Episode 518: Christian Nationalism Round-Up & Disability Justice with Amy Kenny
Release Date: 07/20/2022
723: Pope Leo, A.I., & the Intimacy Economy plus a Guided Tour of HP+
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The Pope’s first encyclical about the importance of human dignity and the threat posed by A.I. is causing a stir. Some secular journalists are celebrating Leo’s moral clarity, while Trump administration officials are saying the Pope should stay in his lane. Historian Yuval Noah Harari has his own warning about A.I. and explains how we are moving from an “attention economy” into an “intimacy economy.” With the launch of Holy Post Media on Substack, Kaitlyn and Skye take you behind the paywall to sample everything offered by Holy Post Plus, including a daily devotional for people who...
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722: Colbert & the Problem of Public Faith plus Karen Swallow Prior
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Last week, Stephen Colbert ended his tenure as the host of The Late Show on CBS. Along with witty political commentary and comedy, Colbert was also open about his Catholicism at a time when many were growing skeptical of faith. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss Colbert, the criticism public Christians receive, and how to discern which examples of public faith to emulate. It’s graduation season, and Karen Swallow Prior is back to discuss her new book, “You Have a Calling.” She says our culture has narrowed our understanding of calling to paid work, but finding our calling is not a matter of...
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721: Easy Optimism vs Durable Hope with Sharon McMahon
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MAGA politicians, pastors, and influencers gathered on the National Mall this weekend to rededicate America to God. Unlike biblical ceremonies of rededication, however, this one included no repentance or lament. Elon Musk is upset that a black woman was cast as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film “The Odyssey.” Sharon McMahon is back to explain how political backlash and violent threats canceled her commencement speech at Utah Valley University, and why the message she planned to deliver is more relevant than ever. Also this week—religious skeptics used to ask, “Why do...
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720: The Casino-fication of the Church and Mark DeYmaz
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Online gambling is changing the way we watch sports. Rather than cheering for a team together, more people now focus on their individual prop bets. Russell Moore says the same thing is happening in the church as individual interests and personal goals are overshadowing our collective calling as Christ’s people. Mark DeYmaz talks with Skye about how the prayer of St. Francis has helped his church navigate racial, economic, and political divisions. Christian colleges say a provision in the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill is an “existential threat to the future of religious higher education...
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719: King Charles’ Christian Message plus Alan Noble
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King Charles III addressed Congress last week, citing his Christian faith as a foundation for pluralism and peace. President Trump, in contrast, gave a speech welcoming the King that referenced Christianity as a cultural identity requiring exclusion and protection. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack the two very different visions of faith. Alan Noble is back to discuss his new book, “To Live Well,” and why young people are looking for virtues that are grounded in something more than online influencer advice. Also this week: Was the shooter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner a devout...
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718: HOLY POST LIVE from Atlanta with Lecrae
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Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn hosted a live podcast recording in Atlanta on April 22. They were joined by Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae to discuss his journey through doubt and deconstruction toward a renewed faith in Christ. He shared what helped him through the dark season, and why he felt the need to abandon the “fraud” but not the “faith.” They also discussed the tenets of Just War Theory, innovative Chinese cars, and they responded to audience questions you won’t want to miss. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: 0:00 - Show Starts 1:09 - Theme Song...
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717: The Parenting Prosperity Gospel with Kelsey Kramer McGinnis
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Anthropic has sought the help of Christian theologians to make Claude, their A.I. model, more ethical, but they are also meeting with representatives from other religious and philosophical traditions. Should this make us more optimistic about tech companies controlling the future? The Atlantic has a story about the popularity of John Mark Comer even among non-religious young adults. Is his advocacy of contemplative Christian practices the answer to digital secularism our culture has been searching for? Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, co-author of “The Myth of Good Christian Parenting,” talks with...
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716: The President vs. The Pope and Bri Stensrud
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It’s been another week of deranged comments and posts from the President. This time he has targeted Pope Leo by accusing him of being weak on crime and catering to the radical left. Mr. Trump followed up by posting an A.I. image of himself as Jesus. The outrage was swift, including from his own MAGA supporters, but are they actually to blame for his messianic self-image? On Palm Sunday, the Pope said Jesus does not hear the prayers of those who wage war. Most assume he was referring to the Secretary of Defense’s wrathful prayer for U.S. troops in Iran. Defenders of Pete Hegseth’s prayer...
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715: How MAGA Rewired Evangelical Morality with Peter Wehner
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We have a roundup of extravagant Easter celebrations, including helicopter egg drops, holy week drone shows, and skydiving bunnies. But what do these spectacles really achieve, and what do they communicate about the way of Jesus? Bible sales are breaking records. Is Donald Trump the reason? Conservative writer Peter Wehner, who worked for three Republican administrations, is back to explain how MAGA has rewired evangelical morality and what pastors should do about it. Also this week, the contrasting Easter messages of the Pope and the President. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this...
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714: What's Driving the Surge of Catholic Converts? plus Gabriel Salguero
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Catholic bishops around the U.S. are reporting a dramatic increase in applications for church membership and a surge of new converts as Easter approaches. What’s driving this new interest in the Catholic Church, and why aren’t evangelical churches seeing a similar boom? Mike Erre joins Phil and Kaitlyn to discuss the trend. Gabriel Salguero is back to update Skye on the impact of immigration enforcement on Hispanic churches and communities. He shares about two evangelical pastors detained in ICE facilities, and why Latino voters are abandoning Donald Trump after giving him record support...
info_outlineWith Trump out of office and the pandemic restrictions eased, Christian Nationalists are looking for new causes to rally the MAGA faithful. The Holy Post crew looks at the latest stories from these holy trollers including Michael Flynn’s incoherent argument that the Bible “wrote” most of the Constitution. A new exposé of MAGA worship leader Sean Feucht by Rolling Stone shows his ministry, which has one employee, has raised millions in donations and purchased three houses. And Jemar Tisby offers a useful definition of Christian Nationalism that reveals why it’s not Christian at all. Then Kaitlyn Schiess interviews disabled scholar and Shakespeare lecturer, Amy Kenny, about her book My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church. Together, they unpack overlooked or misinterpreted passages in the gospels about disabilities, and Kenny explains why the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability.
News Segment:
0:00 - Intro
3:56 - Rolling Stone article on Sean Feucht
13:37 - Michael Flynn on the Bible and the Constitution
15:38 - 7 Mountain Dominionists event
24:30 - What do we do about Christian nationalism?
34:37 - Jemar Tisby's definition of Christian nationalism
38:50 - PRRI stat on addressing common problems
48:00 - Holy Post announcements
Interview with Amy Kenny
"My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church" - https://amzn.to/3OkMfIc
49:51 - Amy Kenny Intro
51:08 - Book background
55:01 - Damaging things Christians say
1:00:13 - Theological errors
1:02:50 - Disability and Scripture
1:20:26 - How churches can think differently about disability
1:26:24 - Credits
Articles mentioned in news segment:
"MAGA Preacher Sean Feucht Scored Millions From His Trump-Loving Flock" (Rolling Stone) - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/maga-preacher-sean-feucht-scored-millions-from-his-trump-loving-flock-1380126/
"Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Says 75-80% of the Constitution was ‘Created by the Bible Itself’" (Mediaite) - https://www.mediaite.com/politics/former-national-security-advisor-michael-flynn-says-75-80-of-the-constitution-was-created-by-the-bible-itself/
"The 7 Mountain Dominionists converge on Duluth, Georgia" by John Fea (Current) - https://currentpub.com/2022/07/17/the-7-mountain-dominionists-converge-on-duluth-georgia/
"Christian Nationalism's Influence on American Politics" (with Jemar Tisby, NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2022/07/11/1110949385/christian-nationalisms-influence-on-american-politics
PRRI stats on prioritizing political cooperation to solve common problems - https://twitter.com/profsamperry/status/1548794843652128774
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