What In God's Name

Theological reflection opens the social imaginary to the hopeful possibility that the future will NOT, inevitably, be the present extended into perpetuity. If democracy has a future, economic power will need to either restrain itself (ha!), or be restrained.

We continue the conversation on democracy, drawing, again, on religious and spiritual truth about human beings and repentance. Healing and justice in the story of race in our country-- and fulfilling the promise of democracy-- require the insights of theological anthropology, which give us understanding of the mystery of the human heart. Here's how you can support us: Leave us a review on your pod...

Much stilted and unimaginative thinking, in Christian circles, limits the deep descriptive power of "corporate sin" to illuminate our shared public life. While the concept of sin contains within itself a cluster of meanings that function internally to those who are Christian, the explanatory power of "corporate sin," used as an interpretive tool, can deepen public conversations about racism in our...

Chris says "No" to the question our title asks; Shayna pushes back. Running underneath the conversation is the acknowledged reality that American democracy's future is far from certain. 

Alexis de Tocqueville observed American democracy (such as it was) in the 1830s, and wondered if we could sustain it. Religion (such as it was) was part of the story he told; religion was a force in society without which, he thought, democracy would seed its own destruction. Was he right?

We begin again with an introductory tease for a series of shows on American democracy. What is the story? Is there a future? Does God have any interest in American democracy?

In what context did the Second Amendment arise? What understanding of “sacredness” was it connected to? How has that changed? As we emerge from pandemic time, mass shootings have increased. What In God’s Name takes up this disturbing and unsurprising trend.  Our show pushes back against the unexamined, often unconscious ways that we frame public questions using political or economic modes of think...

Governor Newsom says, in response to the latest mass shooting in San Jose, “What the hell is wrong with us?” Shayna reframes the question as, “What is wrong with white men?” pointing to the fact that most mass shooters are male. Recognizing that mass shooters do not arise in a vacuum, the question then does return to us.  Our show pushes back against the unexamined, often unconscious ways that we...

Sociologists of religion talk about the genesis of the sacred, as in, what is the human experience that leads to classifying certain things as “sacred?” Sacred things may not be religious; over time, what was once considered sacred may lose its sacred quality, and other, new things, may acquire sacred status. The current fault lines in American society and culture are revealed more clearly when we...

Republican Liz Cheney’s lonely stand against the Trumpists is a political story, on one level. On another level, we ask: what deeper story is this a part of? What happens when the coherence of a world is blown apart by the corruption of language in the service of lies? And what public redemptive language do we have, to fight back? Our show pushes back against the unexamined, often unconscious ways...

We re-visit the opioid disaster in our country. With litigation beginning this week in West Virginia, and with recent statistics from the CDC showing that opioid deaths increased during pandemic time to their highest yet, it’s time to reflect again on the stories we tell ourselves about meaning and purpose. Why can’t our society talk about the opioid disaster? What does systems thinking reveal abo...

We re-visit the opioid disaster in our country. With litigation beginning this week in West Virginia, and with recent statistics from the CDC showing that opioid deaths increased during pandemic time to their highest yet, it’s time to reflect again on the stories we tell ourselves about meaning and purpose. When did neo-liberal (libertarian) free markets, and the profit motive, become gods? Our sh...

Relationships as the fundamental building block of our common life: why the community organizing model is crucial for our time. Community organizer Angela Pape joins Shayna and Chris in conversation.  Our show pushes back against the unexamined, often unconscious ways that we frame public questions using political or economic modes of thinking. We aim to be part of a growing movement of people who...

What is faith-based community organizing, and why is it so important at this moment in the unfolding story of the intersection of faith and American life? Community organizer Angela Pape joins Shayna and Chris in conversation.  Our show pushes back against the unexamined, often unconscious ways that we frame public questions using political or economic modes of thinking. We aim to be part of a gro...