704: Love is All We Need + Moderate Churches with Ryan Burge
The Holy Post
Sorting, Political Change, and Church Polarization
Ryan argues both geographic sorting and partisan realignment drove churches to become politically homogeneous over decades.
Over the last 30 years, the number of Americans who say they highly value patriotism, religion, community, and family has dropped dramatically. At the same time, the number of Americans who care about making more money has gone up. Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye discuss David Brooks' new article about the culture's shift toward autonomy and away from loving attachments, and how Christians can begin rebuilding their social muscles. Sociologist and former pastor, Ryan Burge, is back to discuss why the political polarization of Christianity is hurting both the church and democracy. Also this week, why small houses are better for your soul, and monkeys are missing in St. Louis—or are they?
Holy Post Plus:
Ad-Free Version of this Episode:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/148707266/
Bonus Interview with Ryan Burge:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/148694023/
0:00 - Show Starts
3:38 - Theme Song
4:45 - Sponsor - Poncho - If you've been looking for the perfect shirt—something breathable, fits great, feels even better, and stands out in a good way—give Poncho a try. Get $10 off your first order by using this link: https://www.ponchooutdoors.com/holypost
5:12 - Sponsor - Tyndale - The Life Application Study Bible is here to give you resources to help you understand why scripture matters and how it applies today! Check it out now at:
7:00 - The Monkeys are Loose in St. Louis!
15:24 - David Brooks on Love
38:00 - Are You Socially Muscular?
50:33 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month!
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52:34 - Interview
55:34 - Number of Christians Holding Steady
1:00:23 - Do Revivals Need to be Inside the Church?
1:09:38 - What is a Moderate Congregation?
1:17:50 - Evangelicalism Became Fundamentalism
1:24:00 - End Credits
Links Mentioned in News Segment:
Monkeys! On the Loose!
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/us/monkeys-loose-st-louis.html
We're Living Through the Great Detachment:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/opinion/americans-marriage-loneliness-love.html
Elizabeth Oldfield on Social Muscles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/opinion/community-housing-friendship.html
Other Resources:
The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us (Why the Culture War Led to Polarization and What We Can Do About it) by Ryan Burge: https://amzn.to/4r1rbKL
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