Faith Angle

Brad Fulton and Amber Hacker: Religion & American Philanthropy Oct 23, 2024

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Brad Fulton, professor of Nonprofit Management and Social Policy at the O’Neill School of Public Affairs at Indiana University, alongside Amber Hacker, Chief of External Affairs at Interfaith America. Our guests discuss the role of religious giving in philanthropy and the surprising trends that emerge from the underlying data. Out of the $557 billion dollars given annually in the United States to charities, twenty percent of the funds come from foundations. Does religious commitment influence that giving? Do we know from available data that generosity makes a person healthier or happier? Does the generation a person’s born into—say, a Boomer vs. a Millennial—impact giving patterns? They also discuss new networking tools as it relates to philanthropic giving.

Guests

Dr. Brad Fulton

Amber Hacker

Additional Resources

“Religious Organizations Crosscutting the Nonprofit Sector,” by Brad R. Fulton

“Faith-Based Public Foundations: Identifying the Field and Assessing its Impact,” by Allison Ralph and Brad R. Fulton

“Money, Meet Meaning,” by Amber Hacker and Tom Levinson

Knox Thames and Jaweed Kaleem on Religious Freedom Sep 26, 2024

In this episode, we are joined by Jaweed Kaleem of The Los Angeles Times alongside Knox Thames, author of the new book Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom. Knox reflects on his long career advancing the cause of religious liberty around the world, including in the some of the world's most repressive contexts. Our guests assess the current state of religious freedom across different contexts, from India to Israel and Gaza, and reflect on how the eroding of religious freedom often serves as a "canary in the coal mine" for the loss of other fundamental human rights.

Guests

Knox Thames

Jaweed Kaleem

Additional Resources

Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom, by Knox Thames

"France Struggles to Confront One of Its Biggest Taboos: Race," by Jaweed Kaleem

"Swastikas, bullhorns, guns: Antisemitic Incidents in U.S. Hit 43-Year High," by Jaweed Kaleem

Eliza Griswold and David French on "Circle of Hope” Aug 27, 2024

In this episode, New York Times opinion columnist David French sits down with Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold of The New Yorker to discuss her brand new book, Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church. These two journalists with firsthand familiarity and longstanding expertise in covering religion embark on a fascinating exploration of the book's coverage of Philadelphia's Circle of Hope, a little-known yet influential progressive evangelical movement, and how the sobering disintegration of that spiritual community mirrors broader dynamics at work in American Christianity.

Guests

Eliza Griswold

David French

Additional Reading

Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, by Eliza Griswold

"The Church Preached Love and Tolerance. Then Racial Politics Tore It Apart," by David French

"Losing a Beloved Community," by Eliza Griswold

Elizabeth Oldfield and Damir Marusic: "Fully Alive" in a Post-Christian World Jul 23, 2024

On this episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Oldfield to discuss her newly-released book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. After beginning her career covering religion for the BBC, Elizabeth for a decade ran a London-based think tank called Theos, which seeks to stimulate the debate about the place of religion in society, challenging and changing ideas through research, commentary and events. Under her leadership, its staff increased tenfold—and still supports podcast she hosts today, "The Sacred."

Joining Elizabeth is Damir Marusic, an assignment editor at The Washington Post. Along with Shadi Hamid, a longtime friend and advisor to Faith Angle, Damir co-founded the podcast "Wisdom of Crowds." Damir writes extensively on US politics, polarization, US foreign policy, and European affairs. Bringing a non-religious vantage point, he highlights with Elizabeth key themes in Fully Alive and the two get right into it, not mincing words even when there are differing views of sin, grace, evil, and the possibilities for human community.

Guests

Elizabeth Oldfield

Damir Marusic

Additional Resources

Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, by Elizabeth Oldfield

"The Sacred" Podcast, with Elizabeth Oldfield, a Theos Think Tank podcast

Fully Alive Substack, with Elizabeth Oldfield

Wisdom of Crowds Podcast and Substack, with Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid

Leading Insights from the 2024 Michael Cromartie Forum Jun 14, 2024

Building on the legacy of Michael Cromartie (1950-2017), who founded Faith Angle Forum a quarter-century ago, MCF brings together a select group of exceptionally talented, early-career journalists for a three-day conference in the nation’s capital, focusing on the intersection of faith, culture, and journalism today. This year’s forum explored new narratives in American history, reconsidered the relationship between spirituality and vocational journalism, and examined the interplay between race, religion, and identity in diverse democracies.

Additional Resources:

Michael Cromartie Forum 2024

Journalism, Religion, and Vocation with Will Saletan and Eugene Scott

Religion and Journalism: An Integrating Workshop with Miranda Kennedy and Molly Ball

The Spirit of Our Politics with Michael Wear and Jon Ward

The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story with Kermit Roosevelt and Pete Wehner

Understanding Race, Religion, and Identity for Diverse Democracies with Simran Jeet Singh

Brad Wilcox and Isabel Sawhill: On Marriage May 09, 2024

In this episode, recorded at Faith Angle Miami 2024, we are joined by Brad Wilcox and Isabel Sawhill for a fascinating, timely conversation about marriage patterns, family structure, shifting gender norms, and poverty rates. In a time of deep polarization, are certain approaches better than others when it comes to exploring the benefits of marriage for children? How does marriage compare with cohabitation, and how do we avoid getting caught in culture war cul du sacs when discussing gender roles, marriage norms, and solutions that can benefit low-income families? Two seminal scholars in this field, Brad and Belle highlight themes from their decades of scholarship on these topics and, in particular, from Brad's most recent book, Get Married.

Guests

W. Bradford Wilcox

Isabel Sawhill

Additional Resources

"Poverty, Religion, and the New Marriage Debate," Faith Angle Miami 2024 session video with Brad Wilcox and Isabel Sawhill

Brad Wilcox PPT Slides

Isabel Sawhill PPT Slides

"How to Think - and Talk - About Marriage Today," by Will Saletan

Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization, by Brad Wilcox

Generation Unbound: Drifting into Sex and Parenthood without Marriage, by Isabel Sawhill

The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind, by Melissa Kearney

John Inazu and Matthew Kaminski: Learning to Disagree Apr 02, 2024

In this episode, we are joined by John Inazu, who is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion and Professor of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. This week, he published his fourth book: Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect.

John sits down to discuss differences, respect, bridge-building, and the unique role of journalism in all this, with Matt Kaminski, editor-at-large of POLITICO, and the co-founder of POLITICO Europe. Matt served as editor-in-chief of POLITICO from 2019-2023, and he’s covered international politics for more than a quarter-century, still writing regularly on global affairs today.

Together they discuss whether it is possible to disagree in ways that somehow build bridges with neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones, and what role journalists can play in helping us see reality more clearly.

Guests

John Inazu

Matthew Kaminski

Additional Resources

Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, by John Inazu

Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving Through Deep Difference, by John Inazu

"'Beyond Crazy': The Liberal Jew Mugged by a Post-Oct. 7 World," by Matthew Kaminski

The Exvangelicals: Sarah McCammon and Ruth Graham Mar 11, 2024

In this episode, we are joined by Sarah McCammon, National Political Correspondent at NPR, to discuss her book Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. In it, Sarah tells a compelling, personal story about family, marriage, politics, and church—and she concisely boils down insights from scholars like David Gushee, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Christian Smith, and others you’ll hear her reference. If the great de-churching currently happening in American society is most acutely felt by Gen Z and Millennials, Sarah’s story is right in the heart of that. And since no one really knows where the future is headed, one question to ask is: If evangelicals or other religious Americans leave the fold, what replaces that unique sense of purpose, transcendent faith, and community? Joining Sarah to discuss that and other urgent questions is Ruth Graham, the brilliant New York Times’ religion, faith, and values reporter.

Guests:

Sarah McCammon

Ruth Graham

Additional Resources:

The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church, by Sarah McCammon

"Evangelical Writer Who Influenced Purity Culture Separates from Wife," by Sarah McCammon and Ruth Graham

"Two Evangelical Leaders on 'Radical Faith'," by Ruth Graham

Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation, by Jon Ward

Michael Wear and Tim Alberta: The Spirit of Our Politics Jan 23, 2024

In this episode, we are joined again by Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Michael Wear of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, to discuss Michael's brand new book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. Michael has been engaging the condition of American politics for more than 15 years, after serving in the White House, helping to launch and lead the AND Campaign, and advising leading policymakers, journalists, practitioners at the intersection of faith and public policy.

Drawing from this experience as well as the work and influence of noteworthy Christian philosopher Dallas Willard, Michael argues that our politics will only get better if we get better. The only way to transcend the current polarized morass we’re in is to deepen and revitalize our spiritual formation. Our politics is downstream of the kind of people we are.

The Spirit of Our Politics argues that the way forward is to better align our political and civic engagement with our religious commitments. And while the democratic answer for believers is never theonomy, or Christian nationalism, or privileging a majority identity—Michael and Tim sketch the contours of what faithful, integrated living might produce.

Guests:

Michael Wear

Tim Alberta

Additional Resources:

The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear

The Center for Christianity & Public Life

The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta

"The Surprising Link between the Gospel and Politics," by Michael Wear

Wear We Are Podcast, with Michael and Melissa Wear

"Tim Alberta and Michael Wear: The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory," Faith Angle podcast episode

Elizabeth Bruenig and Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac: Advent in the Holy Land Dec 22, 2023

On today’s episode, we are joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig for an Advent reflection with Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, assistant pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Rev. Isaac is an evangelical pastor whose life and ministry have been rooted in Bethlehem in the West Bank, where he is a theologian, Bible college dean, a leader of the peacebuilding initiative Christ at the Checkpoint, and part of the ancient but fast-dwindling community of Christians in the Holy Land. This Christmas, as there is war in the Holy Land, this sobering conversation points to the hope of the Incarnation in the midst of suffering—offered from a unique vantage point and moment, in the place of Christ’s birth.

Guests:

Munther Isaac

Elizabeth Bruenig

Additional Resources:

The Other Side of the Wall: A Christian Palestinian Narrative of Lament and Hope, by Munther Isaac

"Christmas is canceled in the land of Jesus' birth," by Queen Rania Al Abdullah in The Washington Post

"In Bethlehem, the home of Jesus' birth, a season of grieving for Palestinian Christians," by Laura King in The Los Angeles Times

Tim Alberta and Michael Wear: The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Dec 08, 2023

On this episode Tim Alberta and Michael Wear dig deep into Alberta's new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. Their discussion covers the shaping of the religious and political expression of American evangelicalism in the latter half of the 20th century until today, including the movement's most influential leaders. They explore how Tim's personal experiences as a pastor's son give his journalism and coverage a unique urgency, and they highlight crucial questions of truth, accountability, and priorities within the evangelical community and in American society more broadly. Guests: Tim Alberta Michael Wear Additional Resources: The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta

NPR "Fresh Air" interview with Tim Alberta
"The Long Game" interview with Tim Alberta
Christianity Today Russell Moore Show interview with Tim Alberta
The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear

Romney: A Reckoning with McKay Coppins and Peter Baker Nov 21, 2023

Author McKay Coppins sits down with Peter Baker of The New York Times to discuss Coppins' best-selling biography Romney: A Reckoning, which offers an intimate look into the life and career of Senator Mitt Romney. Coppins explains the unique process of creating the book, which reads like an authorized biography, but over which he retained editorial privileges. Coppins explains how Romney's faith influenced his political and personal life, and the thread of rationalization toward self-interest that marked Romney's career and that of so many other politicians. Coppins and Baker also discuss Romney's complex relationship with Donald Trump, including Trump's endorsement of Romney in 2012, and Romney's later criticism of former President Trump and failed attempts to derail his candidacy. Explored in the conversation are aspects of Romney’s life not commonly known, but that Coppins had access to through 45 one-on-one conversations as well as unvarnished journal entries and other correspondence. Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times, praises Coppins' book for the unique lens it provides into the inner workings of Washington and the Republican party in the Trump era. Guests McKay Coppins Peter Baker Additional Reading Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins "What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

Luke Russert and Carl Cannon: Look for Me There Nov 08, 2023

In this episode, Luke Russert discusses his new book Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, a reflection on grief, family legacy, religious exploration, and the loss of Luke's father, legendary journalist Tim Russert. Luke is joined by Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Editor of RealClearPolitics, who shares from his own experience with family bonds, faith, loss, and his personal friendship with Luke's father.

Guests

Luke Russert

Carl Cannon

Additional Resources

Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, by Tim Russert

David Brooks and Curt Thompson: How to Know a Person Oct 24, 2023

Best selling author and columnist David Brooks sits down with noted psychiatrist Curt Thompson to discuss Brooks' latest book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
Brooks' aim is to help foster deeper connections at home, work, and throughout our lives, and he and Thompson cover a lot of ground. From thoughts on friendship, depression, what it means to really listen, and how we reflect God, there's a lot here. It's a generous conversation, and one that we hope offers a kind of relational balm in our troubled time.

Guests:
David Brooks.
Curt Thompson
Additional Resources:

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
The Second Mountain, by David Brooks
The Social Animal, by David Brooks
The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope, by Curt Thompson

Christine Emba and Richard Reeves: On the Crisis Men Face Sep 29, 2023

Christine Emba's recent piece for The Washington Post, "Men Are Lost. Here's a Map out of the Wilderness.," says something haunting about the state of gender dynamics in the country and something both our guests remind us matters equally to men and women alike. On this episode, Christine joins noteworthy scholar Richard Reeves, who recently launched the American Institute for Boys and Men. Not only do they explore their timely scholarship and writing on this topic, but they also engage the nuanced role that faith and religious institutions play in it.

Guests

Christine Emba

Richard Reeves

Additional Resources

"Men Are Lost. Here Is a Map out of the Wilderness.," by Christine Emba

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine Emba

Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves

"How to Solve the Education Crisis for Boys and Men," TED Talk by Richard Reeves

Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves

Rabbi David Saperstein and McKay Coppins: Religious Freedom in an Uncertain World Sep 15, 2023

In 2009, Newsweek magazine called David Saperstein the most influential rabbi in America. For over 40 years, he was the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, becoming America's chief diplomat on religious liberty issues. He was the first chairman in 1998 of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Joining Rabbi Saperstein is a brilliant journalist for The Atlantic, McKay Coppins, who writes regularly on politics, faith, presidential campaigns, and other stories of compelling human interest.

Guests

Rabbi David Saperstein

McKay Coppins

Additional Resources

"What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins

Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins

Interview with Rabbi David Saperstein

Race and Faith in America: Eugene Scott and Ekemini Uwan Sep 01, 2023

In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting two brilliant thinkers on the state of race in America, and how a faith angle fits into that. Ekemini Uwan is a writer, public theologian, and activist who hosts the excellent podcast Truth’s Table. She co-wrote a book by that title, featuring Black women’s musings on life, love, and liberation. Joining Ekemini is Eugene Scott, who has been a prior guest journalist on Faith Angle’s podcast, and is currently the senior politics reporter at Axios.

Sixty years after the March on Washington and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, how are we doing? At the outset of an election year, this conversation dives straight into that question—with signs of some real progress and signs of much, much work yet ahead.

Guests

Ekemini Uwan

Eugene Scott

Additional Resources

Truth's Table Podcast Series, co-hosted by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson

Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation, by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson

"How Toni Morrison's words pierced me, as a black Christian female writer," by Ekemini Uwan

"Black Florida lawmakers blast DeSantis over AP African American studies," by Eugene Scott

"Black lawmakers push Congress to do more on police reform," by Eugene Scott

Storytelling and Hollywood: Alissa Wilkinson and Brad Winters on Faith at the Movies Aug 14, 2023

This episode explores how the arts can help us transcend some of the worries in contemporary society, from polarization and entrenched tribalism, to our massive decline in public trust, to informational rabbit holes, to other discouraging and sometimes heartbreaking news. How do stories help us renew?

This conversation was originally featured at Faith Angle West 2023 in Seattle, WA. and the full-length talk is linked below. Alissa Wilkinson has covered film and culture since 2016 for Vox, and she been a prolific film critic since a decade prior. Brad Winters – who speaks immediately following Alissa – is a writer, producer, and showrunner who helped direct and oversee TV dramas including “Oz” (where he started his career as a writer), “Boss,” “The Americans,” “The Sinner,” and “Berlin Station.” So we’ll hear Alissa’s reflections about how faith and Hollywood relate to one another, followed by Brad’s take as an on-set practitioner—about how he’s tried to stay true.

Guests

Alissa Wilkinson

Bradford Winters

Additional Resources

"Storytelling and Hollywood," full Faith Angle West 2023 session

"Jesus Is Calling...on Netflix's 'Beef'" in Christianity Today

"Lessons from a Barbenheimer Summer," by Alissa Wilkinson

Carolyn Chen and Trae Stephens: How Work Replaces Religion in Silicon Valley Jul 11, 2023

Time and again in American life, technology has made room for new, better things that ease human burdens and free up RAM—think just of dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, and airplanes. Of course today, Silicon Valley represents this new frontier perhaps better than anyplace else in the world. It’s there that Carolyn Chen – a sociologist and Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley, where she’s co-directs the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion – has discovered something compelling in her new book Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley (Princeton 2022).

Time after time, a Silicon Valley job provided what religion used to provide a Georgia Tech college student or Ohio megachurch volunteer. From company yoga studios to meditation apps, from cafeterias to enriching professional development opportunities, young, mobile, hi-tech workers allured by the perks often work 60 or 70 hour-weeks. If the company is changing the world, why go to church?

For Millennials and Gen Z in particular, the trend toward “no religion at all” or remaining agnostic on the religion survey is increasingly popular. But Trae Stephens, a venture capitalist and Partner at Founders Fund where he invests across multiple sectors and stages, argues the story is more complex.

Enjoy these two short talks, given live to a group of 18 journalists working at outlets primarily west of the Mississippi—first on how work in Silicon Valley has come to take the place of religion once held, and then Trae on why that is, and what we can do about it.

Guests

Carolyn Chen

Trae Stephens

Additional Resources

Work, Pray, Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley, by Carolyn Chen

"Choose Good Quests," by Trae Stephens

A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Bar: Joshua Ralston and Rim-Sarah Alouane Jun 06, 2023

Professor Joshua Ralston is a scholar and theologian who teaches Christian-Muslim Relations at the University of Edinburgh. His three books look at Sharia law from a Christian perspective, at the impact of global migration on the church, and at Europe’s rich religious diversity. He is engaged in the work of bridging divides between Christians and Muslims—each vast, diverse communities who often fundamentally misunderstand one another.

Joining him is Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French legal scholar and commentator who’s nearly completed a PhD in comparative law at the University Toulouse-Capitole, in France. Her scholarship focuses largely on religious freedom, human rights in France, the balance of civil liberties and religion, and constitutional law. Listen in for a rich dialogue between a Muslim legal scholar in France and a Christian theologian in Scotland.

Guests

Joshua Ralston

Rim-Sarah Alouane

Additional Resources

Law and the Rule of God: A Christian Engagement with Shari'a, by Joshua Ralston

The Spirit of Populism: Political Theologies in Polarized Times, co-edited by Joshua Ralston

"Publicly French, Privately Muslim: The Aim of Modern Laïcité," by Rim-Sarah Alouane

"The Weaponization of Laïcité," by Rim-Sarah Alouane

America’s Crisis in Social Trust: Yuval Levin May 24, 2023

Yuval Levin is the kind of thinker, policy analyst, public servant, and scholar you really want in DC. The talk you’re about to hear is one he gave to a group of 15 Michael Cromartie Forum journalists, a highly promising group of early-career journalists. The topic is declining trust in our politics, in religion, and in American journalism—and it’s a deeply insightful and challenging talk that we hope you’ll feel just as stirred by as our group did.

Guest

Yuval Levin

Additional Resources

A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream, by Yuval Levin

The Fractured Republic: Renewing America's Social Contract in the Age of Individualism, by Yuval Levin

"The Crisis in America's Institutions: Religion, Journalism, and Politics," full video of Yuval Levin's session at the 2023 Michael Cromartie Forum

Islam and American Pluralism: Mustafa Akyol and Dalia Mogahed May 04, 2023

At the moment, 193 countries in the world hold membership in the United Nations, and, of that group, 50 are currently Muslim-majority countries. This is a data-point referenced by each of this episode's guest scholars, in their thinking about how Islam and liberalism intersect and in their reflections on the future of Islam in the modern era and on Muslim life in America.

First up is Mustafa Akyol, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, where he focuses on the intersection of public policy, Islam, and modernity. He is followed by Dalia Mogahed, who is Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Dalia previously served on President Obama’s Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and, prior to that, was for six years Director of Gallup’s Center for Muslim Studies.

Guests

Mustafa Akyol

Dalia Mogahed

Additional Resources

Full video of Faith Angle Miami session on "Islam and American Pluralism"

Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance, by Mustafa Akyol

Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, by Dalia Mogahed and John Esposito

Miroslav Volf and Tim Alberta: Life Worth Living Apr 03, 2023

Miroslav Volf teaches theology at Yale University, where he also directs the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He is the author of 17 books, and his 1996 book Exclusion and Embrace was named by Christianity Today as one of the 100 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century. This new book, rooted in a popular Yale undergraduate course, is Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most, co-authored by Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, both fellow teachers. Joining Miroslav for this conversation is Tim Alberta, a brilliant, ascending journalist and bestselling author in his own right, who is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of American Carnage. At the moment, Tim is working on a new book, provocatively titled The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.

Guests

Miroslav Volf

Tim Alberta

Additional Resources

Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most, by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz

American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republic Civil War and the Rise of President Trump, by Tim Alberta

"War and Religion in Ukraine," Faith Angle Europe session with Miroslav Volf

Shaun Casey and Rachel Donadio: Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom Mar 03, 2023

In this episode, we are joined by Shaun Casey, former director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs, and Rachel Donadio, a Paris-based journalist, a contributing writer for The Atlantic and a former European Culture correspondent for The New York Times. Our guests discuss Shaun's new book, Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom, which makes the case that understanding the role of religion in global politics is crucial for effective diplomacy.

Guests

Shaun Casey

Rachel Donadio

Additional Resources

Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy, by Shaun Casey

"Why Is France so Afraid of God?" by Rachel Donadio

"Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska," by Rachel Donadio

Mapping the Faith-Based Initiative: Ryan Streeter and Tevi Troy Feb 10, 2023

In this episode, Ryan Streeter of the American Enterprise Institute and Tevi Troy of the Bipartisan Policy Center join us to discuss the history of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, as well as to provide a roadmap for the office's potential growth and impact under future administrations.

Guests

Ryan Streeter

Tevi Troy

Additional Resources

"The False Choices Facing the Republican Party," by Ryan Streeter

"The Life and Times of the Faith-Based Initiative," by Tevi Troy

Peter Frankopan: China’s New Silk Roads Jan 16, 2023

This episode is lifted directly from one of the most fascinating sessions of November’s Faith Angle Europe, where Dr. Peter Frankopan opened a two-and-a-half-hour session available in its entirety below. Peter is the Professor of Global History at Oxford University’s Worcester College, and alongside Theresa Fallon, the founder of a Brussels think tank focusing on Russia and China, he spoke with 18 transatlantic journalists about trade, culture, and the easily-misconstrued history of the Eastern and Western worlds that have intersected in China for centuries.

Guests

Peter Frankopan

Additional Resources

"Past Is Prologue in China," full length Faith Angle Europe 2022 session with Peter Frankopan and Theresa Fallon

The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World, by Peter Frankopan

Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research

Tim Dalrymple and Tim Schultz: Respect for Marriage Act Dec 19, 2022

Recently, President Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act, requiring all US states and territories to recognize same-sex and interracial civil marriages. But that isn’t all the new law does: it also fortifies religious liberty protections. As today’s guests describe, it’s perhaps because the Respect for Marriage Act does both things that it garnered bipartisan congressional support. In this episode, we're joined by Tim Schultz, president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, a DC advocacy organization that has worked for the last decade to advance religious freedom in state legislatures. Tim worked closely with leaders of diverse religious minority organizations—and national gay rights lobby organizations—to help foster the conditions needed to make this law and its commitment to Christian pluralism possible. Joining him is Tim Dalrymple, president and CEO of Christianity Today, one of the country's most influential evangelical publications.

Guests

Tim Schultz

Tim Dalrymple

Additional Resources

"Everything You Need to Know About the Respect for Marriage Act," by Carl Esbeck in Christianity Today

1st Amendment Partnership

Christianity Today

Respect for Marriage Act

Rev. Russell Levenson and Kelsey Dallas: Witness to Dignity Nov 30, 2022

In this episode, we are joined by Rev. Russell Levenson, Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, TX. In conversation with Kelsey Dallas of Deseret News, Levenson discusses his new book, Witness to Dignity, about the life and faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush who attended St. Martin’s for over fifty years.
Guests

Russell Levenson

Kelsey Dallas

Additional Resources

Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush, by Russell Levenson

"People of faith, pessimism and American politics," by Kelsey Dallas

Elliott Abrams and Will Inboden: The Legacy of Ronald Reagan Nov 11, 2022

Today's conversation is about the leadership, faith, historical record, and implications of the national security policy of Ronald Reagan. This exchange between two seasoned national security officials with unusual expertise is rooted in a hot-off-the-press new book, The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, by Will Inboden, who is joined for this episode by Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Guests:

Elliott Abrams

Will Inboden

Additional Resources:

The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, by Will Inboden

"Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev," by Will Inboden

Greg Thompson and Anne Snyder: On Hospitality, Imagination, and Writing Oct 31, 2022

Anne Snyder is one of Faith Angle’s newest Advisory Board members. She currently hosts The Whole Person Revolution podcast, and earlier this year she co-edited a volume entitled Breaking Ground, with over 45 short essays published throughout the pandemic. Spurring today’s conversation, since May 2019 Anne has served as Editor in Chief of Comment Magazine. She is joined by one of its current contributors, Greg Thompson, who is the co-director of Voices Underground, a Pennsylvania-based, HBCU-affiliated initiative that promotes African American cultural history through scholarly research, community experiences, and historical memorialization. This conversation explores themes from Greg's regular Comment column, "The Welcome Table", which weaves together history, race, memory, hospitality, and a theology of belonging.

Guests

Additional Resources

Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair, by Gregory Thompson and Duke Kwon

The Whole Person Revolution Podcast , with Anne Snyder

Bonnie Kristian and Jonathan Rauch: On the Knowledge Crisis Oct 14, 2022

In this episode, Bonnie Kristian discusses her brand new book, Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community. Her haunting phrase, “the knowledge crisis,” was perhaps popularized last year by another compelling book from Jonathan Rauch, the senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Jon’s 2021 book is The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, and as he explains in more detail, the book describes the essential conditions and institutions necessary for maintaining the basic building blocks of shared human understanding in a free society. This is a rich conversation between the two of them on how to steer clear from getting lost in the vortex of news that sometimes swirls.

Guests

Bonnie Kristian

Jonathan Rauch

Additional Resources

Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community, by Bonnie Kristian

The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, by Jonathan Rauch

”What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism?” with Paul D. Miller and Samuel Perry Sep 16, 2022

In this episode, Paul D. Miller of Georgetown University and Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma sit down for an insightful, timely conversation about Christian nationalism. Highlighting themes from Paul's newly-released book, The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism, both guests offer a historically-rooted definition of Christian nationalism, analyze journalists' coverage of this rapidly-spreading ideology, and explore key differences between Christian nationalism and generative patriotism that bears faithful witness in the public square.

Guests:

Paul D. Miller

Samuel L. Perry

Additional Resources:

The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism?, by Paul D. Miller

The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, by Samuel Perry and Philip Gorski

Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, by Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead

Mike Cosper and Jon Ward: On ”The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” Aug 25, 2022

If you’re an evangelical insider, the name Mike Cosper and his “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast series, published by Christianity Today in 2021, is almost certainly familiar for its artful retelling of the story of a Seattle megachurch pastored by Mark Driscoll. In this episode, Cosper, who is the director of podcasting for Christianity Today, is joined by Jon Ward of Yahoo News. Together, they examine what it is about the structure of megachurches that leaves them prone to the quick rise and fall of a charismatic leader. How does that compare to American politics—especially when our parties have weakened? And how does Mike’s 15-year experience as a pastor temper what he and his colleagues chose to see, and hold up, in this magnificent podcast that took American listeners by storm last year?

Guests

Mike Cosper

Jon Ward

Additional Resources

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast, by Mike Cosper

Testimony: Inside an Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation, by Jon Ward

Simran Jeet Singh and Ari Goldman: The Light We Give Aug 09, 2022

On this episode, we are joined by Simran Jeet Singh, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, and Ari Goldman, Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, for a nuanced conversation about American religious pluralism and identity through the lens of Sikh theology and practice. Our guests explore themes from Simran’s recently-released book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, and discuss how Sikh religion invites us to find joy in humility, sacrificial love, and service towards our neighbor, practices with profound implications for broader American society.

Guests

Simran Jeet Singh

Ari Goldman

Additional Resources

The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, by Simran Jeet Singh

The Search for God at Harvard, by Ari Goldman

Molly Ball and Russell Moore: Evangelicals and America’s ”Abortion Wars” Jul 26, 2022

The purpose of Faith Angle is to connect religious leaders with leading journalists, and today's conversation comes at it from both sides. The setting for this conversation was a group of 19 journalists who gathered three days after the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This conversation features one of the country’s most thoughtful, publicly-minded evangelical leaders, Dr. Russell Moore, who is now a year into directing the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today. He is joined by Molly Ball, TIME Magazine’s national political correspondent.

Guests

Russell Moore

Molly Ball

Additional Resources

Faith Angle West Session: Evangelicals and America's "Abortion Wars"

"Tim Alberta Worries Politics is Poisoning the Church," on The Russell Moore Show

"How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church," by Tim Alberta

"Will Overturning Roe v. Wade Change Everything?", with Molly Ball

Pelosi, by Molly Ball

Sen. Ben Sasse and Rev. Sam Ferguson: When a Senator Goes to Church… Jun 23, 2022

In this episode, twice-elected U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) joins Rev. Dr. Sam Ferguson for a nuanced discussion of power and public service, contemporary media, spiritual disciplines, political stewardship, and the liturgical aspects of social media and public worship. Sen. Sasse names some fascinating things – including when and how he starts the workday; how many Elmers are in his Lutheran circle of grandparent farmers; his perspective on churchgoing; and how he looks back differently, now, on the stretch-years of early parenting. Ben is sometimes called “the intellectual of the Senate,” in the vein of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whose desk on the Senate floor he now occupies. Conversing with him is Rev. Dr. Sam Ferguson, who in May 2019 became rector of The Falls Church Anglican – a congregation where in 1791, George Washington served on the vestry.

Guests:

Ben Sasse

Sam Ferguson

Additional Resources:

"A Time for Choosing" by Ben Sasse

Them: Why We Hate Each Other - And How to Heal by Ben Sasse

Falls Church Anglican Sermons by Sam Ferguson

Episode Transcript

Kristin Kobes Du Mez and Walter Kim: Jesus and John Wayne in the Evangelical Church May 19, 2022

This episode explores how “masculinity” has shaped elements of white evangelicalism in America. As evangelicals frequently make headlines for their voting patterns and outsized political influence, this discussion will peel back the layers and go deeper—especially on issues of gender equality, racial justice, historic Christian orthodoxy, global expressions of evangelicalism, and the possibilities and limits for evangelical renewal. American evangelicalism is today navigating an important moment of reorientation and reexamination of its identity, and as our speakers highlight, it has much to learn from the history and witness of its global counterparts.

Guests

Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Walter Kim

Additional Resources

Jesus and John Wayne: How Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

National Association of Evangelicals

Christine Emba and Kimberly June Miller: On ”Rethinking Sex” Apr 28, 2022

On this episode, we are joined by Christine Emba, opinion columnist for The Washington Post, and Kimberly June Miller, a licensed marriage and family therapist. Christine has just written a fascinating new book called, Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, which opens with this moral quote: “It is only by asserting one’s humanness every time, in all situations, that one becomes someone rather than something. That, after all, is the core of our struggle.”

In this provocative book, Christine raises profound questions about meaning and connection, sexuality and even spirituality, as she traces shifting generational views of sex and sexual practices in America.

Guests

Christine Emba

Kimberly June Miller

Additional Reading

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine Emba

Boundaries for Your Soul, by Kimberly June Miller and Alison Cook

Kori Schake and Chris Seiple: Russia and the Role of Religion in Ukraine Mar 16, 2022

How much of a role does religion play in the war Vladimir Putin launched in Ukraine? It's a complicated question, but the answer may very well be: more than most Western experts think. Our guests on this episode of the Faith Angle podcast bring decades of military, foreign policy, and peacemaking expertise to help us make sense of the horrible war now unfolding in Ukraine. Dr. Kori Schake is Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and Dr. Chris Seiple is Founder of the The Sagestone Group, as well as principal advisor to the Templeton Religion Trust. The picture in Ukraine is complex, and today's guests help us see more clearly.

Guests

Kori Schake

Chris Seiple

Additional Resources

"Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West's Liberal Order," by Kori Schake

The Routledge Handbook of Religious Literacy, Pluralism, and Global Engagement, by Chris Seiple

Twitter Links

Sarah Coakley and Eliza Griswold: Theology, Desire, and Vocation in Today’s World Mar 01, 2022

In this episode, we are joined by a world-class Anglican theologian, Dr. Sarah Coakley, and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker, Eliza Griswold. Dr. Coakley's scholarship looks at the Trinity, "New Asceticism," Christology, power, sexuality, and the distinction of the self. Today, she is continuing her trilogy in systematics, aiming in a forthcoming volume at a robust theological examination of race. In this episode, Dr. Coakley and Eliza connect the wisdom of historic Christian thinkers with the urgent issues of a world that is today perhaps more in need of justice than ever.

Guests

Sarah Coakley

Eliza Griswold

Additional Resources

God, Sexuality, and the Self: An Essay "On the Trinity," by Sarah Coakley

Powers and Submissions: Spirituality, Philosophy, and Gender, by Sarah Coakley

Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America, by Eliza Griswold

"The Unmaking of Biblical Womanhood" by Eliza Griswold

Francis Collins and Deborah Haarsma: On Faith & Science in an Age of Polarization Feb 16, 2022

On February 2, EPPC’s Faith Angle Forum had the privilege of hosting a fascinating online conversation with Dr. Francis Collins, the country’s first Presidentially appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health to have served for more than one administration in that role.

Alongside BioLogos president Dr. Deb Haarsma and EPPC Senior Fellow Peter Wehner, who contributes regularly to The Atlantic and New York Times, Dr. Collins joined 11 journalists in conversation that included a firsthand window into the development of the mRNA vaccine, and as well as the spread of vaccine resistance among many Americans. The conversation moves swiftly and covers a lot of ground, from sociology to political religion, evolution to creation-science, choices about singing in church to assessing American institutions.

Guests

Dr. Francis Collins

Deborah Haarsma

Pete Wehner

Additional Resources

Integrate: A Faith and Science Curriculum

John Azumah and Kelefa Sanneh: Building Christian-Muslim Understanding in Memory of Lamin Sanneh Jan 24, 2022

In this episode, Kelefa Sanneh, staff writer for The New Yorker, is joined by John Azumah, Founding Executive Director of the Sanneh Institute, to discuss the legacy and witness of Kelefa's father Lamin Sanneh, a leading expert in Christian theology and missions as well as Christian-Muslim dialogue. Lamin's legacy continues on through the work of the Sanneh Institute, which seeks to educate and equip religious leaders, scholars, academic institutions, and the broader public on Christian and Muslim history, theology, and possibilities for interfaith partnership.

Guests

Kelefa Sanneh

John Azumah

Learn More

The African Christian and Islam by John Azumah

My Neighbor's Faith: Islam Explained for Christians by John Azumah

Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres by Kelefa Sanneh

"The Plan to Build a Capital for Black Capitalism" by Kelefa Sanneh

Highlights from Faith Angle Europe 2021 Jan 07, 2022

For this first podcast of the New Year, we are recapping highlights from Faith Angle Europe, a two-day conference of 16 international journalists and 5 speakers in France, with a window into some especially compelling insights that emerged on national populism, anti-Semitism in Europe and particularly France, impact investing and the growth of religion in sub-Saharan Africa, and finally, a big-think conversation about the commonalities faced by creative minorities in a pluralistic world.

All three full Faith Angle Europe sessions as well as a short recap video from the forum are linked below.

Additional Resources

Faith Angle Europe Recap

Session One: French Identity and Anti-Semitism

Session Two: Rising National Populism - And Religion

Session Three: Impact Investing and Sub-Saharan Africa

Eboo Patel and Wajahat Ali: Is “Interfaith America” Even Possible? Nov 29, 2021

In this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Eboo Patel of Interfaith Youth Core sits down with Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali to discuss the possibilities and challenges of interfaith partnerships in today's polarized America, each drawing from the wisdom of their personal Muslim faith. Wajahat points to the obstacles that increasing political division, anti-immigrant discrimination, and bias against those of other faiths pose to robust religious pluralism. While accepting the strain of these realities, Eboo highlights with hope the many forms in which interfaith partnership is flourishing in America today. He offers listeners an invitation to learn from and replicate promising interfaith civic engagement in their own communities.

Guests

Eboo Patel

Wajahat Ali

Additional Resources

Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise by Eboo Patel

Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali

Bernard-Henri Levy and Edward Luce: The Will to See Nov 09, 2021

In this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Edward Luce of Financial Times sits down with Bernard-Henri Lévy to discuss Bernard's newest book, The Will to See: Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope.

Guests

Bernard-Henri Levy

Edward Luce

Additional Reading

The Will to See by Bernard-Henri Levy

The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce

Ross Douthat and Ryan T. Anderson: The Deep Places Oct 29, 2021

On this episode of the Faith Angle podcast, Ross Douthat of the New York Times sits down with Ryan T. Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center to discuss Ross's newest book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery. Ross recounts this deeply personal story of loss, wrestling, and overcoming in the midst of a chronic disease, reflecting on how his conviction and rootedness in the Christian story offered strength in the face of felt pain.

Guests

Ross Douthat

Ryan T. Anderson

Additional Reading

The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery by Ross Douthat

Jonathan Tran and Tina Nguyen: Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism Oct 19, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Jonathan Tran of Baylor University and Tina Nguyen of Puck News, who explore themes of Asian American identity, political engagement, and religious formation in the United States. They discuss the development and distortions of the "model minority" myth, the impact of racial binaries on Asian American identity, the political-economic forces of racism in America, and the ways in which Asian American Christian communities are discovering a more just and redemptive way forward.

Guests

Jonathan Tran

Tina Nguyen

Additional Reading

Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism by Jonathan Tran

Paul D. Miller and Nadine Maenza: Learning from Afghanistan Sep 23, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Paul D. Miller of Georgetown University and Nadine Maenza of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. On August 30, the United States' armed forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of a twenty-year war. We can all recall the sickening images and stories that came out of Afghanistan during this period as well as the sobering reality awaiting those left behind. In this episode, our guests consider why events unfolded the way they did in America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, and what that means for America’s presence and policy around the world.

Guests

Paul D. Miller

Nadine Maenza

Links

Paul D. Miller in Foreign Policy

Nadine Maenza in Providence Magazine

Additional Reading

Just War and Ordered Liberty by Paul D. Miller

Luke Bretherton and Shadi Hamid: Political Theology and the Problem of Pluralism Aug 26, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Luke Bretherton of Duke Divinity School and Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution, who explore the religious nature of American politics and the political implications of American religion. Drawing from Christian and Muslim political-theological resources, they discuss the roots (on both the left and right) of today’s increasing pull toward illiberalism, the tendency of religion to take on the role of identity politics, and the mediating role of religious institutions in society.

Guests

Podcast Links

Listen, Organize, Act! Community Organizing and Democratic Politics with Luke Bretherton
The Wisdom of Crowds with Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic

Additional Reading

Christ and the Common Life: Political Theology and the Case for Democracy by Luke Bretherton
Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle over Islam Is Reshaping the World by Shadi Hamid

Fred Davie and Brent Orrell: On Race, Vocation, and Political Religion Aug 13, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Fred Davie of Union Theological Seminary and Brent Orrell of the American Enterprise Institute. These scholar-practitioners share their insights on race in America, the condition of the American church, the intrinsic dignity and potential of every individual, the importance of listening even to one’s political opponents, and the search for vocational meaning and purpose.

Guests

Links

Hardly Working: A Podcast with Brent Orrell

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Elizabeth Bruenig and John C. Green: Secular Surge Jun 09, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by John C. Green and Elizabeth Bruenig to discuss John's most recent book Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics.

Guests

Links

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Robert P. Jones and Jon Ward: White Too Long May 19, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Robert P. Jones and Jon Ward to discuss Robert's book White Too Long.

Guests

Links

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Andrew T. Walker and Haley Byrd Wilt: Liberty for All May 05, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Andrew T. Walker and Haley Byrd Wilt to discuss Andrew's new book Liberty for All.

Guests

Links

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Curtis Chang and Julie Zauzmer: Christians and the Vaccine Mar 31, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Curtis Chang and Julie Zauzmer to discuss the relationship between Christians and the COVID-19 vaccines.

Guests

Links

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Mark Labberton and Matthew Kaemingk: New Tests for American Pluralism Mar 19, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast we present the audio from our most recent virtual event, New Tests for American Pluralism, which featured Mark Labberton and Matthew Kaemingk to discuss the question: Does religion fundamentally undermine political democracy, or enhance it?

Speakers

Links

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Special Episode: Remembering Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020) Mar 05, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we reflect on the life and work of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020)

Links

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David French and Ruth Graham: Divided We Fall Jan 25, 2021

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by David French and Ruth Graham to discuss divisions in modern America.

Guests

Links

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James Davison Hunter and Pete Wehner: Democracy in Dark Times Jan 13, 2021

James Davison Hunter, one of the nation's foremost sociologists, sits down with NYT and Atlantic contributor Pete Wehner for a big-think conversation about our present cultural moment. A new IASC survey of 2,205 Americans, which James recently co-authored, argues that present-day American fracture along racial, religious, and political lines is more culturally profound and consequential than we think. With that springboard James offers a "climatological" view of present-day reality.

Guests

Links

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Carl Cannon and Ryan Burge: On Covering Religion Nov 20, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Carl Cannon and Ryan Burge to discuss the 2020 election results.

Guests

Links

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Ed Stetzer and Adrienne LaFrance: The QAnon Conspiracy and its Evangelical Adherents Oct 06, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Ed Stetzer and Adrienne LaFrance.

Guests

Ed Stetzer
Adrienne LaFrance

Links

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Ken Miller and George Seay: Texas vs. California Sep 16, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Ken Miller and George Seay.

Guests

Links

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Andy Smarick and Tim Schultz: ‘Juristocracy’ and the Supreme Court, from Bostock to Espinoza Sep 01, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Andy Smarick and Tim Schultz.

Guests:

Links:

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Rod Dreher and Andrew Sullivan: Live Not by Lies Aug 18, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Rod Dreher and Andrew Sullivan.

Guests:

Links:

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Mustafa Akyol and Richard Reeves: Reconversion of Hagia Sophia Aug 03, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Mustafa Akyol and Richard Reeves.

Mustafa Akyol is a Turkish journalist and author. In June 2018, he joined the Cato Institute in Washington DC as a senior fellow at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, to work on the intersection of public policy, Islam, and modernity.

Richard Reeves is a senior fellow in Economic Studies, where he holds the John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair. Richard is Director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-director of the Center on Children and Families. His research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility.

Guests

Links

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Tara Isabella Burton and Jack Jenkins: Strange Rites and the Religious Left Jul 10, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Tara Isabella Burton and Jack Jenkins.

Tara Isabella Burton is a columnist for the Religion News Service, and is a contributing editor at The American Interest. She is the author of Social Creature as well as her latest book Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World.

Jack Jenkins is an award-winning journalist and national reporter for the Religion News Service where he covers religion and politics. He is also the author of the book American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country.

Guests

Links

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Ross Douthat and Lyman Stone: On American Religiosity Jun 23, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Ross Douthat and Lyman Stone.

Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Op-Ed columnist in April 2009. His column appears every Tuesday and Sunday, and he co-hosts the Times Op-Ed podcast, "The Argument." Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger on its website. He is the author of "The Decadent Society," which published in March 2020.

Lyman Stone is an Adjunct Fellow at AEI, a Research Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and a former International Economist at the US Department of Agriculture, where he forecasts cotton market conditions. He blogs about migration, population dynamics, and regional economics at In a State of Migration.

Guests

Links

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Susan Glasser and Micah Goodman: Seeing with New Eyes Jun 05, 2020

For this conversation, we sit down with Susan Glasser, The New Yorker’s staff writer and columnist, and a journalist who participated in our first overseas Faith Angle Forum, last November. Susan is the author of two books, a 10-year veteran correspondent at The Washington Post, editor-in-chief at Foreign Policy, and founder of Political Magazine. This conversation is followed by an airing of a Faith Angle presentation from Dr. Micah Goodman, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and the author of four books.

Guests

Links

Follow us | faithangle.org

Tim Keller and Peter Wehner: A Steady Voice in the Storm Apr 22, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Tim Keller and Peter Wehner.

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. In 2017 Dr. Keller transitioned to CTC full time to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students through a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary's (RTS), the City Ministry Program. He also works with CTC's global affiliates to launch church planting movements.

Peter Wehner is Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and a contributing editor for The Atlantic magazine. Mr. Wehner has written for numerous other publications—including Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, The Weekly Standard, National Review, Commentary, National Affairs, and Christianity Today—and has appeared frequently as a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, CBS, PBS, and C-SPAN television. He is also the Pamela and Jack Egan Visiting Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy and the School of Arts and Sciences at Duke University.

Guests:

Links:

Conservative Christianity after the Christian Right, Faith Angle Forum, March 2013
The Moral Universe of Timothy Keller
Preaching the Word and Quoting the Voice

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Andy Crouch and Sarah Pulliam Bailey: Love in the Time of Coronavirus Apr 01, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Andy Crouch and Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. His two most recent books—2017's The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place and 2016's Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing—build on the vision of faith, culture, and the image of God laid out in his previous books Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.

Sarah Pulliam Bailey runs The Washington Post's religion vertical. She covers how faith intersects with everything, including politics, culture, education, abortion and immigration. Before joining The Post, she was a national correspondent for Religion News Service. She was also online editor of Christianity Today magazine.

Guests:

Links:

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Asma Uddin and Daniel Harrell: When Islam is Not a Religion Mar 18, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Asma Uddin and Daniel Harrell.

Asma Uddin is currently an expert advisor on religious liberty to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Inclusive America Project Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and senior scholar at the Freedom Forum Institute. She is also a Berkley Center research fellow. In addition to her expertise in religious liberty, Uddin writes and speaks on gender and Islam, and she is the founding editor-in-chief of altmuslimah.com.

Daniel Harrell is Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today. Formerly, he served ten years as Senior Minister of Colonial Church, Edina, Minnesota, and for 23 years before that as preaching minister at Park Street Church, Boston, Massachusetts. He has taught at Gordon-Conwell, Fuller and Bethel seminaries, as well as at Boston University and Harvard University. He served for many years on the Community Ethics Committee of the Harvard University Hospitals and on the Advisory Council of Biologos.

Guests:

Links:

Yuval Levin: A Time to Build Mar 03, 2020

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Yuval Levin. Yuval is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founding and current editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor of The New Atlantis and a contributing editor to National Review.

He holds an MA and PhD from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.

Guest:

Yuval Levin at AEI

Links:

National Affairs

A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream

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Stan Rosenberg and Alexandra DeSanctis: Augustine, Science, and God Feb 24, 2020

NOTE: We had some trouble with Josh's microphone. We apologize for his audio quality.

This week on the Faith Angle podcast, we are joined by Stan Rosenberg and Alexandra DeSanctis. Stan is the founder and Director of Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford. He teaches early Christian history and patristics, and the relationship between science and religion—even producing a play about the remarkably unknown life of Charles Darwin. Alexandra writes for National Review, primarily about the trajectory of abortion policy in American life. She also hosts her own podcast called For Life, and is a frequent speaker on college campuses.

Guests:

Stan Rosenberg at SCIO

Alexandra DeSanctis at National Review

Links:

For Life podcast with Alexandra DeSanctis

Mr. Darwin's Tree

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Mark Galli and Napp Nazworth: Trump-Evangelicals and the Christianity Today Editorial Jan 16, 2020

Links from this episode:

Amb. Sam Brownback and Wajahat Ali: International Religious Freedom Jan 01, 2020

Links from this episode:
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
Wajahat Ali, The New York Times

Shirley Hoogstra and Tyler Deaton: Fairness for All Dec 19, 2019

1. Daniel Silliman, “LGBT Rights-Religious Liberty Bill Proposed in Congress,” Christianity Today, 12/6/19
2. Fairness for All bill
3. Congress Should Act to Balance LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom,” by Tyler Deaton and Tim Schultz, Morning Consult, March 14, 2019

Daniel Krauthammer and Peter Wehner: The Point of it All Dec 02, 2019

In this episode, we're joined by Daniel Krauthammer for a big-think conversation about American democracy, Judaism, foreign policy, history and human nature, the power of ideas, baseball, Zionism, and the remarkable life of Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018). Daniel recently edited "The Point of it All," and Pete Wehner of The Atlantic and The New York Times knew Charles for decades—and worked in 2001 with Daniel, too. Links from this episode: The Point of it All: A Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors, 2019 paperback, Charles Krauthammer, ed. by Daniel Krauthammer The Example of Charles Krauthammer, by Peter Wehner, New York Times, June 21, 2018

Ashley Berner and Alia Wong: Educational Pluralism Nov 20, 2019

In this episode, we're joined by Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy's Ashley Rogers Berner and The Atlantic's Alia Wong to discuss educational pluralism. Links from this episode: Ashley Berner | Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy Alia Wong | The Atlantic The Case for Educational Pluralism in the U.S. | Dr. Ashley Berner | Manhattan Institute No One Way to School: Educational Pluralism and Why it Matters | Ashley Berner | TEDxWilmingtonED

Matthew Goodwin and Henry Olsen: National Populism Nov 01, 2019

Are we living through a populist moment or a populist era? Matthew Goodwin, Prof. of Politics at Univ. of Kent, joins Henry Olsen of The Washington Post for a window into highlights from his bestselling book, National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy---and its application to recent elections throughout the Western world.
Book link:
Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin, National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy

James K. A. Smith and Miranda Kennedy: On Augustine‘s Road Oct 24, 2019

In this episode, we're joined by Calvin College's James K. A. Smith and NPR's Miranda Kennedy to discuss Professor Smith's newest book, On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts.

Links from this episode:

James K. A. Smith, Calvin College

Miranda Kennedy, NPR

On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts, by James K.A. Smith

'Augustine: Conversions to Confessions,’ by Robin Lane Fox, New York Times

Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in India, by Miranda Kennedy

Interview: David Brooks on sin, Augustine and the state of his soul, by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post

Pew Research Center Survey: In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace

Christian Smith and Will Saletan: The Belief Question Oct 08, 2019

In this episode of Faith Angle, we're joined by Notre Dame's Christian Smith and Slate's Will Saletan to discuss Dr. Smith's newest book, Atheist Overreach

Links from this episode:

Christian Smith, University of Notre Dame

Will Saletan, Slate

Atheist Overreach: What Atheism Can't Deliver

Three Decades Ago, America Lost Its Religion. Why?

Nadine Epstein and Michelle Boorstein: The Enduring Legacy of Elie Wiesel Sep 23, 2019

In this of Faith Angle, we take a look at the life and legacy of Elie Wiesel with Nadine Epstein and Michelle Boorstein.

Links from this episode:

Brad Wilcox and Eugene Scott: Marriage Matters in the Age of Trump Aug 27, 2019

In the latest episode of Faith Angle, we take a look at the changing nature of marriage in America with Eugene Scott and Brad Wilcox. Eugene covers identity politics for the Washington Post's The Fix, and Brad is Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies.
Brad, Eugene, and Josh Good discuss trends around marriage in the current political climate; how factors like class and race affect the health of marriages; economics and the importance of gainful employment (especially for men); the connection between marriage and economic mobility; the effects of delayed marriage among young people, and much more.
Links from this episode:
Eugene Scott, Washington Post
Brad Wilcox, National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia

How Divorce Lost Its Groove
Don’t be a bachelor: Why married men work harder, smarter and make more money

Mike McCurry and Karen Tumulty: Of God and Presidents Aug 08, 2019

Former Clinton White House Press Secretary—and now Wesley Seminary professor—Mike McCurry sits down with Washington Post Columnist Karen Tumulty, and Faith Angle's Josh Good, to discuss the faith journeys of the Clintons and Reagans; transformations in journalism; and new opportunities for congregations to directly engage the deep divide in America's political culture.
Links from this episode:
A private letter from Ronald Reagan to his dying father-in-law shows the president’s faith, Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 09/14/18
Former Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry finds his faith, marries it with politics, Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 02/22/14
How My Party Found God, Mike McCurry, The Daily Beast, 07/14/17

Naomi Schaefer Riley and Jedd Medefind: On Foster Care—and Parenting Jul 19, 2019

Links from this episode:

HBO's "Foster" is disturbingly accurate, but it's missing one important thing: solutions, Naomi Schaefer Riley, Los Angeles Times, 5/7/19

Reconsidering Kinship Care, Naomi Schaefer Riley, National Affairs, Summer 2018

How Foster Care Became a Christian Priority - Just in Time, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, The Gospel Coalition, 9/24/18

Christian Alliance for Orphans

Christians Are Pro-Life After Birth, Too, Naomi Schaefer Riley, Wall Street Journal, 6/13/19

In Brokenness & Beauty…It Is Well, Jedd Medefind, CAFO2019, 5/8/19

Taming Technology, Jedd Medefind, Outcomes Magazine

David Brooks and Anne Snyder: The Power of Vulnerability Jul 09, 2019

On the latest episode of Faith Angle, we're joined by New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks and Comment Magazine editor-in-chief Anne Snyder to discuss the new books they've each published, their respective approaches to writing, their own marriage and faith journey, and how to cultivate communities rooted in trust that lead to individual and social transformation.

Links from today's episode:

The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, David Brooks, 4/16/19

The Fabric of Character: A Wise Giver's Guide to Supporting Social and Moral Renewal, Anne Snyder, 3/22/19

Evening Conversation with David Brooks at The Trinity Forum, 5/29/19

David Brooks' Journey Toward Faith, Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 5/7/19

A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream, Yuval Levin, forthcoming in February 2020

David Brooks on Weave: The Social Fabric Project, The Aspen Institute, 9/19/18

Why I Write, George Orwell, 1946

The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump, Peter Wehner, 6/4/19

The Magnanimous Man: In Remembrance of Michael Cromartie, Anne Snyder, Public Discourse, 9/7/17

Michael Cromartie introduction of David Brooks, The Gathering, 10/2/14

Anne’s email to David, p. 239 of The Second Mountain: "I want to reiterate that yes, grace is the central thing Christ offers, but that is the doorway. And it is to know him. I see lots of emphasis on striving in your note, and I appreciate its antidote to cheap grace. But the foundational fact is you cannot earn your way into a state of grace - this denies grace's power, and subverts its very definition. Grace must reach out to the broken and the undeserving. It must reach out to those recognizing plainly, vulnerably, their own need and emptiness. It can only find welcome in those sitting still.

Shadi Hamid and Sarah Wildman: Theology and Politics of Islam Jun 27, 2019

We're joined this week by Dr. Shadi Hamid and Sarah Wildman to discuss the resurgent role of global Islam, the relationship between nationalist populism and Muslims, Sharia law in the Middle East, the role of religion in Western democracies, and the enduring question of how deep religious convictions can align with more lasting expressions of public pluralism

Links from today's episode:

Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World, Shadi Hamid, 6/6/17

The role of Islam in European populism: How refugee flows and fear of Muslims drive right-wing support, Shadi Hamid, Brookings, 2/19

Islam in Modern American Society, Shadi Hamid's 2018 address at Faith Angle

Religious Conflict and the Future of the Middle East - Shadi Hamid's 2014 address at Faith Angle

First Person, Foreign Policy podcast hosted by Sarah Wildman, with Shadi Hamid, on Mohamed Morsi and the Passing of Egypt's Democratic Moment, 6/21/19

Left Populism and the Rediscovery of Agonistic Politics, Shadi Hamid, American Affairs, Winter 2018

Making Sense, Sam Harris's podcast, with Shadi Hamid, on Islamism vs. Secularism, 12/5/16

Mona Charen and Oren Cass: The Once and Future Worker Jun 18, 2019

Stanley Carlson-Thies and Kelsey Dallas: Are Religious Freedom and Gay Rights Compatible? May 21, 2019

This week on the Faith Angle Podcast, we are joined by Stanley Carlson-Thies and Kelsey Dallas.

Guests

Links

Follow us | faithangle.org

Pascal Emmanuel-Gobry: From Paris with (Populist) Love May 16, 2019

In this episode, we sit down with a Paris-based journalist, Pascal Emmanuel-Gobry, who provides insights on the changing role of religion in Europe. Amidst the rise in immigration and growing populism across the continent, is there a pluralist vision large enough to introduce healthy constraints and advance human flourishing between discrete communities? In advance of a November Faith Angle Forum, Pascal offers his best thinking.

Emma Green and Michael Wear: Democrats Get Religion, Too May 03, 2019

In this episode, Emma Green of The Atlantic and Michael Wear of Public Square Strategies (& former senior advisor to President Obama), discuss how Democratic presidential candidates are approaching religion—and what that suggests about our cultural moment.

James Astill and Henry Olsen: European Populism Apr 17, 2019

In this episode, we sit down with The Economist's James Astill and EPPC's Henry Olsen—also a Washington Post columnist—to discuss European populism.
The centre-Left will never defeat European populism if it fails to first understand it: https://unherd.com/2018/12/centre-left-will-never-defeat-european-populism-fails-first-understand-2/

An Inside Look at the 34th Faith Angle Forum—and a Recap with Jon Ward Apr 12, 2019

At our recent Faith Angle Forum in Miami, journalists, scholars, and faith leaders came together for in-depth conversations on global poverty and injustice, faith and mental health, and race in America. This episode offers an inside look at the forum, with clips from the presentations and comments from journalists, plus an extended conversation about Faith Angle with Jon Ward of Yahoo News.

Jonathan Haidt and Peter Wehner: The Righteous Mind Apr 01, 2019

Jon Haidt offers candid perspective on today's university campuses, contemporary journalism, public discourse, and his own journey—as well as ways to better equip iGen students in their pursuit of human flourishing.

Guests:

Jonathan Haidt

Peter Wehner

Links:

Why a 21st Century Enlightenment Needs Walls, Jonathan Haidt, RSA Replay

Complicating the Narratives, by Amanda Ripley

The moral roots of liberals and conservatives, Jonathan Haidt, TED2008

Can a divided America heal?, Jonathan Haidt and Chris Anderson, TED2016

Let Grow

Heterodox Academy

Russell Moore and Christine Emba: Evangelicals in Contemporary America Mar 28, 2019

The Persistence of the Culture Wars, Russell Moore’s 2014 address at Faith Angle - https://faithangle.org/session/persistence-culture-wars/
Stop the Tax on Houses of Worship, Wall Street Journal, 11/22/18 - https://www.wsj.com/articles/stop-the-tax-on-houses-of-worship-1542918092
The Storm-Tossed Family, 2019 - https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Tossed-Family-Cross-Reshapes-Home/dp/1462794807
Signposts podcast, Russell Moore’s bi-weekly podcast about faith and culture - https://www.russellmoore.com/category/podcast/
Christine Emba, Columnist, The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christine-emba/?utm_term=.16f9da7373da

Arthur Brooks and Tom Gjelten: Transcending Contempt Mar 25, 2019

In this episode, we sit down with AEI president Arthur Brooks and NPR's Tom Gjelten to explore increasing loneliness and disenchantment with American politics, the power of storytelling, and new ways to engage distinct audiences in pursuit of the common good.

Our Culture of Contempt, Arthur Brooks, New York Times, 3/1/19 - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/opinion/sunday/political-polarization.html
Love Your Enemies, 3/12/19 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Enemies-America-Contempt/dp/1982608803
Why Was the Dalai Lama Hanging Out at the Right-Wing American Enterprise Institute?, Vanity Fair, 2/26/14 - https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/02/dalai-lama-american-enterprise-institute
Be Open-Handed Toward Your Brothers, Commentary, 2/1/14 - https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/be-open-handed-toward-your-brothers-1/
Tom Gjelten, National Religion and Belief Correspondent, NPR - https://www.npr.org/people/2100536/tom-gjelten