Dangerous Dogma: Recent Episodes
Word&Way
On this show, we challenge dangerous teachings found in various strands of Christianity while also taking seriously Jesus’s own teachings that lead us into dangerous places. Hosted by Brian Kaylor, president & editor-in-chief of Word&Way.
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham as well as issues of faith and morality in Senate races in Maine, Texas, and Kansas. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - A report on Ken Paxton's trip to London with his alleged mistress. - A poll from the Kansas Senate race. - A report on Adam Hamilton's campaign fundraising. - Kristin Kobes Du Mez's forthcoming book, Live Laugh Love. - Tia Levings's book, A Well-Trained Wife. - The Secret World of Roald Dahl podcast.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the Southern Baptist Convention's push against women in ministry, the Pentagon changing how it codes the faith of military members, and the latest in the world of sports. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - Angela mentioned All the Buried Women podcast from Beth Allison Barr and Savannah Locke. - Brian wrote for Baptist News Global about how "Not all Baptists are Southern." - Brian wrote for A Public Witness about sexual abuse and the SBC's rightward shift. - Angela mentioned a piece by Tia Levings about the SBC. - Brian and Jeremy Fuzy wrote for A Public Witness about the Pentagon's new religion codes. - Angela mentioned a piece about people Knicks fans on Rikers Island & a New Yorker piece about Andrew Tate. - Brian mentioned On the Media's special podcast series "American Emergency."
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. The conversation includes discussion of efforts in the Southern Baptist Convention to further target women serving in churches and how BWIM is advocating for women (including with a billboard to greet SBC messengers next week in Orlando, Florida). You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - Brian wrote for Word&Way about joining BWIM's advocacy outside an SBC meeting in 2024. - Learn more about Paul Pressler, the allegations against him, and what it means for the SBC. - Learn more about Al Mohler's current push against women in ministry (and even on podcasts).
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about Rededicate 250, gerrymandering, Adam Hamilton's Senate campaign in Kansas, and the MAHA movement. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - Brian wrote at A Public Witness both a preview Rededicate 250 and a reflection on the event. - Angela mentioned a reflection by Madeline Peltz on "Being Jewish at Rededicate 250." - Brian wrote a column for Religion News Service about Trump reading from 2 Chronicles 7. - Brian wrote about how the Bible has been misused to justify gerrymandering. - The Kansas GOP filed an IRS complaint against the Church of the Resurrection. - Brian and Jeremy Fuzy wrote about Stephen Colbert as a prophet. - A Public Witness broke the viral story about Pete Hegseth's Pulp Fiction prayer.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Warren Throckmorton, a retired professor who has spent years debunking false claims by Christian Nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton. Throckmorton is the author of the new book, The Christian Past that Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths that Hijack History. You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - Warren previously appeared on Dangerous Dogma to talk about Getting Jefferson Right. - Brian wrote about a Missouri Senate hearing involving a debate about Benjamin Franklin and prayer. - Brian wrote about Sunday's "Rededicate 250" rally on the National Mall.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about President Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV, Leo's witness against the Iran war, Trump's AI image of himself as Jesus, and the electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode: - Pope Leo's Palm Sunday remarks against war. - Brian wrote at A Public Witness about Pete Hegseth's violent prayer at the March Pentagon worship service. - Trump attacked the pope and posted an AI image of himself as Jesus. - PRRI study shows Republican attitudes on Christian Nationalism.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Jason Porterfield about his book Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace. This episode originally aired in 2023, except for a new introduction noting a violent prayer by Pete Hegseth during a recent Pentagon worship service and Palm Sunday comments by Pope Leo XIV.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witnessthat helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor considers Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of the English Standard Version of the Bible, patriarchy in the faith communities Hegseth has been a part of, and his Christian Nationalism. It also reveals that Hegseth's ESV Bible includes two Crusader symbols stamped onto the cover (and that match tattoos on his body): a Jerusalem Cross and the phrase "Deus Vult."
This is the second episode of "A Trick of State," a special occasional series from Dangerous Dogma. In this series, Kaylor investigates underexplored issues at the intersection of church and state that expose the false promises of Christian Nationalism. This episode includes interviews with sociologist Samuel Perry (author of Religion for Realists and coauthor of Taking America Back for God and The Flag and the Cross) and journalist Sarah Stankorb (author of Disobedient Women and the forthcoming Damned If She Does).
ABOVE: The Jerusalem Cross (left) and "Deus Vult" (right) on Pete Hegseth's Bible. (Instagram account of Rock Wall Bibles)
Here are a few pieces related to the episode:
- Study by Samuel Perry on "The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version"
- Study by Samuel Perry on "Whitewashing Evangelical Scripture: Intransitivity, Engaged Orthodoxy, and the Case of Slavery and Antisemitism in the English Standard Version"
- Coverage by Brian Kaylor on the Pentagon worship services
- Piece by Brian Kaylor on the fake story of George Washington's prayer at Valley Forge
- Article by Brian Kaylor on Hegseth's remarks at the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
Previous episode of "A Trick of State": Rewriting the Ten Commandments
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the Iran war, Christian opposition to the war, and viral claims of military leaders claiming this will bring "Armageddon." It also includes consideration of faith being invoked in politics by James Talarico in Texas and Adam Hamilton in Kansas. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode:
- Brian wrote at A Public Witness about Christian opposition to the Iran war.
- Hemant Mehta wrote at Friendly Atheist about why he's skeptical about the claims of military leaders invoking "Armageddon."
- Brian reported at A Public Witness on Doug Wilson preaching at the Pentagon.
- The bills on the "Ten Commandments" in public schools actually use a highly edited version.
- The bills on spiritual "chaplains" in public schools usually don't require individuals to actually be chaplains.
- Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons wrote for MS NOW about the faith appeals of James Talarico.
- First Things attacked the faith of James Talarico.
- Adam Hamilton is considering a Senate run.
- Matthew Taylor previously appeared on Dangerous Dogma to talk about his book The Violent Take it By Force.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor looks at legislation across the country that purports to want the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. But the version mandated by lawmakers cannot be found in any Bible. Kaylor unpacks where the edited language came from, why such legislation is an attack on religious liberty, and the legal battles over these laws.
This is the first episode of "A Trick of State," a special occasional series from Dangerous Dogma. In this series, Kaylor will investigate underexplored issues at the intersection of church and state that expose the false promises of Christian Nationalism. This episode includes interviews with Mark Chancey (a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University and an expert in how the Bible is taught in public schools) and Rachel Laser (president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, one of the groups suing to stop these laws).
To get a better sense of the gerrymandered version of the Ten Commandments mandated by lawmakers in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, here are two images that show the edits. As the image below on the left shows. The parts in yellow are kept on the posters, the parts in red must be deleted, and the parts in green are added into the required text. Or, if you would rather think about it in terms of redacting like with the Epstein files, the image below on the right shows what the bills do to Exodus 20 by removing nearly two-thirds of the text.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about ICE actions in Minneapolis, how many clergy are leading protests against ICE while others are supporting ICE, and new research worried about the loss of "purple" churches. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode:
- Brian wrote about two American Baptist congregations ministering in Minneapolis.
- Angela mentioned a statement from the chaplain of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- Brian wrote about a pastor who gave a pro-ICE prayer.
- Brian wrote about the protest at Cities Church in St. Paul.
- Angela wrote at MS NOW about the church protest.
- Angela mentioned a Substack piece by Stacey Patton about how a civil rights law is being twisted.
- Brian and Beau wrote about how ICE is targeting churches.
- Sarah Stankorb wrote at The New Republic about polarization in mainline Protestant churches.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with American Baptist ministers Anna Piela and Michael Woolf on Islamophobia, immigration, and how Christians can better engage with interfaith efforts. Anna and Michael are coauthors of the new book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice. Watch a video version of this conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode:
- Brian wrote about Michael's advocacy outside an ICE facility in Illinois
- Michael wrote for Unsettling Advent about Advent in a time of soldiers in the streets
- Brian recently testified against anti-Sharia law legislation in Missouri
- Brian wrote about Franklin Graham preaching at the Pentagon
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Martha Bardwell, pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on how faith communities are responding to ICE violence in the Twin Cities and the ICE killing of Renee Good. Watch a video version of this latest conversation here.
The episode includes a discussion on the misuse of Bible verses by the Department of Homeland Security. As this was being recorded, DHS released another propaganda video co-opting a Bible verse. Bardwell is among the faith leaders calling for an economic blackout on Jan. 23.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes consideration of the U.S. attack on Venezuela and how Christians are responding, Pete Hegseth's pledge to change the military chaplaincy program, and how people are now betting on the return of Jesus and pretty much everything else in life. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces related to the episode:
- Brian wrote at A Public Witness about Christian responses to the U.S. attack on Venezuela.
- The Bulwark unpacked problems with Hegseth's criticism of the military chaplaincy program.
- Brian documented Hegseth's Christian prayer services at the Pentagon.
- People have been betting on the return of Jesus.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes consideration of U.S. strikes against Venezuelan boats, Pete Hegseth's Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, the use of AI in churches, and alarms about AI Christian music and books. You can watch a video version of the conversation here.
Here are a few pieces mentioned in the episode:
- Brian wrote a piece for A Public Witness about the prayer services at the Pentagon.
- Ross Douthat of the New York Times wrote about Hegseth and Christian Nationalism.
- People can now text with AI Jesus.
- Christianity Today wrote about a hit AI Christian artist.
- Brian created a video review of a Noah's ark children's book voiced by an AI Donald Trump.
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes consideration of religious attacks in elections this week, impacts of the ongoing government shutdown on churches, and clergy protesting against ICE. Watch a video version of this latest conversation here.
Here are a few articles related to some of what was discussed:
- Angela interviewed two Minneapolis mayoral candidates: DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton.
- Brian wrote about the New York City mayoral race
- Brian reported on pastors assaulted while peacefully protesting ICE
- Brian wrote about the Department of Homeland Security co-opting Bible verses
Also, check out the most recent books by the three panelists:
- Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power
- Angela Denker, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood
- Beau Underwood (with Brian Kaylor), Baptizing America How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Hannah Kardon, a United Methodist minister in the Chicago area. Kardon was violently arrested during a protest outside an ICE facility on Oct. 17. Video of the incident can be viewed here. Other issues discussed in this episode include ICE actions at churches, the legal pushback against the Trump administration by various denominations, and the misuse of Bible verses by the Department of Homeland Security. Watch a video version of this latest conversation here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order the new book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with William Stell, a religious studies professor and author of the forthcoming book, Born Again Queer: A History of Evangelical Gay Activism and the Making of Antigay Christianity. Kaylor is also joined by guest cohost Jared Burkholder, scholar in residence at Moravian Theological Seminary. This is the third in a three-part series in partnership with Moravian exploring historical and contemporary issues of concerns involving evangelicals (following conversations with Randall Balmer in episode 189 and Angela Parker in episode 190). Other previous conversations mentioned in this episode are those with David Swartz in episode 180 and Isaac Sharp in episode 100. Watch a video version of this latest conversation here.
Burkholder will be giving the annual Walter Vivian Moses Lecture on Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. (ET) at the Bahnson Center on the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Campus of Moravian Theological Seminary. It will also be livestreamed for free. Sign up to watch here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor ,The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Angela Parker, an associate professor of New Testament and Greek at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, the author of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority, and coauthor of the Unsettling Lent devotional. This is the second in a three-part series in partnership with Moravian Theological Seminary exploring historical and contemporary issues of concerns involving evangelicals. Parker previously appeared on Dangerous Dogma in episode 20. Watch a video version of this latest conversation here.
Jared Burkholder, scholar in residence at Moravian, will be giving the annual Walter Vivian Moses Lecture on Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. (ET) at the Bahnson Center on the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Campus of Moravian Theological Seminary. It will also be livestreamed for free. Sign up to watch here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the new book by Brian Kaylor ,The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Randall Balmer, a historian of American religion and author of the new book, America's Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State. Kaylor is also joined by guest cohost Jared Burkholder, scholar in residence at Moravian Theological Seminary. This is the first in a three-part series in partnership with Moravian exploring historical and contemporary issues of concerns involving evangelicals. Balmer previously appeared on Dangerous Dogma in episode 25 and episode 124. You can watch a video version of this episdoe here.
Burkholder will be giving the annual Walter Vivian Moses Lecture on Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. (ET) at the Bahnson Center on the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Campus of Moravian Theological Seminary. It will also be livestreamed for free. Sign up to watch here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor ,The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, guest host Beau Underwood interviews Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power. You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics.
In this episode originally recorded in 2021, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) about faith and politics as a United Methodist minister and U.S. congressman. Cleaver also discusses his experience on Jan. 6, attacks on voting rights, and what gives him hope. First released four years ago, this episode is being reissued as Republicans in Missouri are citing Christianity to justify an attempt to gerrymander Cleaver out of office.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, a professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in North Carolina and author of the new book Authentic Christian Freedom: Deconstructing the American Gospel of Liberty. She discusses issues of Christian ethics, liberty, fundamentalism, ministry, and seminary education.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Mara Richards Bim about a weekly interfaith prayer vigil being held outside an ICE office in Dallas, Texas. She talks about how denominations are fighting back in court and the how Department of Homeland Security is co-opting Bible verses to justify ICE actions. She also discusses efforts to challenge Christian Nationalism in Texas, including a bill pushing the posting of a highly edited version of the Ten Commandments in public schools. You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Warren Throckmorton, a retired professor who has spent years debunking false claims by Christian Nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton. Throckmorton is coauthor of Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson and author of the forthcoming The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. He also hosts the podcast Telling Jefferson Lies. You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a preorder the forthcoming book by Brian Kaylor, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power.
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Shannon Fleck, the new executive director of Faithful America. She discusses Christian Nationalism in Oklahoma and nationally. You can watch a video version of his conversation on YouTube.
Fleck's predecessor, Rev. Nathan Empsall, previously appeared on episode 61 of Dangerous Dogma. He also wrote several columns for WordWay and wrote an Unsettling Advent devotional. Word&Way previously worked with Faithful America to challenge the Christian Nationalism of the ReAwaken America Tour by gathering ministers together for a public challenge to the event featuring Michael Flynn, Eric, Trump, Kash Patel, Lance Wallnau, and Sean Feucht in Branson, Missouri. We also joined their boat billboard against another RAT event at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with sociologist Ruth Braunstein about her documentary podcast When the Wolves Came. You can also find her writings at her Substack newsletter Democracy Is Hard. Mentioned in the episode is Caleb Campbell, who previously appeared on episode 150 of Dangerous Dogma.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with journalist and Lutheran minister Angela Denker about her forthcoming book Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood. You can watch a video version of this conversation here. You can also hear an earlier conversation with Denker in episode 68, and a conversation with Caleb Campbell in episode 150.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with historian David Swartz about his new narrative podcast project Rebel on Main, which offers a historical and contemporary exploration of a Kentucky county and its unusual Confederate statue. You can watch a video version of this conversation here. (You can also hear an earlier episode with Lisa Weaver Swartz in episode 83.)
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, about his forthcoming book Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza. He also talks about Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza, the importance of using the terms "genocide" and "apartheid," and why U.S. churches need to repent from the theology of empire. You can watch a video version of this conversation here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
On Tuesday (Feb. 25), a session of the Oklahoma Senate transformed into a spontaneous Bible study. Or perhaps more of a Bible study cosplay demonstrating how not to read the Bible, specifically how not to read the Book of Proverbs. In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor unpacks the errors in how Proverbs was cited by a state senator trying to justify public schools using corporal punishment against children with disabilities. You can watch a video version of this podcast here.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Karrie Gaspard-Hogewood, a sociology doctoral fellow at Tulane University, about a protest march she organized to counter an event by Christian Nationalistic musician Sean Feucht in New Orleans on Feb. 8, 2025. You can learn more about Feucht at A Public Witness, including reports on his participation at campaign events and his rallies at state Capitols.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rev. Paul Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, about various ways the Trump administration has targeted Christian groups, including Episcopalians, Catholics, and Lutherans. You can read more about the recent attacks on Lutheran charity work in a report at A Public Witness and in a memo from Interfaith Alliance.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with John Danforth, a former U.S. Senator and Episcopal priest, about the controversy over Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde's sermon during an inauguration prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. You can read more about the issue at A Public Witness, including a report on the sermon, a look at the anti-religious liberty responses to her message, and an analysis of sermons inspired by the bishop's stand.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Joe Blosser talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book To Love Our Neighbors: Radical Practices in Solidarity, Sufficiency, and Sustainability. He also discusses understandings of how a neighbor is, church food pantries, and economic neoliberalism.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Bruce Chilton, professor of religion at Bard College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Herods: Murder, Politics, and the Art of Succession. He also discusses the political issues at play in New Testament stories like the birth, teachings, and death of Jesus. This episode is being reissued and was originally released in December 2021.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Christi Harlan talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new books Mr. President, The Class Is Yours: Jimmy Carter's Sunday School Lessons in Washington, D.C. and Normal Lives: President Jimmy Carter and His Church. She also discusses Carter's teaching style and humor, as well as the church's history.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Samuel Perry, a professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Religion for Realists: Why We All Need the Scientific Study of Religion. He also discusses issues of religious identity, partisanship, and Christian Nationalism. He previously appeared on episode 46.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
This episode features a conversation originally recorded in May 2020 for the podcast Baptist Without An Adjective. In it, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor interviewed author and sociologist Tony Campolo. The author of 35 books and a longtime professor at Eastern University, Campolo died on Nov. 19 at the age of 89. This conversation is being rebroadcast to honor this influential and important Christian thinker.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Grace Ji-Sun Kim, a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity. She also discusses issues of racism, patriarchy, and Christian Nationalism. She previously appeared on episode 145. She writes a Substack newsletter and can be found on social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Drew Strait, a New Testament professor at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism. He also discusses issues of strategic nonviolence, empathy, and suspicion of state power.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Journalist and author Bekah McNeel talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book This Is Going to Hurt: Following Jesus in a Divided America. She also discusses addressing issues of immigration, education, and guns. She previously appeared on episode 70.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Michael Austin, a philosophy professor at Eastern Kentucky University and Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership of Hebrew College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian. He also discusses American values, teachings of Jesus, and the co-option of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Jerome Copulsky, a research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book American Heretics: Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order. He also discusses colonial Anglicans, debates during the Confederacy, and Christian Nationalism.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Amanda Tyler of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her forthcoming book How to End Christian Nationalism. She also discusses the Christians Against Christian Nationalism effort, issues involving public education, and different ways to engage in the public square. She previously appeared on episode 7 and episode 102.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Blake Chastain, author of The Post-Evangelical Post, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back. He also discusses racism, consumerism, and Donald Trump.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Lore Ferguson Wilbert talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor. She also discusses issues of grief, COVID-19, and hope.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Darryl Stephens, director of United Methodist Studies at Lancaster Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Reckoning Methodism: Mission and Division in the Public Church. He also discusses issues of sexuality, colonialism, and public advocacy.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Julie Faith Parker, a visiting scholar at Union Theological Seminary and a biblical scholar in residence at Marble Collegiate Church, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Eve Isn't Evil: Feminist Readings of the Bible to Upend Our Assumptions. She also discusses translation problems, the role of the matriarchs, and female prophets.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Matthew Taylor, a scholar with the Institute for Islamic-Christian-Jewish Studies, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy. He also discusses the New Apostolic Reformation, election prophecies, and the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Jason Shelton, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion. He also discusses impacts of the civil rights movement, racial injustices, and the COVID-19 pandemic on church life.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Joel Looper talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book Another Gospel: Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of Evangelical Identity. He also discusses messianic and apocalyptic rhetoric in Trumpism.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about podcasting, community, and speaking out in public. He also talks about Theology Beer Camp on Oct. 17-19 in Denver.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Tony Jones, a theologian and author, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The God of Wild Places: Rediscovering the Divine in the Untamed Outdoors. He also discusses hunting, death, and ministry.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Thomas Jay Oord, a theologian and author, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about being disciplined by the Church of the Nazarene, which resulted in him losing his preaching credentials and being expelled from membership. He also discusses the church trial process, his defense of affirming LGBTQ+ people, and open and relational theology. Learn more from his website or the Center for Open & Relational Theology.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Jenai Auman, a writer and artist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized. She also discusses church trauma, the importance of lament, and misuse of Scripture.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Ross Kane, a professor of theology, ethics, and culture at Virginia Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Good News of Church Politics. He also discusses local engagement, the biblical word for the church, and the importance of repentance and forgiveness.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Andrew Garnett, pastor Hampton Baptist Church in Virginia, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Christians and the Roman Army: Lessons for Today. He also discusses the impact of the rise of Constantine, differences between leaders and congregants, and Fourth of July services.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Caleb Campbell, pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. He also discusses Turning Point USA, syncretism, and missionary strategies.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Shirley Mullen, retired president of Houghton College (now University), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Claiming the Courageous Middle: Daring to Live and Work Together for a More Hopeful Future. She also discusses liberal arts education, listening to others, and embracing middle spaces.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
This episode features the audio from an online book launch for Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism. Co-authors Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood hosted a panel conversation with Dr. Diana Butler Bass, Rev. Adriene Thorne, and Dr. Andrew Whitehead on Christian Nationalism and mainline Protestants. Bass, who writes the Substack newsletter The Cottage and is the author of numerous books, previously appeared on episode 59. Thorne, the senior minister at The Riverside Church in New York City, previously appeared on episode 78. And Whitehead, author of American Idolatry, previously appeared on episode 52 and episode 111.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Scott Coley, a lecturer in philosophy at Mount St. Mary's University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right. He also discusses the rhetoric of complementarianism, creation science, and Al Mohler.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Joe Ingle talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Too Close to the Flame: With the Condemned inside the Southern Killing Machine. He also discusses meeting with politicians and his memories of Will Campbell.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan Shaw talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their new book Surviving God: A New Vision of God through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors. They also talk about considering new metaphors for God, reading biblical stories of survivors, and the importance of still finding joy.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood. If you buy it directly from Chalice Press, they are offering 33% off the cover price when you use the promo code "BApodcast."
Elizabeth Neumann talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace. She also discusses terrorism and 9/11, working in the Trump administration, and how to reach those who have been radicalized.
Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. And order a copy of Baptizing American: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood.
Aimee Byrd talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her forthcoming book The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment. She also discusses addressing misogyny and patriarchy in church life. She writes a Substack newsletter. More information about the book, including a video series, can be found at thehopeinourscars.com.
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Christa Brown talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her forthcoming book Baptistland: A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal, and Transformation. She also discusses advocacy for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, family estrangement, and when denominational leaders do not care.
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Trey Ferguson, a minister and writer, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Theologizin' Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly. He also discusses biblical interpretation, inerrancy, and Black Panther.
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Derek Kubilus, a Methodist pastor in Ohio, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Holy Hell: A Case against Eternal Damnation. He also discusses translation issues, Wesleyan teachings, and Star Wars.
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Angela Denker, a journalist and Lutheran minister, moderates a discussion with Jim Wallis of the Georgetown Center on Faith and Justice and Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about Christian Nationalism and other issues of faith and politics. A written version of this conversation was previously published at A Public Witness. Denker, author of Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind, previously appeared on episode 23 and episode 68. Wallis, author of the new book The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy, previously appeared on episode 24. Kaylor is the co-author of the forthcoming book Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism.
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Beau Underwood talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the forthcoming book they co-authored, Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism. They also discuss changing U.S. demographics and how the book came together. Underwood previously appeared on episode 43. Save 33% on Baptizing America with the promo code "BApodcast" at chalicepress.com.
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Paul Raushenbush, CEO and president of the Interfaith Alliance, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Together We Rise - An Easter Story for All of Us. He also discusses Jesus's teachings, visualizing the story, and interfaith work. He previously appeared on episode 74.
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David Fitch, a professor of evangelical theology at Northern Seminary and a member of the pastoral staff at Peace of Christ Church in Westmont, Illinois, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power. He also discusses politics, megachurches, and privilege. Find Fitch on Facebook and Substack.
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Eric Seibert, a professor of Old Testament at Messiah College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Redeeming Violent Verses: A Guide for Using Troublesome Texts in Church and Ministry. He also discusses teaching biblical stories to different age groups, issues of divine violence, and the most violent text in Scripture.
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Janet Kellogg Ray, a university biology professor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book The God of Monkey Science: People of Faith in a Modern Scientific World. She also discusses COVID-19, science denialism, and science education.
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Michael Wear, president and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. He also discusses Dallas Willard, gentleness, and the Buffalo Bills. He previously appeared on episode 22.
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André Gagné, a theology professor at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times. He also discusses biblical interpretation and Neocharismatic-Pentecostal leaders like Lance Wallnau and Paula White-Cain.
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Tara Culp-Ressler talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about Mennonite Action, a group that formed to push for an end to the war in Gaza. The group has led multiple public vigils, including one on Capitol Hill that led to arrests as Mennonites peacefully sang hymns in a congressional building. Lean more about Mennonite Action on their website, and find videos on their Facebook page.
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Ryan Andrew Newson, assistant professor of theology and ethics at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The End of Civility: Christ and Prophetic Division. He also discusses Roger Williams, the civil rights movement, and Quaker activist Benjamin Lay. Listen to an earlier conversation with Newson about the theology of Confederate statues in episode 131 of Baptist Without An Adjective.
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Mike Graves, scholar in residence at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Jesus' Vision for Your One Wild and Precious Life: (on Things Like Poverty, Hunger, Polarization, Inclusion, and More). He also discusses issues of biblical interpretation, polarization, and ministry.
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R.L. Stollar talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology. He also discusses biblical interpretation, the incarnation of God, and how churches can create opportunities for children to lead.
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Conrad Kanagy, a professor of sociology at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination: A Theological Biography. He also discusses German pietism, Jeremiah, and psalms of lament. Kanagy previously appeared on episode 45.
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Liz Cooledge Jenkins talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her forthcoming book Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism. She also discusses biblical interpretation, women in ministry, and church leadership practices.
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Kathryn Cramer Brownell, a professor at Purdue University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News. She also discusses the impact of individuals like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Pat Robertson, and Donald Trump.
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Randall Balmer, a professor at Dartmouth College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Saving Faith: How American Christianity Can Reclaim Its Prophetic Voice. He also discusses the insights of biblical prophets, the danger of Christian Nationalism, and the meaning of the "Word" of God. He previously appeared on episode 25.
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Greg Garrett, a professor of literature and culture at Baylor University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Gospel according to James Baldwin: What America's Great Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity. He also discusses reading and teaching Baldwin and traveling to track down more of Baldwin's life.
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John Fanestil, executive director of Via International, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism. He also discusses America's founding, violence, conspiracies, and ministering at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book All God's Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity. He also discusses racism in churches, the importance of lament, and the work of his nonprofit.
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Daniel Hummel, a historian who works at Upper House (a Christian study center located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation. He also discusses post-Civil War border state theology, contemporary Christian Right activism, and efforts to popularize end times ideas.
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David W. Peters, an Episcopal priest in Texas, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Post-Traumatic Jesus: A Healing Gospel for the Wounded. He also discusses serving as a military chaplain, the importance of the resurrection, and retelling Bible stories.
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Cheryl Bridges Johns, visiting professor and director of the Pentecostal House of Studies at United Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Re-enchanting the Text: Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious. She also discusses the enlightenment, Pentecost, and more.
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David Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University and chair of Christian social ethics at Vrije Universiteit ("Free University") Amsterdam/IBTS, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies. He also discusses issues in Russia and Brazil, attacks on LGBTQ people, and the hopeful legacy of Baptists and Black Christians. He previously appeared on episode 12.
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Kaitlyn Schiess talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here. She also discusses Romans 13 and the American Revolutionary War, Donald Trump holding up a Bible, and how 2024 presidential candidates are quoting scriptural passages.
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Robert P. Jones, president and founder at PRRI, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future. He also discusses the Doctrine of Discovery, honestly telling history, and the new Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. Jones writes at his newsletter White Too Long and previously appeared on Baptist Without An Adjective.
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Benjamin Perry, a minister at Middle Church in New York City, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter. He also discusses teaching children, COVID, and dealing with church grief.
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Valerie Hobbs, a linguist at the University of Sheffield, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book No Love in War: A Story of Christian Nationalism (video trailer here). She also discusses Dominionism, patriarchy, violence, and reading the Bible.
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Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, vice president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action. He also discusses advocacy, storytelling, and loving neighbors.
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Andrew Whitehead, a professor of sociology at IUPUI, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. He also discusses the dangers of power, fear, and violence. He previously appeared on episode 52 to talk about his co-authored book Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States.
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Shannen Williams, a professor of history at the University of Dayton, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle. She also discusses the importance of history and the process of Catholic sainthood.
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Sabrina Dent, director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice, and Reconciliation, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the history and work of the Center. She also discusses issues of racial justice, religious liberty, and the teaching of history.
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Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Arlington, Texas, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about debates in Southern Baptist life over critical race theory. He also discusses honors to enslavers at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Al Mohler's support of Donald Trump, and pastoring during a pandemic. This episode is a rebroadcast of a 2021 episode of Baptist Without An Adjective, which was quoted by Religion News Service, Christian Post, and more.
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Daniel Cooperrider, a United Church of Christ pastor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible. He also discusses issues of climate change and biblical interpretation.
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Kate Boyd talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus. She also discusses deconstruction, Christian Nationalism, and cultural baggage attached to faith.
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Allison Tanner, pastor of public witness at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the new Apartheid-Free Communities initiative. She serves as the national organizer for the campaign with the American Friends Service Committee. She also discusses the importance of listening to Palestinian Christians and speaking out against Israeli apartheid.
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Jay Augustine, senior pastor at St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit. He also discusses preaching about current events, ministry after COVID, and the importance of lament.
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Craig Lamar Brown and Andrea Summer talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their movie Between Mercy and Me. They also discuss issues of racism, church worship, and creating music and movies.
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Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about attending the ReAwaken America Tour and a Pastors for Trump meeting at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida. She also discusses the work of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, church-state legislation in Texas, and issues being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Nijay Gupta, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He also discusses issues related biblical translations, importance of historical context, and debating on Twitter.
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Isaac Sharp, a visiting assistant professor at Union Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The Other Evangelicals: A Story of Liberal, Black, Progressive, Feminist, and Gay Christians ― and the Movement That Pushed Them Out. His also discusses issues related
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Jeremy Duncan, a pastor in Calgary (Alberta, Canada), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Upside-Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace. His also discusses issues related to metaphors, nonviolence, and COVID.
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Cody Sanders and Mikeal Parsons talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their book Corpse Care: Ethics for Tending the Dead. They also discuss issues related to green burials, funeral practices, and COVID.
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Bradley Onishi, a religion scholar who cohosts the Straight White American Jesus podcast, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next. He also discusses Jan. 6, evangelical racism, Ron DeSantis, and more.
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Kevin Nye talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness. He also discusses the importance of language and extravagance.
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Peter Jarrett-Schell, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Reparations: A Plan for Churches. He also discusses his work as chair of the Reparations Task Force of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
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Ilsup Ahn, a professor of professor of philosophy at North Park University in Chicago, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The Church in the Public: A Politics of Engagement for a Cruel and Indifferent Age. He also discusses the Sanctuary Movement and the Poor People's Campaign.
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Michael Budde, a professor of Catholic Studies and Political Science at DePaul University in Chicago, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Foolishness to Gentiles: Essays on Empire, Nationalism, and Discipleship. He also discusses issues of violence, empire, and climate change.
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William Yoo, a professor of American religious and cultural history at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book What Kind of Christianity: A History of Slavery and Anti-Black Racism in the Presbyterian Church. He also discusses the complicity of White Northerners and the need for reparations.
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Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, a professor of New Testament and Christian ministry at Campbell University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims. She also discusses theories of atonement and the mistreatment of women, poor and disabled people, Blacks, and immigrants. A study guide to go along with Scapegoats is also available online.
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Jeff Hood, author of The Execution of God, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his advocacy against the death penalty. He also discusses his ministry to people on death row, including last month as he stood in a death chamber as Oklahoma executed Scott Eizember. At A Public Witness, we recently reported on another minister's experience of being present during an execution in Missouri, and we reported on a case where a condemned person was denied that opportunity. On Ash Wednesday, Hood led a service reflecting on the last words of people who were executed.
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Jason Porterfield talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace. He also discusses what peacemaking involves and how we sometimes misread stories about Jesus and violence. Another Lenten resource that explores the texts in fresh ways is Unsettling Lent by Brian Kaylor, Angela Parker, and Beau Underwood.
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Daniel Buttry, retired global consultant for peace and justice with International Ministries of the American Baptist Church, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Healing the World: Gustavo Parajón, Public Health and Peacemaking Pioneer. He also discusses nationalism, truth-telling, and conflict transformation. Hear an earlier conversation with Buttry and his wife Sharon on episode 155 Baptist Without An Adjective.
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Andrew Seidel, vice president of strategic communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, COVID, and abortion bans.
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Sara Billups talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home. She also discusses issues the impact of growing up with end-times theology, culture war politics, and commercialism.
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Stephen Bullivant, a professor religion and sociology at St Mary's University in London and the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America. He also discusses his experiences as a British researcher traveling across the U.S., and how the changing religious demographics will impact politics and society in general.
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Terrell Carter, pastor of Webster Groves Baptist Church and executive director of Rise in St. Louis, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Family Feuds: Forgotten Bible Rivalries and What the Church Can Relearn About Reconciliation. He also discusses issues of politics, power, and biblical interpretation.
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Lisa Weaver Swartz, a sociologist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Stained Glass Ceilings: How Evangelicals Do Gender and Practice Power. She also discusses Al Mohler, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the campuses of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary.
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Alan Streett, an emeritus professor of biblical theology at Criswell College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Songs of Resistance: Challenging Caesar and Empire. He also discusses songs in the Christmas biblical texts, public and private resistance, and the demands of Caesar.
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Robin Lovin, an ordained United Methodist minister and a former professor of ethics at Southern Methodist University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book What Do We Do When Nobody Is Listening?: Leading the Church in a Polarized Society. He also discusses Dietrich Bonhoeffer, learning to listening, and the current schism in the United Methodist Church.
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David Hollinger, an emeritus history professor at the University of California, Berkeley, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular. He also discusses why evangelicals grew in the 20th century, what Donald Trump reveals, and a better name for mainline Protestants.
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Dave Verhaagen, a psychologist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book How White Evangelicals Think: The Psychology of White Conservative Christians. He also discusses fear, conspiracy theories, and collective narcissism.
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Adriene Thorne, the new senior pastor at the Riverside Church in New York City, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about pastoring at this historic congregation. She also discusses becoming the first African American woman to lead Riverside, her past ministry roles, and the challenges that churches face today.
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Pamela Cooper-White, the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology & Religion at Union Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide. She also discusses pastoral counseling and her perspective as an Episcopal priest.
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Mike McMahon, executive director of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the work of the Hymn Society. He also discusses music and issues like COVID, welcoming immigrants, and scandals involving Hillsong.
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Christopher Beem, an associate research professor and the managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Pennsylvania State University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy. He also discusses Christian Nationalism and the role Christians can play in defending democracy.
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Paul Raushenbush, the new president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the organization. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, religious liberty, and his family's heritage.
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Liz Bucar, professor of religion at Northeastern University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation. She also discusses trying yoga, walking the Camino de Santiago, and leading the Sacred Writes program.
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Doug Pagitt, executive director of Vote Common Good, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about confronting Christian Nationalism. He also talks about attending the ReAwaken America Tour and protesting during the NRA's prayer breakfast.
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Sarah Posner, author of God's Profits and Unholy, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about covering religion and politics. She also discusses issues of Christian Nationalism, the U.S. Supreme Court, Donald Trump, and ongoing threats to democracy.
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Bekah McNeel, an education journalist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Bringing Up Kids When Church Lets You Down: A Guide for Parents Questioning Their Faith. She also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on education, debates about critical race theory, and reacting to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting as a parent.
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Jack Jenkins, a national reporter for Religion News Service, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his work reporting on religion and politics on both the right and left. He also discusses his book American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country.
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Angela Denker, a Lutheran pastor and journalist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind. She also discusses Lutherans, racism, and the need for pastors to speak out. An earlier conversation with her can be heard in episode 23.
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Teddy Wilson, a reporter who runs the newsletter Radical Reports, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his research and reporting on political and religious extremism. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, the Jan. 6 insurrection, and his Substack newsletter.
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Wendy Cadge, founder and director of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the work of chaplains. She also discusses issues she has written about, including the evolution of the role of chaplains, unique positions like humanist chaplains, and the work of chaplains during COVID-19. She is also the co-author of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in the Twenty-First Century and the author of Spiritual Care: The Everyday Work of Chaplains.
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Jemar Tisby, a historian and author, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his books How to Fight Racism and The Color of Compromise. He also discusses his response to a recent controversy at Grove City College, his new "Those Meddling Kids" video series on anti-CRT efforts in Christian higher education, and his Substack newsletter Footnotes.
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Bob Smietana, a national reporter for Religion News Service, or of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters.
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Greg Carey, a profesessor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about issues of biblical interpretation and current events. He also discussses the book of Revelation and his book Using Our Outside Voice: Public Biblical Interpretation.
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Thomas Lecaque, professor of history at Grand View University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about alarming issues of religious and political support for violence. He also discusses the importance of studying history. Some of his recent work include pieces in The Bulwark, Religion Dispatches, Salon, and Washington Post.
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Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about advocacy and Christian witness. He also discusses the dangerous and herectical ReAwaken America Tour, which has been covered at A Public Witness in November 2021, June 2022, and July 2022.
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This episode features a sermon by Allan Boesak, a South African anti-apartheid activist and theologian. Boesak was the keynote speaker at the 2022 annual gathering of the Baptist World Alliance in Birmingham, Alabama. Boesak was also the guest on episode 1 of Dangerous Dogma (and paid subscribers to A Public Witness have access to a bonus clip from that conversation).
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Diana Butler Bass, author of Freeing Jesus, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her writings on religion, history, and fundamentalism. She also discusses her Substack newsletter The Cottage.
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Max Finberg, president and CEO of Growing Hope Globally, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the organization he leads. He also discusses advocacy, working in government, and ending global hunger.
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Marcia Pally, a professor at New York University and guest professor at Humboldt University-Berlin, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book White Evangelicals and Right-Wing Populism: How Did We Get Here? She also discusses Jan. 6, political history, and economics.
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Terri Hord Owens, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her experiences in leading a Mainline Protestant denomination today. She also discusses racism, COVID, and communion.
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Luke Timothy Johnson, author of The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his life as a biblical scholar and teacher. He also discusses biblical interpretation, preaching, and theological education.
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Khalia Williams, associate dean of worship and music at the Candler School of Theology at Emory Universityn talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about teaching and leading worship and co-director the Baptist Studies Program. She also discusses worship in light of COVID, race, location, and more.
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Brian McLaren talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned. He also discusses issues of faith, doubt, younger generations, and hope.
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Andrew Whitehead, a professor of sociology at IUPUI, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (which is coming out in a new paperback edition).
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Bob Cornwall, author of Called to Bless, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about considering the spiritual DNA of a church or individual. He also discusses why he reads books and how he writes reviews of them. You can find his weekly book reviews on his blog or at Word&Way.
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Michael Livingston, interim senior minister at Riverside Church in New York City, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the history of Riverside and what it has been like to lead that congregation. He also discusses his time with Interfaith Worker Justice and the National Council of Churches.
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Corey Nathan, host of the Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other podcast, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his show and why he thinks people should find better ways to discuss religion and politics. He also talks about his personal spiritual journey.
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Mark Noll, a prolific historian of U.S. Christianity, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book America's Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911. He also discusses church-state relations, pluralism, and civil religion.
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Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA. Boedy writes about Kirk on Medium and Twitter. Learn more about Kirk and his efforts to bring partisan politics into churches in a recent report published by A Public Witness.
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Samuel Perry, a professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the new book he co-authored, The Flag & The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. He also discusses visiting First Baptist Church in Dallas to see Donald Trump.
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Conrad Kanagy, a professor of Sociology at Elizabethtown College and a former pastor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book series on A Church Dismantled. He also discusses pastoring in a pandemic, reading the Bible, and living with Parkinson's Disease.
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Miguel De La Torre, a professor of social ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Decolonizing Christianity. He also discusses White evangelical support of Donald Trump, the prophet Jonah, and reading the Bible with different perspectives.
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Jonathan Hall and Beau Underwood talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their new book Dear Son: Raising Faithful, Just, and Compassionate Men. Hall is senior pastor at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Underwood is vice president for external affairs at Word&Way.
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Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and an American Baptist pastor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book 20 Myths About Religion and Politics in America. He also discusses issues of polling, evangelicals, partisanship, college, and Twitter. Hear an earlier conversation with Burge on Baptist Without An Adjective, and read a new profile about him at A Public Witness. Note: Don't forget to check out our subscriber e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics.
Robert Wilson-Black, CEO of Sojourners, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The End of College: Religion and the Transformation of Higher Education in the 20th Century. He also discusses issues of secularism, war, and cultural values.
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Wendell Griffen, an Arkansas circuit judge and pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about pastoring, racism, and justice. Griffen is the author of The Fierce Urgency of Prophetic Hope and writers regularly on his blog. He spoke to Word&Way in 2017, and wrote a column recently published on our website.
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Brian Zahnd, lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book When Everything's on Fire: Faith Forged from the Ashes. He also discusses reading the Bible, fundamentalism, beauty, and the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris.
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George Marsden, emeritus professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the new edition of his classic book Fundamentalism and American Culture. He also discusses fundamentalists, evangelicals, Donald Trump, Christian Nationalism, and higher education.
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Mark Chancey, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about issues involved in teaching the Bible in public schools. He mentions his study of how Texas school districts taught the Bible. You can also read more on this topic in a recent essay at A Public Witness.
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Lisa Sharon Harper, author of Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World — and How to Repair It All, talks with WordWay President Brian Kaylor about her new book on history, racism, and her family. She also discusses the importance of truth-telling, reparations, and forgiveness. You can hear an earlier conversation with Harper in episode 9. Read an excerpt of Fortune at A Public Witness.
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Rob W. Lee, a minister and activist in North Carolina, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his advocacy against honors to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Rob, whose family is related to the hero of the "Lost Cause," also discusses why Christians need to address the history of racism in their churches and communities. In the interview, he mentions a piece in The Atlantic about General Lee, and a new Axios article about the family's genealogy. Learn more in his book A Sin by Any Other Name.
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David C. Cramer and Myles Werntz talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their new book A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence: Key Thinkers, Activists, and Movements for the Gospel of Peace. Cramer is managing editor at the Institute of Mennonite Studies and teaching pastor at Keller Park Church in South Bend, Indiana. Werntz is associate professor of theology and director of the Baptist Studies Center at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.
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Jacques Berlinerblau, professor of Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Secularism: The Basics. He also discusses the religious roots of church-state separation, models of political secularism in France and elsewhere, the potential of the nones, and current threats to political secularism in the United States.
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Obery Hendricks, a visiting research scholar at Columbia University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith. He also discusses Donald Trump's visit to First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and the Jan. 6 insurrection. (Kaylor named the book one of his favorite in 2021.)
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Daniel K. Williams, a professor of history at the University of West Georgia, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Politics of the Cross: A Christian Alternative to Partisanship. He also discusses issues of abortion, marriage, racism, and poverty.
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Bruce Chilton, professor of religion at Bard College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Herods: Murder, Politics, and the Art of Succession. He also discusses the political issues at play in New Testament stories like the birth, teachings, and death of Jesus.
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Kevin Cosby, president of Simmons College of Kentucky and senior pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Getting to the Promised Land: Black America and the Unfinished Work of the Civil Rights Movement. He also discusses slavery, biblical interpretation, and the ADOS agenda. Hear more from Cosby in his 2019 interview on Baptist Without An Adjective.
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Rodney Kennedy, a longtime Baptist pastor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Immaculate Mistake: How Evangelicals Gave Birth to Donald Trump. He also discusses preaching, Southern culture, and Will Campbell.
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Bill Trollinger, a professor of history at the University of Dayton, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about fundamentalism, higher education, and exvangelicals. He also discusses his book Righting America at the Creation Museum and his website Righting America.
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Nancy Ammerman, professor emerita of sociology of religion at Boston University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about Southern Baptist conflicts today and those in the past that she studied for for her book Baptist Battles. She also discusses issues of fundamentalism, sociology of religion, and her new book Studying Lived Religion.
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Randall Balmer, a professor at Dartmouth College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right. He also discusses his evangelical upbringing and his ministry as an Episcopal priest.
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Jim Wallis, chair of faith and justice at Georgetown University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about issues of advocacy, faith, evangelicals, and Trumpism. He also discusses his time at Sojourners, his books, and his new role at Georgetown.
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Angela Denker, a Lutheran pastor and former journalist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Red State Christians. She also discusses issues involving Jan. 6, COVID-19, George Floyd, Trump flags, and more.
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Michael Wear, a writer and political consultant, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about issues of faith, politics, and advocacy. He also discusses his book Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America.
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John Fea, professor of American history at Messiah University and executive editor of Current, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about contemporary politics and how history informs our understanding of it. He also discusses his books Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? and Believe Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump. Also mentioned is a CBS News documentary that both Kaylor and Fea were in earlier this year.
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Angela Parker, assistant professor of New Testament and Greek at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority. She discusses issues of biblical interpretation, race, and inerrancy. A recent column by Adam Greenway of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also comes up in the conversation.
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Adam Taylor, author of A More Perfect Union, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book and his hope for building the Beloved Community. He also discusses his advocacy efforts and his role as president of Sojourners.
Note: Don't forget to check out our subscriber e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics. On Sept. 30, paid subscribers will get an excerpt of Adam's book just published by Broadleaf Books.
Jen Butler, author of Who Stole My Bible?, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book and what it means to read the Bible a handbook for resisting tyranny. She also talks about her advocacy work as executive director of Faith in Public Life.
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Beau Underwood, Word&Way VP & senior editor, takes over the microphone to interview host Brian Kaylor about communication, religion, politics, storytelling, and more.
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Brad Lyons, president and publisher of Chalice Press, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about what he has learned in the world of religious publishing. He also discusses his books on spirituality and national parks, as well as why he does not like Amazon.
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Jessica Johnson, a visiting scholar in religious studies at the College of William & Mary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Biblical Porn: Affect, Labor, and Pastor Mark Driscoll's Evangelical Empire. She also discusses issues of spiritual abuse, hypermasculinity, and Calvinism. In the conversation, she mentions a new podcast on Mars Hill and a Christianity Today article about Bethlehem Baptist Church.
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Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about faith and politics as a United Methodist minister and U.S. congressman. He also discusses his experience on Jan. 6, attacks on voting rights, and the importance COVID-19 vaccination.
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Mae Cannon, executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the work of CMEP and her book Beyond Hashtag Activism. She also discusses conflict in Gaza, the end of Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure as prime minister, and the impact of COVID-19 in the region.
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David Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University and chair of Christian social ethics at Vrije Universiteit (“Free University”) Amsterdam/IBTS, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book After Evangelicalism: The Path to a New Christianity. He also discusses biblical interpretation, ethics, and presidential leadership.
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Sandhya Rani Jha, anti-oppression consultant and community organizer, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Liberating Love: 365 Love Notes from God. She also discusses activism, biblical interpretation, and Christian community.
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Rachel Laser, president & CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church & State, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the importance of religious freedom and the dangers of Christian Nationalism. She also discusses interfaith advocacy and her own experiences as a religious minority.
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Author and activist Lisa Sharon Harper, president of FreedomRoad.us, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about racism and U.S. history. She also discusses critical race theory and the '1619 Project.'
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Todd Billings, professor of Reformed theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The End of the Christian Life: How Embracing Our Mortality Frees Us to Truly Live. He also talks about faith during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Amanda Tyler, executive director of BJC, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about Christian Nationalism and the Jan. 6 insurrection. She also discusses ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org and what it means to advocate for religious liberty for all.
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Mark Charles, a Native American activist and writer, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Unsettling Truth: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. He also discusses his 2020 campaign as an independent presidential candidate, the racism embedded in the U.S.'s founding documents, and how churches are adding to the nation's racism.
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Bruce Reyes-Chow, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, California, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World. He also discusses political and religious incivility, social justice activism, harmful charity, and moving churches forward after COVID.
Note: In Defense of Kindness is the July selection for the Word&Way Book Club. Join an online small-group conversation about this book later in June.
Laura Levens, assistant professor of Christian mission at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about issues facing the Southern Baptist Convention this week in Nashville, Tennessee. She also discusses a couple pieces she wrote on these issues, including about women in ministry and critical race theory.
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Kristin Kobes Du Mez talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. She also discusses why evangelicals embraced Donald Trump, and how to pronounce "evangelical."
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Lindsey Krinks, cofounder of Open Table Nashville, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Praying with Our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets. She also discusses viewing communities from below, reading scriptures in public spaces, and what keeps her ministering despite disappointments with institutional Christianity.
Note: Praying With Our Feet in the inaugural selection for the Word&Way Book Club. Join an online small-group conversation about this book later in June.
Allan Boesak, a theologian and anti-apartheid activist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the heresies of apartheid, the threats of global inequality and authoritarianism, the dangers of empire under recent U.S. presidents, and the need to read and preach the Bible in anti-imperial ways. Boesak also discusses his book Comfort and Protest: The Apocalypse of John from a South African Perspective, and remarks he made in November 2020 about Barack Obama’s new memoir and Jeremiah Wright.
Note: A bonus segment from Boesak is available for paid subscribers of the Word&Way e-newsletter A Public Witness.
