Episode 518: Christian Nationalism Round-Up & Disability Justice with Amy Kenny
Release Date: 07/20/2022
746: Did Christianity Win the Midterms & Praying Through Political Division with Sarah Sanderson
The Holy Post
Democrats swept the midterms, and some Christians are calling it a victory for the gospel. But does rejecting MAGA mean Americans are embracing a kinder, more compassionate Christianity? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn examine what really drove voters to reject Republicans and whether the rise of the religious left risks repeating the same mistakes as the religious right. Then, Kaitlyn talks with author Sarah Sanderson about her new book, Without Ceasing, and what a year of praying about politics taught her about loving enemies, listening to others, and finding God’s will in a divided country. Plus,...
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745: The Rise & Decline of “Christianity Today”
The Holy Post
The flagship magazine of evangelicalism has hit rough waters, but does the decline of “Christianity Today” mean something more? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the magazine's history at a live recording in Naperville, Illinois, and why the kind of evangelicalism CT represents is losing ground in America. They also discuss a new book arguing that Democrats and secular Americans need to recapture the moral language and categories of good and evil, but some are worried that it may be a slippery slope back toward embracing religion. Plus, a news quiz that nobody wins, and Phil's ukulele is...
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744: Pagan Nationalism & Asking Better Questions with Kaitlyn Schiess
The Holy Post
Two events have gotten Phil’s attention. First, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a speech in Athens, Greece, about the greatness of Western civilization. Rubio celebrated pagan virtues of ancient Greece and Rome like power, competition, and ambition, but ignored Christian virtues like compassion, equality, and human dignity. Second, the National Conservative Conference featured numerous speakers extolling the godliness of nationalism and why the mistreatment of minorities may be justified. Taken together, is pagan nationalism the future of the conservative movement? Then Kaitlyn and Skye...
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743: Why Americans Stopped Having Friends with Rich Villodas
The Holy Post
Americans are spending more time alone, inviting fewer people into their homes, and struggling to build meaningful friendships. What's behind the decline of hospitality, and what can the church do about it? Live from New York City, Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn are joined by pastor Rich Villodas to discuss the loneliness epidemic, our growing preference for digital entertainment, and why real community requires more than just joining a small group. They also explore the difference between feeling fear and being controlled by it, and why following Jesus means risking vulnerability and even getting...
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742: The Problem with Public Executions & Why We Fear Silence with John Mark Comer
The Holy Post
Following last week’s episode about the death penalty and a Southern Baptist leader calling for public executions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution by firing squad of the man who killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009 would be livestreamed. Skye is back with his take on what the Bible says about the death penalty, and why the brutality of public execution would make America more like ISIS than Jesus. Televangelist Jim Bakker died this week. Phil tells Bakker’s messy story, how he exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit within evangelicalism, and even sings a song...
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741: Celebrity Pope, Christian Bloodlust & Is Israel Losing America with Todd Deatherage
The Holy Post
Why is Pope Leo drawing massive crowds in one of the most secular countries in Europe? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre talk about the Pope’s surprising celebrity in France and whether people are becoming more open to Christianity when they see it lived with sincerity and conviction. Then, after a botched execution in Tennessee, some Christian leaders are calling for a return to public hangings and firing squads. Is the death penalty really demanded by Christian theology, or does the gospel call Christians toward a different vision of justice and mercy? Finally, Skye talks with Todd Deatherage...
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740: Is Empathy Killing the West & What Makes a Soul Secure with Alison Cook
The Holy Post
Is empathy becoming a liability in American Christianity? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre discuss the growing backlash against empathy and why some conservatives argue that too much compassion can lead to bad politics, bad theology, and even the decline of Western civilization. They also look at Russell Moore’s warning about the “fear-driven church” and how anxiety about God, outsiders, and our own communities can shape the way Christians think and behave. Then, Kaitlyn talks with psychologist Alison Cook about attachment theory, the limits of human relationships, and why no other person...
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739: Debriefing the Debate over Evangelicalism
The Holy Post
Podcast hosts, ASSEMBLE! Phil, Skye, Kaitlyn, and Esau come together to debrief the new books by Kristen Kobes Du Mez, Bonnie Kristian, and Charlie Dates, as well as their recent interviews on The Holy Post. They each critique or defend evangelicalism, but who's right? Is evangelicalism worth fixing? Does the current debate unknowingly center only white experiences of evangelicalism? And is evangelicalism even a thing, or just a category pollsters made up? Plus, the team wrestles with their own responsibility and calling in the Christian media marketplace. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free...
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738: Are Evangelicalism’s Failures Bugs or a Feature? with Bonnie Kristian
The Holy Post
Following the 9/11 terrorist attack 25 years ago, Americans began using more “good versus evil” rhetoric, but have we taken it too far? Many of the tech bros developing AI were fans of sci-fi novels and movies in middle school, but completely missed the point of those stories. We may all pay the price. Bonnie Kristian, the deputy editor at Christianity Today, returns to discuss her new book “In Defense of Evangelicalism.” While she agrees with many of the recent criticisms of the movement, she says the problems within evangelicalism are bugs rather than features and believes its...
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737: The Surprising Origin of Evangelical Femininity with Kristin Kobes Du Mez
The Holy Post
Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of the best-selling “Jesus and John Wayne,” is back with another look at the forces that shaped modern American evangelicalism. This time she explores the backstory of evangelical femininity in her new book, “Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made.” Also this week: Phil wants to know what links three recent celebrity deaths—Dolly Parton, Gloria Steinem, and Wendell Berry. To the surprise of many, The Christian Post has published an anti-Christian nationalist article. Is it a sign that the evangelical...
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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