The Common Good Podcast

By Vote Common GoodNews Religion & Spirituality Politics

The Common Good Podcast episodes

November 11, 2025 Shutdown is done, now what?
This is The Common Good Podcast — where faith, politics, and the fight for the soul of our country come together. With Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse talking about the rising resistance to the MAGA movement — a resistance that’s growing stronger in every corner of society.
Now that the shutdown is finally over and we’re less than a year from the midterm elections, the opposition to Donald Trump and his enablers isn’t just speaking out — it’s taking action. From churches to city halls, from college campuses to Congress, people of conscience are organizing for the common good.
And as the Trump administration sinks even lower — now barring prayer groups from meeting in ICE detention centers — we’re asking: what does moral leadership look like in a time like this?
This is where faith meets politics. This is where resistance meets hope.
Welcome to The Common Good Podcast.
1 hr 1 min
November 05, 2025 Blue Wave Democratic Wins and the Road Ahead | Vote Common Good: Good Politics Podcast
Voters sent a clear message in yesterday’s elections: Trumpism is losing its grip, and Democrats have the wind at their backs. In this episode of Good Politics, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse break down the results, the trends, and the growing movement of voters choosing hope, compassion, and democracy over fear, lies, and extremism.
From local races to national momentum, we’re seeing a turning tide — one powered by people of faith and conscience who believe love belongs in politics.
Join us as we unpack what’s next and why the future looks a whole lot brighter for those working for the common good. Join us as we unpack the numbers, expose the nonsense, and highlight the signs of hope for a more just, loving, and democratic America.
#VoteCommonGood #Trump #Inflation #Democracy #Faith #Evangelicals #Immigration #CommonGood
1 hr 28 min
November 05, 2025 Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism with Holly Berkley Fletcher and Doug Pagitt
Author and scholar Holly Berkley Fletcher joins Doug Pagitt to discuss her new book The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism. Together, they explore how the experiences of missionary kids reveal deeper truths about faith, power, race, and identity within the evangelical movement. A thoughtful conversation about the cost of calling, the myth of multiculturalism, and what honest faith can look like beyond the missionary narrative.
1 hr 40 min
October 28, 2025 Prices Up. Democracy Down. But There’s Hope from Evangelicals
In this episode, we talk about what’s happening right now in America — prices for everyday essentials like gas, groceries, and housing have gone up since last year, and Donald Trump is doing nothing to help everyday Americans. Instead, he’s busy tearing down not only the East Wing of the White House in his bizarre plans, but also the foundations of democracy itself.
But there’s hope. A growing number of evangelicals are turning away from MAGA extremism, especially when it comes to compassion and immigration. Faith leaders and voters alike are remembering that loving our neighbor means all our neighbors — not just the ones who look or live like us.
Join us as we unpack the numbers, expose the nonsense, and highlight the signs of hope for a more just, loving, and democratic America.
#VoteCommonGood #Trump #Inflation #Democracy #Faith #Evangelicals #Immigration #CommonGood
1 hr 15 min
October 21, 2025 Troll in Chief — How Donald Trump Turns Cruelty into a Political Strategy
Donald Trump isn’t just the president — he’s trolling the American people. In this episode, the Common Good Podcast team unpacks how Trump uses mockery, memes, and AI-generated videos to dehumanize and divide. From calling fellow citizens “enemies” to posting disturbing digital fantasies of violence, Trump turns cruelty into spectacle — and spectacle into power.
We explore what this means for our national character, for people of faith, and for those who still believe democracy requires decency. How should good-hearted Americans respond when a president treats his neighbors as targets and his followers as props? What does it mean to resist — not with outrage alone, but with love, truth, and common good?
Join us for a deep dive into the dangerous normalization of Trump’s trolling and how people of conscience can reclaim public life from the politics of humiliation.
1 hr 16 min
October 14, 2025 Living in Trump’s Delusions: Faith and Reality in America
What does it mean to live in Donald Trump’s delusions about what America is and should be—especially as people of faith?
He calls our cities “hellholes,” treats political opponents as enemies, and talks about Gaza with no regard for human life. These aren’t just political statements—they reveal a worldview of fear, resentment, and revenge.
Join Vote Common Good's Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse for a candid conversation about how faith invites us to live differently—to choose truth over delusion, hope over fear, and love over division.
1 hr 15 min
October 07, 2025 Trump Talks Like A Child about God and the Country
Donald Trump recently said people should “prove to God you are good enough to go to that next step.”
His childish and immature understanding of goodness and morality shows that being 79 years old doesn’t necessarily mean having the maturity of an adult — sometimes it’s closer to that of a 7-year-old boy.
This kind of moral immaturity puts our nation at risk in profound ways.
In this episode of the Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt and Robb Ryerse unpack what Trump’s comments reveal about his worldview — and what it means for people of faith and conscience as we work for the common good.

#CommonGoodPodcast #DonaldTrump #FaithAndPolitics #VoteCommonGood
1 hr 23 min
October 01, 2025 Leaving Hell Behind to Find Christianity's Promise
On this episode of The Common Good Podcast, Doug Pagitt talks with Brian Recker, author of the new book Hellbent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love.
Brian, a former evangelical pastor, takes us inside his journey of questioning one of Christianity’s most entrenched doctrines — the idea of eternal damnation. He argues that the fear of hell has distorted Christian faith, fostering shame, exclusion, and toxic relationships, and he invites us to imagine a different path: a spirituality grounded in love, connection, and justice.
We talk about what it means to reframe salvation, how to let go of fear-based religion, and why the way of Jesus still matters — not because of hell, but because of love.
1 hr 7 min
September 24, 2025 Wilderness, Church Hope and the alternative to MAGA Christianity with Father Pete Nunnally
Welcome to the Common Good Podcast. In this episode, Doug Pagitt sits down with Father Pete Nunnally, an Episcopal priest, writer, and visionary leader behind the new Water and Wilderness Church. Together they dive into Pete’s forthcoming book, Catching Hope, which offers a fresh vision of faith rooted in renewal, resilience, and community.
Their conversation explores not only Pete’s personal journey and the inspiration behind his work, but also the larger state of Christian faith in America today. Doug and Pete wrestle with some of the biggest questions facing the church: How do we remain faithful in an age of division? What does it look like to embody Christ’s love when MAGA Christianity and Christian Nationalism threaten to distort the gospel? And how can communities of faith nurture hope and courage in these turbulent times?
This episode is a heartfelt, honest, and hopeful dialogue—inviting listeners to imagine a Christianity that resists fear, rejects authoritarianism, and returns again and again to love as the way forward.
1 hr 8 min
September 23, 2025 Common Good Candidate Mark Pinsley the Key To Pennsylvania and Control of Congress
In this episode of Common Good Candidates, I talk with Mark Pinsley, a Democrat running for Congress in Pennsylvania. Mark’s district is one of the very few actually competitive Congressional districts in the country. It’s a critical race for Democrats to flip the House.
Mark shares his journey from business leader to public servant, and why he believes government should work for people—not the wealthy and powerful. We dig into his values and priorities and what surprises him most as a congressional candidate.
Learn more about Mark’s campaign: https://www.votemarkpinsley.com/
Subscribe for more conversations with candidates working for the common good and visit https://www.candidatesforcommongood.com.

39 min

About The Common Good Podcast

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Vote Common Good is inspiring and mobilizing people of faith to make the common good their voting criteria.

Tuesdays we talk Politics, Wednesdays we talk about how Faith should compel us to…