The Protestant Libertarian Podcast

In this episode I talk with Dr. Chris Bruno about a brand-new book he co-wrote called The Divine Christology of the Apostle Paul , which is out now on IVP Academic. This book argues that Paul did believe that Jesus was divine and that this high Christology develops in the earliest years of the church. Bruno reviews the work of four influential scholars, Richard Bauckham, Larry Hurtado, Chris Tilli...

In this episode, I talk with Michael J. South. Michael is a sixth-generation Mormon who believes that libertarianism is the only political philosophy that is compatible with his Mormon faith. He explains his background as a Mormon, key teachings of the Mormon church, and how the Mormon belief in personal agency is essential to the connection between libertarianism and Mormonism. We also discuss th...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Clint Burnett, a visiting scholar at Boston College and a priest in the Anglican Church of North America serving in Knoxville, TN. In his brand-new book ‘ Paul and Imperial Divine Honors ’ (Eerdmans, 2024), he challenges the prevailing theory in New Testament scholarship that there was a monolithic ‘imperial cult’ of the Casers against which the early Christians rea...

In this episode I talk with Rev. Derek Kubilus, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Ashland, Ohio, about his brand new book ‘ Holy Hell: A Case Against Eternal Damnation ’ (2024, Eerdmans Press), in which he argues for universalism, the belief that God will ultimately save everyone. While I am personally an annihilationist (a belief also known as ‘conditional immortality’), this book...

In this episode I talk with economist Catherine Pakaluk, who teaches at the Catholic University of America, about her brand-new book Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth , in which she gives an economic, social, political, and theological account of why many women are choosing to have multiple children. In this well-reasoned and researched book, she explains why western ci...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Michael Pakaluk, a Catholic philosopher who teaches at the Catholic University of America. Dr. Pakaluk explains many of the doctrines, teachings, and beliefs of the Catholic church that protestants often fundamentally misunderstand. We explore topics such as the sources of authority in the Catholic church, Mary, praying to the saints, the relationship between faith...

In this episode I explore 1 Peter 2:13-17, where Peter exhorts several churches in Asia minor to ”submit for the Lord’s sake to every human institution (2:13)”. While an isolated reading of this particular passage might lead to the conclusion that Christians should never challenge their government, a close reading of the text reveals a much more complex picture. I discuss how every Biblical text m...

In this episode I talk to Lisa Watson, free-market education activist and host of the School’s Out podcast for the Herzog Foundation. Lisa discusses her journey from an atheist social justice warrior leftist to a Christian and a conservative, why the progressives capture important institutions like the public schools, how the public education establishment is failing America’s students, and how fr...

In this episode I talk to Dr. Stephen Dempster about his new book ‘ The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign ’, out now on IVP Academic. In this book Dr. Dempster explores the theme of God’s kingdom through the Bible. We look at God’s kingdom purposes in creation, how humans in general and Israel in particular fail to build the kingdom, how the kingdom is ushered in by Jesus,...

In this episode I talk with Dr. David Beito, who is a research fellow at the Independent Institute and professor emeritus at the University of Alabama, about his brand-new book ‘ The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights ’, in which he explains how the Roosevelt administration and his supporters systematically eroded Constitutionally-protected rights. Not only do we discuss the Japanese internment...

In this episode, I play a recording of a sermon that I preached at my church on Sunday, March (not May as I accidently say in the intro) 10, 2024, entitled Give Us Division . This is a part of a larger series called Give Us a King , where we explore what the Bible says about kingship. I discuss how politics are inherently divisive because they are about power, and why we were not created to rule o...

In this episode, I explore a recent Mises Wire article written by Karl Streitel entitled Government Schools are Propaganda Machines , in which he argues that homeschool students are less subject to indoctrination than their public school counterparts. I discuss my own experience as a public school teacher and explain how these schools are not designed to give students the critical thinking skills...

In this episode I talk with pastor and author Randy Lovejoy, who writes on the Substack MakeGoodHappen and is trying to push the conversation about church beyond traditional boundaries. Drawing on his wide experience in ministry, Randy explains why the church in the west is in decline and what we can do to fix it. He explains how Christian nationalism and progressive Christianity are both in part...

In this episode, Ezra Wyrick and Joshua Eakle discuss the differences between their political philosophies. Joshua is a self-described classical liberal and Ezra is a libertarian with anarchistic leanings. They discuss the difference between these two positions, as well as where they agree and disagree on several contentious issues such as the war in Ukraine, economics, the government response to...

In this episode I review the book Jesus and the Rise of Nationalism by Halvor Moxnes, which explores the relationship between the rise of modern nationalism and the rise of historical Jesus research in the 19th century. He explains how this new conception of nationalism, along with biography writing and a reconceptualization of ‘homeland’, shaped the intellectual context of extremely influential N...

In this short episode, I read through my article Progressive Christian Nationalism , where I argue that progressive Christianity and Christian nationalism are structurally identical. While they support different policy agendas, they both believe that their theological values should be imposed on society by law, that this will bring about earthly and heavenly good, and that these laws need to be im...

In this episode I talk with Cody Cook and Doug Stuart about progressive Christianity. We examine the rise of progressive Christianity and its current popularity, why many evangelicals are deconstructing and moving to the left, and the ideological similarities between progressive Christianity and Christian nationalism. We then explore why Christian libertarianism is a better alternative to both sys...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Preston Sprinkle about his new book Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire . In Exiles , Dr. Sprinkle articulates a political theology for the church, arguing that Christians should see themselves as set apart from the nations by rejecting empire and proclaiming the gospel. We look at the Biblical foundation of his political theology and why we should identify w...

In this episode I talk to Old Testament scholar Dr. John Walton about his brand-new book The Lost World of the Prophets: Old Testament Prophecy and Apocalyptic Literature in Ancient Contexts , out now on IVP Academic. In this conversation, we explore how prophecy in the Old Testament developed throughout the course of Israel’s history, how prophecy fits into the cultural context of the Ancient Nea...

In this episode I talk with Jacob Winograd, host of the Biblical Anarchy podcast, about his political predictions for American politics in 2024. We discuss the depressing state of American foreign policy, the federal debt and spending crisis, and if there will be accountability for Epstein’s associates and the politicians and bureaucrats that lied about Covid. We then discuss the presidential elec...

In this episode I talk to Erik of @AlphaclassARC, who is a self-described Marxist from Sweden, about why he believes that socialism is the best way to organize an economy. In this wide-ranging conversation he defines socialism and Marxism, explains the problem with the left-right dichotomy in politics, argues for the success of socialist policies around the world, and criticizes organizations like...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Dru Johnson about his new book What Hath Darwin to Do With Scripture , published by IVP. In this book, Dr. Johnson demonstrates that there are conceptual overlaps between the concerns of natural selection and the worldview of the Biblical authors. He explores how the ideas of scarcity, fitness, and generation, all of which were important for a Darwinian understandin...

In this episode I discuss the story of the rich young ruler, which is found in Mark 10:17-22 and its parallels in Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-23. I outline the problems with the dominant two-source theory of the synoptic problem in New Testament studies and advocate for the Farrer-Goulder-Goodacre Theory, which posits that Mark was written first, followed by Matthew, and that Luke used both as...

In this episode I talk to Dr. James McGrath about his new book ‘ The A to Z of the New Testament: Things Experts Know That Everyone Else Should Too ’, out now on Eerdmans Press. ‘ The A to Z of the New Testament ’ is an introduction to New Testament scholarship that is presented in alphabetical order and covers hundreds of important foundational scholarly interpretive issues. Dr. McGrath explains...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk, economist at the Catholic University of America, about the social and economic teachings of the Catholic church. The Catholic Catechism is the rule of faith for Catholic Christians, and in a section on the 7th Commandment, the church explains its teaching on social and economic issues. Dr. Pakaluk explains why the Catholic church is extremely cri...