Dr. Mark Christian shares his remarkable journey from a devout Muslim upbringing in Cairo, Egypt, to surviving a horrific assassination attempt. He describes the early seeds of doubt that took root during a period of intense personal study, the painful confrontation with his father after seeking answers to deep inconsistencies in the faith, and the decade of family estrangement that followed.

The conversation centers on the events of March 29, 2003, when Dr. Christian walked into what he believed would be a reconciliation meeting, only to face a firebomb that nearly ended his life. He recounts the miracle of his survival after tripping on a rug at the entrance, an event he credits to divine protection, and the long physical and emotional recovery that followed.

Beyond his personal story, Dr. Christian explains why he came to see Islam as both a religion and a political movement that cannot be separated. He discusses the strategy of civilization jihad, the challenges of assimilation in Western societies, and the urgent need for citizens to understand and defend the foundational principles of freedom and national identity. This episode explores the high personal cost of standing for truth and the broader implications for Western culture today.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:37 – Survived Assassination

00:02:48 – The 2003 Incident

00:03:10 – Childhood in Egypt

00:05:21 – Movie Theater Incident

00:06:49 – Questioning Islam

00:08:33 – Seeking Father's Help

00:12:27 – Firebomb Ambush

00:15:03 – Zeal to Spread Islam

00:18:42 – Muhammad's Missing Proof

00:36:12 – Melting Pot America

You can find out more about Dr. Mark Christian's work at Global Faith Institute's website: https://globalfaith.org/

You can find Dr. Mark Christian's book, The Apostate here: https://www.amazon.com/Apostate-My-Search-Truth/dp/1737176300

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

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Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Herbert Riedel, former community college president and author of Silenced, to discuss the pressures of maintaining moral and intellectual integrity in today’s higher education environment. Riedel shares his experience leading institutions, confronting institutional conformity, and the personal and professional costs of resisting woke ideology. They explore how cultural Marxism influences campuses, accreditors, regulators, and professional associations, and why even red states are not immune. The conversation covers critical race theory compliance failures, gender ideology enforcement, and the challenges of reforming entrenched bureaucracies. Riedel also outlines his vision for Clymer College, a new institution grounded in classical education, true academic freedom, and whole-person development rooted in American founding principles. A candid look at institutional rot in education and paths toward renewal.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:15 – Career Path and Challenges

00:03:08 – Silenced Book Overview

00:05:59 – Vision for Clymer College

00:10:15 – Location and Timeline

00:14:11 – Classical Liberal Arts

00:18:21 – Community Colleges Role

00:22:49 – Northeast Iowa Experience

00:28:55 – Administrative Pushback

00:34:18 – Doing the Right Thing

00:41:22 – Advice for Educators

You can find out more about Clymer College at https://www.clymercollege.org/

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

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Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Ron Freeman — former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, All-American at Pittsburg State University, Chaplain for the Royals and Chiefs, and current football coach at Maranatha Christian Academy. Ron shares his powerful journey from a non-church background to a transforming encounter with Christ at age 25, including the moment God spoke to him about being adopted as a son. The conversation explores Ron’s book Rethinking Race, the spiritual roots of racial division, and why secular solutions fail where the gospel succeeds. They discuss fatherlessness in the black community, the impact of the Great Society programs, victimhood narratives, law enforcement encounters, and the call to unity in Christ that transcends ethnicity. Ron emphasizes loving God and neighbor as the true path to healing. This episode challenges listeners to view identity, justice, and culture through a biblical lens rather than worldly categories. A bold, hopeful discussion on faith, manhood, and national unity.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:12 – Faith Journey

00:05:00 – Rethinking Race Book

00:06:51 – Spiritual Problem

00:08:22 – Early Experiences

00:11:01 – Gospel Over Politics

00:15:12 – Law Enforcement Stories

00:24:41 – The Story of Crispus Attucks

00:30:57 – Black Leadership Critique

00:40:20 – Next Book Vision

You can find Ron’s book "Rethinking Race" on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Race-Better-Than-Believe/dp/B0DN88MKFT

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

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Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Josiah Lippincott back to Finding Your Spine for a candid follow-up discussion on how the two first connected. Lippincott recounts his viral 2021 Twitter exchange with a general over COVID policies and rising military suicides, which thrust him into the national spotlight. The conversation dives deep into institutional decay within the military — from “Mil Twitter” activism and ideological capture to senior leaders disconnected from the public they serve. They examine the founders’ skepticism of large standing armies, the bloat of endless briefings, and whether today’s institutions can be reformed or must be reset from core principles. Topics include accountability, the consent of the governed, parallel institutions, and what real national defense should look like in a republic. This episode offers sharp analysis on reclaiming military purpose, restoring constitutional focus, and why speaking truth remains essential even when facing institutional pushback.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:05 – The Viral Twitter Clash

00:03:37 – Going Viral and Fox News

00:06:50 – Mil Twitter and Institutional Rot

00:11:06 – Regime as a Choir

00:12:23 – What Happened to the Critics

00:15:20 – Burn It Down or Reform

00:19:06 – Founders and Standing Armies

00:23:46 – Resetting Institutions

00:26:11 – Pentagon as a Sovereign City

00:30:33 – Consent of the Governed

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

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Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Marine veteran and scholar Josiah Lippincott to discuss courage, intellectual independence, and the need to challenge institutional orthodoxies. Lippincott shares his journey from questioning U.S. presence in Okinawa to pursuing a PhD at Hillsdale College while openly critiquing leftist dominance in academia and moralistic foreign policy.

The conversation explores the progressive shift in American warfare from defensive necessity to crusading interventions, the true costs of endless conflicts, and why the last genuine existential foreign threat was the War of 1812.

They examine trade-offs in foreign policy, the domestic price of overseas engagements, the failures in Afghanistan, and the importance of prioritizing threats at home over nation-building abroad. Lippincott emphasizes connecting scholarship to real life, the value of popular writing, and maintaining principled consistency over partisan loyalty. This episode offers thoughtful reflections on military service, legitimate authority in war, and reorienting national focus toward American prosperity and security.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:39 – Standing Against the Tide

00:01:58 – Courage in Academia

00:05:06 – Okinawa Questions

00:06:47 – Popular Writing Discipline

00:12:03 – Folly in the Pacific

00:16:49 – Existential Threats

00:18:30 – Costs of Crusading Wars

00:24:58 – Afghanistan Reflections

00:31:14 – Domestic Priorities First

00:38:23 – Reclaiming Sovereignty

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

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Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Navy Chaplain Jonathan Shour to discuss his courageous stand against the military’s COVID vaccine mandate. Shour shares the intense pressure he faced during chaplain training, the personal toll on his family—including months of technical homelessness while his wife was pregnant—and the moral challenges within the Chaplain Corps.

They explore the film Duty to Disobey, in which Shour appears, and what it reveals about institutional failures, unlawful orders, and the duty to resist when conscience and constitutional rights are at stake. The conversation covers religious accommodations, the role of chaplains under pressure, the balance between faith and military duty, and the lasting impact on trust in institutions. Shour also discusses the Alvarado v. Austin lawsuit filed by dozens of chaplains and reflects on legitimate versus illegitimate authority.

This episode highlights stories of moral courage, the importance of medical freedom in the military, and why chaplains must prioritize their calling to support service members’ constitutional rights. Viewers will gain insight into a pivotal chapter in recent military history and the personal costs of standing firm.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:33 – Standing Against the Mandate

00:02:03 – Duty to Disobey Trailer

00:03:12 – Seeing Himself in the Film

00:04:19 – Jonathan’s Military Background

00:05:37 – Children’s Health Defense Role

00:07:46 – Moral Failure in the Military

00:13:53 – Pressure on Chaplains

00:18:07 – Religious Accommodation Concerns

00:24:35 – Family Homelessness Experience

00:35:34 – Alvarado v Austin Lawsuit

00:39:53 – Legitimate vs Illegitimate Authority

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears welcomes public school teacher William Loggans, author of Quiet Courage in the Classroom. William shares how he placed an inspirational poster featuring Charlie Kirk in his classroom — only to face swift backlash from administrators who demanded its removal. What followed was a battle over First Amendment rights, district investigations, union inaction, and attempts to intimidate a teacher simply for encouraging students to think independently and reject groupthink. 

William details the emotional rollercoaster of national media attention, behind-the-scenes district tactics, and the contrast between what schools celebrate versus what they punish. He also discusses modeling Christian character in the classroom, the failures of teachers’ unions, and his new nonprofit, the Freedom to Think Project, which equips parents, supports teachers, and runs scholarship contests on the First Amendment. A powerful story of quiet courage, parental awareness, and standing firm when institutions push back. 

00:02:33 – The Poster Incident

00:04:38 – Student Complaint

00:05:36 – Grievance and Attorney

00:06:23 – Media Attention Begins

00:07:50 – Investigation for Teaching Communism

00:13:48 – Unions and District Tactics

00:24:59 – Modeling Faith in Class

00:30:47 – Student Reactions and Atmosphere Shift

00:45:33 – Freedom to Think Project

You can find William Loggans's work at https://freedomtothinkproject.com/ or by following him on X @LibertyGrad1982

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears is joined by Eric Teetsel, Fellow at the Center for Renewing America and Chronicles magazine. They discuss the vital role of Christians in public life and how faith should inform policy without becoming partisan idolatry. 

Eric shares his journey from a military family background to nearly two decades at the intersection of faith, policy, and politics — including work on life, marriage, religious liberty, and his willingness to take unpopular stands. The conversation explores the church’s calling to proactively advance the Kingdom, the dangers of cultural Marxism and disordered loves, and why public policy must reflect God’s created order to help people flourish. 

They address courage under pressure, the long-term impact of seemingly small acts of obedience, parenting and formation of the next generation, and the hope of stewarding institutions during turbulent times. A compelling call to bold, faithful engagement in culture and politics.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:37 – Rebuilding from Ruins

00:01:25 – Teetsel's Background

00:04:05 – Faith and Public Policy

00:12:19 – Church as Proactive Force

00:19:04 – Public Policy and Created Order

00:26:13 – Forming the Next Generation

00:32:29 – Long-Term Impact

00:36:14 – Military Upbringing

You can follow Eric's work at https://americarenewing.com/ or on X at @EricTeetsel.

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears sits down with David Goodwin, co-author of Battle for the American Mind and a leader in the classical Christian education movement. 

They explore how education shapes the soul and why the West has shifted from a Christian paideia to a modern servile one. David shares his journey from homeschooling and military service to embracing classical Christian education, while Chase unpacks the concept of paideia as deep soul formation rather than mere academics. The conversation covers the historical roots of liberal arts, the progressive replacement of Christian formation with an “American paideia,” and the long-term cultural consequences visible today. 

They discuss how stories, cosmologies, and early formation influence what people love and value, and why rebuilding a liberated paideia rooted in wisdom and virtue is essential for raising courageous generations. A thoughtful discussion on education, culture, faith, and moral courage.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:05 – Goodwin's Background

00:02:55 – Classical Christian Education

00:04:44 – Defining Paideia

00:07:36 – Western Christian Roots

00:11:56 – Progressive Shift

00:16:55 – American Paideia

00:22:03 – Military and Worldview

00:35:18 – Colonization and Courage

00:42:54 – Hope for the Future

You can find "Battle for the American Mind" here on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0abRX2Ge

Read more of David’s work here: https://davidgoodwin.substack.com/

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

Dr. Chase Spears chats with Kristian Garic, a Marine veteran, ex-sheriff's deputy, and New Orleans radio veteran, about standing firm amid cultural pressures. Kristian recounts his Army brat upbringing, Marine service, law enforcement stint, and radio rise—from sports coverage and Saints Super Bowl sideline reporting to facing pandemic-era censorship in corporate media. He details pushback on COVID warnings, mask hypocrisy, social media demands, and a suspension over a July 4th post criticizing colleagues' social justice focus. Choosing independence in 2022, he reflects on building his own show for uncensored truth. The discussion explores strong parental influences, the assault on fatherhood and masculinity, biblical family roles, absent fathers' societal costs, and Charlie Kirk's legacy of courage—emphasizing his impact on youth, Gen Z conservatism, and rejecting political violence. Amid threats and rhetoric-fueled chaos, they call for ordered liberty, generational resolve, and returning to Judeo-Christian values for a virtuous future.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:02 - Corporate Radio Frictions in 2020

00:06:27 - Experiences in Radio Media

00:13:06 - Buildup to Leaving Corporate Radio

00:13:53 - Working in Radio During COVID-19

00:20:03 - July 4th Post and Suspension

00:33:06 - Charlie Kirk's Courage as Choice

00:39:52 - Left Wing Violent Rhetoric

00:46:18 - Christ or Chaos in Society

00:50:14 - Encouragement from Memorial Service Turnout

You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.

To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates.

#Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen