Foreign Policy ProvCast

Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by James Baird, a pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Naples, Florida, to discuss Baird's new book, King of Kings: A Reformed Guide to Christian Government . The central argument of King  of Kings is built around a simple syllogism:  First Premise :  Government must promote the public good. Second Premise :  As the only true religion,...

In 2026, the phrase "integralism" as shorthand for Roman Catholics who do not believe in classical liberalism as understood through figures like John Locke, Adam Smith, and the American Founders is no longer a novelty. But over the last five or so years, another group of Christians, this time Protestants, have been expressing consternation over classical liberalism as well, instead arguing for a r...

On April 12, Viktor Orbán, Hungary's prime minister since 2010, lost his bid for reelection. To many in the United States, Orbán had become known for corruption and his pro-Putin stance within the European Union, often complicating efforts to deliver unified support to Ukraine. But beyond Hungary's role in European politics, a curious phenomenon unfolded over the past several years: the country ca...

Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Japan Society President & CEO Joshua Walker to discuss Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent electoral victory and what it signals for Japan's emergence as a more proactive actor in international affairs. While many Americans date U.S.-Japan relations to December 7, 1941, the relationship in fact stretches back to the 19th century, be...

Why is it important for Christians to read—from the great classics to contemporary works? What does it mean to embrace a broad, liberal arts education from a Christian perspective? Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Nadya Williams—Contributing Editor at Providence, Books Editor at Mere Orthodoxy , and Interim Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at Ashland University—to explo...

Providence editors Marc LiVecche, Mark Tooley, and Robert Nicholson are joined by Redeemer Universitry's Robert Joustra to discuss the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, nearly three weeks since the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28th.   While there may be just cause in striking Iran, is this a prudent usage of American political capital for President Trump and for future American leade...

When Christians attempt to derive political principles from the New Testament absent the context of the Old Testament, the result is sloppy political theology. But why is that? Providence Magazine Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Tim Milosch, lecturer in politics at Biola University and Providence Contributing Editor, to discuss how the moral framework of the Old Testament can help Chris...

Providence Managing Editor James Diddams and Executive Editor Marc LiVecche are joined by Redeemer University Professor of Politics and International Robert Joustra to discuss Operation EPIC FURY in its ethical and strategic dimensions. Can we expect to see a flowering of democracy in Iran soon as a result of President Trump's attacks on Iran's theocratic regime? Are these attacks in accordance wi...

On the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, the Provcrew sits down to review Donald Trump's proposal for ending the war. Although it's a good plan with significant support, many ambiguities and questions remain. Will the Arab states step up? Will the Israeli far-right bring down the Netanyahu government? And will Hamas fighters really put down their weapons? Turning closer...

(…actually, Wesley was a teetotaler so not possible.) Ladies and gentlemen, the Provcrew is at war. "Can you be a Wesleyan Protestant and a Christian realist?" The battle lines are drawn. Providence editor Mark Tooley, a Methodist Christian realist, says yes; editor at large Robert Nicholson, a non-Methodist who knows about John Wesley's optimistic theology, is skeptical. To break the deadlock, th...

The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk is a wakeup call for Americans of every stripe. What is happening to our society? How can we fix it—and where do we start? In a fascinating conversation with Wilfred McClay and Stuart Halpern, authors of a new book entitled The Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story, the Provcrew discusses the pivotal place of...

In a weird twist of history, the United States has spent the bulk of its diplomatic energy everywhere but its own backyard: the Western Hemisphere. President Trump has vowed to change that, wisely re-prioritizing Latin America after years of neglect, but may be undermining his chances of success with a counterproductive tariff policy that (ironically) resembles those of many failing/failed Latin A...

In an essay commemorating the end of World War II, Providence editor Dr. Paul Miller argues that increased global anarchy and democratic decline are pushing US towards another global war. "The question is not whether there will be conflict," Miller writes, "but when, what kind, and how large." In this episode of the Provcast, editor at large Robert Nicholson asks Miller to unpack his argument and...

On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 AM, US forces dropped a new kind of bomb—one which harnessed the very power of the sun—on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The devastation was total and unprecedented: some 70,000 Japanese died in the blast and tens of thousands more by year's end. The event marked the start of new era in international politics and of a long-running public debate that continues today. Did...

Taking a break from guest interviews, the Provcrew (Tooley, Diddams, LiVecche, Nicholson) meets up to discuss a few big topics looming above the current news cycle. First, they talk through a recent Washington Post article from George Will arguing the need for more clarity about the nature and purpose of Western civilization. Moving between domestic and international politics (and a fair bit of ph...

The end times get a bad rap. Typically associated with Christian fundamentalists, the apocalypse has in fact been an object of human fascination for thousands of years. In this offbeat conversation with Robert Joustra, professor of politics and international studies at Redeemer University, the Provcast crew (James Diddams and Robert Nicholson) unpacks the history of apocalyptic thinking and how it...

On June 30th, Providence and Tikvah partnered to convene a panel titled "What We Mean by 'Judeo-Christian'" to discuss the role of the Hebrew Bible as a shared point of reference in the American traditions of liberal democracy and constitutional republicanism. This panel was inspired by the Providence article "The Judeo-Christian Nation" by Pete Peterson and Jack Miller, published in Providence on...

In July 2023, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Yossi Kuperwasser saw something catastrophic on the horizon: a Hamas invasion of Israel. A year later, in a conversation with Providence, he predicted an aggressive IDF military campaign to proactively degrade Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and Iran itself -- another bold prediction which also came true. One year later, Kuperwasser's reputation as a prophet has been f...

Responding to two recent essays, the Provcast team interview Rich Ghazal, Executive Director of In Defense of Christians, to discuss the question of Christian persecution as it relates to US foreign policy past and present—and particularly to the well being of Christians now under threat in Syria. What is America's obligation to these Christians and where does it come from? Should helping them be...

Talking with Iranian scholar and policy expert Dr. Farhad Rezaei, the Provcast crew get caught up on the latest developments related to the Iran-Israel war before talking through a number of hard questions: the nature of America's involvement, the potential for escalation and unexpected outcomes, and the controversial question of regime change. How should a Christian realist think about this war?...

In this two-part conversation, the Provcast crew unpacks Ukraine's surprise drone attack on Russia and what it means for the war (and the future of war in general), America's involvement, and whether the attack risks escalation with Russia. The crew then shifts to President Trump's recent speech in Riyadh, which lays out the preliminary principles of a "Trump doctrine"—but are they really principl...

Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Jozef Kosc, Hamilton Center Fellow at the University of Florida, to discuss the varied ideological parentage of Iran's official state ideology, which includes not only Islamic sources but also European philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, Georges Sorel, Vladimir Lenin, Ernst Cassirer, and GWF Hegel. Jozef's two articles on this subject, "Iran...

Providence Editor James Diddams is joined by Bill Drexel, Fellow at Hudson Institute in US-India relations and geopolitical competition with China, to discuss his April 4th article "How Competing Hindu Theologies Drove India's Nuclear Decision Making—In Opposite Directions." The story of India's acquisition of nuclear weapons is a compelling counterexample to the idea that foreign policy/national...

Pondering recent events in the Vatican, the Provcast crew talks through the legacy of Pope Francis and the rise of "Pope Bob from Chicago" (the first Bishop of Rome to laugh at the Blues Brothers?) against the backdrop of a more important question: What role should the Roman Pontiff play in global affairs, if any? They then pick up questions surrounding the emerging, and likely unsatisfying, peace...

As Providence Magazine approaches 10 years since its launch, editors Mark Tooley, Marc LiVecche, Robert Nicholson, and James Diddams discuss the founding vision of Providence and how the magazine has functioned as a forum for Christian realism since its inception.