Faithful Politics
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Description
Dive into the profound world of Faithful Politics, a compelling podcast where the spheres of faith and politics converge in meaningful dialogues. Guided by Pastor Josh Burtram (Faithful Host) and Will Wright (Political Host), this unique platform invites listeners to delve into the complex impact of political choices on both the faithful and faithless.
Join our hosts, Josh and Will, as they engage with world-renowned experts, scholars, theologians, politicians, journalists, and ordinary folks. Their objective? To deepen our collective understanding of the intersection between faith and politics.
Faithful Politics sets itself apart by refusing to subscribe to any single political ideology or religious conviction. This approach is mirrored in the diverse backgrounds of our hosts. Will Wright, a disabled Veteran and African-Asian American, is a former atheist and a liberal progressive with a lifelong intrigue in politics. On the other hand, Josh Burtram, a Conservative Republican and devoted Pastor, brings a passion for theology that resonates throughout the discourse.
Yet, in the face of their contrasting outlooks, Josh and Will display a remarkable ability to facilitate respectful and civil dialogue on challenging topics. This opens up a space where listeners of various political and religious leanings can find value and deepen their understanding.
So, regardless if you're a Democrat or Republican, a believer or an atheist, we assure you that Faithful Politics has insightful conversations that will appeal to you and stimulate your intellectual curiosity. Come join us in this enthralling exploration of the intricate nexus of faith and politics. Add us to your regular podcast stream and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Let's navigate this fascinating realm together!
Not Right. Not Left. UP.
452 Episodes
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Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Filmmaker Matthew Pridgen, director of The Sins of Our Fathers: Race, Religion and the Rise of Trump, joins Faithful Politics to examine the roots and rise of Christian nationalism in America. Drawing from his documentary, Pridgen traces connections between slavery, segregation, and modern religious politics, arguing that Christian language has repeatedly been used to justify syst...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Christian nationalism is becoming a central force in American politics and public debate. In this episode, Congressman Jared Huffman joins Faithful Politics to discuss Christian nationalism in the United States, how it is defined, and how it is influencing government, policy, and political rhetoric in 2026. This conversation explores what people mean when they use the term Christi...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Sociologist Ruth Braunstein joins Faithful Politics to examine how Americans use faith and moral language to interpret citizenship, protest, and public life. Drawing on her research into religious activism across the political spectrum, Braunstein explains why democracy in the United States is often framed as a “sacred project” and how two competing moral narratives — one rooted i...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with James Michael Smith, founder of @DiscipleDojo for a conversation about how Christians engage culture without losing clarity or charity. Smith draws on his background in theology and martial arts to frame public discourse as sparring — pushing ideas hard while still treating the other person as a training partner rather ...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com This month’s live Point of View (POV) brings a close reading of several U.S. government social media posts that pair Bible verses and prayers with military messaging. We’re joined by author and journalist Brian Kaylor to examine how these passages are being used, what they mean in their original context, and whether that kind of messaging is appropriate for a pluralistic public in...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Note: We discuss social media posts in this episode that are shown on the screen. To see the actual images watch the YouTube episode: https://youtu.be/316SCgIX9qQ The Department of Homeland Security has been posting Bible verses alongside immigration enforcement content. In this episode, Will and Pastor Josh are joined by President and editor-in-chief of Word&Way Brian K...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com **Warning*** This episode contains discussion about sexual abuse Investigative reporter Jessica Lussenhop joins Faithful Politics to discuss her ProPublica investigation into sexual abuse and institutional silence inside the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. Alongside reporter Andy Mannix, she walks through how a single criminal case in Minnesota exposed a broader system of internal ...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dan Carr, a pastor and Republican political organizer whose faith and politics are closely aligned with the MAGA movement. The conversation explores how theological conviction becomes political identity and where those convictions collide with the realities of a pluralistic democracy. Carr shares ...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Matthew Boedy, professor of rhetoric and author of The Seven Mountains Mandate, about the ideological and strategic framework driving modern Christian nationalism. Boedy explains how the Seven Mountains Mandate evolved from a missionary concept into a coordinated political strategy aimed at ga...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Heather Cronk, founder of Project 21:12, to talk about what happens after people leave evangelical Christianity—and why that story matters politically, socially, and morally. Heather shares her own journey through fundamentalism, seminary, deconstruction, and organizing, and explains why roughly 15 million Americans now identi...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Former ACLU president and First Amendment scholar Nadine Strossen joins Faithful Politics for a wide-ranging conversation on what free speech actually protects—and what it doesn’t—in today’s political climate. Strossen explains why free expression is the foundation for every other civil liberty, why censorship often backfires, and how both the left and the right have grown more co...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Bishop Dwayne Royster, pastor and national faith leader with Faith in Action, to wrestle with what faith looks like when political power is being used to intimidate, exclude, and dehumanize. Royster traces how his theology was shaped early by organizing, community action, and a church tradition where justice and faith were nev...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, we talk with Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, a Greek Orthodox nun who has spent nearly three decades living and working in Jerusalem and the West Bank. From teaching Palestinian girls in Bethany to navigating Israeli checkpoints during the Second Intifada, she offers a firsthand view of what life looks like for Christians under occupation. She e...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this conversation, we sit down with Amar D. Peterman to talk about his new book, Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local. Amar reflects on his experience as an Indian American adoptee formed across Catholic, evangelical, and interfaith spaces, and how those tensions shaped his understanding of belonging, faith, and the common good. We explore why “neighbor” is an active...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this conversation, we’re joined by Ryan Burge, professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics and author of The Vanishing Church. Burge walks us through what the data actually shows about religion in America—especially the quiet collapse of mainline Protestantism and the growing alignment between political identity and religious affiliation. We ta...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Josh Burtram are joined by Jonathan Freedland, an award-winning journalist, longtime Guardian columnist, and bestselling author, to discuss his latest book, The Traitor’s Circle. Freedland unpacks the true story of a small, elite group of German citizens who quietly resisted Adolf Hitler from within Nazi Germany - and the deva...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will and Josh sit down with attorney and EPPC fellow Rachel Morrison to unpack the legal and political fight over “anti-Christian bias” in America. Drawing from her new Ethics and Public Policy Center report responding to President Trump’s Executive Order 14202, Rachel explains what the Anti-Christian Bias Task Force actually is, how it differ...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, Will Wright sits down with comedian, broadcaster, and author John Fugelsang to unpack how Christianity became entangled with political power - and how the teachings of Jesus have been distorted to justify cruelty, exclusion, and authoritarianism. Drawing from his book Separation of Church and Hate, Fugelsang challenges the id...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this powerful episode, Will and Josh talk with Justin Giboney, attorney, minister, political strategist, and co-founder of the AND Campaign. Justin unpacks the themes of his new book, Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around, exploring how the Black church’s public witness offers an alternative to today’s culture-war discipleship. The conversation ranges from Shirley Chisholm’s moral c...
Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will and Josh sit down with journalist Jack Jenkins, a leading religion and politics reporter known for his thoughtful coverage of faith movements, extremism, and spiritual life in America. The conversation explores how compassion shows up in ordinary religious communities, why moments of unexpected moral clarity matter, and how American faith...
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