The Nuance Hour

In this episode, we finally dive deep into religion—the topic we've been promising since day one. We're thrilled to be joined by Reverend Benjamin Cremer, who brings serious theological credentials and two decades of pastoral experience. More importantly, Ben brings the kind of honest, historically-grounded perspective on American Christianity that cuts through the Christian nationalist white noise (pun intended).We each share our spiritual journeys and unpack the movements that shaped our parents (and us), explore why American Christianity's extremists have become its loudest representatives, and ask the big question: does American Christianity exist outside of its dirty deal with power?We also tackle where Gen Z fits into all this, why men are flocking back to rigid religion, what the "church of piety" looks like, and whether there's hope in Christianity's historical pattern of resistance movements. Spoiler: monasteries were the original protest against empire, and every reformation comes with reformers who get crucified for it.Segments & Timestamps:00:00 - Introducing Reverend Ben Cremer00:25 - Episode Preview01:40 - Meet Ben Cremer04:05 - Historical Context08:33 - Ben's Early Years12:18 - Escaping Extremism16:25 - Seminary & Grace17:50 - Compensation Crisis20:16 - Losing Credentials25:25 - Online Ministry31:12 - Church as Club35:06 - Trevor's Background38:03 - End Times39:56 - Reformed Phase42:02 - Philosophy & Faith44:06 - Episcopal Discovery47:14 - Emily's Journey50:14 - Homeschool Movement54:56 - Cult Years58:08 - Church & Trauma1:00:31 - American Christianity1:05:05 - Gen Z1:09:53 - Hope1:13:27 - Church of Piety1:18:12 - Wrap Up1:20:27 - OutroMentioned:Chad Kim's podcast: History of Christian TheologyBen Cremer's newsletter: Into the GrayBen Cremer on social media: @brcremer Ben Cremer's SubstackConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we kick off 2026 by throwing caution to the wind and making bold predictions across 13 topics—from politics and culture to tech, religion, and even rollerblading. After acknowledging the grim moment we’re living through, we dive into what the coming year might hold: midterm forecasts, the future of Trump’s influence, who could emerge in the 2028 presidential race, and what might happen with religion in the U.S. We also predict cultural trends like the potential resurgence of rollerblading (yes, really), the “analog year” vibe creeping into consumer culture, social media fatigue, and a possible AI backlash. Whether it’s geopolitics, Taylor Swift, or the coalitions shaping the parties, this episode is all about being right or wrong together and starting the year with curiosity and nuance. Plus we’re turning it into a Bingo game, and everybody (Emily) loves a chance to compete.Segments & Timestamps:0:00 Intro + Remembering Rene1:42 Prediction Season Rules4:58 2026 Midterms9:37 Trump, Power, and the Courts15:12 Midterms & Movement Signals21:04 2028?26:41 Religion in 202631:55 Culture as Forecast (Yes, Rollerblades)37:18 AI Backlash & the “Analog Year”43:06 Social Media Fatigue48:22 American Imperialism1:00:36 Good Take: Dan Carlin — “First Day, First Term”Mentioned:Dan Carlin: Common Sense Ep 325Connect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we take on the grim (and increasingly undeniable) question of America’s slide toward authoritarianism, and why naming it plainly isn’t partisan. We talk about how the two-party duopoly keeps forcing every concern into a Coke v. Pepsi “they’re all the same” dead end, making it easier to normalize power grabs with “yeah, but the other side…” logic. Trevor makes the case that structural issues like campaign finance, Citizens United, gerrymandering, and winner-take-all electoral rules have weakened representation and primed the system for strongman politics, while Emily argues for a broader “No Kings” style coalition that can welcome people who don’t neatly fit into either party identity. From there, we map the current authoritarian terrain: due process erosion, weaponized institutions, loyalty-driven governance, creeping normalization of extrajudicial force, and civil society collapsing faster than we expected. We also push back hard on the false binary of “apathy or revolution,” making the case for sustainable resistance rooted in community, joy, and practical action. We end with corners—some good news on state-level experimentation to reduce money’s influence in politics, and a bad-take detour into the internet’s latest brain-melt: “Is Taylor Swift a Nazi?”Segments & Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:23 Authoritarianism, Again3:57 “We Were Early”8:21 White House Discourse11:56 Duopoly Brain23:26 “No Kings” Coalitions26:24 “At Least It’s Not…”33:32 Oligarchy 10136:46 Citizens United, Revisited46:15 Gerrymandering + Electoral College54:30 Joyful Resistance1:01:54 Authoritarian Map Check1:07:00 The List (Proof Points)1:16:01 Due Process + Human Rights1:23:26 Good News: Montana Plan1:27:29 Good Take: Harris vs. Shapiro1:28:56 Bad Take: T. Swift Isn’t a NaziMentioned:⁠Sam Harris (Making Sense): Sam Harris vs. Ben Shapiro on Trump, authoritarianism, and the peaceful transfer of power The New York Times Editorial Board: Are We Losing Our Democracy?The Montana Plan: Montana’s state-level effort to limit corporate political spending after Citizens UnitedConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into why conspiracy theories feel so irresistible and ubiquitous right now, and why they’re also so corrosive. We talk about motivated reasoning, media bias, and our crumbling trust in experts, from JFK and 9/11 truthers to lab-leak debates, QAnon, RFK Jr., and the evergreen “do your own research” refrain. We also unpack how the attention economy and social media reward rage-bait and fringe content, why weather modification and “chemtrails” became right-wing go-tos after the Texas floods, and how politicians from Trump to Marjorie Taylor Greene exploit conspiratorial thinking for power. Along the way, we make the case for real media literacy, intellectual humility, and learning to live with complex, less cinematic truths.Segments & Timestamps:0:00 Intro2:38 Why Conspiracy Theories Stick11:54 Motivated Reasoning, Expertise & Bias23:40 The Attention Economy & “Do Your Own Research” Culture38:41 Weather Modification, Chemtrails & Political Weaponization57:03 Epstein, Elon vs. Trump & the New Politics of Conspiracy1:15:56 Counter Argument Corner: Is Musk Sitting on Nuclear Info?1:21:35 OutroMentioned:Abbie Richards for Media Matters: Why TikTok is becoming a playground for absurd AI-generated conspiracy theoriesDavid Gardner on The Daily Beast: How Musk Brought Epstein Back to Life to Win His Bitter War With TrumpPlanet Money: Why I Joined DOGEConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In our first Kitchen Sink roundup, we start with the week’s heaviest news: the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We talk frankly about political violence, free speech, and why “bad things are bad” should be a baseline instead of a partisan Rorschach test. From there, we hit a scatter of stories we’ve been tracking: the stalled push to release more Epstein files (and why Thomas Massie is a Libertarian badass), a quick update on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case, West Ada’s “Everyone Is Welcome” poster fallout, and that bizarre “Did Trump die?” rumor cycle. We also reflect on the civic muscles we still need to flex, from Lincoln’s “better angels” to the everyday discipline of touching grass.#Politics #FreeSpeech Segments & Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:24 Political Violence & Charlie Kirk47:53 Epstein Files & Trump57:24 Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Targeted as an Example?1:08:40 West Ada Poster: Teacher Joins Boise School District1:11:09 “Did Trump Die?” Let’s Touch Grass1:17:41 OutroMentioned:Business Insider: This Chart Proves There Is Something Profoundly Wrong With How The US Handles Guns World Population Review: Gun Ownership by Country 2025 Idaho Ed News: ‘Everyone is welcome here’ teacher takes Boise School District jobConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we try to untangle the ideological realignment of the Republican Party in the era of Trumpism. From Reagan’s conservatism to the rise of grievance politics, we unpack seven conservative principles—and ask if Trump ever pretended to adhere to them—delve into the Epstein files as a defining cultural myth for the MAGA movement, and question whether the MAGA coalition can survive without its orange avatar. Tune in for a candid, nuanced conversation on identity, power, and the emergence of cultural movements.Segments & Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Mission of The Nuance Hour02:00 – Defining the MAGA/Trump Coalition06:30 – Conservatism Then vs. Now10:00 – Grading Trump Against Mike’s Seven Core Principles18:00 – Tariffs & Economic Contradictions22:00 – Liberty, Government, and Rhetorical Limits26:00 – Social Values & Trump’s Conservative Identity30:00 – Who Is Trump? A Grievance Framework35:00 – The Epstein File & Conspiracy Psychology42:00 – Self-Deception Within the Coalition45:00 – Future of MAGA After Trump50:00 – Final Thoughts & Hopes for Conservative RenewalMentioned:Mike Johnson’s seven core conservative principlesConnect With Us:Produced and Engineered by Ken Wilson | Original Music by Robert LantermanWebsite: thenuancehour.comInstagram: @thenuancehourEmail: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into research on violent and non-violent civil resistance movements of the past. What lessons can we learn from successful resistance movements? Is there a critical threshold of civic involvement in the face of oppressive regimes? We also report from our experience at the Boise No Kings protest in June. Are the 50501 protests different than the Women’s March and other resistance protests of Trump’s first term? Emily does a 108 on the value of protests. Mentioned in this episode: Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict by Maria J. Stephan and Erica Chenoweth Questions, Answers, and Some Cautionary Updates Regarding the 3.5% Rule by Erica Chenoweth

In today’s episode, we’re tackling the Elon/Trump breakup, the rifts it reveals in the uneasy alliance between tech oligarchs and the populist far right, and immigration. It all connects, we promise. We talk through our personal opinions on immigration, including some philosophical underpinnings to our beliefs, and confront some immigration myths. We wrap up the episode with a good take—could it be the moment for a third party?—and a mailbag segment. Mentioned in this episode: The Right to Immigrate by Michael HuemerJasmine Bina on LinkedIn

What if you could lose your democracy and not even realize it?This week, we dive into the siren call of authoritarianism—and why so many experts believe the United States may already be living under a version of it. We take a deep dive into the theory of competitive authoritarianism and explore the slippery spectrum between liberal democracy and autocracy. Is there a bright red line that, when crossed, will tell us we’re no longer living in a democracy? Is there a form of authoritarianism that uses democratic institutions to legitimize its power grabs? And what happens when even those resisting authoritarianism start embracing authoritarian tools?Plus, we unpack why the “Is Trump losing?” question might be the wrong one—and how the real danger isn’t just who’s in charge, but how much we’re willing to give up when we think the ends justify the means.Mentioned:“Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism” by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way (2002)How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel ZiblattBright Line Watch survey of political scientists: NPR CoverageSteven Levitksy: The Path to American Authoritarianism for Foreign AffairsAndrew Marantz: Is It Happening Here? for the New YorkerZach Beauchamp: Trump Is Losing for VoxMarci Shore, Timothy Snuder, and Jason Stanley: We Study Fascism at Yale, and We’re Leaving the US for the New York TimesPod Save America

Authoritarianism shouldn't be a partisan issue. Full stop. In this episode, we discuss America's slide into despotism and our reaction to the Trump administration's extra-judicial deportation of immigrants without due process. We also introduce our newest team member, Kenny Wilson, who brings good looks and even better audio quality to the pod. As always, we end our show with our Nuance Corner segments: Trevor Story Time: Reporting from the Idaho AOC & Bernie rally Bad Take Corner: Emily grades a Threads post on Trump's age Reach out with your thoughts anytime: thenauncehour@gmail.com.

Mentioned: 'We conclude' or 'I believe?' Study finds rationality declined decades ago: https://phys.org/news/2022-01-rationality-declined-decades.html#google_vignetteW. Ada considers requiring ‘everyone is welcome’ signs at each school; claims teacher’s signs prohibited due to ‘design elements’: https://boisedev.com/news/2025/03/17/w-ada-considers-requiring-everyone-is-welcome-signs-at-each-school-says-teachers-signs-prohibited-due-to-design-elements/Rev. Benjamin Cremer on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and X: https://www.facebook.com/ben.cremerhttps://www.instagram.com/brcremer/?hl=en https://bsky.app/profile/brcremer.bsky.social https://x.com/Brcremer

In our very first episode, co-hosts Emily Fisk and Trevor Adams introduce The Nuance Hour—a podcast about embracing the gray areas and digging into the layered, messy, interesting stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into headlines. We’re talking about the topics that deserve more than a hot take. In this intro, we chat about why we started the show, what “nuance” means to us, and what you can expect in future episodes. If you’re tired of black-and-white thinking and looking for deeper, more thoughtful conversations, you’re in the right place.