The Holy Post

Phil has another "crazy theory," and Skye and Kaitlyn aren't sure what to make of it. What if 1964 is one of the hinge points in American history? 1964, as Phil explains, was the year a Catholic housewife from Illinois and a mid-tier movie star from Hollywood attempted to put an Arizonan libertarian in the White House. Their effort failed, but in the process did they actually plant the seeds that would remake both America and the American church?? Give a listen as Phil spins the story of three unlikely people he believes "made" modern conservatism inside and outside the American church... Barry Goldwater, Phyllis Schlafly and Ronald Reagan. You don't have to agree. Just humor him. PLUS Kaitlyn interviews Skye about his new book - What if Jesus was Serious About the Church? Holy Post Patreon: https://patreon.com/holypost News Segment 0:00 - Intro 2:53 - Background and context for Phil's theory 6:54 - Person 1: Barry Goldwater 12:07 - Person 2: Phyllis Schlafly 20:14 - Person 3: Ronald Reagan 35:35 - Debriefing Phil's theory Interview with Skye Jethani "What If Jesus Was Serious About the Church?" - https://amzn.to/3PNlVI6 53:06 - Interview intro 54:45 - Why prescribe something for the church? 57:55 - How we use the word "church" 1:02:38 - Finding a church 1:06:29 - Preacher vs. table 1:17:53 - Authority in the church 1:23:59 - Seeking change within a church community1:30:01 - Credits The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases

With Trump out of office and the pandemic restrictions eased, Christian Nationalists are looking for new causes to rally the MAGA faithful. The Holy Post crew looks at the latest stories from these holy trollers including Michael Flynn's incoherent argument that the Bible "wrote" most of the Constitution. A new exposé of MAGA worship leader Sean Feucht by Rolling Stone shows his ministry, which has one employee, has raised millions in donations and purchased three houses. And Jemar Tisby offers a useful definition of Christian Nationalism that reveals why it's not Christian at all. Then Kaitlyn Schiess interviews disabled scholar and Shakespeare lecturer, Amy Kenny, about her book My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church. Together, they unpack overlooked or misinterpreted passages in the gospels about disabilities, and Kenny explains why the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. News Segment: 0:00 - Intro 3:56 - Rolling Stone article on Sean Feucht 13:37 - Michael Flynn on the Bible and the Constitution 15:38 - 7 Mountain Dominionists event 24:30 - What do we do about Christian nationalism? 34:37 - Jemar Tisby's definition of Christian nationalism 38:50 - PRRI stat on addressing common problems 48:00 - Holy Post announcements Interview with Amy Kenny "My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church" - https://amzn.to/3OkMfIc 49:51 - Amy Kenny Intro 51:08 - Book background 55:01 - Damaging things Christians say 1:00:13 - Theological errors 1:02:50 - Disability and Scripture 1:20:26 - How churches can think differently about disability 1:26:24 - Credits Articles mentioned in news segment: "MAGA Preacher Sean Feucht Scored Millions From His Trump-Loving Flock" (Rolling Stone) - https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/maga-preacher-sean-feucht-scored-millions-from-his-trump-loving-flock-1380126/ "Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Says 75-80% of the Constitution was 'Created by the Bible Itself'" (Mediaite) - https://www.mediaite.com/politics/former-national-security-advisor-michael-flynn-says-75-80-of-the-constitution-was-created-by-the-bible-itself/ "The 7 Mountain Dominionists converge on Duluth, Georgia" by John Fea (Current) - https://currentpub.com/2022/07/17/the-7-mountain-dominionists-converge-on-duluth-georgia/ "Christian Nationalism's Influence on American Politics" (with Jemar Tisby, NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2022/07/11/1110949385/christian-nationalisms-influence-on-american-politics PRRI stats on prioritizing political cooperation to solve common problems - https://twitter.com/profsamperry/status/1548794843652128774 The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

How big is the scope of the gospel? What does God's kingdom include? And what happens when we discover the American church isn't the center of it? Based on the book Inalienable by Eric Costanzo, Daniel Yang, and Matthew Soerens, in this episode Skye Jethani (co-host of The Holy Post) talks to theologian and missiologist Dr. Ruth Padilla DeBorst. With extensive experience in the Latin American church, Padilla DeBorst explains how popular American Christianity misunderstands the Kingdom of God, and how seeking the wisdom of the global church can guild the American church through its current crisis. "Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church" by Eric Costanzo, Daniel Yang, and Matthew Soerens - https://amzn.to/3RyObjc 0:00 - Theme song and intro Interview with Ruth Padilla DeBorst 2:46 - Misunderstandings and assumptions about Christians in the Global South 7:41 - Power and privilege 13:39 - Theologies of liberation 18:10 - Immigrants in the American church 21:06 - Is partnership possible? 25:05 - Celebrity leader dynamics 31:32 - Learning from another contextSponsor: 35:21 - World Relief sponsorship Join the Path: https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ Debrief with Matthew Soerens and Daniel Yang 37:18 - Debrief intro 39:18 - U.S. short-term missions 41:25 - Daniel's family experience 44:13 - Communal culture 49:15 - Laying down preferences 55:35 - The good and the bad in American influence1:01:18 - CreditsResource referenced by Daniel Yang: GlocalNet - https://glocal.net/ The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

A network of global Christian churches have decided to combat climate change by divesting from gas and oil companies. But why aren't any Protestant American churches participating, and do climate activists care that efforts to replace fossil fuels disproportionately harm the poor? And a new article by Beth Allison Barr examines the difference between the political pro-life movement and the biblical pro-life ethic. Then, Matthew Soerens is back to discuss the new book he's co-authored with Eric Costanzo and Daniel Yang, "Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church." As white evangelicals lose their grip on cultural and political power in the U.S., Soerens says they may discover how to follow Christ more faithfully from sisters and brothers in the global church who never had power to begin with. Plus, New Zealand taxes bovine burps. Send us a voicemail! https://www.patreon.com/posts/68742695 News Segment 0:00 - Intro and updates 5:04 - Bovine burps 10:39 - Churches combatting climate change 18:08 - Capitalism and poverty 32:03 - Women left behind by the pro-life movement Sponsors 50:59 - Sponsor: One Collective Learn more: https://www.onecollective.org/serve/holypost 52:55 - Sponsor: World Relief Join the Path: https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ Interview with Matthew Soerens "Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church" by Eric Costanzo, Daniel Yang, and Matthew Soerens - https://amzn.to/3PlS8pB 54:51 - Matthew Soerens interview intro 57:10 - Challenges in the evangelical American church 1:05:56 - Changing the boogeyman 1:11:38 - Looking to the global church 1:16:48 - U.S. immigration and refugee policies 1:22:04 - "What in the World?" Holy Post miniseries 1:24:54 - Credits Articles referenced in news segment: "New Zealand announces world-first plan to tax cow and sheep burps" (NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2022/06/09/1104014587/new-zealand-announces-world-first-plan-to-tax-cow-and-sheep-burps "Global faith institutions announce divestment..." (Operation Noah) - https://operationnoah.org/featured/press-release-global-faith-institutions-announce-d[…]es-threaten-1-5c-climate-goal-with-reckless-expansion-plans/ "MIT Scientists Propose 'Space Bubbles' to Deflect Solar Radiation, Ease Climate Change" (Popular Mechanics) - https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a40486004/space-bubbles-climate-change/ "The Women Left Behind by the Pro-Life Movement" by Beth Allison Barr (Religion & Politics) - https://religionandpolitics.org/2022/07/11/the-women-left-behind-by-the-pro-life-movement/ Resources mentioned in interview: "American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving" by Christian Smith - https://amzn.to/3P2zIKZ Episode 1 of our "What in the World?" miniseries will be out Friday, 7/15 in the regular Holy Post podcast feed! The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Although the Religious Right is on a winning streak at the Supreme Court, data shows it's losing in the court of public opinion. Gallop reports more Americans than ever no longer believe in God, and only a minority of Americans share the political and cultural beliefs of conservative evangelicals. The Holy Post crew responds to a Jesuit priest's article wondering if overturning Roe was worth the costs, and congresswoman Lauren Boebert says the church should be running the government. But which church does she have in mind? Then Skye talks to mother and daughter, Nancy Beach and Samantha Beach Kiley, about their book "Next Sunday: An Honest Dialogue About the Future of the Church." Nancy pioneered the seeker-driven megachurch movement at Willow Creek, but also experienced its toxicity and collapse. Her daughter, Samantha, is now a pastor seeking to apply the lessons—both positive and negative—from her megachurch upbringing to a new generation. Plus, the New York Supreme Court makes a jumbo ruling. Patreon Bonus: Christian Asks... Angry mobs and the end times - https://www.patreon.com/posts/68708383/ News Segment 0:00 - Intro 2:21 - Christian's travelogue and other updates 5:45 - Happy the Elephant 14:03 - More SCOTUS rulings 23:27 - Christian Right losing in public opinion 30:38 - Costs of overturning Roe 46:07 - Americans' belief in God is dropping Sponsor 52:19 - Faithful Counseling faithfulcounseling.com/holypost Interview with Nancy Beach and Samantha Beach Kiley "Next Sunday: An Honest Dialogue About the Future of the Church" - https://amzn.to/3nHnA68 Nancy Beach - http://www.nancylbeach.com/ Samantha Beach Kiley - www.samanthabeach.work 56:04 - Relevance and trust 1:03:24 - Beyond content delivery 1:08:02 - Experiencing other traditions 1:10:59 - Blind spots and overcorrecting 1:18:00 - Church leadership culture 1:27:42 - Credits Articles referenced in news segment: "Happy the elephant is not a person, New York's highest court rules" - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/happy-the-elephant-is-not-a-person-new-yorks-highest-court-rules "The Christian Right is winning in court while losing in public opinion" (NPR) - https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1109141110/the-christian-right-is-winning-cultural-battles-while-public-opinion-disagrees "What has the demise of Roe v. Wade cost the Catholic Church?" by Thomas Reese (Religion News Service) - https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/what-has-demise-roe-v-wade-cost-catholic-church "Poll: Americans' belief in God is dropping" - https://religionnews.com/2022/06/21/poll-americans-belief-in-god-is-dropping/ Resource mentioned in interview: "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" by Priya Parker - https://amzn.to/3akrxui The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Phil and Kaitlyn are finally back from (separate) trips to Europe, but they're returning to a very different America. The Supreme Court has officially overturned Roe and ended the Constitutional right to abortion. What's good about the decision? What's concerning? And why is it increasingly unacceptable to have a nuanced understanding of this issue? Then, a new article by Ronald Brownstein says America's relative unity in the 20th century was an anomaly, and the country may be heading toward a permanent split. Can the union be saved? Skye then talked to Amy Sherman, the author of our Holy Post Book Club selection, "Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society." Sherman says we need a larger, more biblical vision of God's redemption, and we must recapture what it means for Christ's people to be a "royal priesthood" in parts of the culture often overlooked by the church. Plus, Phil's European report includes wild horses, naked Dutch men, and a frustrating lack of Diet Coke. Patreon Bonus: Getting Schooled by Kaitlyn Schiess, Faith & Capitalism 101 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/68383122 News Segment 0:00 - Intro 1:28 - Kaitlyn's travelogue 6:54 - Phil's travelogue 20:03 - America after Roe 44:28 - America growing apart Interview with Amy Sherman Amy Sherman - https://sagamoreinstitute.org/bio-amy-sherman/ "Agents of Flourishing" - https://amzn.to/3HZZdtp 57:07 - Amy Sherman intro 59:02 - Jeremiah 29:7 1:05:27 - Royal priesthood 1:10:08 - Community endowments 1:13:24 - Understanding flourishing 1:24:09 - Ethics and Christian influence Other resources referenced in episode: "Roe Is Reversed, and the Right Isn't Ready" by David French (The Dispatch) - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/roe-is-reversed-and-the-right-isnt "America is Growing Apart, Possibly for Good" by Ronal Brownstein (The Atlantic) - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/06/red-and-blue-state-divide-is-growing-michael-podhorzer-newsletter/661377/ "No Future Without Forgiveness" by Desmond Tutu - https://amzn.to/3nof6R3 The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the state of Maine cannot exclude private schools from its voucher program simply because they are religious. David French explains the ruling and how it fits into decades of pro-religious liberty wins. Skye Jethani asks how the courts define "religion" and why secular philosophy has an unfair advantage in public schools. Then, the January 6th hearings are revealing how people within Trump's party and administration thwarted his attempts to reverse the outcome of the election. They've testified about his lies and his illegal actions. So why do so many of them say they'll still vote for him in 2024? French and Jethani discuss how the GOP can move on from Donald Trump, why that's unlikely, and the challenges facing both parties in the next election. 0:00 - Intro 00:38 - Carson v. Makin and school choice 32:23 - Jan. 6th hearings and future of the GOP 1:06:38 - Credits "Mike Pence and the Christian Conflict on January 6" by David French (The Dispatch) - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-profound-christian-conflict-on David French: https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench

A recent article in the Atlantic reveals how the political polarization in the United States is now tearing evangelical churches apart. And Marvin Olasky, the former editor of World Magazine, writes about the dramatic change he witnessed among evangelicals over his long career. Drawing from thousands of letters he received, Olasky concludes, "The Republican party platform has become more important than the gospel for many who identify as evangelicals." Special guest co-host Drew Dyck joins Phil and Skye to discuss the articles. Then, president of Barna research, David Kinnaman, is back with more stats to unpack. With a record number of pastors thinking seriously about quitting, and political polarization listed among the top reasons, Kinnaman says the church is facing a crisis of discipleship. He believes we need a political theology that's rooted in the gospel rather than partisanship. But is it too late? Also this week, fear over climate change is making progressives question the morality of having kids. And, South Korean college students are flush with cash. News Segment 0:00 - Intro 4:24 - News of the Butt 9:54 - Climate change and having kids 20:15 - How politics poisoned the evangelical church 30:47 - Evangelical Christianity in the age of Trump Sponsors 57:08 - World Relief worldrelief.org/holypost 59:04 - Faithful Counseling faithfulcounseling.com/holypost Barna Brief with David Kinnaman 1:00:14 - Barna Brief intro 1:01:32 - Data on pastors considering quitting 1:04:23 - Reason 1: Stress of job 1:06:20 - Reason 2: Loneliness 1:09:54 - Reason 3: Political division 1:21:05 - Good news in this data? 1:29:42 - Credits Barna Brief links: Barna Group, Faith Leadership in a Divided Culture https://shop.barna.com/products/faith-leadership-in-a-divided-culture Resilient Pastor Cohort (discount code is HOLYPOST15): barna.com/cohort "The Resilient Pastor" by Glenn Packiam - https://amzn.to/3HK2f4R News segment links: "South Korean Toilet Allows Students to Pay With Their Poop" - https://interestingengineering.com/south-korean-toilet-allows-students-to-pay-with-their-poop "Your Kids are Not Doomed" by Ezra Klein (NYT Opinion) -https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/opinion/climate-change-should-you-have-kids.html Andrew Walker tweet - https://twitter.com/andrewtwalk/status/1534136018269614081?s=20&t=Hvg_G52SvOYW0k8HIoNQRQ "How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church" by Tim Alberta (The Atlantic) - https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/06/evangelical-church-pastors-political-radicalization/629631/ "The Sixty Years' War: Evangelical Christianity in the Age of Trump" by Marvin Olasky (National Review) - https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2022/06/27/the-sixty-years-war-evangelical-christianity-in-the-age-of-trump/ The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Responses to the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have continued, and there's renewed hope for policy changes. This week, Jo Saxton joins Phil and Skye as a guest co-host to discuss a series of articles from African-American and global Christian leaders about the need to rethink both America's gun policies and the American church's gun culture. Then, BibleProject co-founders, Jon Collins and Tim Mackie, talk with Skye about how their work has shifted from just teaching what's in the Bible to teaching people how to read the Bible. Their new app and podcast series is designed to help us see the Bible as brilliant literature, and not just a depository of quick answers to life's problems. Also this week, should we be concerned that more people are having wedding ceremonies to marry themselves? Holy Post merchandise - https://www.holypost.com/shop Getting Schooled by Kaitlyn Schiess: Political Theology 101 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/67787080/ BibleProject Patreon Bonus - https://www.patreon.com/posts/67787175/ News Segment 0:00 - Intro 4:10 - Sologamy?? 13:49 - Guns in the home 20:39 - Guns and cars 26:00 - Global perspective on America's gun culture 36:12 - Gun violence and the theology of evil 44:52 - Guns and church 54:44 - Holy Post Announcements Interview with Jon Collins and Tim MackieBibleProject: bibleproject.com BibleProject App: https://bibleproject.com/app/ BibleProject Podcast: https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/ 57:09 - Jon Collins and Tim Mackie interview intro 1:00:26 - BibleProject shift toward how to read the Bible 1:06:39 - Bible literacy in America 1:19:38 - Literary beauty in the Bible Articles mentioned in news segment: "Sologamy: India woman's plan to 'marry herself' sparks debate" - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61671032 "Injuries and deaths due to firearms in the home"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9715182/ "What would it mean to treat guns the way we treat cars?" (Vox) - https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23151852/gun-violence-cars-crashes-firearms-deaths-youth "This Love of Guns: It's Way Beyond Our Understanding" by Matthew Soerens (Christianity Today) - https://www.christianitytoday.com/better-samaritan/2022/june/this-love-of-guns-its-way-beyond-our-understanding.html "What Supporters of Gun Rights Mean When They Talk About 'Evil'" by Esau McCalley (NYT Opinion) - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/10/opinion/mass-shooting-evil.html "White Churches, It's Time to Go Pro-Life on Guns" by Charlie Dates (Christianity Today) - https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/june-web-only/uvalde-school-shooting-chicago-go-pro-life-gun-violence.html

Christians who oppose more restrictive gun control policies say we have a God-given constitutional right to self-defense. But is there any evidence to back this claim? With Christian and Kaitlyn both in Europe, Phil and Skye invite Mike Erre from the Voxology podcast to fill the empty co-host chair. Mike looks at the biblical texts cited by gun advocates and says that even if self-defense can be justified, for the Christian it is not a "right." Then, Skye talks to Lina AbuJamra about her book, "Fractured Faith: Finding Your Way Back to Faith in an Age of Deconstruction." Like so many, AbuJamra entered a season of significant doubt not because of anti-Christian messages from the culture, but after experiencing a toxic leadership culture at her church. She shares what restored her faith, the danger of false expectations, and why honesty about our disillusionment is the first step. Also this week—California declares that bees are fish, and scientists accidentally create murder hamsters. What could possibly go wrong? Holy Post 10th Anniversary Merch: https://www.holypost.com/shop News Segment: 0:00 - Intro 4:18 - Bees are fish https://gizmodo.com/bees-fish-california-conservation-endangered-specie-1849009597 9:11 - Murder hamsters https://boingboing.net/2022/05/29/scientists-accidentally-made-a-vicious-mutant-attack-hamster.html 14:55 - Re: French Friday episode on gun control French Friday: Debating Gun Control - https://www.holypost.com/post/french-friday-debating-gun-control 19:39 - Constitutional right to self-defense? The Federalist Papers: No 46 - https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed46.asp 27:05 - Biblical right to self-defense? 46:53 - Thoughts and prayers Sponsor 51:28 - Faithful Counseling faithfulcounseling.com/holypost Interview with Lina AbuJamra: "Fractured Faith: Finding Your Way Back to God in an Age of Deconstruction" - https://amzn.to/3xqCiEa Living with Power - https://www.livingwithpower.org 52:38 - Lina AbuJamra intro 54:44 - Journey that led to deconstruction 1:02:20 - False expectations 1:08:10 - American evangelical leadership crisis 1:15:23 - Honesty in disillusionment 1:24:56 - Credits Other resources mentioned: Voxology podcast - https://voxologypodcast.com The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.