Publicwitness Podcasts

Liz Cooledge Jenkins talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her forthcoming book Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism. She also discusses biblical interpretation, women in ministry, and church leadership practices. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that h…

Kathryn Cramer Brownell, a professor at Purdue University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News. She also discusses the impact of individuals like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Pat Robertson, and Donald Trump. Note: Don't forget to sub…

Randall Balmer, a professor at Dartmouth College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Saving Faith: How American Christianity Can Reclaim Its Prophetic Voice. He also discusses the insights of biblical prophets, the danger of Christian Nationalism, and the meaning of the "Word" of God. He previously appeared on episode 25.…

Greg Garrett, a professor of literature and culture at Baylor University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Gospel according to James Baldwin: What America's Great Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity. He also discusses reading and teaching Baldwin and traveling to track down more of Baldwin's life. No…

John Fanestil, executive director of Via International, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism. He also discusses America's founding, violence, conspiracies, and ministering at the U.S.-Mexico border. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-new…

Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book All God's Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity. He also discusses racism in churches, the importance of lament, and the work of his nonprofit. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Pub…

Daniel Hummel, a historian who works at Upper House (a Christian study center located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation. He also discusses post-Civil War border state theology, co…

David W. Peters, an Episcopal priest in Texas, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Post-Traumatic Jesus: A Healing Gospel for the Wounded. He also discusses serving as a military chaplain, the importance of the resurrection, and retelling Bible stories. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public…

Cheryl Bridges Johns, visiting professor and director of the Pentecostal House of Studies at United Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Re-enchanting the Text: Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious. She also discusses the enlightenment, Pentecost, and more. Note: Don't forget to subsc…

David Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University and chair of Christian social ethics at Vrije Universiteit ("Free University") Amsterdam/IBTS, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies. He also discusses issues in Russia and Brazil, …

Kaitlyn Schiess talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here. She also discusses Romans 13 and the American Revolutionary War, Donald Trump holding up a Bible, and how 2024 presidential candidates are quoting scriptural p…

Robert P. Jones, president and founder at PRRI, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future. He also discusses the Doctrine of Discovery, honestly telling history, and the new Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. Jones writes at h…

Benjamin Perry, a minister at Middle Church in New York City, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter. He also discusses teaching children, COVID, and dealing with church grief. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, cul…

Valerie Hobbs, a linguist at the University of Sheffield, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book No Love in War: A Story of Christian Nationalism (video trailer here). She also discusses Dominionism, patriarchy, violence, and reading the Bible. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness…

Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, vice president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action. He also discusses advocacy, storytelling, and loving neighbors. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Wit…

Andrew Whitehead, a professor of sociology at IUPUI, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his forthcoming book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. He also discusses the dangers of power, fear, and violence. He previously appeared on episode 52 to talk about his co-authored book Takin…

Shannen Williams, a professor of history at the University of Dayton, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle. She also discusses the importance of history and the process of Catholic sainthood. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning…

Sabrina Dent, director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice, and Reconciliation, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the history and work of the Center. She also discusses issues of racial justice, religious liberty, and the teaching of history. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that hel…

Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Arlington, Texas, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about debates in Southern Baptist life over critical race theory. He also discusses honors to enslavers at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Al Mohler's support of Donald Trump, and pastoring during a pandemic. This episode is a rebroa…

Daniel Cooperrider, a United Church of Christ pastor, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible. He also discusses issues of climate change and biblical interpretation. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps …

Kate Boyd talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus. She also discusses deconstruction, Christian Nationalism, and cultural baggage attached to faith. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of fait…

Allison Tanner, pastor of public witness at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the new Apartheid-Free Communities initiative. She serves as the national organizer for the campaign with the American Friends Service Committee. She also discusses the importance of listening to Pales…

Jay Augustine, senior pastor at St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit. He also discusses preaching about current events, ministry after COVID, and the importance of lament. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award…

Craig Lamar Brown and Andrea Summer talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their movie Between Mercy and Me. They also discuss issues of racism, church worship, and creating music and movies. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics.…

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about attending the ReAwaken America Tour and a Pastors for Trump meeting at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida. She also discusses the work of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, church-state legislation in Texas, and …

Nijay Gupta, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He also discusses issues related biblical translations, importance of historical context, and debating on Twitter. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our…

Isaac Sharp, a visiting assistant professor at Union Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The Other Evangelicals: A Story of Liberal, Black, Progressive, Feminist, and Gay Christians ― and the Movement That Pushed Them Out. His also discusses inerrancy, defining evangelicalism, and the impact of Donald Tru…

Jeremy Duncan, a pastor in Calgary (Alberta, Canada), talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Upside-Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace. His also discusses issues related to metaphors, nonviolence, and COVID. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you…

Cody Sanders and Mikeal Parsons talk with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about their book Corpse Care: Ethics for Tending the Dead. They also discuss issues related to green burials, funeral practices, and COVID. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and poli…

Bradley Onishi, a religion scholar who cohosts the Straight White American Jesus podcast, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next. He also discusses Jan. 6, evangelical racism, Ron DeSantis, and more. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to ou…

Kevin Nye talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness. He also discusses the importance of language and extravagance. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics.…

Peter Jarrett-Schell, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Reparations: A Plan for Churches. He also discusses his work as chair of the Reparations Task Force of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public…

Ilsup Ahn, a professor of professor of philosophy at North Park University in Chicago, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book The Church in the Public: A Politics of Engagement for a Cruel and Indifferent Age. He also discusses the Sanctuary Movement and the Poor People's Campaign. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-win…

Michael Budde, a professor of Catholic Studies and Political Science at DePaul University in Chicago, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book Foolishness to Gentiles: Essays on Empire, Nationalism, and Discipleship. He also discusses issues of violence, empire, and climate change. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winni…

William Yoo, a professor of American religious and cultural history at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book What Kind of Christianity: A History of Slavery and Anti-Black Racism in the Presbyterian Church. He also discusses the complicity of White Northerners and the need for r…

Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, a professor of New Testament and Christian ministry at Campbell University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims. She also discusses theories of atonement and the mistreatment of women, poor and disabled people, Blacks, and immigrants. A study guide to g…

Jeff Hood, author of The Execution of God, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his advocacy against the death penalty. He also discusses his ministry to people on death row, including last month as he stood in a death chamber as Oklahoma executed Scott Eizember. At A Public Witness, we recently reported on another minister's experience…

Jason Porterfield talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace. He also discusses what peacemaking involves and how we sometimes misread stories about Jesus and violence. Another Lenten resource that explores the texts in fresh ways is Unsettling Lent by Brian Kaylor, Angela Parker, and Beau …

Daniel Buttry, retired global consultant for peace and justice with International Ministries of the American Baptist Church, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Healing the World: Gustavo Parajón, Public Health and Peacemaking Pioneer. He also discusses nationalism, truth-telling, and conflict transformation. Hear an earli…

Andrew Seidel, vice president of strategic communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his book American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, COVID, and abortion bans. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to o…

Sara Billups talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home. She also discusses issues the impact of growing up with end-times theology, culture war politics, and commercialism. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Wit…

Stephen Bullivant, a professor religion and sociology at St Mary's University in London and the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America. He also discusses his experiences as a British researcher traveling across the U.S., and how the changing reli…

Terrell Carter, pastor of Webster Groves Baptist Church and executive director of Rise in St. Louis, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Family Feuds: Forgotten Bible Rivalries and What the Church Can Relearn About Reconciliation. He also discusses issues of politics, power, and biblical interpretation. Note: Don't forget …

Lisa Weaver Swartz, a sociologist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book Stained Glass Ceilings: How Evangelicals Do Gender and Practice Power. She also discusses Al Mohler, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the campuses of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary. Note: Don't fo…

Alan Streett, an emeritus professor of biblical theology at Criswell College, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Songs of Resistance: Challenging Caesar and Empire. He also discusses songs in the Christmas biblical texts, public and private resistance, and the demands of Caesar. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our awar…

Robin Lovin, an ordained United Methodist minister and a former professor of ethics at Southern Methodist University, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book What Do We Do When Nobody Is Listening?: Leading the Church in a Polarized Society. He also discusses Dietrich Bonhoeffer, learning to listening, and the current schism i…

David Hollinger, an emeritus history professor at the University of California, Berkeley, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular. He also discusses why evangelicals grew in the 20th century, what Donald Trump reveals, and a better nam…

Dave Verhaagen, a psychologist, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book How White Evangelicals Think: The Psychology of White Conservative Christians. He also discusses fear, conspiracy theories, and collective narcissism. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make se…

Adriene Thorne, the new senior pastor at the Riverside Church in New York City, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about pastoring at this historic congregation. She also discusses becoming the first African American woman to lead Riverside, her past ministry roles, and the challenges that churches face today. Note: Don't forget to subscrib…

Pamela Cooper-White, the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology & Religion at Union Theological Seminary, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her book The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide. She also discusses pastoral counseling and her perspective as an Episcopal …