Zealots at the Gate

The Democratic Party is the home of the religious "nones." And yet it is also a bastion of wokeness and language policing. With its desire to maintain its own purity, its own creeds, and its own take on "original sin," is wokeism on the left becoming its own kind of religion? Join Matt and Shadi as they unpack the status of the Left today. Shadi examines the intersection of his own political and religious identities, noting the ways the Left requires religious people to reduce themselves to fit its mold. Matt talks about the ways he noticed the Left become disoriented after Trump's second win. And together they ask: Is wokeness a religion?

Conservatism in American politics has historically been tied to religious communities, bound by common concerns of morality and common values. As the MAGA movement emerged, it did not exhibit these traits. Is the MAGA movement post-Christian? And what does this mean for traditional conservatives? Join Matt and Shadi as they explore MAGA's spiritual future, probe Matt's conservativism and voting habits, and examine Shadi's impressions of the future of the religious Right. 

Are there universal moral laws that bind all humanity? Are some things just right and wrong? In a polarized world, can we hope to agree on moral issues? Christians and Muslims have long histories of discussing the existence of a "natural law." But where do they differ? Join us for a fascinating discussion of these and many other issues as we meet with two experts on natural law, Micah Watson of Calvin University and Anver Emon of the University of Toronto. Links: Micah Watson's faculty page: https://calvin.edu/people/micah-j-watson  Hopeful Realism: Evangelical Natural Law and Democratic Politics: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781514007709 Anver Emon's faculty page: https://www.law.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/full-time-faculty/anver-emon  Islamic Natural Law Theories: https://a.co/d/i6nKaBq

The Mormon faith is deeply American in just about every way, and yet Mormons have never quite been accepted in America. Why? What is it like to be a Mormon in America? How do Mormons navigate American politics? Many of them voted for Trump, but do they like him? Join us as we talk with Matthew Bowman, the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, as he walks us through the history of Mormonism, his own beliefs, and the way he thinks about our current political landscape as a Mormon. Links: Matthew Bowman's book The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780812983364 Bowman's latest book, Joseph Fielding Smith: A Mormon Theologian: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780252088056 Christian: The Politics of a Word in America https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780674244917 Matthew Bowman's bio: https://www.cgu.edu/people/matthew-bowman/

Are you afraid of hell? Do you know who's going there? We know that our beliefs about the afterlife can often influence the ways in which we treat so-called insiders and outsiders. What we think about hell can even influence our political action in society. Join us as we talk with Mohammad Hassan Khalil, author of Islam and the Fate of Others, who offers a deep historical dive on how Muslims have thought about salvation in the past and present, not only for those from other religions but for themselves too. Links: Khalil's book, Islam and the Fate of Others: https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Fate-Others-Salvation-Question/dp/0199796661 Khalil's latest book, Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism: https://www.amazon.com/Radicalism-Atheism-Mohammad-Hassan-Khalil/dp/1108432751/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0  

The seven deadly sins aren't just a relic of the past—they continue to shape the way we live, lead, and engage with one another. In this episode, Elizabeth Oldfield, a Comment contributing editor and breakout author from the UK, explores how these enduring vices influence our divided age. Her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, offers a thoughtful look at how faith and character can help us navigate the tensions of today. LINKS Elizabeth Oldfield's new book https://www.amazon.com/Fully-Alive-Tending-Turbulent-Times/dp/1587436507 Discussing Elizabeth's Commune:  https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/middle-class-commune-joint-bank-accounts-noisy-sex-peckham-0jnhvhgmh

That's it! I'm moving to Canada. After a long election season, many American voters will find it difficult to accept defeat. And while it is hard, democratic life demands the regular practice of political concession—admitting that, however just your cause, the people did not agree with you. Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk discuss how Christianity and Islam can help with electoral patience and learning to lose gracefully. To bow one's head in prayer is to accept that the world (and the election) is beyond your control. And while this might be "the most important election of our lifetime," there are much more important things in our lives than elections. Links: We discuss the Muslim Struggle over which political party to support https://comment.org/podcasts/do-muslims-fit-in-a-political-party/ Is Democracy God's Will? https://comment.org/podcasts/is-democracy-gods-will/ Shadi Hamid in The Washington Post: A wake-up call for Kamala Harris from Muslim and Arab Americans https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/22/harris-muslim-arab-american-vote/

Muslims and Jews share more than either side might want to admit. Their monotheistic theology, their emphasis on law, and their long history of living alongside each other all play a role in developing what some might call the "Judeo-Islamic tradition." In fact, Judaism might not have become what it is today if it wasn't for Islam. Has this tradition been lost, or can it be regained? In this episode Mustafa Akyol, the author of the new book The Islamic Moses, joins the show to argue for a bold, new interpretation of the relationship between Islam and Judaism.     Mustafa Akyol's new book The Islamic Moses: How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World https://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Moses-Inspired-Flourish-Together/dp/1250256097/  Mustafa Akyol's The Islamic Jesus https://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Jesus-Became-Prophet-Muslims/dp/1250199352/  Mustafa Akyol's Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance https://www.amazon.com/Reopening-Muslim-Minds-Freedom-Tolerance/dp/1250832519/ Zealots at the Gate: "Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdW4-dI7W94&t=0s Zealots at the Gate: "Does the World Need a Caliphate?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVbrrzolXPM&t=0s

Muslim voting habits in America have changed in the past, and they are changing again. What issues might draw them to the political right or left? Dalia Mogahed has been studying Muslim Americans for decades. She is a senior scholar at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a former member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Tune in for an excellent discussion about the diverse ways in which American Muslims connect their faith and their politics.   LINKS Dalia Mogahed comparing evangelicals and Muslims on religion and public life https://www.ispu.org/muslims-more-private-religious-devotion-less-public-religious-assertiveness/   Dalia Mogahed's key findings on American Muslims in 2022. https://www.ispu.org/american-muslim-poll-2022-key-findings/   Dalia Mogahed's podcast on the Qur'an https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/quran-conversations/id1751858926   2024 election analysis by Dalia Mogahed on Muslim voter preferences and opinions in three key swing states. https://www.ispu.org/winning-muslim-votes-2/

In the wake of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, he and his followers have been discussing the role of God in sparing his life. Reflecting on his good fortune, Trump has even speculated about potential changes in his nomination speech and broader campaign. In this episode, Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk delve into the religious and political issues at play. Did God actually save Donald Trump? Might God truly change Trump's heart? Should citizens be optimistic or pessimistic about the potential redemption of their political opponents? LINKS "Is Trump's near-death experience part of God's plan?" by Shadi Hamid https://wapo.st/4cFNteo "Donald Trump, Man of Destiny" by Ross Douthat https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/opinion/donald-trump-assassination-destiny.html On the Death Penalty "A Catholic Socialist in a Secular World" with Elizabeth Bruenig https://comment.org/podcasts/a-catholic-socialist-in-a-secular-world/ Chesterton on Optimism and Pessimism https://passionatelylovingtheworld.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/chesterton-pessimism-optimism-and-the-case-for-mirth/

Our many differences in religion and politics are not problems to be solved. In this episode we interview John Inazu, the author of a new book titled Learning to Disagree. A professor of religion and law at Washington University in St. Louis, Inazu shares the critical lessons he's learned about deep disagreement. LINKS John Inazu's books on disagreement and pluralism: Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780310368014 Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving through Deep Difference https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780226592435

What is the political future of American evangelicalism? And what explains the rise of "secular" evangelical politics? Russell Moore is the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today and the author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Together we discuss the surprising and tragic ways in which evangelicalism has become politicized and secularized through its engagement in American political life.   LINKS Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, By Russell Moorehttps://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780593541784 We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland, by Fintan O'Toolehttps://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781324092872 The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, By Tim Alberta https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780063226883

Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk can't postpone the difficult question any longer. Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? Their answers (and disagreements) might surprise you. LINKS Relevant articles on the "Same God" debate from: Gabriel Said Reynolds https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/is-the-quranic-god-the-same-god-as-the-biblical-god/ Joshua Ralston https://www.abc.net.au/religion/the-same-god-or-the-one-god-on-the-limitations-and-implications-/10097414 Miroslav Volf https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/12/17/wheaton-professors-suspension-is-about-anti-muslim-bigotry-not-theology/ Francis Beckwith https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2015/12/17/do-muslims-and-christians-worship-the-same-god/ Peter Ochs https://www.abc.net.au/religion/do-jews-christians-and-muslims-worship-the-same-god/10096120  

Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk visited Wheaton College (the so-called evangelical Harvard) to discuss faith, politics, and deep difference. Interviewed by Alexander Massad, they were asked about their friendship, their deep disagreements, and why they did (or did not) want to convert one another. Links: Matthew Kaemingk, The Troubling Grace of a Muslim Friend https://www.neighborlyfaith.org/the-troubling-grace-of-a-muslim-friend Shadi Hamid, Christian Strangeness: A Muslim's Faith and Friendships Across Deep Difference https://www.neighborlyfaith.org/christian-strangeness-a-muslims-faith-and-friendships-across-deep-difference

"Hell is actually pretty underrated. I mean it, when it comes to democratic life, a belief in hell is quite helpful." Shadi kicked off a recent public lecture with this rather unexpected and provocative statement. In a time when democratic debate is becoming increasingly judgmental, where citizens wish to condemn and literally sentence one another to damnation, Shadi wonders (out loud) if a belief in a delayed judgment, one that belongs to God alone, could potentially lessen our need to exact total judgment in the here and now.

How are American evangelicals and Muslims responding to the war in Gaza? More than half a year into the war, Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk discuss the (im)possibility of remaining neutral and the ways in which their own tribal loyalties push and pull on their positions. Matthew presses Shadi on how his Muslim identity influences his positions on Gaza. Shadi tries (his best) to understand how evangelical perspectives on Israel are influenced by biblical prophecy about the return of Jesus. LINKS How Israel and the United States suppress democracy in the Middle East https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/13/middle-east-israel-us-democracy/

We're failing. The Israel-Hamas war is barely two weeks old and we are witnessing a collective religious failure. Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike are failing to live up to their own principles. The moral and ethical "rules of engagement" have been thrown out the window—be it on the battlefield or in public discourse. How should religious people of good faith interpret and respond to this political and religious cataclysm? Join Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk for a special episode of Zealots at the Gate. Together they discuss the war and the many ways in which the faithful are (mis)interpreting the underlying dynamics at play. LINKS Shadi Hamid's article on humility amid the war:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/16/intellectual-humility-israel-palestine-debate/ Reinhold Niebuhr's book Moral Man and Immoral Society:https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9781773237565

Political demons? Really? While everyone can agree that there's something terribly wrong with America's political culture, should we really describe it as "demonic" or even "demon-possessed"? Muslims and Christians have long recognized the presence and power of evil, but what does a belief in the "demonic" actually look like in modern political life? Join Shadi and Matt as they speak to Laura Fabrycky, a political theologian who is researching the ways in which citizens might begin to resist the temptations of both demonic politics and the politics of demonization. LINKS: Laura Fabrycky's articles for Comment magazine: https://comment.org/contributors/laura-fabrycky/  

Can Muslims be feminists? Should they be? This week, we speak with Hadia Mubarak, a self-described Muslim feminist, about the role and place of women in Islam. Professor Mubarak is the author of a  groundbreaking new book titled Rebellious Wives and Neglectful Husbands. She fields a variety of tough questions from Shadi and Matthew: As a Muslim feminist, how do you interpret difficult texts about women in the Qur'an and the Hadith? How do you respond to sexism in the mosque? What is it like to wear the headscarf in a secular society? And how might your Islamic feminism differ from secular feminism? Mubarak also shares some of her own fascinating story of how she was shaped by the local Muslim community in an unlikely place—Panama City, Florida. Links: Hadia Mubarak's new book Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands: https://bookshop.org/a/65404/9780197553305 Matthew Kaemingk's article on how headscarves are Islam's gift to Western democracy: https://comment.org/the-headscarf-islams-gift-to-western-democracy/ Jessica Crispin's book Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto: https://a.co/d/31PmvSj

Can the American Left make space for deep religious commitment? Elizabeth Bruenig, a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist, is one of the most prominent—and controversial—Catholic socialists in America today. In this episode, she joins Matt and Shadi to discuss how people of faith can contribute to secular politics while maintaining their rather "strange" religious identity. Matt asks both her and Shadi to reflect on what it was like to be committed Bernie Sanders supporters while also remaining committed to their Catholic and Islamic faiths. Together they each discuss a future where the Democratic Party could (re)learn how to embrace people of faith, including those who bring their religion to bear on abortion, sexuality, and the death penalty. Links: Elizabeth Bruenig's reflection on Lent in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/catholic-lent-sacrifice-reflection/673353/ Bruenig's Pulitzer Prize-nominated features on capital punishment in Alabama: https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/elizabeth-bruenig-atlantic Tim Alberta on why Hispanics are leaving the Democratic Party: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/11/hispanic-voters-fleeing-democratic-party/671851/