For the Good of the Public

Christine Emba, a staff writer at the Atlantic and author of Rethinking Sex, teams up with Chine McDonald, director of Theos, to tackle modern sexual ethics. They unravel the idea that consent alone isn’t enough, stating that intimacy and emotional engagement are crucial for fulfilling relationships. The discussion dives into the challenges of loneliness among young people, the evolving nature of masculinity, and the church's role in fostering healthy conversations around sexuality. Both guests advocate for richer, genuine connections in today’s romantic landscape.

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present an agenda-setting speech by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy delivered at CCPL’s inaugural summit about the “spiritual crisis” in America in which “millions of Americans feel like they have lost their sense of purpose, their identity, their conception of meaning.” Senator Murphy argues that “if we want to restore the spiritual health of this nation, then we have got to have a more purposeful and more powerful policy of supporting strong healthy religious institutions and a loud, vibrant labor movement.”Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“Civic leaders are asking these questions. There’s an invitation on the table for Christians to engage in a substantive way, and it’s worth considering. What do you have to offer? What do you have to say?” -Michael [03:12]“What I believe is that supporting institutions that help build the common good and help grow social connection, it just has to be at the center, not at the periphery, of our public work.” -Senator Murphy [18:07]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[03:35] About this week’s guest[04:02] A spiritual crisis[07:06] What makes a good life?[12:18] The need for strong institutions[18:18] Restoring America’s soul[22:05] OutroREFERENCESU.S. Senator Chris MurphyOur Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and CommunityMurphy, Casey Introduce Bill to Fight Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older AmericansNational Strategy for Social Connection ActFor the Good of the Public SummitGross Domestic Product (GDP)Civilian unemployment rateHarvard Study of Adult DevelopmentThe State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss: Findings from the May 2021 American Perspectives Survey by Daniel A. CoxUnions increase job satisfaction in the United States by Benjamin Artz, David G. Blanchflower and Alex BrysonShawn Fain, President of United Automobile Workers (UAW)The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearPresident Obama’s remarks from the 2023 Democracy ForumAlienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P. CarneyFamily Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be by Timothy P. CarneyBowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. PutnamCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:For the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, we present two sessions on the topic of moral knowledge. In the first session, Dr. Steve L. Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College, moderates a theoretical conversation about moral knowledge, in context of higher education, with Brandon Paradise, Associate Professor of Law and Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law School; Dr. Cheryl Sanders, professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School and the senior pastor at Third Street Church of God in Washington D.C.; and Matthew Scogin, president of Hope College. This panel reveals the differences in approaches about moral knowledge as they discuss ways to combat the abandonment of moral formation and if moral knowledge can be taught. In the second conversation, Anne Snyder, editor-of-chief of Comment Magazine and founder of Breaking Ground, interviews President Scogin about Hope Forward, a pilot program that is reimagining a way of how students pay for college. Matthew shares the five specific areas the school is studying in this gift-based system and the impact and transformation they have seen in the students as a result of this gift.Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“You don’t have to go to school to learn how to be good.” -Cheryl [16:26]“We want to be able to produce good people, so when Michael, in his opening remarks, talked about the state of our politics and its quality, partly tied to the quality of the people who make it up and the quality of the soul, that’s directly relevant to us today.” -Steve [21:47]“I’m perfectly content with young people being taught very early on that you treat people equally with high respect and regard, independent of what we now call in the legal world–suspect classifications.” -Brandon [26:09]“I think we live in a society that often likes to say, ‘You need to put skin the game to really get invested’–and I’m sure you get that critique from time to time–but what I just watched was students from all over the world from all kinds of backgrounds suddenly having an aha moment of ‘I am so humbled by this. I am clearly part of some broader fabric out there of goodwill and trust and belief, and I am now going to pursue medicine in that same spirit.’” -Anne [49:33]“There’s 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. If we had all 4,000 presidents in the room, every single one of them–with the exception of the very elite institutions who have ginormous endowments–every single one of the presidents knows the business model is broken. And yet, no one is doing anything about it. And what we decided is how about instead of waiting for somebody else to solve our problem, let’s just do it.” -Matthew [55:23]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[00:13] Two sessions as a coherent whole[02:10] Difference of approaches[03:33] Meet the panelists[05:05] The disappearance of moral knowledge[15:24] Can moral knowledge be taught?[20:22] Moral knowledge tied to virtue[28:04] Power and accountability[34:16] Where they see hope[38:45] A conversation with Anne and Matthew[41:51] About Hope Forward[44:54] Five observations of Hope Forward[51:09] The challenges, pushback and skepticism[53:16] Sometimes you just have to focus on the practice[56:18] OutroREFERENCESMatthew Scogin, president of Hope CollegeAnne Snyder, editor-of-chief of Comment MagazineHope ForwardSteve L. Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of Westmont’s Martin Institute for Christianity and CultureBrandon Paradise, Associate Professor of Law and Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law SchoolCheryl Sanders, professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University SchoolThird Street Church of GodBreaking GroundFor the Good of the Public SummitThe Disappearance of Moral Knowledge by Dallas WillardHow America Got Mean by David BrooksPlato: The RepublicFor the Good of the Public Podcast, Episode 1: The Spirit of Our PoliticsThe Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearThe De-Moralization of the Public Square by Michael Wear The Gift LogicAnne Snyder’s articles in Comment MagazineDr. Daryl Van TongerenThe Intimacy of Imbalance by Leah Libresco SargeantCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeFor the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25

In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a powerful conversation about the role and resource of prayer in our public life and politics. James Catford, founding chair of The Center for Christianity and Public Life, moderates the discussion with Reverend Cece Jones-Davis and U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black about the significance prayer has been in their outreach and work. Rev. Jones-Davis shares her story about how she relies on prayer in her work as an activist. Chaplain Black draws from his experiences in public leadership as the chaplain of the U.S. Senate and a trusted advisor and confidant of civic leaders across the political spectrum. Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“I know this conversation moved many to tears and moved many into, I think, a deeper place of conviction that we don’t need to live bifurcated lives. That we can bring the whole of who we are to our civic life and make a difference there.” -Michael [02:56]“It was a powerful testimony to the fact that prayer not only transforms in our lives, but it also really does have the power to transform our external environment as well.” -Phebe [03:27]“I have a minute and a half worth of decent prayer material before I start repeating myself without an open bible. But with an open bible, I can pray for hours, and with an open bible, I give God the courtesy of starting the conversation.” -Chaplain Black [18:07]“God is found when we reach the end of our capabilities. He shows up there.” -James [22:38]“Prayer will always be essential, but it will not be prayer alone. We have to be willing to do the work.” -Rev. Jones-Davis [29:19]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[03:42] About this week’s guests[04:30] Prayer: A communication with God[09:18] Prayer as the most significant thing in their stories[19:26] The Prayer of Tears[22:48] What Chaplain Black thinks about when he prays[26:34] Advice from Rev. Jones-Davis and Chaplain Black[35:30] OutroREFERENCESJames Catford, founding board chair for The Center for Christianity and Public LifeReverend Cece Jones-Davis2023 Public Life FellowsU.S. Senate Chaplain Barry BlackJustice for JuliusFor the Good of the Public SummitGreat Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas ChisholmThe love of God is greater far by Frederick Martin LehmanCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeFor the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Elizabeth Bruenig, a journalist at The Atlantic. Elizabeth’s series on the death penalty in Alabama tells stories in such a raw and humanizing way that it was named a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. This candid and deep conversation reflects on the issue as a moral and policy matter as well as reveal Elizabeth’s approach to her coverage and why these stories are important. She shares how keeping an open heart allows her to sustain in this difficult reporting while also informing her passion and motivation to continue to tell these stories.Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“Inmates, they’re the forgotten ones of our society, and she tells these stories in a really raw and humanizing way.” -Phebe [02:02]“What I see in the forgiveness that I’ve witnessed just doing this work is that forgiveness is a gift you give to other people.” -Elizabeth [18:47]“In the end, I’m convinced that the state of our politics is a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [28:08]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[00:46] The importance of this conversation[03:39] What led Elizabeth to Alabama[07:02] Elizabeth’s approach to her reporting[11:00] The influence of her work[17:18] The virtue of forgiveness[23:55] Keep an open heart[27:43] There’s good and evil inside all of us[30:56] OutroREFERENCESElizabeth BruenigPulitzer Prize Finalist: Elizabeth Bruenig of The AtlanticElizabeth Bruenig on Alabama’s Botched ExecutionsFor the Good of the Public SummitExecution of Joe Nathan James Jr.Alan Eugene MillerExecution of Kenneth Eugene SmithThe Innocence ProjectBurl Cain, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of CorrectionsCriminal menopauseAlabama Executes James BarberJohn Sage, Founder and CEO of Bridges To LifeSister Norma PimentelA Conversation on Justice and Character with Gary HaugenSt. Mary MagdaleneAugustine, the Guilty Optimist  by Elizabeth BruenigCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:For the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, Tara Isabella Burton, a writer and a 2023 Public Life Fellow, and Chine McDonald, director of Theos, a religious society think tank based in UK. There has been a rise in religious disaffiliation or people who desire to distance themselves from the institutional church, especially among Gen Z and millennials. The panelists bring their perspective as they provide a deep dive on the current religious trends and demographics, and what the “Rise of the Nones” means for American politics, culture and communities.Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“I think this is one of the most significant demographic and cultural shifts that’s taken place in American life over the last couple of decades, and so that’s an important reason for us to be hosting a conversation.” -Phebe [01:15]“It’s a trend that’s impacting every aspect of American society. There’s no demographic group that you can name that has not been more secularized today than 10 or 15 years ago, whether it be race or age or gender or politics or region. Everyone–basically every demographic group in America today—is less religious than they were 10 or 15 years ago. -Ryan [06:30] “One of the positives that one of my previous bosses used to say when looking at this from a religious disaffiliation in the UK was actually what you were left with was the real Christians, right? Because it was no longer socially advantageous to go to church or to occupy a pew on a Sunday morning.” -Chine [20:09]“I wonder–and I don’t have the wisdom to have the answer–how one preserves both the openness and the communal importance of religious life without ceding ground that church is just another thing you can choose to do with your Sunday.” -Tara [24:49]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[01:05] Why did we host this conversation?[01:56] About this week’s speakers[03:36] More introductions[05:31] People leaving the church[08:57] Community and belonging[15:16] American non-religion[20:06] What cause the disaffiliation[25:57] What they see in the future[30:28] OutroREFERENCES2023 Public Life FellowsTheosRyan Burge’s SubstackStrange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella BurtonFor the Good of the Public SummitThe Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going by Ryan BurgeThe Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Michael Graham, Ryan Burge and Jim DavisSelf-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians by Tara Isabella BurtonTom Holland interview: ‘We swim in Christian waters’Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. PutnamCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeFor the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25

In this episode of For the Good of the Public, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Dr. Rosalind Picard and Michael Sacasas about artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Picard is a scientist, inventor, engineer, a member of the faculty of MIT's Media Lab, founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab and co-founder of Affectiva (now part of Smart Eye) and Empatica. Michael is the executive director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, Florida and author of The Convivial Society newsletter about technology, culture and the moral life. In this conversation, Sacasas and Dr. Picard discuss the implications of advanced Artificial Intelligence, and how Christian resources might contribute to how civic leaders and the general public navigate these technological developments and the attending challenges and opportunities. Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“What I think is exciting about this moment, and this conversation around artificial intelligence, is that I think that people are engaging with these developments in a way that says, We don’t just have to passively receive these technological developments. We can be discerning. We can even shape how these technologies develop.” -Michael [01:24]“I think at its very core, the advancements around AI are causing us to ask some of the most essential questions that Christianity has provided answers for around what does it mean to be human? Who are we? What were we created for?” -Phebe [03:08]“Because there has been a long history of various cycles of development in AI and AI winters and hype cycles that come with it as well, right now we’re in a moment that feels as if things are changing very quickly, evolving very quickly.” -Michael Sacasas [07:17]“If we can inspire more people working on technology to serve the folks that are being left out, the world would be a much better place.” -Dr. Picard [14:43]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[03:38] About Dr. Rosalind Picard[04:07] About Michael Sacasas [04:37] The term “artificial intelligence”[07:18] AI in this moment[12:57] Dr. Picard’s faith has impacted her work[17:05] Wisdom to share[20:53] Pitching Affective Computing[22:33] How to live faithfully in the moment[24:47] OutroREFERENCESMIT Media LabMIT’s Affective ComputingEmpaticaAffectivaChristian Study Center of GainesvilleThe Convivial SocietyFor the Good of the Public SummitPresident Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial IntelligenceChatGPTChristianity Today: An MIT Professor Meets the Author of All KnowledgeCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:For the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a talk from Rev. CJ Rhodes, pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on what the Black Church offers America today. Rev. Rhodes is the founder and president of Clergy for Prison Reform, a Public Theologian in Residence for the AND Campaign, and the author of two books: “7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success” and “Deeper Still: Ministry Empowered by the Holy Spirit.” This talk–recorded at CCPL’s inaugural Summit–reflects on the witness and contributions of the Black Church, and what it has to offer America today. Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!“For me, learning from Black faith leaders has been so essential to my own understanding of what faith and public life look like when they’re intersected in a healthy way.” -Phebe [01:22]“The nostalgia for the Black Church of the ‘60s and the Civil Rights Movement can lead some to overlook the contributions that the Black Church is offering and can offer today, and Dr. Rhodes exemplifies the present and future of the Black Church.” -Michael [02:06]“Between the schoolhouse and the church house and your mama and daddy’s house, the Black Church has been a central force for making sure we bear witness, not only to freedom, but to do it in a way that maintain hope against great odds.” -Rev. Rhodes [8:54]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[02:32] This week’s guest, Rev. CJ Rhodes[03:10] A brief history of Mount Helm Baptist Church[10:01] Politics is one part of human flourishing[13:39] The Black Church’s role in the mission of hope[18:08] The social and historical realities of the Black Church[22:34] OutroREFERENCESJoin us at For the Good of the Public Summit this fallRev. C.J. Rhodes, pastor at Mount Helm Baptist ChurchClergy for Prison ReformAND Campaign7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success by Rev. C.J. RhodesDeeper Still: Ministry Empowered By The Holy Spirit by Rev. C.J. RhodesThe Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearBarna: How the Church Can Fuel Black Gen Z’s Desire for JusticeCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:For the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Gary Haugen, CEO and Founder of the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. This conversation, titled “A Conversation on Justice and Character,” was recorded at the Center for Christianity and Public Life’s For the Good of the Public Summit and focuses on justice and character as well as the future of the justice movement. Gary shares the transformative worldwide experiences that revealed the reality of violence against the poor and inspired him to leave his job at the U.S. Department of Justice to start IJM. Listen as he discusses the organization’s work, and how Christian resources are integral to both IJM’s work, and the overall justice movement. Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! “Gary is someone who has operated at such a high level, whose life has been so oriented around the public good, and serving those who are–what Howard Thurman referred to as–the disinherited, and he’s done this in a way that’s not just integrated with, but supported by his faith.” -Michael [00:56]“And that is my actual conviction and that’s our conviction at IJM, that the power to do the work of justice in the world comes from God.” -Gary [18:00]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[00:26] This week’s conversation with Gary Haugen[01:47] Gary’s role in the start of CCPL[04:18] IJM’s origin story[09:33] IJM’s work in the past and today[13:34] The shape of injustice[19:07] The work of justice is long and boring[21:10] The future of the justice movement[23:16] OutroREFERENCESFor the Good of the Public SummitInternational Justice MissionThe Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas WillardApartheidDesmond TutuLawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)NPR: A Look Back At The Rodney King RiotsU.S. Department of Justice: Law Enforcement MisconductUnited Nations: International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaThe Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearDeepening the Soul for Justice by Bethany H. HoangThe Book of Love by Peter GabrielCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeFor the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25

In the debut episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, of Center for Christianity & Public Life (CCPL), preview their conversations with civic and religious leaders about the future of Christianity and American public life. This summer, listeners will hear sessions from CCPL’s inaugural For the Good of the Public Summit that provides the environment for robust conversations, starting with Michael’s opening remarks, “The Spirit of Our Politics.” These remarks describe the purpose of the summit, and provide a preview of his book of the same name that explores what Christianity has to offer to our politics in this particular moment. It is also a great introduction to the spirit of the summit and CCPL’s work. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts in order to receive new episodes featuring speakers and conversations on some of the most pressing issues in public life today.Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! “I think one of the distinctives of our summit and of this podcast is that it's just not designed for Christians. We do believe at the center that Christian values and resources should be offered as an act of loving service and not as an imposition.” -Phebe [08:28]“The truth is that while I think I know public policy is important and systems matter, the state of our politics is in the end a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [25:17]TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Intro[00:46] About CCPL and its mission[02:55] About For the Good of the Public Summit[04:09] Highlights from the summit[08:25] Not just designed for Christians[10:40] An invitation to a new conversation[12:51] The Spirit of Our Politics[27:55] Outro[28:49] What to expect at this year’s summitREFERENCESFor the Good of the Public SummitYoung Professionals NetworkPublic Life FellowshipHigh School: Public Good GenerationGary Haugen of International Justice MissionEboo Patel of Interfaith AmericaThe Spirit of Our Politics by Michael WearCONNECT WITH US:Website: www.ccpubliclife.orgX: @CCPublicLifeFacebook: Center for Christianity & Public LifeInstagram: @ccpubliclifeMentioned in this episode:For the Good of the Public Summit 2025For the Good of the Public Summit '25The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public LifeThe Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life