“Good God is a podcast for people with open hearts.” - D Magazine
In this pivotal election year, Rev. Dr. George Mason led the participants at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church’s Pub Theology in a reflective exploration of the role Christianity has played and should play in the realm of politics.
From navigating contentious issues to grappling with the concept of Christian nationalism, he delved into the complexities and challenges of faith-based engagement in the public sphere.
“Patriotism is love of country. Nationalism is hatred of the other.”
This episode features a conversation with Rachel Laser, President & CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, protecting the foundational American principle of freedom of religion—including the right to believe or not believe—for all.
George & Rachel discuss the intersection of religious freedom and abortion laws. Rachel highlights the importance of church-state separation in preserving religious freedom and democracy. They unpack the role of religious pluralism in America and the necessity of protecting the rights of all citizens, regardless of their faith. The episode also touches on the challenges of motivating moderate voices and fostering meaningful dialogue across differences.
The discussion serves as a prelude to an upcoming event in Dallas focusing on these critical issues.
George is joined by Brian Kaylor, author of the book "Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism"—a critique of the concept of civil religion, arguing that such expressions are far more dangerous than we realize.
In this conversation, they discuss his new book; the dangers of a softer, friendlier Christian Nationalism present in many mainline protestant churches; and the difficult work of figuring out what is American and what is Jesus's teachings. To make this distinction, we must ask ourselves, "What are they trying to accomplish? And how are they treating our fellow citizens in our increasingly pluralistic society?"
"It's cathartic to point at...evangelicals, and say, 'Look at them.' Right? But what if we actually did something in our own circles of influence, in our own communities to reduce Christian Nationalism?" - Brian Kaylor
Read MoreMeet Dr. Jeff Sharlet, Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College and author of the recently released The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. In it, he journeys into the corners of our national psyche in an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.
In this conversation, George and Jeff discuss the religious dimensions of American politics, and the role of grief and uncertainty in the midst of plague and rising fascism. Sharlet offers insight into both the human condition and into our country today, bringing to light a decade of American failures as well as a vision for American possibility,
Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books. His latest is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War (2023), a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction, one of The New York Times 100 Books of the Year, and a New Republic book of the year.
Meet Pamela Cooper-White, MDiv, PhD, LCPC, author of the recently released The Psychology of Christian Nationalism, which uncovers the troubling extent of Christian nationalism, explores its deep psychological roots, and discusses ways in which advocates for justice can safely and effectively attempt to talk across the deep divides in our society.
In this conversation, George and Pamela discuss what Christian nationalism is, the difference between nationalism and patriotism, the cult of personality and the fragility of democracy, and how to channel our energy and outrage into education and advocacy for social change.
Pamela Cooper-White, MDiv, PhD, LCPC is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor Emerita of Psychology and Religion and Dean Emerita, Union Theological Seminary, New York, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of New York, and a licensed psychotherapist.
Read MoreGeorge is joined by his friend and colleague Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, author of the recently released Beautiful and Terrible Things on the necessity of community, the inevitability of conflict, and the transformative power of radical love.
They discuss her book and her story, how the weaponizing of religion today is similar to the political situation Jesus encountered, and the need for crossing boundaries and for doing the hard work.
“Religious communities can be good and redemptive and world-changing if we'll only do the hard work.” - Amy Butler
This episode is the second installment of a three-part series on redemption and renewal. Dr. Curtis Freeman discusses the significance of how Christians keep time and why the events of Holy Week are integral to the Christian faith.
Dr. Curtis W. Freeman is a research professor of theology and Baptist studies and director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School. His research and teaching explores areas of Free Church theology.
Read MoreMyles Werntz unpacks why we continue to be plagued in our churches and in our communities by seemingly intractable conflicts, and how the teaching of ethics to young ministers in training may be part of the remedy. Myles is the Director of the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University.
Read MoreCarl Sherman, the State Representative responsible for the Botham Jean Act, explains how he transformed street protests into public policy.
Read MoreMitri Raheb is a Palestinian Christian, born in Bethlehem across the street from where Jesus was born. He speaks on the conflict between Israel and Palestine and his creation of interfaith communities that respond to Palestinian suffering through art.
Read MoreKristin Du Mez reminds us that she is a historian first, even though her sensational book, Jesus and John Wayne, has invoked fierce theological backlash from evangelicals. Hear her response to the pushback, plus a breakdown of the patriarchy that is so persistent in evangelical churches.
Read MoreRabbi Rachel Mikva wrote the book, Dangerous Religious Ideas, and she is here to discuss the ways that religion is harmful.
Read MoreCarl Sherman, the State Representative responsible for the Botham Jean Act, explains how he transformed street protests into public policy.
Read MoreJust days before Martin Luther King Day, Reverend Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes III talks with George about the misconceptions surrounding Dr. King’s legacy, and the important difference between equity and equality.
Read MoreReverend Dr. Lillian Daniel, of First Congregational Church in Dubuque, Iowa, talks pronouns, biblical interpretation, and her preference of religion over spirituality.
Read MoreWhat's it like to practice Native American spirituality in America? with Yolonda Blue Horse
Read MoreWhat's it like to be Buddhist in America? with Jon Reid
Read MoreWhat's it like to be Catholic in America? with Father Joshua Whitfield
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