Episode 20

Os Guinness

The Pastor and Writer as Subversive

Os Guinness is one of the world's foremost Christian thinkers. His books such as The Call, have already become modern Christian classics. Os joins me to talk about the lost art of persuasion and how pastors and writers must learn to be subversive.
Os Guinness is one of the world's foremost Christian thinkers. His books such as The Call, have already become modern Christian classics. Os joins me to talk about the lost art of persuasion and how pastors and writers must learn to be subversive.
00:00 38:15

Show Notes:20. Os Guinness — The Pastor and Writer as Subversive

Os Guinness is one of the world’s foremost Christian thinkers. His books such as The Call, have already become modern Christian classics. Os joins me to talk about the lost art of persuasion and how pastors and writers must learn to be subversive.


“In short, many of us today lack a vital part of a way of communicating that is prominent in the Gospels and throughout the Scriptures, but largely absent in the church today—persuasion, the art of speaking to people who, for whatever reason, are indifferent or resistant to what we have to say. They simply do not agree with us and are not open to what we have to say.” — Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk

“Our modern lust for technique comes from the fact that we live in the great how-to age. The age of technology and technique is the age of endless methods, formulas, recipes, seminars, how-to manuals, twelve step programs and the constant lure of efficiency. Our temptation then is to pursue the admirable goal of becoming more persuasive and to fall into a common trap: becoming preoccupied with technique, as if persuasion could be learned by observing the process carefully, reducing it to reason, reversing it and then repeating it ourselves.” — Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk

  • It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
  • And some more…
  • Some photos from Paris.
  • Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
  • Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
  • A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. 

“In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.”

Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
  • “Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.”

Mark Batterson
Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
  • A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
  • I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
  • Just wanted to say thanks to those who have been pre-ordering the new book. Fun to see it ranked number three under Christian social issues.
It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
It’s officially fall when hay starts going in the barn.
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
1/10
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
And some more…
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
2/10
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
Some photos from Paris.
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/10
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
Another weekend another museum. The World War I museum in KC. And we snuck in a used book store.
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
4/10
Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
Tomorrow is the official release date of A Sharp Compassion. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered it. The pre-ordered copies have been arriving over the last few days. I can’t wait for you to read it. Please share your thoughts and your copies when they arrive.
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
5/10
A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. 

“In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.”

Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
A Sharp Compassion releases in less than one week. “In our desperate search for comfort, the temptation to minimize, neutralize, or distort the cross looms large for Christians navigating the fragility of our own shortcomings. But the cross is offensive. As Chase Replogle reminds us, ‘the cross is the singular offense we must not lose, for it frees us from all other offenses.’ A Sharp Compassion is a timely diagnosis of our contemporary condition, offering a challenging but accessible, difficult but beautiful path forward, away from suffocating fragility, toward a spacious and free life.” Jay Y. Kim, Pastor and Author
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
6/10
“Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.”

Mark Batterson
Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
“Through a careful look at some of Jesus’s most challenging conversations, Chase helps us better understand the trap of offense and how Jesus can rescue us from it. Like a skilled surgeon, Chase uses Jesus’s words to dissect our lives, helping us recognize the insecurity and idolatry that often leads us to envy and offense. Jesus loves us enough to be honest with us. For those willing to listen, his hardest words also turn out to be some of his best. With Chase’s usual mix of history, psychology, and literature, A Sharp Compassion is a fascinating and sober read. For those willing to take the journey, you’ll learn and certainly be changed.” Mark Batterson Lead pastor of National Community Church; New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
7/10
A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
A Sharp Compassion is now available for pre-order on audible!
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
8/10
I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
I spent the past week with a great writers group in Kentucky. Great good, hospitality, and conversations on writing. And I signed my first copy of A Sharp Compassion.
3 months ago
View on Instagram |
9/10
Just wanted to say thanks to those who have been pre-ordering the new book. Fun to see it ranked number three under Christian social issues.
Just wanted to say thanks to those who have been pre-ordering the new book. Fun to see it ranked number three under Christian social issues.
3 months ago
View on Instagram |
10/10

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