Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

Late Millenial Early GenZ, Mormon and Politically Moderate - Is Jack Taggart a Unicorn or More Representative?

Jack Taggart is right at the cutoff between the Millenial and GenZ generations. He’s also part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka the Mormon Church. In this conversation, we explore what distinguishes the LDS church from other religions and hear some perspectives from a guy who’s a late Millennial early Gen Z.  Jack also has a really cool podcast called “The Moderate Review” where he has civil discussions with folks who have different perspectives on any number of topics. Plus Jack asks Corey a few questions at the end and then we get a little podcast geeky!

Bill Kristol: Editor at large, The Bulwark and Host, Conversations With Bill Kristol

Bill Kristol is editor at large of The Bulwark; host of the podcast Conversations with Bill Kristol; and Chairman of the Board of the Republican Accountability Project. In this conversation, we discuss neoconservatism; the diversity of people and perspectives at Harvard; what happened to Tucker Carlson since his time at the Weekly Standard; whether isolationism and bigotry have taken hold; what we should read into recent special elections; and where we go from here.

3 Ways (or more) to be a Youth Ministry Maverick with Jeff Harding

Jeff Harding is the Area Coordinator at National Network of Youth Ministries, which means he’s a leader of leaders; he is also Youth Minister at Trinity Fellowship Church; and is the Founder and Host of the Youth Ministry Maverick Podcast. We discuss some of the unique challenges youth face today, the divide of social and political leanings between Gen Z  and their parents’ age groups (Gen X), and how to engage with the “Biggest generation ever, with the shortest attention span ever.”

Crossover Episode with Will Wright and Josh Burtram of the Faithful Politics Podcast

Will Wright and Josh Burtram are the hosts of Faithful Politics where they talk to experts, scholars, theologians, politicians, journalists, and everyday people in order to understand how political decisions affect people of faith and the faithless and are “proving that it is much more rewarding to discuss topics in an effort to understand each other rather than just score points.” Will Wright, a lifelong student of politics who enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and traveled the world as a consultant after his time in the service, is a former atheist, disabled Veteran, and African-Asian American whose political views tend to be more Liberal Progressive; Josh Burtram, who has traditionally stayed out of the political environment is a full-time Pastor at Short Pump Community Church outside of Richmond, Virginia and is a Conservative Republican, who has a heart and passion for theology.

Michael Wear of RECLAIMING HOPE and the Obama White House ”I believe politics is a forum for loving your neighbor...”

Michael Wear served in the Obama White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships from 2009-2012, and led religious outreach for Pres. Obama’s re-election campaign. In 2020, Michael was Sr. Advisor to Not Our Faith PAC, a bipartisan effort that made a Christian case against re-electing Donald Trump. Today, Michael is the founder of Public Square Strategies, a consulting firm at the intersection of faith and public life. Michael is also Sr. Fellow at The Trinity Forum, and has written for The N.Y. Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Christianity Today and other major publications. He is an author of, among other contributions, Reclaiming Hope, and has a newsletter of the same name, as well as a recent report he co-wrote for Trinity titled Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States.

Former DHS and Pentagon Spokesperson Col. David Lapan takes us inside the room

In this conversation, we get to see “inside the room” to learn how decisions at the highest levels of our military and government get made. We get to hear how folks who spent a lifetime serving our country processed personal decisions of working for and then leaving the Trump Administration. David Lapan served more than 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring in 2015 as a colonel. Col. Lapan is a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and was most recently the spokesperson under Secretary John Kelly at the Dept. of Homeland Security. Prior to that, our guest was spokesperson for several Secretaries of Defense; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Commander, Int’l. Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan; and for multinational forces during military operations in Haiti and Iraq. Dave also volunteers with Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS), a great organization that cares for the families of America’s fallen heroes.

Talkin‘ WATER with SCV Water Agency Board Member, Beth Braunstein

Beth Braunstein was elected to be a Director on the SCV Water Board which provides “responsible water stewardship to ensure the Santa Clarita Valley has reliable supplies of high quality water at a reasonable cost.” We discuss water shortages, how an area like SCV is able to source water, how to provide safe water as well as strategies of conserving water. We also branch out into subjects like what prompted Beth as an engaged citizen to run for elected office and even get into some other political issues.

Odell Cleveland and Bill Goebel Are Finding Common Ground

Bill Goebel and Odell Cleveland are the co-hosts of Bill & Odell Are Finding Common Ground. As they describe it, “One Republican, one Democrat, one black, one white, both devoted Christians that love the Lord and one another!” In this conversation, we discuss how two fellows with very different backgrounds and many differing viewpoints have been able to find common ground on some of the most challenging issues from race to politics to religion and everything in between.

Check out Bill and Odell’s program here: http://www.thecommonground.show/

And here’s a great non-profit they support: https://youthofnc.com/

James Patton and Loujain Kiki, Int‘l. Center for Religion and Diplomacy: ”Faith in Our Neighbors: Healing Social Divides ”

James Patton, CEO of International Center for Religion and Diplomacy joins TPandR along with colleague, Loujain Kiki, to discuss the economic roots of extremism and how their efforts to counter violence overseas are returning home to address our domestic divides.  We cover how to prepare a community for the influx of refugees from Afghanistan and why American xenophobia is on the rise.  Perhaps most important of all, we explore how religious understanding is an underutilized tool in diplomacy and peace-making.

For more information on ICRD: www.icrd.org

Register here for their annual Faith in Action Awards dinner on September 23, 2021.

To discover Center for Women Faith & Leadership: http://www.centerforwomenfaithandleadership.org/

Candidate for U.S. Senate, Craig Snyder (R, PA): "Not Trumpism. Not Socialism. Common sense."

Hear how Craig Snyder (R), candidate for U.S. Senate, answers whether Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. It's different from what we've come to expect in politics today. We also discuss Craig's upbringing in Philadelphia; the formative years at U. Penn and Temple Law; being Sen. Arlen Specter's Chief of Staff; bringing leaders of diverse views together as head of World Affairs Council of Phila.; and where he stands on current issues incl. CRT, vaccines, Afghanistan, LGBTQ rights and more.

www.craigsnyderforsenate.com

Del Walters: "We can't talk anymore without being afraid of what we say."

Del Walters is the Washington Bureau Chief of the Black News Channel.  Del hails from Wheeling, West Virginia, where he was the first African American on local television news. Del has reported on American racial justice for more than 40 years, ranging from infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan to outting Nazi Theodore Benzinger who conducted high altitude experiments on Jews. Del joins Jessica and Corey to drill down on race, wokeism and the politics and religion of the African American community.

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OUR GOD IS UNDOCUMENTED: BIBLICAL FAITH AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE co-author Matthew Colwell

Matthew Colwell is Pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena CA and also the co-author of Our God is Undocumented: Biblical Faith and Immigrant Justice. Matt earned his Masters Degree in Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, his Doctorate from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and is also the author of Sabbath Economics: Household Practices. We discuss economic and military policies that result in "tempest tossed" populations and how the Bible does not support "closed door" policies. Matt also shares stories of some inspiring human beings who are involved in immigrant justice.

Dennis Quinn of Pew Research on Report: PASTORS OFTEN DISCUSSED ELECTION, PANDEMIC AND RACISM IN FALL OF 2020

Dennis Quinn, of the Pew Research Center, is the Computational Social Scientist who was the Primary Researcher on their recent analysis PASTORS OFTEN DISCUSSED ELECTION, PANDEMIC AND RACISM IN FALL OF 2020. We get great insights into what subjects were being covered in America's churches during election season, how 4 of the largest groups of churches were discussing those subjects and the stark differences among Evangelical Protestant, Mainline Protestant, Historically Black Protestant and Catholic churches... and wow! There really were some huge differences. Plus we get into some adjacent subjects like how quality polling is done, how machine learning is used to do more comprehensive analysis and we decided what we'll be putting on the first set of TP&R t-shirts! #RelTrad

Mike Madrid: Changing the outcomes of campaigns for 30 years

With deep roots in Republican politics, Mike Madrid has now been on the front lines of defeating Trump and Trumpism. A graduate of Georgetown University and one of America's leading Latino political strategists, Mike has been changing the outcomes of Presidential, gubernatorial, congressional and local campaigns for 30 years. "Strategist, Entrepreneur, Teacher and Artist," Mike serves on the Board of the American Association of Political Consultants, co-founded the Lincoln Project, is a partner at GrassrootsLab and hosts the Americanata Podcast.

Edward-Isaac Dovere - BATTLE FOR THE SOUL: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Trump

Edward-Isaac Dovere is staff writer at the Atlantic and author of the most authoritative account of the Democrats’ presidential campaigns of 2020, Battle for the Soul. In this conversation, Corey and Jessica dive into the book as well as Isaac's professional trajectory and his views on the current political landscape. In our discussion of the book, we learn intimate details of many of the candidates and their campaign teams including Kamala Harris, Mayor Pete, Bernie and, of course, Joe Biden. 

Anti-Semitism: Looking at anti-semitism throughout history and in America today with Ayla Shea Nathan

Ayla Shea Nathan is a student and engaged citizen who has personally experienced anti-semitism. Whether it’s historic atrocities, more recent history such as men carrying torches shouting “Jews Will Not Replace Us” or current tensions that have resulted from the conflicts between Hamas and Israel, hostility and even hatred for Jews is all too familiar to our people. Along with co-host Ronnie Nathan, we explore what it means to be a Jew, the history of anti-semitism, a recent set of events at Ayla's school that flared anti-semitic tensions and how we each dealt with personal experiences of anti-semitism.

Ryan Burge - THE NONES: WHERE THEY CAME FROM, WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING

Ryan Burge is an American Baptist pastor and Doctor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University, making him an ideal fit for our unique crossroads of politics ‘n religion.  Ryan is also the recent author of the book, THE NONES: WHERE THEY CAME FROM, WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING. The book creates a comprehensive picture of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation. Ryan uses statistics and graphs to give readers a nuanced, accurate, and meaningful picture of how this rise happened, who the nones are, and what they mean for the future of American religion.  He publishes articles across the media landscape about the intersection of religion and politics.   Finally, he's the co-founder and frequent contributor to Religion in Public, a forum for scholars of religion and politics to make their work accessible to a more general audience.  In addition to teaching courses at EIU, Ryan is also a husband and a father.

Anthony Scaramucci: "Relax. None of us are getting outta here alive."

Our guest today, Anthony Scaramucci, is the Founder, Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital, a global alternative investments firm, and the Founder, Chairman of SALT, a thought leadership and networking forum encompassing finance, technology and geopolitics. He’s also the author of 4 best selling books. Anthony served on Trump’s transition team then served as the White House Communications Director for a “period” in July of 2017. He has since re-joined SkyBridge Capital and has been a sharp critic of the ex-president, specifically his mishandling of the pandemic, the loss of life, the loss of millions of jobs and has even said that Trump will go down in history as a domestic terrorist and insurrectionist. It’s also worth noting Anthony’s charitable work with such organizations as the Kennedy Center, The Brain Tumor Foundation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation. Anthony also hosts the podcast Mooch FM.

Mashup Episode with WHAT'S NEXT? Hosts Emily Matthews and Daniel Hare

The four of us banter over how our faith informs our politics, are "straddlers" the future of the GOP, and how our small slice of the political pie can come together and make a difference.

WHAT'S NEXT?

PODCAST:  https://www.spreaker.com/user/danielhare/mashup-episode-with-talkin-politics-and-

TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/Whats_Next_Pod

Daniel Hare TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/DanielHare

Emily Matthews TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/EGMatthews

#christianity, #conservative, #faith, #gop, #politics, #religion

Tim Alexander: Civil Rights Attorney, Candidate for U.S. Congress (NJ-02)

Tim Alexander has spent his life dedicated to public service and equal justice, currently as Civil Rights Attorney and Activist. He first spent many years in law enforcement, then became a prosecutor before becoming a civil rights attorney. Now, Tim is a candidate for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 2nd District which encompasses Atlantic City and the whole Southern part of the state. 

www.timalexanderforcongress.com

@talexander_NJ02

Christy Smith, Candidate for U.S. Congress in California's 25th District

Christy Smith was a Member of the California State Assembly and more recently ran for U.S. Congress in CA’s 25th District, which Republican Mike Garcia ultimately won by one of the thinnest margins in the country - less than 1/10th of 1% of almost 350,000 votes. After Garcia voted to challenge the certification of the Electoral College votes on January 6th along with his continued propagation of the "Big Lie," Christy decided to run again. This time she is determined to earn the extra 333 votes that was the margin in the last race. https://www.christyforcongress.org/

"Is Politics the New Religion?" with Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief at the Christian Science Monitor

Linda Feldmann is Washington Bureau Chief at the Christian Science Monitor and is their senior political and White House correspondent. Linda also served as the Moscow Bureau Chief for the Monitor and has been part of diplomatic efforts through the Dartmouth Conference. She’s won numerous awards and honors for her work and was elected to the prestigious Gridiron Club in 2016. In this conversation, we dig into Linda’s recent article Is Politics the New Religion? and the subject of political sectarianism.

Joe Trippi, the man who "reinvented campaigning," and Christine Trippi, the next generation of campaigners

Joe Trippi, the man who “reinvented campaigning,” can be heard these days on the great podcast, That Trippi Show. From Ted Kennedy’s 1980 campaign, Howard Dean’s run in ‘04 to Doug Jones’s surprising victory for the Alabama Senate seat in 2017, Joe’s been running grassroots campaigns at every level in U.S. politics and even internationally. Christine Trippi, the next generation of great political strategists, started in communications focusing on special events, social media and fundraising and recently worked on the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. We get to ask the Trippis about what issues are motivating voters today, how folks are engaging, what’s effective and where things are going from here. We also discuss Operation 147: "restoring our democracy one elected official at a time."

When Heroes Fall - A Candid Talk with Dr. Amy Laura Hall and Dr. Tommy Givens, Christian Ethicists

Ravi Zacharias and John Howard Yoder were considered influential Christian leaders. Tragically, they both serially sexually abused women. These are just two of many that were heroes that dreadfully failed leaving many victims. Dr. Amy Laura Hall and Dr. Tommy Givens help us reckon with some of this and how to process it. Amy Laura is Assoc. Prof. of Christian Ethics at Duke Divinity School. Tommy is Assoc. Prof. of New Testament Studies at Fuller Seminary with his ThD in Theological Ethics from Duke.

Charlie Sykes, editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, disavows rampant dumbforkery

Charlie Sykes is the editor-in-chief of The Bulwark and host of the popular podcast of the same name. Charlie was a long time, top rated talk show host and was one of the most influential voices in conservative politics, especially in his home state of Wisconsin, having helped elevate figures like Paul Ryan, Scott Walker and Ron Johnson. And in late 2015, early 2016, he gave it all up on principle… What could possibly have happened in the world in 2016 or who could have arrived on the scene to cause a guy at the top of his game in conservative media to risk it all? Hmm… Not really sure, but today maybe we’ll find out. https://thebulwark.com/

Elizabeth Neumann, frmr. senior official in the Trump Admin's DHS, now leading the Republican Accountability Project

Elizabeth Neumann served as Deputy Chief of Staff and then Assistant Secretary of Threat Prevention and Security Policy at the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump Administration - a unique vantage point to see the threats that metastasized on 1/6/21. But in April 2020, Elizabeth not only resigned her post, she became a vocal critic of the former President and many of his policies. She’s now a part of the Republican Accountability Project which recently published the GOP Democracy Report Card. We cover all this and a number of other pressing topics on today’s episode.

Daniel Lippman of Politico shares secrets of the Politico Playbook & other Washington insider details

Daniel Lippman, is a reporter for Politico covering The White House and Washington. He was one of the co-authors of Politico’s Playbook "the unofficial guide to official Washington." Prior to Politico, Daniel worked for outlets such as Reuters, McClatchy Newspapers, Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal. And very much like one of our prior guests, Julie Mason, Daniel is one of today’s staunchest ambassadors for good journalism and champions of good journalists. Hosts Jessica Stone and Corey Nathan cover a range of topics from Mike Allen's influence, facing danger to get the story and serve the readers, what it's like covering different administrations, and how good journalists approach their work in today's environment.

Ronnie gets grilled by special co-host Jessica "The Reporter" Stone

Jessica Stone returns to TP&R, but this time as co-host to explore more about Ronnie's upbringing in Brooklyn, NY; his career as a guidance counselor and conflict resolution specialist in inner city schools; and how these experiences and his world views informed each other. We get into some candid conversations about race, education and sex. Jessica, as you’ll remember, is a 20 year veteran of local, national and international newsrooms where she’s covered the intersection of politics and business around the world. Her work has appeared in Yahoo Finance, USA Today, South China Morning Post, and Stansberry Research and she’s appeared on FOX and CBS radio & television.

What Do Politics and Religion Sound Like at Their Best? JAZZ!

On a recent trip to New Orleans, I happened upon musicians playing on Royal Street in the Quarter. To say it's worth sharing is an understatement. The experience reminded me of some of the profound thoughts I've heard from the great jazz virtuoso and ambassador Wynton Marsalis and the renowned theologian J. Kameron Carter. Jazz is what democracy and religion sound like when at their best: Faithfulness to the composition, brilliance of the individual players, within the context of playing amongst each other, negotiating with each other, lifting each other up, picking up where their partners left off, sometimes keeping rhythm, sometimes taking the lead, sometimes just listening - all for the music, all for each other.

Mayor Bill Miranda - The Folks of Our Town, the Mayor of the City of Santa Clarita

As a continuation of our series "The Folks of Our Town," Mayor Bill Miranda talks to us about growing up in New York City; how a kid from NYC became the Mayor of Santa Clarita; going to military school; his time in the business world; how, as a Latino, he was often the only person of color at school or work; and taking that experience to help Latino owned small businesses. We also talk about plenty of politics, including local politics. With Bill being a moderate Republican and Ronnie being a Democrat, we still manage to find plenty of common ground. Go figure!

Ryan Meeks: "Life is a gift. Love is the point."

Ryan Meeks might be best known for being the pastor of a megachurch who became one of the first evangelical churches in the country to support full inclusion of LGBTQ people. Ryan founded and led Eastlake Community Church, a very different, evolutionary, transformative church community for 16 years. Now, one can simply say Ryan’s lifework is to “help people feel alive.” Having endured everything from the scrutiny of the entire Evangelical movement to beating cancer, Ryan now provides spiritual direction and holistic coaching, wilderness retreats and psychedelic integration.

The Folks of Our Town - Aron Bender, Host of the Signal News and the Aron Bender Podcast

Today’s episode is the 1st installment of our series “The Folks of Our Town.” In this series, we get to hear from the “The Folks of Our Town” that have really interesting stories to tell and whose voices deserve to be heard.

One of these folks is Aron Bender. Aron is a recently widowed father of two daughters. He is the host of the Santa Clarita Valley Signal’s first podcast, “The Signal News” and "The Aron Bender Podcast," a news anchor at PasadenaNow.com and a Digital and Broadcast Journalism Professor at his alma mater, Cal State Northridge. Aron is also a 20 year veteran of the news business having worked at KFI in Los Angeles, WIOD in Miami and KMPH in Fresno.

Julie Mason Shares Shocking Truths of the MSM

(Originally aired 1/3/21, but that was a weird week as you might recall. Plus, Julie's wicked awesome!)

Julie Mason, a White House correspondent with the Houston Chronicle, Washington Examiner and Politico, has been the host of The Press Pool on SiriusXM's POTUS channel since 2011 and will now have a new show called Julie Mason Mornings @MasonMornings. What's it like to be in the WH press corps? How different is it from one administration to another? Are politicians and Press Secretaries different on camera vs. off camera? Which tv show is most accurate: West Wing, House of Cards or Veep? And of course, isn't the entirety of the "MSM" completely in the tank for Hugo Chavez's zombie army that took over the election? Some of the answers may shock you!

Reed Galen, Co-Founder of The Lincoln Project speaks candidly about addressing mistakes and getting back to work!

Reed Galen, Co-Founder of The Lincoln Project talks about his background from growing up as the kid of a political strategist to his time as an intern on George W. Bush's Texas gubernatorial re-election campaign. We learn what it's like to be an Advanceman for a presidential campaign, working in an administration and all that led to his role with TLP. We dive in to what they knew about Trump and how they got to him. He also opens up about mistakes that were made, what they're doing to "get their act together" and getting back to work.

https://lincolnproject.us/

@ProjectLincoln

Special Tribute to Frontline and Essential Workers

It's been one year since the first shelter-in-place orders were implemented. So this episode is dedicated to frontline and essential workers. One group in particular that hasn’t had nearly as much applause but certainly deserves it is truckers: The men and women who move everything from face masks to fresh food, toothpaste to toilet paper.

One of those truckers who’s been on the frontlines the entire time is my very own brother, Eddie Nathan. Eddie has an interesting trajectory that brought him to this career. He spent about 20-25 years at all levels of education including as a teacher as well as administration in both main stream public schools and charter schools. So not only does he have a broad range of experience in education, when he decided to transition to trucking a couple years ago, he was arguably one of the most highly credentialed individuals in the history of the trucking industry! 

And just so no one misses their healthy dose of politics and religion, we definitely get into it along with our dear old dad Ronnie. In fact, we get to hear all about Eddie's very refined, erudite analysis he calls "the a55h0le theory."

Danielle Pletka, Sr. Fellow at AEI, co-host of WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON

Danielle Pletka is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and co-host of What the Hell Is Going On, having served as the SVP for foreign and defense policy studies there, and is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Prior to joining AEI, Danielle was a senior staff member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as the point person on Middle East, Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. 

Dany discusses how she formed her conservative views, developing an expertise in foreign policy, her experience working on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee including with firebrand Senator Jesse Helms, her candid and nuanced assessment of the Trump Admin's Middle East policy, her concerns about the Democratic Party's "lurch to the left," and what happened leading up to and since January 6th.

CROSSING THE DIVIDE with Jessica Stone: Seasoned Journalist, Global Adventurer, Fearless Mom

Jessica Stone, author of the new book Crossing the Divide, is a veteran of national and international newsrooms where she’s covered the intersection of politics and business around the world. Her work has appeared in Yahoo Finance and USA Today among others, and she’s appeared on FOX and CBS radio & television. Her work’s taken her to 5 continents and has included accompanying President Barack Obama to Brazil and traveling with President Donald Trump to China. She’s interviewed former CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former presidential candidates John Kerry, John Edwards, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

 

On this episode, we discuss Jessica's new book which is a candid account of different chapters in her own life that's culminated in "20 lessons to help you thrive in cross-cultural environments."

Sarah Stewart Holland: Co-Host of PANTSUIT POLITICS, Author of ​I THINK YOU'RE WRONG (BUT I'M LISTENING): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations

Sarah Stewart Holland, creator and cohost of the bipartisan political podcast Pantsuit Politics and author of ​I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations, joins Ronnie and Corey for... a grace-filled conversation. Sarah discusses her background from conversations she had with her Papa Stewart about FDR and JFK to earning her law degree and working in politics; moving back to her hometown to raise her family and serving on the Paducah KY City Commission. We then cover a wide range of topics from "our people" to Christian Trumpism, progressive Christianity, Oprah, proportionate representation and the controversial subject of privilege.

Michael Gulker, President of the Colossian Forum, helps churches facilitate healthier conversations around politics

Michael Gulker is President of The Colossian Forum. Much like us, he has a long-standing interest in the oft-times contentious intersection of faith and culture, in particular you might have read recently in publications like the Wall Street Journal about the program they’ve developed at the Colossian Forum that helps churches facilitate healthier conversations around politics and other challenging issues.  A native of West Michigan, he studied philosophy and theology at Calvin College, has a divinity degree from Duke Divinity School, and is an ordained Mennonite pastor. Before coming to The Colossian Forum, Michael served as pastor of Christ Community Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kurt Bardella: From rising star in GOP politics to Democratic commentator and publisher of country music media platform Morning Hangover

Kurt Bardella was a rising star as a staffer for high profile political leaders such as Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine and Republican Congressman Darrell Issa when he famously chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. During that time, Kurt choreographed the media strategy for investigations related to the 2008 financial crisis, the bailouts of major Wall Street firms and probes into corporate conglomerates such as BP. He later went on to build and lead Endeavor Strategies which represented clients such as Breitbart until early in 2016 when Kurt notably parted ways with this major client on principle after Corey Lewandowski, then Trump’s campaign manager, seriously man-handled one of Breitbart’s reporters. Since that time, Kurt not only switched party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, he was most recently a Senior Advisor to the Lincoln Project and runs the Country Music media platform, the Morning Hangover. Kurt is also on USA Today's Board of Contributors and an NBC NEWS THINK contributor. 

Stand Up! With Pete Dominick: From stand up comedy to The Daily Show, SiriusXM to podcasting

Pete Dominick is a stand up comic, speaker, news commentator, host, journo activist, moderator, professional speaking consultant, husband and proud father of 2 daughters. Pete was the host of a daily 3 hour live radio show on SiriusXM for almost 12 years. The show welcomed 3-4 expert guests on a broad range of issues from parenting to politics, health care, sustainable living and so much more. 

Pete began his career as a stand up comic making a name for himself in the major leagues of stand up - the best clubs of the NYC comedy scene. Pete was hired for the very coveted gig as the warm up comic first for Jon Stewart and The Daily Show and then The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Pete is now creating his own content while speaking on a wide range of issues, performing stand up and doing his best to continue to learn how to make the world a better place everyday.

https://standupwithpete.libsyn.com/

https://www.givewell.org/

Dr. Erroll Southers, leading expert on domestic terrorism and violent extremism, shares insights on the attack on the Capitol, police reform and civil rights

Dr. Southers is a Prof. of the Practice in Nat'l & Homeland Security, Dir. of the Safe Communities Institute (SCI) and Dir. of Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies in the Sol Price School of Public Policy at USC. He was CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Deputy Dir. for Critical Infrastructure of the CA Office of Homeland Security and President Obama’s first nominee to head the TSA.

Ronnie and Corey discuss Dr. Southers' humble beginnings as a kid from New Jersey who is the son of two educators, was a competitive body builder and then traversed a career at every level of law enforcement from dog catcher to the FBI to being nominated by President Obama (with many stops along the way).

We get into some timely and salient issues including his informed insights about the attack on the Capitol, constructive police reform and how he's standing on the shoulders of his parents who marched on Washington for Civil Rights in 1963.

We also discuss his book Homegrown Violent Extremism and the work he's doing with LEWIS (named after John Lewis) Law Enforcement Work Enquiry System.

Anna Palmer of Punchbowl News delivers uncanny insight on "Power, People and Politics in Washington"

Anna Palmer is the Founder and CEO of Punchbowl News and Co-host of The Daily Punch podcast. Punchbowl, the Secret Service nickname for the Capitol, is "...a content company and news community focused on Power, People and Politics in Washington" that publishes 3 newsletters and a podcast daily. We talk about Anna's journey from growing up on a farm in N. Dakota to contributing at the highest levels of journalism in D.C.; how to deliver great reporting; plus we get some behind-the-scenes insights into what politicians are really saying in their most candid moments; as well as Anna's thoughts on the attack on the Capitol and other salient issues.

Daniel Darling makes a Ready Defense for American Evangelicals, with Gentleness and Respect

Daniel Darling, SVP at Nat'l. Religious Broadcasters, came in for a healthy exchange about several pertinent issues such as sanctity of life, public heresies in the conservative Christian movement, online rhetorical combat and the "Pharisee fallacy."

Daniel Darling is also a bestselling author of several books including A Way With Words, released last summer, and is co-editor of The Church and the Racial Divide, a study for small groups on racial reconciliation. He’s also a regular contributor to a wide variety of publications such as In Touch Magazine and Christianity Today and has had op-eds in USA Today, National Review, Washington Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on CNN, Fox and MSNBC. He also has a popular podcast called The Way Home where he interviews Christian leaders, politicians and journalists.

Scott Wilk, CA State Senator on Being the Loyal Opposition, Politics in California and around the Country

Senator Scott Wilk of the 21st Senate District of California discusses the inner workings of CA politics, what it's like to be a Republican in a state heavily dominated by Democrats, how he works productively with folks across the aisle yet maintains his own principles and effectively represents his constituents. This was recorded prior to the attack on the Capitol, but it's interesting to hear some prescience in some of what we discuss such as the divisiveness and heated rhetoric around politics in the country. Fortunately, Scott is not one of those exacerbating these problems but is part of the solution in the way his staff represents the diversity of his district and his record reflects his friendship and collaboration with Republicans and Democrats alike.

Processing the Attack on the Capitol with Kim Yaged, Writer, U.S. Dept. of State and U.N. Alum

Kim Yaged has worked for the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, and is also an award-winning writer having received the Kennedy Center Meritorious Achievement Award for her theater/dance hybrid America which explores ethnicity, race, religion, and culture in the United States as well as many other awards such as for her renowned work Hypocrites & Strippers. What’s even cooler is that Kim and Corey are from the same hometown in New Jersey. And, yeah, we both had the same high school English teacher as Bruce Springsteen! On this episode, Kim joins Ronnie and Corey for a very different conversation than we were planning.

Can Trump Voters and Biden Voters Have Conversations Without Screaming at Each Other? Absolutely!

On today's episode, our friend Paige Pendleton, who voted differently than Ronnie and Corey in the presidential election, came in for a great conversation about politics, the state of the media, how we engage and how we raise our kids among other topics. Paige is an author of children and adult fiction (including The Black Ledge series, The Keeper of the Rune Stone, The Keeper of the Alabaster Chalice and Reginald the Railway Rat). Paige also sits on the Maine Animal Science Committee and, with an educational background in biology/microbiology, has advised on infectious disease control. With the COVID-19 outbreak she's been working with businesses, schools and other organizations advising on infectious disease prevention full time all over the state of Maine.

Peter Englert ministers at a church with members from across the political spectrum. No really!

Peter Englert, Adult Ministries Director at Browncroft Community Church in upstate NY, has a very innovative, practical approach to staying connected with his community using social and digital media, such as through his podcast Why God Why and his website peterenglert.com. We explore how he pastors at a church that has members who identify across the political spectrum. Ronnie also asks about the nature and purpose of prayer, the intersection of faith and politics (of course) and about a Christian pastor's mission.

A Millennial, an Old Jewish Guy and a Gen-X Christian Walk into a Podcast...

On this bonus episode, our pal Harrison Leonard gets real about his journey from being a conservative (politically and theologically) to having a crisis (or crises) of faith, identifying as a libertarian, veering back towards conservatism and then ultimately to a more progressive political disposition and a "live and let live" theological one, all the while affirming both his Jewish heritage and Christian faith. 

R.C. Sproul Jr. on Candor in Controversy, Scripture, and Politics

R.C. Sproul, Jr. is a Christian writer and theologian who’s written over a dozen books on topics ranging from Homeschooling to Economics to Theology, including most recently a tribute to his  father, the renowned apologist and pastor of the same name, Growing Up (with) R.C. Ronnie and Corey have a candid conversation with R.C. about dealing with our own failings and scandal. They also do a deep dive on how to interpret Scripture and cover some current politics, each coming from a very different perspective.