The Bulletin

Latest Episodes:

Artificially Intelligent, Part 1 Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Bulletin, producer Clarissa Moll talks with missiologist Todd Korpi about what AI reveals about being human. Associate producer Alexa Burke digs into artificial intelligence history with data science professor Jonathan Barlow, and Dr. Finny Kuruvilla shares the amazing advancements and ethical questions that AI in medical technology raises.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Todd Korpi is a Pentecostal missiologist, researcher, and writer. In addition to work consulting with churches on organizational effectiveness and missional engagement, he serves as lead researcher of the Digital Mission Consortia at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and as an adjunct instructor in mission and leadership at several institutions.

Jonathan Barlow is associate director of the Data Science program at Mississippi State as well as an assistant teaching professor. Previously, Barlow was an associate director at NSPARC, a research center at Mississippi State University. With a background in industry and university research, Barlow has more than 25 years of experience in software development, data modeling, data-intensive applications, and data analysis. His research interests involve natural language processing and the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Finny Kuruvilla holds an MD from Harvard Medical School, a PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard University, a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, and a bachelor’s degree from Caltech in Chemistry. He is the co-chief investment officer at Eventide Asset Management, LLC, a socially-responsible and values-based investing firm.

Views expressed in this podcast are intended for information purposes and do not constitute investment advice. Eventide does not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Eventide's values-based approach to investing may not produce desired results and could result in underperformance compared with other investments. There is no guarantee that any investment will achieve its objectives, generate positive returns, or avoid losses.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.

The Bulletin listeners get 25 percent off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Epstein, Zyn, and the Legacies of Jimmy Swaggart and John MacArthur Jul 19, 2025

Show notes

This week David French of The New York Times joins Russell and Clarissa to talk about the Epstein files, why they’re causing such a stir in MAGA and what it could foreshadow about the future of the movement. Then, CT writer Luke Simon joins us to talk about the allure of the popular nicotine product, Zyn, and how our habits shape our hearts. Finally, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart and pastor John MacArthur died this month. CT’s Daniel Silliman stops by to discuss the complexity of their legacies and why so many Christians think “evangelism” is a dirty word.

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE

MAGA Is Tearing Itself Apart Over Jeffrey Epstein- by David French
Have Mercy on Me, a Zynner - by Luke Simon

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

David French is a columnist for The New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch and author of Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

Luke Simon is a content strategist for The Crossing church in Columbia, Missouri, and a M.Div. student at Covenant Theological Seminary. He has written on Gen Z, technology, masculinity, and the church. His writing appears in Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, and The Gospel Coalition.

Daniel Silliman is a journalist and a historian. He is the news editor for Christianity Today, the author of a religious biography of Richard Nixon, and a teacher of humanities at Milligan University.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Biden’s Mental Acuity, Afghan Refugees in Iran, and the Rising National Debt Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

This week on The Bulletin, Mike and Clarissa discuss the investigation into former President Joe Biden’s cognitive acuity and his pardons in his last days in office. Then, they talk about the mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran. Finally, financial advisor David Bahnsen provides a 101 on the national debt, how the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ will affect the debt, and what it would take to start paying it back off.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

David Bahnsen is the managing partner and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a wealth management firm based in Newport Beach, California. Bahnsen has been named as one of Forbes’ Top 250 Advisors, Financial Times' Top 300 Advisors in America, and Barron's America's Top 1200 Advisors.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

The communication in this episode is provided for informational purposes only and expresses views of David Bahnsen, an investment adviser. This does not constitute investment advice.

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Evangelicals Abandon PEPFAR, Churches Endorse Politicians, and the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Hurts the Poor Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

This week, Mike, Russell, and Clarissa discuss evangelicals abandoning support for PEPFAR with Peter Wehner. Then, the IRS says churches can endorse political candidates. Is that okay? Finally, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ has officially passed. Ingrid Delgado of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul stops by to help us understand the implications for the vulnerable.

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

“Why Evangelicals Turned Their Back on PEPFAR”—The Atlantic
This month’s episode of Tuesday Night Live with Mike & Clarissa.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.

Ingrid Delgado is the national director of public policy and advocacy at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, an organization that seeks to raise the profile of issues such as homelessness and protection for the most vulnerable. She previously worked for the US. Conference of Catholic Bishops as associate director of government relations and, before then, as a domestic policy advisor.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas Floods, Netanyahu Visits Trump, UPenn’s Ban on Trans Athletes, and Christian Civic Engagement Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

This week on The Bulletin, Mike and Clarissa discuss the floods in Texas and the framework of Christian lament in the wake of tragedy. They talk about Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit with US president Donald Trump, as well as the University of Pennsylvania’s ban on transgender athletes and its apology to competitors of former UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas. Then, Mike talks with Justin Giboney about Christian civic engagement.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister in Atlanta. He is also the cofounder and president of the And Campaign, a coalition of urban Christians who address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the gospel. Giboney is the coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter Thiel and the Antichrist, ICE Detains Iranian Christians, and Summer Camp Woes Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

This week, Mike, Russell, and Clarissa discuss venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s interview with The New York Times’ Ross Douthat about transhumanism and the end times. Then, CT’s Andy Olsen joins the show to discuss asylum-seeking Iranian Christians who were detained by ICE agents in Los Angeles. Finally, CT writer Megan Fowler discusses with Russell and Clarissa what to look for in a good (and a bad) summer camp.

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REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

New York Times interview between Peter Thiel and Ross Douthat.
Andy Olsen’s article in CT: ICE Goes After Church Leaders and Christians Fleeing Persecution.
Video of ICE agents detaining Iranian Christian couple.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Andy Olsen is the senior features writer at Christianity Today. He previously oversaw the print magazine team. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other outlets, and has been recognized by the Religion News Association and the Evangelical Press Association.

Megan Fowler is a religion reporter at Christianity Today. She is also an associate editor at byFaith magazine, and her writing has appeared in The Gospel Coalition and Common Good.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Michael Tait and the Newsboys’ Scandal with Steve Taylor Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Mike Cosper talks with Steve Taylor about his history with the Newsboys and his reaction to the news about Michael Tait’s sexual abuse scandal. They discuss the dynamics of working in the Contemporary Christian Music industry, and the implications for those who loved the Newsboys’ music.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Steve Taylor is a singer, songwriter, record producer, music executive, film maker, assistant professor, and actor. He enjoyed a successful solo career during the 1980s, and also served in the group Chagall Guevara. His songs have often taken aim at Christian hypocrisy with the use of satirical, sardonic lyrics. In 1997, he founded the record label Squint Entertainment, which fueled the careers of artists such as Sixpence None the Richer, Chevelle, and Burlap to Cashmere.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zohran Mamdani Surprises Democrats, US Bombs Iran, and the Newsboys Face a Scandal Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

NYC Democratic mayoral primary. Bombing in Iran. Newsboys’ Michael Tait scandal.

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This week, Mike Cosper and Russell Moore discuss the results of the New York City Democratic mayoral primary and the projected win of democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani. Michael Wear joins to discuss the implications for the larger Democratic party. Yossi Klein Halevi and CT’s Israel correspondent Jill Nelson join to talk about the United States’ bombing of Iran and the possibilities of peace in the region. Lastly, CT’s chief operating officer Nicole Martin joins us to discuss former Newsboys member Michael Tait and his history of abuse.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Michael Wear is the founder, president, and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Wear is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. He writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult magazine, Christianity Today, and other publications on faith, politics, and culture.

Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He codirects the Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative, which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to The New Republic.

Jill Nelson is Christianity Today’s Ukraine and Israel correspondent. She holds a master’s in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas and began her journalism career as a reporter and anchor in South Dakota. For nearly 20 years, she covered Ukraine and the Middle East for World News Group.

Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as chief operating officer. She is the author of several books including Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender and Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

'Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Defining Conservatism with Steve Hayes Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Mike Cosper talks with The Dispatch’s Steve Hayes about the shifts in the conservative movement. They discuss the movement’s incorporation of populist and authoritarian strains, the roots of these changes, and the analogies to evangelicalism.

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ABOUT THE GUEST:

Steve Hayes is CEO and editor of The Dispatch. Prior to cofounding the company in 2019, he worked at The Weekly Standard for 18 years covering Washington, politics, and national security. Steve is the author of two New York Times bestsellers. He also worked as a contributor at CNN and Fox News and currently serves as a political analyst at NBC News.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

‘No Kings’ Protests, Israel-Iran Conflict, and Gen Z Questions Parenting Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

‘No Kings’ protests. Israel and Iran conflict. Therapy culture and parenting.

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This week, Mike and Russell talk with CT’s national political correspondent Harvest Prude about the military parade in Washington, DC, and concurrent No Kings protests around the country. Both happened in the aftermath of targeted shootings of political figures in Minnesota. Then, Ahmad Sharawi from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies joins to discuss what’s going on in Iran and Israel. Last, author Hannah Anderson joins the show to discuss why young adults aren’t having kids these days. Are they too worried about making their parents’ mistakes?

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Read the opinion piece from the New York Times: There’s a Link Between Therapy Culture and Childlessness, referenced in the third segment of today’s episode.
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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Harvest Prude is CT’s national political correspondent and a congressional reporter based in Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for The Dispatch and World, having served there as political reporter for their Washington bureau.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing on Middle East affairs, specifically the Levant, Iraq, and Iranian intervention in Arab affairs, as well as US foreign policy in the region. Previously, Sharawi worked at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he focused mainly on Hezbollah. He holds a BA in international relations from King’s College London and an MA from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Hannah Anderson is an author and speaker whose work explores themes of human flourishing with a particular focus on how ecology, gender, and socioeconomics affect spiritual formation. Besides being a regular contributor to Christianity Today, she has authored multiple books, including All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment and the recently released Heaven and Nature Sing.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices