Zealots at the Gate

America's first Muslim senator, competing ideas of what it means to run for office as a Christian, and shifting issues that compelled voting changes all came to the forefront last week. In this episode, Matt and Shadi come together to discuss the recent midterm elections, what role faith played in the actions of voters and candidates alike, and how the results reflect the current landscape. Together, they reflect on the democratic process, what it means to be a person of faith engaging in political action right now, and whether an election can tell us anything about the will of God.

Links

• Zealots at the Gate, "Have Progressives Found Faith Again?" with Michael Wear: https://comment.org/podcasts/have-progressives-found-faith-again/
• Matthew Kaemingk and Shadi Hamid, Can Religion Save Democracy?: https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy

When Michael Wear briefed senior political leaders, he always included a simple slide showing how many Americans identify as religious. Once, one of them looked at it and said out loud, "Oh my God, there are that many of them?" Michael tells that story to make a point Christians often miss: When Democrats seem cold toward people of faith, it isn't always hostility. Sometimes it's just ignorance.

Recorded at the Center for Christianity and Public Life's summit in Washington, DC, this conversation with Wear, CCPL's founder and former Obama faith adviser, asks why the Democratic Party keeps forgetting how to talk about faith.

Links:

• Matthew Kaemingk and Shadi Hamid, Can Religion Save Democracy?: https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy

• Center for Christianity and Public Life: https://www.ccpubliclife.org

• Michael Wear, The Spirit of Our Politics: https://www.harpercollinschristian.com/9780310367239/the-spirit-of-our-politics/

• Michael Wear, Reclaiming Hope: https://www.harpercollinschristian.com/9780718082321/reclaiming-hope/

• Barack Obama's 2006 Call to Renewal address (transcript): https://sojo.net/articles/transcript-obamas-2006-sojournerscall-renewal-address-faith-and-politics

• David E. Campbell, Geoffrey C. Layman, and John C. Green, Secular Surge: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/secular-surge/97F16AA6E64D63718D58AF327100BFE2

Join us as we talk with journalist and author Bonnie Kristian about her new book, In Defense of Evangelicalism. Kristian illuminates the societal trends toward the "monstering" of evangelicalism and argues for fair treatment of her faith community. Matt and Shadi press her on voting trends, the evangelical pro-life stance, evangelical views of Islam, and more.

Links

• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! Can Religion Save Democracy? is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!
• Follow Bonnie Kristian on Substack: https://bonniekristian.substack.com/

Leah Libresco Sargeant and Hadia Mubarak join Matt and Shadi to discuss what feminism looks like within their respective commitments to Catholicism and Islam. Libresco, an author and speaker and atheist-to-Catholic convert, argues for the consistency of women's dignity and the Catholic faith, even while pushing back against some of the assumptions of "secular" feminism. Mubarak, associate professor of religion at Queens University of Charlotte, likewise asserts that the core of Islam is equitable, not patriarchal, between the sexes. Toward the end of the episode, Matt and Shadi take a step back to allow Libresco and Mubarak to explore their similarities and differences.

Links

• Leah Libresco Sargeant's website: https://leahlibresco.com/
• Leah's book, The Dignity of Dependence, mentioned in the show
• About Hadia Mubarak at Queens University Charlotte: https://www.queens.edu/artsci/campus-directory/hadia-mubarak-phd/ Hadia's newest book: Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands: Controversies in Modern Qurʾanic
• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! Can Religion Save Democracy? is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

Matt and Shadi's initiative, The Faith and Future of Democracy Initiative, is now housed at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. The two sat down with the center director and Georgetown faculty member Nader Hashemi to discuss the current state of affairs in Iran. An expert on Iranian global politics, Hashemi brings his expertise, perspective, and commitment to pluralism into this conversation. This includes questions about democracy, global relations, and more. Join us as we engage with issues of global politics, religion, and the future of global democracy.

Links:

• ACMCU: https://acmcu.georgetown.edu/
• Dr. Hashemi's website: https://naderhashemi.com/biography/
• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! Can Religion Save Democracy? is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

What are the lessons of 9/11? What does it mean to "never forget"? Join Matt and Shadi as they reflect on the fact that Muslims and Christians remember 9/11 and its aftermath quite differently. Together, Matt and Shadi share their personal stories from that day, reflect on how 9/11 continues to impact their careers, and acknowledge the key role 9/11 played in bringing them together.

Links:

• George W. Bush's speech at a mosque on September 17, 2001: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html
• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! Can Religion Save Democracy? is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

In the previous episode, Matthew and Shadi sat down with self-described Christian nationalist William Wolfe and gave him substantial room to articulate his account of American history and his vision of Christianity, religious pluralism, and political power. Here, they reckon with what they heard. What happens to the case for Christian nationalism when some of its underlying claims about American history don't hold up to the historical record?

Join Matt and Shadi as they explore the practical and theological arguments against Christian nationalism. What happens to religious minorities in a nation explicitly ordered toward Christianity? And, more fundamentally, what does Christian faith itself require of Christians in their treatment of political opponents, outsiders, and those with whom they profoundly disagree?

Links:

• Matt and Shadi's debate with William Wolfe: https://comment.org/podcasts/what-do-christian-nationalists-actually-want/
• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! Can Religion Save Democracy? is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

In one of their most revealing—and at times unsettling—conversations to date, Matthew and Shadi sit down with William Wolfe, a self-described Christian nationalist, former Trump administration official, and founder and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. Zealots at the Gate has spent considerable time talking about Christian nationalism. Here, Matt and Shadi wanted to talk directly with someone making the case for it—and to understand the worldview on its own terms.

What makes a nation a nation? How does a Christian nationalist understand what it means to love and protect one's country? Can Wolfe's vision for America make room for the religious and cultural pluralism of the country as it actually is? Wolfe lays out his understanding of American identity, patriotism, political power, and the role Christianity should play in public life. As the conversation unfolds, the disagreements become increasingly fundamental, culminating in a pointed exchange between Shadi and Wolfe over whether Muslims can fully belong within the American "we."

Links:

• William Wolfe's article "A Christian Case for America First" https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-christian-case-for-america-first/
• Wolfe's article "How Christians Are Winning Battles in the Culture War" https://www.christianpost.com/voices/how-christians-are-winning-battles-in-the-culture-war.html
• Matt and Shadi wrote a book! The book is now available for pre-order at https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

Join us as we talk with David Brooks, author and staff writer for The Atlantic. Brooks explores the tensions between political resentment and spiritual longing, diversity and cohesion, and achievement and equality, inviting us to think about balance within politics. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have faced internal insurgencies. Can radicalism be justified, or is moderation necessarily better?

• David Brooks' article on his personal faith journey: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/opinion/faith-god-christianity.html?eafs_enabled=false
• Brooks' article on the battle for the Democratic Party https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/democrats-fight-left-dsa/687839/
• Brooks' latest book How to Know a Person: https://www.amazon.com/dp/059323006X

Matt and Shadi wrote a book! The book is now available for pre-order at: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy and is currently 40% off!

Evangelicals, historically, have largely supported the state of Israel. But is support waning? Why have evangelicals taken this stance, and what has changed? Join us as we talk with Robert Nicholson, founder of the Philos Project and editor-at-large of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. Nicholson provides commentary on the history of evangelical support of Israel, current trends, and a theology of the relationship between Christianity and the state of Israel.

LINKS

• Announcing Matt and Shadi's new book: Can Religion Save Democracy? Pre-order your copy from Baker Book House and receive 40% off through its release on October 13, 2026: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436895_can-religion-save-democracy
• Robert Nicholson bio: https://providencemag.com/authors/robert-nicholson/
• Phil Klay on U.S. Support for Israel's War: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/03/gaza-war-indefensible-united-states/677896/