his book Wisdom from Babylon and mention Evangelical, Sacramental, and Penecostal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Maybe religion, for all of its faults, works a bit like a retaining wall to hold back the destabilizing pressure of American hyper-individualism, which threatens to swell and spill over in its absence.” So writes Derek Thompson in The Atlantic. In this episode, as part of the series on worship and formation, Ashley and Bryce discuss Thompson's article, trends in churchgoing, the role of technology, and what the church is for. Resources discussed: “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust” By Derek Thompson in The Atlantic Kirsten Sanders' substack series, including this article, "My First Advice Column" The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter and rate and review the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do things like gratitude and thanksgiving form us? In this conversation with Cornelius Plantinga on his latest book, Gratitude, we talk about the importance of gratitude, sin, confession, and growth in the worshipping life of a church. We also talk about practical next steps and what the global church has to teach North American churches. Links: Neal's book, Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks is Key to Our Well-being Not the Way it's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin Special Offer: Do you want to invest in your marriage and work out some relationship kinks? For the month of March, for readers of “Beauty Leads the Way” and Cartographers listeners, we have a code for the Thrive Marriage Lab, a cohort program to get out of relational autopilot from our friends at ReStory Counseling. Use code “Hales” for $20/ off each month. Last day to sign up is April 7! The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter and rate and review the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Wilson, pastor and historian, writes about the context of the WEIRDER world in Remaking the World. We wanted to dig deep on the way this context affects Christian worship and practice. Listen in for helpful terms, thoughtful analysis, and how we might actually believe what we say we believe. Links: Andrew Wilson, Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West Podcast, Post-Christianity? King's Church London Special Offer: Do you want to invest in your marriage and work out some relationship kinks? For the month of March, for readers of “Beauty Leads the Way” and Cartographers listeners, we have a code for the Thrive Marriage Lab, a cohort program to get out of relational autopilot from our friends at ReStory Counseling. Use code “Hales” for $20/ off each month. Last day to sign up is April 7! The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter and rate and review the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all know technology forms us -- but how? How does technology intersect with our spiritual lives? It's tempting to just toss tech out the window, but how do we think more Christianly about the tech we use? Whether as parents or leaders, we have to reckon with the affect of technology on our affections. We end the episode with a few small, practical ways to get started thinking about formation, worship, and technology's affect on our affections. Links: Ted Gioia's Substack article, "The State of the Culture" Jon Haidt, The Anxious Generation and The Coddling of the American Mind Social Dilemma Dallas Willard on vision, intention, means. We've got a limited-time, special offer for you!: What if God has more for your marriage? We're so excited to partner with Restoration Project! They're some of our favorites and now they've started a cohort for married folks called THRIVE. With code HALES you'll get $20 off each month. Go to Restory.life/thrive for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do our brains grow? What does lasting change look like? Where do things like character and pain fit? Curt Thompson brings neurobiology and the hope of the gospel together to live out a formationally-minded Christian life in this episode. We talk about how durable transformation happens often through suffering, the reasons for Christian hope, confessional communities, and how we live the life of faithful resilience when it's easier to follow "3 quick steps." Listen to the end as we've got a fun little surprise for you. Curt's newest book is The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter and rate and review the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everything we do forms us. How does this apply to the tasks of the church, like worship? We've considered some of the trends: de-churching, loneliness, and culture wars. What's really happening in worship, why do we do it? Join us as we pull back the curtain as we consider how worship is more than preferences, it's about formation. A formative view of worship differs from a functional view of worship and this paradigm shift affects the resilient fruit that is (or isn't) growing in a Christian's life. Join us in this new series as we consider how worship forms us both away from secularized narratives and towards goodness, truth and beauty. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Need a book for someone on your list about leadership, culture, or a good piece of literature? Find out what are some of our most memorable reads from this year! Please take a minute to rate and review The Cartographers. It'll be a terrific present for us. We'll back in 2024! Resources mentioned: Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory Key, How to Stay Married McChrystal, Team of Teams Crouch, The Life We're Looking For Smith, Wisdom from Babylon Wilson, Remaking the World L'Engle, Circle of Quiet Taylor, A Secular Age Augustine, City of God Minich, Bulwarks of Unbelief Bryant, A Quiet Mind to Suffer With *When you order from the link provided we make a few pennies that helps The Cartographers! Thank you. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've been hurt or are unsure about how to engage in community, this interview with Justin Whitmel Earley on his book, Made for People, is a great starting place. Listen in to Bryce Hales and Ashley Hales as they speak with Justin about creating community in the church and in your neighborhoods. It's a practical starting place that follows up from the dechurching episode (so listen to that one too if you haven't yet). Resources: Made for People by Justin Whitmel Earley To find out more about Justin and his work, visit his website. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why have so many people left the church? Is it a result of the pandemic, or are the issues much deeper? In the next several episodes we'll discuss what this is about and what can be done. Listen in for surprising trends and practical ways churches can love their neighbors. Michael Graham is a co-author of The Great Dechurching. The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What did we learn about the culture wars? What's providing us with hope? And, what's coming next on The Cartographers? We'd love it if you rated and reviewed the show. Share an episode with a friend! Other episodes in this series: Episode 1: Stuck in the Middle Episode 2: How'd we Get Stuck in the Middle? Episode 3: A Culture War Alternative with Mark Labberton Episode 4: Agent of Grace or Culture War Victim with Dan Darling Episode 5: What if Culture Wars are your Work? with Pete Wehner Episode 6: Beauty as an Antidote to the Culture Wars with Susannah Black Roberts Episode 7: The Burning House of American Evangelicalism with Brandon Washington Episode 8: Humor Deflates the Culture Wars with Harrison Scott Key The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if humor was more than just a way to break tension or get a laugh? Humor takes the air out of anger, leads towards forgiveness, and provides a way to opt out of culture war thinking. In this thoughtful, funny, and moving conversation, Bryce and Ashley sit down with Harrison Scott Key, author of How to Stay Married. They speak about restoration, faith, and the role humor plays. How to Stay Married is a book about an affair and the outrageous mercy of God. Find a pathway to the true, good, and beautiful even in the darkest of times -- without pandering to platitudes. Please leave us a rating or review or share an episode with a friend! Resources mentioned: Harrison's book, How to Stay Married Harrison's website Jamie Quattro, Fire Sermon Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Barbie movie Other episodes in this series: Episode 1: Stuck in the Middle Episode 2: How'd we Get Stuck in the Middle? Episode 3: A Culture War Alternative with Mark Labberton Episode 4: Agent of Grace or Culture War Victim with Dan Darling Episode 5: What if Culture Wars are your Work? with Pete Wehner Episode 6: Beauty as an Antidote to the Culture Wars with Susannah Black Roberts Episode 7: The Burning House of American Evangelicalism with Brandon Washington The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are the culture wars a White thing? How do we think about race in America and the church? What might be the way forward? In this hopeful conversation with Pastor Brandon Washington he describes his multi-ethnic ministry and how the gospel compels us to strive for deliberate and sacrificial integration—the unity of believers of all ethnicities. Be sure to listen to other episodes in the series and we'd be grateful if you left us a review on iTunes. Resources mentioned: Brandon's book, A Burning House: Redeeming American Evangelicalism by Examining Its History, Mission, and Message Brandon's "Black and Evangelical" article in Christianity Today James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time Other episodes in this series: Episode 1: Stuck in the Middle Episode 2: How'd we Get Stuck in the Middle? Episode 3: A Culture War Alternative with Mark Labberton Episode 4: Agent of Grace or Culture War Victim with Dan Darling Episode 5: What if Culture Wars are your Work? with Pete Wehner Episode 6: Beauty as an Antidote to the Culture Wars with Susannah Black Roberts The Cartographers is a production of Willowbrae Institute. Find out more at willowbrae.org. Be sure to signup for Willowbrae's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices