Politics and Religion. We’re not supposed to talk about that, right? Wrong! We only say that nowadays because the loudest, most extreme voices have taken over the whole conversation. Well, we‘re taking some of that space back! If you’re dying for some dialogue instead of all the yelling; if you know it’s okay to have differences without having to hate each other; if you believe politics and religion are too important to let ”the screamers” drown out the rest of us and would love some engaging, provocative and fun conversations about this stuff, then ”Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other” is for you!
Episodes
13 hours ago
13 hours ago
In Davos last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney lamented what he called “the end of a pleasant fiction.” That notion has is hard to fathom yet impossible to ignore.
For decades, the United States did not merely wield power. It framed power in moral terms. Legitimacy. Integrity. Rules. Whether we always lived up to those words is one question. Whether we still speak them with credibility is another.
In this solo reflection, Corey Nathan explores what it means when America is no longer the country that lends moral language to the world order, but the country other nations feel compelled to hedge against. From Tocqueville’s warning about democratic withdrawal to Jonathan Rauch’s analysis of patrimonialism, from Lincoln’s humility to the theological posture of the National Prayer Breakfast, this episode wrestles with a turning point.
If the pleasant fiction is over, what replaces it?
Calls to Action
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What This Episode Explores
The End of a Moral Vocabulary
For generations, American power was framed in moral language. Integrity and legitimacy were not just strategic tools but aspirations. Today, that language lands differently, not as calling card but as indictment.
From Moral Order to Patrimonialism
Drawing on the work of Jonathan Rauch, this episode examines what happens when public power begins to resemble personal property. Loyalty replaces rules. Access depends on fealty. Markets and institutions begin to read the room rather than uphold neutral principles.
The National Prayer Breakfast and Theological Posture
A prayer breakfast is meant to orient upward in humility. When reverence bends inward, the shift is not merely stylistic. It is theological.
Tocqueville’s Warning
Democracy’s danger may not arrive as sudden tyranny but as gradual withdrawal. Citizens retreat into private grievance. Moral discipline erodes. Individualism curdles into narcissism.
The Comforting Assumption About Ourselves
Nearly every white pastor today believes they would have stood with Martin Luther King Jr. The question is not whether that belief is sincere. The question is whether it would have been true.
The Choice Before Citizens
The world is already adjusting. Allies hedge. Middle powers collaborate. The question now belongs to citizens, not prime ministers. Withdrawal is understandable. It is not inevitable.
Why This Matters Now
The loss at stake is not only status but trust.
If the pleasant fiction required tending, then its collapse requires responsibility. Renewal, if it comes, will not arrive through taunts or spectacle. It will be decided by habits, by courage, by whether citizens retreat or step forward.
Connect on Social Media
Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials...
Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners
Thanks to Pew Research Center for making today’s conversation possible.
Gratitude as well to Village Square for coming alongside us in this work and helping foster better civic dialogue.
Links and additional resources:
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Pew Research Center: pewresearch.org
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The Village Square: villagesquare.us
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Meza Wealth Management: mezawealth.com
Proud members of The Democracy Group
Final Thought
The question is not who we would like to identify with in the story.
The question is where our words, positions, and actions actually place us.
Go talk some politics and religion.
Step forward.
With gentleness and respect.
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