Church and Main

Why does the Interstate Highway System matter?  What made it so amazing?  Why is it so unappreciated today?  How is it learning from its past mistakes?To answer those questions I talk to Rob Sanders who like me, is a transportation geek.  Rob is the creator and host for Road Guy Rob, a video, web, and podcasting platform which connects the general public with today’s cutting-edge developments in transportation engineering. A Utah native, 12-year veteran of public radio, where Rob was drawn to every transportation story he got his hands on.  He was so interested in transportation that he went back to school to get a Master's in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University in 2018.In this episode, we talk about the Interstate Highway System and its impact on the United States. Show Notes:Road Guy Rob's websiteRoad Guy Rob YouTube ChannelDennis Sanders-Thoughts from a Freeway LoverFreeways without Futures- Congress for New UrbanismCelebrating Fifty Years of the Interstate Highway System- US Department of TransportationBiden's New Infrastructure Might Begin To Dismantle Racist Urban Planning- National Public Radio Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

The following is the audio version of a meditation Dennis did for his congregation yesterday, looking at the murder of George Floyd from a religious standpoint.Show notes:Evening Prayer (Midweek Vespers) for April 21, 2021Written Version from the Church websitePress Release from the Minneapolis Police DepartmentBe sure to rate us and leave a review at your favorite podcast platform.  That makes it easier for others to find us.  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook: YouTube Channel Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Dennis reflects on the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police Derek Chauvin. Show notes:The complicated relief of the Chauvin verdict (Vox)Why Chauvin’s conviction matters (Vox)Chauvin’s Conviction Is the Exception That Proves the Rule (The Atlantic)'It upsets me': Black man reacts to White friend's traffic stop (CNN)The Trial of Derek Chauvin- Advisory Opinions PodcastAnti-Anti-Chauvinism (The Bulwark)A 50-year Downward Spiral (Medium)Episode TranscriptBe sure to rate us and leave a review at your favorite podcast platform.  That makes it easier for others to find us.  Questions? Send an email: [email protected]: spheresofinfluence.orgTwitter: @CompanyPoliteFacebook:  Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

No matter who you are, at some point you are going to get sick. Who will pay those doctor bills.  In this episode, we look at why the center-right should take up real health care reform.Consider signing up for News of the Sphere, this is where you will find articles of interest and listen to past episodes.  To signup, go to https://newsofthesphere.substack.com/. Questions? Send an email to [email protected]. Show Notes:Nixon and Universal Health CareThe Swiss Health SystemThe Singapore Healthcare Model Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Can conservatives believe in an active government that can help people in need?  Throughout history, the center-right has believed that government can address issues like inequality and also believe in the importance of a free market.  In this episode, Dennis talks about why it's necessary for conservatives to believe in "one nationism" again.Articles of Note:America Needs a “One Nation” Movement by Chris VanceThe Working Hypothesis by Oren CassBeyond Growth by Abby McCloskeyRepublicans Used to Put Ordinary Workers First—and They Should Again by Brian StewartWorking Class Republican by Henry OlsenDoes Anyone Really Believe Free Market Fundamentalists Are ‘Running the Show’? by Jonah GoldbergThe Case for Common-Good Capitalism by Marco RubioGrand New Party by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Is America a good nation?  Can a nation with a past that includes slavery and the mistreatment of Native Americans be a force for good in the world?  In this episode, Dennis tries to answer those questions honestly.If you have a question, email it to [email protected] notes:America the Good by Jonah GoldbergThe Problem With America's Patriotism Deficit by Jonah GoldbergLet America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Dennis is looking for religious leaders to interview to share their experiences during the pandemic.  If you are interested, send an email to [email protected] Notes:Pastoring Through A Pandemic by Western SeminaryThe Pandemic and the Decline of the Church by David EppsWhat Kind of Churches Will Survive the Pandemic? by Bob WhiteselWhat clergy said when influenza closed churches in 1918 Birmingham, Alabama News, April 17, 2020Adventists and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic By Michael W. Campbell Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Another mass shooting is another opportunity to get into another culture war.  Dennis talks about a time when people could come together and create good gun policy and why that is impossible these days.  He ends by talking about the treatment Dr. Deborah Birx has received for her time on President Trump's Coronavirus Taskforce.Background Articles:Gun Control is A Misfire by Marc CooperGuns and Culture by Dennis SandersWhy I Carry A Gun by David FrenchThe Hard Lesson of Dr. Birx by Megan RanneyShame  on Deborah Birx by Jonathan V. LastQuestions or comments? Email me at [email protected] Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

Why did Donald Trump win in 2016?  Was it racism? The stress of the American working class? Could it be both?  In this episode, Dennis shares his own working-class roots, how the demise of manufacturing has altered towns across America and how the two major parties ignored the problems of the working class.  Dennis believes Donald Trump was a warning to the governing classes to pay attention to the needs of the American worker or get ready for another strongman in the White House. If you have a question or response to this or any episode, share it via email to [email protected].  Visit our website at spheresofinfluence.org.Episode Notes:Workers Are People, Not Widgets: An Epilogue by Amber LappThe First White President by Ta-Nehisi CoatesDonald Trump, Class Warrior by Clive CrookWhy They Loved Him by Farah StockmanRichard Rorty’s 1998 Book Suggested Election 2016 Was Coming by Jennifer SeniorHow the American Left Lost Hope by Christopher Lehmann-HauptAchieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America by Richard RortyDeath of A Salesman by Arthur MillerPhoto credit: Sitdown strikers at the Fisher Body Plant Factory Three in Flint, Michigan. Library of Congress. Public Domain. Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe

On episode six Dennis moves from a "soft opening" of the podcast to move to the "grand opening," with a new name and focus!  He talks about the reasoning behind the name change, Christian Democracy and his fascination with the Dutch theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper.  Also, find out about upcoming episodes.Questions? Send an email to [email protected] or go to the website: spheresofinfluence.org Get full access to Church and Main at churchandmain.substack.com/subscribe