

The Bad Roman
Craig Harguess
Are you a Christian who feels disillusioned by politics?
Do you see political systems—whether democratic, authoritarian, or otherwise—promising change but often leaving you unfulfilled? As followers of Christ, our calling isn’t tied to any earthly power; it’s to live like Jesus, no matter the political landscape.
On this podcast, we explore what it means to set aside man-made allegiances—be they national, partisan, or ideological—and instead take up the Cross. Host Craig Harguess, a former neoconservative Southern Baptist Republican turned pacifist and Christian Voluntaryist, delves into the complex relationship between faith and political power. Through conversations with everyday Christians, church leaders, and even non-Christians, we challenge the ways politics can distract us from God’s work. True change starts where we are—because when we live like Christ, the world around us shifts, regardless of who holds power.
New episodes release bi-weekly.
Learn more at www.thebadroman.com.
Do you see political systems—whether democratic, authoritarian, or otherwise—promising change but often leaving you unfulfilled? As followers of Christ, our calling isn’t tied to any earthly power; it’s to live like Jesus, no matter the political landscape.
On this podcast, we explore what it means to set aside man-made allegiances—be they national, partisan, or ideological—and instead take up the Cross. Host Craig Harguess, a former neoconservative Southern Baptist Republican turned pacifist and Christian Voluntaryist, delves into the complex relationship between faith and political power. Through conversations with everyday Christians, church leaders, and even non-Christians, we challenge the ways politics can distract us from God’s work. True change starts where we are—because when we live like Christ, the world around us shifts, regardless of who holds power.
New episodes release bi-weekly.
Learn more at www.thebadroman.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 13, 2022 • 1h 4min
Meeting People Where They Are with Justin Cornett of For All Tennessee
In this episode, we take the podcast in a bit of a different direction. We are anarchists, but we've brought in someone who works within the state to improve citizens’ lives through the legislature. Justin Cornett started For All Tennessee so he can act as a go-between from citizens to their representatives.
For All TN listens to citizens’ needs and works to get them taken care of them by passing bills. This organization is different because its members vote on which issues to pursue, and the company is not controlled by money. For more information, visit For All Tennessee or email info@foralltn.org.
At The Bad Roman Project, we wish the state didn't exist. But the fact is, it does. I (Craig) have been learning that people won’t immediately jump to anarchy from their brainwashed state. We have to meet them where they're at. We have to find ways to make them see that they don't want to be controlled by an authority, especially one who only cares about them as long as they're contributing financially to the government.
Part of the work Justin is doing is spreading knowledge to average citizens about the unfair and unconstitutional laws they are abiding by. He opens their eyes to what the government is doing and encourages them to join him in pushing their local representatives in a different direction. This is a step towards freedom, a step towards taking control of what's ruling their lives and realizing how harmful the government is to their community.
For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-48
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com
About our sponsor: Blockchain Trading Co. aims to be the leading DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) in DeFi (Decentralized Finance) by fostering a community for purveyors of fine digital assets. Whether you are new to crypto and DeFi or you've already begun your journey around the block...chain, Blockchain Trading Co. provides you with a community of people passionate about digital assets.

Dec 30, 2021 • 1h 25min
Home School or Public School? 2021 Year End Round Table
For this year’s year-end roundtable (YERT), we have six guests and friends of the podcast, each with a different view on education to have a discussion on homeschooling in 2021.
Our guests are Abbey Cleckner, Kerry Baldwin, Jordan, Nathan Moon, and Chris and Karin Polk, most of who grew up attending public schools. A few of the pannel are, or have been, teachers both within and outside of the public school system. A couple of them currently offer training or courses to adults about how to think for themselves, skills they feel they see as lacking in current public curriculums.
In this episode, we ask questions like, are schools are a training ground for compliant citizens who will pull whatever lever they are told without question? Does the system set teachers and students up to struggle?
Most of the panel currently homeschool their children and view it as the only real way to protect their family values and provide an education tailored to their specific childs’ interests.
They also discuss how formal education influences people’s understandings and perspectives on how the world works, in terms of politics and social structures in society. If our public school system was created to make a compliant labor force, with no desire to question the system or learn on their own, then we must encourage our children to pursue their personal interests, to learn how to think and enable them to with the tools to do it themselves.
Control of our children’s education starts at home. Homeschooling might seem like an impossible dream but, especially in the last couple of years, families of every background have found a way, and there are endless resources for innumerable methods to teach the next generation.
For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-47
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com
About our sponsor: Blockchain Trading Co. aims to be the leading DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) in DeFi (Decentralized Finance) by fostering a community for purveyors of fine digital assets. Whether you are new to crypto and DeFi or you've already begun your journey around the block...chain, Blockchain Trading Co. provides you with a community of people passionate about digital assets.
Join the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/a3Mvb8nukR

Dec 16, 2021 • 1h 2min
Who is Your God? with Ian Minelly
Former Green Beret Ian Minelly joins us in this episode to talk about Christians and the military. Ian joined the army after college because he didn’t have a better direction for his life. After many years, he became a Christian and chose not to reenlist. Ian now serves as a pastor at a Southern Baptist Church, has written several books about different issues, and encourages young Southern Baptist church kids not to join the military.
As Christians, we are called to love, not kill. Ian has seen firsthand how the work our military does is not accomplishing any good; it is harming innocent people -- both the foreign nationals and the US soldiers. He is a Southern Baptist pastor now and works to change people’s perspective on the state and how it relates to Jesus and the church.
For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-46
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com
About our sponsor: Blockchain Trading Co. aims to be the leading DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) in DeFi (Decentralized Finance) by fostering a community for purveyors of fine digital assets. Whether you are new to crypto and DeFi or you've already begun your journey around the block...chain, Blockchain Trading Co. provides you with a community of people passionate about digital assets.
Join the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/a3Mvb8nukR

Dec 2, 2021 • 51min
Radically Following Jesus with Shane Claiborne
In this episode, Shane Claiborne joins us to talk about living like Jesus, abortion, gun violence, Christian nationalism, and whether we should get involved in politics as a way to help others live in freedom.
We know the teachings of Jesus, but what does it look like to actually follow them? How can we care for other humans as God instructed, and how can we do that when we live amidst a corrupt and often unjust government? As Shane points out, “If anybody should be suspicious of state power, it should be Christians who worship an executed and risen savior.” Our Lord was killed by the government. We should not trust in our rulers, but in Him, but, as Shane would argue, we can use their system to help people by getting bad policies changed.
Who is Shane Claiborne? He is a radical advocate for living as if Jesus really meant what He said. He heads up an intentional, simple-living Christian community called Red Letter Christians, and is the co-founder of The Simple Way, an intentional neighborhood-based Christian community in North Philadelphia. Shane has been to jail multiple times while advocating for the poor and against war. You can connect with him on his personal website, Twitter, email, and Instagram.
For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-45
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com
About our sponsor: Blockchain Trading Co. aims to be the leading DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) in DeFi (Decentralized Finance) by fostering a community for purveyors of fine digital assets. Whether you are new to crypto and DeFi or you've already begun your journey around the block...chain, Blockchain Trading Co. provides you with a community of people passionate about digital assets.
Join the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/a3Mvb8nukR

Nov 18, 2021 • 46min
Love without Politics with Bruxy Cavey
Bruxy Cavey is a Canadian pastor working with The Meeting House, a church with roots in the Anabaptist movement. He has written a book about having a relationship with Jesus called The End of Religion. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and bruxy.com.
Satan has always been after Christians and works to seduce them with power, he convinces people they can make their country more Christian through politics. He pushes us to seek religion rather than relationships. Bruxy is here today to teach about a different way to change the world-- the way the Anabaptists follow; the way of love and non-violence; the way of Jesus. Anabaptists believe politics has nothing to do with Jesus. We should ignore what the government is doing and focus on our Kingdom mission, which is to love people and introduce them to Love Himself. You can find more about the anabaptists’ background and beliefs here: Radical Reformation Teaching.
Full Show notes: www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/44-love-without-politics-with-bruxy-cavey
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)

Nov 4, 2021 • 50min
Christianity, Anarchism & The Lord of The Rings with Caleb Kesterson
In this episode, Craig speaks with Caleb Kesterson about his journey to Christian-Anarchy, what the Anabaptist can teach us about Christianity, and his articles, Tolkien and the Night Watchmen State and Tolkein and Power.
Caleb is passionate about peace and was raised in Assemblies of God tradition before finding alignment with the anti-war and Jesus-centric approach of the Anabaptist. He now runs a home church, in an effort to foster discipleship and bring the teachings of Christ into the larger society.
Craig and Caleb finish their conversation by exploring Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and what Tolkien has to teach us through the novels about a voluntary society. We all know the books are better than the movies, and thankfully Caleb is here to give us that insight for a Christian-anarchist perspective.
You can connect with Caleb on Twitter @CalebMK5 and find his articles on the Bad Roman Blog.
For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/43-christianity-anarchism-amp-lord-of-the-rings-with-caleb-kesterson
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Oct 21, 2021 • 59min
Is Political Power Devilish with Mark West
In this episode, Craig speaks with author Mark West about his article, Is Political Power Devilish, and his book, What He Said: Living the Sermon on the Mount Transforming American Culture.
As a self-proclaimed Xvangelical(a term for a former Evangelical who now centers all scripture interpretation on the words and actions of Christ, with a focus on living out His kingdom right now), Mark helps us strip back our political attachment to a nation-state so we may return to Christ’s vision for us, not a politician’s.
Mark does not want us to deconstruct our faith, but rather renovate it from its complexities so we can refocus on what Jesus said and did. Christ’s challenge for us is not easy, it is hard to love one’s enemy, to turn the other cheek, to not worry about tomorrow, to not outsource our responsibilities as Christians through electing “Christian” leaders to politics, but our call will always be greater than any nation past or to come. Our King and our Kingdom are not of this world and Mark invites us to rise to this challenge to be the body of Christ in our everyday life, not at a ballot box.
You can connect with Mark and read more of his work at https://mark4libertas.wordpress.com/ and find his book at https://www.markwest-author.com/.
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Oct 7, 2021 • 1h 6min
Is the U.S. Constitution a Christian Document? with Mike Gaddy
“We the People..” have you ever stopped to consider who was included in that “we”?
This week Mike Gaddy returns to discuss the question: Is the Constitution a Christian document? Join us for a trip to 1785 Philadelphia where we look inside “the room where it happened” and uncover the possible motives and supposed religiosity of the 55 white men who devised the system that we, two centuries later, are still trying to untangle our basic Liberties from.
Many Christians on the political right, and even the left, considered the United States Constitution to be a Christian document. Yet, the founders avoided consulting with or even making reference to the teachings of Christ or any Deity, Creator, or Higher Power for that matter, in the formation of the Constitution. When we look at what the founders said and did we are left with a very different image of the motives that may have inspired the document that for too long Christians have been misled to see as divine.
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Sep 23, 2021 • 49min
Christianity in the Eye of the Storm with Jessica Green
Jessica Green has a podcast with Cam Harless. They are “The Mad Ones”, an absurdist comedy duo talking about what happened in politics each week and other silly things. Each episode is sprinkled with “white pill” humor based on the fact that the government is exposing itself as a giant monster, which makes spreading truth and anarchy easier. Give them a listen live on Wednesday nights at 10 pm EST. Jessica herself can be found on Twitter as @soupcanarchist.
In this episode, Jessica joins us to talk about emergency preparedness. Jessica got into this realm herself in 2014 when she got trapped in her apartment by a freak snowstorm in Atlanta with basically no food. Since then, she has moved out to the country, started stocking canned food, gotten chickens, started a garden, and began learning how to live off the land so she will never have to depend on government assistance (which usually proves to be too little too late).
Are you ready for an unexpected event? Look at what happened in Texas, where it never snows. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. There are forces outside of our control that directly affect us daily (weather, financial markets, civil unrest, governmental decrees…). We need to learn survival skills and be ready to come together with our communities so we can get through whatever crisis may come. This episode is a good place to start; Jessica is here to teach us how to take small steps every week that lead to our survival.
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257771975934770 (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

Sep 9, 2021 • 50min
Disestablishmentarianism with Michael Korbel
What is "disestablishmentarianism"? In this episode, Craig speaks with Michael Korbel about his article Against Those Who Are Against the State, where he defines this word(antidisestablishmentarianism) as a mindset of being against those who are against the establishment. Right now, those of us who are refusing to comply with current mandates are being not only ridiculed but actually kicked out of businesses and schools. Together, we explore how we got to this point, what we can do to thrive in this environment, and how understanding the word disestablishmentarianism can help us frame current events.
Michael Korbel is the host of The Invictus Mind podcast where he interviews experts about political, financial, and spiritual freedom for the individual. Invictus is Greek for unconquerable. His main message is that individuals have the power to make changes for themselves in their lives. They just have to take that power from those in the systems who claim it over them.
For full show notes and to learn more about this week's guests please visit thebadroman.com/episodes
Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog
Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links
Want to get more involved? Join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!)
No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com


