The Culture of Contempt in Political Discourse

How should Christians engage with political power in a divided world?

Contributor Andy Crouch joins Curtis Chang to trace a path from the courage of the early believers under Caesar to today’s crisis-driven politics and the ruling class. Together, they dive into the rise of emergency powers, growing contempt, and the breakdown of civil discourse—and offer a hopeful vision for how the Fruit of the Spirit can reshape both Christian posture and a public life rooted in love, gentleness, and faithfulness.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Explaining The Land of Israel Under Roman Rule
• Matthew 22:21 - "Render therefore unto Caesar..." (multiple versions and explanation)
• Explaining The Majesty of Herod’s Temple
• Augustus Caesar and the the title Divi filius, “son of a god” (audio)
• The Holy Roman Empire: The Rise of Medieval Europe (video)
• Tish Harrison Warren’s Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep
• Fact sheet about PEPFAR
• Wendell Berry’s The Hidden Wound
• Wendell Berry’s ‘The Hidden Wound’ at Fifty (article from 2020)
• Galatians 5:22 - Fruit of the Spirit (multiple versions and explanation)

More from Andy Crouch:

• Interact with Andy’s website
• Check out Andy’s work at Praxis
• Read Andy’s book: The Life We're Looking For
• Read Andy’s book: The Tech-Wise Family

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Russell Moore, David French, & Curtis Chang: Trump's First 100 Days

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