The Libertarian Christian Podcast

Doug Stuart sits down with Domenic Scarcella, author of Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen: Reflections on the Core Social Conflict Revealed by Jesus Christ's Way of the Cross , to dive into the complex relationship between faith, being a good neighbor, and the expectations of citizenship. Scarcella unpacks the provocative themes of his book, crafted to challenge and enrich the reader's spiritual journey...

What explains the wealth of the modern age? Was it capital? Institutions? Slave-holding? Why do some countries seem to have an economic advantage over others? Are the fears of progressives about wealth inequality worth paying attention to? Economist, historian, and prolific author Deirdre McCloskey joins us to talk about the key factor that precipitated the wild success of the modern world. (Re-Ma...

Join us as host Doug Stuart welcomes Preston Sprinkle, accomplished author and president of Theology in the Raw. Together, they tackle the weighty topics of politics, allegiance, and the teachings of Jesus as explored in Sprinkle's latest book, Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire . Dive into a discussion that journeys through the political implications wrapped in Jesus' teachings and their...

Brian Zahnd is a pastor from Saint Joseph, Missouri, whose own thought journey mirrors that of many libertarian Christians: away from neoconservatism and nationalism, and towards skepticism of empire and the pursuit of peace. Though he doesn’t self-identify as a libertarian and we have some differences, Zahnd's work does have substantial overlap with LCI's as it relates to militarism, nationalism,...

Special guest Corey Nathan joins us to talk about the art of navigating contentious political conversations with grace and understanding. Corey Nathan shares personal stories and insights, including his own experiences with public figures and the importance of relational interactions over transactional debates in persuasion. He also discusses the challenges of discussing the Israel-Palestine confl...

Beth Silvers from the Pantsuits Politics podcast joins us to talk about her book, I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations, where we discuss how to have healthy conflict in political discussions, why a sports metaphor doesn't work for politics, and whether or not this is the most important election of our lifetime. (Re-Mastered for Re-Issue.) Audio...

Preston Sprinkle recently invited Doug Stuart to be on his podcast, Theology in the Raw. Doug discusses his journey from conservative political beliefs to libertarianism, which was influenced by his doubts about American foreign policy post-9/11 and his exploration of economics, particularly the Austrian School of Economics. He emphasizes the importance of free individuals and agency in creating a...

Justin Tosi is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Texas Tech University. He works on moral, social, political, and legal philosophy. Brandon Warmke is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University. He writes about ethics and politics. Today we discuss their book, "Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk." (Re-Mastered for Re-Issue.) Audio Production by Podsworth Medi...

Arnold Kling, author of The Three Languages of Politics , joins us to discuss the complexities of political discourse and the tribalism that often underpins our beliefs and interactions. Throughout the episode, Klings dissects the challenges of communicating within the political sphere and the underlying motivations that drive these discussions. Kling introduces a three-axes model of politics, she...

Concern for social justice has become one of the most effective ways for Christians to signal that they care about the world's poor, yet below the surface of this virtue signaling are some important issues about justice itself – of social well-being – and understanding how to be a Christian concerned with the common good. It is important to understand just how the message of the gospel applies to...

Chelsea Follett, author of Centers of Progress, 40 Cities That Changed the World , joins us to discuss the topic of human progress and how cities emerged as centers of progress for humanity. Chelsea's book takes listeners on an intellectual and historical tour of cities' golden ages, providing a fascinating exploration of the rise and fall of different cities, and their profound impact on progress...

On this episode, the always insightful (and frequently controversial) biblical scholar Dr. Peter Enns joins the show to talk to us about the journey of faith, trusting God, how to disagree with other Christians, pitfalls in biblical interpretation, and much more. Those familiar with Enns’ work typically have a strong opinion either for or against him. The listener is of course free to reach his or...

This week's episode features Kelly Weinersmith, part of the wife-and-husband research team who are authors of A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought this Through? In the episode Doug and Kelly discuss what common misconceptions are about traveling to the moon, Mars, and space settlement in general. Most people's visions of space are given to us by H...

Brandon Warmke joins us again to talk about his new book (with Justin Tosi), "Why It's Okay to Mind Your Own Business." Together, they delve into thought-provoking topics ranging from the societal pressure to make a big impact and change the world, to the importance of creating a good home and finding meaning in smaller, everyday activities. Brandon discusses the prevalence and attraction of Comme...

Doug and Norman talk about the birth stories of Christ and how Matthew and Luke both use language and employ storytelling techniques that provide a clear anti-Roman and anti-empire story. This is good news for all because the message of liberation is not only about our personal liberation from the captivity of sin, but the cosmic liberation of captivity from slavery and oppression. (Re-Mastered fo...

Doug Stuart discusses the enduring relevance of the five Core Values of a libertarian Christian. Doug delves into the first core value, emphasizing the role of Christian political philosophy in shaping a holistic view of scripture, reason, and historical theology. He scrutinizes the current political climate and the debate around Christian influence in politics, firmly highlighting the need to mai...

Why do people think the world is getting worse, when the opposite is true? In today's episode, we have a fascinating conversation with Marian Tupy, the editor of humanprogress.org and a senior policy analyst at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. Marian shares insights on the progress that has been made in various aspects of human development and the role that economic and political free...

Lee C. Camp is professor of Theology & Ethics at Lipscomb University in Nashville. He is the author of "Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World" and "Scandalous Witness" and is co-author of "Resisting Babel". He is also the host of the Tokens Show, the world’s only long-running theological variety show. Lee joins Doug Stuart and Norman Horn to discuss the interplay of Chr...

It seems that people are no longer able to have a decent conversation with each other about politics or other controversial topics. Social media exacerbates our tribal tendencies and often we get entrenched in our own beliefs. It often takes the wisdom of one who has had years of experience talking to and discussing hot button topics. There’s no better person for to talk to about this than EconTal...

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This is an episode from The Protestant Libertarian Podcast, where Alex Bernardo talks with Dr. Anne Perez about her brand-new book, Understanding Zionism (Fortress Press, 2023), which is a history of the modern Zionist movement and those who support and oppose it. In this conversation Dr. Perez explains the history and diversity of the Zionist movement, why Israel as a nation has always struggled...

Why would a politician change his or her position on a policy? How do we account for views that "shift" in one direction or another, especially when it appears to be out of political expediency? Eric Schansberg joins us to talk about this, as well as his book, "Turn Neither to the Right Nor to the Left", a must-read book for Christian Libertarians! (Re-Mastered for Re-Issue.) Audio Production by P...

Doug welcomes Alex Voss of the Free Cities Foundation to discuss how they are currently working to create free private cities with a libertarian private property legal order. Don't miss this exciting episode that brings hope for a brighter future amid our dark current times. Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com   ★ Support this podcast ★

If you were approached on the street and asked what libertarians believe, what would you say? Would it be succinct? Or would it take a few minutes? Doug and Norman discuss some of the basics of libertarianism, providing both succinct and elaborate answers to common questions about the non-aggression principle, property rights, justice, and more. (Re-Mastered for Re-Issue.) Audio Production by Pods...

This is part two of a lengthy conversation on Contemporary Critical guests Pat Sawyer and Neil Shenvi as they delve into the complexities of critical social theory and its impact on the church.  Throughout the episode, our guests stress the importance of asking questions and engaging in dialogue, particularly within our churches. They encourage us not to assume the worst when pastors use terms lik...