Michael Clary

I typed into Google, "Two topics not to bring up," and that's all I typed, and it knew exactly what I was talking about, religion and politics, and AI explained to me why these are, quote, "top-tier topics traditionally taught never to bring up in polite or casual social settings." So welcome to the polite and casual social setting of the Christ Over All podcast.

My name is Trent Hunter, and I'm here today with Steve Wellum to interview Michael Clary on his article, Bringing Religion into Politics, Five Things Pastors Owe, a carefully chosen word, to the Public Square.

Gentlemen, welcome.

Pleasure to be here.

White flag Christianity demands nothing, risks nothing, builds nothing, and protects nothing.

That's the challenge at the heart of Michael Clary's book.

Today, he joins me to explain why he believes the church needs less retreat and more courage.

Coming up on 1819 News, the podcast.

I obviously previewed this episode last week, where I read a section of this book, Loser Theology, about courage and the need for courage, and whether seminaries and churches are producing courage.

Um, and I previewed it last week.

Now this week, I'm actually bringing on, uh, the author of Loser Theology: Why the Weak Will Not Inherit the Earth, Michael Clary, to talk about this book and go into a deep dive conversation, um, about it.

And to me, this is...

Welcome to Christ Overall, a podcast dedicated to helping the church see Christ as Lord and everything else under his feet.

My name is David Schrock, and today I'm introducing Michael Clary's long-form essay, Bringing Religion into Politics, Five Things Pastors Owe the Public Square.

In this essay, Michael Clary, a church-planting pastor and the author of a new book entitled Loser Theology, offers multiple reflections on how pastors should and should not enter the public square.

As someone whose passion for the lost led him to plant a church in Cincinnati, Ohio, Michael is not trading the gospel for politics.

But he is reminding all of us, and especially pastors, that politics has encroached itself upon the church in so many ways that pastors, for them to fulfill their calling, must be willing and able to speak to political issues.

This month, however, we're trying to show where, and how, and why pastors should not shrink back from addressing matters of public concern.

Rather, as we uphold our primary duty to preach the Word and to lead the church, we must be willing to offer our voice to speak the truth in public.

That is our aim this month, and I can think of few voices who are better able to help pastors to do just that than my friend Michael Clary.

Well, I'll tell you, there's other ways, um, especially as a pastor, that you can dishonor the Lord in a very polite and conservative way, and today, we're gonna talk about what that looks like.

Today, we are talking to Michael Clary.

Um, he is a pastor at, uh, Christ the King Church in, uh, Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

He is also the author of a very important book that we're gonna have a link to in our description.

And the book is this, Loser Theology: Why the Weak Will Not Inherit the Earth.

Thank you, Michael, for joining us today.

Did I, did I pronounce your name right? It's Michael Clary?

That's perfect.