The Stephen Mansfield Podcast

Donald Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court. He is an originalist and a textualist. He’s only 49 and he’s one of the best educated and most experienced Supreme Court nominees in U.S. history. Stephen explains why he thinks Judge Gorsuch is a brilliant choice for the court and why he will help restore the proper role for the judiciary.

When Stephen expressed his support for the broad purposes of the recent Women’s March but also said he had reservations, he got huge feedback from his listeners. Most of it was positive, and there were some important questions. In this podcast, he answers those questions, which carries him through the pages of scripture and into issues as controversial and diverse as abortion and gay rights. Check Out Part 1: Standing With Women [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']Women's March on Versailles (1789; artist unknown) on Wikimedia[/custom_font]

Donald Trump has issued an executive order banning immigration from countries terrorists have used for entry into the United States. The order was badly timed, badly crafted, and badly announced. Yet most Americans would have supported the administration’s intentions for the order had objectives been long-term and had time for “buy-in” from Americans been allowed. Stephen brings his experience as a political communications consultant to this controversial moment in our history. [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']CC image courtesy of rchappo2002 on Flickr[/custom_font]

The recent worldwide Women’s March was an impressive display of support for women’s rights and an impressive reaction to the misdeeds of Donald Trump. Stephen wishes he could have joined it. He has said publicly and often that he is as much a feminist as it is possible for a Christian to be. So what about the Women’s March kept him from supporting it? You’ll want to hear Stephen explain! [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']Women's March on Versailles (1789; artist unknown) on Wikimedia[/custom_font]

Donald Trump is raising questions about the truthfulness of news reporting by major media outlets. Even if we disagree with him, we’ve all had reason to question whether the news we get is biased and inaccurate. Stephen believes these are important questions to ask. In this podcast, he lists steps we can all take to drill down into the facts of the news we receive and so turn data into useful information. [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']CC image courtesy of Christian Schirrmacher on Flickr[/custom_font]

We are all overwhelmed with data passing itself off as information. We are all pressured to form opinions about what we learn. We find ourselves in troubled territory, though, when we confuse opinions with knowledge, when we mistake our beliefs about the facts with the importance of the facts themselves. Stephen presses this point strongly and offers practical steps for rising above the curse of opinions. [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']CC image courtesy of Farhad Sadykov on Flickr[/custom_font]

As the new year begins, Stephen looks back over the main events of 2016 through the lens of manhood. Our age seems to be crying out for a surge of righteous masculinity. Stephen lists some of the elements of this kind of manhood and calls for action from each of his listeners. CC image courtesy of Zach Dischner on Flickr

T’is (almost) the night before Christmas: Stephen finishes up a two-part historical series on the lore and traditions behind our nation’s most beloved holiday. Who is “Santa Claus,” and where did he come from? Listen to part 1 here: The Story of Christmas [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']Merry Old Santa Claus by Thomas Nast[/custom_font]

In our era of religious confusion and error, it’s easy to become confused about Christmas. Is it a religious fabrication? Did the early church celebrate it? Is it an invention of corporate America? In this calm, reasoned podcast, Stephen tells the history of Christmas and makes some recommendations for your own celebration. [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']Image: The Adoration of the Shepherds - Gerard van Honthorst[/custom_font]

In our troubled age, we often hear people declare that these are “the worst of times,” that this is “a horrible time to be alive.” Stephen insists that not only is this a cancerous belief to carry in our souls, it simply isn’t true factually. This podcast is an antidote to the toxic cynicism of our generation. [custom_font font_family='Open Sans' font_size='11' line_height='26' font_style='none' text_align='left' font_weight='300' color='' background_color='' text_decoration='none' text_shadow='no' padding='0px' margin='0px']CC image courtesy of Esteban Morales Sing Long on Flickr[/custom_font]