Every Friday in September, starting the 6th, on the For People Podcast conversations are being had with some top scholars and a state representative from Texas on the subject of Christian Nationalism.
Christian Nationalism is an ideology that’s everywhere, masquerades as a theology that has infected our politics and seeks to guide our policies locally and nationally. The problem with Christian Nationalism is that it seeks to manipulate Jesus’ teaching for political gain. The problem with Christian Nationalism is that it wants a power Jesus never wanted, by a means Jesus never commended. The problem with Christian Nationalism is that it doesn’t have anything to do with the Jesus of the Bible.
Available every Friday in September on your podcast app or at ForPeople.digital.
Dr. Michael W. Austin
Dr. Michael W. Austin is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College, and current president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He received a B.A. in political science from Kansas State University, an M.A. in philosophy from Talbot School of Theology, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research is focused on ethics and spiritual formation, especially issues related to the cultivation of character and connections between character and the common good. He’s published 15 books, including Humility and Human Flourishing (Oxford University Press, 2018) and God and Guns in America (Eerdmans, 2020). His latest book is Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ (Eerdmans, 2024). His next book, due out in October, is American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian (Eerdmans).
The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, Ph. D.
The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, Ph.D., is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology and Religion, Emerita, and Dean and Vice President Emerita for Academic Affairs, at Union Theological Seminary, New York, also serving for 8 years as Assisting Priest at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York. Previously, she was Gautier Professor of Pastoral Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA and co-director of the Atlanta Theological Association’s ThD program in pastoral counseling. She was the 2013-14 Fulbright-Freud Scholar of Psychoanalysis in Vienna, Austria. An award-winning author, she has published 10 books including Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling (2nd ed. forthcoming 2024) and Old and Dirty Gods: Religion, Antisemitism, and the Origins of Psychoanalysis, as well as over 100 articles and book chapters. Her most recent book, The Psychology of Christian Nationalism, was awarded the INDIE Independent Publishers’ 2022 gold medal for social and political science. She is a frequent keynote speaker both nationally and internationally.
State Rep. James Talarico (TX)
State Rep. James Talarico (Tx) is an American politician and former teacher. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 to represent District 52, which includes the cities of Round Rock, Taylor, Hutto, and Georgetown in Williamson County. Following the 2020 redistricting cycle, Talarico announced his run for a seat in District 50 in 2022, which he won. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His sermon on Christian Nationalism preached in October 2023 but uploaded to YouTube in March 2024 has over 700k views.
Sr. Eilis McCulloh, Sister of the Humility in Mary
Sr. Eilis McCulloh is a Sister of the Humility of Mary currently serving as the Grassroots Education and Organizing Specialist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. She’s also the cohost of Just Politics and regularly writes for Global Sisters Report. Her most recent publication, “I’m a Catholic sister. Project 2025 does not reflect my values” was published by Religion News Service.