616: Black Church Politics & Messy Authenticity with Nancy French
Release Date: 05/08/2024
The Holy Post
Merry Christmas! In celebrity conversion news, Denzel Washington got baptized at his church in Harlem just days before his 70th birthday and became a licensed minister, and New York Times columnist, David Brooks, has written about his surprising journey from agnosticism to Christianity. What do these stories tell us about our culture’s ongoing hunger for God? On the other side, David French explains why some Christians now think cruelty is acceptable. New Testament scholar, Nijay Gupta, is back to talk about what the Gospels actually say about Jesus’ birth, and what our Christmas pageants...
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A Catholic bishop, with a social media following second only to the Pope, is proving that dumbing down the faith is the wrong way to reach young adults. But is his celebrity status getting in the way? A new study finds the most generous people are also the most likely to consistently read the Bible. Kaitlyn talks to Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez about telling the truth to the church out of love. Her new book, “Being a Sanctuary,” is honest about the harms many churches are causing, but also shows how the church is the key to healing. Also this week—rat race cars in Froot Loop land. ...
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More Americans than ever are single but they’re not happy about it. A new article in The Atlantic examines how the sexes are drifting apart, why more men are looking for a partner than women, and the side-effects of using an app rather than community to find a date. Then, political scientist Hahrie Han’s new book “Undivided” explores why the racial solidarity program at an evangelical megachurch was more successful than corporate DEI programs, and how that success created unexpected challenges for the predominantly white church. Also this week: the Swiss make an A.I. Jesus, and a...
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Many ideas about the end times including the role of Israel, the mark of the beast, and the rapture became popular through Hal Lindsey’s best-selling book from the 1970s, “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Lindsay died last week at 95. We discuss his legacy and how his book is still shaping the American church long after most of its theology has been debunked. Then, Kaitlyn talks to Douglas McKelvey about his series of prayer books, “Every Moment Holy.” He explains the value of using written prayers and not just spontaneous ones, and how to find God in the ordinary activities of life....
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David French has finally watched Rings of Power season two—and he and Skye don’t quite have the same feelings about it. They compare it to House of the Dragon’s more cynical fantasy world—and why Dune is maybe closer to Tolkien than Martin. They also talk about the Penguin crime drama series, the upcoming Superman movie, and Silo. 0:00 - Theme Song 0:18 - Show Begins 1:16 - David’s Take on Rings of Power 5:40 - Skye’s Beef with Rings of Power 13:20 - House of the Dragon 21:52 - World War I 26:45 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to...
info_outline 645: The Red Letter Legacy of Tony Campolo with Shane ClaiborneThe Holy Post
Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to discuss how to survive the holidays. What’s the best way to engage (or disengage) a contentious relative who wants to argue about politics, and how do we remain united as churches and families in these divided times? Professor, author, and preacher Tony Campolo died last week. Shane Claiborne returns to discuss his friendship with Campolo and his legacy of challenging the American church with the “red letters” of the Bible. Also this week—what’s the real goal behind protecting public nativity displays, and disappointed political witches. 0:00 -...
info_outline 644: Unplugging from Politics & the Real Meaning of Acts with N.T. WrightThe Holy Post
After an exhausting year of politics and the re-election of Donald Trump, what is a faithful way for Christians to navigate the next four years? Should we continue to immerse ourselves in political news, or is it better to disconnect from the media? And should Christians join the political fights online, or unplug to better serve our local communities? The Holy Post crew responds to articles by a number of Christians leaders addressing these questions. Then, New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright, is back to discuss the book of Acts. Wright says an understanding of ancient temples is the key to...
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The 2024 election is finally here. Who won? We don’t know because we recorded this episode on Monday. But we do know that MAGA men are not happy about their wives secretly voting for Kamala Harris. And a new study finds trust in American institutions—especially the media—continues to decline. Is there a way to reverse the trend? Then, to take an overdue break from politics, Skye talks to author and illustrator, John Hendrix, about his new graphic non-fiction book “The Mythmakers” about the remarkable friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s a fun conversation about...
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With only a week before the presidential election, Phil and Kaitlyn are joined by Mike Erre to discuss Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. Why do so many white evangelicals ignore the racism, misogyny, and dehumanizing rhetoric coming from the MAGA movement? It is really about supporting certain policies or the idolatry of power? Then, David Swanson is back to discuss his latest book, “Plundered: The Tangled Roots of Racial and Environmental Injustice.” Swanson says we will be compelled to engage both issues when we see their shared origin in the sin of greed. Also this week—the...
info_outlinePhil is back! He gives an update about his family’s harrowing medical emergency. Then, new data shows the Democratic Party’s grip on Black Christians may be slipping. Esau McCaulley shares his take on the reason. Nancy French talks with Skye about the themes in her new memoir, “Ghosted,” including church sexual abuse, political tribalism, trauma, and her miraculous experiences with God. Also this week—another book ban backfires, and defensive driving Florida style.
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Getting Schooled - Christian Presidents
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0:00 - Intro
1:38 - Show Starts
3:10 - Theme Song
3:32 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.athleticgreens.com/HOLYPOST
4:52 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Go to www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.
6:04 - Phil Explains the Medical Emergency
15:52 - The Surgery
24:25 - Esau’s Childhood Stomach Surgery
26:50 - Florida Man Rescues Friend from Alligator
28:14 - Florida Man Tries to Ban Bible from Schools
35:06 - Have Democrats Lost the Black Church?
49:03 - Esau’s Dream Proposal
52:31 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - Get 10% off your first month at www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST
53:28 - Interview
55:10 - Charismatic Experiences
59:18 - How Did the Frenches Not End Up in MAGA?
1:03:48 - What Radicalized the Republican Voter Base?
1:08:25 - Where There Signs 20 Years Ago That Radicalization Was Coming?
1:11:30 - Pro-Life Republicans Changing Their Stances?
1:22:20 - What’s the Future for the GOP?
1:33:58 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Man Runs Over Alligator with Truck to Save Neighbor from Attack
Florida Atheist Uses State’s New Book Banning Law to Object to the Bible
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chaz-stevens-bible-ban_n_6268e98ee4b0ea625c0e2b58
Have Democrats Lost the Black Church?
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2024/4/15/have-the-democrats-lost-the-black-church
Other resources:
Ghosted: an American Story by Nancy French: https://a.co/d/hwzJItt
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
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Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
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