Truce - History of the Christian Church

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastAt the 2019 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Los Angeles, I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Richard Land. Dr. Land is a man of the company line who mixes Republican thought with Christianity. At this interview, Dr. Land said (off mic) that the reason this generation struggles so much is that we are unwilling to see the issues of our time as black and white. Good vs. Evil.I disagree. I think the opportunity our generation has is that we can finally think of this complex world as complex.This mini-episode is just one of several meant to help sum up season 3 of Truce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastA few months ago I produced two episodes about the Christian roots of American labor unions. And... a bunch of people stopped listening to the show. It turns out that many American Christians are conservative and, therefore, anti-union.This mini-episode is the counterbalance to that series. Here we discuss the inefficient practices at General Motors in the 1980s. It was an era where GM slipped from holding over 40% of the market share to 17%. What happened? It's a story of unions, gasoline, and the reasons we treat labor well.Resources used: “Rude Awakening: The Rise Fall and Struggle for Recovery of General Motors” by Maryann Keller "Crash Course" by Paul Ingrassia Discussion Questions: Do you have a bias for or against labor unions? Who do you know who is or was in a union? What is their work ethic? The labor unions in GM in the 1980s were inefficient. Does that make all labor unions inefficient? Does specialization in factories help or hurt in the long run? Do you have a bias for employers or employees? Do you work as unto Christ in your own job? What is the Christian way to work? To employ someone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastSeason three of Truce has been all about how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian Church. As we approach the end of the season, I want to highlight some of the important takeaways.One of them is that communism can be used as a scapegoat. That is used by some people to get the public to hate or disregard something they don't like. That could be the COVID crisis or Black Lives Matter.Our guest today is Jemar Tisby. He's the author of the New York Times Bestseller "The Color of Compromise" and "How to Fight Racism". He's also a frequent voice on the Pass The Mic Podcast. You can access his Substack email list here.Helpful links: Article about the Wyoming Health Department official who resigned due to his denial of COVID 19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastMAGA folks look back on the history of the United States and see a golden era: the 1950s. When religion was in the public eye, television and movies were clean, and father came home from work with dinner hot on the table. The trouble is that this vision of the 1950s only existed in our imaginations or if we chose to ignore the world around us. The 1950s were an era of great upheaval, with public monuments to religion being erected at the same time as heavy censorship, McCarthyism, wars, racism, and sexism.For the next few weeks we'll be revisiting themes from season three of Truce to pull out some important takeaway. Takeaway 1: Think Deeper About the Past.Helpful links: The trailer for Secrets of Jonathan Sperry Chris' interview with director Rich Christiano Discussion Questions: What do you think of when you think of the 1950s? When is it okay to remember just part of history, and when do we need to consider the whole picture? What era do people who wear MAGA hats want to return to? In other words, when was America greater than it is now? When you think of your own childhood, what comes to mind? Do world or social issues play into that? How is nostalgia a helpful tool? How can nostalgia shape our memory of the past? Is there an era you wish to return to? What can we do to create a fuller picture of the past when we retell it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastThe January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol demonstrated the dangers of extreme Christian nationalism. When we allow our ideas about God and His protection to overrun the Bible, we get into serious trouble. Now, many Christians are questioning their faith. Why does the Jesus of the Bible look so different from us and our country?In this episode, Chris discusses our strange relationship with the United States. We love it when it affirms us, but we don't know what to do when the US behaves in an evil manner. How do we unify the Church in an era of division?Helpful Discussion Questions: How have you seen the United States tied to Christianity? What do you think people mean when they say the US is a Christian nation? When have you seen the US behave in a Christian manner? When have you seen it wander from Christian principles? Do you follow the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, or an economic Jesus? How can you love people in your local church who believe different things about Jesus than you do? Helpful links: You can learn more about the Virginia Law Codes in Rebecca Cox Richardson's book "How the South Won the Civil War". In the episode, I reference that the US provided rebels in Afghanistan with copies of the Koran and VHS bootlegs of the movie "Rambo". You can learn about that in Steve Coll's book, "Ghost Wars" pages 90 and 194-197. Learn about John Adam's day of fasting The Treaty of Tripoli More about Dalton Trumbo "Trumbo" movie trailer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastHow should Christians react in a post-Christian society?Many theologians describe our modern era as being post-Christian. Meaning that religion was once public in the United States, and it is slowly disappearing. Is that okay? Is it possible that now is a great time to be doing ministry?In this episode Chris interviews pastor/ author/ podcaster Skye Jethani. He's the author of the book "What if Jesus was Serious?" and co-host of The Holy Post podcast with Phil Vischer. Skye's wisdom for this time helps Christians put today in perspective.Discussion Questions: What is meant by the term "post-Christian"? Do you think we're living in a post-Christian world? How do our environment and culture impact Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount? What does it mean to love our neighbors? Turn the other cheek? Do you agree with Skye when he says that we are to obey our leaders, and yet we are the leaders in the US? If so, how does that impact how you live and work? Have you ever lived in an environment that was non-Christian? How does that differ from a culturally Christian area? Was it easier to do ministry in one over another? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastWhen did school prayer end? When was school prayer made illegal?American Christians have disagreed about school prayer ever since it was declared illegal in the 1960s by the Supreme Court of the United States. But what were the conditions surrounding that debate?In this episode of Truce, we break down the debate using Justice Hugo Black's majority argument against school prayer. It goes all the way back to the founding of the Church of England when Thomas Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer and helped the king solidify his divorce. Thomas Cranmer was made Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest role in the Church of England. But when Mary Tudor became queen, she executed Cranmer because she was Catholic and he was Protestant.Justice Black's decision hinged on the story of Cranmer. England was thrown into turmoil with every new regent because they could change the religion. The US, he argued, was founded on principles that would keep that from happening. The Establishment Clause of the US Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a religion. So... is school prayer a violation of the Establishment Clause?What do you think?Discussion Questions: Have you ever used prayer as a weapon like Chris did in the locker room for his school play? What are the benefits of prayers that are written down? What are the drawbacks? Do you recite written prayers? Why or why not? Was the Regent's Prayer right in being non-specific about which God it referred to? Do you think your country would benefit from a national religion? What if that religion could be changed over time? Did you ever pray in school? Should we pray in schools? What did you think of Justice Hugo Black's majority opinion which used the example of the Church of England in the 1500s as a reason why we should not have school prayer? Helpful links: One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse (book used for research) Helpful site about Thomas Cranmer Supreme Court audio of the deliberations for Engel v. Vitale on Oyez.org Justice Black's majority opinion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastJerry Falwell Sr. was one of the most outspoken evangelical Christians in the 1980s. He founded Liberty University and the Moral Majority political movement. In 1985 he went on a trip to visit South Africa, which was then engaged in its apartheid practices. That meant keeping 80% of the land for white use only and moving black people to reservations. It was a black majority country controlled by the white minority.Upon his return, Falwell made some controversial statements. Including one that American Christians should not protest South Africa or demand sanctions. Seems crazy, right? But South African guerillas were being funded (in part) by the Soviet Union. The worry that communism would take over South Africa was real. Which of the two evils would Christians choose? Backing an apartheid government, or potentially supporting the Soviet-sponsored rebels?Our guest today is Melani McAlister, author of the excellent book "The Kingdom of God Has No Borders". She is also professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University.Discussion Questions: What do you think of Falwell's position on apartheid? Do you think the US concern about communism was appropriate? What were Americans afraid of when it came to communism? When in history have you or the Church had to choose between the lesser of two evils? How could that have been handled differently? Helpful Links: C-SPAN video of Jerry Falwell (edited for the show) George Washington University video featuring Melani Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastMelani McAlister, author of "The Kingdom of God Has No Borders" and Professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University joins us to discuss how we export Christianity. In the 1950s and 1960s, American denominations sent white missionaries to Africa to share the good news. But with them went their bias and racism. This was the era of Jim Crow laws. Some missionaries took those laws to Africa, not allowing black people to eat at their tables.In this episode, we examine the problem of tying the United States to Christianity. When the US makes mistakes or does evil, how does that reflect back on the church?Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages. What else is going with our missionaries?Discussion Questions: Have you ever been on a mission trip before? What was your motivation for going? Do you think that it is possible to marginalize the people we are trying to witness to? How do you feel about showing pictures of poor people in church presentations? How might that practice encourage churchgoers to marginalize a people group? Do you think poor people in other countries are happier? Is it okay for us to export the American way with the gospel? If yes, then which things should we export? Links: The Kingdom of God Has No Borders An interesting introduction to the British Empire and their withdrawal from colonialism An introduction to the troubles in Congo An NPR article about US-backed rebels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When I was a kid, we were playing at a friend's house. I fell and scraped up my knee pretty badly. Dirt and rocks were in the wound. My friend's mom was a nurse, so she got out her medical kit. She did her best to pick out what she could and then showed me her bottle of iodine. Iodine is a strong anti-microbial. Highly effective for cleaning wounds. But, like rubbing alcohol, it stings pretty bad.Pain, she said, is not always a bad thing. Pain is what our body uses to tell us something is wrong. That we need to make a change. If your appendix hurts, it's helpful. Because if they didn't, you'd have no way of knowing that they were going to burst. Sometimes, we need to feel pain.I don't know about you, but I'm pretty raw today. I haven't been able to focus on much. Yesterday, January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters, incited by Donald Trump, stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. It was an act of terrorism. A coup attempt on US soil. I'm angry. I'm scared. And what hurts the most is to know that evangelical Christians share the blame. We were a big part of his support base. Despite his stirring up rebellion, his lies about everything from the size of his inaugural audience to the shameful claims of a rigged election, his obvious conflicts of interest, racism, sexism, and potentially criminal dealings with Deutsche Bank, many of my people stand by his side. And there is nothing he can do to break that spell. Some Christians will support him no matter what.I started this podcast three years ago for a lot of reasons. There is one big reason, though. I wasn't public about it. I've spent a lot of hours debating whether or not I should tell you. But I started Truce because I think my people, Christians, are headed for persecution. Not because of the Bible. Not because we believe in Jesus, and the world hates Jesus. But because we're acting like children. We worship oligarchs and their money, even though Jesus told us not to. We ignore the poor, even though Jesus commanded us to take care of them. We've acquired a taste for hate, even though the Bible says to love our neighbors. We've sought vengeance when it's clear that vengeance belongs to the Lord.I don't think anyone deserves to be persecuted. Hear that. Nobody deserves persecution. But I think we're building a pretty strong case against ourselves. Christian media will try to put a positive spin on it, say it's not our fault. That the heathens hate Jesus. Know that this is the reason: because we turned our back on our calling in pursuit of power.I probably wounded you in saying that. That's okay. We've grown so used to thinking that we deserve a life free from pain. I want to remind you that pain is not always a bad thing. It tells us when we're bleeding, when we're wounded, when we're sick. I think a lot about the Babylonian's taking over Judah in the Old Testament. God's people acted wickedly generation after generation. So they paid for their wickedness.I won't offer us comfort today. I just won't. Because we won't change until it hurts. Our positive and uplifting media outlets have robbed us of our ability to lament. To grieve. Yes, pray for this country. But if we stop there, we're missing the point. We need to repent, turn from our evil ways, humbly and graciously serve others as Jesus served. Repent.Until we do, let it hurt. Let today hurt.God help us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices