Just kidding, sort of. But, seriouly, I like Q&A as one of the three people who participate in it when its offered.

I think one thing about a Terry Gross or Charlie Rose interview is that you’re actually looking to hear from both people, the interviewer and interviewee. I don’t know if Christian learning would be faciliated well or poorly based on this model. I guess it would be fine if you had two skillful people, but as we all know it’s hard enough to find ONE person you want to listen to in the pulpit. Trying to find two…well, good luck.

Also, I think Joe Blow is a term Barack Obama should really start using to refer to the common, bitter person.

…because, in the blogosphere…..we try to pretend you’re cooler than that. =)

BTW, Dave: word. I totally agree. I’m just worried that it’ll be the same 2-3 guy/gals grilling the pastor every time. And if/when they find divergence, will the layperson know when to take the discussion offline? It could get “uncomfortable” for many people quickly, unfortunately.

I was thinking that I don’t think Fresh Air is hokey or Charlie Rose. The interviewers don’t have a different background. If they do, it doesn’t matter that much. And they’re not trying to ask “gotcha” questions.

But I’ve also seen Hugh Downs (formerly of 20/20) doing “interviews” on infomercials. And that is certainly hokey and staged, i.e. “inauthentic.”

What’s the practical harm of someone playing “stump the pastor?” The alternative I see is making sure only good upstanding people are allowed to ask questions about the finer points of doctrine being preached, and I think that would all but invalidate the benefit of such a style (ie, the ability for people who aren’t as familiar with the passage and doctrine to have their concerns addressed through a substitute) if you can’t really open up the floor.

If someone ventures far off the initial topic through questions about, say, eternal security when the topic of hell is mentioned in the passage… then perhaps it’s not purely fruitless because many other people may be thinking the same way.

To have any real progress in the “discussion,” you’d need people who approach the topic in as different a way and with as backgrounsd as different as you can get. The more similar the people are, the more staged it will feel. Real learning doesn’t take place in a discussion until you find the areas where you diverge, so that you are stretched to either defend or abandon your positions.