Claim OwnershipCulture, Faith and Politics with Pat Kahnke
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Pat Kahnke has written two books, from a pastoral perspective, to reject Donald Trump and his MAGA movement:
A Christian Case Against Donald Trump (2024)
MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience (2020)
He was an evangelical church planter and pastor for twenty years before retiring from church ministry in 2016. Planted a church in the inner city of St. Paul, MN - part of the Baptist General Conference (Converge) and Alliance for Renewal Churches. A lifelong conservative Republican until the party left him in 2016. Now a political independent, he has written off the Republican party until it completes 40 years in the wilderness for its capitulation to the MAGA movement.
This podcast contains political and social commentary related to issues at the intersection of culture, faith, and politics.
134 Episodes
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When a church that claims to be persecuted gains political power, who does it persecute first? We examine how the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) — the prophetic wing of the Christian nationalist movement — is weaponizing spiritual language to justify real-world political violence: from Paula White summoning angels from Africa to maintain Trump's presidency, to NAR prophets declaring spiritual curses over Trump's opponents in the 2018 midterms — curses whose physical expression arrived on January 6th.
Kristi Noem was fired by Donald Trump — via Truth Social — while she was on stage praising him. Tonight I'm asking the question the Bible actually raises: is it wrong to celebrate when the wicked fall? And more importantly — is this justice, or just the beginning of it?
She grew up singing Christian nationalist anthems on a bus at 17. She watched her own church members storm the Capitol on January 6th. Now, April Ajoy is using comedy and theology to tear the whole thing down — and thousands of people are watching. In this interview, April Ajoy — author of Star Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith — shares her journey from preacher's kid raised in MAGA Christianity to one of the most fearless voices exposing Christian nationalism on social media. We dig into toxic empathy, the dog whistles your pastor might be using, and why humor might be the most powerful weapon against the MAGA church.
The President of the United States has led the country into a war with Iran. There are many questions to ask, but will the answers ever be made clear? Pat and Ken Napzok talk about that and more on an all-new episode of Culture, Faith, and Politics live!
Six Americans are dead. Congress wasn't consulted. NATO says they're not coming. And the nuclear program Trump said he "obliterated" in June is the reason we're at war in March. There's a button on the Resolute Desk — when Trump pushes it, someone brings him a Diet Coke. That's real. And I think that button explains his entire approach to governing: Iran, Venezuela, tariffs, TikTok. Complex problems. Push-button solutions. None of them solved. In this episode, I trace the pattern — from the first Iran strikes that didn't work, to the Maduro extraction that changed nothing, to the tariffs that made the trade deficit worse — and explain why applying that same instinct to a war with Iran, without Congress, without allies, is the most dangerous thing an American president has done in a generation.
In this conversation with Tihomir Kukolja — a pastor who grew up under actual communist persecution in the former Yugoslavia — we expose the dangerous gap between real persecution and the loss of cultural privilege that MAGA Christianity has rebranded as suffering. From Constantine to the Reformation to the American founding, history tells us exactly what happens when the church seizes political power: the persecuted become the persecutors. Every. Single. Time. We trace the theological roots of Christian nationalism's persecution complex, examine how "loss of privilege" gets weaponized as martyrdom, and ask the question no one in the MAGA church wants to answer: if your faith requires state power to survive, is it really faith at all?
In his State of the Union address, Donald Trump declared that America is experiencing a “tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity, and belief in God” — especially among young people. He even suggested that when God wants to perform miracles, He chooses a nation like ours. But is there any evidence of a religious revival? Or is this just another example of political manipulation wrapped in Christian language?
In this episode, Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) joins me to expose the direct theological line connecting Moscow, Idaho pastor Doug Wilson to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
We are witnessing the mainstreaming of a specific brand of Christian Nationalism—one that isn't just about "God and Country," but about implementing a strategy to capture American institutions.
We break down the specific theology of the MOscow, Idaho movement, the influence of Stephen Wolfe’s The Case for Christian Nationalism, and why Pete Hegseth’s admiration for these ideas poses a unique threat to the U.S. military. This isn't just a political disagreement; it is a theological takeover of the most powerful military in the world.
In this episode, former Bethel insider Amy Hawk joins me to expose how the "prophetic" machine around Sean Bolz allegedly used social media data mining, emotional manipulation, and a culture of silence to manufacture miracles and protect the brand. We walk through how Bethel leaders were warned, why they platformed a false prophet anyway, how "touch not God's anointed" theology suppresses discernment, and why this same authoritarian mindset shows up in Christian support for Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. If you've ever wondered how good people get swept into abusive ministries, or why so many churches rally to defend "anointed" leaders instead of vulnerable people, this conversation is for you.
The State of the Union is here, but what is the actual state of this union? Pat tells his tale of meeting the fine folks at the Bulwark, and he and Ken Napzok talk about Alysa Liu at the Olympics, U2’s song about Renee Good, and more on an all-new episode of Culture, Faith, and Politics live!
For years, we were told that white evangelicals and conservative Christians were "holding their nose" to vote for Donald Trump. We were told they wanted the judges, but hated the rhetoric. We were told they were good people trapped in a bad binary choice. The new 2026 PRRI survey on christian nationalism just destroyed that myth. In this episode, we look at the shocking data that shows a majority of Christian Nationalists now support deporting families to foreign prisons without due process—a policy so cruel it violates both the US Constitution and the Gospel of Jesus. We discuss why this isn't just "politics" anymore; it's a rival religion where strength has replaced love, and cruelty is the highest virtue.
In a ruling that strikes down Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, the Court made something clear: the President is not a king. Under the Constitution, Congress — not the White House — has the authority to levy tariffs. And in this case, the justices drew a line. Yes, the tariffs themselves were economically harmful. Yes, they functioned as a regressive tax hitting working families hardest. But the bigger issue is this: This ruling is a direct rebuke of executive overreach and authoritarian abuse of emergency powers.
ICE’s “Operation Metro Surge” is (hopefully) ending in the Twin Cities — but the damage remains. In January alone, Minneapolis officials estimate the operation cost the city $203 million. Business losses reached $15–$20 million per week. Immigrant-owned businesses saw revenue drop by as much as 80%. Rent assistance requests surged 2,100%. But the economic losses are only part of the story.
In this episode of Culture, Faith, and Politics LIVE, we celebrate reaching a YouTube channel milestone, and an old friend joins the conversation to congratulate Pat and reminisce. Also in this episode, we discuss why CBS tried to block Stephen Colbert from interviewing James Talarico, as well as Rev. Jesse Jackson's passing.
For years, many white American Christians have claimed that Christianity is under attack. Politicians echo it. Media personalities repeat it. Entire campaigns are built on it. But what if the greatest test facing the Church in America isn’t surviving persecution — but resisting the temptation to wield power against the vulnerable?
The Wall Street Journal just published a major exposé detailing chaos, self-promotion, and serious ethical concerns inside the Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem. From the $70 million government jet… to the $200 million ad campaign… to ICE raids staged for cameras… this report raises hard questions about leadership, corruption, and accountability. For years, I’ve warned that Kristi Noem’s immigration strategy wasn’t just aggressive — it was performative. Built on demonization. Fueled by publicity. Designed for presidential ambition. Now even conservative insiders appear to be pushing back.
Tom Homan announced that Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities is ending. After weeks of federal escalation, ICE and Border Patrol agents are pulling out of Minnesota.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t the end.
In this episode, I break down why Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda was always politically and logistically doomed — and why sustained, forceful, peaceful resistance worked in Minnesota. When Americans saw what “mass deportation” actually looks like on the ground — masked agents, economic disruption, terrified families, and the killing of two citizens — support collapsed. Trump retreated. Now the real fight begins: accountability.
In this episode, I sit down with writer Mark Ramm of Transparency Cascade Press to trace the historic roots of Pete Hegseth’s theology of violence — and how it connects to Christian nationalism, hardline masculinity, and a centuries-old debate inside American Christianity. We follow the thread from Doug Wilson and the “Sin of Empathy” teaching… back through R.J. Rushdoony… and even further to Confederate theologian Robert Lewis Dabney. Is there a direct line from antebellum pro-slavery theology to modern Christian nationalist ideology? And how did those ideas make their way into today’s conversations about ICE, masculinity, authority, and the U.S. military? This is not a partisan conversation. It’s a theological one.
Today, we break down the explosive Pam Bondi hearing surrounding the Epstein files, the DOJ’s handling of survivor information, and the growing questions about accountability. Why did Pam Bondi refuse to apologize to Epstein survivors after their private information was released? Why does the Department of Justice keep deflecting to Merrick Garland and past administrations? And what does the Bible say about covering for the powerful while the vulnerable suffer?
It was a tale of two SUPER BOWL halftime shows. Did America survive Bad Bunny? Or did his message of love and togetherness hit harder than the hypocrisy on display at the Turning Point USA halftime show or Trump’s words at this week’s National Prayer breakfast? Pat goes live with Ken Napzok to discuss it all.
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