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Alex DiPrima: Spurgeon and Social Activism

Christ and Culture Podcast | March 03, 2023
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In the Christ and Culture podcast with Ken Keathley and Benjamin Quinn, we explore how the Christian faith intersects all avenues of today’s culture through conversations with leading thinkers.

Today’s Episode:

Was Spurgeon a socialist? What did he believe about the church’s responsibility in social activism? And what can we learn from him? Dr. Alex DiPrima joins us to discuss. Dr. DiPrima is senior pastor of Emmanuel Church in Winston Salem, NC, and he holds a PhD from Southeastern in historical theology with a focus on the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He’s the author of the new book, Spurgeon and the Poor: How the Gospel Compels Christian Social Concern.

Plus, in “Headlines,” Benjamin Quinn speaks with pastor and Southeastern alum Merrick Nunn about the ongoing debate about Michael Jordan vs. Lebron James — and what we can learn from the conversation about healthy debates. And in “On My Bookshelf,” Dr. Brad Hambrick recommends a book from Miroslav Volf.

Timestamps:

  • “Headlines” on Lebron James vs. Michael Jordan (1:20)
  • “Christ & Culture Conversation” with Alex DiPrima (16:53)
  • “On My Bookshelf” with Brad Hambrick (44:45)
In North Carolina, it was illegal to read Spurgeon’s sermons in the late 1850s.

Highlights

  • “Spurgeon kind of puts the American South on blast in a number of significant public statements he asked to printed in newspapers in America.”
  • “In North Carolina, it was illegal to read Spurgeon’s sermons in the late 1850s. If you were caught with Spurgeon’s sermons, you were fined.”
  • “That is an especially dramatic and I would say even heroic instance of Spurgeon speaking to an issue that demanded the attention of Christian people everywhere, and he spoke to it clearly in ways that honored the Lord and did credit to Christian witness.”
  • “He is emphatic that the preaching of the gospel and the building up of healthy churches is the heart of the church’s mission, not social activism. That said, he’s going to argue that mercy ministry should proceed out of the church’s mission and ministry, but it’s not the primary thing. “
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All opinions and views expressed by guest speakers are solely their own. They do not speak for nor represent SEBTS. Read our expressed views and confessions.

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  • formation
  • public square
  • social justice
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