Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

What does it actually take to cool down American politics without compromising your convictions? In this episode, former Florida state representatives Jennifer Webb (D) and Kurt Kelly (R) join Faithful Politics to share how their unlikely partnership is helping Floridians rebuild trust and truth through Sunshine 100—a cross-partisan network supported by The Carter Center.

They unpack what “truth in politics” really means, why facts alone aren’t enough, and how small acts of proximity—like serving at a food pantry or walking a neighbor to an immigration hearing—can do more to prevent political violence than any debate ever will. This conversation isn’t about kumbaya civility; it’s about hard, disciplined empathy and courage in the public square.

Whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or just someone tired of shouting matches, this episode gives you a practical blueprint for reclaiming democracy from the ground up.

Guests Bio:
Jennifer Webb
Jennifer Webb is a former Florida state representative who made history as the first out lesbian elected to the Florida legislature. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, she has spent her career bridging divides between faith, politics, and community life. Webb now co-leads Sunshine 100, a Carter Center–supported, cross-partisan network that helps Floridians strengthen truth in politics and prevent political violence. Her work focuses on fostering dialogue, civic education, and practical collaboration across ideological lines.

Kurt Kelly
Kurt Kelly is a former Florida state representative and CEO of the Florida Coalition for Children. A lifelong Republican and ordained minister, Kelly has dedicated decades to public service, education, and child advocacy. As co-leader of Sunshine 100, he partners with Democrats, independents, and faith leaders to lower the temperature of political discourse and promote evidence-based, nonviolent engagement. His approach combines conviction, compassion, and a deep belief in the redemptive power of community service.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, Josh and I sit down with Dr. Kevin Burke from the University of Georgia, co-author of the National Education Policy Center report Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States. We explore how Christian nationalism is reshaping public education—from classroom prayer and Ten Commandments laws to school choice and state-funded religious schools.

Dr. Burke explains how recent Supreme Court decisions like Kennedy v. Bremerton and Carson v. Makin opened the door for religion to play a larger role in public life and what that means for the future of church-state separation. We also talk about whether this movement reflects a moral revival or a coordinated political project.

It’s a candid, challenging look at how faith, politics, and education collide in today’s culture wars—and what’s really at stake for America’s classrooms.

Watch or listen on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Read the report: https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/publications/PB%20Burke-Hadley_0.pdf

Guest Bio: 

Dr. Kevin J. Burke is an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia, specializing in curriculum theory, educational policy, and the cultural intersections of faith, politics, and schooling. His research examines how belief systems—particularly Christian nationalism—inform classroom practices, legislative agendas, and the broader purpose of public education in a democracy.

He is the co-author of Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States, a policy brief published by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), and has written extensively on religion’s influence in American schooling. Dr. Burke’s work challenges educators and policymakers to engage ethical dialogue across ideological divides and to safeguard pluralism in public education.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Brandon Bloch, historian and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, about his groundbreaking book Reinventing Protestant Germany: The Religious Nationalists and the Contest for Post-Nazi Democracy (Harvard University Press).

Dr. Bloch explores how German Protestants grappled with complicity, guilt, and renewal after World War II, tracing how theology, nationalism, and moral reconstruction intertwined in the decades following Hitler’s rise. The discussion connects these historical lessons to modern America—especially the resurgence of Christian nationalism and the uneasy dance between faith and political identity.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how religion can both sustain democracy and undermine it, depending on how believers interpret power, patriotism, and divine authority.

Guest Bio – Dr. Brandon Bloch
Dr. Brandon Bloch is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, specializing in modern European history, political theology, and human rights. His research focuses on how religion, nationalism, and democracy intersected in 20th-century Germany. His book, Reinventing Protestant Germany: The Religious Nationalists and the Contest for Post-Nazi Democracy (Harvard University Press), examines how German Protestants rebuilt faith and moral authority in the wake of Nazism.
Dr. Bloch’s work has been featured in academic and public forums for its insight into how religious identity can both challenge and reinforce authoritarian power.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Ilana Trachtman, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, about her newest documentary, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round. The film uncovers the little-known story of the 1960 civil rights protest at Glen Echo Amusement Park in Maryland—a powerful moment when Howard University students and white Jewish neighbors joined forces to integrate a local amusement park, facing down segregationists and even the American Nazi Party.

Trachtman shares how her childhood visits to the park inspired the film, what it means to tell history through intimate personal storytelling, and the unexpected intersections of faith, justice, and memory that emerge when ordinary citizens act on conviction. The conversation explores the emotional layers behind forgotten movements, the role of Jewish allies in early civil rights activism, and how filmmakers like Trachtman use art to preserve moral clarity in divided times.

Website: aintnoback.com

Guest Bio: 
Ilana Trachtman is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with over 30 years of experience producing documentaries for PBS, HBO, Showtime, ABC, and A&E. Her acclaimed works—Praying with Lior, Black and Latin America, and The Pursuit: 50 Years in the Fight for LGBT Rights—explore identity, belonging, and justice through deeply personal stories. Her latest film, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, chronicles the interracial protests that desegregated Glen Echo Amusement Park in 1960, blending historical footage with intimate interviews to illuminate how ordinary people shaped the civil rights movement.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this eye-opening episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with journalist and election reform advocate David Daley to unpack one of the most misunderstood forces shaping American politics—gerrymandering. Daley explains how invisible district lines can determine not only who wins elections but how our representatives govern once in office.
Drawing on his investigative work and his books Ratf**ked and Unrigged, Daley details the Republican-led “Redmap” strategy that weaponized redistricting after the 2010 census, how both parties manipulate maps today, and why the result is a democracy where fewer than 10% of congressional races are truly competitive. 

The conversation also explores Trump’s proposed executive order on mail-in voting, the role of voter ID laws, the health of the Voting Rights Act, and the future of American electoral fairness.

Through it all, the hosts and Daley examine how Christians—and all citizens—can think faithfully about fairness, representation, and truth in an era where the rules of democracy itself are being rewritten.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Daniel Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of more than 20 books, including In Defense of Christian Patriotism. Darling joins the hosts to discuss the difference between Christian nationalism and Christian patriotism, arguing that love of country can be a form of discipleship—so long as it’s rightly ordered under a higher allegiance to Christ.

The conversation explores the nuanced relationship between faith, politics, and national identity, unpacking how patriotism can both inspire civic virtue and, when disordered, slip into idolatry. Darling challenges the modern assumption that religious expression in public life is inherently dangerous, showing instead how a grounded Christian worldview can strengthen democracy.

Guest Bio
Daniel Darling is the Director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor at Texas Baptist College. A bestselling author and respected voice on faith and public life, he has written more than 20 books, including In Defense of Christian Patriotism, The Characters of Christmas, and The Dignity Revolution. His work has been featured in outlets such as USA Today, Christianity Today, and The Gospel Coalition.
Darling is known for his ability to engage cultural and political issues with biblical depth, humility, and conviction—calling Christians to participate in public life without losing sight of the kingdom of God.

Learn more at danieldarling.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @dandarling.

In Defense of Christian Patriotism (Bookshop): https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780063413948

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this deeply human and revealing episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Noelle Cook, ethnographer, filmmaker, and author of The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging. Cook’s award-winning documentary and forthcoming book explore how ordinary women become entangled in conspiracy movements—from QAnon to spiritualized extremism—while searching for meaning, identity, and community.

Cook recounts how the January 6th insurrection inspired her to study women drawn into these spaces and what she discovered: that many were mothers, caregivers, and former churchgoers who turned to online conspiracies to fill the void of belonging. Through intimate storytelling, she shares her road trip with two women convicted for their roles in January 6th, revealing how trauma, faith, and hope intertwine in the psychology of belief.

Together, the hosts and Cook unpack questions of empathy, extremism, and how conspiratorial thinking becomes a kind of spiritual coping mechanism in a fractured America. The conversation explores what churches, communities, and even families can learn from these stories about the human desire for connection—and the danger of mistaking belonging for truth.

Learn more: https://www.noellecook.com/about

Guest Bio:
Noelle Cook is an ethnographer and filmmaker whose work examines the intersections of gender, conspiracy, and extremism. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging and associate producer of the award-winning documentary The Conspiracists, which won Best Feature Documentary at the Miami Women’s Film Festival and an Exceptional Merit Award at Documentaries Without Borders. Her research focuses on how digital spaces, spirituality, and trauma intersect to shape modern extremist movements.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram welcome back Kiera Butler, a senior correspondent for Mother Jones, to unpack her recent 5,000-word investigative feature on Christian Zionism—a movement where American evangelical theology intersects with foreign policy and billion-dollar influence in Israel.

Butler explains how deeply-funded evangelical groups like the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI) funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into Israel, often with motivations tied to end-times theology. The conversation covers the movement’s theological roots in dispensationalism, the controversial Red Heifer Project, and the rising political influence of Christian Zionists under figures such as Mike Huckabee, Pete Hegseth, and Speaker Mike Johnson.

The hosts and Butler also discuss the humanitarian and ethical implications of groups like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the complex partnership between the Israeli government and American evangelicals, and how religious beliefs are increasingly shaping U.S. foreign policy. It’s a rich and candid conversation that reveals how theology, politics, and money converge in ways that most Americans—and even many Christians—rarely see.

Guest Bio
Kiera Butler is a Senior Correspondent at Mother Jones, where she reports on religion, culture, and politics. Known for her deeply researched investigative features, her recent work explores how American evangelical movements are shaping international policy—most notably through her long-form piece on Christian Zionism. Butler’s reporting often examines the intersections of faith, identity, and power, from rural prayer rallies to the global implications of theology-driven policy.

Read the article: God’s “Blank Check”: Christian Zionists Are Pouring Billions of Dollars Into Israeli Extremism - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/christian-zionism-evangelicals-israel-trump-foreign-policy/

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Dr. Nathanael Blake to discuss his new book, Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All. Blake argues that the sexual revolution—once heralded as a movement for personal freedom and fulfillment—has in fact left a legacy of loneliness, dissatisfaction, and moral confusion. He traces how the rejection of traditional Christian sexual ethics in favor of “liberation” has reshaped our social fabric, from family life and marriage to identity and faith.

The conversation moves through the promises and failures of the sexual revolution, the meaning of Christian “prudishness,” and the ways modern society’s views on sex and identity have altered relationships, institutions, and even the church. Blake discusses purity culture, the rise of the “sex recession,” and how pornography, delayed marriage, and technology have changed intimacy. The hosts challenge him on issues such as women’s rights, LGBTQ inclusion, and the role of government in defining marriage—leading to a candid and thought-provoking exchange about what it truly means to be human, embodied, and free.

Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781621647706

Guest Bio
Dr. Nathanael Blake is a postdoctoral fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) and a Senior Contributor to The Federalist. His research and writing focus on culture, politics, and faith, with a particular emphasis on the moral costs of modern liberalism and the legacy of the sexual revolution. In his new book, Victims of the Revolution: How Sexual Liberation Hurts Us All (Ignatius Press, 2025), Blake argues that the pursuit of personal freedom in matters of sex and identity has eroded community, family stability, and true fulfillment. He holds a Ph.D. in political theory and has written widely on Christian ethics, social policy, and cultural renewal.

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]

What happens when the Bible gets treated like a political toolkit instead of a sacred text meant to form our lives? 

In this conversation, Pastor Josh and Will sit down with Brian Kaylor—editor in chief of Word&Way, Baptist minister, and author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists—to unpack seven common ways scripture gets twisted to serve power. We talk about why Christian nationalism functions as a theological heresy, not just a political ideology, and how to separate healthy patriotism from a fusion of church and state that distorts the gospel.

Brian walks us through how numerology frames like “Ephesians 6:11 at 6:11” go viral after violent events and why chapter and verse numbers were never meant to carry hidden messages. We dig into the difference between loving your neighbors and trying to rule them, the history behind public Ten Commandments displays and classroom mandates, and how commodifying the Bible turns faith into a brand. We also get practical about reading in community, broadening the voices that shape our interpretations, and cultivating the humility to say I might be wrong. If you care about faith, civic life, and the integrity of scripture, this episode offers language and tools to navigate a polarized moment without surrendering your soul.

Book: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780827203501

Guest Bio
Brian Kaylor is the editor in chief of Word&Way, a Baptist minister, and a scholar of political communication whose work sits at the intersection of faith, civic life, and media. He is the author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists, a field guide to recognizing and resisting seven common misuses of scripture in public life, and the coauthor of Baptizing America, which traces how mainline Protestants helped cultivate the soil for Christian nationalism to grow. 

Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091

Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/

Support the show

Keep the conversation going.

Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?

Visit our website:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Browse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

Support the show and help us keep these conversations going:
patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Contact the hosts:
Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected]
Will Wright, Political Host: [email protected]

Follow Faithful Politics:
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast