Faithful Politics

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Brandon Bloch, historian and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, about his groundbreaking book Reinventing Protestant Germany: The Religious Nationalists and the Contest for Post-Nazi Democracy (Harvard University Press).Dr. Bloch explores how German Protestants grappled with complicity, guilt, and renewal after World War II, tracing how theology, nationalism, and moral reconstruction intertwined in the decades following Hitler’s rise. The discussion connects these historical lessons to modern America—especially the resurgence of Christian nationalism and the uneasy dance between faith and political identity.Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how religion can both sustain democracy and undermine it, depending on how believers interpret power, patriotism, and divine authority.Guest Bio – Dr. Brandon BlochDr. Brandon Bloch is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in modern European history, political theology, and human rights. His research focuses on how religion, nationalism, and democracy intersected in 20th-century Germany. His book, Reinventing Protestant Germany: The Religious Nationalists and the Contest for Post-Nazi Democracy (Harvard University Press), examines how German Protestants rebuilt faith and moral authority in the wake of Nazism.Dr. Bloch’s work has been featured in academic and public forums for its insight into how religious identity can both challenge and reinforce authoritarian power.Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Ilana Trachtman, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, about her newest documentary, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round. The film uncovers the little-known story of the 1960 civil rights protest at Glen Echo Amusement Park in Maryland—a powerful moment when Howard University students and white Jewish neighbors joined forces to integrate a local amusement park, facing down segregationists and even the American Nazi Party.Trachtman shares how her childhood visits to the park inspired the film, what it means to tell history through intimate personal storytelling, and the unexpected intersections of faith, justice, and memory that emerge when ordinary citizens act on conviction. The conversation explores the emotional layers behind forgotten movements, the role of Jewish allies in early civil rights activism, and how filmmakers like Trachtman use art to preserve moral clarity in divided times.Website: aintnoback.comGuest Bio: Ilana Trachtman is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with over 30 years of experience producing documentaries for PBS, HBO, Showtime, ABC, and A&E. Her acclaimed works—Praying with Lior, Black and Latin America, and The Pursuit: 50 Years in the Fight for LGBT Rights—explore identity, belonging, and justice through deeply personal stories. Her latest film, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, chronicles the interracial protests that desegregated Glen Echo Amusement Park in 1960, blending historical footage with intimate interviews to illuminate how ordinary people shaped the civil rights movement.Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this eye-opening episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with journalist and election reform advocate David Daley to unpack one of the most misunderstood forces shaping American politics—gerrymandering. Daley explains how invisible district lines can determine not only who wins elections but how our representatives govern once in office.Drawing on his investigative work and his books Ratf**ked and Unrigged, Daley details the Republican-led “Redmap” strategy that weaponized redistricting after the 2010 census, how both parties manipulate maps today, and why the result is a democracy where fewer than 10% of congressional races are truly competitive. The conversation also explores Trump’s proposed executive order on mail-in voting, the role of voter ID laws, the health of the Voting Rights Act, and the future of American electoral fairness.Through it all, the hosts and Daley examine how Christians—and all citizens—can think faithfully about fairness, representation, and truth in an era where the rules of democracy itself are being rewritten.Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of more than 20 books, including In Defense of Christian Patriotism. Darling joins the hosts to discuss the difference between Christian nationalism and Christian patriotism, arguing that love of country can be a form of discipleship—so long as it’s rightly ordered under a higher allegiance to Christ.The conversation explores the nuanced relationship between faith, politics, and national identity, unpacking how patriotism can both inspire civic virtue and, when disordered, slip into idolatry. Darling challenges the modern assumption that religious expression in public life is inherently dangerous, showing instead how a grounded Christian worldview can strengthen democracy.Guest BioDaniel Darling is the Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor at Texas Baptist College. A bestselling author and respected voice on faith and public life, he has written more than 20 books, including In Defense of Christian Patriotism, The Characters of Christmas, and The Dignity Revolution. His work has been featured in outlets such as USA Today, Christianity Today, and The Gospel Coalition.Darling is known for his ability to engage cultural and political issues with biblical depth, humility, and conviction—calling Christians to participate in public life without losing sight of the kingdom of God.Learn more at danieldarling.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @dandarling.In Defense of Christian Patriotism (Bookshop): https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780063413948Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this deeply human and revealing episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Noelle Cook, ethnographer, filmmaker, and author of The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging. Cook’s award-winning documentary and forthcoming book explore how ordinary women become entangled in conspiracy movements—from QAnon to spiritualized extremism—while searching for meaning, identity, and community.Cook recounts how the January 6th insurrection inspired her to study women drawn into these spaces and what she discovered: that many were mothers, caregivers, and former churchgoers who turned to online conspiracies to fill the void of belonging. Through intimate storytelling, she shares her road trip with two women convicted for their roles in January 6th, revealing how trauma, faith, and hope intertwine in the psychology of belief.Together, the hosts and Cook unpack questions of empathy, extremism, and how conspiratorial thinking becomes a kind of spiritual coping mechanism in a fractured America. The conversation explores what churches, communities, and even families can learn from these stories about the human desire for connection—and the danger of mistaking belonging for truth.Learn more: https://www.noellecook.com/aboutGuest Bio:Noelle Cook is an ethnographer and filmmaker whose work examines the intersections of gender, conspiracy, and extremism. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging and associate producer of the award-winning documentary The Conspiracists, which won Best Feature Documentary at the Miami Women’s Film Festival and an Exceptional Merit Award at Documentaries Without Borders. Her research focuses on how digital spaces, spirituality, and trauma intersect to shape modern extremist movements.Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram welcome back Kiera Butler, a senior correspondent for Mother Jones, to unpack her recent 5,000-word investigative feature on Christian Zionism—a movement where American evangelical theology intersects with foreign policy and billion-dollar influence in Israel.Butler explains how deeply-funded evangelical groups like the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI) funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into Israel, often with motivations tied to end-times theology. The conversation covers the movement’s theological roots in dispensationalism, the controversial Red Heifer Project, and the rising political influence of Christian Zionists under figures such as Mike Huckabee, Pete Hegseth, and Speaker Mike Johnson.The hosts and Butler also discuss the humanitarian and ethical implications of groups like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the complex partnership between the Israeli government and American evangelicals, and how religious beliefs are increasingly shaping U.S. foreign policy. It’s a rich and candid conversation that reveals how theology, politics, and money converge in ways that most Americans—and even many Christians—rarely see.Guest BioKiera Butler is a Senior Correspondent at Mother Jones, where she reports on religion, culture, and politics. Known for her deeply researched investigative features, her recent work explores how American evangelical movements are shaping international policy—most notably through her long-form piece on Christian Zionism. Butler’s reporting often examines the intersections of faith, identity, and power, from rural prayer rallies to the global implications of theology-driven policy.Read the article: God’s “Blank Check”: Christian Zionists Are Pouring Billions of Dollars Into Israeli Extremism - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/christian-zionism-evangelicals-israel-trump-foreign-policy/Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Dr. Nathanael Blake to discuss his new book, Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All. Blake argues that the sexual revolution—once heralded as a movement for personal freedom and fulfillment—has in fact left a legacy of loneliness, dissatisfaction, and moral confusion. He traces how the rejection of traditional Christian sexual ethics in favor of “liberation” has reshaped our social fabric, from family life and marriage to identity and faith.The conversation moves through the promises and failures of the sexual revolution, the meaning of Christian “prudishness,” and the ways modern society’s views on sex and identity have altered relationships, institutions, and even the church. Blake discusses purity culture, the rise of the “sex recession,” and how pornography, delayed marriage, and technology have changed intimacy. The hosts challenge him on issues such as women’s rights, LGBTQ inclusion, and the role of government in defining marriage—leading to a candid and thought-provoking exchange about what it truly means to be human, embodied, and free.Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781621647706Guest BioDr. Nathanael Blake is a postdoctoral fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) and a Senior Contributor to The Federalist. His research and writing focus on culture, politics, and faith, with a particular emphasis on the moral costs of modern liberalism and the legacy of the sexual revolution. In his new book, Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All (Ignatius Press, 2025), Blake argues that the pursuit of personal freedom in matters of sex and identity has eroded community, family stability, and true fulfillment. He holds a Ph.D. in political theory and has written widely on Christian ethics, social policy, and cultural renewal.Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comWhat happens when the Bible gets treated like a political toolkit instead of a sacred text meant to form our lives? In this conversation, Pastor Josh and Will sit down with Brian Kaylor—editor in chief of Word&Way, Baptist minister, and author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists—to unpack seven common ways scripture gets twisted to serve power. We talk about why Christian nationalism functions as a theological heresy, not just a political ideology, and how to separate healthy patriotism from a fusion of church and state that distorts the gospel.Brian walks us through how numerology frames like “Ephesians 6:11 at 6:11” go viral after violent events and why chapter and verse numbers were never meant to carry hidden messages. We dig into the difference between loving your neighbors and trying to rule them, the history behind public Ten Commandments displays and classroom mandates, and how commodifying the Bible turns faith into a brand. We also get practical about reading in community, broadening the voices that shape our interpretations, and cultivating the humility to say I might be wrong. If you care about faith, civic life, and the integrity of scripture, this episode offers language and tools to navigate a polarized moment without surrendering your soul.Book: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780827203501Guest BioBrian Kaylor is the editor in chief of Word&Way, a Baptist minister, and a scholar of political communication whose work sits at the intersection of faith, civic life, and media. He is the author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists, a field guide to recognizing and resisting seven common misuses of scripture in public life, and the coauthor of Baptizing America, which traces how mainline Protestants helped cultivate the soil for Christian nationalism to grow. Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comWhat happens when telling the truth collides with the full force of the state, and who gets to be called a patriot when the dust settles? In this episode, Josh and I sit down with Reality Winner, former Air Force linguist, NSA contractor, and author of I Am Not Your Enemy, to talk candidly about the choice that changed her life and the system that tried to define her. Reality walks us through why she leaked a top secret document in 2017, what the Espionage Act does and doesn’t allow a jury to hear, and how her time in federal prison during COVID reshaped her understanding of justice, race, and power in America. We talk about sentencing disparities, the economics of incarceration, and the quiet ways local policy shapes people’s lives far more than a single president ever will. We also explore how her new memoir lands in a moment when government secrecy and document mishandling keep making headlines, and why her story resists neat political boxes while still pushing us to ask better questions about transparency and accountability. Along the way, you’ll hear about her family’s grit, her work rescuing dogs in Texas, and why she’s betting on local change over national theatrics. If you care about truth telling, faith in public life, and the human cost of our systems, this one will stay with you. For context on the new book’s release and coverage, see the publisher page and recent features that situate her story in today’s debates. Whistleblower Aid: https://whistlebloweraid.orgFind the book on Bookshop to support local stores: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781954118843Guest Bio: Reality Winner is a former U.S. Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who, in 2017, leaked a classified report on Russian interference in U.S. elections. She served more than four years in federal prison, the longest sentence ever imposed in the United States for leaking to the press. Since her release, Reality has become a voice for prison reform, government transparency, and mental health awareness. Her memoir, I Am Not Your Enemy, offers an unvarnished account of her choices, the legal sSupport the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events:Chec...

Brian Recker, a public theologian and former evangelical pastor, challenges the traditional views of hell in this engaging conversation. He reflects on his journey from fundamentalist roots and military service to embracing a love-centered Christianity. Brian critiques fear-driven religion, emphasizing how it distorts faith and hinders restorative justice. He also discusses the impact of evangelical politics, the metaphorical interpretation of hell, and the transformative power of Jesus' love ethic for individuals and society alike.