Truth Over Tribe: Christian Takes on Culture, News & Politics

It’s no secret that politics has fractured the nation and the church, but perhaps the most painful casualty has been the family. If you have a family relationship (or two!) strained by politics, you’re not alone! Today’s guest, Jon Ward, a political reporter and the author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation, can relate. Today, he joins Keith to discuss why evangelicalism falls short in helping Christians learn how to think about politics. He shares the story of his upbringing, detailing his eventual break from an influential evangelical church. He details how the 2016 election and the controversy surrounding Donald Trump threatened to tear his family apart. Given his experiences, does he believe that our families should separate from politics? Should Christians even engage in the culture war to begin with? And how can we avoid prideful views of being better than “those” Christians on the other side? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Testimony Book

“I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day. Overtime hours for bullsh– pay.” Those are the opening lyrics of “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the unexpected, current No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. How did Oliver Anthony, a virtual nobody on the music scene, rise atop this acclaimed list and create what many are calling the national anthem of blue-collar Americans? And taking it a step further, what does this song’s popularity reveal about our current cultural moment? Why are these lyrics resonating with (and angering) so many? In this special episode (releasing on Truth Over Tribe’s second birthday!), Keith and Patrick team up to discuss the song and the overall response it has received from media pundits and government officials on both sides, journalists, and the general American populace. Plus, how should Christians respond to this narrative that’s affected the souls of so many in our nation? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!

“I’m colorblind. I don’t see race.” Is this really the best, most biblical approach to the realities of racism in our country? Or is there a better way? Today’s guest, Michelle T. Sanchez, refers to that better approach as “color-courageous discipleship” and joins Patrick on the pod this week to discuss. Hear her explain her own story growing up in the colorblind generation and the moment she attributes to her own awakening. Michelle also makes the distinction between the terms, race and ethnicity, citing why one is in the Bible and one isn’t. And speaking of, does the Bible have anything to say about our racialized consciousness? What are some color-courageous spiritual practices that Christians of all ethnicities should exercise? And how have terms like “woke” and “antiracism” been weaponized? Should we use those terms or leave them behind? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Color-Courageous Discipleship Book

The average evangelical is thoroughly postmodern. Don’t believe us? Let’s look at the stats: 56% of today’s evangelicals hold universalist views of God. 43% believe that while Jesus was a great teacher, he wasn’t God himself. And 38% believe that religious belief is a matter of personal opinion more than objective truth. So, if we’re so divided over our primary truths, why do we spend most of our time arguing over secondary issues? Trevin Wax, author of The Thrill of Orthodoxy, joins us on the pod today to explain the church’s need for some orthodoxical triage and why Christians must return to the essentials of the faith and be united through these core beliefs. Hear him discuss with Patrick: Is doctrine really all that practical? Can a prioritization of doctrine and personal piety coexist? Why should we care more about doctrine? Where should people who haven’t taken doctrine seriously even start? What should churches be doing to reclaim the thrill of orthodoxy? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy The Thrill of Orthodoxy Book

How do most Americans define “the good life”? Is money what truly makes us happy? Success? Fame? Marriage? Children? Today, Patrick and Keith discuss the secret to a happy life as told by the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest scientific study on happiness. It turns out that God got it right way back in Genesis when he said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” This study concluded that the simple yet surprising secret to a happy life is: relationships! Listen as Patrick and Keith “Greek” out and distinguish between two types of happiness and why one is better (and more biblical) than the other. They examine why many of us are bad at developing and maintaining warm relationships and distinguish between five different types of friendships. Finally, they end with some practical advice on what you can start doing today to go deeper in your own friendships. Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesListen to the A Little (More) Conversation Interview with Heather Holleman

If you grew up watching the Left Behind movies, fearing the rapture, grappling with a politically co-opted church, and feeling compelled to engage in Christian culture wars, then you’re in good company with today’s guest. Sara Billups, author of Orphaned Believers, joins Keith on the pod this week to discuss what it was like to grow up in the Christian subculture of the 1980s and 1990s and why she believes this era caused so many to feel “orphaned” and eventually leave the church. Sara provides comprehensive definitions and examples of the Christian culture war and details how this redefined the faith of many. Does she believe the solution is for Christians to remove themselves from politics altogether? Does she believe the right or the left is in more danger of succumbing to tribalism? Plus, how did Trump’s Presidency affect our faith and the overall reputation of American Christians? Listen now!Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Orphaned Believers Book

Something is wrong with the American church. Is it too woke? Too aligned with Christian nationalism? Or is the problem deeper and more theological? Matthew Bates, author of Why the Gospel, believes so, arguing that today’s American church possesses a fundamental misunderstanding of the Gospel itself. Today, he explains more in his conversation with Patrick, answering: What is the true Gospel message? Why is it “Good News,” even for the “nones” and “dones” of today’s age? What are the malformed Gospel messages that we’ve fallen for? How would our lives change if we adapted this true interpretation of the Gospel? Plus, he shares why a correct understanding of the Gospel helps to reclaim a Christian’s active role in social and political action. Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Why the Gospel Book

America’s last two Presidential elections have been incredibly divisive, both in the culture and the church. You may already feel a sense of dread that another election season is coming up so soon. How can Christians prepare their hearts and minds as we enter what’s sure to be another heated political election season? Justin Giboney is back on the podcast today to discuss this important topic with Patrick. Should Christians abide by the idea of the separation of church and state, keeping their faith out of the voting booth? Should we stop engaging in politics altogether? Justin doesn’t believe so. Listen as he explains why politics is a practical way to steward our citizenship for the kingdom and love our neighbors well. He discusses several issues where he believes Christians should have no space for disagreement, then distinguishes between primary, secondary, and tertiary issues that should affect a person’s ballot. Plus, how do we resist tribal, partisan blindness? And why should a candidate’s character matter? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Compassion (&) Conviction Book

It seems that our culture is divided over every possible issue. And unfortunately, it’s not just happening in the culture; it’s happening in the church! On today’s episode, Daniel Darling, writer, journalist, podcaster, and author of Agents of Grace, joins Patrick on the pod to discuss how the church can move beyond profound disagreements and live as agents of Jesus’s love. You’ll hear Daniel share his story and how he experienced some fallout from his stance on the COVID vaccine. Through this, he explains how Christians can think about unity in a more nuanced way, making sense of which issues are worth (and not worth) fighting for. He and Patrick discuss themes of unity and disunity in Paul’s letters, whether or not Christians are confrontational enough, and how we can decide if God wants us to weigh in on a cultural issue. Plus, how does your individual calling affect this concept? Hear Daniel issue a quick test to help you determine whether or not you want to move the needle on an issue or simply just make a point. And finally, what would Paul’s letter to today’s American church say? Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesBuy the Agents of Grace Book

Oh, man! What’s going on with men these days? Across the board, statistics show that men are falling behind. Has our culture changed in a way that disadvantages them? Have accusations of “toxic masculinity” thrown men into a shame spiral that leaves them feeling helpless? Here’s the deal: Discussing this topic in no way means that we’re anti-woman or giving up the idea of gender equality. Today, you’ll hear Keith and Patrick examine the statistics, citing how men are falling behind in education, the labor force, and relationships and the resulting rise in “deaths of despair” among men. They’ll discuss our changing cultural attitudes toward men and some of the societal, structural challenges that men face. Finally, they propose some solutions to finding a positive vision for masculinity in a more equal world. This episode is sure to leave you thinking. Listen now!Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you did, you won't want to miss what's next (so subscribe now!). And help a friend by sharing this with them. Thank you! 🙏Plus, the conversation is just beginning! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to join in on the dialogue! If you disagree with anything in this episode, we'd love to hear your thoughts here. Want to learn more about Truth Over Tribe? Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.Want more truth over tribe? Check out our resources!ResourcesListen to the "What To Expect When No One's Expecting" Episode