The Jim Wallis Podcast

Latest Episodes:

What Latino Voters Want Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

This week on the Soul of the Nation, Jim Wallis speaks to Mark Magana, founder and CEO of GreenLatinos, a network of Latino environmental advocates, about why more than 80% of US. Latino voters say the global climate crisis is their greatest–or one of their greatest–concerns. Jim and Mark also spoke about how unprecedented barriers are being erected to disenfranchise Latino voters in several key states across the country and why some Latinos broke for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

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The Secretive Group Behind the Religious Right Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

Anne Nelson is author of the book “Shadow Network: Media, Money and the Secret Hub of the Religious Right,” which examines the history of a secretive group called the Council for National Policy. The council, a mix of money men, religious fundamentalists, political operatives and media moguls, includes Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway and Wayne LaPierre of the NRA. As Nelson explains, its goals are curtailing civil and political rights for women and minorities, giving tax cuts to the rich, and white Christian domination of our politics.

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Why White evangelicals fell hard for Donald Trump Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University, reveals why white evangelicals have become Donald Trump staunchest supporters, even after his lies about the election, his multiple affairs and his decidedly un-Christian behavior before, during and after his presidency. Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump for purely pragmatic reasons, Du Mez reveals that Donald Trump in fact represents the fulfillment, rather than the betrayal, of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values. In her memorable phrase: White evangelicals say they love Jesus, but they follow the example of John Wayne.

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Kirsten Powers on Loving Your (Political) Enemies Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

During her time at Fox News, Kirsten Powers once ground her teeth so hard that she cracked a molar. That was the Road-to-Damascus moment for the author and columnist when she decided that -- even when dealing with political adversaries– we must approach them with grace.

“I am talking about this very transformative kind of grace, which is really for the people we don’t like and may even hate. Grace helps you see the humanity in them because you are separating them out from your rage and your anger about what they are doing,” says Powers.

So how do we hold people in power accountable and call out political misdeeds without losing our sense of grace? Powers has some ideas.

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Eddie Glaude uncovers 'the heart of the rot’ in America’s white supremacy Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Eddie Glaude, chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, reveals how religion contributes to racial bigotry in America.

“What are we fighting about? It's these basic ideas that all men and women are equal. White supremacy has overdetermined, distorted, disfigured democracy in this country,” says Glaude. “The situation that's at the heart of the rot of the polity isn't resolved.”

Glaude and Rev. Jim Wallis discuss the need to shatter our illusions about the myth of equality and the role religion can play both in the redemption of American democracy.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin: The Jan. 6 Investigation will “Blow the Roof Off the House” Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

In conversation with Rev. Jim Wallis recorded before a live audience at Georgetown’s Center on Faith and Justice, Rep. Jamie Raskin, who serves on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, made international news when he said the investigation's findings will “blow the roof off the house.”

“It is a story of the most heinous and dastardly political offense ever organized by a President and his followers and his entourage,” says Raskin. Raskin also spoke about the trauma surrounding the tragic death of his son and why our democracy is in peril.

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The House is On Fire: Democracy Under Attack May 18, 2022

Show notes

Harvard professor Steven Levitsky, author of How Democracies Die, says, "Our politicians have not yet come to grips with the fact that the house is on fire, that our democracy is directly threatened. And that if we don't behave as if there is a crisis, if we don't step outside of the box of normal politics, we will lose. Or at least, we are at risk of losing our democracy."

In order to preserve our democracy in the face of attacks by White Christian nationalists, Rev. Jim Wallis says that we need to build a "multi-faith, multiracial, and multi-generational” movement.

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Rep. Sewell and Sen. Warnock Fight to Save our Democracy May 04, 2022

Show notes

Representative Terri Sewell and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock discuss their ongoing battle to protect voting rights for people who are at risk of losing their franchise to participate in our democratic elections.

“People talk about how divided our country is,” adds Senator Warnock. “Both Democrats and Republicans are saying that something is broken in our Democracy. How can we not have a debate about it in the United States Senate?”

Rep. Sewell urges all citizens, “to vote, volunteer, organize, turn out, and elect people who will do the right thing.”

Listen to these two voting rights leaders advocate for the protection of the integrity of our democratic system of government.

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Democracy in Peril_Trailer Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Jim Wallis is the Inaugural Chair of Faith and Justice at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and Founding Director of the university’s new Center on Faith and Justice.

As part of our work at the Center on Faith and Justice, we are happy to share that The Soul of the Nation podcast will be returning to full production.

In our new season Democracy in Peril–launching Wednesday April 20, 2022 – we will examine the efforts playing out at the state, local, and federal levels of our government to thwart the will of the people and chip away at the democratic foundations of the country. This campaign has created a test of moral conscience and faith.

You will hear conversations with people who are working tirelessly

to support the voting rights of all people;
to counter the despotic efforts of aspiring autocrats and the minority of Americans who support them; and
to expose and challenge the ideology and false religion of white Christian nationalism that is at the root of this crisis.

Faith and Justice are the twin pillars that support and sustain advocacy for marginalized communities and for the moral dimensions of civic spirituality. Through honest debate and careful discernment, we hope to provide you with the tools needed to join us in our efforts to raise our nation to its lofty – but yet unrealized – ideals of Justice, freedom, and liberty for all.

We are seeking your support to help spread the message of The Soul of the Nation and invite your communities to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast…..Blessings to you for The Soul of the Nation.

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Sister Helen Prejean on the Christian Imperative to Abolish the Death Penalty Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

In this very special repeat episode of The Soul of the Nation, Roman Catholic sister, author, and social justice advocate, Helen Prejean speaks with Rev. Jim Wallis about the executions of federal death row inmates by the Trump administration. Sister Prejean shares how she became one of the pioneering leaders in the movement to abolish the death penalty. She tells her 30-year journey and how she keeps faith and hope after witnessing countless death penalty executions.

"The hope is in the people," Sister Prejean says. "I have to say, getting out of that execution chamber that night in the dark I remember thinking very clearly, the American people are good people. They're buying into this only because they don't know what's going on."

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