In this episode of Footnotes, I sit down with investigative journalist Katherine Stewart to discuss her latest book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. 

Katherine’s work, including her previous book The Power Worshipers, which inspired the documentary God & Country, exposes the hidden networks of money, power, and religious extremism shaping our political landscape. 

We dive into the key players behind the antidemocratic movement—funders, thinkers, sergeants, infantry, and power brokers—exploring why financial influence is central to their success. 

Katherine unpacks the pervasive lies fueling these movements, the complex web of organizations behind them, and the racial and religious dynamics at play. 

This is a conversation about the urgent threats to democracy—and the resistance rising to meet them. If you care about the future of American democracy, you’ll want to listen to this one from start to finish.

Get the book: Money, Lies, and God

Support Jemar's Work: JemarTisby.Substack.com 

In this episode, I take a closer look at Homestead, the post-apocalyptic drama from Angel Studios based on the novel Black Autumn. I explore its themes of faith, anti-government sentiment, and personal property rights, plus its connection to real-world trends like doomsday prepping and Christian nationalism. Join me as I unpack how this film reflects the intersection of faith, politics, and culture.

Subscribe: JemarTisby.Substack.com  

Spirit of Justice (All Ages Books): bookshop.org/shop/jemartisby 

Key Themes:

1. Plot and Production Context: Homestead adapts Black Autumn to showcase survivalism, faith, and societal collapse.
2. Anti-Government Narrative: The film critiques federal institutions, highlighting themes of tyranny and resource control.
3. Religious Messaging: Heavy-handed Christian motifs like Noah’s Ark and miraculous conversions drive the story’s resolution.
4. Real-World Parallels: Reflects trends in doomsday prepping and libertarian ideologies among the ultra-wealthy.
5. Cultural Implications: Examines how media shapes public perceptions of faith, politics, and self-reliance.

For further research:

• Silicon Valley Billionaires and Doomsday Bunkers - Bloomberg
• Religious Movies and Hollywood Trends - WSJ
• Homestead Review - Culture Mix

On this episode I speak with Amanda Tyler, head of the BJC, a Baptist group that works for religious freedom for all, about her new book "How to End Christian Nationalism."

We talk:

• Defining Christian nationalism
• How to talk to your family member, neighbor, friend who is in the sunken place of Christian nationalism
• Why women subscribe to this ideology when it is so anti-women
• And more...

Pick up the book at EndChristianNationalism.com and access a whole library of resources for use in your local context at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org

Give your kids the gift of knowing the stories that shaped us. Pre-order "I Am the Spirit of Justice" and "Stories of the Spirit of Justice"! 

Get more news and views at: JemarTisby.Substack.com 

Fuller Texas and the Pannell Center for Black Church Studies welcome author, speaker, and public historian, Dr. Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise, in celebrating the release of his most recent book The Spirit of Justice: Faith, Race, and Resistance. In this chat recorded live at Fuller Texas, Dr. Tisby will share the heart behind his new work which features bold stories of individuals who have gone before us and how their legacy continues to encourage us to pursue solidarity as the fight against injustices continues today. Following the presentation, Dr. Dwight Radcliff, Academic Dean of the Pannell Center for Black Church Studies at Fuller, will joined Dr. Tisby for an audience Q&A session.

Our thanks to Fuller Texas and the Pannell Center for Black Church Studies at Fuller for sharing this conversation with the Footnotes audience.

Joel Edward Goza dismantles the deep-seated myths that perpetuate white supremacy—and makes the case that reparations are necessary to heal America’s racial wounds and live up to our democratic ideals. 

Like many well-intentioned white people, Goza once believed that he could support Black America’s struggle for equality without supporting reparations. Reparations, he thought, were altogether irrelevant to the real work of racial justice. 

This is a book about why he was wrong. In fact, any effort to heal our nation’s wounds will fail without reparations. 

In Rebirth of a Nation, Goza exposes lesser-known aspects of racism in American history and how Black people have consistently been depicted as responsible for their own oppression to justify slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration and gross inequality. Goza’s iconoclastic and incisive account exposes how revered figures like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln embedded white supremacy deep into our nation’s consciousness—and how Ronald Reagan manipulated this ideology so that society cheered as he advanced a set of policies that wounded our nation and intensified Black America’s suffering. 

But Rebirth of a Nation is not merely about accountability. It is also about hope. A reparations process is not a utopian dream; Goza offers a practical path toward closing the racial wealth gap. Rebirth of a Nation shows readers how they can join the reparative process, working toward the creation of a more perfect union.

Dive into the pages of The Spirit of Justice and uncover the enduring power of faith and resistance in the fight for racial equality. Here are key themes and takeaways you'll explore:

• Historical Resistance: Learn about the brave individuals who stood against racial injustice throughout American history.
• Faith in Action: See how deeply faith influenced major movements and led to significant changes in society.
• Inspiration for Today: Draw strength and inspiration from past victories and strategies to fuel current and future activism.
• Cultural Impact: Understand the role of African American culture in shaping resistance and fostering a legacy of change.
• Continuing the Fight: Recognize that the journey towards justice is ongoing and the spirit of resistance is as necessary now as ever.
• 
  

Get your copy today: The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance: Tisby, Jemar: 9780310144854: Amazon.com: Books

We are nearing 100 episodes! Let me know what you'd like to hear or see more of on the Footnotes podcast. Email: [email protected] 

Please leave me a review! The last new review was July 2023! I'd be glad to read yours on the next episode. 

You're hearing from Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey about her latest book "Antiracism as Daily Practice: Refuse Shame, Change White Communities, and Help Create a Just World"

ORDER HERE

We discuss: 

--Why I resonate so deeply with her approach to antiracism 

--How Black theologian James Cone influenced her journey into antiracism 

--How to talk to your racist family members about race 

Pre-order: The Spirit of Justice

Subscribe to JemarTisby.Substack.com 

Author interview!!! Caleb Cambpell has written a book you've probably been waiting for...

It's called "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor." 

At one point in his young life, Caleb Campbell was an avowed white supremacist. Then through a series of experiences he followed Jesus and has turned his energies toward discipling his white Christian nationalist neighbors out of this harmful ideology. 

In a first for Footnotes, we are jointly releasing this episode. I wanted to have Caleb on my show, and he wanted me on his, so we decided to record once and post on two different podcasts! 

Enjoy this conversation, and if you like it, please leave me a review! 

We often frame the white Christian nationalism as a problem exclusively of far-right, fundamentalist evangelicalism. What we talk much less about is mainline Protestants and how they have contributed to the rise of Christian nationalism from the 1940s to the present.

I talk with Rev. Dr. Brian Kaylor about the book he co-authored called, Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism.

Among the topics we cover are:

• Defining mainline Protestantism
• Distinguishing between civil religion and Christian Nationalism
• Why capitalize the "N" in Christian Nationalism
• How January 6, 2021 compares with January 6, 2022
• What can or should unite us as a civic body

Order Baptizing America

Remember to Pre-Order The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance 

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. While many African Americans have celebrated the holiday for decades, many other people know little about it. In this teach-in Dr. Jemar Tisby--a historian, professor, and bestselling author--talks about the history of Juneteenth and describes its importance in the life of the nation. 

In this video you will learn about: 

--The announcement on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, TX 

--The Junteenth flag and its symbolism 

--Why we should celebrate Juneteenth as a national holiday 

--And more! 

You can get more content like this at: JemarTisby.Substack.com 

Order Dr. Tisby's latest book: The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance