In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby makes a clear and urgent case: stop trying to persuade white Christian nationalists. After nearly a decade of hardened political and theological divisions, the question is no longer who is confused—it’s what we do with the clarity we now have.

Drawing on history, current events, and a powerful re-reading of Mark 6, this episode reframes faithfulness not as endless argument, but as discernment, boundaries, and strategic action. If you’ve felt drained by unproductive debates, this conversation will help you reclaim your time—and your mission.

In this episode:

• Why this is a moment of moral clarity, not confusion
• The limits of persuasion in polarized media ecosystems
• The anatomy of white Christian nationalism
• How the church has weaponized “unity”
• A biblical case for setting boundaries (Mark 6)
• Why Jesus instructs his followers to move on
• Where to invest your energy for real impact

Study cited in episode: "When Fox News viewers flip to CNN, their opinions shift too, study finds"  https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/04/07/when-fox-news-viewers-flip-to-cnn-their-opinions-shift-too-study-finds/

Book your screening of our short documentary "Jesus Was a Migrant": jesuswasamigrant.com

The best way to support The Justice Briefing and our indie film studio, Tisby Studios, is by becoming a paid subscriber: JemarTisby.Substack.com

People keep asking me, “How did it go?”

And I understand the question.

But there’s actually a better question.

The better question is, “What did last night signal?”

What happened last night was more than just a sold-out film premiere.

It was a signal. A shift. A glimpse of what the future of Christian storytelling could be.

This film is the first official production of Tisby Studios.

It’s proof that there is an audience for what I call Transformational faith films—stories that don’t just resolve tension, but channel it into action.

This is not a one-off project.

It’s the beginning of a pipeline.

Take Action

If this reflection with you—if it challenged you, unsettled you, or stayed with you—here are a few ways to take the next step:

1. Become a paid subscriber

Most of the support for this film came from this community.

If you want to see more projects like this—films that tell honest stories about faith, history, and justice—become a paid subscriber to Footnotes. Or upgrade to our FOUNDING TIER.

That’s how we keep building.

👉🏾 JemarTisby.Substack.com

2. Host a screening in your community

This film is meant to be experienced together.

Not alone on a screen, but in a room where people can turn to one another at the end and ask:

“What are we going to do?”

If you want to bring Jesus Was a Migrant to your church, school, or organization, start here:

👉🏾 jesuswasamigrant.com

3. Share this post

If this vision resonates with you, share it.

This is how movements grow—person to person, room to room.

If last night showed us anything, it’s this:

The future of Christian storytelling won’t be safe, simple, or sentimental—it will be truthful, communal, and transformational.

And the question now isn’t what we watched.

It’s: What are we going to do next?

P.S. Mark your calendar for a LIVE ONLINE SCREENING of Jesus Was a Migrant.

April 16, 7:30 pm ET. (registration details forthcoming)

Book a screening: JesusWasAMigrant.com

Support transformational faith films: JemarTisby.Substack.com

Right now the Christian film industry is dominated by what I’ve called “Devotional” films.

These films are often produced by people promoting a conservative—even fundamentalist—and heavily right-leaning version of Christianity.

Not every film needs to do everything. And each type of film has its place.

But we need more films in the Transformational category.

Too many stop with personal piety and holiness. Which is not bad but it’s incomplete.

Not enough films show how faith turns worldly logic upside down.

Not enough Christian films show how the heavenly Kingdom confronts earthly kingdoms.

Not enough Christian films interrogate laws, policies, and institutions.

This is the work of Tisby Studios and our first production--Jesus Was a Migrant.

Watch the trailer: HERE

Host a screening: HERE

Support more Christians films in the transformational category. Become a paid subscriber today: JemarTisby.Substack.com

Watch: How to Watch a Movie (As a Christian)

Watch: Homestead Movie Review

The scariest thing about the movies Get Out and Sinners isn’t the body-snatching or the blood-sucking. It’s how accurately they show us what whiteness does.

These films are not just horror stories. They are commentaries on extraction, exploitation, and colonization.

In this episode, Dr. Jemar compares the two films and the use of horror to convey deeper social truths.

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Learn about new short documentary and schedule a screening: jesuswasamigrant.com

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What role should the church play in a moment of rising authoritarianism and political instability?

In this episode of The Justice Briefing, Jemar Tisby sits down with Rev. Michael McBride—pastor, organizer, and executive director of Live Free USA—to explore why democracy depends on moral vision, collective action, and faith communities willing to show up.

This conversation goes beyond politics. It’s about the spiritual stakes of this moment—and what it means to practice a faith that actively pursues justice.

In this episode:

• Why democracy cannot survive without a moral foundation
• How faith is being distorted and weaponized today
• The historic role of the Black church in expanding democracy
• What “public theology” looks like in practice
• A real-world model for organizing: Live Free Love Free
• Why passive faith is not an option in this moment

If you’ve been wondering what faithfulness looks like in a time like this—this episode is for you.

Invest inThe Justice Briefing. Become a paid subscriber.

Share this with someone who needs a hopeful, grounded perspective

#JusticeBriefing #Democracy #Christianity #Faith #History #Justice

Something strange happens whenever a certain kind of white Christian politician speaks about justice in public.

Suddenly commentators act like they’ve discovered a brand-new species: the Christian who actually sounds like Jesus.

David French wrote that James Talarico is “one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian.”

You can really only write a sentence like that if you have one kind of Christian in mind.

Because if the Black church is in your imagination, that sentence simply doesn’t make sense.

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Invest in The Justice Briefing by becoming a paid subscriber at JemarTisby.Substack.com.

In this episode of The Justice Briefing podcast, I talk about Iran, Armageddon, and End Times Prophecy.

• Dispensationalism as explained by John Nelson Darby
• James I. Scofield’s reference Bible
• the Left Behind book and film series
• How end times theology shapes U.S. foreign relations with Israel and the Middle East

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Leave a review on Apple podcasts
• Share this episode

I leave you with this thought:

A theology that excuses violence does not glorify God.

A faith that ignores injustice does not serve humanity.

And a church that trades its prophetic voice for political loyalty cannot be the light of the world.

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References:

• Before you share that story about how troops were told the Iran War is for “Armageddon,” read this
• Bombs for the Apocalypse? (Footnotes Substack)
• Tisby Media- Catch the Vision

You don’t have to cross an ocean, a continent, and cultures to 1930s Germany to learn how to resist authoritarianism

Black history is a witness is right here in the United States.

That is why any serious response to authoritarian power today must reckon honestly with Black history.

In this episode, Dr. Jemar explains what we can learn from the people who promoted democracy before us.

Here are four ways Black history teaches us to resist authoritarianism

1. Learn Who the Nazis Got It From
2. Practice Narrative Resistance
3. Build Independent Institutions
4. Practice Political Realism

I am a nominee for the Black Christian Influencers Author of the Year award. Vote for me HERE.

Never miss an episode: JemarTisby.Substack.com

We lost another giant of human and civil rights.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. died on February 17 at the age of 84.

His passing gives us occasion to reflect on his life, his faith, and his moral imagination.

What stands out to me about Jesse Jackson’s death in this moment is how he practiced politics.

He wanted to form a 🌈 Rainbow Coalition that would be participatory and inclusive.

Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition stands in stark contrast to what this regime is attempting to implement--a narrow, exclusionary politics. In other words, white Christian nationalism.

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Vote for Jemar as Black Christian Influencers "Author of the Year" HERE.

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For decades, the dominant interpretation of Reconstruction came from something called the Dunning School.

Named after William Archibald Dunning (1857-1922), an influential Columbia University historian who taught for more than forty years and served as president of the American Historical Association in 1913.

This school of thought helped shape the modern historical profession in its infancy—and it whitewashed history.

That’s why Black history is not optional. It is corrective.

Learn more about this history in this episode.

Read more about acts of resistance in my latest book, The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance.

During Black History Month, support a Black historian researching Black history.

JemarTisby.Substack.com