The SkyePod

Latest Episodes:

French Friday: Can Democrats Close the "God Gap"? Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

All signs point to a big mid-term election for Democrats, but much will depend on their ability to win over religious voters. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the political "God gap," and why religious Americans of all types have moved toward the Republican Party since the 1980s. French reports on his recent trip to Texas, the Senate race between Paxton and Talarico, and why the state's most famous pro-Trump pastor is giving his church permission not to vote Republican. They discuss why Democrats, until recently, have struggled to use moral rhetoric. And why have pro-ICE, anti-empathy Christians on social media suddenly changed their tune?

0:00 - Theme Song

0:32 - Midterms

15:47 - Voting on Doctrine?

26:12 - Did Robert Jeffress Change His Mind?

41:23 - Democrats Talking Like Republicans

51:16 - Samuel Sey and Ice

1:10:22 - End Credit

The Return of Moralistic Democrats:

https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/10/midterm-elections-and-return-of-good-and-evil/689145/

David French on the God Gap:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/opinion/talarico-paxton-texas-senate-evangelicals.html

David French on Empathy and Immigration:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/opinion/toxic-empathy-immigration-ice.html

Hannah Miller King on Pregnant Women in ICE Detention Centers:

https://holypost.substack.com/p/ice-vs-the-unborn

SkyeDive: There's Something Better Than Mountaintop Christianity Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Why do we experience powerful moments with God—then go back to our normal lives, unchanged? Skye explains why we, like Moses, lose the effects of God's glory and how the New Covenant offers us a way out of the cycle of mountain-top highs and spiritually-empty lows.

0:00 - Intro

4:08 - Theme Song

4:24 - Sermon Starts

9:34 - Down from the Mountaintop

14:05 - Was Moses Hiding Behind the Veil?

18:30 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/becd0d4d-939c-44b8-bad1-fabe22fae3cf?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-22T17%3A59%3A18.098Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Drew's News: Sex Recession, Beautiful Math, and Punk Rock Narnia Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Drew, King of the North, brings his royal decrees and news from around the internet. He and Skye wonder why religious couples seem to be insulated from the sex recession. Does it all come back to smartphones? Then they talk about how AI is pushing people to find meaning and purpose outside of their vocations. And why does Skye seem less excited about Greta Gerwig's rock-infused Narnia than Drew is? All that, and Skye explains why he thinks Anthropic is a little like Uncle Buck.

0:01 - Theme Song

2:08 - Christians Resisted the Sex Recession?

8:14 - Why Religion Helps Sex

17:59 - Mathemeticians Look for God

26:44 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/6ec53a32-f8e6-46ae-a7dc-252b05bb6494?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-15T18%3A41%3A00.353Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Articles:

The Sex Recession: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/religion-sex-recession-marriage/688774/

AI Mathematician on The Meaning of Life: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-a-i-comes-for-your-purpose-in-life/id1200361736?i=1000796109623

New Narnia Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDJ-ini7fF0

Article on AI and the Church: https://holypost.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-drill

Air Mail: Repentance, Gehenna, and Circumcision Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Skye sifts through your questions, like panning for gold! Or, cleaning the gunk from your dishwasher, depending on your perspective. Mailman Mike's brought Skye questions about what repentance means, how we should respond to historically-questionable-sermon-illustrations, and if we take scripture-reading too seriously. Plus—what are women supposed to feel about all this talk about male circumcision in the Bible?

0:07 - Theme Song

2:13 - Repenting of Trump?

8:35 - Gehenna

17:17 - Sermon on the Mount: Serious and Literal?

30:44 - How Important is Scripture-reading?

31:44 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/5f17706f-3b89-4901-b1ed-a903f2638ffc?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-08T20%3A21%3A26.549Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Questions Answered:

What did Skye mean when he said Christians should repent of supporting Trump?
Was Gehenna actually a trash-pit outside Jerusalem?
How do you take the Sermon on the Mount seriously?
Do we overemphasize scripture reading?
Do men know how alienating discussions of circumcision are to women?
How bad are the bears gonna be this year?

Spectacle vs Subtlety Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was his most public and spectacular miracle ever. But why were most of his miracles before this marked by secrecy and subtlety instead? In this message, Skye explores the role spectacles play in our faith, why we are so drawn to them, and why they usually fail to foster a transformative, sustainable love for God.

0:00 - Preamble

1:21 - Theme Song

1:52 - American Duels

6:46 - Lazarus and Duels

10:39 - How Jesus Creates Spectacle

16:04 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/f8df4b24-a965-417a-803a-56d559e03a56?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-01T19%3A24%3A32.487Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

French Friday: The Problem with "Heritage Americans" Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Republican candidate Bo French in Texas created a controversy when he reacted to a photo of college students at the University of Texas football game. Many in the photo were of South Asian descent. He called it a "problem." David French (no relation) talks with Skye Jethani about the unmasked racism that MAGA has unleashed and what has led to the emergence of "heritage Americans" as a way of demoting immigrants and racial minorities. They also discuss the vacuum created efforts to diminish or remove American history from schools, and why overwhelming dissatisfaction with the two major political parties has failed to create a reform movement in the U.S.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:34 - Sports Catch-Up

2:36 - Bo French's Open racism

15:25 - 17 Million vs. 77 Million

25:09 - "Heritage Americans"

40:20 - Progressive Smugness

48:50 - Why Do Third Parties Keep Failing?

1:01:40 - End Credits

David French on Bo French:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/opinion/bo-french-university-texas-longhorns.html

Drew's News: Bogus Sermons, Boring Sons, and Burnt-Out Worship Leaders Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Is a "tsunami" really coming for the American church? How many of your favorite sermon illustrations are completely made up? Are parents raising successful young men who are boring to talk to? Skye and Drew also discuss the Gen Z stare, why worship leaders are burning out, and why women may be more suspicious of AI than men. Plus, if the people building AI think there's a chance it could destroy humanity, should the rest of us be a little more worried?

0:03 - Theme Song

6:13 - Can We Predict Church Change?

18:10 - Bogus Sermon Illustrations

25:45 - How to Raise an Unattractive Son

28:41 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/e0a58469-27ba-49a7-9cd2-b88d13a18252?postPreview=free&updated=2026-09-17T21%3A36%3A38.704Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Politics & Pluralism with Chuck Todd Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

We are two months away from the midterm elections, and with multiple clergy running for office, faith is playing a larger role. Are evangelicals souring on MAGA? Will the Democrats close the "God gap?" Skye is joined by former chief political analyst for NBC News and moderator of Meet the Press, Chuck Todd, to discuss the intersection of faith and politics. Their conversation also turns to their diverse religious upbringings, the role of public education, backlash against big tech, and how to repair our broken, corrupt political system. Once named "The Most Powerful Journalist in Washington" by GQ magazine, Todd now hosts The Chuck ToddCast, featuring in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:26 - Empty Nesters

2:16 - Clergy Running as Democrats

16:06 - Inflection Point in Evangelicalism

27:36 - Importance of Pluralism

36:48 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/93204b4f-df70-496e-ab96-8f9ce2a9cca8?postPreview=free&updated=2026-09-10T18%3A46%3A02.325Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true

Kids & College with Ryan Burge Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

It's back to school and off to college season. Sociologists and master of "Graphs About Religion," Ryan Burge, is back with new data about which college majors are the most and least devoted to Christianity. He also has stats about declining birth rates even among religious groups, and why some kids raised with and without faith switch their beliefs as adults.

0:11 - Theme Song

2:17 - Religiosity Among Different College Majors

10:42 - Finance Bros are Major Church-Goers

20:14 - Deconstruction and College

27:32 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/so-you-want-your-child-to-keep-the

French Friday: The Solution to Partisan Christianity Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

New data finds that almost half of Gen Z adults won't consider going to church because of Christians' support for Donald Trump. David French and Skye Jethani wonder what the research means for the majority of evangelical churches that avoid anything political, and why that may actually be part of the problem. They also discuss the rise of socialism on the political left and why JD Vance's recent memoir suggests socialism may be just as popular on the political right. Plus, what America can learn from the goodness of Dolly Parton.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:17 - Mourning Dolly Parton

9:23 - Is Polarization Keeping Gen Z Out of Church?

21:02 - Should the Church Be Political?

31:04 - The Rise of Socialists

50:21 - Can the Middle Hold Together?

1:04:32 - End Credits