The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Making Sense of the Iran War Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

The United States and Israel have launched strikes against Iran and the world is trying to figure out what happens next. Justin Giboney joins the show to help unpack the politics, the constitutional questions, and the potential fallout both overseas and at home. Also, Esau looks at how America's relationship with Israel shaped the conflict and why some Christians see events like this through the lens of biblical prophecy. Plus: we give marriage advice to Tom Holland and Zendaya.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:02 - Does Justin Know Zendaya?

6:40 - At War with Iran

11:47 - Are We Liberating Iran?

18:12 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

19:21 - Sponsor - Public Good Generation - In high school and looking to lead in faith? Check out this Summer Civics Program in Washington DC: https://ccpubliclife.org/holypost

21:03 - Israel's Influence on Trump

26:19 - Prophecy ad Abraham's Sin

31:20 - Trump's Broken Promises

42:42 - End Credits

US Hockey, Ben Sasse, and Jesse Jackson: How We Celebrate, Die, and Remember Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

The U.S. hockey team wins gold, but the celebration sparked bigger questions. Esau, Malcolm, and Mike discuss if America become the bully to the rest of the world? Also, Ben Sasse's public reflections on his terminal cancer diagnosis bring a different kind of clarity about faith, family, and what actually matters when time runs short. Then, with the passing of Jesse Jackson, we consider how to remember leaders who shaped history by honoring real progress without pretending perfection.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:10 - Parking Spot

5:36 - Canada Vs US Hockey

9:07 - Did David Become Goliath?

17:21 - Ben Sass and Facing Mortality

21:10 - Sponsor - Nazarene Theological Seminary - Looking for a program grounded in black theology? Check out the Doctor of Ministry in Black Leadership and Ministry at https://nts.edu/podcast

22:24 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

25:44 - What's Worth Our Time?

35:42 - Jesse Jackson

50:34 - End Credits

Lent After Loss: What Christian Hope Really Looks Like Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Ash Wednesday forces us to acknowledge that some day we will die. For some, that truth is abstract. For others, it is painfully personal. Esau and Mike are joined by Hannah Miller King, author of Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness, to talk about what happens to faith when prayers for healing go unanswered. After losing her father to cancer as a teenager, Hannah began wrestling with a question many believers quietly carry: What does hope look like when God doesn't do what you asked? They explore the difference between a "transaction of goods" gospel and the communion of persons, the role of the Lord's Supper in shaping Christian imagination, and how Lent invites us to hold suffering and resurrection together. Also, can Hannah and Esau convince Mike to become anglican?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:19 - Making Mike Anglican

7:21 - King's New Book on Ash Wednesday

14:40 - The Book's Thesis

18:10 - Grief

26:07 - Community and Grief

39:22 - End Credits

Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness by Hannah Miller King: https://amzn.to/4aHAvgh

Trump's Racist Video and the Refusal to Apologize Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

A video shared by Donald Trump depicting Barack and Michelle Obama with a racist trope sparked outrage, swift defenses, and eventually, quiet deletion. Esau, Malcolm, and Mike explore the long history of dehumanizing imagery, the theological weight of the image of God, and why the refusal to repent may matter more than the original post. Then the conversation turns to rhetoric at the National Prayer Breakfast and the danger of blending national power with the language of the gospel. What does it mean to follow a crucified king in an age that prizes dominance?

0:00 - Theme Song

2:00 - Can You Beat Middle Schoolers at Basketball?

6:56 - Trump's Racist Obama Video

24:23 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

25:26 - The Military and Religion

35:27 - What's Part of the Gospel?

46:00 - End Credits

Outsourcing Our Social Lives to AI Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Students aren't just using AI to finish assignments. They're using it to manage social interactions, from emails to professors to conversations on dating apps. Esau, Justin, and Mike explore how that might spare a little awkwardness, but also skips the stage of failure where real growth usually happens. Then, are small liberal arts colleges actually better at forming students, and are universities still teaching people how to think rather than what to think? Also, sports gambling continues to cause problems and why Y2K culture, including the return of CDs, is making a surprising comeback.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:18 - Black History Month Present

2:23 - CDs Are Coming Back?

9:23 - Physical Media in a Digital World

13:29 - A.I. Keeps Us from Failing

22:12 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/esau

23:33 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

24:50 - Avoiding A.I. Entirely?

34:09 - Liberal Art's Inefficiency is Its Strength

40:54 - Sports Betting's Return

51:50 - End Credits

Resources:

God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone by Esau McCaulley:

https://www.tyndale.com/p/gods-colorful-easter/9798400501029?srsltid=AfmBOopFr6DDhzFFW4jVivkDhEgT3FNiuzM1cc8xmhgBCDtMuXLNVBSZ

Alex Pretti's Killing and Not Letting Rage Win Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis has become another moment where violence, misinformation, and political certainty collide. As video evidence contradicts official narratives, Esau, Malcolm Foley, and Mike wrestle with what this death reveals about power, propaganda, and the erosion of public trust. Then the three discuss Esau's recent article for the New York Times to ask a harder question: how do Christians name injustice without being consumed by rage? What does faithful witness look like when anger feels justified but spiritually dangerous?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:10 - American Girl Doll Nostalgia

9:36 - Dark New Normal

14:45 - Justifying Violence with "Woke" Accusations

23:52 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

25:02 - Sponsor - Brooklyn Bedding - For a quality mattress, go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com and use promo code ESAU to get 30% off site wide!

25:53 - Why Do We Believe Things?

33:25 - Not Living with Rage

47:40 - End Credits

Greenland, Druski, and Why the Church Keeps Getting Roasted Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Greenland is suddenly back on the menu of American foreign policy, raising real questions about conquest, NATO, and whether Christians can ever justify taking land that isn't theirs. Then, J. Cole's fear of "the fall off" becomes a window into ambition, calling, and the strange psychology of decline. And when Druski lampoons megachurch culture, it forces an uncomfortable look at why the church keeps becoming an easy punchline, and how Christians should respond when they are the butt of the joke. Plus, will Instagram be the thing that finally tears apart Esau and Mike?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:50 - Hills to Die On

7:03 - Why Are We Against Invading Greenland?

16:05 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/esau

18:50 - J Cole's Retiring

27:55 - Pastors Falling Off

33:53 - Satirizing Megachurches

48:50 - End Credits

ICE, the Fed, and How Power Bends the Truth Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

New footage and reporting about the Minneapolis ICE shooting of Renée Good have complicated the story. Esau, Mike and Taelor Gray revisit the incident one week later and ask how political power shapes the narratives we're given, and what it means for Christians to tell the truth when the truth is inconvenient. Then, they turn to the surprising posthumous "ordination" of DMX and consider what it reveals about the nature of pastoral ministry, proximity, and presence in an age obsessed with platforms.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:25 - Wall Street Journal Complains About Sushi for Kids

8:15 - Renee Good and the ICE Stop

21:00 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/Esau

22:19 - DMX Ordained After His Death?

43:44 - End Credits

66 Verse to Explain the Bible - Ezra:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/148221073/

Wall Street Journal Article on ICE and shootings:

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/videos-show-how-ice-vehicle-stops-can-escalate-to-shootings-caf17601?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcM4suCejir2XhY_aFDJ2--sqzFMzLxUYZ4SWneBn28PnkIFR-SG7O92GaLvw%3D%3D&gaa_ts=6967c046&gaa_sig=POa3tPcvJz_pC4-M5-e4uWuWjboR_sO0jyfq1BCM0XWAAXYxeb8OSWlKQ2SbkOYLAfCMr-_WetVC1fqY1L8b3g%3D%3D

The ICE Shooting in Minneapolis Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

A woman is dead in Minneapolis after an encounter with ICE. Esau McCaulley, Justin Giboney, Malcolm Foley, and producer Mike sort through what we know so far, what the law actually says about deadly force and compliance, and how Christians should think about state power and the value of a human life. The conversation wrestles with fear, responsibility, split second decisions, and the narratives forming around the shooting long before the facts are settled.

Oil, Power, and Tyrants: The Real Motive Behind the Venezuela Raid Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

The fall of a dictator feels like good news, but what if the motive matters as much as the outcome? Esau, Mike, and Sho Baraka dig into the Venezuela raid through the lens of just war theory, Trump's own comments, and the broader unseriousness of the administration. Then Sho reflects on his recent writing about AI and efficiency, asking where the line is between using new technology wisely and setting boundaries for the sake of rest, imagination, and what it means to be human.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:35 - Hard Classes That Mattered

8:03 - Venezuela

22:30 - The Donroe Doctrine

30:10 - Sponsor - Brooklyn Bedding - For a quality mattress, go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com and use promo code ESAU to get 30% off site wide!

31:08 - AI and Utilitarianism

50:39 - End Credits

Sho Baraka's Music: https://www.shobaraka.com/

https://www.instagram.com/amishobaraka/