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Carla attended the World Premier of the Jesse Moss documentary "Mayor Pete." It features the presidential campaign of Pete Buttigieg. Carla shares her impressions and the electric Ford Mustang presented to the Secretary as a gift to the government. (For Release on Prime Video in November.) Collin Powell, the powerful military and political figure lost his life to complications around a Covid infection. Ken and Carla pay tribute to this true American. The January 6 Select Committee is doing their work - going after the malodorous Steve Bannon. The Joe Manchin's $700k yacht -  Ken and Carla reveal how the Senator managed to purchase "Almost Heaven." Journalist Tim Eagan, a favorite of Carla, wrote a journal of his pilgrimage from Canterbury to Rome. Ken is lost in the reading. Chuck Todd and Meet The Press airs an interview with three "Evangelicals" - the pastor of "Patriot Church," a moderate pastor (both from Tennessee) who laments the "unbuckling of the Bible Belt,"  and former SBC Ethicist, Russell Moore. Grandmotherhood for Carla is scheduled to arrive in the next six weeks.

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The Two Kens - Asian America the Ken Fong Podcast and The Beached White Male (Ken Kemp) - review an interview by Ken Fong with Claire Chao and her breakout memoir/novel, Remembering Shanghai. It's a living, breathing model of the cost-benefit of "deconstruct." Their conversations turns to a reflection on the popular new Netflix series, Midnight Mass. The characters give more grist to deconstruction conversation. Writer/Director Mike Flanagan, has created a powerful drama that focusses on religion, addiction, miracle, social conflict, philosophy, superstition and much more. It's in the genre of vampire, horror even, which is not either Ken's preference for entertainment, but this one leaves both with much to discuss. SPOILER ALERT - if you have not seen the series, you may not want to listen to this episode until you've seen it. The two Ken's get personal - they weigh cost of changing one's mind about tribal assumptions.

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Ken and Carla have been watching baseball. They have different loyalties - but a love for the game. It's a welcome diversion from the acrimony of the political scene. Mark Galli has created a stir rebuking outspoken evangelicals like Russell Moore and David French who are attempting to counter the assumption that evangelicals are synonymous with the religious right. Russell Moore has launched a podcast with an inaugural episode with his first guest, Beth Moore. Carla has tickets for the release of a new documentary showcasing the presidential campaign of Mayor Pete. Elder Carla (an active elder in her church) ends today's Beach Talk with an account of her engagement with sacred music (hymnology) and sacred spaces.

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Carla welcomes Ken home from his 3,600-mile road trip. They talk about the beauty and wonder still out there in America - the California Coast, the white-capped volcano-shaped peaks of the Pacific Northwest, the deep green forests, and wide desert plains. Then the fall colors - aspen trees in glittering gold and brown and red against a deep blue Utah sky. California's oil spill has spoiled a pristine beach in Huntington Beach and Newport. America has neglected infrastructute investment for too long - even our National Parks suffer from underfunding. Secretary Pete is ready to change that. Carla and Ken reflect on friendship. Carrie Newcomer's song "Refuge" packs a powerful message.

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Osahon Obasuaye is a pastor, a podcaster, and a deep thinker. He's been a businessman and now a dad. He's the son of a college professor in political science and that gives him unusual insight into the current political climate. Osahon has been a co-host with Ken on two Table Talks with the Center for Racial Reconciliation. In this podcast, Osahon shares his concern about an appeal that was recently filed in the case of Dylann Roof, the mass murdered convicted of hate crimes in the attack on twelve worshippers gathered for prayer at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston that sparked a nation-wide focus on the issues of race in America.

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SPECIAL EDITION - Ken checks in with Carla from his road trip - 3,500 miles in all - up the West Coast through San Francisco up to the Pacific Northwest and around to Utah's scenic highways. Carla bids an emotional and difficult farewell to her beloved pet, Gracie. Ken shares his experience with Barnabas, his Golden Retriever. Carla catches Ken up on the political scene. Author and former Southern Baptist Robert P. Jones comments on the American evangelical focus on the individual to the neglect of the good of all. They chat about the two big interviews on the podcast with Randall Balmer and Philip Yancey. Secretary Pete sports a thick beard and soon-to-be Grandma Carla gives an update on the pregnancy. 

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Philip Yancey's courageous and penetrating new book, his memoir - Where the Light Fell - will be released on October 5. There's a big audience for Philip's story. There are over 100 million claim to have experienced Christian fundamentalism and 25 million more identify as "exvangelicals." Brother Marshall, a musical prodigy, had perfect pitch. Philip's  father contracted polio and died when Philip was only 18 months old. Ken notes that Philip's experience in segregationalist fundamentalism is extreme. Paul Van Gorder, Bob Jones, Jr., Lester Maddox all would come to Philip's church. The Prophecy Conferences were an annual event, providing much to fear. Tony Evans came to the church, and was turned away.  Philip's mother, a well known Bible teacher, struggled to make ends meet but never quite recovered from her husbands passing. The three Yancey's lived in a mobile home, located in an Atlanta area "trailer park." The Lost Cause narrative permeated church life, but high school opened new perspectives for Philip.  He shares bitter-sweet memories of church life. Philip appeared as the Southern preacher Elijah in a high school performance of Inherit the Wind. In Bible College, Philip had a reputation as an intellectual rebel, reading Bertrand Russell and Harvey Cox. Then he met his match, Janet. The parable of the Good Samaritan changed everything. He would later write. What's So Amazing about Grace. George Beverly Shea's song touches Philip.

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Randall Balmer is a scholar, professor, author, documentarian (Emmy nominee), and Episcopalian Priest. Ken and Dr. Balmer talk about his new book, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right. They discuss notable players in the movement like Senator Mark Hatfield, Harold O.J. Brown, W.A. Criswell, Paul Weyrich, Ralph Reed, and Richard Land. In the right's celebration of Ronald Reagan, the religious right movement did not, as many believe, begin as a pro-Life but rather defending evangelical institutions against the IRS who required compliance with the Civil Rights law.  The genesis of the Religious Right had nothing to do with abortion - it was racial segregation. The bridge to understanding the election of Donald Trump is Ronald Raegan - as evangelicals abandoned Jimmy Carter. Ronald Reagan launched his campaign Philadelphia, Mississippi at the Neshoba County Fair, confirming "States Rights." The church basement classic, Thief in the Night. was inspired by Dr. Balmer's pastor father's sermon series on Revelation preached in his home church in Iowa in 1974. It's the story of The Rapture and Larry Norman's popular song "I wish we'd all been ready." College and graduate school introduced Dr Balmer to the life of the mind. They remember Billy Graham's crisis of faith. In 1994, Dr. Balmer's book 1989 Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory  became a PBS Documentary and features Tony Campolo, Dolphus Weary, Fred Price, Bill Hybels, the black church in Mississippi, hispanic pentecostals, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart and many others. Today, Dr. Balmer, in addition to his academic profession, is an Episcopalian priest - he shares the journey that let him to his ordination in the church. Learn More at our SHOW NOTES

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In the 50th Edition of Beach Talk, Ken and Carla talk about the California RECALL - they record just before the results ate in. Gavin Newsome's challenge from Larry Elder, a "Trump Clone" has California in the national news. Ken pays tribute to his friend Jim Adkins. They review their memories of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico: Tommy Smith and John Carlos foreshadowed Colin Kaepernick. Vaccination and covid dominate the news cycles. Carla talks about Diana Butler Bass and the tension between LOVE and TRUTH. The White Sox face the Angels and Carla will be there with her coming-soon grand-baby. 

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Ken introduces his long-time friend, Dr. Scott McClelland. They talk about awakenings. Scott is a New Testament scholar who has been a professor, a pastor a dean, and now director of the Doctor of Divinity program at South University. After graduating from Wheaton College, Scott was accepted at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland where he pursued and completed his doctoral work. For five years, Scott directed Westmont College's campus in San Francisco's historic Haight-Ashbury District. They review the work of musician Carrie Newcomer and author Brian McLaren. St. Gregory's Episcopal Church triggered another awakening for Dr. Scott. Scott is also a graduate of the Living School founded by Fr. Richard Rohr. In response to evangelical support for Donald Trump, Scott authored the Barmen Today Declaration (over 30,000 signatures to date - read and sign here) which is based on the historic declaration written in 1934 as Adolf Hitler consolidated absolute power in Germany. Ken and Scott discuss the contemplative spirit. 

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