It's a history lesson on today's French Friday. David French explains the parallels between the Vichy French government that cooperated with the Nazis in WWII and Christian nationalists in America today. Both were highly misogynistic, nativist, and blamed liberal democracy for all of the country's problems. Obviously, things did not end well for the Vichy government in France. David and Skye discuss why the authoritarianism pushed by Christian nationalists won't work in America either. They also discuss the 2026 midterm elections and what the Democrats are learning from the popularity of pugilistic candidates like Platner in Maine and the decency of candidates like Talarico in Texas.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:11 - Vichy France and Modern America

8:18 - Mistrust Toward Democracy

17:50 - Why Do We Return to Authoritarianism?

33:08 - Graham Platner

43:41 - What's a Good "Representative?"

1:02:09 - End Credits

David French's Vichy France article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/opinion/christian-nationalism-maga-france.html

Skye and Esau saw Disclosure Day by Steven Spielberg this weekend—did it make them believe in aliens? Maybe not, but it does show a cultural preoccupation with our place in the world. Would the existence of aliens change history? Would you believe aliens were telling the truth? Skye and Esau debate these issues and Esau pitches a sequel.

0:06 - Theme Song

1:15 - Disclosure Day

7:27 - Why Aliens Would Change Our View of God

13:51 - Religion Without God

25:40 - Are Aliens Demons?

29:05 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/disclosure-day-faith-aliens-and-spielberg

The internet keeps serving up strange stories, and Drew Dyck is back to help Skye figure out what they reveal about faith, wisdom, and our very weird cultural moment. They start with a Christianity Today article on marijuana and the Christian life, but the conversation quickly turns toward a bigger question about how believers learn discernment when Scripture doesn't give a simple rule. Then they discuss Freya India's warning that prayer apps, livestreamed sermons, and gamified discipleship can quietly train new Christians to experience faith as one more thing to consume on a phone. Also this week, Skye and Drew talk about microwaved fish, AI-generated Christian content, ghostwriting, UFOs, demons, and why the modern world may be getting stranger, not less spiritual.

0:05 - Theme Song

2:10 - Christianity Today on Weed

11:02 - Fundamentalism

21:35 - Commodification of Christianity

24:46 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/drews-news-weed-prayer-apps-and-ufos

Because it's graduation season, Skye offers some lessons for those starting their careers. He takes us through the story of his professional development from seminary, to pastoral ministry, into journalism, publishing, and eventually the creation of Holy Post Media. Along the way, he draws on the metaphor from Gordon Mackenzie's 1996 book, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball," to explain the tension between our callings and feeling trapped in broken institutions.

0:04 - Theme Song

6:15 - Hairball Number One: Ministry

11:28 - Sermon ROI

17:03 - Hairball Number Two: Publishing

24:40 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/publish/post/200657253?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The Supreme Court recently struck down a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill that prevented the dilution of votes by racial minorities, unleashing red states throughout the South to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome is likely to be fewer Black representatives in Congress. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the issue of gerrymandering—partisan and racial—and why it is contrary to both the Constitution and the Christian call to love our neighbors. They also offer suggestions for fixing the problem in order to heal our broken politics.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:21 - Being on Bill Marr

6:04 - What is Gerrymandering?

11:27 - Racial vs Political Gerrymandering

26:22 - Christian Podcast and Politics

29:57 - Disempowering the People

40:22 - Possible Solutions

52:37 - Do We Need a Third Founding?

1:10:47 - End Credits

We love stories about redemption, except when it happens to our enemies. Skye and Kaitlyn Schiess discuss why our culture has become fluent in justice, punishment, and public condemnation, but has lost the language of mercy, forgiveness, and restoration. Drawing from Priya Parker's conversation with Ezra Klein, they explore what happens when justice becomes vengeance and people are permanently sorted into victims and villains. They also ask whether the church still has the theological resources our culture desperately needs, including a vision of final judgment, true repair, and communities where sinners can be reintegrated without pretending harm never happened.

0:02 - Theme Song

1:22 - Announcements

2:54 - Priya Parker

8:03 - Inevitability of Harm

11:46 - Social Vengeance

19:00 - Rodney King and Reginald Denny

25:25 - The full episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/158894092/

Priya Parker on the Ezra Klein Podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=714IB4avhWg

The Redemption Paradox: Why We Embrace it in Storytelling But Resist it in Life

https://simplyputpsych.co.uk/mind-over-media/the-redemption-paradox-why-we-embrace-it-in-storytelling-but-resist-it-in-life?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Drew's back to talk about the youth and the Church. YouTube prophets preach about UFO's! Christian singles join dating shows on Hulu! Kids are saying "Christ is King..." but mean something different than allegiance to Jesus. It's a wild world, but Skye and Drew are here to talk about it.

0:08 - Theme Song

1:12 - Youtube Prophets and UFO Panic

16:46 - Christian Dating Reality Show?

24:52 - Gen Z Wants to be 80's Kids

26:08 - The full episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/158271605/

Ryan Burge is back with graphs about (what else?) religion, as young men are increasingly identifying as religious, but aren't really participating in churches. What's going on? And how does this tie into Crotch Christianity? Skye and Ryan talk about this and maintaining humility in matters of faith.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:41 - People like the "Idea" of religion

5:11 - Young Men Claim Religious Identity

15:25 - Crotch Christianity, LGBTQ, and Roe V. Wade

24:01 - Moral Uncertainty and Religion

Ryan Burge's Substack Article:

https://substack.com/home/post/p-195438773

Skye reacts to recent comments by Pope Leo about the danger of assuming the church only cares about sexual morality and the backlash to his remarks from conservative evangelicals. He explains the origin and widespread acceptance of what Skye calls "crotch Christianity," why the over-correction by more progressive Christians is also problematic, and how Pope Leo points us to a healthier, more biblical vision of Christian ethics.

0:04 - Theme Song

0:45 - Live Show Recap

7:00 - Is Sex the Slippery Slope?

14:10 - What is Crotch Christianity?

19:14 - Crotch Christianity and Roe V Wade

23:54 - Reflecting Our Culture

This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/157011066/

Skye's Explainer Video on Abortion:

https://youtu.be/RvWD7ykNjCc

David French and Skye Jethani debrief David's recent debate with Governor Chris Christie about online gambling at the University of Chicago. The conversation also tackles competing definitions of liberty, and the possibility of creating a political message to unify the country around popular reforms and why neither party will try it.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:40 - Was the Pete Hegseth Prayer Actually That Weird?

2:26 - The Church Built a Blasphemer

10:55 - Online Gambling Debate

24:05 - Restricting Freedom for Virtue

34:50 - Cultural Shift from Libertarianism

44:22 - Majority Opinion Ignored

53:12 - Right Problem, Wrong Solution

1:02:10 - End Credits

Chris Christie and David French's Debate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAmVu4WVG7Q&t=1s