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The larger goals of the Trump administration are threatened by incompetent execution. The problem is that for many, making policy stick isn't as important as making a stink. What to do? Give a listen.
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In the past few weeks, Bari has done two episodes on religion—one asking, “Do we need a religious revival?,” and then a follow-up conversation with Ross Douthat asking how people who grew up in the secular West can actually find faith.
Today, we have the last installment of this intellectual and religious inquiry, and we are asking a new question: What is the role of religion as a political force in this country?
Our guest today, Jonathan Rauch, says: “Christianity is a load-bearing wall of American civic life.” In other words, the success of liberal democracy depends on a healthy Christianity to support it—and if Christianity falters, our American project will falter too. We get into why that is in this conversation.
It’s a fascinating position for a person who happens to be an atheist, Jewish, gay man.
And Jonathan doesn’t just say we need to embrace Christianity, he goes a step further. He says that Christians need to look in the mirror and reconsider how Jesus would approach American politics today.
Jonathan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and he just wrote Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy.
Bari asks him about the breakdown of religion. She asks about the religious and political forces that have shaped our present moment, like MAGA, the evangelical movement, and their marriage to President Donald Trump. And, she asks about the rise of Christian nationalism and the threat it poses.
And, most importantly, she asks how we can restore health in political life.
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The Supreme Court hits pause on Alien Enemies Act deportations—for now—and some MAGA diehards advocate for Trump to simply ignore the court. Pete Hegseth stars in the Signalgate sequel, reportedly using his personal phone to share top secret information with his wife, brother, and lawyer—with more bombshell reports to come, according to a former Pentagon spokesman. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the latest on Trump's deportation agenda, whether Hegseth's days as Defense Secretary are numbered, the accidental email that reportedly set off the Trump administration's war with Harvard, and the untimely passing of Pope Francis. Strict Scrutiny's Leah Litman joins Lovett to break down the Supreme Court's emergency order and the administration's efforts to evade the rule of law.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
Senator Chris Van Hollen made the rounds on all five Sunday shows to discuss the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—but curiously avoided using Kilmar’s first name. A dissects of rhetorical and how even drink orders can become political code. Professor Michael Harte talks tariffs and trade and reflects on his time as chief economics advisor to the Falkland Islands. And in the Spiel, a deep dive into the trivia, origins, and peculiar legacy of the “Full Ginsburg.”
Produced by Corey Wara
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Messes at the Pentagon, at the State Department, at Treasury, at the Department of Justice, and with tariff policy—can this administration survive itself, let alone survive the liberal media and the counterstrikes against Trump? Give a listen.
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Last year Annelle Sheline resigned from Biden's State Department in protest of the administration's support for Israel's genocide in Gaza. She returns to Bad Faith podcast to provide new insight into how the State Department routinely deprioritized or flat out ignored reports about human rights abuses so that it would not have to contend with domestic laws prohibiting weapons sales to countries that failed to meet human rights standards. In her new piece for the Quincy Institute she breaks down the mythology around America's role as global peacekeeper, and exposes how weapons sales drive US foreign policy.
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As congregations age and dwindle, what are we to make of the decline of Christianity in England? Bijan Omrani argues that Christianity has had a profound and ongoing impact on English society, laws and culture. In his new book, God is an Englishman, he makes the case for the things we stand to lose as a nation as Christianity loses its hold on our hearts and minds.
In Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever, Lamorna Ash talks to those bucking the trend: the young people discovering Christianity. She considers various encounters with faith from evangelical festivals to monastic retreats and Quaker meetings. Through interviews she explores what it means to embrace Christianity today.
Dr Helen-Ann Hartley is the Bishop of Newcastle who has led calls for reform, as the Church of England has been mired in safeguarding scandals. She believes that the Anglican church still has a vital role to play supporting communities, offering a lifeline to the lonely, the homeless, those living with mental illness, and welcoming those of all faiths and none. In order to play its full role in the modern world, she wants to see the church modernised and its governance overhauled.
Presenter: Shahidha Bari Producer: Ruth Watts