Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

We're joined by Tim Alberta upon the publication of his new book, The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. After starting out with some fun banter about Tim's beloved Detroit Lions and veering off into kids' names, we delve into weighty topics such as whether Tim still considers himself an #evangelical - more specifically, if there are aspects of his faith he's begun to question. Much of this conversation is about the new book: "The main thing is no longer the main thing" for so many megachurch pastors; Donald Trump is "a creation of the culture gone crazy" (especially in the American Evangelical church); whether hucksters like Trump and Paula White, when they're behind closed doors, laugh at all their "suckers" that buy into their various schemes; who Tim thinks is the audience for THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY - and who he hopes the audience is; and we get to hear some input from Charles Mingus the 3rd!

 

Tim Alberta is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the former chief political correspondent for Politico, and has written for dozens of other publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, and Vanity Fair. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump and the newly released The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory. He co-moderated the final Democratic presidential debate of 2019 and frequently appears as a commentator on television programs in the United States and around the world. And as listeners will quickly learn, Tim is a big time Detroit Lions fan.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management:

https://www.mezawealth.com/

 

We're also pleased to give a shoutout to our friends at a great new podcast:

https://leftylooseyrightytighty.podbean.com

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

www.bytimalberta.com/

 

www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Power-Glory-Evangelicals-Extremism/dp/006322688X

 

www.theatlantic.com/author/tim-alberta/

On this episode, we were joined by Jahnavi Rao and Nivea Krishnan of New Voters. Jahnavi is the President and Founder and Nivea is the Executive Director of the organization, a 501(c)3 whose mission is to involve students in all aspects of civic life, from registration to education and even emerging technologies. This is a nonpartisan group that, as of the date of our interview, registered 80,000 high school students to vote in 39 states along with 300,000 students that have been reached through their educational efforts.

 

We discussed what inspired Jahnavi to launch the organization and what prompted both of these "badass organizers" to get involved in politics and civic engagement in the first place; they shared what it's like to engage young voters by helping them get registered to vote as well as getting involved in legislative advocacy; we geeked out about politics and polling including how New Voters' Research Network does its research; and what it's like to interact in neighborly ways with folks who might assume they're on a different political team.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

 

We're also pleased to give a shoutout to our friends at a great new podcast:

https://leftylooseyrightytighty.podbean.com

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

www.new-voters.org

 

www.instagram.com/newvoters

 

www.linkedin.com/company/newvoters

Thoroughly appreciated this "Best of" conversation with Dr. Yuval Levin which we originally had right after the terrible attacks of October 7th in Israel.

It was especially timely to have Dr. Yuval Levin on the program as he's not only one of this country's foremost scholars and policy experts, he's originally from Haifa, Israel. So we, of course, discussed what's happening there; however, our recording was only a couple days after the terrorist attacks that sparked the war. We did get to discuss a number of other pressing issues such as Dr. Levin's advocacy for ranked choice voting in primary elections; how to structure institutions to create the right kind of culture; whether our political positions come first or our philosophical and ethical moorings are primary; how Yuval is really just reiterating Aristotle for contemporary society - i.e. "What kind of person do I want to be? And what would that kind of person do in this situation?" With that in mind, a central theme of this program came up: How do we engage with friends, family and neighbors when so many are expressing extremist views? Dr. Levin's recommendation is that sometimes, at Thanksgiving, we just have to say, "I really think you're wrong. Now, pass the gravy..." and leave it at that. And I bet you never knew Alexis de Tocqueville could have been a Borscht Belt comedian!

 

Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. The founder and editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis, a contributing editor at National Review, and a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. And he has published essays and articles in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Commentary. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

This is a special episode of TP&R as we are joined by Michal Rozen from Israel. Michal is currently a communications and film teacher there. She served in the army when she was 19. But she's found other ways to serve as she is a leftist who believes in peace and non-violence. That said, Michal's partner, siblings and cousins are all active in the IDF. And as you'll hear, there's much unity with everyone helping as they can with the war effort.

 

In this chilling conversation, we get updates on what's happening with family in Israel and how our cousins who are eligible for service with the IDF are doing. We discuss what it's like growing up in Israel and the fact that Israel is a pluralistic country. Michal has always been among Arab neighbors, friends, coworkers and students. We cover the political differences people have, even among family - some who like what Netanyahu has done, some who don't. With Michal's area of study as a teacher, we talked about the way Hamas has been waging an information war in addition to all the other ways they continue to terrorize. Michal also shared thoughts on more accurate information sources and how to be better consumers of the news.

 

Here is one of the follows Michal suggested: www.instagram.com/yosephhaddad

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

You might recognize David Brooks from his columns in The New York Times or his essays in The Atlantic. Perhaps you’ve seen him on PBS NewsHour or Meet the Press. He’s also a prolific author. In fact, his 2019 book The Second Mountain was a major inspiration for this program. We discuss that as well as David’s new book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Penguin Random House).

 

Our conversation with "Brooksie" went in a number of surprising directions:

• Sociological observations (and confessions) of New York Mets fans;
• The way lifelong friends enrich our lives;
• Depression - fair warning that this section gets pretty gritty and candid;
• How, as observant Jews, we both discovered Christianity later in life;
• As Jews who are Christian, whether we have any ambivalence;
• American Evangelicalism - talk about ambivalence!
• David's writing process and the motivation of deadlines;
• and much, much more!

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

David's new book HOW TO KNOW A PERSON: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks

What standards seem to guide your conduct? What stories shape your sense of the world and your place in it? What stories shape your sense of what it is to be a human being? What kinds of responses to the world’s suffering do you have the most hope for? These are just a few of the big questions we explored with Dr. Ryan McAnnally-Linz in this conversation. They're the kinds of questions he explores with his colleagues Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun at Yale together, in their book LIFE WORTH LIVING and in a number of other settings.

 

Ryan McAnnally-Linz is a systematic theologian and Associate Director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. He works at the intersection of theology, ethics, and cultural criticism. Ryan co-authored Public Faith in Action with Miroslav Volf. Dr. McAnnally-Linz also co-authored the book we discuss in this episode, Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. He co-edited The Joy of Humility and Envisioning the Good Life. Ryan also contributes to the excellent podcast For the Life of the World. And his scholarly articles have appeared in a broad range of publications. If you read enough of Ryan's material, you might come across some of his other interests such as Omaha Hi-Lo Poker and The Big Lebowski.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

faith.yale.edu/people/ryan-mcannally-linz

 

faith.yale.edu

 

faith.yale.edu/podcast

 

www.lifeworthlivingbook.com

"...nothing matters in this whole wide world, When you're in love with a Jersey girl..."

 

It was so cool to have Lisa Camooso Miller on the program partly because she grew up just a couple towns over from where Corey grew up in New Jersey! So of course we talked about "my hometown..." We also talked a lot about Lisa's specialty: #communications. And can't we all use a primer on better communication skills? There was so much else we covered such as how Lisa built her career in #politics and #journalism. It all comes down to, as we say in Jersey, "I got a guy" - meaning, relationships. We discussed what's happening in Congress with the Speaker of the House (or lack thereof); how it's being covered; life in a post-COVID world; and we get a peak behind the scenes at how big pieces of legislation actually get passed. Plus, since Lisa has an awesome podcast called THE FRIDAY REPORTER, we did geek out about #podcasting.

 

Lisa Camooso Miller has been a notable communications leader for over twenty years in local, state and federal government posts, political campaigns and committees, as well as advocacy organizations. She is the host and producer of The Friday Reporter podcast. Lisa is a partner at Reset Public Affairs and prior to that position she served as the head of media affairs for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. She was previously deputy communications director for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Speaker of the House.  She also served as the head of communications for the Republican National Committee in 2007. Prior to her time in Washington, D.C., Miller served under two New Jersey governors, where she participated in the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the attacks of September 11th. And did we mention Lisa's a Jersey girl?!?!

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

 

www.fridayreporter.com/about-us

 

www.fridayreporter.com

“Oseh shalom bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. V’al kol Yisrael V’imru” (They who make peace in their high places, may they bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel.)

 

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Naomi Yudanin and Dr. Erica Harris. We came together to discuss what's been happening in Israel since the attack by Hamas on October 7th; what's happening with our own families there; some background about our family histories including emigrating from Ukraine; how we're processing the reaction we're seeing around the world including here in the U.S.; and most importantly, how we can help.

That's where the fundraiser that Naomi is organizing, Equipment For IDF Reserves, comes in. We are raising money on behalf of Naomi's friends, Yonatan and Evelyn Seltzer, who have recently been mobilized as part of the 360,000+ reserve soldiers recruited by the IDF to fight Hamas. They are in need of basic and defensive equipment, which has been difficult to acquire and distribute quickly. Like many of their fellow reservists, they're scrambling to acquire these essentials and end up paying for it themselves. Please consider helping Yonatan, Evelyn, and other soldiers like them buy basic goods (including socks, underwear, hygiene products, warm clothing, etc.) in the next few weeks as they prepare to fight Hamas. Here is the link: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

Additionally, Dr. Harris is in the process of providing low fee or pro-bono services to victims of the war in Israel as well as their families. Databases are currently being created that many therapists are joining to provide services to these individuals. If anyone would like further information, they may contact Dr. Harris through her website at www.ericaharrisphd.com.

 

Dr. Erica Harris is a licensed clinical psychologist whose areas of expertise include trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, addiction, coping skills, and life transitions. Dr. Harris also provides crisis treatment for patients struggling with situations in the moment, in order to help them cope more adaptively.

 

Dr. Naomi Yudanin is a computational biologist by training who describes her vocational background as a "professional data nerd building a better healthcare experience for all." Naomi is currently the Director of Medical Data at Munich RE.

 

 

spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

ericaharrisphd.com

 

naomiyudanin.com

 

zamirchoralfoundation.org

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as  www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

Please consider participating in a charitable effort our family is supporting: http://spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

It was especially timely to have Dr. Yuval Levin on the program as he's not only one of this country's foremost scholars and policy experts, he's originally from Haifa, Israel. So we, of course, discussed what's happening there; however, our recording was only a couple days after the terrorist attacks that sparked the war. We did get to discuss a number of other pressing issues such as Dr. Levin's advocacy for ranked choice voting in primary elections; how to structure institutions to create the right kind of culture; whether our political positions come first or our philosophical and ethical moorings are primary; how Yuval is really just reiterating Aristotle for contemporary society - i.e. "What kind of person do I want to be? And what would that kind of person do in this situation?" With that in mind, a central theme of this program came up: How do we engage with friends, family and neighbors when so many are expressing extremist views? Dr. Levin's recommendation is that sometimes, at Thanksgiving, we just have to say, "I really think you're wrong. Now, pass the gravy..." and leave it at that. And I bet you never knew Alexis de Tocqueville could have been a Borscht Belt comedian!

 

Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. The founder and editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis, a contributing editor at National Review, and a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. And he has published essays and articles in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Commentary. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

 

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

This is a special, timely conversation about what's happening in Israel. We invited our friends who produce and host DIRTY MODERATE, Adam Epstein and Dawn Sorokin, to work through some of the real history of Israel and that region; some of our own family's history; numerous false and destructive narratives that need to be confronted; how we're muddling through everything that's unfolding; and much more.

 

Here is one charitable effort that our family is supporting:

http://spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

 

Be sure to visit Dirty Moderate's platforms here:

Anytime Matt Lewis joins us, we have a grand ole' time! In this free flowing conversation, we make a pitch for how to solve the dumpster fire known as U.S. Congress: In light of the #Barbenheimer summer, Congress should consider the #FitzpatriHeimer fall. (cf. Co-heads of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ.) We also cover how to talk to some friends and family in one information bubble, and other friends and family in a whole other political news silo. We get into his latest book FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS and how it's a bipartisan problem. Matt shares how he prepares for interviews; how driving is a great time to write notes and even take a nap (...just kidding); we do some rank prognostication on the Speaker Sweepstakes; and we even talk some baseball!

 

Matt Lewis is a senior columnist at the Daily Beast and the author of Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots) and his new book Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America. You might recognize Matt from his appearances on MSNBC's Morning Joe and prior to that as a CNN political contributor. Matt’s also provided political commentary on Real Time with Bill Maher, Face the Nation on CBS, the NewsHour on PBS, and ABC’s Nightline. Matt’s writing has appeared in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, GQ, the Washington Post, and Politico among others. Matt previously served as senior contributor for the Daily Caller and, before that, as a columnist for AOL’s Politics Daily. Matt is also the host of Matt Lewis and the News and is the co-host of The DMZ along with Bill Scher.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.thedailybeast.com/author/matt-lewis

 

twitter.com/mattklewis

 

mattklewis.com/books-articles-media

 

mattklewis.com/matt-lewis-and-the-news

What is the distinction between civility vs. politeness? How do we do life together? Why do so many of us have a lust to dominate others? How do we navigate the vertical relationship between the people and our governing authorities? More importantly, how do we navigate our horizontal relationships among our neighbors? How can we have a debate without it devolving into a quarrel? We've been grappling with these questions since the oldest story in the world has been told and since the oldest book was written.

 

ALEXANDRA HUDSON is a writer, popular speaker, and the founder of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness and truth. She was named the 2020 Novak Journalism Fellow, and contributes to Fox News, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TIME Magazine, POLITICO, and Newsweek. She earned a master’s degree in public policy at the London School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar, and is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. She is also the creator of a series for The Teaching Company called Storytelling and The Human Condition. Her first book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s press, which we cover at length on this episode.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

alexandraohudson.com

 

www.civic-renaissance.com

 

alexandraohudson.com/book-preorder

Mike Madrid makes his triumphant return to TP&R! We explored why significant numbers of Latino voters are drifting away from the Democratic Party; what explains the drift toward authoritarian populism of much of the Republican Party; how Fox News and the conservative media ecosystem keep their audience so angry; whether there are any Republicans worth supporting; we had some disagreement on whether to keep the offramp open for those who want to depart the Trump Train; what Mike means when he says that every day we go forward is a day closer to the end of Trumpism; and that politics is downstream of culture. And here's a doozy: How many votes in the upcoming presidential election really matter? Out of 150 million votes, how many votes actually swing the election? And which ones?

 

Mike Madrid is a national political strategist, an expert in demographics and Latino politics. Mike’s academic work on Latino politics became the foundation for groundbreaking communications and outreach strategies in California, Texas, Florida and nationwide. Later, Mike was a co-founder of the Lincoln Project which played a significant part in defeating Donald Trump in 2020. Mike also lectures on race, class and partisanship at USC; he is the co-host of The Latino Vote podcast along with Chuck Rocha; and he is the author of the upcoming book (Spring of 2024), THE LATINO SOLUTION.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.threads.net/@mykemadrid

 

twitter.com/madrid_mike

 

latinos.vote/

Such a joy to have Wajahat Ali back on TP&R! Even before we got to the formal intro, Waj had Corey laughing to the point of tears. And yes, that was a snort - a laugh-snort! (a lorf? a snaf?) But laughter was a good salve for the serious subjects we covered. We discussed how power doesn’t like to be confronted and grappled with whether change can happen without discomfort. We were candid about our own mental health and what tools we've each developed to nurture good mental health. There was also a nuanced point of disagreement regarding parents’ rights to curate what their children are reading. And then we explored some important questions: Can we persuade those who disagree with us? If so, how? Or is it all catharsis?

 

Wajahat Ali is a writer originally from the Bay Area. Waj has been an attorney; a New York Times op-ed writer; a CNN commentator; co-host of Al Jazeera America’s The Stream; lead researcher and author for the Center for American Progress’s report Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America. He’s currently a columnist for the Daily Beast and is the author of the excellent, funny, at times heart-wrenching book that came out in 2022 titled Go Back to Where You Came From: And, Other Helpful Recommendations on Becoming American. Waj is the co-host of democracy-ish. And rumor has it, he is an aspiring gold-medalist in the Lego Olympics.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.wajali.com

 

www.thedailybeast.com/author/wajahat-ali

 

www.dcpofficial.com/democracy-ish

Is a hotdog a sandwich? And why is that an important question? (Just trust me: It is!) Yascha Mounk of Johns Hopkins University joined us for this conversation to discuss his latest book THE IDENTITY TRAP: A STORY OF IDEAS AND POWER IN OUR TIME. What is meant by the term “identity synthesis?” In recent years, terms like “identity politics,” “cancel culture” and being “woke” have been used to refer to the topics that are dealt with in the book. So with the urgency of fighting the dangers of right-wing authoritarianism, why address the identity trap? What advice is there for arguing and organizing against the identity trap? And is there reason to be optimistic?

 

YASCHA MOUNK is Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, Founder of Persuasion, an online magazine devoted to defending the values of free societies; he’s a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, he is the host of the Good Fight podcast, and the author, most recently, of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/712961/the-identity-trap-by-yascha-mounk

 

www.persuasion.community

 

www.persuasion.community/podcast

 

“(S)ix pieces of advice for arguing and organizing against the identity trap..." 

1. Claim the Moral High Ground
2. Don’t Vilify Those Who Disagree
3. Remember That Today’s Adversaries Can Become Tomorrow’s Allies
4. Appeal to the Reasonable Majority
5. Make Common Cause with Other Opponents of the Identity Synthesis
6. …But Don’t Become a Reactionary

 

Dr. Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Dr. Jones is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future as well as the award-winning books White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity and The End of White Christian America. Robby writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. And you might recognize him from his appearances on CNN, MSNBC and NPR. He also writes weekly at robertpjones on substack, a newsletter for those dedicated to the work of truth-telling, repair, and healing from the legacy of white supremacy in American Christianity. Dr. Jones holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and an undergrad degree in computing science and mathematics from Mississippi College.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.prri.org

 

www.amazon.com/Hidden-Roots-White-Supremacy-American/dp/166800951X/

 

robertpjones.substack.com

 

And please support our friends at BEST OF THE LEFT - www.bestoftheleft.com

Mariana Alfaro, reporter on the breaking political news team at The Washington Post, has insights about the changing landscape of journalism; how to do excellent reporting, especially given some of the hostile environments contributors to the Fourth Estate are subjected to; appreciating the role of good journalism in a healthy democracy; how to collaborate with other top notch writers on the larger, breaking stories in American politics; yes, we break down some of those current events such as the numerous criminal cases facing ex-President Donald Trump; and why... MUSTARD SKITTLES??? For crying out loud, WHY?!?! 

 

Mariana Alfaro is a politics reporter at The Washington Post covering breaking news and was one of two reporters behind Post Politics Now, The Post’s live, breaking politics news feed.  She joined The Post in 2019 as a researcher for the Daily 202, the newspaper's flagship politics newsletter. Before that, Mariana worked as an intern for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Insider and The Texas Tribune. A native of San Salvador, Mariana graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.washingtonpost.com/people/mariana-alfaro

 

twitter.com/marianaa_alfaro

Have you ever wondered how primetime news commentary shows on major networks are made? Have you ever wondered why guys like Tucker Carlson say the kinds of things he says? Our guest on this episode, Mike Leon, can tell you all about it. Mike shares what really happens behind the scenes on the set of Fox News. And some of the secrets are quite surprising. He also provides insights on how we can be better consumers of news and analysis. 

 

Mike Leon is a Rutgers journalism graduate, with 20+ years of TV, radio & digital media experience, including production stops in news & sports, from Fox News to ESPN to MSG Networks (to name a few). He is the host of the Can We Please Talk? podcast, a top 200 news commentary podcast in the U.S. that breaks down the latest headlines, featuring interviews with award-winning journalists, current & former government officials, historians, legal analysts, best-selling authors & even yours truly!

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.leonmedianetwork.com

 

www.leonmedianetwork.com/can-we-please-talk

What's at the root of the differences between generations? How different are those in the Silent Generation (that's who came after the Greatest Generation) from GenZ and "Polars" (which is the working name of the youngest generation)? Are major historical events like the Great Depression, World War II or, more recently, the Great Recession and COVID 19 the most significant factors in shaping a generation? Or could it be technology? Our guest, Dr. Jean Twenge, says it's the latter. In particular, Dr. Twenge asserts that it's technology's "daughters," the slow life strategy and individualism that have evolved over the course of the six generations she covers in her latest book, GENERATIONS. And that's just scratching the surface!

 

JEAN TWENGE, PHD, is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and has written extensively on generational change, including many scientific papers and several books including her most recent one titled Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future. Dr. Twenge’s work on generational differences and technology is based on a dataset of 39 million people. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Fox and Friends, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and National Public Radio.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.jeantwenge.com

 

jeanmtwenge.substack.com

 

www.jeantwenge.com/generations-book-by-dr-jean-twenge

This is a special presentation of Let’s Find Common Ground from our friends at Common Ground Committee. CGC’s mission is to bring healing to the national challenges of polarization and incivility, inspiring and motivating the public to find common ground. They do this by demonstrating how influential people of opposing views can find agreement without compromising core values. Here are the show notes from this episode of Let’s Find Common Ground:

 

"Moderate Republican Will Hurd insists that across the country 'there is more that unites us than divides us.' The former GOP Congressman threw his hat into the ring in June with a video announcement that he's running for President of the United States. Our latest episode of 'Let's Find Common Ground' re-visits our interview with Will Hurd, recorded one year ago.

 

"Hurd stresses the need for both pragmatism and nuance when tackling guns, immigration, and other hot-button issues. But don't call him a squishy moderate. 'In the media in Washington DC…moderate means middle of the road,' he says. 'But in reality, moderates are the ones that do the hard work and get things done because they’re the ones that are having to take a philosophy to people that may not identify with it.'

 

"Will Hurd served as a CIA agent overseas and conducted briefings for members of Congress. This experience inspired him to run for Texas 23rd Congressional district, which he won in 2014. Congress. He was elected three times in a swing district where Democrats often win. Hurd says in our podcast interview that he succeeded by engaging with voters from both sides, not just voters who shared all his beliefs."

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

commongroundcommittee.org/podcasts/

 

commongroundcommittee.org/

Will Saletan returns to discuss his book, The Corruption of Lindsey Graham: A Case Study in the Rise of Authoritarianism. It's a fascinating, well-sourced study on the public record of Lindsey Graham since 2015 that helps us better understand what's happened to the Republican Party since the rise of Trump. When and why did many Republicans start capitulating to Donald Trump? We discussed how it's not just the rhetoric that changes; but the people themselves that change. As Will profoundly points out, "The more evil you are convinced the other party is, the more evil you will support on the theory that your guy is less evil than theirs." We also covered how Will does "after-action reports" as a journalist to see what he got wrong in his earlier writing in order to calibrate his current work; making better arguments overall, i.e. "What we're not gonna do is punch the referees;" and we went head first into political prognostications about 2024. 

 

Will Saletan wrote for Slate for 25 years, having written over 2700 pieces for the daily online magazine. He’s also the author of Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. Will joined The Bulwark in early 2022. The Bulwark is an important media outlet which provides political analysis and reporting free from the constraints of partisan loyalties or tribal prejudices. And Will Saletan is now the author of the aforementioned The Corruption of Lindsey Graham: A Case Study in the Rise of Authoritarianism.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.thebulwark.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Corruption-of-Lindsey-Graham.pdf

 

www.thebulwark.com/

 

www.threads.net/@wsaletan

It was a pleasure to be joined by the Editor in Chief of CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Dr. Russell Moore, to discuss his new book LOSING OUR RELIGION. So, of course, we started with the very controversial topic of whether dogs go to heaven! But it was actually a nice way to break the ice before getting into the serious subject of depression. We talked about so much including: How professing Christians dismiss the words of Jesus as being "not for our time"; becoming disillusioned, as in losing some illusions that we previously held; the problem of "protecting the ministry," truth be damned; old coalitions blowing up and surprising new coalitions forming; and much, much more.

 

Dr. Russell Moore is Editor in Chief of Christianity Today and is the author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Dr. Moore served previously as President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and, before that, as the chief academic officer and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also taught theology and ethics. Moore was a Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and currently serves on the board of Becket Law which exists to defend the free exercise of all faiths, from Anglican to Zoroastrian. He also hosts the weekly podcast The Russell Moore Show and is co-host of Christianity Today’s weekly news and analysis podcast, The Bulletin. And certainly not least among his roles is husband to Maria, dad of five sons and Bible teacher at their congregation, Immanuel Church.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.threads.net/@russellmoore

 

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709965/losing-our-religion-by-russell-moore/

 

www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/russell-moore-show/

We are joined in this episode by Writer, Producer, Actor and Mentor, LARRY WILMORE! We discussed what drew Larry to comedy, writing, acting and producing; and, yes, we did talk about the WGA strike; why, as a kid, he was compelled by the work of such greats as Houdini, Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers and Flip Wilson; rebounding from professional setbacks and keeping a healthy mindset; his thoughts on the "TP&R question" - how to be better at talking about politics and religion across our differences; and we got pretty deep with the concept of consciousness, meaning and why humans have a desire to have a life of meaning.

 

Emmy Award winner Larry Wilmore is a prolific producer, actor, comedian, and writer. He is also the host of the excellent podcast Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air. Larry is perhaps best known for his role as host of Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and as the “Senior Black Correspondent” on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Off-screen, Larry serves as co-creator and consulting producer on HBO’s Insecure, and helped to launch ABC’s black-ish as an executive producer and is a co-creator of the spin-off Grownish. Previously, he has written for In Living Color, The PJ’s (which he co-created), The Office (on which he also appeared), and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also served as creator, writer, and executive producer of The Bernie Mac Show, which earned him his Emmy for “Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series” and a 2001 Peabody Award. In 2016, Larry hosted the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Larry is also an author, having released his first book, I’d Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts, in January 2009.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

 

www.theringer.com/larry-wilmore-black-on-air

 

Reasonable Doubt on Hulu - www.hulu.com/series/reasonable-doubt-226c1cc5-ecc9-4d26-83a6-40131a93ed19

 

Jerry and Marge Go Large - www.paramountplus.com/shows/paramount-plus/video/B8wTNAzgYrU2jPLef3IehO_xl_sg15pn/jerry-marge-go-large-cast-featurette-paramount-/

 

twitter.com/larrywilmore

 

www.threads.net/@larrywilmore

First, can we talk about polling? Todd Rose can! Todd and his team at Populace are figuring out how to do better surveys to get more accurate information. No, really. It’s all about methodology. And wow, do they have some surprising and encouraging takeaways! In particular, WE’RE NOT REALLY AS DIVIDED SO MUCH AS WE THINK WE’RE DIVIDED. So how much are the loudest, most extreme voices driving the conversation in public spaces? And how many of the rest of us are self-silencing? What about COLLECTIVE ILLUSIONS? What’s the definition of collective illusions? And what are some of the most prevalent ones?

 

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. 

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel - https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/wp-content/uploads/1979/01/the-power-of-the-powerless.pdf

 

http://www.populace.org/

 

http://www.toddrose.com/

 

https://www.amazon.com/Collective-Illusions-Conformity-Complicity-Decisions/dp/0306925680

 

https://www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

Tim Keller and Michael Gerson were both at the top of the list of guests we wanted to have on TP&R. Sadly we lost both gentlemen within the last year. Mike passed away last November and Tim died in May of this year. But we’re lucky to have Jonathan Rauch and Pete Wehner for this conversation because they were all friends and had a big impact on each other’s lives.

 

Timothy Keller was senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. As Sam Roberts described him in The New York Times, Tim was "...a best-selling author and theorist of Christianity who performed a modern miracle of his own — establishing a theologically orthodox church in Manhattan that attracted thousands of young professional followers..."

 

Michael Gerson was a nationally syndicated columnist writing for The Washington Post from 2007 until his death on Nov. 17, 2022. He was the author of HEROIC CONSERVATISM and co-author of CITY OF MAN: RELIGION AND POLITICS IN A NEW ERA. He appeared regularly on the “PBS NewsHour,” “Face the Nation” and other programs. Gerson served as senior adviser at One, a bipartisan organization dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. Until 2006, Gerson was a top aide to President George W. Bush as assistant to the president for policy and strategic planning. Prior to that appointment, he served in the White House as assistant to the president for speechwriting, policy adviser, deputy assistant to the president and director of presidential speechwriting.

 

Jonathan Rauch is the author of numerous books including THE CONSTITUTION OF KNOWLEDGE: A DEFENSE OF TRUTH. He’s a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer at The Atlantic among other publications.

 

Pete Wehner is also a contributing writer at The Atlantic as well as The New York Times, he’s a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum and the author of several books including THE DEATH OF POLITICS: HOW TO HEAL OUR FRAYED REPUBLIC AFTER TRUMP.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

Jonathan Rauch and Pete Wehner both return to the TP&R pod. Only this time we get them together! For a little background, Jon and Pete have a number of fundamental differences (eg. Jon is an atheist and Pete is a devout Christian); yet, they also happen to be good friends. So the conversation was flowing before we even hit record. We were discussing Pete's recent essay in THE ATLANTIC "Morality Is for Trump What Colors Are to the Color-Blind." We discussed pervasive cognitive dissonance, specifically on the part of people of faith and their continued embrace of Donald Trump. We also talked about our own need to have epistemological humility. Then we explored a construct that Jon is fleshing out for an upcoming book. That is, the 4 existential questions of 1) Morality, 2) Mortality, 3) Malevolence, and 4) Miracles. 

 

Pete Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. His books include The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, which he co-wrote with Michael Gerson, and Wealth and Justice: The Morality of Democratic Capitalism. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Peter is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.

 

JONATHAN RAUCH, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, is the author of eight books and many articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic and many other publications including The New Republic, The Economist, Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and interestingly Religion News Service among many others. His latest book is The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, which we discussed last time Jon joined us on TP&R. One of his earlier works, Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought (published originally in 1993 and then expanded in 2013) defends free speech and robust criticism and remains a highly influential work. And of course, it must be mentioned that Jon is arguably most famous for not liking shrimp!

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

www.theatlantic.com/author/peter-wehner/

 

jonathanrauch.typepad.com/

 

https://braverangels.org/

 

The Dark Knight clip - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIYkhb2NjfE

 

The article on the "Need for Chaos" - royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2020.0147

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!?!" Have you ever yelled that at the Thanksgiving table when someone in the family said something about politics? Or when you're hanging out with friends? Or at your church or synagogue? Or at a PTA meeting? Okay, if you haven't yelled it out loud, have you thought it? Really passionately? What about online? Come on, you know you've had those moments when you saw what a friend or relative said on social media and you just wanted to say, in one way or another, "That's crazy! You're completely wrong!" 

 

Well, this conversation is with my home town pal, John Deroian. John and I grew up together in central Jersey - Bruce Springsteen country! We see each other now and then at reunions and stuff like that. But we also stay in touch online. And to be honest, we've had a few of those moments when we totally disagree. But what I’ve appreciated about John is that no matter how much we disagree - and John’s not shy about saying what he disagrees with - he’s always respectful. Not only that, sometimes he shares a perspective I hadn’t considered. So I’m grateful for him being candid on stuff we disagree about. And then also, every once in a while, John is open to something I say that he hadn’t considered. So I wanted to bring him on the program to see if we can… Talk about politics & religion without killin’ each other!

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

www.facebook.com/john.deroian

In this interview, we discuss how Al Cardenas developed his conservative views and why he became a Republican; his personal story of arriving in the U.S. from Cuba all the way to running for Congress and joining the Reagan Administration; some of the ways he helped the Republican Party gain so much ground in Florida politics; why he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and when he began to question whether he could support him any longer; at what point he got involved in No-Labels and the Problem Solvers caucus; what the goals of No-Labels are; what his thoughts are on the numerous cases against Donald Trump; and what the conversations are like around the dinner table at the Cardenas-Navarro household (Al and Ana Navarro got married in 2019); and much, much more!

 

You might recognize Al Cardenas as a regular contributor on MEET THE PRESS, as well as his frequent appearances on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Univision and Telemundo. Al  has served as an adviser to U.S. Presidents and has been named one of Washington DC’s top lobbyists by The Hill. Al was named one of “The Most Influential Leaders in the Latino Community Today” by a number of leading national publications. He is the Vice-Chairman of No-Labels and formerly was Chairman of the American Conservative Union and served two terms as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. And Governor Jeb Bush appointed Al as a member of the Board of Trustees of Florida A&M University. He is a former Trustee of Miami Dade College and was named to its “Hall of Fame.”

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

twitter.com/AlCardenasFL_DC

What was it like for Jennifer Rubin (of The Washington Post and Jen Rubin's Green Room) to be one of the first conservatives to come out publicly against the candidacy of Donald Trump? What about being the subject of one of Trump's attacks on Twitter? How does one go from making a case for neoconservative positions to aligning more consistently with centrist Democratic policies? Was it really such an evolution? Or has the political climate around us changed more radically? What about the career shift from being a highly successful labor lawyer in Hollywood to becoming one of the most widely read and listened to voices in politics? We discussed all this and more on this week's TP&R!

 

Jennifer Rubin writes reported opinion for The Washington Post and is the host of Jen Rubin’s Green Room. She covers politics and policy, foreign and domestic, and provides insight into the conservative movement, the Republican and Democratic parties, and threats to Western democracies. Jennifer is also an MSNBC contributor, and was with Commentary magazine before joining the Post. Prior to her career in journalism, Jen practiced labor law for two decades. She is also the author of the 2022 book “Resistance: How Women Saved Democracy from Donald Trump.”

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

twitter.com/JRubinBlogger

 

www.washingtonpost.com/people/jennifer-rubin/

 

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jen-rubins-green-room/id1686973843

 

www.harpercollins.com/products/resistance-jennifer-rubin?variant=39933666066466

Journalistic integrity. How can individual reporters and news outlets uphold their professional ethics? Is it possible in today's environment? How can a journalist get a coveted interview, yet be fair without it becoming a hit job or a puff piece? Is it any different now than 5 or 10 or 25+ years ago, when our guest Bob Cusack of THE HILL first entered the business? What is it like interviewing Donald Trump (which Bob has done 4 times)? How can reporters be equipped to deal with attacks from a subject like Trump who repeatedly refers to the press as "the enemy of the people"? What about situations when correspondents are in harm's way due to such attacks? What lessons can be learned from the demise of companies such as BuzzFeed and Vice Media? Oh, and of course we do a little political prognostication!

 

Bob Cusack serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Hill, a media platform that provides nonpartisan reporting on the inner workings of Government and the nexus of politics and business. Bob has been reporting on policy and politics in Washington, D.C. since 1995 and has interviewed top newsmakers such as former President Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He regularly appears on news networks as a non-partisan political analyst and has won six awards from the National Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists. Bob is also an accomplished tennis player and has appeared in numerous movies and tv shows such as WONDER WOMAN and VEEP.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

thehill.com/

 

thehill.com/people/bob-cusack/

"What's your source?" That's the question former Congressman Denver Riggleman will often ask in order to cut through the walls that divide people - whether it's patrons who visit Silverback Distillery that he and his wife own, his former constituents from when he was a U.S. Congressman in Virginia's 5th, or even friends and family who object to his record of taking independent stances against the MAGA wing of his former political party.

 

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation like how he and his wife got into the whiskey business; why he joined the Freedom Caucus and whether he regretted that decision; what he learned through his work on the January 6th Committee and what Americans need to know about it; whether some of his former colleagues in Congress are really as crazy as they seem; and the truth about Bigfoot!

 

Denver Riggleman supported advanced intelligence analysis and technical development programs during his over two decades as an intelligence officer, NSA adviser, federal contractor, research and development technology lead, and successful CEO of support companies for the Department of Defense. A veteran of the Global War on Terror and multiple worldwide operations, he served with honor in the US Air Force for nine active-duty years and is a former member of the House of Representatives from Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, which he represented as a Republican from 2019–2021. Congressman Riggleman is the former senior technical advisor for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He is the CEO of Riggleman Information and Intelligence Group, the co-owner of the award-winning Silverback Distillery and is the author of the NY Times bestseller THE BREACH and BIGFOOT… IT’S COMPLICATED.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

denverleeriggleman.com/

 

www.sbdistillery.com/

 

amzn.to/3IdodPv

 

amzn.to/3LYuO0Y

Can a modern journalistic enterprise provide information and better analysis rather than merely affirmation for its audience? Steve Hayes, CEO and Editor of The Dispatch, believes it's not only possible, there's an overwhelming appetite for it. What was it like to be in the room with Donald Trump when he asserted that John McCain was not a war hero? Steve was there and even got to ask him several hard follow up questions. We asked Steve if, as a conservative, he could have a political mulligan between the early 90s and 2015, right up to Trump's entry into the presidential race, what would it be? What did Steve and the founding partners of The Dispatch see in the public square and the marketplace that motivated them to launch an independent media outlet that is informed by conservative principles? What were the major factors that led to Steve's decision to leave Fox News as a contributor? And we had to ask him for some recommendations for good Spanish wine!

 

Steve Hayes is CEO and Editor of The Dispatch, one of our favorite media outlets. The Dispatch provides “Fact-based reporting and commentary on politics, policy and culture – informed by conservative principles.” Prior to The Dispatch, Steve succeeded friend of the pod, Bill Kristol as editor-in-chief of The Weekly Standard. Steve was also a senior writer for National Journal’s Hotline and served as Director of the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University for six years. He has written for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, National Review, and Reason. He has been a commentator and appeared on such television shows as the Today show, Meet the Press, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC, and C-SPAN.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

thedispatch.com

 

twitter.com/stephenfhayes

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

In this conversation with renowned speaker, writer, activist and artist, Lisa Sharon Harper, we discuss Lisa's own genealogy, which she painstakingly researched for her 2022 book FORTUNE: How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair It All, and how doing the work of genealogy is doing the work of history. We also got into some theology! In particular, we explored a profound reading of the first chapters of Genesis. Spoiler alert: I love when Lisa said, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know this is not science!" The truths communicated in Genesis are much more profound than the reductionist reading of some of our young earth creationist friends. That leads us to explore the concept of TOV and TOV M'OD. And we went on to discuss what it will take to repair what race broke in the world.

 

Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder of Freedom Road, a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap by designing forums and experiences that bring common understanding, common commitment and common action. Ms. Harper leads trainings all around the globe that increase clergy and community leaders’ capacity to organize people of faith toward a just world. She is the author of several books, including the critically acclaimed The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right and Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair It All. She also writes extensively on shalom and governance, immigration reform, health care reform, poverty, racial and gender justice, climate change, and transformational civic engagement with her work appearing in numerous national publications as well as her Substack The Truth Is... Ms. Harper earned her Masters degree in Human Rights from Columbia University, is an Auburn Theological Seminary Senior Fellow, has begun working on her PhD in Christian Public Ethics with Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam aka the VU and also served as Sojourners Chief Church Engagement Officer.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

lisasharonharper.com/

 

freedomroad.us/

 

lisasharonharper.substack.com/

 

www.instagram.com/lisasharper/

 

www.facebook.com/lisasharonharper.page/

 

twitter.com/lisasharper

"What's your source?" That's the question former Congressman Denver Riggleman will often ask in order to cut through the walls that divide people - whether it's patrons who visit Silverback Distillery that he and his wife own, his former constituents from when he was a U.S. Congressman in Virginia's 5th, or even friends and family who object to his record of taking independent stances against the MAGA wing of his former political party.

 

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation like how he and his wife got into the whiskey business; why he joined the Freedom Caucus and whether he regretted that decision; what he learned through his work on the January 6th Committee and what Americans need to know about it; whether some of his former colleagues in Congress are really as crazy as they seem; and the truth about Bigfoot!

 

Denver Riggleman supported advanced intelligence analysis and technical development programs during his over two decades as an intelligence officer, NSA adviser, federal contractor, research and development technology lead, and successful CEO of support companies for the Department of Defense. A veteran of the Global War on Terror and multiple worldwide operations, he served with honor in the US Air Force for nine active-duty years and is a former member of the House of Representatives from Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, which he represented as a Republican from 2019–2021. Congressman Riggleman is the former senior technical advisor for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He is the CEO of Riggleman Information and Intelligence Group, the co-owner of the award-winning Silverback Distillery and is the author of the NY Times bestseller THE BREACH and BIGFOOT… IT’S COMPLICATED.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

denverleeriggleman.com/

 

www.sbdistillery.com/

 

amzn.to/3IdodPv

 

amzn.to/3LYuO0Y

We’ve all kind of grown accustomed to Instagram takeovers and other stunty maneuvers to grab attention, but a podcast takeover? I think that’s still kind of a rarity. But Corey Nathan is a rare breed. So, I suppose it isn’t really a surprise that when I contacted him a week ago and asked if we could do a reading of my play LOVE & HATE IN THE TIME OF COVID as a special edition of Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other on May 11 to commemorate the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration in the United States he immediately said yes. So, in a matter of days, I reached out to a few actor friends who lovingly agreed to participate, and we quickly recorded and cut the play so we could have it ready on May 11. We didn’t have time to plan or rehearse, which, in retrospect, seems appropriate since it mirrors the advent of Covid.

 

Public commemorations are not normally my thing, but I needed something to acknowledge this moment, the millions of people who have died, and the countless people whose lives have been changed forever. When I hesitantly spoke to friends about what I was feeling, I learned they were experiencing something similar. That confirmation gave me the courage to do something, and that’s when I reached out to Corey. We have all been through so much collectively and individually over the past three years. Whatever your politics, whatever your religion, I hope this offering helps heal, inspire, or is of some other service.

 

Thank you Corey, the extraordinarily talented Kenya Moses, Donnell Smith, Ash Sroka, Xyla Huck, and all the actors who helped me work on this piece. I also want to thank Kevin March for his inspiration, and Reg E. Gaines for his motivation. I’m indebted to all of you and grateful for your help satiating this need.

 

CAST

 

Ash Sroka
https://www.instagram.com/ash.sroka/

 

Donnell Smith
https://www.instagram.com/donnell.iam/

 

Kenya Moses
https://www.instagram.com/kenyamoses/

 

Xyla Huck

 

Playwright
www.kimyaged.com

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

Can a modern journalistic enterprise provide information and better analysis rather than merely affirmation for its audience? Steve Hayes, CEO and Editor of The Dispatch, believes it's not only possible, there's an overwhelming appetite for it. What was it like to be in the room with Donald Trump when he asserted that John McCain was not a war hero? Steve was there and even got to ask him several hard follow up questions. We asked Steve if, as a conservative, he could have a political mulligan between the early 90s and 2015, right up to Trump's entry into the presidential race, what would it be? What did Steve and the founding partners of The Dispatch see in the public square and the marketplace that motivated them to launch an independent media outlet that is informed by conservative principles? What were the major factors that led to Steve's decision to leave Fox News as a contributor? And we had to ask him for some recommendations for good Spanish wine!

 

Steve Hayes is CEO and Editor of The Dispatch, one of our favorite media outlets. The Dispatch provides “Fact-based reporting and commentary on politics, policy and culture – informed by conservative principles.” Prior to The Dispatch, Steve succeeded friend of the pod, Bill Kristol as editor-in-chief of The Weekly Standard. Steve was also a senior writer for National Journal’s Hotline and served as Director of the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University for six years. He has written for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, National Review, and Reason. He has been a commentator and appeared on such television shows as the Today show, Meet the Press, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC, and C-SPAN.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

thedispatch.com

 

twitter.com/stephenfhayes

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

This is a special presentation of TOP OF MIND WITH JULIE ROSE which is about "becoming better citizens, kinder neighbors and more effective advocates." Here are the show notes on this episode from our friends at TOP OF MIND:

 

About 45,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022. A similar number died the year before. About half of those deaths are gun suicides. The other half are gun homicides. Mass shootings tend to capture the most attention and outrage, but they’re just a small fraction of the total number of gun deaths each year. How can we reduce gun violence in America? Reducing the number of firearms in the country might help, but significant gun control laws seem unlikely in today’s current political climate. In this podcast episode, we hear the stories of a violence interrupter, a suicide prevention and gun safety advocate, and a mass shooting researcher to help us feel more hopeful about America's gun violence problem. Podcast Guests: DeQuann Stanley, Outreach Supervisor at Save Our Streets, Crown Heights, Brooklyn Erin Dunkerly, trial attorney in California, advocate for suicide prevention Mark Follman, National Affairs Editor at Mother Jones. Author of TRIGGER POINTS: “Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America” **This episode is part of Season 3 on Top of Mind: Finding Fairness. From health and immigration to prisons and pot, how can we get more peace and prosperity for all?

In this episode, we have two friends who hold many different political views. Corey brought in his pal Darren Harkins to see if they could talk about "politics and religion without killin' eacb other." Despite their differences, they remain good buddies and have learned to navigate conversations that could easily turn heated. Today, they discuss their differences and how they maintain their friendship despite their political disagreements.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0496-4

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

Over the last month in Nashville TN, the hope for better gun laws, LGBTQ rights and even democracy itself all seem to be on the line.

 

We're joined on this episode by Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza and Quinn Joy Bacon, both of whom are activists, organizers and theologians based in Nashville, Tennessee. There are a number of issues that are all at the forefront of what's been happening since 6 people were killed in a mass shooting at a school in the Nashville area. The "Tennessee 3" were engaging in nonviolent protest after the shooting when 2 of the #TN3 were expelled from their duly elected offices. That's when democracy itself became an issue at the center of what's happening there.

 

Roberto Che Espinoza, Ph.D. has been described in a myriad of ways: a scholar-activist, scholar-leader, thought-leader, teacher, public theologian, ethicist, poet of moral reason, and word artist. Dr. Espinoza is the founder of the Activist Theology Project which is now known as Our Collective Becoming, a Nashville-based collaborative project that seeks to work with the dominant culture and produces curriculum at the intersection of scholarship and activism. Dr. Espinoza was named one of 10 Faith Leaders to Watch by the Center for American Progress in 2018.  As a scholar-activist, Dr. Espinoza is committed to translating theory to action. Dr. E writes and creates academic and other valuable resources, such as in the digital realm. He is the author of Activist Theology which came out in 2019 and his latest book Body Becoming which came out last year.

 

Quinn Joy Bacon is a poet, organizer, neighbor, cook, and theologian. She is a transfem abolitionist currently studying at Vanderbilt Divinity School, seeking an MDiv with concentrations in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality & Prison and Carceral Studies. At Vanderbilt, they are a member of the Queer Faith and Policy Cohort through the Carpenter Program. Quinn credits her perspective to organizing and working around abolition, housing, mental health, public education, mutual aid, and their formal/informal studies. Broadly, Quinn is interested in Abolitionist Trans Liberation Theologies, and ways church resources can aid freedom struggles. Quinn is also pursuing ordination with the PCUSA.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

activistheology.com/give/

 

robertoche.com/

 

activistheology.com/

 

robertoche.com/writing/

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

For this edition, we welcome back Pete Dominick, the host of Stand Up! with Pete Dominick. In the second half of our conversation (approx. 50 minutes in), Pete and Corey discuss a major disagreement they had a few months ago. It's about whether someone who identifies with one party - Republican or Democrat - can even fathom the possibility of voting for a candidate from the other political party. It's a barn burner. Not quite like any conversation we've had on the program so far. Let us know what you think about it.

 

We also covered a ton of ground in the first half of this conversation. We explored how Pete got into stand up comedy, his raison d'etre, how he built his career in television and radio, what it's been like to learn podcasting and growing his show from scratch; and we also got into some current issues like the cases against Trump and what we both saw as more consequential news such as the election of a progressive state supreme court judge in Wisconsin. 

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

standupwithpete.com/

 

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stand-up-with-pete-dominick/id1485475085

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

In this episode, we're joined by special co-host, writer, producer, storyteller, Kim Yaged as we speak with Emeritus Professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, Robert Jensen. Many people say they are "spiritual but not religious." Bob says he's "religious but not spiritual" - and that's just to start! He also identifies as a "good ole' lefty materialist." We discuss his radical feminist critique of the transgender movement; a broader critique of "the Left" from the left; being able to identify with a Christian tradition and yet hold disparate beliefs; what radical feminism is and why it's a gift to men; what it means to be a radical; whether revolutionary violence is ever justified; the hard questions we need to address in order to deal with the pending ecological "apocalypse"; and the price that comes with, as our co-host Kim Yaged put it, "an attachment to truth."

 

Robert Jensen is an emeritus professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin and a founding board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. He collaborates with New Perennials Publishing and the New Perennials Project at Middlebury College. Professor Jensen joined the UT faculty in 1992 after completing his Ph.D. in media ethics and law in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a professional journalist for a decade. At UT, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in media law, ethics, and politics until he retired in 2018. In his writing and teaching, much of Dr. Jensen’s work has analyzed pornography and the radical feminist critique of sexuality and men’s violence, and he also has addressed questions of race through a critique of white privilege and institutionalized racism along with his recent work focusing on the ecological crises. Dr. Jensen is a prolific writer for popular media, both alternative and mainstream and is the author of many books, most recently, An Inconvenient Apocalypse: Environmental Collapse, Climate Crisis, and the Fate of Humanity along with his coauthor Wes Jackson.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

robertwjensen.org

 

kimyaged.com

 

thirdcoastactivist.org

 

www.newperennials.org

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

Our guest on this episode of TP&R is Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institutue. We dive into the nitty gritty of a number of PRRI's recent reports including More Acceptance but Growing Polarization on LGBTQ Rights (3/23/23); Abortion Attitudes in a Post-Roe World (2/23/23); A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture (2/8/23) as well as the subject her academic work and books Tea Party Women: Mama Grizzlies, Grassroots Leaders, and the Changing Face of the American Right and School Board Battles: The Christian Right in Local Politics.

 

Dr. Melissa Deckman is the CEO of PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture and public policy. Formerly the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs at Washington College, she is a political scientist who studies the impact of gender, religion and age on public opinion and political behavior. She is currently working on a book about the seismic impact that Gen Z women will have on the future of American politics.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

www.prri.org

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

This is a special BONUS EPISODE of Village SquareCast. Here are the show notes from our friends at The Village Square:

 

"When Daryl Davis was ten, he didn’t understand hate yet. But then he was the only black scout in a parade to honor Paul Revere’s ride to Concord, when he began getting hit by bottles. It was then that he formed a question in his mind that he’s spent much of a lifetime answering: 'How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?' Failing to find his answer in books and history, as an adult and an accomplished musician, he realized who better to ask than a member of an organization formed around the premise—the KKK. So began our guest’s extraordinary story, in which a black man befriended over 200 KKK members, starting with a grand wizard. We’ll learn how his improbable, impossible, openhearted journey can light our way.

 

"This important programming is offered in partnership with Florida Humanities as a part of our multi-year series 'UNUM: Democracy Reignited.' Keep reading to meet our streaming partners and learn more about Mr. Davis.

 

tlh.villagesquare.us/event/daryl-davis/

 

tlh.villagesquare.us

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

In this edition, we're joined by former U.S. Attorney, Co-host of the wonderful podcast #SistersInLaw and Legal Analyst for NBC News, Barbara McQuade. We, of course, discussed prominent legal cases such as Dominion Voting's defamation case against Fox News; Moore vs. Harper, the North Carolina case pertaining to voting law that tests the "independent state legislature theory"; the numerous cases against Donald Trump and which ones should concern him the most.

 

We also discussed what it's like being sworn in as U.S. Attorney on the very day the infamous "underwear bomber" attempted to blow up a plane in her jurisdiction; the importance of humanizing the victims as well as the accused as an attorney; how Barb was mentored by Jennifer Granholm who was a U.S. Attorney, then Governor of Michigan and is now the Secretary of Energy in the Biden Admin.; how the Conservative Legal Movement is distinct from Trumpism; the damage that was done to our institutions, specifically the Dept. of Justice, during the Trump Admin; whether Barb is optimistic or pessimistic about the future of our country; and much more!

 

Barbara McQuade is a law professor at the University of Michigan, where she teaches criminal law, criminal procedure and national security law.  She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and a co-host of the excellent podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, Barbara served as the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in that position. Barbara also served as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and co-chaired the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. Before becoming U.S. Attorney, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, practiced law in Detroit from 1993 to 1998, and served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Professor McQuade graduated from the University of Michigan, then from the University of Michigan Law School and was born not too far away in Detroit, Michigan.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

Be sure to check out Top of Mind with Julie Rose: www.byuradio.org/topofmind

 

www.politicon.com/podcast-title/sisters-in-law/

 

twitter.com/BarbMcQuade

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

What are the most pressing concerns about the future of the American experiment and Democracy around the world? How can one person impact the many complex systems going on in the world? How can we better understand what's broken in our democracy? How can we work together to fix it? In what ways can we use the emerging medium of podcasting to explore these questions and help come up with solutions? The Democracy Group is a network of podcasts that is united around the goal of answering these questions. 

 

We're joined this week by Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover. Jenna is the Communications Specialist for the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University and the Founder of the Democracy Group Podcast Network. Jenna also teaches journalism in the College of Communications at Penn State. Brandon Stover is the Network Manager of the Democracy Group, he is the host of the podcast Brandon Stover on Life, and he’s the Founder of Plato University where the mission is to help people find purpose and learn skills for social impact careers.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

www.democracygroup.org

 

twitter.com/JennaSpinelle

 

democracy.psu.edu

 

www.brandonstover.com/podcast

 

www.plato.university

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

post.news/@coreysnathan

 

 

This was an eye-opening conversation with Shawnee-Lenape Scholar and Author Steven T. Newcomb whose work examines Christendom’s legacy of domination and dehumanization that has resulted in the near destruction of thousands of years of spiritual and ecological wisdom developed by indigenous peoples and nations.

 

We discussed how much of the history and culture of original nations and peoples was systematically smothered and ultimately lost; how cutting a people off from their traditional teachings is a form of domination and dehumanization; how Old Testament religious concepts form a significant part of the backdrop of federal Indian law and policy; cognitive theory and what it has to do with the history of the United States and federal Indian law; how the American Enterprise (i.e. Empire) is predicated on the assumption of the right of domination at its root; the significance of the Johnson & Graham's Lessee vs. M'Intosh SCOTUS case of 1823 - "the cornerstone of property law in the U.S."; how the claim of the right of domination has become the organizing principle of the planet and much more.

 

Steven Newcomb has been studying and writing about U.S. federal Indian law and policy since the early 1980s, particularly the application of international law to Indigenous nations and peoples. Mr. Newcomb is the Director of the Indigenous Law Institute, the author of Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, and the co-producer of the documentary “The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code.” Mr. Newcomb has worked on Indigenous Peoples issues at the United Nations for twenty years. His work has been published by Wiley-Blackwell of Oxford, NYU School of Law, Fulcrum Publishing, UCLA School of Law, and the Griffith School of Law in Australia. In May 2016, Mr. Newcomb met Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square and Archbishop Tomasi at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace regarding the papal bulls of the fifteenth century.

 

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. 

 

www.amazon.com/Pagans-Promised-Land-Christian-Discovery/dp/1555916422

 

vimeo.com/ondemand/dominationcode

 

originalfreenations.com

 

www.researchgate.net/publication/368661824_Redthought_Event_200_Years_Since_the_Origin_of_Federal_Indian_Law

 

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

post.news/@coreysnathan

 

Our guest on this episode is Lanae Erickson, SVP at Third Way, a national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas. What does it mean to be a pragmatic progressive? How can our country make pragmatic progress on important issues that's actually sustainable: Whether it's immigration, clean energy, the economy, higher education, gun safety or other social issues? Why do so many elected officials and activists treat issues most often as an all or nothing proposition? Has the Biden Administration achieved any major accomplishments? (Spoiler alert: Uh, yeah. And not so coincidentally, most of those legislative accomplishments were negotiated with bipartisan participation.) Is all compromise good? How did certain Democrats lose in Congressional districts Biden won (Eg. CA27, a Biden +12 district)? What does the current makeup of the Democratic Party look like? What about the Republican Party? Which Party is beholden to its extremist wings and which Party is led by a more pragmatic approach?

 

As Senior Vice President for Social Policy & Politics at Third Way, Lanae tackles hot-button issues like immigration, abortion, religious liberty, education and guns. Previously, Lanae served as a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She was also Legislative Counsel at Alliance for Justice and before that, at the Legal Rights Center and the Center for Victims of Torture. Lanae’s commentary has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Politico and PBS NewsHour among other outlets. She has also appeared on NPR, Fox News, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, CNN, Bloomberg Television and is a regular contributor to one of our favorite podcasts Politicology! Lanae is also the principal second violinist in DC’s Capital City Symphony.

 

twitter.com/LanaeErickson

 

www.thirdway.org

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

post.news/@coreysnathan

We had a ton of questions for Kevin Singer, President of Neighborly Faith which conducts research and organizes events “introducing Christians to neighbors of every faith.” For example, considering Kevin has Jewish relatives, were there ever discussions about Jewish people's cultural allergy to proselytization and ways that American Evangelicals - perhaps unknowingly - cross that line? How does Neighborly Faith go about "train(ing) tomorrow's leaders to be faithful and flourish in an increasingly diverse world” and “knowing and serving all of our neighbors.” Is it an Evangelical bait and switch? Yaqeen Institute founder Imam Omar Suleiman said at one of NF's events, “I was and am fine with his (SBC President JD Greear) vision of the hereafter not having space for me, so long as it doesn’t become an obstacle to me having space in the here and now.” Is that part of the point of the work Neighborly Faith does? We also discussed where folks that are part of GenZ find meaning as individuals and within communities compared to previous generations?

 

Kevin was raised at the intersection of his mother’s Evangelical faith and his father’s Reform Jewish roots. He earned graduate degrees in Theology from Wheaton College and Higher Ed from NC State. Kevin has extensive teaching and leadership experience in churches, campus ministries, and colleges. He planted two churches with the North American Mission Board (2009-14) and is also head of Media Relations and PR at Springtide Research Institute. Kevin is a prolific writer with placements in Christianity Today, Religion News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, InsideHigherEd, and more.

 

www.neighborlyfaith.org

 

https://www.neighborlyfaith.org/evangelicals-politics-report

 

twitter.com/coreysnathan

 

post.news/@coreysnathan

One look at the title of Rabbi Mike's book and one could understand why we loved having him on the pod! With a special return visit from Ronnie Nathan as co-host, we had a great conversation. But here's the thing, if you're one of those folks who goes by the phrase, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it" - you're gonna hate this conversation! (Oh and, bless your heart.) Aside from that, we covered a lot of ground. For example, it's okay to question the Bible and wrestle with the idea of God. A rabbi said so! We explored how the Gospels can be interpreted as anti-Jewish. We also discussed whether a Jew could believe in Jesus as the Messiah and still be Jewish.

 

Rabbi Michael E. Harvey is the Amazon bestselling author of Let’s Talk: A Rabbi Speaks to Christians. An ordained rabbi, he has led congregations and served as a hospital chaplain. Rabbi Mike is passionate about social justice, interfaith cooperation, and bringing deep Jewish learning to the lay public. He has followed these passions in serving his community, including founding and directing the Interfaith Council of the Caribbean as well as directing the Interfaith Leaders of Greater Lafayette. He also serves on the rabbinic advisory council of the American Jewish Archives. When he isn’t writing, Rabbi Mike can be found building community and offering a listening ear in a different kind of congregation: as a bartender in Indiana.

 

www.rabbimichaelharvey.com

www.rabbimichaelharvey.com/buy-the-book

twitter.com/RabbiHarvey

twitter.com/coreysnathan

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