Disarming Leviathan - Missionaries to Christian Nationalists

In this episode, Caleb shares a sample chapter from the audiobook version of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. The full audiobook launches on August 27th and is available on Amazon.com. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you for supporting Disarming Leviathan! Here are some ways that you can help spread the word:* Leave a rating and review the book on Amazon and Goodreads.* Rate and review the podcast on Apple podcasts.* Subscribe to our Substack newsletter. * Let us know how we can make the podcast better using this contact form.* Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, youtube, and Facebook. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Dennis Edwards guides us in exploring how the New Testament can shape our understanding of and engagement in politics today.More about Dr. Dennis EdwardsDennis Edwards is the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary and is the author of 1 Peter in the Story of God Bible Commentary series (Zondervan), What is the Bible and How Do We Understand It? (Herald Press), and Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice (Herald Press). Dennis has been married to Susan Steele Edwards since 1982. They are the parents of four children, and grandparents of four.You can find more on Dennis at https://www.revdrdre.com/ Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Daniel Bennett joins the Disarming Leviathan podcast for a discussion of how the Christian faith can shape our understanding of political engagement and the meaning of citizenship.About Daniel BennettDr. Daniel Bennett is an associate professor of political science at John Brown University, where he has taught since 2016. He is the author of Uneasy Citizenship: Embracing the Tension in Faith and Politics, and Defending Faith: The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement. His research focuses on the politicization of religious freedom, group attitudes and constitutional rights, legal advocacy in the United States, federal judicial selection, and more.Dr. Bennett has written popular articles for Christianity Today, Religion and Politics, and The Dispatch, among others. He has appeared in national and local media, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, National Public Radio, and KNWA. He is the director for the Center for Faith and Flourishing, and has served in advisory roles with the American Values Coalition and Neighborly Faith. In 2023 he was named as a Public Life Fellow with the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Pastor and author David Swanson joins us for a discussion about the ways that racism, tribalism, and nationalism are impacting the American Church, and how we can work to be peacemakers in the midst of division. About David SwansonDavid is an author and the founding pastor of New Community Covenant Church who lives with his family on the South Side of Chicago. He is the founder and CEO of New Community Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing community trauma through restorative practices.David’s first book, Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity was published with InterVarsity Press in 2020. His forthcoming book with IVP, Plundered: The Tangled Roots of Racial and Environmental Injustice, will be published in October, 2024.David is a former Director of Church Planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church. He is a graduate of Montreat College (BS, 1999), Wheaton College Graduate School (MA, 2003), and North Park Theological Seminary (MDiv, 2023). He keeps track of what he’s reading here and on most Tuesday mornings you’ll find him wandering around Jackson Park looking for birds. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Pastor Steve Bezner joins us to discuss how American culture has influenced the American Church's view of Jesus. We explore some of the distorted views of Jesus, including 'Christian Nationalist Jesus.' He also gives some coaching on how we can invite people back to a robust, biblical view of Jesus. Preorder Steven’s book, Your Jesus is Too American today! About Steve BeznerSteve Bezner (PhD, Baylor University) is senior pastor of Houston Northwest Church in Houston, Texas. He is a local leader and participant in Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, where he builds bridges with Muslims and Jews, and he serves on the board of the Houston Church Planting Network. He also trains church planters through Glocalnet, serves on the executive committee of Texas Baptists, and is an adjunct professor at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. Bezner lives in Houston with his wife and two sons. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe shares her experience as a climate scientist and gives some practical coaching on how we can cultivate healthy conversations with friends and family with whom we fundamentally disagree. About KatharineKatharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She is also the Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law and Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. She has been named a United Nations Champion of the Earth and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, and serves as the climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance. Katharine was a lead author for the US Second, Third, and Fourth National Climate Assessments, hosts the PBS digital series Global Weirding, and has written for The New York Times. Her TED Talk “The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Fight Climate Change: Talk About It” has been viewed over 5 million times. She has a BSc in physics and astronomy from the University of Toronto and an MS and a PhD in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Bible scholar Dr. Timothy Gombis joins Caleb for an exploration of the themes of power and government in the New Testament and how they can shape our understanding of American Christian Nationalism. Caleb shares a few pieces from his Christian Nationalist Bible collection.About Timothy GombisTimothy G. Gombis (PhD, University of St. Andrews, Scotland) is professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, in Grand Rapids, MI. He is author of Paul: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, 2010) and The Drama of the Ephesians: Participating in the Triumph of God (IVP Academic, 2010). He regularly writes about Christian identity, biblical studies, books, movies, music, sports, and culture on his blog, Faith Improvised ( https://timgombis.com). Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

In today's episode of Disarming Leviathan, I am joined by Dr. Samuel Perry. We explore what Christian Nationalism is, the various forms of it, and why so many evangelicals are drawn to it. About SamAn award-winning scholar and teacher, Dr. Perry is among the nation's leading experts on conservative Christianity and American politics, race, families, and sexual behavior. He has been recognized as among the top sociologists in the world in terms of research productivity and impact.Along with well over 100 peer-reviewed articles published in leading academic journals, Dr. Perry is also the author or co-author of five books, including Growing God's Family (NYU, 2017), Addicted to Lust (Oxford, 2019), Taking America Back for God (Oxford, 2020, with Andrew Whitehead), and The Flag and the Cross (Oxford, 2022, with Philip Gorski). His most recent book is entitled Religion for Realists: Why We All Need the Scientific Study of Religion (Oxford, 2024).Dr. Perry is also a public sociologist. In addition to frequent speaking engagements around the country, he is a regular Contributor at TIME Magazine and has also written for outlets like The Washington Post, NBC News, and The Dallas Morning News. Dr. Perry's interviews and research findings have also been featured in recent documentaries by Frontline and Al Jazeera as well as sources like The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Economist. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

Caleb joins Dr. Jemar Tisby for a joint podcast that explores the history of American Christian Nationalism and the church and ways that we can engage those who are imbibing this harmful ideology. About Jemar TisbyJemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) s the New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and the award-winning How to Fight Racism. He is a historian who studies race, religion, and social movements, and serves as a professor at Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college. He is also the founder of The Witness, Inc. an organization dedicated to Black uplift from a Christian perspective. He has written for national news outlets such as The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and the Religion News Service. He has offered television commentary on CNN and is frequently called upon to provide expert insight on current events related to race and Christianity. He has spoken nationwide at colleges, universities, and other organizations.About Caleb CampbellPastor Campbell graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Arts in Ministry from Phoenix Seminary in 2015. Caleb is currently a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has served at Desert Springs Bible Church, in Phoenix, AZ since 2006, serving as Lead Pastor since 2015. He also serves on the board of United Pastors of Arizona, is the state-wide regional director of the Surge Network, and is one of the founders of the J29 Coalition. He has spoken at events hosted by Acts 29, the African American Christian Clergy Coalition, American Values Coalition, Surge Network, Grand Canyon University, Converge Arizona, Young Life, and Phoenix Seminary Get full access to Disarming Leviathan: Missionary to Christian Nationalists at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe