Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI on Growing Polarization on LGBTQ Rights; Abortion Attitudes in a Post-Roe World; Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism; and much more! Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Our guest on this episode of TP&R is Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institutue. We dive into the nitty gritty of a number of PRRI's recent reports including More Acceptance but Growing Polarization on LGBTQ Rights (3/23/23); Abortion Attitudes in a Post-Roe World (2/23/23); A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture (2/8/23) as well as the subject her academic work and books Tea Party Women: Mama Grizzlies, Grassroots Leaders, and the Changing Face of the American Right and School Board Battles: The Christian Right in Local Politics.

Dr. Melissa Deckman is the CEO of PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture and public policy. Formerly the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs at Washington College, she is a political scientist who studies the impact of gender, religion and age on public opinion and political behavior. She is currently working on a book about the seismic impact that Gen Z women will have on the future of American politics.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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DARYL DAVIS: HATE, UNDONE - How 1 Black Man Befriended Members of the KKK and Nurtured Reconciliation Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

This is a special BONUS EPISODE of Village SquareCast. Here are the show notes from our friends at The Village Square:

"When Daryl Davis was ten, he didn’t understand hate yet. But then he was the only black scout in a parade to honor Paul Revere’s ride to Concord, when he began getting hit by bottles. It was then that he formed a question in his mind that he’s spent much of a lifetime answering: 'How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?' Failing to find his answer in books and history, as an adult and an accomplished musician, he realized who better to ask than a member of an organization formed around the premise—the KKK. So began our guest’s extraordinary story, in which a black man befriended over 200 KKK members, starting with a grand wizard. We’ll learn how his improbable, impossible, openhearted journey can light our way.

"This important programming is offered in partnership with Florida Humanities as a part of our multi-year series 'UNUM: Democracy Reignited.' Keep reading to meet our streaming partners and learn more about Mr. Davis.

"Musician and Race Reconciliator Daryl Davis, has single-handedly been the impetus for over two hundred White supremacists to renounce their ideology and turn their lives around. As a Black man, Daryl has attended more Ku Klux Klan rallies than most White people and certainly most Blacks — short of being on the wrong end of a rope. His true-life encounters with Grand Dragons, Imperial Wizards, neo-Nazi Commanders are detailed in his documentary Accidental Courtesy, and his riveting first book Klan-Destine Relationships. Daryl tours around the country and around the world performing musical concerts and giving lectures on race reconciliation, inspiring both racists and non-racists to redirect their positions toward working together to truly make America the greatest country it can be.

"We’re delighted to welcome streaming partners Braver Angels, McCourtney Institute for Democracy, National Institute for Civil Discourse, BridgeUSA, Listen First Project, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, Common Ground Committee, Civic Health Project, YOUnify, Citizen Connect, Center for the Humanities at University of Miami, Tallahassee Democrat, WFSU Public Media,and Network for Responsible Public Policy."

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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Barbara McQuade: #SistersInLaw Co-Host, Law Prof. at Univ. of Michigan, Legal Analyst for NBC News, Former U.S. Attorney Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

In this edition, we're joined by former U.S. Attorney, Co-host of the wonderful podcast #SistersInLaw and Legal Analyst for NBC News, Barbara McQuade. We, of course, discussed prominent legal cases such as Dominion Voting's defamation case against Fox News; Moore vs. Harper, the North Carolina case pertaining to voting law that tests the "independent state legislature theory"; the numerous cases against Donald Trump and which ones should concern him the most.

We also discussed what it's like being sworn in as U.S. Attorney on the very day the infamous "underwear bomber" attempted to blow up a plane in her jurisdiction; the importance of humanizing the victims as well as the accused as an attorney; how Barb was mentored by Jennifer Granholm who was a U.S. Attorney, then Governor of Michigan and is now the Secretary of Energy in the Biden Admin.; how the Conservative Legal Movement is distinct from Trumpism; the damage that was done to our institutions, specifically the Dept. of Justice, during the Trump Admin; whether Barb is optimistic or pessimistic about the future of our country; and much more!

Barbara McQuade is a law professor at the University of Michigan, where she teaches criminal law, criminal procedure and national security law. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and a co-host of the excellent podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, Barbara served as the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in that position. Barbara also served as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and co-chaired the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. Before becoming U.S. Attorney, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, practiced law in Detroit from 1993 to 1998, and served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Professor McQuade graduated from the University of Michigan, then from the University of Michigan Law School and was born not too far away in Detroit, Michigan.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Be sure to check out Top of Mind with Julie Rose: www.byuradio.org/topofmind

www.politicon.com/podcast-title/sisters-in-law/

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The Democracy Group’s Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover: Helping listeners understand what’s broken in our democracy and how to work together to fix it Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

What are the most pressing concerns about the future of the American experiment and Democracy around the world? How can one person impact the many complex systems going on in the world? How can we better understand what's broken in our democracy? How can we work together to fix it? In what ways can we use the emerging medium of podcasting to explore these questions and help come up with solutions? The Democracy Group is a network of podcasts that is united around the goal of answering these questions.

We're joined this week by Jenna Spinelle and Brandon Stover. Jenna is the Communications Specialist for the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University and the Founder of the Democracy Group Podcast Network. Jenna also teaches journalism in the College of Communications at Penn State. Brandon Stover is the Network Manager of the Democracy Group, he is the host of the podcast Brandon Stover on Life, and he’s the Founder of Plato University where the mission is to help people find purpose and learn skills for social impact careers.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

www.democracygroup.org

twitter.com/JennaSpinelle

democracy.psu.edu

www.brandonstover.com/podcast

www.plato.university

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Steven Newcomb, Shawnee-Lenape Scholar and Author: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery and Unmasking the Domination Code Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

This was an eye-opening conversation with Shawnee-Lenape Scholar and Author Steven T. Newcomb whose work examines Christendom’s legacy of domination and dehumanization that has resulted in the near destruction of thousands of years of spiritual and ecological wisdom developed by indigenous peoples and nations.

We discussed how much of the history and culture of original nations and peoples was systematically smothered and ultimately lost; how cutting a people off from their traditional teachings is a form of domination and dehumanization; how Old Testament religious concepts form a significant part of the backdrop of federal Indian law and policy; cognitive theory and what it has to do with the history of the United States and federal Indian law; how the American Enterprise (i.e. Empire) is predicated on the assumption of the right of domination at its root; the significance of the Johnson & Graham's Lessee vs. M'Intosh SCOTUS case of 1823 - "the cornerstone of property law in the U.S."; how the claim of the right of domination has become the organizing principle of the planet and much more.

Steven Newcomb has been studying and writing about U.S. federal Indian law and policy since the early 1980s, particularly the application of international law to Indigenous nations and peoples. Mr. Newcomb is the Director of the Indigenous Law Institute, the author of Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, and the co-producer of the documentary “The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code.” Mr. Newcomb has worked on Indigenous Peoples issues at the United Nations for twenty years. His work has been published by Wiley-Blackwell of Oxford, NYU School of Law, Fulcrum Publishing, UCLA School of Law, and the Griffith School of Law in Australia. In May 2016, Mr. Newcomb met Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square and Archbishop Tomasi at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace regarding the papal bulls of the fifteenth century.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

www.amazon.com/Pagans-Promised-Land-Christian-Discovery/dp/1555916422

vimeo.com/ondemand/dominationcode

originalfreenations.com

www.researchgate.net/publication/368661824_Redthought_Event_200_Years_Since_the_Origin_of_Federal_Indian_Law

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Lanae Erickson, SVP of Social Policy, Education and Politics at Third Way: Making pragmatic progress on important issues that’s sustainable Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Our guest on this episode is Lanae Erickson, SVP at Third Way, a national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas. What does it mean to be a pragmatic progressive? How can our country make pragmatic progress on important issues that's actually sustainable: Whether it's immigration, clean energy, the economy, higher education, gun safety or other social issues? Why do so many elected officials and activists treat issues most often as an all or nothing proposition? Has the Biden Administration achieved any major accomplishments? (Spoiler alert: Uh, yeah. And not so coincidentally, most of those legislative accomplishments were negotiated with bipartisan participation.) Is all compromise good? How did certain Democrats lose in Congressional districts Biden won (Eg. CA27, a Biden +12 district)? What does the current makeup of the Democratic Party look like? What about the Republican Party? Which Party is beholden to its extremist wings and which Party is led by a more pragmatic approach?

As Senior Vice President for Social Policy & Politics at Third Way, Lanae tackles hot-button issues like immigration, abortion, religious liberty, education and guns. Previously, Lanae served as a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She was also Legislative Counsel at Alliance for Justice and before that, at the Legal Rights Center and the Center for Victims of Torture. Lanae’s commentary has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Politico and PBS NewsHour among other outlets. She has also appeared on NPR, Fox News, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, CNN, Bloomberg Television and is a regular contributor to one of our favorite podcasts Politicology! Lanae is also the principal second violinist in DC’s Capital City Symphony.

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Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza: Transqueer Activist | Latinx Scholar | Politicized Theologian | Public Ethicist Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Are you interested in a shared future among people of vast differences? There is so much to unpack in this conversation with Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza. Here are just a few of the concepts we touched upon: While the nature of God doesn't change, the nature of thought about the idea of God changes - eg. the color of the historical Jesus's skin (he has been depicted most frequently as white when history indicates he was a darker skinned Middle Easterner). What does it mean to "decolonize knowledge production"? How do we as a culture know things (i.e. epistemology)? Where are there gaps or "ruptures" in what we know and how we as a culture know things? We discuss Dr. E's involvement in the response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA in 2017: "Organizing a response to white Supremacy is a big job." We also learned a bit more about the very real threats and attacks he's had to endure from influential figures such as worship leader Sean Feucht and Matt Walsh (@mattwalshblog, 1.3 mil. followers) as well as the Proud Boys. We discussed the fact that "...we have been socialized to reject difference" and how to overcome that disposition. We also explored whether there are people who hold beliefs and views that, by virtue of those beliefs, would render them beyond "en conjunto" - a desire to come together across our differences? We talked about being queer - whether it's an identity or an orientation. How do we engage effectively with those who'd impose their worldview on the rest of us - a worldview that assumes the mantle of owning the exclusive rights to what's "true" and "good"? And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza is a TransQueer Latinx, Activist Scholar, Politicized Theologian and Public Ethicist. Dr. Roberto is the founder of Activist Theology Project which is emerging as Our Collective Becoming, a collaborative team passionate about a commitment to the ethics and politics of en conjunto (togetherness). Our Collective Becoming is a group of politicized theologians and healers, social change agents, and strategy-minded people in the hybrid space of the church, social change, and the academy. Dr. Roberto has spent two decades working on DEIB movements and initiatives focused on new concepts of being and becoming, and decolonizing knowledge production. Most importantly translating theory into action. And Dr. Roberto is a prolific podcaster and writer, most recently of his important latest book Body Becoming: A Path to Liberation. And Dr. E also has a profound Ted Talk that dropped on 2/7/23.

www.ourcollectivebecoming.com

https://robertoche.com/

www.indiebound.org/book/9781506473574

www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6LV2KRU40g&t=1s

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Kevin Singer, President of Neighborly Faith: What does it mean to have a neighborly faith in an increasingly diverse world? Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

We had a ton of questions for Kevin Singer, President of Neighborly Faith which conducts research and organizes events “introducing Christians to neighbors of every faith.” For example, considering Kevin has Jewish relatives, were there ever discussions about Jewish people's cultural allergy to proselytization and ways that American Evangelicals - perhaps unknowingly - cross that line? How does Neighborly Faith go about "train(ing) tomorrow's leaders to be faithful and flourish in an increasingly diverse world” and “knowing and serving all of our neighbors.” Is it an Evangelical bait and switch? Yaqeen Institute founder Imam Omar Suleiman said at one of NF's events, “I was and am fine with his (SBC President JD Greear) vision of the hereafter not having space for me, so long as it doesn’t become an obstacle to me having space in the here and now.” Is that part of the point of the work Neighborly Faith does? We also discussed where folks that are part of GenZ find meaning as individuals and within communities compared to previous generations?

Kevin was raised at the intersection of his mother’s Evangelical faith and his father’s Reform Jewish roots. He earned graduate degrees in Theology from Wheaton College and Higher Ed from NC State. Kevin has extensive teaching and leadership experience in churches, campus ministries, and colleges. He planted two churches with the North American Mission Board (2009-14) and is also head of Media Relations and PR at Springtide Research Institute. Kevin is a prolific writer with placements in Christianity Today, Religion News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, InsideHigherEd, and more.

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Rabbi Mike Harvey - Bestselling Author of LET’S TALK: A RABBI SPEAKS TO CHRISTIANS Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

One look at the title of Rabbi Mike's book and one could understand why we loved having him on the pod! With a special return visit from Ronnie Nathan as co-host, we had a great conversation. But here's the thing, if you're one of those folks who goes by the phrase, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it" - you're gonna hate this conversation! (Oh and, bless your heart.) Aside from that, we covered a lot of ground. For example, it's okay to question the Bible and wrestle with the idea of God. A rabbi said so! We explored how the Gospels can be interpreted as anti-Jewish. We also discussed whether a Jew could believe in Jesus as the Messiah and still be Jewish.

Rabbi Michael E. Harvey is the Amazon bestselling author of Let’s Talk: A Rabbi Speaks to Christians. An ordained rabbi, he has led congregations and served as a hospital chaplain. Rabbi Mike is passionate about social justice, interfaith cooperation, and bringing deep Jewish learning to the lay public. He has followed these passions in serving his community, including founding and directing the Interfaith Council of the Caribbean as well as directing the Interfaith Leaders of Greater Lafayette. He also serves on the rabbinic advisory council of the American Jewish Archives. When he isn’t writing, Rabbi Mike can be found building community and offering a listening ear in a different kind of congregation: as a bartender in Indiana.

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www.rabbimichaelharvey.com/buy-the-book

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Former U.S. Congressman Joe Walsh - From Tea Party Firebrand to Woke Never-Trumper Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Joe Walsh came back for another visit on our program and we covered a lot of ground! Can we share space with folks who have different beliefs than we do - even if they've said some egregious things in the past? If there's a line, where is that line? What does it mean to be a conservative? Is Donald Trump a real conservative? Is Ron DeSantis a conservative? What is a recipe for success for today's conservative media personalities? Is there a trick to their trade? What are effective ways of engaging folks who are still in the MAGA world? Oh, and we get pretty deep into religion too! How did studying the craft of acting prepare Joe for his future jobs as a social worker, an elected official and a radio host? What the hell is wrong in our politics and our country? Most importantly, how do we fix it? And, for the record, Helene Miller Walsh would absolutely get my vote if she ran for office!

Joe Walsh is a former U.S. Congressman, a former Presidential candidate, a nationally syndicated radio host (once dubbed “the next Rush Limbaugh), but now a man whose personal mission is to LISTEN. With his growing podcast, WHITE FLAG with JOE WALSH, he surrenders the urge to fight and strives to find a path to unite, not divide. Joe is also the author of F*ck Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is. He is a former Tea Party firebrand turned woke never-Trumper. He is also definitely a guy who strives to have meaningful conversations with folks from across the spectrum and yearns to give voice to so many who are somewhere in the middle.

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