Church & State 250: The Black Church and Faith as Resistance

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] America tell its religious history honestly without confronting race? Jemar Tisby, historian, public scholar, author, and founder of Tisby Media, joins Will Wright for Church and State 250 to explain why race does not “enter” the American story later. It has been there from the beginning. Tisby connects the Declaration of Independence, the Three-Fifths Compromise, slavery, voting rights, segregation, the Black Church, and white Christian nationalism to show how Christianity has been used both to defend racial hierarchy and resist it. He explains how churches labeled slavery and race “political” when doing so protected money and power, while still speaking freely on other moral issues. The conversation also highlights how enslaved people heard a liberating gospel despite distorted biblical teaching, and why America’s 250th should be a moment to reclaim patriotism, defend democracy, and work toward a more perfect union.Guest BioJemar Tisby, PhD, is a historian, New York Times bestselling author, public scholar, and founder and creative director of Tisby Media. His work focuses on race, religion, American history, democracy, and justice. He is the author of The Color of Compromise, How to Fight Racism, and The Spirit of Justice, along with several books for younger readers. He is also the executive producer of Jesus Was a Migrant, a documentary from Tisby Studios. In this conversation, Tisby helps explain how race and religion have been intertwined from America’s founding through slavery, segregation, voting rights, the Black Church, white Christian nationalism, and the ongoing fight for democracy.Book MentionedThe Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar TisbyBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780310113607How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar TisbyBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780310154358The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar TisbyBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780310144854Relevant Links & ResourcesJemar Tisby Official WebsiteURL: https://jemartisby.com/Jesus Was a MigrantURL: https://jesuswasamigrant.com/ Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/Support the showKeep the conversation going.Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?Visit our website:faithfulpoliticspodcast.comBrowse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstoreSupport the show and help us keep these conversations going:patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPoliticsSubscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:faithfulpolitics.substack.comContact the hosts:Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected] Wright, Political Host: [email protected] Faithful Politics:Instagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast