Are there universal moral laws that bind all humanity? Are some things just right and wrong? In a polarized world, can we hope to agree on moral issues? Christians and Muslims have long histories of discussing the existence of a “natural law.” But where do they differ? Join us for a fascinating discussion of these and many other issues as we meet with two experts on natural law, Micah Watson of Calvin University and Anver Emon of the University of Toronto.

Links:

• Micah Watson’s faculty page: https://calvin.edu/people/micah-j-watson 
• Hopeful Realism: Evangelical Natural Law and Democratic Politics: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781514007709
• Anver Emon’s faculty page: https://www.law.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/full-time-faculty/anver-emon 
• Islamic Natural Law Theories: https://a.co/d/i6nKaBq

The Mormon faith is deeply American in just about every way, and yet Mormons have never quite been accepted in America. Why? What is it like to be a Mormon in America? How do Mormons navigate American politics? Many of them voted for Trump, but do they like him? Join us as we talk with Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, as he walks us through the history of Mormonism, his own beliefs, and the way he thinks about our current political landscape as a Mormon.

Links:

Matthew Bowman’s book The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith:

https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780812983364

Bowman’s latest book, Joseph Fielding Smith: A Mormon Theologian:

https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780252088056

Christian: The Politics of a Word in America

https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780674244917

Matthew Bowman’s bio:

https://www.cgu.edu/people/matthew-bowman/

Are you afraid of hell? Do you know who’s going there? We know that our beliefs about the afterlife can often influence the ways in which we treat so-called insiders and outsiders. What we think about hell can even influence our political action in society. Join us as we talk with Mohammad Hassan Khalil, author of Islam and the Fate of Others, who offers a deep historical dive on how Muslims have thought about salvation in the past and present, not only for those from other religions but for themselves too.

Links:

Khalil’s book, Islam and the Fate of Others: https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Fate-Others-Salvation-Question/dp/0199796661

Khalil’s latest book, Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism: https://www.amazon.com/Radicalism-Atheism-Mohammad-Hassan-Khalil/dp/1108432751/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

The seven deadly sins aren’t just a relic of the past—they continue to shape the way we live, lead, and engage with one another. In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield, a Comment contributing editor and breakout author from the UK, explores how these enduring vices influence our divided age. Her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, offers a thoughtful look at how faith and character can help us navigate the tensions of today.

LINKS

Elizabeth Oldfield’s new book https://www.amazon.com/Fully-Alive-Tending-Turbulent-Times/dp/1587436507

Discussing Elizabeth’s Commune:  https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/middle-class-commune-joint-bank-accounts-noisy-sex-peckham-0jnhvhgmh

That’s it! I’m moving to Canada. After a long election season, many American voters will find it difficult to accept defeat. And while it is hard, democratic life demands the regular practice of political concession—admitting that, however just your cause, the people did not agree with you. Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk discuss how Christianity and Islam can help with electoral patience and learning to lose gracefully. To bow one’s head in prayer is to accept that the world (and the election) is beyond your control. And while this might be “the most important election of our lifetime,” there are much more important things in our lives than elections.

Links:

We discuss the Muslim Struggle over which political party to support https://comment.org/podcasts/do-muslims-fit-in-a-political-party/

Is Democracy God’s Will? https://comment.org/podcasts/is-democracy-gods-will/

Shadi Hamid in The Washington Post: A wake-up call for Kamala Harris from Muslim and Arab Americans https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/22/harris-muslim-arab-american-vote/

Muslims and Jews share more than either side might want to admit. Their monotheistic theology, their emphasis on law, and their long history of living alongside each other all play a role in developing what some might call the “Judeo-Islamic tradition.” In fact, Judaism might not have become what it is today if it wasn’t for Islam. Has this tradition been lost, or can it be regained? In this episode Mustafa Akyol, the author of the new book The Islamic Moses, joins the show to argue for a bold, new interpretation of the relationship between Islam and Judaism.  

Mustafa Akyol’s new book The Islamic Moses: How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World https://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Moses-Inspired-Flourish-Together/dp/1250256097/ 

Mustafa Akyol’s The Islamic Jesus https://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Jesus-Became-Prophet-Muslims/dp/1250199352/ 

Mustafa Akyol’s Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance https://www.amazon.com/Reopening-Muslim-Minds-Freedom-Tolerance/dp/1250832519/

Zealots at the Gate: "Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdW4-dI7W94&t=0s

Zealots at the Gate: "Does the World Need a Caliphate?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVbrrzolXPM&t=0s

Muslim voting habits in America have changed in the past, and they are changing again. What issues might draw them to the political right or left? Dalia Mogahed has been studying Muslim Americans for decades. She is a senior scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a former member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Tune in for an excellent discussion about the diverse ways in which American Muslims connect their faith and their politics.

LINKS

Dalia Mogahed comparing evangelicals and Muslims on religion and public life

https://www.ispu.org/muslims-more-private-religious-devotion-less-public-religious-assertiveness/

Dalia Mogahed’s key findings on American Muslims in 2022.

https://www.ispu.org/american-muslim-poll-2022-key-findings/

Dalia Mogahed’s podcast on the Qur’an

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/quran-conversations/id1751858926

2024 election analysis by Dalia Mogahed on Muslim voter preferences and opinions in three key swing states.

https://www.ispu.org/winning-muslim-votes-2/

In the wake of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, he and his followers have been discussing the role of God in sparing his life. Reflecting on his good fortune, Trump has even speculated about potential changes in his nomination speech and broader campaign. In this episode, Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk delve into the religious and political issues at play. Did God actually save Donald Trump? Might God truly change Trump’s heart? Should citizens be optimistic or pessimistic about the potential redemption of their political opponents?

LINKS

“Is Trump’s near-death experience part of God’s plan?” by Shadi Hamid https://wapo.st/4cFNteo

“Donald Trump, Man of Destiny” by Ross Douthat https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/opinion/donald-trump-assassination-destiny.html

On the Death Penalty “A Catholic Socialist in a Secular World” with Elizabeth Bruenig https://comment.org/podcasts/a-catholic-socialist-in-a-secular-world/

Chesterton on Optimism and Pessimism https://passionatelylovingtheworld.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/chesterton-pessimism-optimism-and-the-case-for-mirth/

Our many differences in religion and politics are not problems to be solved. In this episode we interview John Inazu, the author of a new book titled Learning to Disagree. A professor of religion and law at Washington University in St. Louis, Inazu shares the critical lessons he’s learned about deep disagreement.

LINKS

John Inazu’s books on disagreement and pluralism: Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780310368014

Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving through Deep Difference https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780226592435

What is the political future of American evangelicalism? And what explains the rise of “secular” evangelical politics? Russell Moore is the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today and the author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Together we discuss the surprising and tragic ways in which evangelicalism has become politicized and secularized through its engagement in American political life.

LINKS

Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, By Russell Moorehttps://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780593541784

We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland, by Fintan O'Toolehttps://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781324092872

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, By Tim Alberta https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780063226883