Truce - History of the Christian Church

By Chris StaronReligion & Spirituality Christianity History Religion

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Truce - History of the Christian Church episodes

November 23, 2021 The Wrong Way to Build a Christian City: Girolamo Savonarola
Writer, preacher, reformer, martyr. Girolamo Savonarola was an inspiration to Martin Luther and an early martyr for the Protestant Reformation. He’s also a controversial figure – more Old Testament prophet than humble friar. He tried to end the Renaissance, to create a city of God. We can learn a lot from his story today.
Our guest Samantha Morris discusses her book Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher and the history of the “mad preacher of Florence”. Her new book is "The Pope's Greatest Adversary: Girolamo Savonarola".
Think you could end a movement? Destroy some of the best art ever made? Nearly topple the Italian Renaissance? Of course not, but that’s what one man tried to do at the end of the 1400s. He was a righteous man who fought against the evil of Pope Alexander VI. But he went too far—trying to make the world behave in a godly fashion instead of changing the hearts of Florence. In a time before the Bible was readily available in people’s own languages, Girolamo Savonarola was put to death by the very superstition he tried to defeat.
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25 min
November 09, 2021 The Chosen with creator Dallas Jenkins
"The Chosen" is a hit streaming series about the life of Jesus. It was crowd-funded by small investors. This interview was recorded 2 1/2 years ago at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, but Chris never used the audio. So we're releasing this audio as a bonus while we work on season five. Do you watch the Chosen? What do you think? Contact us on social media at @trucepodcast.
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18 min
October 26, 2021King Leopold's Ghost (feat. Adam Hochschild)
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When you think of the world's worst mass murderers, King Leopold II doesn't usually come up. But due to his forced labor practices in the Congo, nearly 10 million people lost their lives. He did this by pretending that his actions in that region were a missionary effort. In reality, he forced Africans to harvest wild rubber or risk having their hands cut off.
The truth is even darker than that: it turns out that Leopold was far from the only person doing this. This same era was marked by many major world powers engaging in forced labor. From the US in the Philippines to Arab countries in eastern Africa, much of the modern world was built on forced labor.
Author Adam Hochschild joins us for this episode to discuss his book "King Leopold's Ghost".
I first heard about this story on the Noble Blood podcast and their episode "The Red Paint on Leopold II".
Discussion Questions:
Had you heard of King Leopold II before this?
Leopold did send missionaries to the Congo. Was that a positive or negative thing for our Christian witness?
Did you know that other major countries were engaged in forced labor into WWII?
What do you think of the US-backed coup in Congo? Is it okay for the US to get involved in the politics of another nation?

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45 min
October 12, 2021Christians and the British Slave Trade (feat. Adam Hochschild)
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The British slave trade had several well-known opponents: William Wilberforce and John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") to name a few. But historian Adam Hochschild ("King Leopold's Ghost", "To End All Wars") argues that history has largely forgotten the most valuable member of the abolition movement: Thomas Clarkson. Clarkson was in charge of gathering and disseminating information across the British Isles. He fought for years to end the slave trade and then slavery itself.
This movement is important for many reasons. It was the first to use logos, a coordinated marketing campaign, and it established a high bar for investigative journalism. It was also an ecumenical movement.
In this episode we explore slavery, the importance of slave rebellions, the power of ecumenical efforts, and the book "Bury the Chains".
I mentioned the so-called Curse of Ham in the episode. Learn more about it here.
Helpful discussion questions:
Had you heard of Thomas Clarkson before this episode?
Do you participate in any cross-denominational movements? Where do you draw the line?
Has your church ever participated in anti-racism movements?
Was there any wisdom in ending the slave trade first?
Why do you think John Newton didn't give up the slave trade as soon as he became a Christian?
Was it possible to be a Christian and own slaves?
Do you think humanity will ever go back to slavery?
Do modern payday loans keep people in bondage in the way that debt kept people in bondage in the 1700s?

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40 min
August 17, 2021Can I Still Love the Church?
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So many Christians are angry at the Church. Not just the Church but their local churches as well. Producer Chris Staron decided to take a look inside one small congregation to see how Black Lives Matter, COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, and more have impacted one community. How are people in Jackson, Wyoming responding in a time of dissension and deconstruction in the body of Christ?
Special thanks to Ray McDaniel and Karl Klemmer for talking with Chris for this interview.
Helpful Links:
Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps
First Baptist Church
Discussion Questions:
How have the last few years changed your ideas about the global Church?
How have they changed your ideas of your local church?
How would you respond if you were the pastor of a local church today and your congregation wanted you to pick a political side?
Should pastors speak about politics from the pulpit?
Why do we put so much emphasis on messages from the pulpit and discount the ability for congregants to have meaningful conversations on their own?
Are you deconstructing your faith? What does that term mean to you?
If you are deconstructing your faith, have you removed the local church? The Bible? If so, how has that impacted your faith?
Are you open to people who have different opinions? How do you interact with those people? Is it in person?
Do you have friends with different opinions than you? How can you get some if you don't?
Do you see the Church as a "we" and "us" or as a "them"? Why?

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45 min
August 03, 2021 100th Episode
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Truce usually uses research, music, sound effects, and expert interviews to tell complicated stories about the Christian Church. We've made something like 100 episodes! Our listeners recommended that we celebrate by asking Chris questions submitted by audience members.

Special thanks to Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast for asking the questions!

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39 min
July 20, 2021The American West: Is It A Sin to Be Wealthy? (featuring Yale Professor Justin Farrell)
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Jackson, Wyoming is a small tourist town in the middle of nowhere. It is just a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Millions of people pass through each year as tourists. It's a vacation hotspot. But for those who choose to stay in this region, Teton County is anything but a vacation. Rising income inequality and housing costs have created a hostile environment for working people. The median home price in Jackson went up 47% in 2020 alone, rising to $2.2 million while wages remain stagnant.

We've been talking for the last few episodes about myths of the American West, how cowboy myths about a lone rugged individual have shaped the US. Now it's time to understand how cowboy myths have impacted American Christianity.

Our guest today is Justin Farrell. He's a sociologist and professor at Yale. His book is Billionaire Wilderness. In it, Farrell recounts his studies of the ultra-wealthy. What makes them tick? What are they afraid of? Why do they dress the way they do? And what draws them to the far western border of Wyoming?

Discussion Questions:
Read the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). What do you think of Jesus' warning about wealthy people entering the kingdom of God?
Many of the tax avoidance practices discussed in this series are legal (except pretending to live in one place while living in another). Do you think that legality and morality are tied together?
Are these practices moral?
What types of friction do you experience in your own life?
How would more money change the level of friction you encounter?
How would less money change the level of friction you encounter?
Do you think that friction is a valuable thing to pay attention to in our lives?
What is the role of empathy in a Christian's life?
How do you use money to benefit yourself as opposed to others?
Helpful Links:
Justin Farrell's book Billionaire Wilderness
NY Times article about President Trump changing his residence to get out of paying taxes
Book The Velvet Rope Economy about inequalities in health care, airlines, services, and even Disney World.

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50 min
July 07, 2021 Apology for an Inappropriate Ad
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An ad went out this week for an inappropriate Netflix show. Chris addresses the issue, the solution, and the ever-changing media landscape.
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5 min
July 06, 2021The American West: Conservation Easements
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Some of the wealthiest people in the world live (or pretend to live) in Jackson, Wyoming. That includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Digging into the property tax records, we discovered that one of the most successful actors in film history pays less in property tax than a single mom living on less land. What gives? Why are rich people paying less in property tax than working people?
The answer has to do with a thing called a conservation easement. A conservation easement is essentially an agreement between a landowner and the government that says, "I promise I'll keep my property from certain kinds of building projects". In return, the government gives the landowner massive tax benefits on the federal and local levels.
In this episode, Chris digs into the history of these instruments to understand what they are and how they are impacting rural Wyoming and the rest of the country.
UPDATE: The original version of this episode contained an error that has since been corrected. The original version stated that getting an $800,000 tax deduction was essentially the same as getting an $800,000 refund. That is incorrect. My apologies.
Helpful links:
Helpful article about conservation easements
Excellent pamphlet with information about easements
YouTube video about how taxes are assessed
Search the Teton County property tax records
Discussion Questions
What do you think about public land?
Do conservation easements seem fair?
Are conservation easements a helpful way to preserve the environment or government-sponsored private land? Both?
What should Jackson locals do to make the property taxes fair?
How do you feel when you learn that taxation practices favor the rich?
Are there conservation easements where you live?

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37 min
June 22, 2021The American West: Johnson County War
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The myth of the American cowboy features a lone man who makes his fortune on the open plains. He doesn't need the government, and he doesn't need some big corporation telling him what to do. But that myth is far from the reality in the west. Many cowboys worked for large corporate cattle operations. And when those operations were in danger, he relied on the government for help.
The Johnson County War started when the Homestead Act of 1862 brought new people to central Wyoming. The area just west of the Big Horn Mountains had been free-range grassland where anyone could let their cattle run free. The large cattle operations loved this setup because it saved them an immense amount of money and infrastructure. The new homesteads threatened their empires because they divided up the land and restricted their access. So the Wyoming Stock Growers Association banded together to send a message: get off our land. They send a murder squad to Johnson County, Wyoming to scare the people of Buffalo with a series of brutal murders.
What followed was one of the darkest chapters in Wyoming history. Where big businesses murdered with impunity, aided by the governor and sitting president.
Helpful links:
The Jim Gatchell Museum in Buffalo, WY
The TA Ranch (where the siege took place)
Book used for research: Wyoming Range War by John W. Davis
Discussion Questions:
What role did the Homestead Act play in stirring up trouble in central Wyoming?
Is there a character in the story that you identify with?
Is there any part of you that sympathizes with the WSGA?
How does this story challenge your concept of the American cowboy?
What role does the government have in protecting an industry?
How do you feel about the government's failure to punish the invaders?

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49 min

About Truce - History of the Christian Church

From the publisher's feed

Truce explores the history of the evangelical church in America, from fundamentalism to pyramid schemes to political campaigns. Host Chris Staron uses journalistic tools to investigate how the church got here and how it can do better.