659: The Root of Racism is Greed Not Hate with Malcolm Foley
The Holy Post
After a made-for-T.V. meltdown in the Oval Office between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine, the administration cut all military aid to Ukraine and sided with Russia instead. Will this cause some evangelicals to rethink their support for Trump, and if so where will they go? Two popular Christian books are saying that empathy is manipulative at best, or downright sinful at worst. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn examine their arguments. Most Christians probably believe that racism is rooted in hate or ignorance, but historian Malcolm Foley says it’s really all about greed. Until...
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French Friday: A Unified Theory of Trump
The Holy Post
In his first month in office, Donald Trump has broken international agreements with allies, ended all foreign aid, voted with America's enemies in the UN, posted a plan to turn Gaza into a Trump casino and resort, purged the Pentagon of military commanders, appointed podcasters and conspiracy theorists to his cabinet, and threatened to invade or annex Canada, Greenland, and Panama. David French and Skye Jethani discuss various theories to explain Trump's approach to governing, and find one model that makes a lot of sense in an article by Jonathan Rouch. Then they contrast it with what...
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658: Justice, Mercy, & Becoming Good News People with Derwin Gray
The Holy Post
Has Wheaton College, the flagship of evangelical higher ed, gone woke? Concerned parents and alumni have published a letter accusing the school of valuing diversity more than discipleship. Others have responded by defending Wheaton against the unfounded claims of the MAGA mob. What does the controversy reveal about the state of evangelicalism in the U.S.? A new piece by friend of the show, Karen Swallow Prior, explores the relationship between justice and mercy. Does emphasizing one value more than the other explain the rift in the American church? Derwin Gray is back to discuss his new book,...
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The SkyePod - SkyeDIVE: Worship & Justice
The Holy Post
Skye explains the strong biblical ties between two seemingly related concepts: worship and justice. Can you even have one without the other? Get the full episode by signing up for Holy Post Plus:
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657: The Government, God, & Grift with Katherine Stewart
The Holy Post
Since WWII, the United States has been actively engaged in foreign aid as part of its strategic foreign policy, and Christians of all theological and political views have broadly supported this effort. In the first month of the Trump administration, however, Christians on the far right have suddenly turned against international aid. What’s behind this change and are there parallels on the religious left? And what does it mean when MAGA Catholics are arguing directly with Pope Francis about immigrants, refugees, and the poor? Author and journalist, Katherine Stewart, has investigated the...
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656: Defunding USAID and Blue Like Jazz’s Gospel of Vibes with Ross Douthat
The Holy Post
The White House is defunding USAID, one of the largest distributors of foreign aid, and blaming it on wasteful spending—like a D.E.I musical in Ireland. But as Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack, the real losers are Christian relief organizations like World Relief and Catholic Charities, which now face devastating budget cuts. Then, it’s been over 20 years since the release of Blue Like Jazz, the bestselling book that made faith feel cool. Did it offer a helpful critique of evangelicalism, or was this the beginning of the rise of vibes-based Christianity? Also, New York Times columnist Ross...
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655: What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice with Skye Jethani
The Holy Post
During a recent Fox News interview, Vice President J.D. Vance cited “an old school and very Christian concept” to justify rejecting refugees and ending international aid. Bishops from his own church disagreed. The Holy Post crew explores the concept Vance was citing, how he misunderstands it, and why his interpretation undermines the entire New Testament. Kaitlyn interviews Skye about his new book, “What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice?” They talk about the link between justice and worship, what it means to have a heart “far from God,” and why the doctrine of penal...
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French Friday: What Happened to Checks & Balances?
The Holy Post
David French brings us his thoughts on why the GOP is no longer the party of the Constitution. Have political party allegiances broken the system? What Constitutional guard rails can operate when people are worried about falling out of the President’s favor? Then, he talks about Carl Schmitt, a German political thinker who may have the key to understanding the difference between the politics we’re used to—and the emerging politics of the New Right. David French’s article on Schmittian politics: 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Show Begins 2:11 - Tiktok—banned or...
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654: Inauguration Consternation & Respecting Refugees with Matthew Soerens
The Holy Post
The first week of the second Trump administration has seen refugees cut off and January 6th criminals cut loose. Franklin Graham declared in his inauguration prayer that God himself had chosen the President. The MAGA faithful applauded this mix of Christian faith and politics, but when Bishop Budde asked the President to “show mercy” to frightened people during her homily at the National Cathedral, she was accused of everything from political activism to witchcraft. Phil has a theory about what these two religious leaders at the inauguration reveal about the state of American Christianity....
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653: Character, Christian Colleges, & Why Trump Won with Robert P. Jones
The Holy Post
According to New York Times columnist, David Brooks, our society has given up on moral formation to focus instead on individual success and happiness. Can we recover a culture of shared virtue? Surprising new data shows that overall college enrollment is down, but Christian colleges and universities are growing. What’s the explanation? Then Robert P. Jones, from PRRI, is back to unpack the numbers from the presidential election. Why did more Latinos support Trump, and are Democrats learning the wrong lessons from their loss? Also this week—animals hold grudges. List of Ways to...
info_outlineToday’s episode is all content from our recent live event in Chicago. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the rapid shift in public opinion about immigration—and it’s not just among Republicans. Why is support for immigration down dramatically among Democrats and independents too? Then Charlie Dates, the pastor of Progressive Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, joins the show to talk about the widening divide between the black church and white evangelicalism, why he’s tired of talking about white evangelicals, and where he sees hope for the future of the church in the U.S. And Holy Post producer, Mike Stralow, challenges the hosts to a quiz show decathlon. Plus, Al Pacino says there’s no afterlife, and scientists discover strategically constipated tadpoles.
Head over to Holy Post Plus for the full unedited version:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/holy-post-live-114053943
0:00 - Intro
1:50 - Show Starts
2:23 - Theme Song
4:14 - Al Pacino Didn’t Go to Heaven
8:36 - News of the Butt: Strategically Constipated Tadpoles
15:42 - Public Opinion Shift on Immigration
19:35 - Thermostatic Public Opinion
24:00 - How the Church Can Approach Division
34:23 - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/introduction-difficult-conversations-podcast-series/ to check it out!
35:32- Sponsor - The Pour Over - Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Check it out at https://link.chtbl.com/The-Pour-Over-Today
36:43 - Interview with Charlie Dates
39:47 - The Black Church and Political Polarization
46:50 - Why Talk Specifically About “The Black Church” Rather Than Just “The Church?”
55:20 - Cynicism and White Naivete
1:04:50 - Pastors Excluded from Activism
1:12:43 - 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
1:13:52 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off
1:14:58 - What Would 2024 Skye and Phil Tell 2012 Skye and Phil?
1:19:13 - What Would 2024 Kaitlyn and Charlie Tell 2012 Kaitlyn and Charlie?
1:34:26 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in the News Segment:
Al Pacino’s Near Death Experience:
https://www.avclub.com/al-pacino-near-death-experience
Tadpoles Hold in Their Poop:
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-tree-frog-tadpoles-unique-contaminating.html
Thermostatic Politics:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/immigration-public-opinion-reversal/680196/
Other resources:
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus
Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop
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