What happens when a Muslim mayor-elect treats identity as a bridge, not a brand? In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson explores the story of Zoran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor-elect—a politician who turned identity into empathy and faith into fluency. RNS reporters Fiona André and Ulaa Kuziez join to unpack how Mamdani built a multifaith, multiethnic coalition that stretched from mosques to churches to fried chicken shops across Queens. They trace how his campaign refused to hide his Muslim identity but refused to be defined by it, focusing instead on rent, childcare, and transit—the everyday issues that knit a city together. Along the way, they examine how Mamdani faced Islamophobia head-on, speaking plainly about belonging, and why his victory feels like a new chapter in American politics—one grounded less in performance and more in trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a dusty parking lot, worship meets organizing as a community faces ICE—and refuses to disappear. In Vista, California, a Catholic parish that worships outdoors has become a refuge and a rallying point: 13,000 people on a weekend, 900 volunteers, a crucifix chainsaw-carved by parishioners, and a pastor urging his flock to show up when it counts. Religion News Service reporter Aleja Hertzler-McCain takes us there: to St. Francis festivities packed into a too-small sanctuary, catechism teachers calling families one by one, and a congregation navigating grief after COVID while confronting deportations, raids, and fear. We hear how parish leaders organize listening sessions, set up safety patrols, and fill City Hall to push policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement—even as needs outstrip Sunday collections. It’s faith as survival and solidarity, born in a parking lot and carried into public life. If you’ve wondered what “church” looks like in this political moment, this episode offers a grounded, hopeful answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When outrage wins the algorithm, what does faith become? This live conversation from the RNS Symposium at Trinity Commons wrestles with a bracing question: when faith, power, and platform collapse into the same feed, who gets to define what’s sacred? Host Amanda Henderson and guest John Fuglesang trace a line from open-source scripture to televangelist TV to AI resurrecting voices, exploring how media mirrors our clicks—and how those clicks shape the moral imagination we live in. They name the seduction of outrage, the costs of fundamentalism, and a red-letter way forward grounded in humility, service, and care for “the least of these.” Warm, wise, and a little irreverent, this episode invites us to be more mindful about what we amplify and why it matters now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When peacemaking is quiet, stubborn, and deeply human. In this conversation, host Amanda Henderson sits with RNS reporter Claire Giangravè to open the door on Vatican diplomacy during the Gaza cease-fire. We hear about priests who refused to leave a bombed parish that sheltered hundreds, the “Pope’s hour” of daily calls that steadied a frightened community, and the uneasy politics of neutrality when lives are at stake. From Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s gritty, multilingual bridge-building to new Pope Leo’s outreach to Jewish leaders, the episode invites listeners to consider how cease-fire differs from peace—and why slow, persistent, often invisible work still matters. Thoughtful, curious, and politically frustrated? Pull up a chair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the “church of the future” grew up—and owned its past. In the fall of 1975, a youth pastor rented a suburban movie theater and swapped hymns for rock, sermons for storytelling, and pews for folding chairs—calling it seeker friendly. Within a generation, Willow Creek became the blueprint for American megachurches: packed auditoriums, meticulous production, small groups for discipleship, and a marketing mindset that even drew Harvard Business School and Peter Drucker–level attention. Then came 2018: allegations, resignations, collapse, COVID, and a community left to rebuild. As Willow Creek turns 50, Complexified host Amanda Henderson talks with Bob Smietana (who’s covered Willow for decades) and Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute megachurch scholar) about innovation and influence, power and accountability, and what humility-fueled repair looks like after the spectacle. Is the “church of the future” still a future worth having?

A Secretary of War leads worship at the Pentagon—how far can faith go before it becomes policy? Pete Hegseth calls it a “warrior ethos.” Critics call it a constitutional crisis. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Jack Jenkins about the Secretary of War’s efforts to merge his conservative evangelical faith with U.S. military leadership—from worship services inside the Pentagon to viral recruitment videos that pair the Lord’s Prayer with fighter jets. Together they unpack how Hegseth’s theology of power is reshaping one of America’s most secular institutions, what it reveals about Christian nationalism’s hold on the political right, and why it matters for democracy itself.

When the DOJ drops a high-profile case, what truths—and tensions—remain? A clash of cultures, a legal saga, and a spiritual community under scrutiny. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Richa Karmarkar about the Department of Justice’s decision to drop its investigation into the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey—the largest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere. Together, they trace how forced-labor allegations emerged, what “seva” (selfless service) means inside this tradition, and why cultural assumptions about work, visas, and volunteering can misfire in the U.S. context. Along the way, they explore community pride, rising vandalism of Hindu temples, and the complicated intra-Indian debates that shadow the story. It’s an invitation to slow down, listen across differences, and see faith—and labor—more clearly.

What happens when politics steps into the pulpit? The Johnson Amendment has been around since the 1950s, but it’s still a political lightning rod today. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson sits down with RNS columnist and historian Mark Silk to unpack why the IRS recently announced it won’t enforce the law that bars nonprofits and churches from endorsing candidates. What’s at stake when sermons start sounding like campaign rallies? Is this really about religious freedom, political theater, or just another way to keep donors happy? With humor, insight, and some surprising history lessons, we dive into the messy intersection of faith, money, and politics.

What does it mean to mourn someone who thrived on conflict? Charlie Kirk’s assassination sent shockwaves through America’s already polarized political and religious landscape. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana and cultural critic Karen Swallow Prior about Kirk’s complicated legacy. Together they explore his rise among young evangelicals, his merger with Trump-era politics, and the charisma that drew both admiration and outrage. Karen reflects on her personal encounters with Kirk, while Bob examines the broader religious and cultural shifts that made him such a lightning rod. What does it mean to grieve a provocateur, honor free speech, and still name the real harm of incendiary rhetoric?

What do you do when the systems around you feel like they’re crumbling—and calling your senator doesn’t feel like enough? In this heartening episode of Complexified, author and ritual innovator Casper ter Kuile joins Amanda to talk about spiritual practices, civic exhaustion, and why small politics and sacred relationships might be our best tools for weathering chaos. From vigils in a blizzard to midsummer festivals in Brooklyn, this conversation weaves together policy and poetry, tea and transformation, with humor, honesty, and hope. If you’ve ever felt torn between marching in the streets or staying home under a blanket—this one's for you.

In overwhelming times, spiritual practice starts small—and stays true. When the world feels too big to fix, it’s tempting to shut down—or spiral. In this intimate conversation, author and scholar Simran Jeet Singh joins Complexified to talk about what happens when we finally let go of the pressure to save the world, and instead tend to our corner of it with humility, joy, and spiritual grounding. Drawing from Sikh wisdom and his own experience of burnout, Simran invites us to trade ego-driven change for something more lasting: connection, presence, and compassion that transforms us from the inside out. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep caring without collapsing, this one’s for you. Simran Jeet Singh is a scholar, writer, and public advocate known for his work at the intersection of religion, justice, and culture. He is the author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program. A proud Sikh American, Simran writes and speaks widely on equity, empathy, and the power of small, meaningful acts to create lasting change.

What if the most powerful protest starts with getting a good night’s sleep? How do we keep going when everything feels like too much? Union Theological Seminary president Serene Jones joins host Amanda Henderson to talk about navigating trauma, disorientation, and political despair without giving in to collapse. From sleep to protest marches, they explore how small, rooted acts of care can ground us in a moment designed to disempower. If you’ve been wondering what faith looks like when the wheels fall off, this episode is a balm—and a call to stay in the fight.

In this stirring episode of Complexified, we sit down with scholar, poet and community elder Rachel Harding to remember what the Civil Rights Movement was really made of — not just legal wins, but music, food, family and radical hope. Raised among icons and everyday visionaries, Rachel offers a vision for change that begins not in courts, but in kitchens. This is a story about memory and movement, but also about presence — the kind of deep connection to people, place and purpose that makes liberation feel not just possible, but near. If you’re longing for a different way to be human in the chaos, this one’s for you. GUEST: Rachel Elizabeth Harding is a native of Georgia and a writer, historian and poet. Rachel is a specialist in religions of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora and studies the relationship between religion, creativity and social justice activism in cross-cultural perspective. A Cave Canem Fellow, she holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado Boulder. She's the author of A Refuge in Thunder: Candomblé and Alternative Spaces of Blackness (Indiana University Press, 2000) as well as numerous poems and essays. Rachel’s second book, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering (Duke University Press, 2015), combines her own writings with those of her mother, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, on the role of compassion and spirituality in African American social justice organizing.

The complicated legacy of Pope Francis — part reformer, part rule-breaker, and always hard to pin down. Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church — but how far did he really go? In this episode of Complexified, Vatican reporter Claire Giangravè joins host Amanda Henderson to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis. From his early image as a reformer to his efforts to include marginalized communities, we explore the tensions that defined his papacy. Plus, what actually happens when a pope dies — and how a new one is chosen. 00:00 Why Pope Francis Matters 01:52 A Reformer from the Start 03:50 Comfort in Chaos: COVID and Global Nationalism 05:09 LGBTQ+ Catholics and Vatican Politics 07:27 Synodality and Church Governance 09:10 How the Conclave Works 13:07 Language, Power, and Papal Politics 15:04 Divisions and the Future of Catholicism 17:03 Structure vs. Relational Religion

One of the most powerful religious institutions in America is also one of the most chaotic. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), with its billion-dollar budget and massive political influence, operates without centralized authority or even an effective system of accountability. But as the Executive Committee meets in Nashville this week, a long-simmering crisis of governance is coming to a head. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson speaks with RNS reporter Bob Smietana to break down the scandals, factional divides, and power struggles shaping the SBC today. The conversation delves into: The ongoing sexual abuse crisis and why a long-promised list of abusive pastors remains unfinished. Financial scandals involving millions of dollars in mismanagement at SBC institutions. The rising tension between pro-life advocates and abortion abolitionists pushing for extreme policies. The debate over refugee aid, immigration reform, and the SBC’s relationship with the GOP. Why the SBC’s governance model—built on congregational independence—has made oversight nearly impossible. With fights over money, power, and theology unfolding behind closed doors, the SBC’s current turmoil is more than just denominational drama—it’s a mirror of America’s broader political and cultural battles.

USAID has been a pillar of American foreign policy and humanitarian relief for over 60 years, but under the Trump administration’s latest push for government downsizing—driven in part by Elon Musk’s influence—the agency is facing deep cuts that could disrupt life-saving aid in over 100 countries. What does this mean for the millions of people who rely on U.S. support for clean water, healthcare, and disaster relief? And how are faith-based organizations, some of the biggest USAID partners, preparing for a future with drastically reduced funding? In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson sits down with former USAID official Adam Nicholas Phillips to explore the history, purpose, and political pressures surrounding USAID, from its Cold War origins to its vital role in today’s humanitarian crises. They discuss how religious groups—trusted in their communities—are often the backbone of aid delivery, why cutting USAID isn’t just about budget efficiency, and whether resistance movements might emerge to counter these drastic changes. With over 50,000 aid workers already furloughed and countless lives hanging in the balance, this episode unpacks the high-stakes battle over foreign aid, faith-based partnerships, and America’s role on the global stage.

JD Vance took the stage at the March for Life to thunderous applause, positioning himself as a champion of conservative Catholic values. With Republican heavyweights like Ron DeSantis and Mike Johnson in attendance, the rally was a display of political and religious unity—or so it seemed. Just two days later, Vance went on Face the Nation and publicly attacked Catholic bishop, seeming to accuse them of financially benefiting from immigration policies and failing to support law enforcement. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson and RNS journalist Aleja Hertzler-McCain explore the contradictions in Vance’s political and religious journey—his late-in-life conversion to Catholicism, his embrace of Catholic integralism, and his balancing act between conservative ideology and Trump’s agenda. Why did he shift from echoing traditional Catholic rhetoric at the March for Life to distancing himself from the church’s leaders on immigration? What does this reveal about the evolving priorities of the religious right and the tensions between power and principle?

God and Trump collide in a week of political and religious tension, sparked by a prophetic sermon at the National Cathedral. Host Amanda Henderson and RNS Executive Editor Roxanne Stone delve into how this sermon—calling for mercy and justice—reshaped the national discourse and exposed the fractures between competing Christianities. From Trump’s invocation of divine authority to the shifting influence of evangelical power, they explore how faith and politics are shaping America’s identity and future.

"By the grace of God, by Jesus, and Jenny." Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense avoided overt debates on his faith or claims of moral redemption, leaving the politics of his nomination largely unspoken. Amanda Henderson and RNS reporter Jack Jenkins examine how Hegseth’s Christian nationalism, personal controversies, and claims of transformation served as a stormy backdrop to the hearing, raising deeper questions about the unacknowledged intersections of religion, power, and leadership in his path to the Pentagon.

In a bold response to the incoming U.S. president, Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Robert McElroy as Bishop of Washington, D.C., signaling the Vatican’s commitment to immigration, environmental justice and a moral counter to Trump-era politics. RNS Vatican correspondent Claire Giangravè explores the significance of this appointment and its implications for faith and power in the United States.