Depolarize! Podcast

Depolarize! Podcast episodes:

• 09.11.2019

  Trump, Evangelicals & Faith in Politics (Peter Wehner)

  Today’s guest is Peter Wehner — Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic magazine. He served in the Reagan and...

  
• 03.25.2019

  Evangelicalism’s Racial Blindspot, Explained

  This one is a doozy! And it’s both here and in the You Have Permission Podcast feed because it’s just that good. Sociologist Michael O. Emerson breaks down his and Christian Smith’s argument as to why White Evangelical Christians have...

  
• 03.04.2019

  How to Resist the Mob (on the Left and Right)

  (This episode is appearing on both the You Have Permission and Depolarize! Podcast feeds.) How do we know that we aren’t caught up in a “mob mentality” on social, political, or theological issues? Can universities be places where we teach...

  
• 01.14.2019

  Dan’s New Podcast / Season 3 Update

  You Have Permission, Dan’s new faith-focused podcast, is out now, with 4 full length episodes launching from the get-go. Search for it on your favorite podcast app, or head to youhavepermissionpod.com to listen now, or listen to the trailer/intro episode...

  
• 12.18.2018

  Breaking Mid-Season for Holidays / New Show Coming!

  We are taking the holiday season off, and will return with the remainder of Season 3 after New Year’s. Dan’s new show You Have Permission will be launching Jan 14th! Sign up for occasional updates at dankochwords.com

  
• 11.19.2018

  “Majority World” Christians & How They Help Us

  Dr. Allen Yeh (Biola University) joins Dan and Ellen to talk about 1) the fact that most Christians in the world do not live in the West (Europe, North America), and 2) the difference between Orthodoxy (right thinking) and Orthopraxy...

  
• 11.15.2018

  While You Were Evangelizing: Science (with Keith Ward)

  Another installment of “While You Were Evangelizing,” where Dan and Ellen consider what was going on in less separatist, non-Evangelical Christian contexts over the previous 70 years or so. Were other types of Christians raised to be suspicious of science?...

  
• 11.05.2018

  Tribalism: Power, Bias, Performance

  The first of two episodes (non-consecutive) focusing directly on the phenomenon of tribalism. Dan and Ellen hear from and respond to Donna Freitas (2:00), Michael Blake (15:00), and Christena Cleveland (37:00). Donna: https://www.donnafreitas.com/ Michael: https://phil.washington.edu/people/michael-blake Christena: http://www.christenacleveland.com/ – – –...

  
• 10.29.2018

  The Beauty of a Good Argument with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

  We are fortunate to have philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Duke University) on the podcast today, talking about arguments — not the kind you have when you’re angry, but the kind you construct in favor of a position or policy. Arguments respect...

  
• 10.22.2018

  #ChurchToo & More with Karen Swallow Prior

  Karen Swallow Prior is an author and literature professor at Liberty University — yes, THAT Liberty University. Her contribution to the InterVarsity Press essay collection “Still Evangelical?” explores why she is sticking with Evangelicalism, but not for the reasons you...

  
• 10.15.2018

  Should You Stay (Evangelical) Or Should You Go?

  As we discussed last episode, it is indeed a crazy moment to be an Evangelical Christian.  Then again, so what?  Does that mean Evangelicals should leave their churches or their tradition to search for greener pastures?  As we hear from...

  
• 10.08.2018

  It’s a Crazy Moment for Evangelicalism

  What a time to be an Evangelical in America, or to have been raised as one: there’s all the politics, racial tension, “parallel institutions,” and culture wars that continue to rage, but there is also evidence of serious benefits for...

  
• 10.01.2018

  While You Were Evangelizing: Hell (with Dale B. Martin)

  Welcome to a new season of Depolarize!  Dan and Ellen are excited to be back in the saddle, and this week we are debuting a new episode style: While You Were Evangelizing. What was going on in the more liberal-leaning...

  
• 08.30.2018

  Season 3 Update & New Bonus Episodes

  Quick update about the upcoming third season of Depolarize (yes, Ellen will be back, too!), and an announcement of a new feature for Patrons of the show: two exclusive episodes per month! Topics will range all over the place: theology,...

  
• 06.25.2018

  A Catholic, a Mennonite & an Orthodox Priest Walk Into a Podcast, Part 2

  Part 2 of our episode featuring Mary, Jennifer and Father Tom, and also our last of Season 2!  Thank you for your continued support, and we are already looking forward to Season 3. Depolarize! is produced by Dan Koch, edited...

  
• 06.18.2018

  A Catholic, a Mennonite & an Orthodox Priest Walk Into a Podcast, Part 1

  The first of a two-part episode wherein Dan Koch and Ellen Mauro consider the worldviews and stories of Mary (Roman Catholic), Tom (Greek Orthodox), and Jennifer (Mennonite). This is part of our series on Christian voters who do not consider...

  
• 06.04.2018

  An Alternative to Evangelicalism? (Liberal Mainline Pt 2)

  Dan & Ellen continue their deep dive into Liberal Mainline Protestantism, hearing from voters Jack & Debbie Holloway, as well as experts Dr. Tripp Fuller (Homebrewed Christianity Podcast) and Dr. James Wellman (University of Washington). Tripp’s book and podcast: https://homebrewedchristianity.com/...

  
• 05.28.2018

  What is a Liberal Mainline Protestant?

  This week and next, Dan walks Ellen (and the rest of us) through the world of Liberal Mainline Protestants: Methodists, Episcopalians, some Lutherans, some Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, and others. This is Part 1, which includes a lot of...

  
• 05.21.2018

  Who Really Thinks Trump is a Christian?

  Dan and Ellen confront the worry that has been nagging at Dan more than any other, since Trump’s nomination and election: did all those Christian voters *actually believe* that Trump was a Christian? 2:55- Are Trump supporters gullible, or simply...

  
• 05.14.2018

  Candice Clem Hijacked Her Interview And It Was Great

  Candice was originally interviewed as one of our five Christians of Color, but our conversation went far enough afield, and was interesting and entertaining enough that we decided to give Candice her own episode.  She breaks down her experience growing...

  
• 05.07.2018

  Going Deeper with Christians of Color

  On our previous episode, Dan & Ellen took a backseat to the stories of five Christians of color, told in their own words.  This episode is a more standard Depolarize approach: dissecting and responding to these voters’ answers to Dan’s...

  
• 04.30.2018

  *Simply Listening* to Christians of Color

  We're back to our voters this week, introducing five new voices.  But this episode is also different: no reaction commentary from Dan & Ellen, and only minimal narration from Dan for context.  Rather, we are going to practice the discipline...

  
• 04.23.2018

  Get Off Social Media?

  Zombies? The Rapture? A country song *about* the Rapture? Check, check, and check. This week, Dan & Ellen take a break from voter-based episodes to discuss some more personal matters: anxiety and social media use, both of which are related...

  
• 04.16.2018

  White Evangelical Trump Supporters, Pt 2

  Dan & Ellen continue their interviews of White Evangelical Trump voters. This episode is best listened to after Part 1. Timeline: 3:16- How political is your church environment? 5:05- “Information super MYway”: News sources and accepted bias 12:10- Is Donald...

  
• 04.09.2018

  White Evangelical Trump Supporters, Pt 1

  The first of two episodes centered on interviews with 10 White Evangelical Trump voters. Timeline: 0:00- Intro/”Family Therapist Soapbox Time” 10:00- Why did you vote for Donald Trump? 13:40- How central was abortion to your vote for Trump? 15:00- “Ellen...

  
• 04.02.2018

  Is That “81%” Statistic Reliable? A Closer Look at Evangelicals

  Ellen and Dan speak with journalists & polling experts — Roxanne Stone of BARNA Group, Jon Ward of Yahoo! News and Robert P. Jones of Public Religion Research Institute — to wrap their heads around that infamous statistic (81% of...

  
• 03.26.2018

  White Evangelicals Who Don’t Support Trump, Pt 2

  Dan & Ellen continue their interviews of White Evangelicals who did not vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. This episode is best listened to after Part 1. Timeline: 0:00- Intro/Recap 2:42- Why did you NOT vote for Trump?...

  
• 03.18.2018

  White Evangelicals Who Don’t Support Trump, Pt 1

  In the Season 2 premiere, Dan Koch and Ellen Mauro interview 6 White Evangelical Christians, none of whom voted for nor actively support Donald Trump.  These voters are a partial sample of the other side of White Evangelicals, who infamously...

  
• 03.11.2018

  Introducing Ellen Mauro (My New Co-Host!)

  Ellen will be joining Depolarize for Season 2, which begins next week. We hear about her background, political and psychological areas of interest, and we laugh a lot, because Ellen is very funny.

  
• 02.18.2018

  42: LIVE! White Evangelicalism Today with Jonathan Merritt

  The final episode before Depolarize enters Season 2! Dan chats live at the BadChristian Conference in Nashville, TN, with author and journalist Jonathan Merritt (The Atlantic, WaPo, Religion News Service, The Week) about the state of White Evangelicalism in...

  
• 12.18.2017

  Quick Update on Season 2

  Quick Update on Season 2 by Dan Koch

  
• 08.17.2017

  Dan on “Break It Down” — Charlottesville, Why People Leave the Church

  Dan stopped by the studio for "Break It Down with Matt Carter" to talk about taking a break from social media/Depolarize, recent events in Virginia, and what he has been thinking about and working on this past summer.

  
• 08.17.2017

  Dan on "Break It Down" -- Charlottesville, Why People Leave the Church

  Dan stopped by the studio for "Break It Down with Matt Carter" to talk about taking a break from social media/Depolarize, recent events in Virginia, and what he has been thinking about and working on this past summer.

  
• 08.03.2017

  Bonus: Dan on Seattle’s KIRO FM

  Greg Tomlin, filling in for Dori Monson, interviews Dan on Seattle's KIRO FM about this podcast and what he's learned about political polarization over the past year.

  
• 08.03.2017

  Bonus: Dan on Seattle's KIRO FM

  Greg Tomlin, filling in for Dori Monson, interviews Dan on Seattle's KIRO FM about this podcast and what he's learned about political polarization over the past year.

  
• 06.28.2017

  What I’ve Learned, Season Break & What’s Next

  Dan discusses what he's learned making 41 episodes of Depolarize!, the principles he still finds valuable, why it is difficult sometimes to follow his own advice, as well as what is next for the show and for him, including breaking...

  
• 06.20.2017

  41: Q&A with Dan

  Get to know your host a little more! Due to some emergency travel, this week's scheduled interview had to be postponed, so Dan took questions from listeners for his first Q&A episode.

  
• 06.13.2017

  40: Learning from Non-U.S. Peacemakers with Jer Swigart

  Jer Swigart stops by to talk about what they're doing over at The Global Immersion Project where he is the Co-Founding Director. He shares some wonderful insight into the complicated conflict in the Middle East.

  
• 06.13.2017

  [Unedited] Jer Swigart of The Global Immersion Project

  [Unedited] Jer Swigart of The Global Immersion Project by Dan Koch

  
• 06.06.2017

  39: Science, Soil & Farmer’s Profits with David Montgomery

  David R. Montgomery, a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington invites Dan over to discuss soil, carbon dating, and how farmers are restoring profitability and reducing environmental impact.

  
• 06.06.2017

  [Unedited] Geologist and Author David Montgomery

  [Unedited] Geologist and Author David Montgomery by Dan Koch

  
• 06.06.2017

  39: Science, Soil & Farmer's Profits with David Montgomery

  David R. Montgomery, a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington invites Dan over to discuss soil, carbon dating, and how farmers are restoring profitability and reducing environmental impact.

  
• 05.30.2017

  38: Depolarizing and Reconstructing with John Raines

  Dan talks with John Raines, his co-host for their new Reconstruct podcast, about polarization in the world of theology, why they started the podcast, and how the two shows aren't quite as different as they might at first seem.

  
• 05.30.2017

  [Unedited] John Raines of Reconstruct Podcast

  [Unedited] John Raines of Reconstruct Podcast by Dan Koch

  
• 05.23.2017

  37: Actual Solutions! (to Group Polarization) with Dr. Ravi Iyer

  Dr. Ravi Iyer is doing the real social science work of depolarization as Executive Director of CivilPolitics.org and brings some surprisingly simple solutions to the most complex polarizing issues we face today.

  
• 05.23.2017

  [Unedited] Dr. Ravi Iyer of CivilPolitics.org

  [Unedited] Dr. Ravi Iyer of CivilPolitics.org by Dan Koch

  
• 05.18.2017

  Bonus: Depolarizing Evangelicalism, a Mutual Interview with Mike Erre

  Former megachurch pastor Mike Erre and I interview each other about topics ranging from my two podcasts, a communion/eucharist-based church service, and how their church's experiment of holding neither a gay-affirming nor non-gay-affirming stance is going.

  
• 05.16.2017

  36: Balance Your News Diet with USA TODAY’s Josh Hafner

  Josh Hafner is a former campaign reporter and now a resident journalist at USA TODAY. In this episode he and Dan discuss media identity and how to choose legitimate news sources.

  
• 05.16.2017

  [Unedited] Josh Hafner of USA TODAY

  [Unedited] Josh Hafner of USA TODAY by Dan Koch

  
• 05.16.2017

  36: Balance Your News Diet with USA TODAY's Josh Hafner

  Josh Hafner is a former campaign reporter and now a resident journalist at USA TODAY. In this episode he and Dan discuss media identity and how to choose legitimate news sources.