Why Church Is Actually Essential: Healing and Growth After COVID Lockdowns

In this episode of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast, host Jacob Winograd rebroadcasts a powerful conversation originally aired on the Libertarian Christian Institute’s Greenroom. His guest is Dr. Benj Giffone, author of House Divided: The Church, COVID, and the Digital Age. Together they examine how churches responded to government lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, asking whether the widespread embrace of Zoom worship revealed deeper theological weaknesses. From sacramental theology and the nature of embodied worship to the influence of technology and the idol of respectability, the conversation urges Christians to consider what it means for the Church to be essential.

Benj, an Old Testament scholar and Presbyterian minister, brings a rich ecumenical and biblical perspective, drawing from his experience as a missionary and pastor during the pandemic in Europe. Jacob and Benj discuss everything from liturgical practices to the danger of scientism in the Church, and challenge listeners to rediscover the meaning of Christian community, embodied faith, and biblical resistance to state overreach. This is a timely and vital conversation for anyone reflecting on what the Church must reclaim before the next crisis arrives.

Full Episode Notes at BiblicalAnarchyPodcast.com