Today's conversation is about the leadership, faith, historical record, and implications of the national security policy of Ronald Reagan. This exchange between two seasoned national security officials with unusual expertise is rooted in a hot-off-the-press new book, The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink , by Will Inboden, who is joined for this episode by Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations. Guests: Elliott Abrams Will Inboden Additional Resource...
Nov 11, 2022•51 min•Ep. 2
Anne Snyder is one of Faith Angle’s newest Advisory Board members. She currently hosts The Whole Person Revolution podcast, and earlier this year she co-edited a volume entitled Breaking Ground , with over 45 short essays published throughout the pandemic. Spurring today’s conversation, since May 2019 Anne has served as Editor in Chief of Comment Magazine . She is joined by one of its current contributors, Greg Thompson, who is the co-director of Voices Underground, a Pennsylvania-based, HBCU-af...
Oct 31, 2022•47 min
In this episode, Bonnie Kristian discusses her brand new book, Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community . Her haunting phrase, “the knowledge crisis,” was perhaps popularized last year by another compelling book from Jonathan Rauch, the senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Jon’s 2021 book is The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth , and as he explains in more detail, the book describ...
Oct 14, 2022•43 min
In this episode, Paul D. Miller of Georgetown University and Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma sit down for an insightful, timely conversation about Christian nationalism. Highlighting themes from Paul's newly-released book, The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism , both guests offer a historically-rooted definition of Christian nationalism, analyze journalists' coverage of this rapidly-spreading ideology, and explore key differences between Christ...
Sep 16, 2022•48 min
If you’re an evangelical insider, the name Mike Cosper and his “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast series, published by Christianity Today in 2021, is almost certainly familiar for its artful retelling of the story of a Seattle megachurch pastored by Mark Driscoll. In this episode, Cosper, who is the director of podcasting for Christianity Today, is joined by Jon Ward of Yahoo News. Together, they examine what it is about the structure of megachurches that leaves them prone to the quick rise an...
Aug 25, 2022•40 min
On this episode, we are joined by Simran Jeet Singh, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, and Ari Goldman, Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, for a nuanced conversation about American religious pluralism and identity through the lens of Sikh theology and practice. Our guests explore themes from Simran’s recently-released book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life , and discuss how Sikh religion invites us to find joy ...
Aug 09, 2022•43 min
The purpose of Faith Angle is to connect religious leaders with leading journalists, and today's conversation comes at it from both sides. The setting for this conversation was a group of 19 journalists who gathered three days after the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization . This conversation features one of the country’s most thoughtful, publicly-minded evangelical leaders, Dr. Russell Moore, who is now a year into directing the Public Theology Project at Christia...
Jul 26, 2022•54 min
In this episode, twice-elected U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) joins Rev. Dr. Sam Ferguson for a nuanced discussion of power and public service, contemporary media, spiritual disciplines, political stewardship, and the liturgical aspects of social media and public worship. Sen. Sasse names some fascinating things – including when and how he starts the workday; how many Elmers are in his Lutheran circle of grandparent farmers; his perspective on churchgoing; and how he looks back differently, now, ...
Jun 23, 2022•57 min
This episode explores how “masculinity” has shaped elements of white evangelicalism in America. As evangelicals frequently make headlines for their voting patterns and outsized political influence, this discussion will peel back the layers and go deeper—especially on issues of gender equality, racial justice, historic Christian orthodoxy, global expressions of evangelicalism, and the possibilities and limits for evangelical renewal. American evangelicalism is today navigating an important moment...
May 19, 2022•59 min
On this episode, we are joined by Christine Emba, opinion columnist for The Washington Post , and Kimberly June Miller, a licensed marriage and family therapist. Christine has just written a fascinating new book called, Rethinking Sex: A Provocation , which opens with this moral quote: “It is only by asserting one’s humanness every time, in all situations, that one becomes someone rather than something. That, after all, is the core of our struggle.” In this provocative book, Christine raises pro...
Apr 28, 2022•49 min
How much of a role does religion play in the war Vladimir Putin launched in Ukraine? It's a complicated question, but the answer may very well be: more than most Western experts think. Our guests on this episode of the Faith Angle podcast bring decades of military, foreign policy, and peacemaking expertise to help us make sense of the horrible war now unfolding in Ukraine. Dr. Kori Schake is Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and Dr. Chris Seiple is Foun...
Mar 16, 2022•49 min
In this episode, we are joined by a world-class Anglican theologian, Dr. Sarah Coakley, and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker , Eliza Griswold. Dr. Coakley's scholarship looks at the Trinity, "New Asceticism," Christology, power, sexuality, and the distinction of the self. Today, she is continuing her trilogy in systematics, aiming in a forthcoming volume at a robust theological examination of race. In this episode, Dr. Coakley and Eliza connect the wisdom of historic Christ...
Mar 01, 2022•49 min
On February 2, EPPC’s Faith Angle Forum had the privilege of hosting a fascinating online conversation with Dr. Francis Collins, the country’s first Presidentially appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health to have served for more than one administration in that role. Alongside BioLogos president Dr. Deb Haarsma and EPPC Senior Fellow Peter Wehner, who contributes regularly to The Atlantic and New York Times , Dr. Collins joined 11 journalists in conversation that included a firstha...
Feb 16, 2022•41 min
In this episode, Kelefa Sanneh, staff writer for The New Yorker , is joined by John Azumah, Founding Executive Director of the Sanneh Institute, to discuss the legacy and witness of Kelefa's father Lamin Sanneh, a leading expert in Christian theology and missions as well as Christian-Muslim dialogue. Lamin's legacy continues on through the work of the Sanneh Institute, which seeks to educate and equip religious leaders, scholars, academic institutions, and the broader public on Christian and Mus...
Jan 24, 2022•49 min
For this first podcast of the New Year, we are recapping highlights from Faith Angle Europe, a two-day conference of 16 international journalists and 5 speakers in France, with a window into some especially compelling insights that emerged on national populism, anti-Semitism in Europe and particularly France, impact investing and the growth of religion in sub-Saharan Africa, and finally, a big-think conversation about the commonalities faced by creative minorities in a pluralistic world. All thr...
Jan 07, 2022•45 min
In this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Eboo Patel of Interfaith Youth Core sits down with Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali to discuss the possibilities and challenges of interfaith partnerships in today's polarized America, each drawing from the wisdom of their personal Muslim faith. Wajahat points to the obstacles that increasing political division, anti-immigrant discrimination, and bias against those of other faiths pose to robust religious pluralism. While accepting the strain of these...
Nov 29, 2021•55 min
In this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Edward Luce of Financial Times sits down with Bernard-Henri Lévy to discuss Bernard's newest book, The Will to See: Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope. Guests Bernard-Henri Levy Edward Luce Additional Reading The Will to See by Bernard-Henri Levy The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce...
Nov 09, 2021•39 min
On this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Ross Douthat of the New York Times sits down with Ryan T. Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center to discuss Ross's newest book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery. Ross recounts this deeply personal story of loss, wrestling, and overcoming in the midst of a chronic disease, reflecting on how his conviction and rootedness in the Christian story offered strength in the face of felt pain. Guests Ross Douthat Ryan T. Anderson Addit...
Oct 29, 2021•51 min
This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Jonathan Tran of Baylor University and Tina Nguyen of Puck News, who explore themes of Asian American identity, political engagement, and religious formation in the United States. They discuss the development and distortions of the "model minority" myth, the impact of racial binaries on Asian American identity, the political-economic forces of racism in America, and the ways in which Asian American Christian communities are discovering a mor...
Oct 19, 2021•56 min
This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Paul D. Miller of Georgetown University and Nadine Maenza of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. On August 30, the United States' armed forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of a twenty-year war. We can all recall the sickening images and stories that came out of Afghanistan during this period as well as the sobering reality awaiting those left behind. In this episode, our guests consider why...
Sep 23, 2021•57 min
This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Luke Bretherton of Duke Divinity School and Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution, who explore the religious nature of American politics and the political implications of American religion. Drawing from Christian and Muslim political-theological resources, they discuss the roots (on both the left and right) of today’s increasing pull toward illiberalism, the tendency of religion to take on the role of identity politics, and the mediating ...
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 5 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Fred Davie of Union Theological Seminary and Brent Orrell of the American Enterprise Institute. These scholar-practitioners share their insights on race in America, the condition of the American church, the intrinsic dignity and potential of every individual, the importance of listening even to one’s political opponents, and the search for vocational meaning and purpose. Guests Fred Davie Brent Orrell Links Hardly Working: A Podcast with Bre...
Aug 13, 2021•58 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by John C. Green and Elizabeth Bruenig to discuss John's most recent book Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics . Guests John C. Green Elizabeth Bruenig Links Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics Evening Conversation with James K.A. Smith and Elizabeth Bruenig Follow us | faithangle.org...
Jun 09, 2021•50 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Robert P. Jones and Jon Ward to discuss Robert's book White Too Long . Guests Robert P. Jones Jon Ward Links White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity The End of White Christian America Kindle Edition The Long Game podcast: A conservative Christian book ignites debate over reparations — and faith itself Follow us | faithangle.org...
May 19, 2021•46 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Andrew T. Walker and Haley Byrd Wilt to discuss Andrew's new book Liberty for All . Guests Andrew T. Walker Haley Byrd Wilt Links Liberty for All: Defending Everyone's Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age A Bipartisan Effort to Aid the Uyghurs Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement Follow us | faithangle.org...
May 05, 2021•53 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Curtis Chang and Julie Zauzmer to discuss the relationship between Christians and the COVID-19 vaccines. Guests Curtis Chang Julie Zauzmer Links Christians and the Vaccine When will kids be vaccinated? Post reporters answer questions about the virus in the D.C. region HHS Partnership Center Special Feature: Dr. Francis Collins + Pastor Rick Warren Language of God podcast: Curtis Chang & David French | Christians & the Vaccine Follow ...
Mar 31, 2021•47 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast we present the audio from our most recent virtual event, New Tests for American Pluralism , which featured Mark Labberton and Matthew Kaemingk to discuss the question: Does religion fundamentally undermine political democracy, or enhance it? Speakers Mark Labberton Matthew Kaemingk Links Conversing podcast Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear America Without God Follow us | fa...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 24 min
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we reflect on the life and work of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020) Links How we can face the future without fear, together | Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Morality in the 21st Century Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times "Why I am a Jew" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Morality and the Common Good Follow us | faithangle.org...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr
This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by David French and Ruth Graham to discuss divisions in modern America. Guests David French Ruth Graham Links Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism The French Press Follow us | faithangle.org...
Jan 25, 2021•56 min
James Davison Hunter, one of the nation's foremost sociologists, sits down with NYT and Atlantic contributor Pete Wehner for a big-think conversation about our present cultural moment. A new IASC survey of 2,205 Americans, which James recently co-authored, argues that present-day American fracture along racial, religious, and political lines is more culturally profound and consequential than we think. With that springboard James offers a "climatological" view of present-day reality. Guests James...
Jan 13, 2021•54 min
