Faith Angle

In this episode, we are joined again by Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Michael Wear of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, to discuss Michael's brand new book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. Michael has been engaging the condition of American politics for more than 15 years, after serving in the White House, helping to launch and lead the AND Campaign, and advising leading policymakers, journalists, practitioners at the intersection of faith and public policy. 

Drawing from this experience as well as the work and influence of noteworthy Christian philosopher Dallas Willard, Michael argues that our politics will only get better if we get better. The only way to transcend the current polarized morass we’re in is to deepen and revitalize our spiritual formation. Our politics is downstream of the kind of people we are.

The Spirit of Our Politics argues that the way forward is to better align our political and civic engagement with our religious commitments. And while the democratic answer for believers is never theonomy, or Christian nationalism, or privileging a majority identity—Michael and Tim sketch the contours of what faithful, integrated living might produce.

 

Guests:

Michael Wear 

Tim Alberta 

 

Additional Resources:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear 

The Center for Christianity & Public Life

The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta

"The Surprising Link between the Gospel and Politics," by Michael Wear

Wear We Are Podcast, with Michael and Melissa Wear 

"Tim Alberta and Michael Wear: The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory," Faith Angle podcast episode  

On today’s episode, we are joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig for an Advent reflection with Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, assistant pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Rev. Isaac is an evangelical pastor whose life and ministry have been rooted in Bethlehem in the West Bank, where he is a theologian, Bible college dean, a leader of the peacebuilding initiative Christ at the Checkpoint, and part of the ancient but fast-dwindling community of Christians in the Holy Land. This Christmas, as there is war in the Holy Land, this sobering conversation points to the hope of the Incarnation in the midst of suffering—offered from a unique vantage point and moment, in the place of Christ’s birth.

 

Guests:

Munther Isaac

Elizabeth Bruenig

 

Additional Resources:

The Other Side of the Wall: A Christian Palestinian Narrative of Lament and Hope, by Munther Isaac

"Christmas is canceled in the land of Jesus' birth," by Queen Rania Al Abdullah in The Washington Post 

"In Bethlehem, the home of Jesus' birth, a season of grieving for Palestinian Christians," by Laura King in The Los Angeles Times

On this episode Tim Alberta and Michael Wear dig deep into Alberta's new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. Their discussion covers the shaping of the religious and political expression of American evangelicalism in the latter half of the 20th century until today, including the movement's most influential leaders. They explore how Tim's personal experiences as a pastor's son give his journalism and coverage a unique urgency, and they highlight crucial questions of truth, accountability, and priorities within the evangelical community and in American society more broadly.

 

Guests:

Tim Alberta

Michael Wear

 

Additional Resources:

The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta

NPR "Fresh Air" interview with Tim Alberta
"The Long Game" interview with Tim Alberta
Christianity Today Russell Moore Show interview with Tim Alberta
The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear 

Author McKay Coppins sits down with Peter Baker of The New York Times to discuss Coppins' best-selling biography Romney: A Reckoning, which offers an intimate look into the life and career of Senator Mitt Romney. Coppins explains the unique process of creating the book, which reads like an authorized biography, but over which he retained editorial privileges. Coppins explains how Romney's faith influenced his political and personal life, and the thread of rationalization toward self-interest that marked Romney's career and that of so many other politicians. Coppins and Baker also discuss Romney's complex relationship with Donald Trump, including Trump's endorsement of Romney in 2012, and Romney's later criticism of former President Trump and failed attempts to derail his candidacy.

 

Explored in the conversation are aspects of Romney’s life not commonly known, but that Coppins had access to through 45 one-on-one conversations as well as unvarnished journal entries and other correspondence. Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times, praises Coppins' book for the unique lens it provides into the inner workings of Washington and the Republican party in the Trump era.

 

Guests

McKay Coppins

Peter Baker

 

Additional Reading

Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins 

"What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins 

The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

 

In this episode, Luke Russert discusses his new book Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, a reflection on grief, family legacy, religious exploration, and the loss of Luke's father, legendary journalist Tim Russert. Luke is joined by Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Editor of RealClearPolitics, who shares from his own experience with family bonds, faith, loss, and his personal friendship with Luke's father.

 

Guests

Luke Russert

Carl Cannon

 

Additional Resources

Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, by Tim Russert

Best selling author and columnist David Brooks sits down with noted psychiatrist Curt Thompson to discuss Brooks' latest book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.

Brooks' aim is to help foster deeper connections at home, work, and throughout our lives, and he and Thompson cover a lot of ground. From thoughts on friendship, depression, what it means to really listen, and how we reflect God, there's a lot here. It's a generous conversation, and one that we hope offers a kind of relational balm in our troubled time.

Guests:
David Brooks.
Curt Thompson

Additional Resources:

• How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
• The Second Mountain, by David Brooks
• The Social Animal, by David Brooks
• The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope, by Curt Thompson

Christine Emba's recent piece for The Washington Post, "Men Are Lost. Here's a Map out of the Wilderness.," says something haunting about the state of gender dynamics in the country and something both our guests remind us matters equally to men and women alike. On this episode, Christine joins noteworthy scholar Richard Reeves, who recently launched the American Institute for Boys and Men. Not only do they explore their timely scholarship and writing on this topic, but they also engage the nuanced role that faith and religious institutions play in it. 

 

Guests

Christine Emba 

Richard Reeves

 

Additional Resources 

"Men Are Lost. Here Is a Map out of the Wilderness.," by Christine Emba 

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine Emba 

Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves 

"How to Solve the Education Crisis for Boys and Men," TED Talk by Richard Reeves 

Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves 

In 2009, Newsweek magazine called David Saperstein the most influential rabbi in America. For over 40 years, he was the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, becoming America's chief diplomat on religious liberty issues. He was the first chairman in 1998 of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Joining Rabbi Saperstein is a brilliant journalist for The Atlantic, McKay Coppins, who writes regularly on politics, faith, presidential campaigns, and other stories of compelling human interest. 

 

Guests

Rabbi David Saperstein

McKay Coppins

 

Additional Resources 

"What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins

Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins 

Interview with Rabbi David Saperstein

 

In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting two brilliant thinkers on the state of race in America, and how a faith angle fits into that. Ekemini Uwan is a writer, public theologian, and activist who hosts the excellent podcast Truth’s Table. She co-wrote a book by that title, featuring Black women’s musings on life, love, and liberation. Joining Ekemini is Eugene Scott, who has been a prior guest journalist on Faith Angle’s podcast, and is currently the senior politics reporter at Axios.

 

Sixty years after the March on Washington and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, how are we doing? At the outset of an election year, this conversation dives straight into that question—with signs of some real progress and signs of much, much work yet ahead.

 

Guests

Ekemini Uwan

Eugene Scott 

 

Additional Resources 

Truth's Table Podcast Series, co-hosted by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson 

Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation, by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson 

"How Toni Morrison's words pierced me, as a black Christian female writer," by Ekemini Uwan

"Black Florida lawmakers blast DeSantis over AP African American studies," by Eugene Scott 

"Black lawmakers push Congress to do more on police reform," by Eugene Scott 

This episode explores how the arts can help us transcend some of the worries in contemporary society, from polarization and entrenched tribalism, to our massive decline in public trust, to informational rabbit holes, to other discouraging and sometimes heartbreaking news. How do stories help us renew?  

 

This conversation was originally featured at Faith Angle West 2023 in Seattle, WA. and the full-length talk is linked below. Alissa Wilkinson has covered film and culture since 2016 for Vox, and she been a prolific film critic since a decade prior. Brad Winters – who speaks immediately following Alissa – is a writer, producer, and showrunner who helped direct and oversee TV dramas including “Oz” (where he started his career as a writer), “Boss,” “The Americans,” “The Sinner,” and “Berlin Station.” So we’ll hear Alissa’s reflections about how faith and Hollywood relate to one another, followed by Brad’s take as an on-set practitioner—about how he’s tried to stay true.  

 

Guests

Alissa Wilkinson 

Bradford Winters 

 

Additional Resources

"Storytelling and Hollywood," full Faith Angle West 2023 session 

"Jesus Is Calling...on Netflix's 'Beef'" in Christianity Today 

"Lessons from a Barbenheimer Summer," by Alissa Wilkinson