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In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Laser, President/CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, to explore the importance of the separation of church and state in the United States. We dive into the reasons why this principle is crucial for the well-being of our society and discuss common misconceptions surrounding it. Rachel addresses these misconceptions and shares insights into the mission and goals of Americans United. We also examine the influence of Supreme Court composition on relevant cases and make predictions on how the justices may rule. Additionally, we explore the use of ADA and accommodations in arguments related to church-state separation. Join us as we recap the Groff v. DeJoy case and discuss the recent Kennedy v. Bremerton Supreme Court case, providing a comprehensive understanding of the importance of separation of church and state in our society.

Guest Bio:
Rachel Laser is the President and CEO at Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Rachel Laser is a lawyer, advocate and strategist who has dedicated her career to making our country more inclusive. She has a proven track record of uniting both faith and secular leaders and advocacy organizations to make tangible progress on some of the most important issues of our time. Watch her introduction video!

And as a religious minority – she was raised as a Reform Jew –  she understands personally how much it matters that our laws treat everyone fairly and equally. She is an advocate for racial justice and has led workshops, given speeches and worked with schools and universities to challenge racism and expose privilege.

She knows the work of Americans United has never been more important than it is today. And she will work to continue our fight to defeat the many new and serious threats to religious freedom and the separation of church and state coming from the Trump-Pence Administration and across the country.

As the deputy director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (the RAC), Rachel worked to further its historic mission of strengthening the separation of religion and government. She also ran interfaith campaigns on a number of critical issues, including LGBTQ equality, immigration reform, gun violence prevention, and paid sick, family and medical leave.

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/

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Join us as we delve into the fascinating and complex world of religion in American diplomacy as your Faithful Host chats with former diplomat, Shaun Casey, who created the first state department agency to explore the role of religion in American foreign policy. Casey, a seasoned diplomat, has been at the forefront of bridging the gap between diplomacy and religion. He offers recommendations based on his unique experiences and shares some of the key lessons and best practices he's gleaned over the years. 

Casey is known not only for his professional prowess but also for maintaining a fine balance between his personal faith and his role as a diplomat. We delve into the nuances of his approach and explore some of the ethical dilemmas or challenges that arise when engaging with religious actors and partners then we discuss the groundbreaking office that Casey created and directed at the US Department of State. We explore its mission, its achievements, and its potential future trajectory. One of the most enlightening parts of our conversation revolves around Casey's definition of religion and its critical role in diplomacy. He sheds light on the importance of understanding religious contexts in international relations, using concrete examples of how misinterpretations have led to tragic consequences.

"Decoding Diplomacy" is your passport to understanding the intertwined worlds of religion and diplomacy, providing a fresh perspective on international relations. Join us as we unpack the intricate dynamics at play in our increasingly interconnected world.

If you're interested in the book that was discussed on the episode, "Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy" please visit https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/8170/chasing-the-devil-at-foggy-bottom.aspx

Guest Bio:
Shaun Casey is a senior fellow with the Luce Project on Religion and Its Publics at the University of Virginia and a Pulaski Institution non-resident fellow. He served as director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and professor of the practice in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University from 2017 to 2021. He previously was U.S. special representative for religion and global affairs and director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs. He has also served as professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, and held positions at the Center for American Progress and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Casey has written on the ethics of the war in Iraq, as well the role of religion in American presidential politics. He is the author of The Making of a Catholic President: Kennedy vs. Nixon 1960 (2009) and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Political Theology (forthcoming, with Michael Kessler); he is writing a book on ethics and international politics tentatively titled Niebuhr’s Children. Casey holds a B.A. from Abilene Christian University, MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and M.Div. and Th.D. in religion and society from Harvard Divinity School.

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/

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For those of us feeling the weight of mental illness, we don't only need hope that our pain will go away. We need hope that even if it lasts, God is still good. He promises never to leave us, and he's sovereign over every minute of our pain and difficulty. In Anxiety, Depression, and Jesus, Aaron Hoover normalizes the relationship between faith and suffering. Aaron is a pastor who has battled anxiety and depression for two decades and is compassionate and empathetic toward the similar experiences of others. If you are suffering-Aaron's writing is a great reminder that you're not alone, you're not crazy, and there is a God who is with you.

Guest Bio:
Aaron's calling is to redeem families, multiply leaders, and shepherd people by living authentically and showing God’s faithfulness.

He is an advocate for people struggling with mental illness, especially those in the church who may be suffering in silence. Aaron has lived with clinical anxiety, depression, and OCD for more than two decades and has seen God's faithfulness in the midst of the pain. 

He is compelled to speak up and write about this issue, hoping that God will redeem his experience by pointing others to the same hope he’s found. 

Aaron is the Ministries Pastor at Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN, a multisite church. He has served in full-time ministry there for eight years and has been a member of the church’s executive team for three years. 

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Religious Studies and a Master of Arts degree in Evangelism and Church Planting. 

He has been married for 13 years to his wife and best friend, Megan. They share three world-changing sons, Wesley, Abram, and Roman. 

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/

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What if the goal of raising a Christian girl was about more than keeping her virginity intact? What if it was about raising a strong, independent young woman who knows who she is, uses her voice, and confidently steps into the life God has for her?

From the authors of The Great Sex Rescue comes this evidence-based book grounded on surveys of over 28,000 women to offer moms a fresh, freeing, and biblically grounded message of sexuality and self-worth for their daughters that is less about the don'ts and more about the dos. Don't mind the fact that Will and Josh are fathers, they did the best they could, but definitely learned a ton. 

This isn't your average parenting book: no pat answers or overly broad principles here. No cliché prescriptives or toxic teachings that your daughter will have to unpack and recover from as an adult, like so many of us have. 

Buy her book: https://a.co/d/2vHBZ1A

Guest Bio:
Sheila Wray Gregoire is passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex! A popular speaker, marriage blogger, and award-winning author of seven books, including The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, she wants to challenge Christians to go beyond pat answers on marriage to reach real intimacy. Sheila believes in authenticity, and gives real solutions to the very real and messy problems women, and couples, can face. She and her husband Keith spend a lot of their time touring North America in an RV, speaking at marriage conferences, hiking, and birdwatching. The parents to two adult daughters, you can usually find her in Belleville, Ontario, where she’s either knitting, blogging, or taking her grandson out for a walk.

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/

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In his new book, Steve Phillips warns that the Confederates never stopped fighting the Civil War, that conservatives are taking full advantage of this reality, and that those in denial imperil our democracy. He charts the way forward in the post-Trump era, arguing that progressives must recognize the true nature of the fight we’re in—an existential battle between those who wish to make America a multiracial democracy and those clinging to the concept that this is fundamentally a white nation. We also discuss other topics like Blacks for Trump, how the Democrat party became the home for social justice, CRT, and why people of color weren't surprised to find out that America still has a racism problem.

Guest Bio:
Steve Phillips is a national political leader, bestselling author, and columnist. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority and the newly released national bestselling book How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good.

He is a columnist for The Guardian and The Nation, and an opinion contributor to The New York Times. He is also the host of “Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips,” a color-conscious podcast on politics. He is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics and the multicultural progressive New American Majority.

Phillips is a graduate of Stanford University and University of California College of the Law, San Francisco and practiced civil rights and employment law for many years. Phillips has appeared on multiple national radio and television networks including NBC, CNN, MSNBC and C-SPAN.

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/

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In the cult classic, Monty Python and The Holy Grail, King Arthur has an exchange with a peasant (Dennis) where he learns that those under his rule have a very distorted view of how one actually becomes a king.  It's not not from strange women lying in ponds distributing swords.
 
In this captivating episode, Josh sits down with Dr. Matthew Bates to discuss his upcoming book, "Why the Gospel?" which seeks to transform our understanding of the gospel by emphasizing Jesus' role as King. They delve into the implications of recognizing Jesus as an authoritative ruler, rather than merely believing in him. Dr. Bates shares insights on how the King Jesus gospel can attract those disillusioned with the church and help combat hypocrisy. They also explore the challenges of grasping the concept of kingship in today's Western culture and the importance of responding to the gospel with loyalty and allegiance. Join us for this thought-provoking conversation as we uncover the true essence of the gospel and its impact on the church and believers today.

Guest Bio:
Matthew W. Bates (Ph.D., Notre Dame) is Professor of Theology at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. Bates is a Protestant who enjoys the challenge of teaching in a Catholic context. His books include Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019) the award-winning Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017), The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015), and The Hermeneutics of the Apostolic Proclamation (Baylor University Press, 2012). He also co-founded and co-hosts the popular OnScript podcast.

After completing a B.S. in physics from Whitworth University (1999), Bates began a career in electrical engineering. His life took a swerve when he enrolled in a biblical studies program at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. (M.C.S., 2004, The Biblical Studies Prize). In 2005 Bates began PhD studies in theology at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity (CJA). His primary research training is the New Testament and second-century Christianity with secondary in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and Second Temple Judaism. Upon graduation (2010) he was named the winner of the Shaheen Award in the humanities, the top graduation prize at Notre Dame, competitive across all disciplines (press release). In 2011 Bates accepted his current academic post.

Bates’s research interests include the Apostle Paul, Jesus, soteriology, early Christology, the Trinity, prosopological exegesis, the use of the Old Testament in the New, theological interpretation of Scripture, and Justin Martyr. He enjoys hiking, baseball, and chasing around his seven children.

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/

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This week the Army base Fort Lee, located in Central Virginia will be renamed to Fort Gregg-Adams. The fort was originally named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1917 and is located on historic grounds where European settlers first met the Powhatan Confederation in 1607 and where Captain John Smith set up some of the first plantations along the James River. Located only thirty minutes from the capitol of the Confederacy, Fort Lee is one of many military installations trying to write the wrongs of the past and bring in a new era in America that no longer celebrates those who took up arms against America.

Some Army bases, established in the build-up and during World War I, were named for Confederate officers in an effort to court support from local populations in the South. That the men for whom the bases were named had taken up arms against the government they had sworn to defend was seen by some as a sign of reconciliation between the North and South. It was also the height of the Jim Crow Laws in the South, so there was no consideration for the feelings of African Americans who had to serve at bases named after men who fought to defend slavery.

This week we have a thought-provoking interview with Reverend Robert W. Lee, the the collateral descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. In this episode, Reverend Lee shares his personal journey of grappling with his family's complicated legacy and the role it played in America's history. As an author, activist, and public theologian, he discusses how he came to terms with his relationship to Robert E. Lee, how his activism has been received by his family and the wider community, and his thoughts on how we can move forward as a society and reconcile with our past. This interview is a must-listen for anyone interested in issues of racial justice, reconciliation, and the legacy of the Civil War.

Guest Bio:
The Reverend Robert Wright Lee, IV (Rob) is an author, activist, commentator, and preacher. His work has been covered by MTV, the View, The New Yorker, CNN, the New York Times, NPR, and countless others. That may sound like a mouthful, so Rob is often found just telling stories with friends in his hometown. Speaking of that, Lee is a native of Statesville, North Carolina and graduate of Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He received his Master of Theological Studies in May of 2017 with a focus in practical theology and homiletics His thesis was on the corpus work of Bishop Will Willimon. He was an endowed scholar while at Duke University. Lee completed his undergraduate work in Religious Studies and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University where he met his wife, Stephanie. Though he flies to New York, Boston, Chicago, and all kinds of other places—the red clay of the Piedmont of North Carolina is in his bones. He is currently pursuing doctoral work through the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.

Visit his website: https://www.roblee4.com/about

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/

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faithfulpolitics.substack.com

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

If you are a regular listener / viewer of our podcast, you've undoubtedly heard of the term Christian Nationalism. For better or for worse, most of the commentary provided on this show has painted this religious ideology as something negative. However, as we commonly do, on Faithful Politics, we wanted to present a counter argument to the Christian Nationalism debate, so we decided to talk with the person who literally wrote the book on building a case for Christian Nationalism, Stephen Wolfe.

In The Case for Christian Nationalism, Stephen Wolfe offers a tour-de-force argument for the good of Christian nationalism, taken from Scripture and Christian thinkers ancient, medieval, and modern. We asked him a wide range of questions ranging from the role of Christian Nationalism in the January 6th riots to how civil and social customs would look under a Christian Nation. We then talk about modern theonomy and what connections Christian Nationalism has with Dominionism and/or the seven mountain mandate. There were many more topics we covered to include explanations about several passages in his book. This cordial and friendly interview was definitely informative and we appreciated the conversation and hope you will too. 


Guest bio:
Stephen Wolfe (PhD, Louisiana State University) is a country scholar at Wolfeshire in central North Carolina where he lives with his wife and four children. He recently finished a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Wolfe is co-host of the Ars Politica podcast and has written for Mere Orthodoxy, First Things, Chronicles Magazine, and History of Political Thought. The Case for Christian Nationalism is his first book.

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/

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When news broke that Trump would be indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, there was no shortage of hot takes from political pundits, lawyers, and others who wanted to weigh in on what likely could happen. After the indictment was unsealed and the unprecedented step of charging a former president with a crime became center focus for most major media outlets, there were plenty more hot takes of the validity of the charges and what that could mean. To find out what all of this really means, we thought we would ask the one person who likely has the most experience and expertise on this historical indictment, Diana Florence. Florence is a 25 year veteran of the Manhattan DA office and ran against the current District Attorney, Alvin Bragg in the most recent election for that seat. Having worked under the previous DA, Cy Vance, she has a unique perspective that you most likely won't hear anywhere else and we enjoyed having her on the show. 

We asked her a wide range of different questions that focused on her unique experience in that office and we addressed many of the criticisms about the case. These include: 

• The types of cases that are usually prosecuted in the Manhattan DA office
• Why the Feds asked for Bragg's office to pause the investigation
• The statutes of limitations and why the case was brought at this moment
• The significance of the 34 charges, and what is necessary for them to become felonies
• Legality of Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Why there wasn't a conspiracy charge
• We addressed some of the public comments from folks who aren't necessarily Trump supporters (eg: John Bolton)
• The credibility of Michael Cohen, and resting a case based on his testimony

There are so many other topics that were addressed in this jam packed, but informative, episode. We tried not to leave any stone unturned, and hope you enjoy it!

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/

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NOTE: At the time of this recording there were 124 Mass Shootings in the country. As of the time this episode is released there have been 30 more.

97 Percent is probably one of the most important statistic, and organizations, you've never heard of but you should start paying attention.  97Percent’s mission is to reduce gun deaths in America by changing the conversation around gun safety to include gun owners, conducting original research to identify common ground, and leveraging technology to make our communities safer. Their name was inspired by a 2018 Quinnipiac University poll, which found that 97% of Americans support universal background checks: a critical gun safety policy that has yet to be made into federal law. This week we hear from 97 Percent's Executive Director, Mathew Littman to hear more about what their organization is doing and how they are keeping Americans safe from gun violence.

Learn more about 97 Percent: https://www.97percent.us/about-us

Guest Bio:
Mathew Littman has a wealth of experience in both government affairs and communications.  His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, Academy Award winning actors, Super Bowl champion NFL coaches and members of Congress.  He was Joe Biden’s chief speechwriter during his Senate years and on his campaign for President of the United States.

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/

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