627: Heritage Americans & Palestinian Christians with Munther Isaac
Release Date: 07/24/2024
The Holy Post
We’ve reached the end of 2025, so we thought it’s a good time to answer questions from the Holy Post community. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn cover a wide assortment of issues, from how they decompress after a difficult podcast, and how they pick which politicians to interview, to their favorite movies, and who is best at changing a tire. They also tackle theological questions about the nature of grace, the limitations we will still have in the new creation, and why demons may not be fallen angels. They also give their predictions for 2026. Along the way, Phil has weird ideas about hair, Skye...
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Last weekend was filled with terrible news, including a mass shooting in Australia, another at Brown University, and the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to discuss these events and why rediscovering the biblical practice of lament is better than just “thoughts and prayers.” The Catholic Church has taken a nuanced and principled position on the deportation of immigrants. Why do evangelicals find that so difficult? Then John Ortberg talks with Skye about his latest book, which applies the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to Christian spiritual formation....
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Two writers from the New York Times say the liberal values that have flooded our culture with online gambling, pornography, and cannabis have backfired, but secular progressives, like Ezra Klein, admit that they don’t have a framework for explaining why. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the benefits and limitations of liberalism as a political and social philosophy, and why those on the left are increasingly aware of their need for religion. Matthew Soerens from World Relief is back to discuss why the Trump administration’s immigration policies are so different in his second term, how the...
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The government of Israel has been criticized for building fences in Gaza and the West Bank, but now it’s geofencing American churches. Will its plan reverse the decline of evangelical support for the Jewish state? Donald Trump says he’s making the country more Christian, but data shows his immigration policy favors secular immigrants and rejects Christians. Rich Villodas is back to talk about his new book for Advent, “Waiting for Jesus.” He says we should use this season to resist consumerism, commercialism, and Christian culturalism. Also this week, a giant flightless parrot has...
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We’re popping a Curiously Kaitlyn episode into your feed this week because we’re starting a brand-new Advent series, and—let’s be honest—the nativity story gets weird. Kids notice all the odd details we learned to ignore, and suddenly you’re fielding questions you did not prepare for in Sunday School.So instead of scrambling for answers all by yourself, you can join us all month as we explore the questions your kids (and most adults!) are genuinely curious about. First up: Who exactly are the wise men, and why do they show up in the nativity scene at all? If you...
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The term “Judeo-Christian” has been used by the Religious Right for decades as a positive shorthand for biblical values in the culture, so why are conservative Christians now rejecting the label? And why are Christian defenses of slavery and the Confederacy gaining popularity 160 years after the Civil War? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn explain how the rising influence of Christian nationalism drives both trends. J. Ross Wagner, editor of the new book, “Being Christian After the Desolation of Gaza,” talks to Skye about how both American and Palestinian Christians are reexamining evangelical...
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Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to discuss a New York Times column by David Brooks. He says America’s divisions will only heal when we abandon shallow labels and war metaphors, and instead see one another as fellow pilgrims on a journey. America’s Catholic bishops issue a stern rebuke of the Trump administration’s dehumanizing rhetoric and policies, which makes Phil wonder why evangelical leaders can’t do the same. Then, Skye talks to Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, about why he’s so popular in a state that Donald Trump won by 30 points, and how his party can begin to...
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The Democratic Party swept the off-cycle elections last week, but this isn’t the first blue wave we’ve seen in the Trump era. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss what it means and the significance of New York City electing a Muslim, democratic socialist as mayor. Does Mamdani represent the death of New York, and possibly America, as one Baptist leader claims? Old Testament scholar Carmen Imes is back to discuss why she hasn’t given up on the church, and we shouldn’t either. Her new book is “Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters.” Also this week—how social media is...
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Open Nazi rhetoric is gaining traction on the right, and the response from conservative institutions has been inconsistent at best. Skye and David trace the roots of the problem, the incentives that fueled it, and the late-breaking backlash that may signal a tipping point. They also look at ICE’s increasingly aggressive “Kavanaugh stops,” the risks of expanding executive power, and why election integrity could be threatened when extremism and state authority begin to reinforce each other. Want the full episode? Go to The SkyePod feed to hear it now!
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A new survey finds that moderately religious Americans are the most likely to say that they see dead people. Which raises a question—why are the non-religious and the very religious less likely to report encounters with the departed? New York Times columnist Ezra Klein says that by over-emphasizing inclusivity, the Democratic Party has ironically become less inclusive. And Ryan Burge looks at the numbers behind the party’s growing “God problem.” Will the Democrats ever figure out how to compete against MAGA? New Testament scholar N.T. Wright is back to discuss his latest book, “The...
info_outlineFollowing the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, some are saying that God saved his life for a divine purpose. Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye discuss the selective use of Christian rhetoric surrounding the former President. Then, multiple speakers at the Republican convention used anti-immigrant language associated with the “heritage Americans” movement. We examine the movement and its link to the isolationist and racist policies of the 1920s. And Skye welcome Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, the pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, to talk about the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land and the impact of the war in Gaza on the church.
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0:36 - Intro
1:52 - Show Starts
3:14 - Theme Song
3:38 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order
4:42 - Sponsor - The Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club - To get a Full-Size artisanal olive oil for just $1 shipping, go to https://www.GetFreshHOLYPOST.com
5:54 - Update on Lisa Vischer
6:55 - RNC, Biden Dropout—The Apple Cart is Upset!
9:52 - Messianic Interpretations of the Trump Assassination Attempt
18:26 - What Events Do We Assume Are Divine Intervention?
25:50 - Why is Trump Still Winning?
31:45 - The Politically Unengaged, Patriotic, and Exhausted
37:00 - Heritage Americans
45:38 - Reputational Challenges Facing Harris
50:42 - Sponsor - Better Help - Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/holypost
51:50 - Interview
53:16 - The Christian Palestinian Community
1:04:47 - Palestinian Christian Reactions to October 7th
1:10:20 - The American Church’s Effect on the War
1:16:52 - The Positive Impact of Palestinian Christians
1:22:47 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Kaitlyn’s Appearance on NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/nx-s1-5040606/trumps-assassination-shooting-god-religion
Skye Jethani’s Racism and Immigration Video:
Other resources:
The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope: https://a.co/d/aFLu0I9
Christ at the Checkpoint
https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/munthers-blog/
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