Culture, Faith and Politics with Pat Kahnke
Pat Kahnke
Pat Kahnke has written two books, from a pastoral perspective, to reject Donald Trump and his MAGA movement:
A Christian Case Against Donald Trump (2024)
MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience (2020)
He was an evangelical church planter and pastor for twenty years before retiring from church ministry in 2016. Planted a church in the inner city of St. Paul, MN - part of the Baptist General Conference (Converge) and Alliance for Renewal Churches. A lifelong conservative Republican until the party left him in 2016. Now a political independent, he has written off the Republican party until it completes 40 years in the wilderness for its capitulation to the MAGA movement.This podcast contains political and social commentary related to issues at the intersection of culture, faith, and politics.
A Christian Case Against Donald Trump (2024)
MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience (2020)
He was an evangelical church planter and pastor for twenty years before retiring from church ministry in 2016. Planted a church in the inner city of St. Paul, MN - part of the Baptist General Conference (Converge) and Alliance for Renewal Churches. A lifelong conservative Republican until the party left him in 2016. Now a political independent, he has written off the Republican party until it completes 40 years in the wilderness for its capitulation to the MAGA movement.This podcast contains political and social commentary related to issues at the intersection of culture, faith, and politics.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 5, 2025 • 21min
ESSAY: A Minnesota Pastor Responds to President Trump's Cruelty Toward Somalis
This week, President Trump made some of the most openly abusive, racist, and dehumanizing comments yet — aimed directly at the Somali community in St. Paul and Minneapolis. He’s also deploying federal agents to intimidate them. As a pastor who spent 20 years in the Twin Cities — and as a neighbor — I’m speaking up.
Dec 4, 2025 • 49min
Tia Levings: An Insider's Account of Pete Hegseth's Cruel Religious Movement
In this raw and powerful conversation, author and survivor Tia Levings joins Pat Kahnke and Amy Hawk to expose the hidden cruelty behind Pete Hegseth's rise in Christian nationalist circles — and the broader religious movement that enabled him. Drawing from her memoir A Well-Trained Wife and her upcoming book I Belong to Me, Tia shares what it’s like to grow up under church-sanctioned patriarchy, escape at midnight with her children, and heal from years of religious trauma.
Dec 3, 2025 • 1h 4min
Live, Episode 3: Team of Sociopaths | The Actions of Trump, Hegseth and Noem
YouTube Tuesday night LIVE, Episode 3, from December 2nd, 2025
Dec 2, 2025 • 18min
ESSAY: Pete Hegseth Must be Impeached and Face Criminal Accountability
As Donald Trump’s influence begins to wane, his administration continues to commit staggering abuses—none more horrifying than what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is accused of: ordering the extrajudicial killing of two defenseless men off the coast of Venezuela. This episode is a GUT CHECK for America—especially for Christians who still support Trump.
Dec 1, 2025 • 10min
Marjorie Taylor Greene Goes "Thelma and Louise" On Trump! | Live Stream Excerpt
Last Monday, I posted a video on YouTube about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation that sparked a big conversation—some of it supportive, some a little worried I was being “taken in” by her.
Let me be crystal clear: I strongly disagree with almost everything MTG stands for. In this follow-up clip from our Tuesday night Culture, Faith & Politics Live Stream, Ken Napzok and I unpack why her break with Trump is so dangerous—precisely because she's still MAGA to the core.
This isn’t about celebrating Greene. It’s about understanding her influence. Her message will reach people I can’t. And when she says, “There is no plan” and calls Trump out, it pulls the mask off for people still deep in the cult.
Nov 26, 2025 • 1h 4min
Live, Episode 2: Trump's Weird and Terrible Week
Culture, Faith, and Politics LIVE episode 2: Trump's weird and terrible week. (11/11/25)
Nov 25, 2025 • 14min
ESSAY: The Most Damaging Part of Marjorie Taylor Greene's Attack on Trump
On Friday night, Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her resignation from Congress. But what stood out most? It wasn’t that she resigned — it was how she did it. Here, I break down the two most important slogans she publicly rejected: “Where we go one, we go all” and “Trust the plan.” These aren’t just slogans — they’re core beliefs for QAnon followers and many MAGA Republicans. But MTG’s statement marks a turning point. She calls out the “cult-like” devotion to Trump, describes herself as a “battered wife,” and — most shockingly — admits she was fooled.
Nov 22, 2025 • 28min
Calling Out Trump's Abuse of Women From a Christian Perspective, with Amy Hawk
In this episode, Pat Kahnke is joined by Amy Hawk for a frank, faith‑grounded analysis of the way Donald Trump speaks to and about women — and what Christians should do about it. We discuss Trump's "Quiet, piggy" outburst - the most recent example of Trump’s abrasive behavior toward female reporters and how it fits a pattern of abuse. Amy shares her lived experience ministering to abused women, connects the signs of misogyny to a “Genesis 3 spirit,” and asks the hard question: is this just a bug of the movement, or a feature? Finally, we outline a Christian response: calling out abusive power, refusing to idolize bullies, and living out the protectiveness Jesus shows toward women.
Nov 21, 2025 • 12min
ESSAY: Trump Calls for Execution of Congress Members: Here’s Why That Should Shake Us All
Today, Donald Trump called for the arrest – and possible execution – of sitting members of Congress, accusing them of "sedition." Why? Because they released a video reminding U.S. troops of their duty to disobey illegal orders. That’s not sedition. That’s basic constitutional fidelity.
Nov 20, 2025 • 11min
ESSAY: Trump is Normalizing Brutality and Christians Are Silent
Donald Trump just gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a pass on the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi — again. In this episode, we break down Trump’s shocking comments, his financial ties to Saudi Arabia, and what this means for America’s moral compass. Is the U.S. becoming more like the authoritarian regimes we used to challenge? And why are so many Christians still defending this?
