Faithful Politics

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Why do everyday Americans feel more divided than ever—despite living side by side? Anthropologist Anand Pandian joins Faithful Politics to explore the literal and metaphorical walls shaping American life. Drawing from his new book, Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of Americ...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Why does so much political dysfunction begin before Election Day? In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright speaks with Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America and author of The Primary Solution. They unpack how gerrymandering and redistricting battles in states l...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com What happens when your zip code determines your child’s future? In this episode, Will and Josh talk with Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, to unpack the complex—and often contentious—landscape of school choice. Bedrick shares...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com More than half of all historical carbon emissions have occurred since 1989—after world leaders knew the risks. So why do we still believe we can innovate our way out of collapse? In this sobering and deeply philosophical conversation, Roy Scranton—former soldier, literary scholar,...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com What happens when a religious sect rooted in patriarchy and Christian nationalism gains influence over America’s largest government agency? Dr. Samuel P. Perry, a scholar of race, religion, and rhetoric at Baylor University, joins Will to unpack the rise of the Communion of Reforme...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Nearly 60% of Americans still believe the Pope speaks infallibly—but what does that actually mean? In this illuminating episode, Dr. Stephen Okey, a Catholic theologian at Saint Leo University, helps us unpack the mysteries of the papacy—from apostolic succession and the theology o...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Nearly 4 in 10 Americans now say they actively avoid the news. Why is our information landscape leaving so many people overwhelmed, cynical, or checked out? In this episode, Will and Josh sit down with award-winning journalist Julie Rose, host of the Top of Mind and Uncomfy podcast...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries—despite everything. Why? And what does it reveal about the state of the Christian conscience? In this raw and pastoral conversation, Will and Josh speak with Pat Kahnke—author of A Christian Case Against Donald Tru...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Can the Bible affirm same-sex relationships without compromising its authority? More than half of LGBTQ youth raised in non-affirming Christian households report suicidal thoughts, according to The Trevor Project. In this timely and vulnerable conversation, Matthew Vines—author of...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com What happens when the church adopts the worldview of its cultural critics? According to recent data, nearly 60% of American Christians now say it's more important to be “kind” than to uphold biblical truth. But what if that kindness is shaped by a secularism that quietly under...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016—and for many lifelong churchgoers, that moment was a spiritual breaking point. In this episode, author and podcaster Erin Hicks Moon joins the show to talk about what happens when the faith you inherited no longer feels like...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📜 Did abolitionists fight slavery with theology? And what does that mean for us today? Though slavery was abolished over 150 years ago, its legacy haunts American Christianity—and our public life. In this timely episode, theologian Dr. Daniel Lee Hill, author of Bearing Witness, j...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com We're breaking from our usual Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday release schedule to address a topic making headlines: the Johnson Amendment. What is the Johnson Amendment—and why are some Christian leaders eager to repeal it? Enacted in 1954, the law prohibits churches and other...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In 1954, white Southern churches declared that school integration “defied God’s design.” Seven decades later, many of those congregations champion “color-blindness” instead. What changed—and what hasn’t? Historian Rusty Hawkins (Indiana Wesleyan University), co-editor of The Bible...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In June 2024, Louisiana passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom—reviving old debates about church-state separation and moral authority. But what if we’ve misunderstood the Ten Commandments all along? Dr. Mark Glanville, Old Testa...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 88% of Americans believe our political system isn’t working—and they’re not wrong. In this episode, Will sits down with Meredith Sumpter, CEO of FairVote, to unpack one of the most promising reforms in American democracy: ranked choice voting (RCV). With over 800 elections already...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Why does Xi Jinping, one of the world’s most powerful leaders, believe the Communist Party deserves unwavering loyalty—even after it persecuted his own family? Author and political historian Joseph Torigian joins Faithful Politics to unpack his groundbreaking biography, The Party&a...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Most of us think we know more than we do. But what if our beliefs—especially political ones—are shaped less by facts and more by the people around us? In this mind-expanding episode, Dr. Steven Sloman, professor at Brown University and co-author of The Knowledge Illusion, explores...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Why would the U.S. strike Iran’s nuclear facilities—and what does it mean for global stability? In this episode, former U.S. diplomat and Middle East expert Ethan Chorin returns to break down the escalating tensions between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. Chorin, author of Benghazi and...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com What happens when your faith and your politics collide? In this powerful episode, content creator and author April Ajoy shares her journey from being a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist to becoming a progressive Christian voice calling out religious extremism. Raised in a famil...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Pentecostalism is the fastest-growing branch of Christianity worldwide—expected to top 1 billion by 2050. But what happens when elements of this movement intersect with far-right politics and spiritual warfare rhetoric? In this episode, Canadian scholar Dr. André Gagné returns to F...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Former Ohio Governor John Kasich joins Faithful Politics to discuss his new book, Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build a Future. Kasich opens up about the tragic loss of his parents that led him to deeply explore his faith, his unl...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Launched in 2003, PEPFAR has saved over 25 million lives and stood as one of America’s most celebrated bipartisan achievements. But under the Trump administration's second term, this global health initiative faces near-total collapse. In this urgent conversation, Peter Wehner—...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Note: We recorded this episode before we learned about the decision in the St. Isidore case.  religious beliefs being weaponized to reshape public education? In this episode, Rachel Laser—CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State—joins hosts Will and Josh to unpack...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In the wake of recent executive orders aimed at tightening voter registration requirements, Will Wright and Josh Burtram welcome back Jessica Huseman, the editorial director of VoteBeat. They discuss the implications of Trump's proposed documentation proof of citizenship, the...