EPISODE · Mar 21, 2025 · 54 MIN
The Establishment Clause
from Hotel Bar Sessions · host Leigh M. Johnson, Jennifer Kling, Bob Vallier
This week, we're pulling up a seat at the intersection of faith, governance, and democracy as we take on the Establishment Clause—that little First Amendment provision that’s supposed to keep church and state in their own lanes. But is that how it’s really playing out?Leigh, Rick, and Devonya dig into the history and contemporary implications of the separation of church and state, from school prayer to Supreme Court decisions, faith-based government offices, and religious encroachments on reproductive rights. We tackle the tension between private belief and public reason, the way religious institutions have both challenged and reinforced state power, and whether the U.S. is creeping toward a civic religion of its own.Along the way, we take detours through Southern Bible Belt culture, the moral status of fetuses, and even a surprise debate over whether capybaras are too cute to eat. (Spoiler: they are.)As always, we’re serving up straight shots of wisdom, no divine intervention required.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-175-the-establishment-clause-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
What this episode covers
This week, we're pulling up a seat at the intersection of faith, governance, and democracy as we take on the Establishment Clause—that little First Amendment provision that’s supposed to keep church and state in their own lanes. But is that how it’s really playing out?Leigh, Rick, and Devonya dig into the history and contemporary implications of the separation of church and state, from school prayer to Supreme Court decisions, faith-based government offices, and religious encroachments on reproductive rights. We tackle the tension between private belief and public reason, the way religious institutions have both challenged and reinforced state power, and whether the U.S. is creeping toward a civic religion of its own.Along the way, we take detours through Southern Bible Belt culture, the moral status of fetuses, and even a surprise debate over whether capybaras are too cute to eat. (Spoiler: they are.)As always, we’re serving up straight shots of wisdom, no divine intervention required.Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-175-the-establishment-clause-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Blue Sky @hotelbarpodcast.bsky.social, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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The Establishment Clause
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