Radical Civility

I sit down with Pastor Kyle Beshears, who had a pretty great take in the aftermath of the Michigan shooting. Read his two essays at:https://kylebeshears.substack.com/p/weep-with-those-who-weepAndhttps://kylebeshears.substack.com/p/what-constitutes-evangelical-anti

How are church-sponsored schools doing on sexual assault? Jacob Mayberry joins me to look at the data, ask what the limitations of the data are, and what lessons we can learn. Disclaimer: This episode deals with difficult topics. While we feel it is an important conversation to have, it may not be suitable for some ears. #churchschools #byu #civility #discussion

General conference is one of my favorite things in life, and this time was particularly important to me. Messages about Jesus, faith, Easter, and holy week, but this time a further message about how the disciple of Christ has an obligation to be a peacemaker. I loved it. Not just civility, something deeper: the call to peacemaking. I suspect we'll talk more about it in coming episodes, so for...

I sit down with Carl Cranney and Christopher Cunningham to talk about white christian nationalism, which is making the rounds in the news. We discuss what the Latter-day Saint response should be to the phenomenon, and how we're really doing on things. We also talk about two recent articles, one by Christopher in Public Square Magazine, and another by Dr. Taylor Petrey in The Salt Lake Tribune.

"I sit down with Carl Cranney and Liz Busby from Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree in this (ambitious!) crossover episode to discuss an episode of Netflix's dystopian technology show Black Mirror.  We had a blast talking through the Black Mirror episode "Hated in the Nation." The discussion focuses on social media, and how it  encourages bad behavior. We also talk about how we can resist t...

Tired of our current tax structure? I visit with my friend Joseph Addington about Georgism. We nerd out over what it is, what problems it could solve, and possible areas of application. Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rBG3cUPluIA Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Twitter: @CivilityRadical Ch...

I discuss President Biden's recent student loan forgiveness policy with a good friend, Dallin Crump. We uncover the ins and outs of the policy, the implications it has, and other potential solutions to the deeper issue. Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UbQP4j2xw7U Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civi...

Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual abuse. I sit down with my friend, CD Cunningham to discuss his recent article regarding the associated press article about a case of abuse. We talk about the options for policies and the pros and cons of each option. It seems too often people rush, with their heart in the right place, to conclusions. When it comes to something so tragic, perhaps takin...

Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual abuse.    Jennifer Roach is a friend, and also a therapist and clerical abuse survivor. When I read the recent AP article about a case of abuse, I knew that it was something I needed to learn about and understand better.    My goal on the podcast has always been to tackle hard issues well. This is among the hardest I've tackled. I...

I get together with my friends Thomas Stringham and Meagan Kohler to discuss their opinions on the the sexual revolution and what role men play in teaching men proper sexual ethics Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZtqOrNqs-jM Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Twitter: @CivilityRadical Check o...

I get together with some friends to discuss Brad Wilcox's recent comments--and the strong response they received. We talk about intent and circumstances, but also the reason the comments were hard for so many. Note: we tried to get this right. I guarantee we didn't manage perfectly. A group of thoughtful people talking it out helped me though. There were some really good moments and insights, and...

I sit down with Dan Ellsworth and a couple other friends (Meagan Kohler and Jeff Bennion) to discuss his article on "Exploring Conservative and Liberal Religion". Or listen on Youtube:   https://youtu.be/YVIxln7whyw Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Twitter: @CivilityRadical Check out ou...

Why is the trust declining in today's society and how does forgiveness factor into the solution?  In this quick episode, Ben shares his thoughts and insights into these two important questions. Or listen on Youtube:   https://youtu.be/gMdscwS9OfE Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Tw...

I sit with several of my Public Square friends to discuss their recent articles discussing some of the accuracies, and inaccuracies, of common assumptions about Utah.   Or listen on Youtube:   https://youtu.be/HZZtTGErKeo Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Twitter: @CivilityRadical &...

I sit down with several friends to discuss Texas's recent abortion law.  We break down the common stances, how to maintain a civil dialogue about difficult topics, and the details of the new legislation.   Or listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/cPJK17Tw5Vk Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civilit...

I sit down with several friends to discuss Texas's recent abortion law.  We break down the common stances, how to maintain a civil dialogue about difficult topics, and the details of the new legislation.   Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civility/ Twitter: @CivilityRadical    Check out...

I sit down with a couple great friends to dive into our favorite talks, lessons, and miracles from General Conference!  It was a great time of personal reflection, and the presence of the Spirit taught all of us.   What were your favorite talks?    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radical-Civility-102031914734570 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_civil...

I'm excited about this interview, friends. I sit down with Marian Edmonds-Allen to discuss her recent article about "covenantal pluralism" which she believes (as I now do too) can heal many of the divides in our country, including and especially the LGBTQ+ and faith divide. We talk about her history and background, how religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights can bolster each other rather than threaten...

I sit down with Greg Matsen of the Cwic show to talk about Elder Holland's recent BYU address. We cover politics, critical race theory, religion, and my own personal rants about good teaching and tenure policy. It was fun to agree--and disagree-with someone thoughtful.   Have thoughts? Now it's your turn. Comment below.   Also, check out our Patreon page here https://www.patreon.com/radi...

A bit of personal news. My podcast has somehow changed from "five listeners, three of whom are my mom" to a real podcast. Someone showed it to the good people at Public Square Magazine, and they've asked to partner with me. That's pretty exciting for someone who is a total amateur. I'm honored and excited to work with people who have become my genuine friends.    I don't know what I'm do...

Jeffrey R. Holland is a senior church leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition, he is the chairman of the executive committee of the church board of commissioners, and a former president of BYU. He recently gave a talk that has since become highly controversial.   I'm an alum of BYU, and wanted to discuss more with thoughtful friends.    Now, you should...

What is informed consent when it comes to religions? How do you know if someone is consenting for themselves or doing it for social pressure or parental approval?  This is an interesting--and sticky--issue. I sit down with Dan Ellsworth and Leo Winegar to talk through in depth.    Note: this is a little longer than normal because we wanted it to be thorough and open-ended. We tried...

Recently, Elder Tad Callister--an emeritus general leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--released the following essay on the importance of families to society.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-05-22/tad-callister-fence-cliff-ambulance-strong-families-213923 As you can imagine, Twitter handled everything with thoughtfulness and grace (sarcasm there, in cas...

Are Bow-Ties pretentious? Who is the least civil person on Twitter? What is the hippo scale? Fungus or dry skin?   I talk about all of the above, and then basically explain that I told you so--that the death of civility has caused a good chunk of our problems, and that the solution is to live back up to the principles that we always knew we should.   In particular:  1) Accountabilit...

Just before the election, I sit down with a good friend of mine to ask how faith influences politics.    We focus on civility, and avoid talking directly about candidates--Jason is in the military, and we tried pretty hard to live up to his promises not to speak against any members of the sitting government. But we still had a thoughtful, interesting discussion.   How does yours inf...