The Holy Post

Donald Trump made headlines last week when he questioned Kamala Harris's racial identity. Phil, Skye, and Esau McCaulley discuss his comments and how the politics of division often cause us to categorize people into a single box. Then, should Christians embrace the spiritual uses of psychedelic drugs? Megan Basham's new book claims progressive powerbrokers have corrupted evangelical leaders with m...

David French joins to discuss J.D. Vance's comments about "childless sociopaths," pro-natalist government policy, the Olympics's Last Supper-esque display, and Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU. Are anti-immigration policies actually even "preserving our culture?" And why are fundamentalists so eager to consider themselves persecuted?   0:00 - Theme Song   0:17 - Episode Starts   2:36 - J. D....

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked outrage when drag queens assembled into a scene reminiscent of the Last Supper. Are Christians right to be offended? Oklahoma is requiring public schools to teach the Bible, but some teachers are resisting. Is this really about education or indoctrination? And Kaitlyn's latest article explains why this election is important, but maybe not an "exis...

We're sharing a SKYEpod episode that was previously exclusively for Holy Post Plus subscribers—this one's a "SkyeDive," meaning it's just Skye digging deep into a topic. If you like this episode, consider becoming a Holy Post Plus subcriber to get weekly SKYEpod episodes, merchandise, bonus interviews, and more! Skye talks about how our certainty often conflicts with humility—with disastrous resul...

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, some are saying that God saved his life for a divine purpose. Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye discuss the selective use of Christian rhetoric surrounding the former President. Then, multiple speakers at the Republican convention used anti-immigrant language associated with the "heritage Americans" movement. We examine the movement and its link to the...

On Saturday, Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassin's bullet. Will this begin to turn down the dehumanizing and apocalyptic rhetoric in our politics, or will it only add fuel for conspiracy theories and extremists? Rich Villodas is back to talk about his new book on the Sermon on the Mount—"The Narrow Path." He says obeying the sermon "is not how we achieve salvation; it's how we demonstrate i...

It's one thing to fight against a heresy, but what about the people caught in its grasp? Caleb Campbell's new book, "Disarming Leviathan," argues Christian Nationalism is an idolatrous, anti-Christian movement, but that we ought to take a gentle, loving, and missional posture toward our friends and neighbors following it. Also this week, Ronald Reagan often said America was a shining "city upon a...

In this special episode, Kaitlyn and Skye are joined by the co-hosts of the Church Politics podcast, Justin Giboney and Chris Butler, to discuss the fallout from last week's presidential debate. Will President Biden drop out? What does the Supreme Court's ruling about presidential immunity mean for a possible second Trump term? And why have both political parties nominated candidates who are demon...

As the Supreme Court releases a slate of new rulings the justices appear to be sending a message: "Congress, do your job!" David French explains to Skye Jethani why congressional leaders are increasingly reluctant to take votes or pass laws, how this is making the presidency dangerously powerful, and why the courts are saying it's unconstitutional and harmful to democracy. Then, David tells why hi...

Louisiana has passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom. Supporters say it's about respecting history, law, and the country's religious heritage. Critics argue it's completely unconstitutional. What's really behind the new law? John Dickson says secularism in Australia is ten years ahead of the U.S., and there are valuable lessons the American church ca...

Remember when churches were seeker-sensitive? The goal was to grow by welcoming newcomers, skeptics, and non-believers. But now it seems some evangelical churches and denominations are more worried about ideological purity than outreach. Sociologist, political scientists, and pastor Ryan Burge is back to talk about the self-defeating trend toward subtraction rather than addition in the church. Als...

After working for the Department of Homeland Security, and more than twenty years as a counterterrorism expert, Elizabeth Neumann says the greatest threat to the U.S. is no longer international Islamic terrorism but domestic Christian extremists. She discusses her new book, "Kingdom of Rage," with Skye and how conspiracy theories and violent political ideologies have infiltrated American evangelic...

Lord Acton famously said, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Was he right? Mike Erre is back to discuss the way Christians think about power, and why he believes our pursuit of power over the world is not the way of Jesus. Then, author Elizabeth Oldfield talks with Kaitlyn about her new book, "Fully Alive," which uses the Seven Deadly Sins as a bridge for introducing secular...

The verdict is in and Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in the hush money trial. Skye Jethani and David French discuss the political implications of the guilty verdict. While neither believe the verdict will have any impact on Trump's base, David thinks it could erode support among supporters on the bubble, but Skye remains unconvinced. Then, they discuss how we should address the leg...

In a recent 60 minutes interview, Pope Francis sparked controversy when he claimed that humans are fundamentally good. Katelyn Beaty joins Phil and Kaitlyn to discuss the Pope's comments, and why our theology needs to include both the doctrine that all humans are made in the image of God and an understanding of original sin. Also, new survey data suggests that the "Religious Nones" have plateaued...

Kansas City Chiefs Kicker, Harrison Butker, recently gave a controversial commencement address at Benedictine College where he drew on some popular conservative talking points about Pride Month, Covid 19 policies, and the calling of women in the home. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the problems they had with the speech, as well as their frustrations with some of the criticism of the speech, and h...

A new iPad advertisement showing musical instruments and art supplies being crushed by a hydraulic press has triggered a backlash against Apple and provoked a wider discussion about the impact of technology on communities and creativity. Jonathan Haidt says religious kids have better mental health on average because they're connected to incarnate congregations, and the Catholic Church disciplines...

Phil is back! He gives an update about his family's harrowing medical emergency. Then, new data shows the Democratic Party's grip on Black Christians may be slipping. Esau McCaulley shares his take on the reason. Nancy French talks with Skye about the themes in her new memoir, "Ghosted," including church sexual abuse, political tribalism, trauma, and her miraculous experiences with God. Also this...

Swifties are celebrating the record-breaking release of two new albums, but some conservative Christians are not happy. They're accusing Taylor Swift of mocking Christianity and promoting witchcraft. Our resident Swiftie, Kaitlyn Schiess, explains the controversy. Then, former presidential speechwriter and contributor to The Atlantic, Pete Wehner, talks with Skye about the future of the Republican...

The war in Gaza has carried on for longer than expected, and David French is starting to see parallels between Israel and the US military in the Iraq War—he thinks Israel could learn from what went wrong in Iraq. Then, David and Skye discuss the student protests and how universities are handling them—what's civil disobedience and what's lawlessness when it comes to protest?   0:00 - Theme Song   0...

Previously puritanical evangelicals are increasingly embracing profanity and lewd content. A recent New York Times article explores possible explanations ranging from politics and the culture wars, to the internet and the decline of churches. Also, fewer people are reading books, and that's a challenge for Christian traditions rooted in literacy, education, and the Bible. How do we make disciples...

Atheist Richard Dawkins has said he doesn't believe one word of the Christian faith, but he now considers himself a "cultural Christian" and wants to defend the Christian values of his country against the influence of Islam and immigrants. Does this represent an alignment between the New Atheists and Christian Nationalists? Curtis Chang shares about "The After Party"—the new curriculum he's develo...

This week we're discussing a series of articles exploring what we're gaining and losing as fewer Americans are committed to religion and attending church. Even some non-believers are beginning to worry that the decline in religion may not be good for society, but does it also represent a new opportunity for the message of Christianity? Then, N.T. Wright is back to discuss his new book with co-auth...

The newest Holy Post team member, Esau McCaulley, joins Phil and Skye to discuss two stories that caused outrage from both ends of the political spectrum during Holy Week. Trump is selling an American flag-wrapped Bible, and the Biden administration honored "Transgender Visibility Day" on Easter. And why are Catholic Charities being attacked for helping immigrants? Then Skye talks to atmospheric s...

A recent bill to ban TikTok was passed in the House with bipartisan support. Skye talks with David French about the arguments for and against the bill, the likelihood of it passing the Senate, and why Trump claims China is America's biggest threat, and yet he still opposes the TikTok ban. Then, Skye and David break down two recent Supreme Court cases about social media content regulation. Should s...