Faith Angle

To comply with a flurry of Executive Orders issued in January, many colleges throughout the country have been renaming, restructuring, or altogether eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming. These DEI initiatives have been divisive for years. Their proponents see them as essential to ensuring fair treatment for minority students and rooting out prejudice in the academy. Their detractors see them as stifling free speech and academic debate. Emma Green, journalist at the New Yorker, and Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, discuss the genesis of DEI, where it went wrong, and what might replace it in our search to create a flourishing multicultural society.   Links:   What Comes After D.E.I.? by Emma Green   Harvard, Public Trust, and a Warning for the Nonprofit Sector by Eboo Patel

Journalist Jon Rauch’s smart new book from Yale University Press, Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain With Democracy, offers three provocative and insightful essays. Though an outsider to Christianity—as he tells his long-time friend Pete Wehner of the Trinity Forum, Jon is a “gay Jewish atheist born in 1960”—Jon’s new treatise follows a dozen books, and hundreds of articles, covering topics from free inquiry to gay marriage, political realism to happiness, and the constitution of knowledge to matters of American political economy.  The book explores the history and implications of three modes of the Christian faith in America. The first Jon terms Thin Christianity, embodied by mainline Protestantism. The second is Sharp Christianity—really MAGA white evangelicalism, what Jon calls a “fear-based” church. But the third chapter, Jon makes a case for Thick Christianity, exemplified by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and other creative exilic religious minorities who have made peace with the fact of pluralism and the democratic opportunity of compromise and negotiation—the principles James Madison also affirmed. He calls this book a sort of atonement for his past arguments that American society, and its political system, would be better without the influence of religions convictions. What changed for Jon? Partly it was his realizing that religion is a load-bearing wall, in any democracy. But partly it was an emergent friendship with Pete Wehner and with other thinking believers who have enlarged Jon’s vision.   Guests Jonathan Rauch Peter Wehner   Additional Resources “Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy,” by Jonathan Rauch “Let It Be: Three Cheers for Apatheism” by Jonathan Rauch "Evangelicals Made a Bad Trade" by Peter Wehner    

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Brad Fulton, professor of Nonprofit Management and Social Policy at the O’Neill School of Public Affairs at Indiana University, alongside Amber Hacker, Chief of External Affairs at Interfaith America. Our guests discuss the role of religious giving in philanthropy and the surprising trends that emerge from the underlying data. Out of the $557 billion dollars given annually in the United States to charities, twenty percent of the funds come from foundations. Does religious commitment influence that giving? Do we know from available data that generosity makes a person healthier or happier? Does the generation a person’s born into—say, a Boomer vs. a Millennial—impact giving patterns? They also discuss new networking tools as it relates to philanthropic giving.    Guests Dr. Brad Fulton Amber Hacker   Additional Resources “Religious Organizations Crosscutting the Nonprofit Sector,” by Brad R. Fulton “Faith-Based Public Foundations: Identifying the Field and Assessing its Impact,” by Allison Ralph and Brad R. Fulton “Money, Meet Meaning,” by Amber Hacker and Tom Levinson

In this episode, we are joined by Jaweed Kaleem of The Los Angeles Times alongside Knox Thames, author of the new book Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom. Knox reflects on his long career advancing the cause of religious liberty around the world, including in the some of the world's most repressive contexts. Our guests assess the current state of religious freedom across different contexts, from India to Israel and Gaza, and reflect on how the eroding of religious freedom often serves as a "canary in the coal mine" for the loss of other fundamental human rights.    Guests Knox Thames  Jaweed Kaleem   Additional Resources  Ending Persecution: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom, by Knox Thames "France Struggles to Confront One of Its Biggest Taboos: Race," by Jaweed Kaleem "Swastikas, bullhorns, guns: Antisemitic Incidents in U.S. Hit 43-Year High," by Jaweed Kaleem

In this episode, New York Times opinion columnist David French sits down with Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold of The New Yorker to discuss her brand new book, Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church. These two journalists with firsthand familiarity and longstanding expertise in covering religion embark on a fascinating exploration of the book's coverage of Philadelphia's Circle of Hope, a little-known yet influential progressive evangelical movement, and how the sobering disintegration of that spiritual community mirrors broader dynamics at work in American Christianity.    Guests Eliza Griswold  David French    Additional Reading  Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church, by Eliza Griswold  "The Church Preached Love and Tolerance. Then Racial Politics Tore It Apart," by David French  "Losing a Beloved Community," by Eliza Griswold  

On this episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Oldfield to discuss her newly-released book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. After beginning her career covering religion for the BBC, Elizabeth for a decade ran a London-based think tank called Theos, which seeks to stimulate the debate about the place of religion in society, challenging and changing ideas through research, commentary and events. Under her leadership, its staff increased tenfold—and still supports podcast she hosts today, "The Sacred." Joining Elizabeth is Damir Marusic, an assignment editor at The Washington Post. Along with Shadi Hamid, a longtime friend and advisor to Faith Angle, Damir co-founded the podcast "Wisdom of Crowds." Damir writes extensively on US politics, polarization, US foreign policy, and European affairs. Bringing a non-religious vantage point, he highlights with Elizabeth key themes in Fully Alive and the two get right into it, not mincing words even when there are differing views of sin, grace, evil, and the possibilities for human community.   Guests Elizabeth Oldfield Damir Marusic   Additional Resources Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, by Elizabeth Oldfield "The Sacred" Podcast, with Elizabeth Oldfield, a Theos Think Tank podcast  Fully Alive Substack, with Elizabeth Oldfield Wisdom of Crowds Podcast and Substack, with Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid      

Building on the legacy of Michael Cromartie (1950-2017), who founded Faith Angle Forum a quarter-century ago, MCF brings together a select group of exceptionally talented, early-career journalists for a three-day conference in the nation’s capital, focusing on the intersection of faith, culture, and journalism today. This year’s forum explored new narratives in American history, reconsidered the relationship between spirituality and vocational journalism, and examined the interplay between race, religion, and identity in diverse democracies.   Additional Resources: Michael Cromartie Forum 2024 Journalism, Religion, and Vocation with Will Saletan and Eugene Scott Religion and Journalism: An Integrating Workshop with Miranda Kennedy and Molly Ball The Spirit of Our Politics with Michael Wear and Jon Ward  The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story with Kermit Roosevelt and Pete Wehner  Understanding Race, Religion, and Identity for Diverse Democracies with Simran Jeet Singh    

In this episode, recorded at Faith Angle Miami 2024, we are joined by Brad Wilcox and Isabel Sawhill for a fascinating, timely conversation about marriage patterns, family structure, shifting gender norms, and poverty rates. In a time of deep polarization, are certain approaches better than others when it comes to exploring the benefits of marriage for children? How does marriage compare with cohabitation, and how do we avoid getting caught in culture war cul du sacs when discussing gender roles, marriage norms, and solutions that can benefit low-income families? Two seminal scholars in this field, Brad and Belle highlight themes from their decades of scholarship on these topics and, in particular, from Brad's most recent book, Get Married.   Guests W. Bradford Wilcox Isabel Sawhill   Additional Resources  "Poverty, Religion, and the New Marriage Debate," Faith Angle Miami 2024 session video with Brad Wilcox and Isabel Sawhill Brad Wilcox PPT Slides Isabel Sawhill PPT Slides "How to Think - and Talk - About Marriage Today," by Will Saletan  Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization, by Brad Wilcox Generation Unbound: Drifting into Sex and Parenthood without Marriage, by Isabel Sawhill  The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind, by Melissa Kearney

In this episode, we are joined by John Inazu, who is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion and Professor of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. This week, he published his fourth book: Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. John sits down to discuss differences, respect, bridge-building, and the unique role of journalism in all this, with Matt Kaminski, editor-at-large of POLITICO, and the co-founder of POLITICO Europe. Matt served as editor-in-chief of POLITICO from 2019-2023, and he’s covered international politics for more than a quarter-century, still writing regularly on global affairs today.  Together they discuss whether it is possible to disagree in ways that somehow build bridges with neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones, and what role journalists can play in helping us see reality more clearly.   Guests John Inazu Matthew Kaminski   Additional Resources  Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, by John Inazu Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving Through Deep Difference, by John Inazu "'Beyond Crazy': The Liberal Jew Mugged by a Post-Oct. 7 World," by Matthew Kaminski

In this episode, we are joined by Sarah McCammon, National Political Correspondent at NPR, to discuss her book Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. In it, Sarah tells a compelling, personal story about family, marriage, politics, and church—and she concisely boils down insights from scholars like David Gushee, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Christian Smith, and others you’ll hear her reference. If the great de-churching currently happening in American society is most acutely felt by Gen Z and Millennials, Sarah’s story is right in the heart of that. And since no one really knows where the future is headed, one question to ask is: If evangelicals or other religious Americans leave the fold, what replaces that unique sense of purpose, transcendent faith, and community? Joining Sarah to discuss that and other urgent questions is Ruth Graham, the brilliant New York Times’ religion, faith, and values reporter.   Guests: Sarah McCammon Ruth Graham   Additional Resources: The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church, by Sarah McCammon "Evangelical Writer Who Influenced Purity Culture Separates from Wife," by Sarah McCammon and Ruth Graham "Two Evangelical Leaders on 'Radical Faith'," by Ruth Graham  Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation, by Jon Ward 

In this episode, we are joined again by Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Michael Wear of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, to discuss Michael's brand new book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. Michael has been engaging the condition of American politics for more than 15 years, after serving in the White House, helping to launch and lead the AND Campaign, and advising leading policymakers, journalists, practitioners at the intersection of faith and public policy.  Drawing from this experience as well as the work and influence of noteworthy Christian philosopher Dallas Willard, Michael argues that our politics will only get better if we get better. The only way to transcend the current polarized morass we’re in is to deepen and revitalize our spiritual formation. Our politics is downstream of the kind of people we are. The Spirit of Our Politics argues that the way forward is to better align our political and civic engagement with our religious commitments. And while the democratic answer for believers is never theonomy, or Christian nationalism, or privileging a majority identity—Michael and Tim sketch the contours of what faithful, integrated living might produce.   Guests: Michael Wear  Tim Alberta    Additional Resources: The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear  The Center for Christianity & Public Life The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta "The Surprising Link between the Gospel and Politics," by Michael Wear Wear We Are Podcast, with Michael and Melissa Wear  "Tim Alberta and Michael Wear: The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory," Faith Angle podcast episode  

On today’s episode, we are joined by The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig for an Advent reflection with Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, assistant pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Rev. Isaac is an evangelical pastor whose life and ministry have been rooted in Bethlehem in the West Bank, where he is a theologian, Bible college dean, a leader of the peacebuilding initiative Christ at the Checkpoint, and part of the ancient but fast-dwindling community of Christians in the Holy Land. This Christmas, as there is war in the Holy Land, this sobering conversation points to the hope of the Incarnation in the midst of suffering—offered from a unique vantage point and moment, in the place of Christ’s birth.   Guests: Munther Isaac Elizabeth Bruenig   Additional Resources: The Other Side of the Wall: A Christian Palestinian Narrative of Lament and Hope, by Munther Isaac "Christmas is canceled in the land of Jesus' birth," by Queen Rania Al Abdullah in The Washington Post  "In Bethlehem, the home of Jesus' birth, a season of grieving for Palestinian Christians," by Laura King in The Los Angeles Times

On this episode Tim Alberta and Michael Wear dig deep into Alberta's new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. Their discussion covers the shaping of the religious and political expression of American evangelicalism in the latter half of the 20th century until today, including the movement's most influential leaders. They explore how Tim's personal experiences as a pastor's son give his journalism and coverage a unique urgency, and they highlight crucial questions of truth, accountability, and priorities within the evangelical community and in American society more broadly.   Guests: Tim Alberta Michael Wear   Additional Resources: The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim Alberta NPR "Fresh Air" interview with Tim Alberta "The Long Game" interview with Tim Alberta Christianity Today Russell Moore Show interview with Tim Alberta The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, by Michael Wear 

Author McKay Coppins sits down with Peter Baker of The New York Times to discuss Coppins' best-selling biography Romney: A Reckoning, which offers an intimate look into the life and career of Senator Mitt Romney. Coppins explains the unique process of creating the book, which reads like an authorized biography, but over which he retained editorial privileges. Coppins explains how Romney's faith influenced his political and personal life, and the thread of rationalization toward self-interest that marked Romney's career and that of so many other politicians. Coppins and Baker also discuss Romney's complex relationship with Donald Trump, including Trump's endorsement of Romney in 2012, and Romney's later criticism of former President Trump and failed attempts to derail his candidacy.   Explored in the conversation are aspects of Romney’s life not commonly known, but that Coppins had access to through 45 one-on-one conversations as well as unvarnished journal entries and other correspondence. Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times, praises Coppins' book for the unique lens it provides into the inner workings of Washington and the Republican party in the Trump era.   Guests McKay Coppins Peter Baker   Additional Reading Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins  "What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins  The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

In this episode, Luke Russert discusses his new book Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, a reflection on grief, family legacy, religious exploration, and the loss of Luke's father, legendary journalist Tim Russert. Luke is joined by Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Editor of RealClearPolitics, who shares from his own experience with family bonds, faith, loss, and his personal friendship with Luke's father.   Guests Luke Russert Carl Cannon   Additional Resources Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, by Tim Russert

Best selling author and columnist David Brooks sits down with noted psychiatrist Curt Thompson to discuss Brooks' latest book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. Brooks' aim is to help foster deeper connections at home, work, and throughout our lives, and he and Thompson cover a lot of ground. From thoughts on friendship, depression, what it means to really listen, and how we reflect God, there's a lot here. It's a generous conversation, and one that we hope offers a kind of relational balm in our troubled time. Guests: David Brooks. Curt Thompson Additional Resources: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks The Second Mountain, by David Brooks The Social Animal, by David Brooks The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope, by Curt Thompson

Christine Emba's recent piece for The Washington Post, "Men Are Lost. Here's a Map out of the Wilderness.," says something haunting about the state of gender dynamics in the country and something both our guests remind us matters equally to men and women alike. On this episode, Christine joins noteworthy scholar Richard Reeves, who recently launched the American Institute for Boys and Men. Not only do they explore their timely scholarship and writing on this topic, but they also engage the nuanced role that faith and religious institutions play in it.    Guests Christine Emba  Richard Reeves   Additional Resources  "Men Are Lost. Here Is a Map out of the Wilderness.," by Christine Emba  Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine Emba  Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves  "How to Solve the Education Crisis for Boys and Men," TED Talk by Richard Reeves  Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard Reeves 

In 2009, Newsweek magazine called David Saperstein the most influential rabbi in America. For over 40 years, he was the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, becoming America's chief diplomat on religious liberty issues. He was the first chairman in 1998 of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Joining Rabbi Saperstein is a brilliant journalist for The Atlantic, McKay Coppins, who writes regularly on politics, faith, presidential campaigns, and other stories of compelling human interest.    Guests Rabbi David Saperstein McKay Coppins   Additional Resources  "What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate," by McKay Coppins Romney: A Reckoning, by McKay Coppins  Interview with Rabbi David Saperstein  

In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting two brilliant thinkers on the state of race in America, and how a faith angle fits into that. Ekemini Uwan is a writer, public theologian, and activist who hosts the excellent podcast Truth’s Table. She co-wrote a book by that title, featuring Black women’s musings on life, love, and liberation. Joining Ekemini is Eugene Scott, who has been a prior guest journalist on Faith Angle’s podcast, and is currently the senior politics reporter at Axios.   Sixty years after the March on Washington and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, how are we doing? At the outset of an election year, this conversation dives straight into that question—with signs of some real progress and signs of much, much work yet ahead.   Guests Ekemini Uwan Eugene Scott    Additional Resources  Truth's Table Podcast Series, co-hosted by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson  Truth's Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation, by Ekemini Uwan and Christina Edmondson  "How Toni Morrison's words pierced me, as a black Christian female writer," by Ekemini Uwan "Black Florida lawmakers blast DeSantis over AP African American studies," by Eugene Scott  "Black lawmakers push Congress to do more on police reform," by Eugene Scott 

This episode explores how the arts can help us transcend some of the worries in contemporary society, from polarization and entrenched tribalism, to our massive decline in public trust, to informational rabbit holes, to other discouraging and sometimes heartbreaking news. How do stories help us renew?     This conversation was originally featured at Faith Angle West 2023 in Seattle, WA. and the full-length talk is linked below. Alissa Wilkinson has covered film and culture since 2016 for Vox, and she been a prolific film critic since a decade prior. Brad Winters – who speaks immediately following Alissa – is a writer, producer, and showrunner who helped direct and oversee TV dramas including “Oz” (where he started his career as a writer), “Boss,” “The Americans,” “The Sinner,” and “Berlin Station.” So we’ll hear Alissa’s reflections about how faith and Hollywood relate to one another, followed by Brad’s take as an on-set practitioner—about how he’s tried to stay true.     Guests Alissa Wilkinson  Bradford Winters    Additional Resources "Storytelling and Hollywood," full Faith Angle West 2023 session  "Jesus Is Calling...on Netflix's 'Beef'" in Christianity Today  "Lessons from a Barbenheimer Summer," by Alissa Wilkinson