Christian Civics Podcast
by Center for Christian Civics
Exploring how the gospel empowers us to think, speak and act differently in the public square. The Christian Civics Podcast features commentary, interviews, prayers and class excerpts exploring how we can respond to the civic and political turmoil around us with visible faithfulness.The decisions we make about how to handle our earthly citizenship are an important part of our Christian discipleship. The Center for Christian Civics empowers local churches to be communities where people train one another to shine like lamps on stands--all across the political spectrum!
Episodes
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61: Black + Evangelical with Dr. Vince Bacote
Dr. Vince Bacote stops by the podcast to discuss the relationship between our ethics and our beliefs about the end times, how to stop over-thinking our faith, and his new documentary on the contributions, challenges and testimonies of black evangelicals. Join Dr. Bacote on October 3 in…
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60: Faith in the Face of Dirty Laundry
For nearly a decade, Julie Roys' name has been synonymous with sharing stories that make the church look bad. But her commitment to covering abuse and corruption in evangelical institutions proceeds from her own (politically and theologically conservative) evangelical faith. Earlier this year…
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59: The Blessing and Burden of Citizenship with David Koyzis
Esteemed author Dr. David Koyzis discusses the nature of idolatry, why conservatives are really liberals, and his new book on citizenship.Esteemed author Dr. David Koyzis discusses the nature of idolatry, why conservatives are really liberals, and his new book on citizenship. Shownotes Political...
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Episode 58: Talking with Loved Ones About Race
Keesha Ceran and Garret Losty, who will be facilitating our upcoming workshop on Talking with Loved Ones About Race, drop in to share why we should stop avoiding conversations about race, and how leaning into them can help the church grow spiritually. Register for the February 22 workshop at...
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Episode 57: Fake News, Satire, and Poisonous Bears
A Christian satirist joins us for a conversation about faith, truth and fake news. Shownotes—including links, videos and slides—can be found throughout the episode transcript at christiancivics.org. Visit christiancivics.org/upcoming-events to register for our next two events: Christian Civics...
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Ep. 56: Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes
Christian Civics Advisory Council Chair Ben O'Dell joins us for a discussion about one of his favorite books, "Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes," by E. Randalph Richards and Richard James. You can pick up a copy of the book here: https://amzn.to/2YeOWar Register for the next Christian...
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Episode 55: Defining Politics
Using one word for five different concepts is confusing at the best of time, but when that one word is controversial and emotionally charged, it makes acting with patience and wisdom even more difficult. Before we launch Christian Civics Foundations, our Executive Director thought it would be...
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Ep. 54: Gained in Translation
Dr. Doug Trick of the Canada Institute of Linguistics joins us this week to talk about how translating the Bible changes the way he thinks about not just evangelism and discipleship, but communication in general. Our host reflects on Dr. Trick's experiences and an old episode of "Doctor Who" to...
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Ep. 53: The View From the City Counil Chamber
You see your elected officials in public, but that doesn't really help you get to know everything that goes on behind the scenes to keep a government running. This week, we welcome Evan Dame, town council member in the city of North Brentwood, Maryland, as he shares the challenges that caught him...
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Episode 52: Why We Disagree (Class Excerpt)
Why do people who share our faith not share our politics? Is it because they're stupid? Wrong? Malicious? Liars? In this excerpt from a 2020 Christian Civics class, we cover why it's not helpful to jump straight to those conclusions, and start looking at a few alternatives that are less dramatic...
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Ep. 51: Prayers for Afghanistan
This week, we welcome three guests to lead us in prayer for the horrific and deteriorating situation on the ground in Afghanistan. David Shedd, Stephen Rodriguez and Brian O'Day draw on their decades of experience in international intelligence, national defense, and military ministry to provide…
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Episode 50: Losing Power Revisited (Expanded Interview with Bill Henson)
At the beginning of 2018, Executive Director Rick Barry sat down with Bill Henson of Posture Shift Ministries (formerly called Lead Them Home) to discuss losing cultural power, grieving alongside the grieving and whether we should think of the US as a Christian nation. Those topics have only…
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Ep. 49 Vote Like You’re Hiring
How can a professional recruiter help us think differently about voting faithfully? This week, we welcome Sandra George, an HR professional with over 15 years of experience helping a range of different companies find the right people for the right jobs. Rick Barry talks with Sandra about what…
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Ep 48: A fuller View of Being Prophetic
The things we consider to be "prophetic" shape both the way we present our faith to other people and the kinds of behaviors we reward in our brothers and sisters. Our Executive Director offers a brief reflection on how the biblical prophets may challenge our understanding of what prophets are...
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Ep. 47: (Still) Remembering the Prisoners
In the spring of last year, at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we talked with Heather Rice-Minus of Prison Fellowship to discuss how they were responding to the pandemic. A year later, we welcome Heather back to talk about the long-term changes COVID has introduced to the ways the Prison...
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Ep. 46: Being Online Wrong
How does one Christian Civics leader talk about important topics online without losing patience or hope?
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Ep. 45 A Beacon of Hope; Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Ft. Worth TX
This week, we share a conversation from May of this year with leaders of a Texas church that was serving as a distribution site for the COVID-19 vaccine. They discussed the history of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX; how the church's relationship to its mission field has...
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Ep. 44 What’s Christian About Your Politics?
To kick off a new season, our Executive Director reflects on whether becoming a Christian means ceasing to be anything and everything else.
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Ep. 43: The Burden of Shared Suffering
Rev. Charles Garriott joins us to share his experience caring for people in the aftermath of violence. This is a must-listen for any ministry leader who isn't sure how to react to this week's attack on the US Capitol!
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Ep. 41: Do I know you?
We close out our mini-series on the scariest passages of the gospel with a look at why bearing fruit and fitting the description of a Christian isn't enough.
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Ep. 40: A Sword In Our Churches
Christian Civics Executive Director Rick Barry shares how Jesus' promise to bring a sword prompts him to ask himself uncomfortable questions about his friendships and his church life.
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Ep. 39: The Empty Ones
Executive Director Rick Barry continues this miniseries of reflections on the passages of the synoptic gospels that frighten him the most. This episode also includes a guided prayer, and information on how to support our work ahead of and following a divisive election. A full transcript is...
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Ep. 38: Better Off Drowned?
Jesus' warning not to cause even a single child to stumble is a lot scarier than we give it credit for—and should lead most of us to be a lot more cautious about how we respond to politicians. Executive Director Rick Barry continues our miniseries of personal reflections on the most intimidating...
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Ep. 37: God Wants Better Things For Other People, Too
Executive Director Rick Barry shares a reflection on his favorite book of the Bible, and shares a prayer request for an unexpected challenge that came up in our work today.
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Ep. 36: ”War for the Dignity of Twitter”
A couple weeks before accidentally falling into a month-long social media fast, Rick Barry talked with Jeff Porter about the challenge of navigating social media in a Christlike manner and what secularization can teach us about White Supremacy. In the end, Rick leads us in praying through and...
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Ep. 35: It Takes Courage to Feel Shame
A conversation about public shaming, private shaming, and growing in maturity turns into a conversation about race, repentance and shared responsibility. Steve Park of Little Lights Urban Ministries joined us last week for what turned out to be a very different conversation than the one we...
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Ep. 34: The Great Fix is Still Ahead of Us (Book Club: The Righteous Mind)
In the first installment of The Christian Civics Book Club, we discuss Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind." Christian Civics co-founder and Executive Director Rick Barry is joined by Christian Civics teaching faculty Rev. Charles Drew and Executive Board members Nathan Leamer and Thomas Turner....
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Ep. 33: Protests and Prayer (An Editorial)
Our Executive Director shares a personal reflection on the protests that have sprung up over the past week, and leads a brief prayer for how we respond to them. A full transcript of this episode and this prayer will be available at christiancivics.org beginning June 3.
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Ep. 32: The Products of Prayer (feat. Rev. John Onwuchekwa)
Interview (1:55) Small Group Bible Study Guide (25:07) The Lord's Prayer Challenges Conservatives and Liberals (26:35) Prayer Exercise (28:31) Christian Civics Executive Director Rick Barry sits down for a revealing conversation with Rev. John Onwuchekwa, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta,...
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Ep. 31: Getting Out of the Blame Game (2020 National Day of Prayer)
Christian Civics executive director Rick Barry's keynote address at the 2020 Montgomery County National Day of Prayer Virtual Prayer Breakfast. The prayer and reflection exercise mentioned in the talk is available at: https://christiancivics.org/blog/getting-out-of-the-blame-game/
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Ep. 30: Answering Coronavirus Fatigue (Rev. Charles Drew)
Rev. Charles Drew offers a homily and prayer for those of us worn out by news about the novel coronavirus and the effect it is having on our communities. If you are in a position of formal or informal leadership, the Caring Connections Knowledge Base provides up-to-date, easy-to-use resources for...
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Ep. 29: Bringing Clarity to Women’s Health During COVID-19 (Talitha Phillips)
Our guest this episode is Talitha Phillips, CEO of Claris Health, a women's and reproductive health clinic with multiple locations in Los Angeles, California. Talitha shares how the COVID-19 pandemic is compounding the difficulty of providing social services and medical care to a vulnerable...
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Ep. 28: Unrelenting Provision (COVID-19 and Food Insecurity w/Marian Hutchins)
Our guest for this minisode is Marian Hutchins, Executive Director of Father's Heart Ministries in New York City. Marian shares with us the effects COVID-19 emergency measures are having on soup kitchens, food pantries and programs that serve at-risk youth. She also shares some encouragement…
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Ep. 27: The Future of Human Trafficking (Dr. Amanda Eckhardt and RestoreNYC)
Dr. Amanda Eckhardt of RestoreNYC joins us to talk about how COVID-19 is re-shaping anti-trafficking work and how we can pray against trafficking in an informed way. This is the first in a short series of "minisodes" covering how several issue areas that are common passions for people in the…
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Ep. 26: Justice That Restores (Heather Rice-Minus and Prison Fellowship)
Our guest this week is Heather Rice-Minus. She's vice president of government affairs and church mobilization for Prison Fellowship. Prison Fellowship is in a rare spot where some of the work they do is responding in a simple, direct way to simple direct commands in scripture—to not forget those…
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Ep. 25: Praying Through Psalm 46
For the 2020 election season, we are going back to our roots, bringing you weekly podcasts featuring prayers for the public square. We begin this series with a prayer for our response to the coronavirus pandemic, based on Psalm 46. Look for a transcript and shownotes on our website later this...
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Ep. 24: Prayer from the Front Lines of Coronavirus Research (Dr. William Petri)
The coronavirus and its economic, social, and mortal fallout are obviously dominating the news and changing the way many of us are ordering our lives for the next few weeks. For our first episode back, we welcome Dr. William Petri, a UVA public health researcher, to share with us what this…
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Ep. 23: What’s Good About Politics? (with Rev. Charles Drew)
Pastor Charles Drew shares where his concern for the church in the face of political polarization comes from, and why he thinks Christians shouldn't let fear of excess prevent them from learning to engage politics responsibly. We also share the first of several upcoming events, and how you can…
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Ep. 22: Stories from the Shutdown: An Interview with a Pastor on Capitol Hill
How often does a quarter of a church get laid off simultaneously? We talk with Pastor Matthew Watson of Christ City Church in Washington, DC, about how the body of Christ reacts when a city's major industry grinds to a halt. For more information on Matt, his church and other upcoming events…
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Ep. 21: Joshua Harris on Saying You’re Wrong in Public
In politics, people usually double down when they're afraid they might be wrong. Joshua Harris, author of "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," discusses withdrawing his most well-known book and shares what it was like to say he was wrong in a very public setting.
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An Invitation, A Prayer and Assorted Housekeeping
An invitation to meet the Christian Civics team in Washington, DC, plus an exclusive prayer from our newsletter and information on how to support our mission this Christmas season.
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Ep. 20: Rethinking Incarceration (with pastor Dominique DuBois Gilliard)
Last week, the White House signaled support for bipartisan criminal justice reform, a stark departure from the Justice Department's position just a month earlier. The story of how that happened is a long and winding one, but the issue itself is central to how we understand the Christian faith....
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Ep. 19: Where Shaped Your Vote?
For the next few weeks, pundits are going to love discussing the voting patterns of suburban voters, urban voters, rural voters. But all of that analysis is going to be inherently limited unless it takes into account that those aren't just the places we vote—they also might be the reasons we vote...
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Ep. 18: ”Why Will The Poor Always Be With Us?” (Bonus Content from a Recent Conference)
If the only evidence of Christian growth in our lives is that it is changing the way we deal with politics, then we aren't actually experiencing Christian growth—we're impersonating it. This episode features exclusive content that didn't make it into Christian Civics Executive Director Rick…
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Ep. 17: ”Losing Power Is Painful” (an interview with Bill Henson)
This week, we welcome Bill Henson, Founder and President of Lead Them Home, to talk about what it feels like to lose to power, lose relevancy, yet still maintain your witness and your confidence. More information on Bill, on Lead Them Home, and a full transcript of the interview are available...
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Ep. 16: Refuge and Asylum (with Pastor Chris Sicks)
A Virginia pastor shares the story of how his church engaged with a national questions in a personal way. The latest episode of the Christian Civics Podcast features pastor Chris Sicks of Alexandria Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA. Chris shares stories and insights from years of shepherding…
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Ep. 15: Practicing for Heaven (Dr. Curt Thompson, Part Three)
The third and final part of our conversation with Dr. Curt Thompson. In the first two parts of our conversation with Dr. Curt Thompson, we discussed why it is important to have "embodied encounters" with our civic systems and our political opponents, and what Good Friday can teach us about…
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Ep. 14: Good Friday, Families, Hospitality (Curt Thompson, Part 2)
We continue our conversation with Dr. Curt Thompson, exploring what Good Friday has to do with hard conversations about politics in the church, and why our reaction to our political opponents often has as much to do with our relationship to our families as it does to our parties.
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Ep. 13: Embodied Encounters (Dr. Curt Thompson, Part One)
The Christian Civics Podcast returns with an interview with psychiatrist and ministry leader Dr. Curt Thompson. In this episode, Dr. Thompson discusses why it's important for Christians to have face-to-face, real-life conversations with our political opponents, and how we can get better at those...
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Ep. 12: Interrupting the Rhythms Of Our Lives
Chelsea Geyer, executive director of DC 127, stops by to talk about foster care and what it can teach us about demonstrating our faith in the public square. Then Center for Christian Civics executive director Rick Barry connects those ideas to the Advent season and leads us in prayer. 00:14...
About this show
Exploring how the gospel empowers us to think, speak and act differently in the public square. The Christian Civics Podcast features commentary, interviews, prayers and class excerpts exploring how we can respond to the civic and political turmoil around us with visible faithfulness.The decisions we make about how to handle our earthly citizenship are an important part of our Christian discipleship. The Center for Christian Civics empowers local churches to be communities where people train one another to shine like lamps on stands--all across the political spectrum!
Hosted by
Center for Christian Civics
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