The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Odyssey, A.I. Death bots, and the Cost of Victory Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey asks what happens when you win the war but destroy the world you hoped to return to. Esau, Malcolm, and Mike discuss the cost of victory, the erosion of shared norms, and whether a country can ever truly go back to what it was before. They also turn to America's war with Iran and why leaders so rarely admit when they are wrong. Then, a bizarre effort to preserve a dying parent through an AI "death bot" raises deeper questions about grief, resurrection, and what makes a human being real. Plus, Esau (once again) has a new favorite soccer team.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:10 - Esau's Spain Jersey

3:00 - The Odyssey

11:24 - Erosion of Decency

24:22 - Sponsor - InterVarsity Press - Truth's Table has a Bible study on the Book of John, featuring Esau McCaulley! Check it out at: https://www.ivpress.com/studytheword and use code ESAU30 to get 30% off!

25:30 - War in Iran

38:51 - A.I. and Deathbots

52:25 - End Credits

Making Sense of the Deaths of Lindsey Graham and Nolan Wells Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

How should Christians respond when a complicated or controversial person dies? Esau, Sho Baraka, and Mike reflect on Lindsey Graham's political legacy and the challenge of telling the truth without becoming cruel. Then, they turn to the death of Nolan Wells, the questions surrounding the case, and the pressure to draw conclusions before all the facts are known. They discuss how race shapes our suspicions, why wisdom sometimes means waiting, and how to pursue justice without turning every tragedy into a political scorecard. Finally, they consider the role Black barbershops can play in mental health, community, and creating spaces where men can speak honestly.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:58 - World Cup Predictions

7:52 - Responding to Lindsay Graham's Death

21:37 - Nolan Wells' Tragedy

26:06 - Sponsor - InterVarsity Press - Truth's Table has a Bible study on the Book of John, featuring Esau McCaulley! Check it out at: https://www.ivpress.com/studytheword and use code ESAU30 to get 30% off!

27:14 - Double Consciousness

35:57 - Black Barber Shops and Mental Health

52:40 - End Credits

America's Weird Birthday and Trump's Bad Vibes Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

America turned 250, but the celebration felt less like a shared national moment and more like another exhausting chapter in the Trump era. Esau, Malcolm Foley, and Mike discuss how Trump's involvement in a controversial World Cup decision managed to drain the joy out of U.S. soccer, and why so many Americans seem too tired to even argue about the country anymore. Then they turn to a disturbing Patriot Front march in Washington, D.C., and what it reveals about America's refusal to reckon honestly with racism. They also discuss the controversy surrounding Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and why both parties keep confusing charisma with character. Finally, the crew debates whether colleges were wrong to abandon standardized tests and what parents, churches, and schools can do to help kids flourish.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:06 - Show Starts

1:27 - Trump Interfering with FIFA

11:02 - Exhausted by America

14:33 - A Bus with White Supremacists

27:02 - Sponsor - InterVarsity Press - Truth's Table has a Bible study on the Book of John, featuring Esau McCaulley! Check it out at: https://www.ivpress.com/studytheword and use code ESAU30 to get 30% off!

28:10 - Graham Platner

40:50 - SAT and ACT Testing

56:45 - End Credits

Texas Wants More Bible, America Wants Fewer Kids Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Texas is adding Bible passages to its public school reading standards, continuing the endless debate over the Bible in schools. Esau, Kaitlyn, and Mike discuss why Bible literacy matters for understanding American history and why teaching the Bible while downplaying race creates a distorted picture of the country. Then, they turn to the rise of one-child families and what may be lost when fewer children grow up with siblings. Plus, why do female-led superhero movies keep struggling, and what does Supergirl reveal about how we talk about women, heroes, and doing good?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:22 - Cohost of the Cookout

15:00 - Increase in Single Children

24:02 - Sponsor - Brooklyn Bedding - Use Code "ESAU" on checkout to get 30% sitewide for the July 4th sale—limited time offer, not available anywhere else! Go to https://brooklynbedding.com

24:55 - Sponsor - InterVarsity Press - Get Into The Word with Truth's Table - A new video Bible study series from InterVarsity Press, featuring biblical teaching from respected Black scholars and pastors including Dr. Esau McCaulley. Go to ivpress.com/studytheword and use the code ESAU30 at checkout for a 30% special discount.

26:00 - The Sacrifice of Having Kids

40:01 - Supergirl—do people want female superheroes?

49:37 - End Credits

Is America Better Than We Think? Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

World Cup visitors are discovering America, and somehow ranch dressing, air conditioning, Walmart have become ambassadors for the nation. Esau, Mike, and Nancy French ask why outsiders may be seeing America more clearly than Americans do, and whether our perception of the country is being warped by news, social media, and political caricatures. Then they consider a new study linking return-to-office mandates with narcissistic leaders. Does liking to work in the office automatically make you an egomaniac? Finally, they wrestle with the ethics of genetic testing for newborns, asking how much truth parents should want to know and whether some knowledge is too heavy to carry.

0:00 - Theme Song

3:11 - Tourists Discover America

7:05 - Americans Pessimistic About America

17:36 - Repenting of Nut-Picking

21:05 - Remote Work Unpopular with Narcissists

31:35 - Genetic Testing on Babies

45:11 - End Credits

Fight Club at the White House Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

The President hosted a UFC fight on the White House lawn. Was it a celebration of American pride, or Trump's ego? Esau and Mike discuss President Trump's fight-night spectacle, and why it's another example of Trump demanding more, and offering even less in return. Then they turn to Britain's proposed social media ban for children under 16 and ask what government, parents, and Christian communities owe kids growing up online. Plus, new research on "hasslers" raises a familiar question: when are difficult people a gift, and when do they become harmful? Also, has Esau become a Youtube troll?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:23 - Mike's Disrespect Addressed

3:45 - UFC Fight at the White House

16:48 - Sponsor - World Challenge - Download a free 30-day devotional about Christ as our sustaining fire at http://www.worldchallenge.org/esau

18:00 - UK Bans Social Media for Teens

31:51 - "Hasslers" and Mental Health

43:56 - End Credit

Bonus Episode: Comforting the Grieving and Explaining Esther and Job Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

With Esau out of town, we're sharing a special bonus episode featuring a few Holy Post Plus exclusives. First, Esau answers the question, "What should Christians say to the grieving?" in an episode of Advice-ish, our weekly HP+ advice-column-style show about the ordinary problems people face. Then, you'll hear two episodes from 66 Verses to Explain the Bible, where Esau uses a single verse or short passage to explore the larger theme and message of a biblical book. This week, he takes on Esther and Job.

Want to learn more about Holy Post Plus? Check it out at holypost.com/plus

0:00 - Theme Song

2:14 - Advice-ish on Grief

9:17 - 66 Verses - Job

16:07 - Sponsor - Access Forge - Go to https://www.accessible.faith/ to unlock the first two Belonging by Design lessons and use promo code HOLYPOST to get $200 off the full program

17:36 - 66 Verses - Esther

24:29 - End Credits

Pope Leo's AI Warning & America's Happiness Crisis Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Pope Leo has issued a major warning about artificial intelligence, arguing that the danger is not merely that machines will become more human, but that humans will become more machine-like. Producer Mike takes over while Esau is away, joined by Malcolm Foley and Sharon Hodde Miller to discuss what AI reveals about our broken ideas of work, dignity, limitation. Then they turn to America's happiness crisis, from toxic positivity and the myth of a frictionless life to why boredom, grief, and inconvenience may be essential to becoming fully human. Plus, what the decline of the white picket fence says about safety, boundaries, and our growing fear of neighbors. Also this week, Tottenham narrowly avoids humiliation, Mike had an intimate moment with Stephen Colbert, and everyone definitely proves they are loyal listeners of this podcast.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:33 - Malcolm and Sharon

2:23 - Most Mundane Accomplishments

7:20 - Pope Leo's A.I. Encyclical

24:00 - Sponsor - Access Forge - Go to https://www.accessible.faith/ to unlock the first two Belonging by Design lessons and use promo code HOLYPOST to get $200 off the full program

25:12 - Sponsor - World Challenge - Download a free 30-day devotional about Christ as our sustaining fire at http://www.worldchallenge.org/esau

26:19 - Unhappy America

31:04 - America and Momento Mori

41:55 - Boredom and the Meaning of Life

54:22 - End Credits

How to Stay Christian When Everything Seems Awful May 28, 2026

Show notes

Faith can feel easy at the beginning, but what happens when you're stuck in the long middle? Tired, cynical, and wondering why God feels far away? Esau is joined by Tish Harrison Warren to talk about her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience, and why perseverance is more than just spiritual grit. They discuss burnout, doubt, the exhaustion of public faith, the temptation to start over, and why staying put might be one of the most countercultural Christian practices left.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:02 - What Grows in Weary Lands

5:22 - Leaving the New York Times

24:47 - "Middle Stories"

49:12 - End Credits

What Grows in Wear Lands: On Christian Resilience by Tish Harrison Warren: https://amzn.to/4o0FwqE

Why the Church Needs Rituals Again May 21, 2026

Show notes

People are searching for rituals, but often in places the church has abandoned. Esau, Mike, and Rochelle Scheuermann talk about whether friendship can survive political disagreement, why people are inventing new rituals for belonging and meaning, and what churches lose when they trade formation for efficiency. Then, Rochelle discusses her new book, Disability and Evangelism, and why disability is not a problem for churches to solve but a gift the body of Christ needs to receive. She shares how her son with Down syndrome changed her understanding of discipleship, evangelism, and the kingdom of God.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:42 - Drake's Triple Album Drop

2:24 - Friendship Across Political Divide

10:08 - Rituals

19:33 - Disability and Evangelism

22:17 - Disability Theology

34:33 - Signs a Church is Accommodating

40:02 - End Credits

Disability and Evangelism: The Good News of the Fullness of God's Kingdom (Center For Disability and Ministry Books) by Rochelle Scheuermann: https://a.co/d/0d4aOT2t

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