551 Power, Pacifism, & Being Consistently Pro-Life with Shane Claiborne
Release Date: 02/10/2023
The Holy Post
Bud Light, Target, Kohls, Chick-Fil-A—the list of companies and brands being boycotted by Christians keeps getting longer. Now there are even calls to boycott the hit streaming series about Jesus, “The Chosen.” When are boycotts justified, when are they just performative, and is there any escape from the purity death spiral they create? Then, Skye talks to Pastor Brenda Quinn and author Richard Foster about his new book, “Learning Humility.” When did Christians decide humility was a vice rather than a virtue, and what are the ingredients necessary to cultivate it in our lives and...
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Phil’s file of Christian Nationalism stories has gotten full, so we’re covering a number of them this week. We explore the beliefs of early Christian Nationalists from the 1920s, how modern Christian Nationalism can’t shake its racist roots, and why it’s gaining popularity with some followers of Reformed theology. Skye explains what Christian Nationalism shares in common with the Prosperity Gospel, and Kaitlyn dismantles Christian Nationalists who say their views are rooted in God’s design in nature. Then, we share one of our most popular Holy Post bonus features with everyone where...
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David French has just returned from Ukraine where he saw the devastating impact of the Russian invasion. He talks to Skye about the resilience of the Ukrainian people, the need for more American support, and how a Trump victory in 2024 is part of Putin’s war plan. Then, the Supreme Court appears likely to rule against colleges and universities that consider race in the admission process. What are the arguments for and against Affirmative Action, and how will the court’s decision reverberate beyond higher education? 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Why there is not more U.S. support of...
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Influential pastor, author, and apologist, Tim Keller, passed away last week. We reflect on Keller’s ministry and wonder who is filling the shoes of the Christian giants we’ve lost. A new book about poverty says that the U.S. spends more on welfare than any other country except France, but the majority goes to help the wealthy and middle-class rather than the poor. Why aren’t we doing more to end poverty, and is our view of the Bible to blame? Then, it’s been 25 years since Rich Mullins died. Skye talks to Mullins’ friend James Bryan Smith about the songwriter’s inspiring...
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Ethicist, David Gushee, says we are seeing the emergence of a new kind of loveless Christianity. But those who practice it say their anger, culture warring, and pursuit of power are actually how they’re loving their neighbors. Then, Skye talks to actor Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute from “The Office,” about religious pluralism, spiritual narcissism, why Hollywood misrepresents Christians, and how he became a follower of the Baha’i faith. Wilson’s new book is “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.” Also this week—A.I. has rewritten Genesis to be...
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How did a theological system that rejected Christian participation in politics eventually give birth to the Religious Right? Phil talks to historian Daniel Hummel about the spread of rapture theology in the 20th century, why it spawned so many conspiracies, the legacy of the Left Behind books, and why rapture theology remains so popular despite being rejected by nearly every evangelical seminary. Also this week, why did controversial author, Joshua Butler, resign from his church? The embrace of Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump by the Religious Right is proof that the movement is now entirely...
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Many Christians in America simply assume that Jesus could return at any moment, that believers will be raptured in the twinkling of an eye, that the state of Israel has a special role in the End Times, and that the church should just save souls and stay out of politics. In Part 1 of an interview about this new book, historian Daniel G. Hummel explains to Phil how this rapture theology isn’t rooted in church history, but was invented by a British layman less than 200 years ago. And why it was embraced by American pastors during the Civil War who wanted to avoid talking about slavery, race,...
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From Harvard Law School to The New York Times, David French has repeatedly found himself in communities where secular progressivism is the majority view, and where his Christian beliefs face suspicion, ridicule, or even hostility. Skye Jethani asks French how he's learned to not just survive in these post-Christian enclaves, but actually thrive. What mistakes did he make? How did he successfully build relationships across political and philosophical barriers? And how did closer connections with those he disagreed with strengthen his faith? French also explains why Christians who sow fear and...
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After admitting it broadcast election lies and conspiracies, and paying $787 million in damages, Fox News has fired its most popular host. Does this signal a change at the cable news network? An online chatbot says Christianity gives it hope. Are we witnessing the first A.I. convert? Then, more innocent people are being shot by fearful gun owners who “feel threatened.” Is this the inevitable outcome of America’s addiction to fear and idolatry of guns? And Derwin Gray is back to ask a question he’s been sitting on for 20 years—why isn’t the Civil Rights Movement considered a...
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From the Jesus Movement in the 1970s, through the Religious Right in the 1980s, the rise of New Calvinism in the 1990s, and the MAGA movement today, as a Christian kid in the suburbs and then a political journalist in Washington, Jon Ward has had a front seat to the most significant characters and events in American evangelicalism. He talks with Skye about his new autobiography, “Testimony,” and why he is still committed to Christian faith despite the failure of the movement that raised him. Also this week, early data shows a reduction in the number of abortions since the Supreme Court...
info_outlineWhat does it mean to be pro-life? Drawing from the words of Jesus, the Apostles, and the early church, Shane Claiborne says most American Christians have gotten it wrong. His new book, “Rethinking Life: Embracing the Sacredness of Every Person,” argues for the value of the unborn, but also for combating poverty, racism, and other dehumanizing evils. He talks with Skye about how the early church’s consistent ethic of life changed once it gained political power. It’s one thing for a tiny church on the margins of society to apply the teachings of Jesus, but how do we apply his words when Christians have control of governments and armies? Skye is joined after the interview by Christian Taylor and Phil Vischer to debrief Claiborne’s challenging ideas.
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0:46- Intro
3:16 - Shane Claiborne
Tyre Nichols and policing
http://www.shaneclaiborne.com/
https://twitter.com/ShaneClaiborne
13:55 Rethinking Life
28:24 Ethics and power
33:49 Abortion
48:30 Phil, Skye, Christian debrief
1:07:03 End Credits
Other resources:
Rethinking Life: Embracing the Sacredness of Every Person by Shane Claiborne - https://amzn.to/40EvZZZ
The Irresistible Revolution, Updated and Expanded: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne - https://amzn.to/3x3SDxt
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