Faith, Politics, & the War Within: Allegiance, Grace & Addiction with Josif Wright

What happens when the faith you inherited no longer looks like Jesus? Josif Wright joins Craig to talk about leaving Christian nationalism, questioning the flag-and-cross mixture, and learning to trust Christ instead of political power. Josif is a teacher, coach, hospice chaplain, church speaker, and author of The War Within: My Story. The conversation later turns toward his son Ryan’s decade-long struggle with addiction. Craig also shares memories of his brother TJ, whose battle with alcohol ended in 2020. Together, they ask what families and churches can do when control fails, shame makes things worse, and love is the only faithful path left. They dig into: Why Christians should question “God-and-country” teaching Flags, pledges, voting, and divided allegiance Loving people beyond national and political teams Addiction from a parent’s point of view Grace, identity, recovery, and harmful church labels 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-163   🤝Connect with Josif🤝 Book: The War Within: My Story at Barnes & Noble, Amazon Email: [email protected] Instagram: @Josifwright  X: @Josifwright  Nostr/Damus: @j3 Josif also invites people who cannot afford a copy to email him. His stated goal is not sales, but helping families and people who are struggling.   Key Moments: 00:00 Leaving Christian nationalism 04:20 “Don’t trust the government and be kind” 08:30 God is pro-people 21:40 Flags, pastors, legalism, and fear 25:18 Can Christians pledge to two masters? 29:10 Voting and political identity 34:53 The War Within and Craig’s brother TJ 40:00 A family living on emotional life support 44:05 “Step back. Let God be God” 47:10 Recovery, grace, and new identity 53:40 Why people are more than their addiction   Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 Support the show at thebadroman.com/donate. Every gift helps, and everything beyond production costs goes to local charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to support the project in a tastier way? Grab Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with a friend or make sure you're subscribed wherever you found this episode! 🔗 Stay Connected with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to get more involved? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Jesus over empire. Mercy over shame. No King but Christ.