In this episode, Barney & Austin stage a head-to-head on whether Christian nationalism is a good thing or not!
It’s time to gather the insights from our past episodes together and see which argument is strongest. Barney takes the “pro-Christian Nationalism” side and Austin takes the “anti-Christian Nationalism” position. Who is going to win?
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: views expressed in this episode do not necessarily represent the real views of the speakers.Resources mentioned in this episode:
Thanks to Jamie Maule for the post-production!
Is Christian nationalism the proper term for what is happening in Russia? What is unique about Putin's claims of civilizational superiority compared with western nations? What does orthodox theology offer into this mix that is distinct from Catholic or Protestant theologies? We talk with Cyril Hovorun to consider these and other questions in the next installment in our series on Christian nationalism.
Stretchy definitions of ‘Nationalism’ can be a useful political tool, says Nick Spencer, senior fellow at Theos Think Tank. People can give a ‘thin’ definition while their actions suggest something ‘thicker’ and more like 19th century definitions. But all Christians want their country run according to Christian values, and no government can avoid having a coercive dimension. Nick gives us a vision of Christian engagement in politics that navigates through the tricky waters of coercion vs. persuasion and offers some much-needed wisdom in the conversation.
"It is a Catholic axiom that in order to lead someone away from error, you must recognize the truth that gives power to the error."
Thus writes Professor Colt Anderson in Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021). In this episode, we ask him how we can take that insight and use it to understand nationalism, especially Catholic nationalism. Anderson is clear that he thinks it is an error. But it also teaches us important things about the priority of the local. Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
The power of the cross is weakness, according to the apostle Paul. How does that idea translate into the dog-eat-dog world of politics?
In this episode we interview Dr. Mike Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University. He shares the content of a forthcoming book which explores, among other things, what the apostle Paul might say to the christian nationalist movement. This is a link to the article by Barney mentioned in the episode:
Thanks for listening!
In this episode we have the privilege speaking with Prof Stanley Hauerwas. He challenges the typical categories used in conversations about 'christian nationalism' and pushes us to redefine what it means to be political.
What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism? Is one of them acceptable (even desirable) from a Christian point of view?
In this episode we interview James Walters, Professor at the London School of Economics. As an ordained priest in the Church of England, he is the first person we've interviewed who belongs to an established state church. This gives him a perspective somewhat different from the American one in which separation of church and state is the assumed norm.
Not every Christian agrees on what a “Christian government” should look like. Whoever is in power will have to decide what form of Christianity to implement, and they are likely to claim it is the only valid kind.
In this episode we chat with Elizabeth Bruenig, journalist for The Atlantic, on Christian Nationalism in the US. Does it really represent the values shared by all Christians? Does it have the right to speak in the name of “Christianity”?
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
Professor William Cavanaugh, author of Migrations of the Holy and The Uses of Idolatry, weighs in on the topic of nationalism. He argues that nationalism is a religion that rivals Christianity and is therefore not compatible with it.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
How can national constitutions persecute religious minorities? What would motivate them to do so, and is this motivation really Christian? These questions and others are addressed by Marietta van der Tol in her book, Constitutional Intolerance (CUP, 2025). In this episode, Barney and Austin draw out some of Marietta’s key insights not only in this book but other of her publications.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
In this episode, Austin & Barney discuss the key takeaways and insights from the series on Exvangelicalism, and introduce the topic of our next series: Christian Nationalism!
Watch this space for interviews with world experts across the spectrum of political opinions on this urgent and controversial topic!
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
Next up in our Exvangelicalism series, Karen Swallow Prior outlines some of the images that have shaped the social imaginary of evangelicals—for good and ill—and how that has impacted the experiences of exvangelicals .
Another episode in our Exvangelicalism series, Sarah McCammon shares her story and her research on those who leave the American Evangelical church, to produce a powerful and insightful insider account of the exvangelical experience.
Today is the launch day of the paperback edition of Sarah's book, The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church (Macmillan: 2024). Click on the link to get a copy!
Thanks to Jamie Maule for audio editing!
The second in our mini-series on Exvangelicalism. Emma Feyas is a PhD candidate researching exvangelicalism. She tells us about the history of the movement and provides insights both from scholarship and from her own experiences.
The first in our mini-series on Exvangelicalism. It makes sense to start by asking what Evangelicalism is!
Professor Mark Noll is one of the world’s leading experts on the history of Evangelicalism. In this interview, we ask him questions like:
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!
Over 400 million people in the world are classed as Evangelicals. In the USA, their association with the Republican Party has led to a lot of people rejecting the label and yet remaining quasi-Evangelical in their spirituality. Since 2016 they have come to be known as “Exvangelicals” or “Post-Evangelicals.” Who are they and why are they significant for global Christianity? How are they putting pressure on the term “Evangelical” and contributing to its changing meaning?
This episode launches the next mini-series which is all about these questions!
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
Is science or history a greater challenge to faith? In this episode, Austin argues that history is a far greater challenge than science. In that light, we review our long series on history and bring it to a close.
What is tradition and how might it help us deal with both the good and bad in the history of Christianity? Dr Anne Carpenter is Danforth Chair in Theological Studies at St Louis University and the author of 'Nothing Gained is Eternal: A Theology of Tradition."
What is colonialism and how should white Western Christians think about their own involvement in it? How do we respond, whether Christian or not, to the trajectories of power laid down by our colonial past?
Prof. Willie James Jennings is one of the leading voices in postcolonial theology. We are hono(u)red to have him join us in our first discussion on this thorny topic.
Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!
Our second episode on religious violence, with Dr. Matthew Rowley , author of God, Religious Extremism, and Violence. Dr. Rowley talks about how we should criticize our own tradition first, approaching everything with curiosity and humility. He also questions ideas about what it means to be an "extremist" and whether that's really a bad thing?
Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound engineering!