What happens when dispensational theology or Christian nationalism directly informs foreign policy without critical reflection or moral accountability? 

In this episode, we get to hear from the Professor himself, Lee C. Camp, as he takes the podium to trace the historical roots of Christian nonviolence, exploring how followers of Jesus have wrestled with war and peace across the centuries. Savannah and Lee examine reports that more than 200 complaints have been filed by members of the U.S. armed forces regarding commanding officers invoking “God’s divine plan” to justify military action. These stories raise a pressing question at the intersection of faith, power, and policy: War—what is it good for?

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Jemar Tisby on No Small Endeavor

Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace by Roland H. Bainton

Christian attitudes to war, peace, and revolution: a companion to Bainton by John Howard Yoder

Who Is My Enemy? by Lee C. Camp

With God on Our Side by Bob Dylan

Also: pre-save Savannah's album!

Some of our sources!

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges (The Guardian)

MRFF Inundated with Complaints of Gleeful Commanders Telling Troops Iran War is “Part of God’s Divine Plan” to Usher in the Return of Jesus Christ (MRFF)

Jemar Tisby on Threads

Why Would Some Christians Be Excited About War With Iran? Benjamin Cremer on Substack

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With their new EP Days of Ash, U2 turns up the volume on grief, protest, and hope. What exactly are they trying to say?

This week on The Subtext, we dive into U2’s new Days of Ash EP. From Holocaust memory and lament in “The Tears of Things,” to Iranian resistance in “Song of the Future,” to questions about politics, rights, and God’s power in “American Obituary,” we explore how theology, politics, and art intertwine in U2’s latest offering to the world.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Surrender by Bono

Days of Ash - U2

Night by Elie Wiesel

The Tears of Things by Richard Rohr

With God on Our Side - Bob Dylan

Stream Savannah's new single "God Have Mercy" (it's beautiful!) 

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What does it actually look like to take responsibility when you’ve shaped a culture that harmed people? Is saying “I’m sorry” enough?

This week on The Subtext, we revisit the cultural reckoning around America’s Next Top Model and ask what meaningful accountability looks like for those who shaped, and benefited from, harmful beauty standards. Is acknowledging harm enough, or does repentance require repair? Turning to the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, we explore a biblical model of costly repentance that doesn’t just confess wrongdoing but restores what was taken.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Ben Cohen on No Small Endeavor

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When the artists, authors, and celebrities we admire disappoint us, where’s the line between appreciating their work and endorsing their behavior?

After the Grammys reignited the “stay in your lane” debate, we revisit the question: Do we tell celebrities to be quiet because we don’t want to wrestle with what they believe? A listener email pushes us deeper, prompting us to ask what we do when artists we admire act immorally or hold views we reject. From Philip Yancey’s recent confession to pop culture figures like Andrew Huberman and Brad Pitt, we explore whether moral failure cancels insight, whether grace eliminates consequences, and how social media tribalism intensifies the dilemma. Can we separate art from the artist? Or are we always participating in what we platform?

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Hunter Biden on the Shawn Ryan Show

You've Got Mail

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Do we have to change something fundamental in ourselves to make a marriage work? In this Valentine's Day special episode of The Subtext, Savannah and Lee discuss the show Couples’ Therapy and the balance between self-betrayal and people-pleasing. And as Stanley Hauerwas says, “Love is not all you need.” 

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Curt Thompson: The Work Beneath Lasting Love on No Small Endeavor

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This week on The Subtext, Lee and Savannah break down the rival Super Bowl halftime shows. From Bad Bunny’s vibrant homage to Puerto Rican culture and global pop influence to an “All American” showcase filled with country anthems and faith imagery, these events turned into a mirror for something much bigger. Beneath the spectacle, they explore what these shows say about who we are, who we think we are, and who gets to define what “America” means.

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This episode has been living rent-free in our heads leading up to the Super Bowl, so we're dropping it back in your feed.  What does it mean when the Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a front line in the latest culture wars?

When Turning Point USA launches an “All-American Halftime Show” to rival Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, it’s more than a musical critique; it’s a signal of a culture war. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why something as ordinary as a halftime show can feel like a referendum on faith, family, and freedom. From the backlash that followed Reconstruction to Reagan’s alliance with the religious right, to today’s debates over gender, race, and education, the culture wars have always been about who stays in power. How can we interact with culture wars better? How should we treat “hot topic” issues?

Things we mentioned in this episode:

⁠ Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders⁠

⁠ The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton⁠

⁠ James by Percival Everett⁠

⁠ All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert⁠

⁠ Awake by Jen Hatmaker⁠

⁠ The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi⁠

⁠ The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin⁠

⁠ Bad Faith by Randall Balmer⁠

⁠ Mere Discipleship by Lee C. Camp⁠

⁠ All the Buried Women podcast⁠

⁠ Ed Larson on No Small Endeavor⁠

⁠ Randall Balmer on No Small Endeavor⁠

⁠ Garrett Graff on No Small Endeavor⁠

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What happens when betting, profit, and addiction blur into everyday life?

Sports betting has moved from the margins into everyday life. It is dominating our phones, our sports, and even our teenagers. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack how legalized gambling and prediction markets are shaping culture, forming us, and turning everything from sports to politics into a commodity.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Against the Rules Season 5 with Michael Lewis

More from Michael Lewis

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Should celebrities “stay in their lane” when it comes to political or moral matters? Who gets to speak in public, and why do we only object when it makes us uncomfortable?

When Mark Ruffalo spoke out at the Golden Globes about American politics, some applauded his honesty while others told him to “stay in his lane.” In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why celebrity activism is celebrated by some and condemned by others, exposing the double standards around fame, faith, politics, and who we think is allowed to speak in public.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Down There by the Train by Tom Waits

Come On Up To The House by Tom Waits

Tehran on Apple TV

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan

The One On The Right Is On The Left Live at the Ryman Auditorium by Johnny Cash

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When fear becomes the price of being “informed,” how do we tell the difference between paying attention and being emotionally hijacked?

After a trio of viral Threads posts seem to declare that terror is the only appropriate response to our moment, we dig into how social media turns unprocessed fear into a public spectacle, and why outrage and panic are increasingly treated as signs of intelligence or moral seriousness. Drawing on mental health research, media studies, and theology, we ask whether constant distress actually helps us engage the world more faithfully or quietly numbs our capacity for compassion and action.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Books + Articles:

We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat

Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Night by Elie Wiesel

A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly

Media and compassion after digital war: Why digital media haven't transformed responses to human suffering in contemporary conflict by Andrew Hoskins

We Have Never Been Woke by Musa al-Gharbi

Shows + Movies:

Run Away on Netflix

Stranger Things on Netflix

The Prince of Egypt

Songs + Podcasts:

If You Believe by Rachael Lampa (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack)

Dare You To Move by Switchfoot (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack)

Musa al-Gharbi interview on No Small Endeavor

Munther Isaac interview on No Small Endeavor

Follow No Small Endeavor to be notified when Lee's episode with Kim Stanley Robinson drops!

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