The Convocation Unscripted

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This week’s episode is our last before the consequential midterm elections here in the U.S. So we’ve devoted this week to bringing you our take on how religion will impact the midterm elections and beyond. We kick things off with the latest analysis from PRRI’s American Values Survey, released recently in partnership with the Brookings Institution. But we also spend some time talking about the complex history of the American religious landscape and how that complexity is often missed in the political punditry around elections. Finally, we talk about how important it is that we all make sure our voices are heard by voting this week. Typically, less than half of eligible voters vote in midterm elections, but this week is an opportunity to change that and elect representatives that will protect democracy while there is still time to correct our wayward course.Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b...https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky...https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb...https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones...Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.comRobert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.netDiana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.comKristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.comJemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com

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This week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s used a newly invented “State of the Force” speech to announcement that he was establishing a new Office of Religious Affairs inside of DOD that would “oversee research, technology, and analytical tools to support and assess spiritual fitness, spiritual readiness, and spiritual resilience’ of soldiers.” TCU team unpacks on this disturbing development by the man who has platformed his mentor and Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson at Pentagon events. We also noted that the new office would be overseen by a senior official who would report directly to Hegseth and have direct control over the military chaplaincy program. The order also mentioned funding Christian homeschooling programs for military families, and quoted Bible versese to justify its existence. We also reflect on the upcoming funeral for Pierre Damas Bel, a Haitian college student from Springfield, Ohio, who, his family says, died by suicide weeks after ICE outfitted him with an ankle monitor, noting that he would still likely be alive today were it not for our government’s intentionally cruel and inhumane immigration policies and tactics. we wrap with a shout out to a new PRRI study showing that the opponents of Christian nationalism outnumber its supporters by two to one.

Amid the continued visible destruction of symbolic institutions, the Convocation Unscripted team asks, “Where are the conservative patriots?” You know, those who have so loudly professed a commitment to CONSERVING not only things like our most beloved public spaces like the Kennedy Center and the White House but cherished values like public service, ethics, and respect for the rule of law. There are signs that the facade is cracking—with Karl Rove stating he’s voting for a Democrat in Texas and Rep. Thomas Massie introducing articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth—but these remain lone voices shouted down by their fellow Republicans. We express some hope that more former Trump supporters will realize the danger in which they’ve put the country and Christianity and then change course; and we note the importance of welcoming them back into the democratic fold when they do. And we close with a reflection on a community based on covenant and care rather than self-serving transactions.Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b...https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky...https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb...https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones...Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.comRobert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.netDiana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.comKristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.comJemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com