Kaitlyn Schiess, an expert on the intersection of faith and politics, joins the discussion to challenge how Christians engage with political issues. She argues that scrolling social media or binge-watching political news is not true engagement. Instead, she advocates for knowing your neighbors and participating in local politics. They explore the overload of information affecting critical thinking and the need for discerning trustworthy voices within Christian media. Kaitlyn emphasizes building relationships over social outrage as a means for genuine advocacy.
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Misunderstanding Political Engagement
Some churchgoers equate political involvement with media consumption, like watching C-SPAN or scrolling through social media.
Kaitlyn Schiess argues that this is a misunderstanding of political engagement.
insights INSIGHT
Impact of 24-Hour News
Consuming political media shapes political imaginations, potentially hindering real-world action.
The 24-hour news cycle intensifies this by constantly feeding information, unlike the past's limited media consumption.
insights INSIGHT
Agency and Exhaustion
Constant access to negative global news creates a sense of helplessness and exhaustion among young people.
The pressure to be constantly engaged can lead to burnout or withdrawal, hindering local action where they have agency.
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Are we mistaking media consumption for political engagement? In this episode, Kaitlyn Schiess joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to challenge the way Christians think about politics, faith, and media. She explains why binge-watching C-SPAN or endlessly scrolling Twitter doesn’t make us politically engaged—but actually forms us into people less capable of real advocacy.
Dru and Kaitlyn discuss the modern obsession with national politics, why Christians ignore their local communities, and how the church provides a model of meaningful engagement. Instead of trying to "change the world" through social media outrage, Kaitlyn argues that real political involvement means knowing your neighbors, understanding local government, and prioritizing embodied relationships.
They also explore the role of Christian media consumption, asking whether 24-hour news, partisan social feeds, and political influencers have become a form of secular discipleship. How can Christians discern which voices are trustworthy? And how can the church offer a healthier alternative?
00:00 Misunderstandings in Political Engagement
03:45 The Impact of 24-Hour News Cycle
07:13 Agency and Exhaustion in Political Involvement
09:46 Local vs. National Political Engagement
13:52 The Role of Community and Church
16:17 Listening to Trustworthy Voices
25:02 Understanding Local Politics Through Community Engagement
26:14 The Importance of Recognizing Underlying Narratives
28:18 The Challenge of Political Discourse in Faith Communities
31:09 The Role of Stories in Shaping Political Beliefs
34:44 Navigating Conspiracy Theories in Faith Contexts
37:12 The Need for Meaningful Conversations in Churches
40:00 The Impact of Media Consumption on Relationships
41:51 Reality TV and Its Moral Implications
The Biblical Mind 
