By BJC
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The podcast currently has 107 episodes available.
As the weather heats up, so does the pace of Supreme Court decisions. On our season 5 finale of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly recap some recent decisions and discuss what we can expect in the next month. Religion is still at play in several cases, even if religious legal statutes aren’t the questions being considered. Plus, they look at some recent statements from Supreme Court justices during extracurricular activities and share what those reveal about the justices themselves and the work at the Court, including a rare – and surprising – statement one justice gave directly to the media.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:51): Recent Supreme Court actions
Amanda and Holly discussed the two Supreme Court cases dealing with abortion rights in episode 28 of this season: Conscience protections in SCOTUS abortion cases
Click here to read the Washington Post article tracking big cases this Supreme Court term.
The case upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is called Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Limited. Amanda and Holly mentioned two articles about it:
The Louisiana voting map decision comes from the consolidated cases of Robinson v. Callais and Landry v. Callais.
Segment 2 (starting at 09:07): Justices on the stump: Shocking statements and unlikely pairings
Amanda and Holly mentioned recent reporting on appearances by justices of the Supreme Court. The articles they referred to are:
According to reports discussed in this show, Justice Kavanaugh mentioned that the school prayer cases are settled law. School District of Abington Township v. Schempp (1963) and Engel v. Vitale (1962) are commonly called the “school prayer cases,” with the decisions in those cases finding government-sponsored religious exercises unconstitutional in public schools, providing protection for the religious liberty rights of all students. Learn more in this 2013 piece by Holly Hollman.
Amanda and Holly discussed this New York Times story by Jodi Kantor that the American flag outside of Justice Samuel Alito’s home was flown upside down in the days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. After we recorded this episode, new reporting revealed Justice Alito’s summer house displayed the “Appeal to Heaven” flag in 2023. Read more in this New York Times story by Jodi Kantor, Aric Toler, and Julie Tate: Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home
To watch the iCivics event featuring Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, visit this C-SPAN link.
Segment 3 (starting 26:58): A reading recommendation
Amanda’s book is called How to End Christian Nationalism, and it will be released October 22 from Broadleaf Books. Click here for links to pre-order the book.
Learn more about the work of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign by visiting the website.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
LGBTQ rights and religious freedom are often pitted against one another, but they are not mutually exclusive. This episode of Respecting Religion looks at the recent decision by the United Methodist Church to repeal its ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings as well as the broader conversation. Holly Hollman is joined by guest co-host Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, BJC Communications Director. He shares some of his personal story, then he and Holly reflect on work bridging differences between LGBTQ rights advocacy and religious groups that oppose LGBTQ protections. They highlight the Respect for Marriage Act as one hallmark of bipartisan consensus building that achieves civil rights protections and safeguards religious liberty.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 1:23): The changing landscape of LGBTQ rights and religious freedom
Learn more about Guthrie Graves-Fitzimmons in his BJC bio.
Find more resources on religious liberty and the LGBTQ community on BJC’s website.
For in-depth information about public opinion on LGBTQ rights among different religious groups, visit the Public Religion Research Institute’s website at this link.
Segment 2 (starting at 5:20): The United Methodist Church lifts ban on LGBTQ clergy
Read coverage from Ruth Graham of The New York Times: United Methodist Church Reverses Ban on Practicing Gay Clergy
Read Guthrie’s MSNBC column: “Why United Methodists’ historic vote means so much to gay Christians like me.”
Segment 3 (starting 16:33): Bridging differences
Holly and Guthrie discussed the 2020 Brookings Institution report “A Time to Heal, A Time to Build,” by E.J. Dionne Jr. and Melissa Rogers.
Respecting Religion has devoted several episodes to the topics discussed in this episode. Listen to Season 4, Episode 7 for more on the Respect for Marriage Act, Season 4, Episode 26 for more on 303 Creative v. Elenis, and Season 1, Episode 17 for more on Bostock v. Clayton County.
Read more about BJC’s reaction to the Obergefell decision in 2015 in this column from Holly Hollman: Obergefell decision does not remove the separation of church and state. You can also access a 2-page resource with frequently asked questions about the decision.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
How do religion and religious freedom arguments interact with cases about abortion access? The legal landscape here is beyond complex, and in this episode, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at how conscience protections were discussed in two recent Supreme Court cases about abortion. There is a deepening religion and policy conversation in our country, and they discuss how that conversation is reflected in these oral arguments – from Church Amendments to the doctrine of preemption.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine
Amanda and Holly discussed state laws after the Dobbs decision two weeks ago – in episode 26 of season 5: Archaic laws and new theories emerge from state abortion debates
Learn more about the Arizona legislature’s repeal of the 1864 law in this article by Stacey Barchenger and Ray Stern in the Arizona Republic: Arizona abortion ban repeal signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, but 1864 law will linger for months. What’s next?
Learn more about the 6-week ban on abortions in Florida in this article by Stephanie Colombini for NPR: Florida’s 6-week abortion ban is now in effect, curbing access across the South
We played a series of clips from the oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which the Supreme Court heard on March 26, 2024. You can hear the audio at this link. The clips we played featured:
Read an overview of conscience protections from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at this link.
Segment 2 (starting at 19:26): Moyle v. United States
Moyle v. United States is a consolidated case with Idaho v. United States.
“EMTALA” stands for “Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.” Read what the American Medical Association says about the case and EMTALA at this link.
We played a series of clips from the oral arguments in Moyle v. United States, which the Supreme Court heard on April 24, 2024. You can hear the audio at this link. The clips we played featured:
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
For the 100th episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer listener questions, ranging from the law surrounding the tax-exempt status of religious institutions to their favorite Supreme Court justices. They also look at some of the big Supreme Court decisions and the shifts on the Court since this podcast began four years ago, sharing some of their favorite and most impactful episodes.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): How did we get to 100 episodes?
The podcast series on the dangers of Christian nationalism ran in 2019, and it’s available on the BJC Podcast feed, and you can see all of the episodes on this page of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism website.
Holly and Amanda mentioned some of their favorite episodes, including:
You can see a list of every single episode at BJConline.org/RespectingReligion
Segment 2 (starting at 19:06): Questions on tax-exempt status, tough conversations, and more
Holly mentioned the 1983 case of Bob Jones University v. United States. You can read the decision here.
For more about the Respect for Marriage Act, check out episode 7 from season 4: Does the Respect for Marriage Act protect religious liberty?
For more on the Johnson Amendment and the way it protects churches and other groups who are eligible for the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, visit this page on our website. Amanda and Holly also discussed it a bit on episode 4 of season 2: Grading the Trump administration on religious freedom.
Holly mentioned episode 6 from season 3: Challenging misinformation: How to have productive conversations with friends and family.
Segment 3 (starting at 34:07): Questions on podcast recommendations, favorite Supreme Court justices, and more
The podcasts mentioned by Amanda and Holly were:
Strict Scrutiny
Prosecuting Donald Trump
The Ezra Klein Show
Another Mother Runner
Amicus
Ten Percent Happier
Amanda and Holly discussed being interns at BJC. The internship program is ongoing – learn more about the opportunities by visiting BJConline.org/internships
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
The intersection of abortion and religion often grabs headlines, and this episode of Respecting Religion looks at recent developments in two states: Arizona and Indiana. Amanda and Holly discuss an Indiana case that involves free exercise arguments under state law to support abortion, and they examine the impact of Arizona’s 1864 law that criminalizes abortion. Both situations are resulting from the tremendous change in the law after the Dobbs decision in 2022, leading to some unexpected situations.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The Arizona situation
Our next episode will be our 100th episode! It’s your chance to ask Amanda and Holly anything – send in your questions by April 29 to [email protected].
Amanda and Holly previously discussed the aftermath of the Dobbs decision in episode 4 of season 4, released in October 2022. The show was titled “A religious freedom right to an abortion?”
The New York Times has this helpful resource that shows the differences in the laws regarding abortion in states across the country.
Amanda and Holly mentioned this article for Vox written by Nicole Naera: The history of Arizona’s Civil War-era abortion ban
After we recorded this program, the Arizona House voted to repeal the 1864 law, and the Arizona Senate is expected to vote on it next week. Read more in this Washington Post article by Caroline Kitchener and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez.
Segment 2 (starting at 12:12): The Indiana litigation
For a more in-depth discussion of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), check out episode 6 of season 5: RFRA at 30.
Read the opinion from the Indiana Appeals Court and the concurrence at this link.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
Some troubling trends at the Supreme Court are starting to affect the legal profession and how students in law school approach the U.S. Constitution. As SCOTUS continues to upend decades of established precedent in church-state law, Amanda and Holly discuss what’s changed since they were in law school and the rapid changes in church-state law itself. They look at the views of legitimacy of the Court, and Holly shares specifically what she sees in her work teaching church-state law at Georgetown University Law Center.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 01:15): Respect for the Supreme Court in law school
Read “The Crisis in Teaching Constitutional Law,” an opinion piece by Jesse Wegman for The New York Times.
Holly mentioned recent episodes of Respecting Religion that covered:
Amanda mentioned the book Deciding to Decide: Agenda Setting in the United States Supreme Court by H.W. Perry.
Segment 2 (starting at 10:51): Turning points, hypocrisy, and partisan muscle
Holy mentioned how SCOTUS uses history and tradition and the case of Greece v. Galloway, which we covered in episode 3 of season 5.
Segment 3 (starting at 21:26): The differences in the Souter/Stevens/O’Connor era and what it’s like in the classroom today
To read more about the Supreme Court religious liberty cases involving Jehovah’s Witnesses, check out this article by Jane G. Rainey published by the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
Hear excerpts from a special event we organized at the University of Southern California on race, religion and citizenship in this episode of Respecting Religion. The Rev. Dr. Joseph Evans and the Rev. Dr. Christopher The brought their unique experiences and expertise to a conversation on religious and racial identity, moderated by the Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard. Hear their insights about a theology of democracy, their experiences with racism, how to identify authoritarianism, and what lessons Scripture has for our current climate.
Segment 1 (starting at 00:35): The event on race, religion and citizenship
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Evans and the Rev. Dr. Christopher The were the speakers for this year’s edition of our annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures, titled “Whose country is it anyway?” held April 2 on the campus of the University of Southern California. Their conversation was moderated by the Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard. Click on each name to read more about them and their impressive credentials.
Listen to the entire program at this link.
The event was in partnership with USC’s Office of Religious & Spiritual Life, the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and Berkeley School of Theology.
Learn more about BJC’s annual series at BJConline.org/ShurdenLectures.
Segment 2 (starting at 1:45): A theology of democracy, experiences of racism, and a new understanding of The New Colossus
Rev. Dr. The mentioned “warmth of other suns,” giving credit to how Isabel Wilkerson uses the phrase. She is the author of the book The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.
Rev. Dr. The mentioned “The New Colossus,” the poem by Emma Lazarus that is inscribed on a plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. You can read it here.
Segment 3 (starting at 12:29): Authoritarianism and lessons from Scripture
Rev. Dr. Evans mentioned Walter Wink, a theologian who discussed how power structures resist our need for transformation. Learn more about him in his obituary from The New York Times.
Segment 4 (starting at 18:27): Politics and access to power
Dr. Catherine Brekus delivered the 2023 Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lecture, which focused on the myth of American “chosenness.” Hear it in episode 23 of season 4, and listen to the panel that followed it on episode 24.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
When former President Donald Trump announced during Holy Week that he was endorsing the “God Bless the USA” Bible, the reaction was swift. But, beyond the punchlines and the obvious concerns, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss why the video is concerning to our current political moment and the continued rise of Christian nationalism. Not all examples are this obvious – what does this mean to those important conversations?
Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Why is this a problem?
The New York Times has more about the video and the marketing in this article by By Michael Gold and Maggie Haberman: Trump’s Newest Venture? A $60 Bible.
Segment 2 (starting at 08:11): Reacting to the video pitch
You can watch the video endorsing the Bible at this link on YouTube.
Amanda and Holly talked about using the Bible as a prop and the idea of “divinely inspired” founding documents in episode 21 of this season, titled “But … is it Christian nationalism?”
Dr. Jemar Tisby shared about how he and other authors worked to stop an earlier version of this Bible in an article on his Substack: Three Years Ago We Stopped Harper Collins/Zondervan from Publishing the "God Bless the USA" Bible
Segment 3 (starting at 26:44): Understanding how this is part of a larger political strategy
Holly read from this piece by Michael C. Bender in The New York Times: The Church of Trump: How He’s Infusing Christianity Into His Movement
Amanda discussed her experience attending the ReAwaken America tour in episode 22 of season 4.
Amanda read from this piece by David French in The New York Times: Trump is no Savior
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
There are many religious holidays in the spring, but not all are given the same public acknowledgment – from government-sponsored events to time off from school and work. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss how Christian privilege shows up in how our country recognizes and accommodates certain holidays, as well as how holidays help us understand and celebrate the religious pluralism in our country.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): The March Madness of spring break and public school holidays
Access “A Parent’s Guide to Religion in Public Schools” published decades ago by the National PTA and the First Amendment Center with funding from the Freedom Forum at this link on BJC’s website.
Segment 2 (starting at 15:05): Religious holidays and public officials/elected leaders
Read about Dr. Anthea Butler’s experience at the White House St. Patrick’s Day celebration in this reflection on her Substack.
Segment 3 (starting at 24:00): Reflections on Christian privilege
Amanda mentioned her forthcoming book, How to End Christian Nationalism. It releases October 22, and it is available for preorder at endchristiannationalism.com.
Read the story by Kevin Reynolds in the Salt Lake Tribune discussing Muslim players fasting during March Madness, which coincides with Ramadan: BYU doesn’t have to play on Sundays. So should the NCAA better accommodate Muslim athletes during Ramadan?
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired”? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we should be asking ourselves.
SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): What does it mean to determine the level of Christian nationalism?
Learn more about the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, including the statement of principles, at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org. If you are a Christian who agrees with the statement, we encourage you to sign your name!
Segment 2 (starting at 08:23): Answering some political questions about Christian nationalism
Amanda mentioned this recent op-ed by David French in The New York Times: What is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?
Visit this link to access the report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection from BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Amanda mentioned this article by Steven Monacelli for the Daily Dot: A new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America gains traction with GOP politicians
Hear Amanda and Holly’s reaction to President Trump’s 2020 appearance at St. John’s Church with a Bible in episode 15 of our first season: Protests, the president and the photo op with a Bible
Segment 3 (starting at 29:09): Answering some church-related questions about Christian nationalism
Read about the new survey results from PRRI on the support for Christian nationalism at this link.
To learn more about Patriot Churches, read this 2020 article in The Washington Post by Sarah Pulliam Bailey: Seeking power in Jesus’ name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches
Segment 4 (starting at 38:54): History and civics questions about Christian nationalism
Amanda and Holly spoke about some lawmakers sharing the idea that the Constitution is “divinely inspired” in episode 10 of season 4: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Two years after January 6
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC’s generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.
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