Mike Erre joins Phil and Skye to discuss a New York Times column by David Brooks. He says America's divisions will only heal when we abandon shallow labels and war metaphors, and instead see one another as fellow pilgrims on a journey. America's Catholic bishops issue a stern rebuke of the Trump administration's dehumanizing rhetoric and policies, which makes Phil wonder why evangelical leaders can't do the same. Then, Skye talks to Kentucky's Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, about why he's so...
Nov 19, 2025•1 hr 26 min
The Democratic Party swept the off-cycle elections last week, but this isn't the first blue wave we've seen in the Trump era. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss what it means and the significance of New York City electing a Muslim, democratic socialist as mayor. Does Mamdani represent the death of New York, and possibly America, as one Baptist leader claims? Old Testament scholar Carmen Imes is back to discuss why she hasn't given up on the church, and we shouldn't either. Her new book is "Becoming...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Open Nazi rhetoric is gaining traction on the right, and the response from conservative institutions has been inconsistent at best. Skye and David trace the roots of the problem, the incentives that fueled it, and the late-breaking backlash that may signal a tipping point. They also look at ICE's increasingly aggressive "Kavanaugh stops," the risks of expanding executive power, and why election integrity could be threatened when extremism and state authority begin to reinforce each other. Want t...
Nov 07, 2025•28 min
A new survey finds that moderately religious Americans are the most likely to say that they see dead people. Which raises a question—why are the non-religious and the very religious less likely to report encounters with the departed? New York Times columnist Ezra Klein says that by over-emphasizing inclusivity, the Democratic Party has ironically become less inclusive. And Ryan Burge looks at the numbers behind the party's growing "God problem." Will the Democrats ever figure out how to compete ...
Nov 05, 2025•1 hr 29 min
This week is Halloween, and on this special episode recorded with a live audience, the Holy Post hosts discuss why our culture isn't afraid of monsters and demons anymore. How did all of our pop culture heroes and villains become morally ambiguous? Also, would communal living solve our loneliness epidemic? Kaitlyn is all for it, but Skye isn't so sure. Also this week—audience Q&A, Phil, Skye, Kaitlyn, and Esau play a game of true confessions, and Phil's favorite news segment comes full circl...
Oct 29, 2025•1 hr 22 min
A recent article tries to explain why so many politically active Christians behave unchristianly in the public square by differentiating "vertical" and "horizontal" sources of morality. The Holy Post crew examines the argument and finds it weak. Has MAGA ignited a revival in the U.S.? David French says we may be confusing a political revolution for a spiritual revival. Jamin Goggin joins Skye to discuss recovering the practice of confession in our churches. Goggin says it should start with pasto...
Oct 22, 2025•1 hr 26 min
In a series of invitation-only, off-the-record lectures about Christianity, technology billionaire Peter Thiel said the antichrist is trying to regulate technology and billionaires. Which raises the question—Why do we always remake Christ in our image and the antichrist in our enemies'? Gen Z is making conservative Christianity more angry, intolerant, and illiberal. What's fueling the younger generation's interest in religious fundamentalism? Counter-terrorism expert Elizabeth Neumann is back to...
Oct 15, 2025•1 hr 27 min
For the first time ever, the U.K. has appointed a woman as the Archbishop of Canterbury to lead the global Anglican Communion. Kaitlyn, Skye, and Mike Erre discuss the implications of appointment and how Anglicans use "flying bishops" to maintain unity over divisive theological issues. Are there lessons here for other divided Christian communities? The latest "State of Theology" report shows a shocking number of evangelicals hold contradictory beliefs. Why are evangelical churches so bad at teac...
Oct 08, 2025•1 hr 30 min
After a South African pastor claimed that Christ would come for his church on September 23, TikTok became rapture obsessed. Mike Erre joins Skye and Kaitlyn to discuss our ongoing fixation with this bad theology, why people get caught up in rapture predictions, and how it damages the credibility of the faith. Kaitlyn talks to Medieval scholar, Grace Hamman, about her new book, "Asks of Old Paths." Hamman says Medieval literature is rich in wisdom for modern Christians on how to define a good lif...
Oct 01, 2025•1 hr 28 min
The memorial service for Charlie Kirk revealed a deep contradiction with the MAGA movement. Kirk's widow was cheered when she forgave his assassin and modeled Jesus' command to love your enemies. But the crowd also cheered when Stephen Miller and President Trump dehumanized their opponents and expressed hatred for their enemies. Esau McCaulley joins Phil and Skye to discuss the tension between Christian love and pagan power. Also this week, Dr. Terence Lester tells his inspiring story in his new...
Sep 24, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Last week, a gunman in Utah killed Charlie Kirk on a college campus. Rather than uniting the country against political violence, Kirk's assassination has only made divisions wider. Some on the left celebrated his death, saying he reaped what he sowed, while some on the right, including the President, are calling for retribution against all leftists. One of the few voices trying to lower the temperature has been Utah's Republican governor, Spencer Cox, who lamented the polarizing influence of soc...
Sep 17, 2025•1 hr
Following the school shooting in Minneapolis, The Christian Post has offered a definitive answer for why these massacres keep happening and why gun restrictions won't work—people are evil. But why don't politically conservative Christians apply this logic to any other issues? Surprising new data show that more young men than women want to be parents one day, and there's a growing trend of single men becoming fathers by choice. What does this reveal about our society and the breakdown of dating a...
Sep 10, 2025•1 hr 24 min
Is unity in the church still possible when everyone is so divided? At the Legacy Conference in Chicago, Beth Moore joins Esau, Kaitlyn, and Skye to wrestle with what it means to remain in community with believers we deeply disagree with. Together they explore why purity tests are dividing Christians online, how cynicism masquerades as wisdom, and why endless outrage is not a productive way to go through life. Plus, some Q and A with the audience, and humpback whales may be the key to solving the...
Sep 03, 2025•1 hr 16 min
James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, died this week. Critics are saying Dobson was the "godfather of child abuse," while his fans are saying he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of evangelicalism. Who's right? Phil, Skye, and Mike Erre discuss Dobson's legacy and why the controversial conservative is secretly responsible for the creation of VeggieTales. Rising political social media star and Texas state representative, James Talarico, joins Skye to talk about his faith and what makes hi...
Aug 27, 2025•1 hr 36 min
New data shows the nations with the highest standards of living are seeing the sharpest declines in wellbeing, while people in poorer countries are reporting more happiness. What's going on? David Brooks' recent article looked at data from 142 countries, and he concludes that spirituality and social connection, not just wealth, are critical to human flourishing. In related news, since legalizing euthanasia in 2016 and expanding access to it, Canada has seen an alarming trend. Then, it's been 100...
Aug 20, 2025•1 hr 29 min
The Holy Post crew is suspicious of a new study that finds MAGA supporters score higher in authoritarianism, social dominance, and malevolent personality traits, while liberals score higher in compassion and empathy. Church planter, Brad Edwards, says many of us hold beliefs, language, and values that sabotage our ability to benefit from participation in a church. He talks to Kaitlyn about his new book, "The Reason for Church," and why our anti-institutional instincts are self-defeating. Also th...
Aug 13, 2025•1 hr 27 min
A whites-only community has launched in Arkansas under the legal guise of a "private membership association." The founders claim it's about preserving culture, but Skye and Phil aren't buying it. Then, Brent Leatherwood, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy arm, has resigned after years of pressure from hardline conservatives. What does his departure reveal about the denomination's political realignment? And, this week's guest is Brandon O'Brien, author of The Strategically Sm...
Aug 06, 2025•1 hr 21 min
CBS has cancelled the top-rated late-night talk show. Was it really a financial decision, or was it done to get the Trump administration to approve a corporate merger? And will Stephen Colbert now come on the Holy Post? Horrific images of starvation are coming out of Gaza as pressure builds on the Israeli government to end the war, but when does pro-Palestinian activism cross the line into antisemitism? Historian Molly Worthen's new book, "Spellbound," explains how charismatic political and reli...
Jul 30, 2025•1 hr 24 min
Why is our society so fractured and angry? David Brooks' recent article draws from the work of moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre to explain how we got here, but what is the solution? With the growth of A.I., some Christians think technology may be how God redeems humanity and gives us eternal life. But is this still Christianity or a strange new Silicon Valley heresy? Kaitlyn talks to Daniel Lee Hill about his latest book, "Bearing Witness: What the Church Can Learn from Early Abolitionists."...
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 28 min
The IRS has decided churches are no longer prohibited from endorsing political candidates. Is this a win for free speech or a reason for some churches to become even more partisan? The Department of Homeland Security has released a creepy new promotional video that uses the Bible to frame border security as a mission from God. The Christian who gave George W. Bush the idea of "compassionate conservatism" says the passing of the Big Beautiful Bill marks the end of an era for the GOP. Professor Ry...
Jul 16, 2025•1 hr 30 min
When George W. Bush created the PEPFAR program in 2003, it was celebrated by evangelical leaders and has saved more than 26 million lives in Africa from HIV/AIDS. So why weren't evangelicals outraged when Donald Trump killed PEPFAR, which has already resulted in over 75,000 deaths since January? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack the arguments for and against PEPFAR, and how evangelical support for "small government" only applies to some programs. Then, Katilyn talks to Sharon Hodde Miller about wha...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 26 min
With Phil on vacation, Kaitlyn and Esau join Skye to talk about the Supreme Court's ruling that public schools must allow students to opt out of gender or sexuality content that may contradict the religious beliefs of their families. At the same time, more Americans say public schools should hire chaplains to offer spiritual guidance to students. With schools increasingly becoming the front line in the culture war, can public education survive? Then, Skye talks to Rachel Martin, the co-creator o...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Nothing fires up the End Times industry faster than America dropping bombs in the Middle East. After President Trump decided to attack Iran's nuclear facilities this weekend, YouTube was flooded with convoluted and contradictory videos on the biblical implications of the war. But if this really is a prelude to Christ's return, as many online end timers claim, why are they stoking panic and fear? Shouldn't Christians welcome this news? Skye talks to Senator Chris Coons about how his faith informs...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 9 min
It was a wild weekend. Donald Trump presided over a military parade on his birthday while an estimated 5 million Americans protested around the country. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the optics of both events and ask, with America's divided politics and media silos, is protesting still effective? They also unpack a new article by Abby McCloskey in CT that argues evangelicalism's focus on a private, personalized faith undermines learning, curiosity, and exercising the mind. Then, theologian and...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's immigration policies have turned violent, but will the images of vandalism and attacks on police actually help the President? And Phil asks if there is any way to prevent necessary mass protests from becoming violent. One of the most respected Bible scholars of the last century has passed away. Old Testament professor Walter Bruggemann contrasted the world's vision of scarcity with God's kingdom of abundance, but Kaitlyn thinks his under...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 20 min
In the past, debates over worship styles were often marked by generational differences; however, a new article suggests that this is changing. For Gen Z, worship preferences may be dividing along gender lines instead. For younger Christians, is CCM from Venus and liturgy from Mars? Drew Dyck joins Skye and Kaitlyn to discuss the evidence, the implications, and the solution for the worship gender divide. Then, Kaitlyn interviews Patrick Miller about his new book with co-author Keith Simon, "Joyfu...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 32 min
Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye respond to questions from the listeners, including whether lay people should go to seminary, how important is attending a church after being hurt by one, and whether Christians should make violent video games. They also venture into theological topics like what pronouns are appropriate for God, what doctrines do we emphasize too much, and why they all think telling kids to "ask Jesus into your heart" is a bad idea. The crew also revisits the topic of Project 2025 and whet...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Why are more churches rediscovering and reciting the Nicene Creed? And what can the ancient articulation of Christian belief offer the church in these divided times? Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss the 1700th anniversary of the creed and its place in the modern church. The Bible is critical to our faith, but have we been taught to worship the Bible rather than the God of the Bible? Dave Ripper, the author of "Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus," explains how Dallas Willard engaged the...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 29 min
We have a pope and he's American! Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago is now Pope Leo XIV, and his connection to The Holy Post is closer than anyone imagined. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss reactions to the new Pope and the significance of his name. Katelyn Beaty is back to discuss the evolution of the Q Conference, led by Gabe and Rebekah Lyons. Why has an event that started almost 20 years ago with a positive vision of Christian cultural engagement for the common good now shifted to embrace ...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 28 min
The White House is facing backlash for posting an AI image of Donald Trump as the Pope. Was it a careless joke or a calculated distraction? The most extensive study of its kind finds that the world's largest Muslim country far outranks the United States in human flourishing, and also explains why secular elites are discovering a new respect for religion. But is there more than a practical purpose behind faith? Historian Beth Allison Barr is back to discuss her latest book, "Becoming the Pastor's...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 34 min
