Christians in the Public Square

Cole came to Chattanooga for a visit, so we joined Stephen Walker and Sean White's podcast to discuss the church and the public square. They kindly gave us permission to cross-post to our podcast. Thanks, fellas! Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Stephen Walker joins us to propose a Christian view of anarchy and challenges us to consider trust in something other than the state. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott interrogates Cole to understand his definition of "harm construed narrowly." Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Jody Team joins us to expand our discussion on corporations and his perspective on how Christians navigate their place in that public sector. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Andy Little to discuss the role of corporations, corporate responsibilities, and Christian ethics in the corporate world. Andy wants the world to know that "lawyers really don't go by doctor" ;-) Links: Peter Wehner, "The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart," The Atlantic, Oct. 24, 2021 (quoting Alan Jacobs). Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company, 1981 "J&J's Controversial Bankruptcy Strategy Upheld by Judge" by Stephen Church "J&J's ‘Texas Two-Step' Talc Bankruptcy Strategy Remains in Doubt" by James Nani "A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market" by Wilhelm Ropke "Judge Greenlights J&J Strategy to Resolve Talc Lawsuits in Bankruptcy Court" by Dietrich Knauth and Tom Hals Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Ben Peterson joins us for a conversation about Catholic Social Teaching, and his thesis that the church needs to explore its opportunity to engage in social justice and love by creating communities that shape our character. Links: Invoking the Tradition Catholic Social Teaching in Policy Debates by Ben Peterson How We Reason About Covid Tradeoffs by Ben Peterson Pilgrims in Our Own Country, The Christian Confession and the Christian Conundrum by Ben Peterson The Church as Polis, Toward an Ecclesiocentric Christian Politics by Zachary McCartney and Ben Peterson Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss a controversy in the SBC, and Scott tries to argue that the problem runs deeper than the issue they're fighting over. Links: Our Lord Isn't Woke: Southern Baptists Clash Over Their Future. By Ian Lovett Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

We were joined by Emma Conatser to discuss the "profane" and whether and how Christians should engage with literature and art that does not elevate Christian values. Links: Gulf Coast Highway with Emma and Cole A Theology of Reading - The Hermeneutics of Love by Alan Jacobs Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Darryl Tippens joins us again for a discussion about the challenges of engaging with literature, film, and other media; how do we decide what we are willing to see/read? Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

***sorry for the technical difficulties. The intro didn't seem to make it on the published version, so there's some unexpected silence at the beginning *** This episode is actually Episode 1 for a podcast from the Lytle Center for Faith and Leadership. Cole was a guest on that podcast, and joined Dennis Marquardt and Dodd Roberts for an engaging discussion of how business and Christianity can be thought of in integrated ways. Links: Video: What is the Purpose of Business? Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole talk about the challenge of identity, labels, and whether Christianity has become an identity religion. Links: "In a post-Trump world, these pastors are ditching the evangelical label for something new" by Sarah Pulliam Bailey Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole unpack arguments of "religious exemptions," liberty, the rights of the state, and the importance of wearing pants. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss why we took and break, and why we stopped taking a break. Scott casts a vision for the coming season. Contact Us: Email: Dr. J. Scott Self Email: Dr. Linnea Rademaker Email: Dr. Peter Williams

At the end of Season 2, Scott enters the Speakers' Corner to argue that the church's cozy relationship with conservatism is a tragic flaw of American Christianity. Also, if you notice Scott's grammatical error at 12:20, go and tell it to a skunk ;-) Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

In this Speakers' Corner, Cole makes a free-market argument. He distracted Scott with barbecue sufficiently to make his argument free from interruption or disputation. Let us know if you have an essay you'd like to pitch for the Speakers' Corner on CP2! Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss three different articles about the relationship between race, social groups, and Christianity. Links: "Is the Anti-Racism Training Industry Just Peddling White Supremacy?" By Jonathan Chait "America Isn't a Racist Country" by Ward Connerly "White Christian America Needs a Moral Awakening" by Robert P. Jones "Shibboleth" from Wikipedia Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole respond to listener feedback. Cole wonders how Scott can assert that Christianity is non-coercive while voting for policies that are coercive. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cole and Scott discuss monuments to people and ideas in the public square. We also discuss whether monuments to people are consistent with Christian values. Links: Nathan Bedford Ford Statue Confederate Statues Were Never Really About Preserving History George Benson's Name Remains on Auditorium Despite Petition Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Bryan Stewart to discuss the church's appeal to the state for protection and to settle disputes. Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Links: Bishop Takes Castle by S. C. GWYNNE The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth v. The Episcopal Church, Supreme Court of Texas Bishop Mayer Letter to the Diocese in the Wake of Supreme Court Decision Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Kenneth Pybus to discuss the history of abortion law, the efforts to reverse Roe v. Wade, and Kenneth's view of his role as a Christian in the Public Square in relation to the issue of abortion. Links: Griswold v. Connecticut Roe v. Wade Gonzales v. Carhart Planned Parenthood v. Casey Pregnancy Resources of Abilene Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Friend of the show Kobi Nelson shares her perspective on gratitude.

Scott and Cole discuss the film "AKA Jane Roe," and react to the issues raised in the film about abortion, the right to life movement, and Christianity. Links: Trailer for "AKA Jane Roe" Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cole's essay defines capitalism as a pure and simple exchange of mutual self-interest. Links: Nohria, Nitin, Thomas R. Piper, and Bridget Gurtler. "Malden Mills (A)." Harvard Business School Case 404-072, December 2003. (Revised August 2006.) Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss health care, the implications of COVID-19 on the discussion, and Scott's believe that there is a "right to life and living." Links: "Citizens who lost health coverage in past 7 weeks due to economic collapse" by Qasim Rashid "Fact check: Did 3.5 million Americans lose health coverage in the last two weeks?" by Madeline Heim Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

This is the first of a new feature on CP-Square called "The Speaker's Corner." These episodes are short audio essays. Cole and I will be sharing these from time to time, and we would be willing to consider essays from listeners as well. Pitch us your idea for an audio essay! In this essay, Scott is forced to rethink his own darker view of the world, and why he wants to notice more and confess less. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole unpack the last couple of episodes. Scott is a little worried that Cole has taken a lickin' - Cole keeps on tickin'. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cheryl Bacon returns to talk about vetting sources and choosing to carefully curate what news she shares on social media. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Bobby Ross, editor in chief at The Christian Chronicle, joins Scott and Cole to talk about the intersection of faith, journalism, and citizenship. Links: Bobby Ross, Editor-in-Chief at The Christian Chronicle "COVID-19: The Gap Between The News Media And People Of Faith" by Bobby Ross, Jr. "Trump Embraces 'Enemy of the People,' a Phrase With a Fought History" by Andrew Higgins Donald Trump's Tweet about Lamestream media hoping to harm his reelection "The Cult of the Individual" by Nikita Krushchev, 1956 Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss the Christian response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to Christian discourse during periods of crisis. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Wake up - Season 2 starts with new intro music and a couple of fellas who are suspicious of each others' coughs. Scott and Cole discuss the 2 trillion dollar Covid-19 stimulus package, and Scott tries to convince Cole that this is not socialism; it's something else. Links: "After Considering $1 Billion Price Tag for Ventilators, White House Has Second Thoughts" by David E. Sanger, Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs "The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism" by F. A. Hayek "Golden girl" by Fiddling Werewolves Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss Bloom's work "Against Empathy" which asserts that empathy is ruining the world. Scott is getting upset. This is the end of Season 1, so we'll take a short break (just a couple of weeks) and resume the podcast in the middle of April with Season 2! Links: "Against Empathy" by Paul Bloom "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Darryl Tippens to discuss the historical Christian roots of human rights and human dignity. Darryl ultimately makes the point that Judeo-Christian traditions have shaped how we understand them. References: Our assigned reading was ... Moyn, R. (2014). The secret history of constitutional dignity. Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal, 17(1), 38-68. Additional readings... Moyn, R. (2014). Christian human rights. University of Pennsylvania Press. Moyn, R. (2018). Not enough: Human rights in an unequal world. Harvard University Press. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole discuss an article in the New York Times by Timothy Keller. Keller's thesis was: "While believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one." Links: "How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t" by Timothy Keller Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole planned to respond to feedback from several listeners but only got to one. The question was, "What makes a statesman (which is the kind of leader we can probably all agree we want) different from a mere politician?" Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cole and Scott challenge each other on some things they have let slide so far in the podcast. Cole defends his explanation of the relationship between his faith and his politics, and Scott defends fleecing the rich. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cole and Scott are joined by F. LaGard Smith. This interview was edited into two parts in post-production. In Part 2, we discuss the relationship between law and morality, and the cultural influences on the church's interpretation of God's will. Links: LaGard Smith's Website Smith, F. L. (2019). The broad reach of in-de-ductive reasoning. Journal of Christian Legal Thought 9(1), 7-21. The Cultural Church by F. LaGard Smith Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Cole and Scott are joined by F. LaGard Smith. This interview was edited into two parts in post-production. In Part 1, we discuss The First Amendment and Natural Law. Links: LaGard Smith's Website Smith, F. L. (2019). The broad reach of in-de-ductive reasoning. Journal of Christian Legal Thought 9(1), 7-21. The Natural Law Tradition in Ethics at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole talk about whether we expect leaders to be honest (or have other virtues). Links: "‘I have no obligation to be honest to the media,’ former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says," by Kevin Breuninger Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by guest Bart Herridge. We discuss some of the arguments of whether 'diversity" is a virtue, and the challenges of thinking about issues of diversity in the workplace, the political space, or the education space. We referenced several articles in this episode. Scott incorrectly referred to Chrobot-Mason & Aramovich's (2013) study at one point, when he should have referenced Ely & Thomas' (2001) article. Chrobot-Mason, D., & Aramovich, N. P. (2013). The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity. Group & Organization Management, 38(6), 659-689. Ely, R. J., & Thomas, D. A. (2001). Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(2), 229–273. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667087 Page, S. E. (2007). Making the difference: Applying a logic of diversity. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(4), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2007.27895335 Roberge, M. E., & van Dick, R. (2010). Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance? Human Resource Management Review, 20(4), 295–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.09.002 Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole record their podcast live in Dr. Jon Camp's "Civil Discourse" class at Abilene Christian University, where they discuss Kling's model for "The Three Languages of Politics." Kling's "Three Languages of Politics" Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole interview Dr. Vic McCracken, author of "Christian Faith and Social Justice: Five Views." Christian Faith and Social Justice: Five Views, edited by Vic McCracken Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Dr. Paul Fabrizio, a professor of political science at McMurray University, to discuss the Constitution, and how the rights enumerated there relate to Christianity. Dr. Paul Fabrizio hosted a podcast called "The Constitution Line by Line, which you can fine HERE Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole respond to listener feedback. We love hearing from our listeners; email your feedback to . Also, Scott and Cole discuss whether Scott may be talking out of two sides of his mouth. Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Show Links: Ananias and Sapphire, Acts 5:1-11 "The Origins of the Religious Right" by Randall Balmer Wikipedia Article - Hobbes' Leviathan Lou Dobbs: Guard who drove into ICE protestors was 'within his rights'" by Marisa Iati and Tim Elfrink Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott lost a friend for flying his flag. Scott and Cole talk about "bros before politicos" works in their relationship, and how relationships can and should supersede our political views. Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Logan Owens joins Scott and Cole to discuss social and racial injustice, and the long-term effects of American apartheid. We discuss whether there is such a thing as collective guilt/responsibility. Also, we get to show off how crazy-smart our graduates are. This is a long one, but it's a good one :-) Show Links: "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates "Ta-Nehisi Coates is the Neoliberal Face of the black Freedom Struggle" by Cornell West Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Special guest Albert Acosta talks with Scott and Cole about living radically and self-sacrificially in the public square. Albert challenges allegiance to the state, and instead offers a challenging perspective on living for God's kingdom in a broken world. Show Links: Minter Lane Church of Christ, where Albert preaches Natural Law "History of Racism against Mexican-Americans Clouds Texas Immigration Law" by Suzanne Gamboa Hernandez v. Texas Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole talk about the difference between the intellectual virtue of skepticism and the vice of cynicism. Scott asserts that there are Christians operating in the public square who echo the lazy cynicism of Pilate's question, "What is truth?" Show Links: "Why Did We Go to War?" PBS Frontline "Lie of the Year: 'If you like your health care plan, you can keep it'" by Angie Drobnic Holan CliftonStrengths (Formerly StrengthsQuest or StrengthsFinders 2.0) "What are Intellectual Virtues?" Educating for Intellectual Virtues John 18:38; "What is truth?" "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" Wikipedia "The Apology of Timothy" Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy

Scott and Cole are joined by Dr. Cheryl Bacon, Professor Emerita of Journalism and Mass Communications. Cheryl helps us think about how discourse happens in the public square, how we select what conversations we participate in, and how we think about what we hear in the media. Show Links: "A Note about our Coverage of Donald Trump's 'Campaign'" by Ryan Grim and Danny Shea "A Note on Trump: We Are No Longer Entertained" by Arianna Huffington "Understanding Editorial Decisions" by Kat Sommers Dialogic Learning Westboro Baptist Church Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com

Cole is worried that the previous episode made him sound like a jerk. Scott and Cole discuss more about the needs of the poor, the role of the state, and the role of Christians. Scott gets cranky about the theology of charis. Show Links: FYI: These are not affiliate links; we receive no remuneration for these references. Hudson, K. & Coukos, A. (2005). The dark side of the protestant ethic: A comparative analysis of welfare reform. Sociological Theory, 23(1), 1-25. "Carter-Era Housing Policies Helped Spark Sub-Prime Crisis, Expert Says" by Josiah Ryan Gambling with Other People's Money by Russ Roberts Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com

Scott and Cole have fundamental differences about how to think about social welfare. We fly our flags proudly in this episode, and argue about the ways in which our faith intersects with our view of welfare programs. Show Links: FYI: These are not affiliate links; we receive no remuneration for these references. Definition of Classical Liberalism "Witness the violence inherent in the system!" Monty Python - Holy Grail Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand Amos Chapter 1 Walden by H. David Thoreau Here are a list of definitions for some of the terms we threw around in this episode... Deontological Ethics Consequentialist (Ontological) Ethics Virtue Ethics Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com

Scott and Cole are joined by Dan McGregor to discuss whether Christians should have participated in the American Revolution, and the challenges of pacifism. Dan shares a critique of some modern "art" and its depiction of the ways in which Christian themes are syncretized with political imagery. Show Links: FYI: These are not affiliate links; we receive no remuneration for these references. "One Nation Under God (McNaughton, Jon) "You Are Not Forgotten" (McNaughton, Jon) "City Upon a Hill (Winthrop, John) "The Peaceable Kingdom (Hicks, Edward) "The Oxbow" (Cole, Thomas) Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Modern World (Hannan, Daniel) An Election Sermon (West, Samuel: 1762) Ethics (Bonhoeffer, Dietrich) Gilbert Stuart (Wikipedia) Contact Us: Email: cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @cp_square Dr. Self's Website: jscottself.com