The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Summer Protests, Playlists, and Kirk Franklin Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

It's officially summer, and things are heating up. Esau is joined by Justin Giboney and producer Mike to swap summer playlists, celebrate Kirk Franklin's unexpected honor at the BET Awards, talk about what kids should do during the summer, and unpack the recent protests in Los Angeles following aggressive ICE raids. What does faithful protest look like? How do Christians respond when political theater overshadows human dignity? And can you really call it a cookout without Earth, Wind & Fire?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:17 - Cookout Playlist Mount Rushmore

5:35 - BET Music Awards and Kirk Franklin

11:55 - Kid Rock

18:36 - 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

19:46 - Summer Protests

38:30 - Coco Gauff and Black Accomplishment

46:12 - End Credits

The NBA Finals, Trump's Sledgehammer, and Are We Misreading the Bible on Sex? Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

NBA Finals. Trump's sledgehammer policies. A Bible debate over sex. Esau, Justin Giboney, and Producer Mike truly tackle it all this week. First, why do small markets (and small churches) keep getting overlooked? Then, what's really driving the fight over international students on U.S. campuses? Also, a popular pastor claims the Bible does not say sex before marriage is wrong, but we aren't convinced. Finally, sports heartbreak, Taylor Swift, and Mike (kind of) makes his co-host debut.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:04 - NBA Finals and Small Markets/Churches

9:22 - The Bible Sexual Immorality Debate

25:11 - Mike's Corner: International Students on Campus and Trump

40:00 - Taylor Swift

45:54 - End Credits

The Right's DEI, the Internet's Pope, and a Plantation in Flames May 29, 2025

Show notes

Elite universities are trying something new, or maybe not so new. To attract more conservative faculty, they're adopting diversity strategies once used to support marginalized communities. So now that DEI is working for the right, is it still "woke"? Plus, fake Pope quotes are everywhere. Why is everyone trying to make the new Pope say what they want to hear? And in other news: a plantation burns, prom has officially lost its mind, and Producer Mike is in need of some friends.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:11 - Big Budget Proms

14:18 - 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

15:40 - Fake Pope Quotes

25:18 - DEI for Conservatives

39:51 - The Plantation Fire

47:12 - End Credits

Single Parenting, Disability, and the Church's Blind Spot May 22, 2025

Show notes

Author and mother of six, Katie Blackburn joins Esau for a conversation around single parenting, disability, and faith. Katie shares her experience raising a son with severe autism, the grief and grace that come with it, and how the church has responded, sometimes with welcome, other times with unintentional exclusion. Together, they explore why single parents and families affected by disability often feel unseen in church spaces, and what communities can do to change that. They also talk about Katie's new children's book The Very Best Baseball Game, inspired by a local disability league, and how stories can help us better understand diversity, empathy, and belonging.

0:00 - Show Starts

2:15 - Mount Rushmore of Family Films

7:55 - Single Motherhood

10:42 - Writing as Therapy

18:09 - 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

19:21 - Church with Single People

24:28 - The Very Best Baseball Game

33:20 - What Can Churches Do for Disabled Children?

42:38 - End Credits

Is Pop Culture Out of Ideas? May 15, 2025

Show notes

Why does everything feel like a reboot? In this episode, Esau is joined by producer Mike and historian Malcolm Foley for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of American pop culture. From promising films like Sinners and Thunderbolts to the creative fatigue behind endless reboots and auto-tuned algorithms, they explore whether we're stuck in a cycle of stagnation and cynicism, and why Beyoncé's country album might provide a glimmer of hope for the future of the pop culture industry.

0:00 - Show Starts

0:45 - Theme Song

2:55 - Uninformed Takes on Ryan Coogler's Sinners

10:16 - Movies with Anit-Christian Elements?

18:16 - Worst Pop Culture Era

26:15 - How in-Person Classes Change Things

33:55 - Revitalization of Pop Culture

47:15 - End Credits

Help Me Help You: Esau Becomes the Internet's Life Coach May 08, 2025

Show notes

Everyone needs a life coach sometimes and Esau is here to play the role. In today's episode, he answers the internet's questions about friendship, marriage, calling, AI, church, and, yes, the ethics of eating your kid's leftovers. Joined by Producer Mike and Holy Post Community Coordinator Emerson, the trio tackles everything from existential crises to the proper number of slices you're allowed to take from a pie. Whether you're wondering how to make friends as a tired parent or if your marriage is weird because you don't fight, Esau's got takes, and lots of them.

0:00 - Theme Song

2:10 - Are Leftovers Fair Game?

5:32 - A.I. and Writing Careers

9:50 - Adult Friendships

17:35 - A Marriage with No Fights?

21:45 - Sponsor - Northern Seminary - Through Taste of Northern, you can experience the richness of a theological education for free, with leading New Testament scholars. Visit https://www.seminary.edu/taste to join a class today!

23:08 - Unfulfilling Job

35:18 - Is four "a few?"

37:45 - Church Disappointment

47:00 - End Credits

Love in a Time of Outrage: Recovering the Center of Paul's Theology May 01, 2025

Show notes

When most people think of the Apostle Paul, they picture a guy who cares more about doctrine and judgment than love. But what if I told you that the guy who wrote the most famous chapter on love in the Bible actually built his whole theology around it? Esau McCaulley talks with New Testament scholar Nijay Gupta about his new book The Affections of Christ and why Paul might be the Bible's most misunderstood writer. They explore what Paul really says about love, how emotion theory helps us read the Bible better, and why recovering Paul's tender side could help the church in a time of outrage, division, and burnout. Also, whatever happened to Ned Flanders?

0:00 - Theme Song

2:03 - Last Time Your Church Made You Feel Loved

7:10 - Paul and Love?

13:50 - 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

14:50 - Sponsor - Fabric by Gerber Life - Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://www.meetfabric.com/ESAU

17:00 - The Bible's Emotional!

27:50 - Covenant vs. Court

40:04 - Was He Rehabilitating Paul's Image?

49:32 - End Credits

The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology by NIjay Gupta: https://a.co/d/82LsTS0

Paul and the Language of Faith by Nijay Gupta: https://a.co/d/bROX4lx

My Hill to Die On - In-N-Out Burger is Overrated:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/my-hill-to-die-n-125861271

Our Love-Hate Relationship with Wealth Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Why do some successful people inspire us while others ignite our outrage? Esau is joined by John Onwuchekwa to unpack our complicated relationship with wealth, celebrity, and privilege. From Katy Perry and her trip to space, to Deon Sanders' son, Shedeur Sanders' jersey retirement controversy, we explore what our inconsistent reactions reveal about ourselves and what we prioritize. Also, we introduce a brand new segment - Low Stakes Conspiracy Theories. Mike wonders if Stevie Wonder is actually blind and John is just asking if we actually went to the moon...

0:00 - Theme Song

0:34 - Low Stakes Conspiracy Theories

9:56 - Going to Space

19:56 - 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

33:35 - Fantastic Four Trailer

48:12 - End Credits

We Go On by John Onwuchekwa: https://a.co/d/5BRpREP

Is There Proof Jesus Was Crucified and Resurrected? Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

What if the resurrection isn't just a matter of faith—but of history? In this special Holy Week episode, Esau McCaulley sits down with New Testament scholar Craig Keener to explore the historical evidence for Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, Rome's brutal use of the cross, and why the earliest witnesses to the empty tomb were women. They also reflect on the personal and political meaning of the cross, and how the resurrection reshapes our understanding of suffering, hope, and what it means to be human.

0:00 - Theme Song

11:11 - Crucifixion in the Ancient World

20:28 - 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

25:25 - The Woman and the Empty Tomb

35:00 - Romans and Afterworld Belief

40:50 - The Importance of the Crown of Thorns

44:46 - End Credits

A Different Kind of DEI Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

DEI is all over the news right now. The Right hates it and the Left idolizes it, but what if there was a different way to approach the controversial topic? Esau McCaulley is joined by writer and cultural commentator Marie Beecham for a candid conversation about what happens when DEI and antiracism efforts go off the rails—and what it looks like to chart a better path forward. They talk about Marie's journey through progressive anti-racism, her disillusionment with parts of the movement, and how her faith shaped a more nuanced, hopeful approach. Want to hear more from Marie? Listen to her podcast, Know Better Do Better. https://mariebeecham.com/podcast

0:00 - Theme Song

13:00 - Faith and Racial Justice

20:06 - Sponsor - Northern Seminary - Through Taste of Northern, you can experience the richness of a theological education for free, with leading New Testament scholars. Visit https://www.seminary.edu/taste to join a class today!

22:10 - Ignoring Relevancy

39:25 - DEI

46:50 - Moment of Cultural Shame

52:05 - End Credits

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