What's up Theology Nerds! Today on the podcast I'm joined by my brilliant friend Diana Butler Bass for another edition of "Ruining Dinner" as we mark the first 100 days of Trump's second administration. We dive into some fascinating new data on religion and politics in America that just dropped, examining everything from unexpected consensus on religious liberty (a rare bright spot!) to disturbing trends in support for political violence among Christian nationalist adherents. Diana shares her recent adventures lighting the Old North Church green for Bill McKibben's "Sunday" climate initiative, while I update her on my site visit to St. Paul (not Minneapolis!) for Theology Beer Camp and my new life as a chicken dad. We explore how competing narratives of discrimination reveal deep divides in American Christianity, unpack the dangers of executive overreach, and discuss what Lindsey Graham's papal nomination trolling reveals about our political moment. This conversation was originally for our Substack members, but we're sharing a portion with all of you – join us at The Process This or The Cottage to catch future episodes live!
Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality.
The Interlocking Crises of Religion & Democracy
Faith in a Toxic Public Square
The Resurrection of Jesus
2024: The Sequel
The Christology Ladder
The Indictment Edition of Ruining Dinner
American Saints in a Cynical Age
Ruining Dinner… and Date Nights
Welcome to the Post-Christian Century
Ruining Christmas Dinner
Ruining Election Night Dinner
The Over-Rated Genie God
Bad Blood, Civil War, and other Soothing Topics
Shall the Fundies (Keep) Winning?, Abortion, and Black Holes
Theology and Spirituality in a Time of Rupture
White Evangelical Theopolitics, John Shelby Spong, & Jesus
20 Years of Religious Decline
Jesus After Religion and Beyond Fear
Ruining Dinner with Diana Butler Bass and Robyn Henderson-Espinoza
Evangelical Decline, the Supreme Court, and the Horizon of Possibility
Debating, Praying, and Living with Tyrants
Religion, Politics, & the Elephant in the Room ONLINE CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT: The Many Faces of Christ Today
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Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN.
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Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025
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