The Speak Life Podcast Is Christian Nationalism WEIRD? || SLP608
Oct 3, 2025
Historian Tom Holland joins the conversation to unravel the complex dance between the sacred and the secular throughout history. He explores why Western societies so uniquely separate religion from public life, referencing the 'WEIRD' framework. Holland and Glen Scrivener discuss the origins of modern secularism and examine how figures like Augustine shaped our understanding of this divide. They also delve into contemporary fears surrounding Christian nationalism, contrasting political power grabs with a vision of governance grounded in goodness and truth.
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Bishop Costume At A Political March
- Glen recounts a Tommy Robinson march where a man dressed as a bishop gave political prayers.
- The episode illustrates modern blurred lines between religious garb and political speech.
Why Western Societies Are 'Weird'
- Western societies uniquely separate the sacred from the secular, a condition Joseph Henrich calls WEIRD.
- Tom Holland argues Christianity created this divide and made Western thinking historically peculiar.
Augustine's Sacred Order Over Politics
- Augustine formalized a rival sacred order as Rome collapsed, arguing empires are transient and only the church links to eternity.
- This framed medieval politics where religious authority sat above secular rulers.
