The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Hidden Cost of Sending Soldiers to D.C. Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

When the military becomes a political pawn? As Esau and Producer Mike break down Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to D.C., Esau reflects on his family's experience in the military and the heavy cost of deployments for morale, families, and democracy itself. Then, adult summer camps are on the rise. Are they the answer to America's loneliness epidemic, or is there an easier and less expensive way to make friends after college? Plus, listener questions about faith in difficult workplaces, the value of liturgy, and the beliefs Esau has changed his mind on over time. 0:00 - Theme Song

7:30 - National Guard in DC

19:45 - Summer Camp for Adults

24:08 - Do Men Need Activity to Socialize?

29:27 - Top TV shows/movies?

33:17 - Vocation and Faith

45:22 - End Credits

Enter to win a copy of Esau's Children's Bible and support the podcast! https://holypost.com/esau

Sydney Sweeney's Jeans: Outrage or Overreaction? Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

Sydney Sweeney's "Great Jeans" ad sparked a culture war. Was it clever marketing, coded eugenics, or just outrage for clicks? Esau, Malcolm, and Mike break down who really wins when we fight over denim. Also, Taylor Swift has a new album, a Hollywood actor claims to have been blacklisted for his christian principles, and why old school gospel music should still be relevant today.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:00 - Making Malcolm a Swiftie

10:35 - Sydney Sweeney's Jeans

22:40 - Neil McDonough Playing the Victim?

21:55 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

34:50 - CEO Disses Gospel Music?

49:20 - End Credits

Black and Evangelical? Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

What does it mean to be Black and evangelical in a moment when both words carry so much baggage? Esau is joined by theologian and longtime Wheaton professor Dr. Vince Bacote, whose new documentary Black + Evangelical traces the overlooked history of African Americans in evangelical institutions. They talk about what it means to carry a Black church heritage into white evangelical spaces, why so many Black voices are celebrated until they speak up about race, and how many of today's tensions are echoes of the past.

0:00 - Theme Song

3:25 - Highest-Grossing Documentary

6:18 - Black and Evangelical

13:22 - Struggles Being Black and Evangelical

24:18 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

25:33 - Tom Skinner

28:30 - Tone Policing

33:33 - Emotion and Intellect

37:42 - Promise Keepers

45:45 - Hopeful Future for Black Evangelicalism

50:30 - End Credits

Black + Evangelical Documentary:

https://pages.christianitytoday.com/black-evangelicals-documentary-lp

Is Gen Z in Revival or Retreat? Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

On a recent Holy Post episode, Ryan Burge claimed the data shows that Gen Z is not experiencing a revival, but Carey Nieuwhof says otherwise. Esau and Sharon Hodde Miller compare the competing narratives and reflects on what true revival looks like and why we care so much whether a revival is happening. Then, a recent New York Times piece questions the so-called "boy crisis," Are boys really falling behind or have girls just always done better in school? Plus: what food or coffee shop would make you change your last name? Why Uber's new feature for women riders is long overdue. And Esau's final question: is being mad about Halloween in July grumpy or principled?

0:00 - Theme Song

2:35 - Naming Yourself After a Brand?

7:55 - Boyhood Crisis Overblown?

19:10 - Gen Z Revival or Retreat?

27:20 - Piety vs Churchgoing Stats

35:35 - Uber Gender Policy

42:20 - Grumpy or Principled

46:15 - End Credits

God's Colorful Kingdom Storybook Bible: The Story of God's Big Diverse Family by Esau McCaulley: https://a.co/d/iQjqMeB

Coldplay Kiss Cam: Comedy or Tragedy? Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

A Coldplay concert kiss cam became the most viral moment of the week. Esau, and bestselling author Nancy French unpack the now-infamous clip of an affair caught on camera. Was it hilarious or heartbreaking, and what does it say about our appetite for public shame? They also debate whether a World War II hero should also be remembered as a TikTok star, whether celebrity-branded Crumbl cookies are harmless fun or late-stage capitalism in dessert form, and if Walmart might actually be... beautiful. Plus, Esau discovers there's a wrong way to invite your producer to a Cubs game.

0:00 - Theme Song

4:00 - D-Day Veteran and TikTok Star

10:25 - Coldplay Outs CEO Affair—Funny or Tragedy?

21:08 - Benson Boone Cookies and Parasocial Relationships

31:24 - An Ode to Wal-Mart?

Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French: https://a.co/d/0UhumZ5

When Grace and Drugs Share the Same Album Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

A controversial new IRS regulation just opened the door for churches to endorse political candidates from the pulpit. Esau McCaulley and Justin Giboney weigh in on if this a win for religious freedom, a threat to the church's public witness, or just business as usual? Then they unpack the unexpected reunion of hip-hop duo The Clipse. One brother found faith. The other kept rapping about dealing drugs. So what happens when grace and drug bars share the same tracklist? Can Christian artists operate in secular spaces without compromise?

Plus: Black vs. African American, summer recommendations, and is Mike secretly the voice of the Bible Project?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:52 - Churches Endorsing Candidates

14:50 - African American or Black?

17:05 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

24:40 - Is Mike the Bible Project guy?

26:35 - Drugs and Gospel on the Same Album

41:11 - Summer Plans

45:00 - End Credits

Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around: How the Black Church's Public Witness Leads Us out of the Culture War by Justin Giboney: https://a.co/d/cMMUHlQ

Trump's Big Problematic Bill Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

What do Black churches, Catholics, and evangelicals all agree on? That Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is a big, problematic mess. Esau is joined by Malcolm Foley to unpack the sweeping legislation that slashes aid to the poor while delivering massive tax cuts to the wealthy. What does this reveal about our national values and how should the church respond to a policy so openly shaped by greed? Plus, the team reflects on the devastating flash floods in Texas that killed over 100 people. How long should we wait before asking the hard questions about accountability and whether this tragedy could have been prevented?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:20 - Hot Dog Eating Content

3:30 - AI and Racism

18:10 - Church Response to Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"

22:38 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

23:52 - Employment vs Proof of Employment

52:47 - End Credits

The Billionaire Who Thinks We Care Too Much About People Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

As the Fourth of July approaches, Esau and Tish Harrison Warren reflect on what patriotism means today, especially for Christians who feel caught between critique and love of country. Then, Tish introduces the idea of "big church privilege," and explores what's gained and lost in the shift from large, well-resourced congregations to smaller, more intimate communities. Finally, they break down Peter Thiel's recent comments about stagnation, progress, and humanity's future. What happens when tech leaders try to achieve perfection without God?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:58 - 4th of July

12:16 - Small Church Privilege

26:08 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

27:35 - Peter Tiel's Eschatology

43:38 - End Credits

A Marine Biologist Talks Science, Faith, and the Deep Sea Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

Marine biologist and author Rachel Jordan joins Esau McCaulley in studio to talk about her new book If the Ocean Has a Soul. They dive into the deep waters of science and theology, discussing coral reefs, climate change, and why the ocean might be one of the most overlooked witnesses to God's glory. Rachel shares how a tenth-grade biology class changed her life, how she navigates faith in scientific spaces (and vice versa), and what the church often misses about the natural world. Plus: jellyfish football teams, Titanic conspiracies, and the surprising spirituality of sea creatures.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:52 - Low-Stakes Conspiracy Theory

6:07 - Aquatic Sports Mascots

17:18 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

18:35 - Scientists and Faith

26:12 - The Ocean and God's Glory

32:35 - Can Fish Talk?

46:25 - End Credits

If the Ocean Has a Soul: A Marine Biologist's Pursuit of Truth through Deep Waters of Faith and Science by Rachel G. Jordan: https://a.co/d/f0hLtQZ

What Lilo & Stitch Teaches about Healthcare, Family & Social Safety Nets Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

Pastor and author Sharon Hodde Miller joins Esau McCaulley for a surprising conversation about the live-action Lilo & Stitch and how a children's film quietly captures the realities of single motherhood, economic pressure, and communal grace. Then, Esau and Sharon talk about the challenges of pastoring in a polarizing time and how their online persona compares to their pastoral persona. Also, we have a Disney movie draft and a winner is declared.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:25 - Disney Movie Draft

13:40 - Lilo and Stitch

15:48 - Why Does Sharon Prefer the Remake?

22:42 - Single Motherhood

25:03 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238

27:10 - Being a Pastor with a Platform

40:45 - Free of Me

50:36 - End Credits

Free of Me: Why Life is Better When It's Not About You by Sharon Hodde Miller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801075238?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_R7GWYC5AW573Y1AZXT64&bestFormat=true