Zealots at the Gate

Leah Libresco Sargeant and Hadia Mubarak join Matt and Shadi to discuss what feminism looks like within their respective commitments to Catholicism and Islam. Libresco, an author and speaker and atheist-to-Catholic convert, argues for the consistency of women's dignity and the Catholic faith, even while pushing back against some of the assumptions of "secular" feminism. Mubarak, associate professo...

Matt and Shadi's initiative, The Faith and Future of Democracy Initiative, is now housed at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. The two sat down with the center director and Georgetown faculty member Nader Hashemi to discuss the current state of affairs in Iran. An expert on Iranian global politics, Hashemi brings his expertise, perspective, and commitm...

What are the lessons of 9/11? What does it mean to "never forget"? Join Matt and Shadi as they reflect on the fact that Muslims and Christians remember 9/11 and its aftermath quite differently. Together, Matt and Shadi share their personal stories from that day, reflect on how 9/11 continues to impact their careers, and acknowledge the key role 9/11 played in bringing them together. Links: George...

In the previous episode, Matthew and Shadi sat down with self-described Christian nationalist William Wolfe and gave him substantial room to articulate his account of American history and his vision of Christianity, religious pluralism, and political power. Here, they reckon with what they heard. What happens to the case for Christian nationalism when some of its underlying claims about American h...

In one of their most revealing—and at times unsettling—conversations to date, Matthew and Shadi sit down with William Wolfe, a self-described Christian nationalist, former Trump administration official, and founder and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. Zealots at the Gate has spent considerable time talking about Christian nationalism. Here, Matt and Shadi wanted to talk dir...

Join us as we talk with David Brooks, author and staff writer for The Atlantic . Brooks explores the tensions between political resentment and spiritual longing, diversity and cohesion, and achievement and equality, inviting us to think about balance within politics. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have faced internal insurgencies. Can radicalism be justified, or is moderation necessari...

Evangelicals, historically, have largely supported the state of Israel. But is support waning? Why have evangelicals taken this stance, and what has changed? Join us as we talk with Robert Nicholson, founder of the Philos Project and editor-at-large of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy . Nicholson provides commentary on the history of evangelical support of Israel,...

Birthrates are falling drastically in many parts of the world. Why is this? And how does this trend relate to our political and religious lives in the twenty-first century? Join us as we talk with Lyman Stone, senior fellow and director of the Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies, as well as director of research at Demographic Intelligence. Stone will provide us insights into...

Within our American context, "spiritual but not religious" is an increasingly popular title. It connotes rising above organized religion and opting instead for an individualistic, buffet-like spirituality that reflects our modern consumerist culture. In this episode, Matt and Shadi unpack this type of spirituality that is disconnected from religious institutions, practices, and experiences. They t...

What does it look like for American Muslim communities to engage in the political landscape of the twenty-first century? In light of Republican and Democratic culpability in Gaza, how can Muslims maintain their integrity as well as their political participation? Join us as we talk with Omar Suleiman, imam, author, and president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Suleiman will offer us i...

The book Mere Christianity, written by C.S. Lewis, is a staple for Christians and presents what many would argue are the core tenets of the Christian faith. How does Islam interact with what is described as "mere" Christianity? What doctrines stand out as confusing, untenable, and even controversial to a Muslim? From the nature of God's forgiveness to the identity of Jesus to the existence of doub...

What do American Jewish-Muslim relations look like post–October 7? Does Jewish theology compel multifaith dialogue and a commitment to pluralism? American Muslim-Jewish relations were, for a while, a model to the world as to how we can step into dialogue with one another. But October 7 changed everything. Join us as we talk with Ari Gordon, author of Sacred Orientation in Late Antiquity and Early...

In an extremely polarized political landscape, how do we learn to change our minds? What happens when someone dedicates their entire career to the Christian Right and then has a moment of repentance?  Join us as we talk with Rob Schenck, author of Costly Grace , who offers his perspective on the religious Right and the religious Left and what we often get wrong about the other side.  Links: Schenc...

Underneath a bombastic and bumbling Donald Trump sits a world of radical right-wing intellectuals, shaping the ways we experience the MAGA movement today. How did the American far right emerge? How have we misread the far right—and what does that mean for our democracy? Join us as we talk with Laura Field, scholar in residence at American University and author of the new book Furious Minds: The Ma...

The Democratic Party is the home of the religious "nones." And yet it is also a bastion of wokeness and language policing. With its desire to maintain its own purity, its own creeds, and its own take on "original sin," is wokeism on the left becoming its own kind of religion? Join Matt and Shadi as they unpack the status of the Left today. Shadi examines the intersection of his own political and r...

Conservatism in American politics has historically been tied to religious communities, bound by common concerns of morality and common values. As the MAGA movement emerged, it did not exhibit these traits. Is the MAGA movement post-Christian? And what does this mean for traditional conservatives? Join Matt and Shadi as they explore MAGA's spiritual future, probe Matt's conservativism and voting ha...

Are there universal moral laws that bind all humanity? Are some things just right and wrong? In a polarized world, can we hope to agree on moral issues? Christians and Muslims have long histories of discussing the existence of a "natural law." But where do they differ? Join us for a fascinating discussion of these and many other issues as we meet with two experts on natural law, Micah Watson of Ca...

The Mormon faith is deeply American in just about every way, and yet Mormons have never quite been accepted in America. Why? What is it like to be a Mormon in America? How do Mormons navigate American politics? Many of them voted for Trump, but do they like him? Join us as we talk with Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, as he walks us thr...

Are you afraid of hell? Do you know who's going there? We know that our beliefs about the afterlife can often influence the ways in which we treat so-called insiders and outsiders. What we think about hell can even influence our political action in society. Join us as we talk with Mohammad Hassan Khalil, author of  Islam and the Fate of Others , who offers a deep historical dive on how Muslims hav...

The seven deadly sins aren't just a relic of the past—they continue to shape the way we live, lead, and engage with one another. In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield, a Comment contributing editor and breakout author from the UK, explores how these enduring vices influence our divided age. Her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times , offers a thoughtful look at how faith and...

That's it! I'm moving to Canada. After a long election season, many American voters will find it difficult to accept defeat. And while it is hard, democratic life demands the regular practice of political concession—admitting that, however just your cause, the people did not agree with you. Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk discuss how Christianity and Islam can help with electoral patience and lea...

Muslims and Jews share more than either side might want to admit. Their monotheistic theology, their emphasis on law, and their long history of living alongside each other all play a role in developing what some might call the "Judeo-Islamic tradition." In fact, Judaism might not have become what it is today if it wasn't for Islam. Has this tradition been lost, or can it be regained? In this episo...

Muslim voting habits in America have changed in the past, and they are changing again. What issues might draw them to the political right or left? Dalia Mogahed has been studying Muslim Americans for decades. She is a senior scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a former member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Tune in fo...

In the wake of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, he and his followers have been discussing the role of God in sparing his life. Reflecting on his good fortune, Trump has even speculated about potential changes in his nomination speech and broader campaign. In this episode, Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk delve into the religious and political issues at play. Did God actually save Donald T...

Our many differences in religion and politics are not problems to be solved. In this episode we interview John Inazu, the author of a new book titled Learning to Disagree. A professor of religion and law at Washington University in St. Louis, Inazu shares the critical lessons he's learned about deep disagreement. LINKS John Inazu's books on disagreement and pluralism: Learning to Disagree: The Sur...