There is no shortage of punditry, analysis and Monday morning quarterbacking about this week?s midterm elections, including David?s own work at the Dispatch. In this podcast, however, David and Curtis try to take a slightly broader (dare we say higher?) view, to ask not only the raw political questions, but also the broader questions about what this election might be signaling for our country, our culture, and our church. What are the signs we should be paying attention to, and how should we as Christians be thinking, praying and responding to them?

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

Episode 51 - Does Jesus Need an Ad Campaign? with Jason Vanderground

If you watch any sports on television you may have seen one of the edgy, black & white ads from the ?He Gets Us? campaign. Designed to introduce Jesus to a culture that is actually quite intrigued by him, this campaign has created both curiosity and questions. We are excited to be joined this week by one of the chief architects of the campaign, Jason Vanderground. Join us for this excellent conversation about the campaign itself, the broader theological questions at play, and even the role of advertising as a tool of evangelism. 

Show Notes:

-He Gets Us campaign

Video Ads:

-The Rebel

-The Birth

-Outrage

-The Influencer

-Dinner Party

-He Gets Us campaign - About Us

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Produced by Kris Carter

This week David and Curtis are joined by David Skeel, one of the world?s leading experts on bankruptcy law and the Chairman of the Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, which was responsible for helping the territory restructure and cut its public debt by 80%. David brings a unique perspective as both a legal scholar and follower of Christ, particularly around how our understanding of debt can and should image Biblical values while not being strictly prescribed by Biblical law. 

-Getting Puerto Rico?s Financial House Back in Order (WSJ) - Natalie Jaresko and David Skeel 

-The Law, The Gospel, and David Skeel (The Pennsylvania Gazette)

-Practicing Poetry, Teaching Law - David Skeel

-Poem | Hurakan Despacito, by David Skeel

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

So how should Christians be approaching the midterm elections? Apart from the basic question of who to vote for, are there perhaps deeper questions to consider? What about the fact that 60% of Americans will have an election denier on their ballot this year? Is our democracy as unstable as a game of Jenga? Join David and Curtis for this enlightening discussion around the midterms and how we as Christians should be thinking about our role in the process.

-Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Live Not by Lies

-The New York Times - Democrats Aid Far-Right Candidate Against Republican Who Backed Impeachment

-Five Thirty Eight - 60 Percent Of Americans Will Have An Election Denier On The Ballot This Fall

-David French (The Dispatch) - Stacey Abrams Challenges the Pro-Democracy Left

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

Anxiety is everywhere. It feels as though it is at crisis levels individually, and is also spilling over into our culture at large, particularly in the political arena. This week David and Curtis are joined by a live studio audience in Washington, DC to talk about our personal and cultural anxiety. Fortunately, they also offer some good news. Drawing upon Curtis? upcoming book ?The Anxiety Opportunity?, we learn how Christians can actually view anxiety as an opportunity to grow closer to a Savior who was constantly approached by anxious people, and who experienced very real human anxiety himself. 

Show Notes:

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

Are Christians called to navigate their finances differently from everyone else? Are the oft-repeated directives to save aggressively and avoid all debt either scriptural or wise? Is it possible that spiritual wisdom and practical wisdom are sometimes one and the same? Join David and Curtis in this excellent discussion with James Choi, Professor of Finance at Yale. As a Christian and a behavioral economist, James brings both spiritual and practical wisdom to the area of personal finance and exposes where some of our most popular financial gurus might be giving us poor advice.

Show Notes:

-Derek Thompson (The Atlantic) - All the Personal-Finance Books Are Wrong

-Greg Rosalsky (Planet Money) - An economist studied popular finance tips. Some might be leading you astray

-Why I am a Christian (James Choi)

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

Raise yourself up by your own bootstraps. This is a refrain we hear all the time, especially as Americans catechized in the dogma of personal responsibility. But what if some people don?t have bootstraps?  What if some don?t even have boots?

This week David and Curtis welcome educational expert and Rice University sociology professor Ruth López Turley. Raised on the U.S./Mexico border, Ruth?s own educational story is fascinating and lends special weight to her observations about educational equity and how the scriptures (including Mary?s Magnificat) might lead us to some surprising and challenging conclusions.

Show Notes:

-$50M Kinder Foundation grant will expand Kinder Institute?s work to solve challenges facing Houston

-Claire Cain Miller, Josh Katz, Francesca Paris and Aatish Bhatia (The New York Times) - Vast New Study Shows a Key to Reducing Poverty: More Friendships Between Rich and Poor

-Cynthia M. Allen - Want economic mobility? Make friends at church

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org 

Produced by Kris Carter

Evil is certainly a powerful force in our world. We are witnessing it live in the form of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But is evil ultimately as powerful as it is popularly portrayed? Does evil perhaps contain in itself the seeds of its own destruction? Join David and Curtis in this week?s fascinating discussion about the inherent weakness of evil. 

Show Notes:

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

In this special re-release, we at the Good Faith podcast want to honor the life of Jonathan Tjarks, who passed away last week. Jonathan was an NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer, but he was so much more! Just 6 months ago we had the pleasure of having Jonathan join us to talk about his cancer diagnosis, the role of his faith community in caring for his family, and even a little NBA talk. Whether you caught this episode or not, we believe his hard-earned wisdom is worth hearing over and over again. Rest in the peace of God Jonathan.

Show Notes:

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Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

In a previously recorded (but never released) episode, David and Curtis tackle the particularly vexing challenge of justice when crimes are committed. For those who do not engage regularly with the criminal justice system, these questions can feel distant, or even irrelevant. But as we are reminded, God?s repeated calls for justice throughout the scriptures don?t give the Christian such an easy out.

Show Notes:

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week David and Curtis dive into the issue of time and how our understanding of time horizons can profoundly impact our perspective on the world, whether it is getting worse or better, and what actions that should lead us to take. As Christians who believe in eternity, we should be good at ?playing the long game,? but we often let ourselves get caught up in the issues of the moment, and let our compressed time horizons lead us to fear or despair, rather than hope.

Show Notes:

-Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

-?Imagine That? by Picture This

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week David and Curtis are joined by Meghan Sullivan, philosopher, teacher, and creator of the most popular class at the University of Notre Dame, ?God and the Good Life.? As many of us send our kids off to college (or head off to college ourselves), Meghan helps us appreciate the role of education?and of philosophy in particular?in helping students take on the big questions of life.

Show Notes:

-The Good Life Method by Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko

-God and the Good Life (Notre Dame course)

-What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy #1

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week David and Curtis are joined by Karen Swallow Prior, writer, thinker, and research professor of English and Christianity and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen talks to us about the current state of affairs in social media, particularly Twitter, and compares its impact on culture and the church to another critical technology, the printing press. She discusses how these modern technologies are impacting our brains, and how we can push back against this through the simple act of reading, especially the (necessarily slow and contemplative) reading of literature.

Show Notes:

-National Endowment of the Arts - ?Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America?

-Caleb Crain (The New Yorker) - ?Why We Don?t Read, Revisited?

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

It?s been an eventful week, and for many a deeply troubling one. But of course, no matter what end of the political spectrum you come from, weeks like this seem increasingly common. The hits just keep on coming, as do the feelings of loss and fear. So how are we as Christians to navigate such deeply troubled times? This week, David and Curtis dive into this question with some interesting thoughts from Rudyard Kipling, and some even more important (and eternal) wisdom from the Psalms.

Show Notes:

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week David?s theological wingman Curtis returns from his July sabbatical. He?s rested and raring to go, but rather than dive into another hot political or cultural issue, Curtis actually has some remarkable insights to share about the nature of sabbath rest and the spiritual discipline of letting go, stepping away from our illusions of ultimate control and placing all our striving in God?s hands. In the second half of this episode Curtis also shares some important thoughts about the nature of remembrance and loss based on his experience at the 9/11 Memorial. If you?re a regular listener who is tempted to skip this episode because it?s not Good Faith?s regular political/cultural fare, then this episode is even more for you.

Show Notes:

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

While Curtis is still on sabbatical, David talks to Justin Giboney, co-founder of the AND Campaign, about racial justice, political tribalism, and the ?God gap? in the Democratic Party. They discuss the problems with left and right as they grapple with extremism, and they talk about Justin?s experiences talking about hot-button topics from a politically heterodox (but theologically orthodox) point of view.

Show Notes:

-Good Faith Debates: How Should the Church Address Racial Injustice?

-AND Campaign

-Compassion (&) Conviction by Justin Giboney

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

David talks to Georgetown professor and Bush administration alum Paul Miller about Paul's new book, ?The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong With Christian Nationalism.? Paul defines Christian nationalism, discusses what's wrong with it theologically, what's wrong with it politically, and how it invariably leads to conflict and illiberalism. They also discuss Christian underrepresentation in the academy and other elite spaces, including its causes and consequences.

Show Notes:

-?The Religion of American Greatness? by Paul D. Miller

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

David talks to Scott Sauls, an author and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. They talk about handling the exhaustion of the current moment, whether winsomeness "works," and the challenges facing pastors in the face of relentless criticism. They also address Scott's prescient warnings about the dangers of culture war obsessions--warnings that date well before the present extreme polarization.

Show Notes:

-?Beautiful People Don't Just Happen? by Scott Sauls

-?Jesus Outside the Lines? by Scott Sauls

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week Eboo Patel, a Muslim pioneer in interfaith work, joins David and Curtis to discuss his book, We Need to Build. They discuss the need to allow people of different faiths to be able to bring their whole selves, including real and significant religious disagreements, to these conversations. Eboo also helps us understand why it is so important to do more than criticize what we don?t like in the culture, but instead to adopt the more mature approach of actually building what we want to see in society.

Show Notes:

-We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy by Eboo Patel

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Dobbs; January 6 hearings; war in Ukraine; mass shootings. We are being overwhelmed on a weekly basis by a relentlessly heavy news cycle. In this week?s episode David and Curtis give us a break from all this to talk with us about anxiety, despair and weariness. Wait . . . what?! Yes that?s right, this is the Good Faith version of ?lighter? fare! It?s actually a very uplifting conversation and you may even walk away with some helpful ways to navigate the overwhelming feelings all of us are experiencing these days.

Show Notes:

-Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary

-Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth (online course by Curtis Chang)

-Al Pacino ?Inches? speech from Any Given Sunday

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

In part one of this two part podcast, Curtis and David respond to the breaking news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Rather than dive into the legal or political dimensions of the ruling, they take a look at the social and spiritual dimensions, asking questions like:

In part two they welcome guest Rachel Ferguson to discuss her new book ?Black Liberation Through the Marketplace,? a classical liberal response to racial injustice in America.

Show Notes:

-Dobbs v. Jackson Women?s Health Organization

-Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America by Rachel S. Ferguson and Marcus M. Witcher

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Some folks are fascinated by the unfolding narrative of the January 6 hearings, but many are simply tuning out, feeling it is just more politics. This week David and Curtis help us think through why we should be paying attention to these hearings. They explore some of the underlying stories around the key players involved and how those stories not only impact how we think of these people, but perhaps even how we think of ourselves.

Show Notes:

-Megan N. Fontenot - Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Boromir the Brave

-Brooke Singman (Fox News) - Barr says parents taught him 'not to care what other people think' growing up, calls faith 'indispensable'

-Rivka Maizlish - Alasdair MacIntyre on Narrative, History, and the Unity of a Life

-Hannah Natanson and Moriah Balingit (Washington Post) - Caught in the culture wars, teachers are being forced from their jobs

-Ryan Grim (The Intercept) - Meltdowns Have Brought Progressive Advocacy Groups to a Standstill at a Critical Moment in World History

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Joining David and Curtis this week is Russell Moore, the director of Christianity Today?s Public Theology Project. With the Southern Baptist Convention taking place next week in the immediate aftermath of a 3rd party report on sexual abuse and institutional coverup, Russell helps us unpack some of what went wrong in his former denomination. He also offers helpful guidance on how church leaders and all followers of Christ should be responding to such situations (hint: it?s not to ignore it or cover it up). He also discusses the issue of ?crazy as a church growth strategy,? suggesting that while we are not called to crazy, we are called to the strangeness (in the world?s eyes) of biblical fidelity, mixed with a healthy dose of rational thought.

Show Notes:

-Russell Moore (Christianity Today) - This Is the Southern Baptist Apocalypse

-David French (The Atlantic) - The Southern Baptist Horror

-?Curtis Chang - The Southern Baptist Convention Sacrifices Congregants on the Altar of Power

-The Russell Moore Show: David Brooks Wants to Save Evangelicalism on Apple Podcasts

-Russell Moore?s newsletter

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

This week David and Curtis tackle the tough subject of gun violence. They look at the various tensions between gun rights and gun control and the hyper-polarized responses we are apt to have on one side or the other. They also help us take a step back to think through the ?how? of approaching such a complex issue versus just the ?what? of our preferred policy outcome.

Show Notes:

-Rand Corporation - Gun Policy in America

-Rand Corporation - How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings

-Malcolm Gladwell (New Yorker) - Thresholds of Violence: How school shootings catch on

-French Press - Pass and Enforce Red Flag Laws. Now.

-David French (The Atlantic) - What Critics Don?t Understand About Gun Culture

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

Joining David and Curtis this week is special guest Nancy French. In a departure from her normal work as a best selling author, Nancy has spent the last 2 years investigating cases of sexual abuse and institutional coverup at one of the nations largest Christian summer camps, Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Missouri. Going beyond mere reporting on what happened, our hosts help frame the sad situation at Kanakuk in the broader context of the calling we all have to first tell the truth about the institutions we engage with, but also to work toward their repentance and repair.

Show Notes:

-Frederick Buechner - Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale

-Nancy French (USA Today) - Survivors, ex-employees say Kanakuk Christian camp 'ministered' to its sexual predators

-Curtis Chang - The Southern Baptist Convention Sacrifices Congregants on the Altar of Power

-Check out Nancy French?s investigative work at NancyFrench.com

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

In this special episode of the Good Faith podcast we pause to reflect on the tragic shooting in Buffalo and explore its underlying racial motivations, so-called ?white replacement theory.? Joining David and Curtis (and producer Kris) is our special guest Chuck Mingo, pastor and founder of Living Undivided. Chuck helps us unpack some of the history behind this insidious ?theory? and why its scarcity mindset is in direct contradiction to the abundance of God revealed in the Bible. The discussion also explores the connection of this current tragedy and its motivations to broader understandings of immigration, as well as to the nation?s past history of racially motivated violence like the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Show Notes:

-Cathy Young (The Bulwark) - The Replacement Theory -- And Terrorist Practice

-Jesse Curtis (Washington Post) - The mass shooting in Buffalo reflects deeply rooted American ideas

-Michael Gerson (Washington Post) - GOP leaders ought to banish officials who embrace ?replacement theory?

-David French (The Atlantic) - The Truth About Extremism That America Likes to Forget

-The bloody history of anti-Asian violence in the West

-Andy Crouch - Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power

-Check out Chuck Mingo?s critically important work at Undivided.com

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

It is increasingly obvious that teenagers across the country are experiencing a spike in anxiety, often with serious and debilitating consequences. This week David and Curtis speak to one of the foremost experts on the subject, Kara Powell, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute. Kara?s well-researched and empathetic insights are critical for all of us to help the teens in our lives navigate these challenging times.

Show Notes:

-Faith in an Anxious World: A 4-week High School Curriculum

-Faith in an Anxious World Parenting Podcast

-Matt Richtel (New York Times): ??It?s Life or Death?: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens?

-Tosin Thompson (Nature): ?Young people?s climate anxiety revealed in landmark survey?

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org and specifically check out the course Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth

What does the surprise leak of Justice Alito?s opinion in the highly anticipated case Dobbs vs. Jackson Women?s Health Organization reveal about the intellectual integrity of his legal argument? What does it perhaps reveal about the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court itself? In the midst of all the controversy and preliminary conclusions, David and Curtis try to help us think through this complex cultural moment through the lens of integrity.

Show Notes:

-Caitlin Flanagan: ?The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate?

-Romney Discusses the State of Family Policy and the Child Tax Credit with AEI

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

In this week?s episode David and Curtis explore the concept of the ?partisan mind?; what it is, where it comes from, and why it is in conflict with the ?mind of Christ?. They look at the social science behind partisan polarization and offer some practical tips on how we can tell when we are (and how we can avoid) falling into the snare of the partisan mind.

Show Notes:

-Nichole Argo Ben Itzhak (Over Zero) - The Science of Polarization and Insights for Bridge-building

-Barna: Pastors Share Top Reasons They?ve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year

-Over Zero: Core Concepts on Social Identity, Negative Emotions and Group Norms

-Check out Biologos

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis? work at RedeemingBabel.org

How is it possible that the people who have harnessed technological progress to become the wealthiest nation in history are still so remarkably unhappy? Is it possible that we have asked technology to do too much? Is it perhaps impacting our ability to be fully formed humans? Join this fascinating conversation with David, Curtis, and Curtis? old roommate Andy Crouch, who guides us in thinking about our relationship with technology and how to be more human.

Show Notes:

-Andy Crouch - The Life We?re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World

-Jonathan Haidt - Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Check out Redeeming Babel?s job opening here

Liberal democracy is under military threat abroad, and intellectual threat in America. And many of these domestic attacks are coming from within Christianity. So should Christians care about defending democracy? What are the connections between our Christian faith and America?s form of self-government? This week David and Curtis dive headlong into this deep and fascinating issue, including some history, some theology, and some critical guidance for why we Christians must indeed care about the state of our democracy and its institutions.

Show Notes:

-French Press: ?A Christian Defense of American Classical Liberalism?

-Sarah Repucci & Amy Slipowitz (Freedom House): ?Democracy Under Siege?

-From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Check out Redeeming Babel?s job opening here

This week David and Curtis offer a follow up discussion on fundamentalism, clarifying some key points from the previous episode and diving deeper into how we can become fundamentalists without even knowing it! Do our increasingly homogenous social groups perhaps push us toward fundamentalism and even radicalization? How might the presence of even a few diverse voices impact these groups? This then leads to a discussion about liberal democracy and how it is under assault, not just globally (as in Russia/Ukraine), but even here in the US. How should our Christian faith inform things like our system of government and our embrace (or rejection) of liberal democracy?

Show Notes:

-Cass Sunstein - The Law of Group Polarization

-Sign up for David?s French Press newsletter

-Check out Curtis? series Anxiety as Opportunity for Spiritual Growth, available at RedeemingBabel.org. 20% discount for Good Faith listeners, use code: GoodFaith20

In a continuation of our ?What the Heck is . . .?? series, David and Curtis help us think about the concept of fundamentalism and how it fits into the current cultural moment. Is fundamentalism just a set of beliefs? Is it a way of approaching belief? Does it perhaps even extend beyond traditional religious belief to certain political beliefs? And where do uncertainty and humility fit into all of this? Join us as we unpack how fundamentalism functions both within the church and in the wider culture.

Show Notes:

-Richard Hofstadter (Harper?s Magazine): ?The Paranoid Style in American Politics?

-Please consider taking our Podcast Survey (podsurvey.com/faith) to help us determine what types of advertisers you want to see on the Good Faith podcast

This week David and Curtis start with confession time, each looking closely at the challenges of contrarianism and pride that impact all of us in our modern discourse. They unpack the tricky balance between knowing, certainty, and humility, including the possibility that we might be wrong. 

In the second half, they dive into the spiritual challenge of staying attentive to the war in Ukraine without just watching it as a form of perverse entertainment. In another tricky balance, our hosts offer suggestions for staying connected in ways that are less personally destructive and more spiritually healthy.

Show Notes:

-French Press: ?What the Russian Invasion Teaches us About the Right?

-French Press: ?Questions and Answers After a Month of War?

-Adam Grant: ?Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don?t Know?

Joining David and Curtis this week are two of the most influential voices speaking to Christian faith in the public square, David Brooks and Peter Wehner. Both Peter and David recently wrote landmark pieces analyzing the current landscape of American evangelicalism. In this podcast, they discuss the signs of hope and restoration for the troubled movement. Also, in a bit of self-revelation, they share about the books that most influenced their own faith journeys.

Show Notes:

-Peter Wehner: ?The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart?

-David Brooks: ?The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself?

David Brooks? Most Influential Books: 

Peter Wehner?s Most Influential Books:

David and Curtis are honored this week to share the microphone with Jonathan Tjarks, famed NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer. Jonathan?s recent piece ?Does My Son Know You?? was a rare moment of candid sharing and distilled wisdom in light of his recent cancer diagnosis. This is truly a must listen as Jonathan shares a poignant perspective on faith, family and the power of community. Be sure to stay tuned to the end where he also breaks down a potential Grizzlies-Warriors matchup in the NBA playoffs, leaving one of our hosts happy and one sad.

Show Notes:

-Jonathan Tjarks: ?Does My Son Know You??

-Jonathan Tjarks ?Blogs About Books (Of The Bible)?

This week David and Curtis help us look at leadership and what it is about certain leaders that seems to resonate so deep in our souls. Why does President Zelensky?s stand in Kyiv inspire us? Is it possible that a man who claims no Christian identity can be bearing the image of God? How do we recognize these images while not falling for the temptation of idolatry and worship of leaders as false images? Join us for this fascinating and timely discussion of the spiritual power of leadership.

Show Notes:

-French Press: ?When the Man Meets the Moment?

-Helen Lewis (The Atlantic): ?The Twitching Generation?

David and Curtis talk to Tish Harrison Warren, an author, Anglican priest, and writer for The New York Times. Their conversation about prayer gets very real, as they first talk about prayer in wartime. Then they move back to the American cultural struggles, and discuss the disturbing tendency to compare peace to war and the toxic effect on our lives and hearts.

Show Notes:

-Sign up for Tish Harrison Warren?s newsletter

-And David?s French Press

On today?s podcast, David and Curtis tackle Christian nationalism. What is it? Is it an ideology? A theology? An emotional, visceral connection? Or some combination of all three? Then they talk about healthy patriotism and how to love your national home, warts and all.

Show Notes:

-Thomas Kidd: ?Christian Nationalism vs. Christian Patriotism?

-Deseret News: ?What the latest data tells us about Christian nationalism?

-French Press: ?Discerning the Difference Between Christian Nationalism and Christian Patriotism?

-French Press: ?The Seeds of Political Violence Are Being Sown in Church?

David and Curtis talk to Dr. Derwin Gray about his career path from college football to the NFL to seminary and, ultimately, to the founder and pastor of Transformation church, a multi-ethnic congregation in South Carolina. Dr. Gray talks about his new book, How to Heal Our Racial Divide and David and Curtis ask him about political and racial tensions in church, critical race theory, and how he proposes reaching a church that's polarized on political and racial grounds.

Show Notes:

-How to Heal Our Racial Divide by Derwin Gray

-Desert News: ?Leaning on Jesus to heal America?s racial divide?

-Follow Derwin Gray on Twitter

-RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20

How should we react when people say or do things we find offensive in public discourse? What is the role of forgiveness and grace in these contexts? How do we determine if apologies are sincere and the offending party is worthy of an opportunity for repentance and repair? Join David and Curtis as they discuss this timely topic and offer some guidance for how we can make some space for grace in our public discourse.

Show Notes:

-David French (WaPo): ?Here?s the difference between Colin Kaepernick and Roseanne Barr?

-The French Press: ?Cancel Culture, Conditioning Culture, and America?s Stun-Gun Style of Discourse?

-Greg Lukianoff and Adam Goldstein - ?Opinion: Please, Georgetown. Don?t fire an academic over tweets?

-Les Miserable: ?Back to God?

-YouTube: Brandt Jean to Amber Guyger: ?I forgive you?

-Charlestown Shooting Victims? Families Forgive Accused Gunman

-RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20

David and Curtis are excited to welcome the inaugural guest of the Good Faith podcast, Mike Cosper. Mike is the Director of Podcasting for Christianity Today and is most well known as the producer and host of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Join David, Curtis and Mike as they discuss some of the lessons Mike took away from the process of diving deep into such a painful story. As you will see, the lessons are sometimes hard (just like the gospel itself), but they are also surprisingly hopeful (just like the gospel itself).

Show Notes:

-The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill

-RedeemingBabel.org 20% discount for Good Faith listeners: GoodFaith20

Why are so many pastors considering leaving the ministry? Is it the pandemic? Is it the political and racial polarization? Is it something else? Join David and Curtis as they delve into the growing crisis of pastoral burnout, including a very personal story from Curtis about his own journey to becoming a ?former senior pastor?. 

Show Notes:

-Barna Group - 38% of U.S. Pastors Have Thought About Quitting Full-Time Ministry in the Past Year

-Michelle Boorstein - The first Christmas as a layperson: Burned out by the pandemic, many clergy quit in the past year

-Kate Shellnutt - The Pastors Aren?t All Right: 38% Consider Leaving Ministry

-Barna Group - The Mental & Emotional Health of Pastors and Their Congregants Amid COVID-19

-Wendy Wang and Alysse Elhage - Here?s Who Stopped Going to Church During the Pandemic

-The French Press - The Crisis of Christian Celebrity

-Cass Sunstein - The Law of Group Polarization

Conflict feels like it?s everywhere these days. Church communities, old friendships and even families are being pulled apart by tensions over politics, the pandemic, race and more. When should we stay in a church or relationship? When should we perhaps leave? Is there a biblical model to navigate these decisions and what comes in the aftermath? Join David and Curtis to discuss how we as Christians should approach these perplexing questions.

Show Notes:

-The Russell Moore Show: Beth Moore Didn?t Expect Us to Be Us

What exactly is a Christian nation? Is America becoming post-Christian? Is it easier or harder to be a Christian in America today than it was 30 years ago? What about 70 years ago? Join David French and Curtis Chang to think through these important questions and to consider some perhaps quite surprising answers.

Why would a 53-year-old man decide that this is the year he will finally become an adult? Find out in this special New Year?s episode where David and Curtis discuss the urgent need for all of us to step up and be the grown ups, both in the church and in the broader culture.

In a special Christmas episode, David French and Curtis Chang talk about the ultimate act of empathy (God becoming human) and the somewhat surprising debate going on in certain corners of the evangelical church; the idea that empathy can be a sin. How far should we go to understand another?s pain? Does empathy require moral agreement? Is our empathy sometimes selective, reserved for those we agree with and withheld from those we don?t? 

David and Curtis also dig into some reader mail for a fascinating discussion of the issue of abortion and some surprising realities that may show why pro-life Christians should look beyond the mere legal rules established under Roe v. Wade.

Show Notes:

-Joe Rigney: The Enticing Sin of Empathy

-The French Press: The American Crisis of Selective Empathy

-The French Press: Satanic Pregnancies, Explained

-C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters (Amazon)

-Kate Shellnutt: Bethlehem Baptist Leaders Clash Over ?Coddling? and ?Cancel Culture?

-The French Press: The Pro-Life Movement Must Transcend Politics

This week David French and Curtis Chang take a hard look at the silent killer of loneliness. Why is loneliness on the rise in America? What might hope look like, and how do we access it? Join us for this Advent episode where the reality of God?s incarnation in Jesus takes center stage, and the true story of hope in dark times is revealed.

Show Notes:

-Carol Graham: Premature Mortality and the Long Decline of Hope in America

-Social Capital Project - Opioid Overdoses by Demographic

-The college connection: The education divide in American social and community life

-David Brooks: The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake

-Nancy French: What civility really means

In a follow up to last week?s Deconstructing Faith episode, David French and Curtis Chang dive into the sometimes murky and contradictory political views of Christians. All too frequently, the political stances we think are biblical are actually just cultural. 

Why are most Christians? political stances so predictable? For example, why do many believers who care about abortion not care as much about systemic racism? Or vice versa? 

Tune into today?s episode as Curtis and David tackle the fascinating interaction between politics, culture, and the Bible? and end with a surprising take on abortion and systemic racism.

Show Notes:

-More in Common - The Hidden Tribes of America

-Paul D. Miller - The Role of Social Science in ?Deconstructing? White Evangelicalism

-Kristen du Mez - Jesus and John Wayne

-Jemar Tisby - The Color of Compromise

-George McKenna - On Abortion: A Lincolnian Position (circa 1995, but still relevant)

David French and Curtis Chang discuss the hot topic of ?deconstruction,? a term with multiple meanings, from reevaluation of specific faith related issues to a deeper questioning of Christian faith itself. For many the discussion around deconstruction stems from some sense of pain or hurt caused by the church. David and Curtis (and producer Kris) explore the complex and deeply personal dimensions of this process, including practical suggestions for listeners.

Show Notes:

-The French Press: Under Attack from Fundamentalist Pirates, Evangelical Baptists Refused to Give Up the Ship

-Karen Swallow Prior: ?With this much rot, there?s no choice but to deconstruct?

-The French Press: John Wayne, Jesus, and the Struggle to Define the Christian Man

-The French Press: America Is in the Grips of a Fundamentalist Revival