What In God's Name

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News and Culture Podcast. Smart. Fun. Christian.

Ribeye Media


    • May 25, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 28m AVG DURATION
    • 288 EPISODES

    5 from 13 ratings Listeners of What In God's Name that love the show mention: society, conversation, listening, chris and shayna.



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    Latest episodes from What In God's Name

    S7 Ep728: The Moral World Of The MAGA Movement Must Be Taken Seriously. Here's Why.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2025 9:14


    You need to understand the underlying belief system that underwrites the moral world of the movement that goes by the name "Make America Great Again." Why? Because eventually this underlying belief system will bring down everything you cherish.

    S7 Ep727: Is Progressivism Dying? Why Secular Progressives Should Care About The New Pope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 9:21


    Progressivism is in retreat, not just in the United States but around the world. Catholic Social Teaching provides a wellspring to morally thirsty people. Can secular progressives come and drink?

    S7 Ep726: The Moral Lens On Our Common Life: Changing How We Think and Talk About Public Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 9:29


    The moral lens on our common life is a way to address our broken politics. Our politics is broken because we are an aimless people, unable to think and talk about meaning and purpose.

    S7 Ep725: Fairness Impossible: How Reporting on Federal Judges Feeds Polarization and Threatens the Constitutional Order

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 9:00


    How a standard practice in reporting on federal judges increases cynicism and polarization.

    S7 Ep724: How Liberals Helped Make America's Moral Mess

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 7:49


    On the necessity of hierarchies of virtue in a time of nihilism

    S7 Ep723: Absurdity As A Weapon: What You Need to Understand about the Attack on Goodness in Our Common Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025 8:09


    Separating words from their meanings is a tactic in the battle to erode the authority of goodness to constrain powerful people from acting badly.

    S7 Ep722: Civic Friendship to Civic Enmity: What You Need to Understand about this Moral Shift in Our Common Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2025 9:38


    Using our government's recent security breach on Signal and Jeffrey Goldberg's reporting on it as a point of departure, we help you understand the friend/enemy binary in our society.

    S7 Ep721: Good People Do Not Exist: What You Need to Understand about The Moral Battle in Our Common Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 7:55


    WIGN Short Form helps you understand the moral dimensions of our common life, and why they are important.

    S7 Ep720: What You Need to Understand about Power and Authority after Yesterday's Events

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 8:31


    What In God's Name looks at the Zelenskyy-Trump meeting through the moral lens

    S7 Ep719: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 6 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 26:11


    S7 Ep718: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 5 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 28:17


    S7 Ep717: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 4 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 29:27


    Today: Religious literacy to the rescue? How are we to have more open and honest conversations about public questions? Brandon and his University of Virginia students have some answers.

    S7 Ep716: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 3 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 27:29


    S7 Ep715: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 2 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 25:28


    S7 Ep714: Beyond the Wall of Separation: Must Religion Be a Conversation-Stopper? with Brandon Edwards, PhD (episode 1 of 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 25:59


    S7 Ep713: What's Your Temperature On The Election? Pivoting from the Political to the Moral Lens

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 27:26


    S7 Ep712: "Hope" As Used In Politics: Does It Need a Transcendent Source?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 37:10


    We consider hope from a political and a theological perspective

    S7 Ep711: Presidential Election and Human Nature: Are People Motivated More by Fear or More by Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 32:43


    S7 Ep710: Presidential Debate: The Real Human Dynamics at Work in Our Politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 32:13


    Chris and Shayna bring the moral and theological lens to see more deeply into our moment.

    S6 Ep624: Democratic Conversations: So How Do You Do That? S1 Project in Collaboration with HYPE

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 35:18


    S6 Ep624: Jim Wallis Talks to Chris Coons, Delaware Senator, and We React (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 36:02


    S6 Ep624: Ben Peterson on the Moral Foundations of Democracy (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 59:12


    S6 Ep624: Dwayne David Paul on the Moral Foundations of Democracy (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 44:46


    S6 Ep624: Does Your World Include Smart Evangelicals? It Should! A Conversation with McCallum Fulkerson (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 37:33


    S6 Ep624: Liz Theoharis: What It Really Means to Be A Christian Nation (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 41:40


    S6 Ep625: Assassination Attempt One Week Ago: Did It Mean Anything, Or Nothing At All?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2024 34:46


    S6 Ep623: David Gushee--Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 59:41


    S6 Ep623: Joseph Minich on the Moral Foundations of Democracy (Summer Replay)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 57:30


    S6 Ep623: Fourth Of July Special: How's Your Democracy Doing? The S1 Project Presents at Tufts Conference

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 33:42


    The S1 Project presents at the "Frontiers of Democracy" conference at the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Here's a taste of the conversation we led.

    S6 Ep622: Working Through Perceptions To Reality: A HYPE-S1 Project Collaboration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 28:33


    We revisit the essential question from the 2024 HYPE Conference at the University of New Hampshire with Fin, NJ, Stella, and Taloosh

    S6 Ep621: When Goods Collide: The Liberties and Obligations of Free Speech

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 38:18


    S6 Ep620: Let's Not Lose Our Minds: The Ability to Disagree for Good

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 39:03


    S6 Ep619: A Letter From Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar On Student Protests

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2024 31:03


    S6 Ep618: What Would Democracy Look Like if Extreme Wealth Were Impossible?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 27:48


    We talk about Christine Emba's article in The Atlantic

    S6 Ep617: When Do You Reconcile, and When Do You Resist? Reflections on a Religion and Politics Conversation with Senator Coons and Jim Wallis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2024 35:52


    Higher Calling: A conversation about faith and politics between Senator Chris Coons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlpK4B1Zifo

    S6 Ep616: The Story You Don't Hear About Christians and Our Nation, with Professor Ben Peterson

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 59:02


    Here is the link to Ben's writing and commentary: https://benapeterson.com/

    S6 Ep615: What Is The Meaning Of Life? A Simple and Correct Answer for a Moral Public Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 44:21


    S6 Ep614: Love In A Time Of Demagogues: Do I Love Democracy Enough To Really Go After It?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 33:16


    Chris and Shayna consider Ralph Ellison's quote, from his speech upon receiving the National Book Award in 1953: "The way home we seek, is that condition of man's being at home in the world, which is called love, and which we term democracy."

    S6 Ep613: How Do You Have A Meaningful Conversation? An Adult Dialogue with Young Leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2024 35:12


    The Ethics Forum Website: https://www.souheganethicsforum.org/

    S6 Ep612: How Does Authority Degrade Into Tyranny? Democratic Authority at Century's End

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2024 30:26


    Here is Jean Bethke Elshtain: https://hedgehogreview.com/issues/democracy/articles/democratic-authority-at-centurys-end

    S6 Ep610: What Happens When Democratic Authority Fails? (Can You Guess?)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 35:31


    Jean Bethke Elshtain on Democratic Authority: https://hedgehogreview.com/issues/democracy/articles/democratic-authority-at-centurys-end

    authority democratic fails jean bethke elshtain
    S6 Ep609: Democracy Disease Diagnosis And Treatment: A Conversation On Rabbi Brous Sermon on Yom Kippur

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 38:04


    Rabbi Sharon Brous: https://ikar.org/team/rabbi-sharon-brous/ "This Is The Moral Earthquake" sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PuLI2atWPs

    S6 Ep608: Religion in Revolt: Dwayne David Paul

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 44:36


    Here is the Religion in Revolt website: https://www.religionrevolt.org/

    608: What You Never Hear About (Some) Christians In Our Public Life Today with Liz Theoharis

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2023 41:33


    Here is Liz's article: https://liztheoharis.org/mike-johnsons-reading-of-scripture-misses-what-it-really-means-to-be-a-christian-nation/ Here is the Kairos Center: https://kairoscenter.org/

    S6 Ep607: David Gushee: Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 59:30


    https://www.amazon.com/Defending-Democracy-Its-Christian-Enemies/dp/0802882935

    S6 Ep606: Are Humans Capable of Sustaining Self-Governance? Will American Democracy Fail?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2023 34:00


    Your view of human nature will shape your understanding of how democracy should be ordered for longevity. Your view of human nature may mean that you don't think democracy is sustainable.

    S6 Ep605: The Illiberal Left: We Have To Call It Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 32:51


    S6 Ep604: SPECIAL: How To Think Deeper About Hamas And Israel with Shayna's Reflection

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 32:26


    Shayna's Reflection: I am an American, gender-queer, Jew and I am…  …terrified right now for innocent civilians in both Israel and Palestine, and for Jews everywhere as anti-semites around the world view the Hamas slaughter as permission to hit the gas pedal on their own hatred.  I am…  …pissed as hell at Hamas for unleashing what promises to be a disproportionate response by Israel, and pissed even further into hell by the Israeli governments inability to resist being goaded into that response.  I am…  …breathless with fear as I await the outcome for hostages taken by Hamas - women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and breathless with fear for the lives of Palestinian women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.  I am…  …watching in despair as Western media attempts to report on this disaster, all the while seemingly blind to the prism through which they view “facts on the ground.'  I am…  …sensitive to those who feel called to stand in solidarity with Israel in light of the Hamas massacre AND sensitive to those who stand with the Palestinian people, recognizing the consequences decades of occupation have inflicted.   I am…  …incredibly grateful for the one friend who reached out to me to see how I'm holding up in the midst of this human disaster, recognizing, without having to be told, how deeply distressing these events are for those of us who carry the identity “Jewish”or “Palestinian, or maybe simply “human.”  I am…  …praying for the peacemakers, for I was lead to believe they would be recognized as “the children of G-d,” even as I find myself wondering how much clout G-d has in a conflict too many have blamed on Them.  I am…  …awaiting the reign of the meek, who Jesus said would inherit the earth.  Where the hell are you guys?  I am…  …terrified, pissed, breathless with fear, watching in despair, sensitive, incredibly grateful, praying, awaiting.  How are you all holding up?

    S6 Ep603: "Separation Of Church And State": Of Course. But When Does It Become an Excuse to Avoid Hard Conversations?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2023 26:51


    Today's show refers to this writing:    Religion News Service ran a story last week on the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, and their efforts to pass laws that (they claim) are based on Christianity.   Specifically (from their website), they are about “abolishing abortion,” “restoring marriage between one man and one woman,” and (an often forgotten part of the Sermon on the Mount), “promoting universal school choice.”   The story attributes the following criticism of the NACL to Holly Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty: that making laws “shaped by a legislator's view of Christian values can be harmful for both the government and people of faith because it erodes the separation of church and state.”   There's a lot to unpack here, with implications for everyone—Christian or not, religious or not—who cares about the future of American democracy.   The key phrase in Hollman's criticism is “the separation of church and state.” What does this phrase mean today? In what ways has it become a reflexive and feckless fallback position for well-intentioned religious people who are politically liberal? And in what circumstances is it indispensable?   So permit me, then, as a thought experiment, to defend the National Association of Christian Lawmakers—not for their specific causes, nor for their method. No. Let me defend the NACL for what they are trying to do, understood in the most generous way possible: they are trying to bring a moral vision into our shared common life, and reconnect that vision to the practice of making laws.   That's a good thing. A healthy society needs to ask questions about, and have respectful debates about, the good towards which policies and practices are aimed. And a healthy politics is connected to a vision of the common good, or else you get what you have now—a politics of getting and keeping power for personal gain, bought by powerful moneyed interests.   Here's where the imprecision of the phrase “separation of church and state” becomes problematic.    If Hollman is playing the “separation of church and state” card in order to trump any religious voice's articulation of values in public conversations, including conversations about public policy and the making of laws, then she (along with many secularists who believe religion should be just a private activity) are making 2 mistakes: the first is constitutional; the second is strategic.   Let me take the constitutional mistake first. The separation of church and state is a Jeffersonian phrase that refers to the First Amendment. The First Amendment prohibits the  establishment of a state religion, and prohibits the government from restricting individuals' free exercise of religion.   Neither of these prohibitions can be construed to mean that religious voices are disqualified from articulating values or visions of human flourishing that rise from religious commitments, or advocating for those values as matters of policy. There's nothing about articulation or advocacy per se, that establishes a state religion or prohibits an individual's free exercise of religion. A particular bill that NACL supports that gets signed into law may violate the First Amendment, but that's a separate question.    The second, strategic mistake Hollman makes in playing the “separation of church and state” card is not unique to her. In fact, it is common to most religious people who are politically left of center. It's a failure to engage with substantive moral and theological critiques of liberal democracy, including laws that rise from liberal democracy's commitment to equality and individual rights.    Failing to engage these moral and theological critiques is a strategic mistake because it (to use the language of battle) cedes the moral field to the critics. In short, where there needs to be an articulation of moral good in the public square by religious people who are politically left of center, those people retreat behind the wall of “separation  of church and state.” The needed moral and theological articulation is never made. Silence ensues, and the loud voices win.   Let me be more concrete. NACL wants to undo Obergefell. Instead of criticizing NACL's advocacy for reversing Obergefell as violating the separation of church and state, what religious people (and non-religious people, for that matter) ought to do, is articulate the moral and theological good that the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause (on which Obergefell was decided) guards.   Or again, abortion. Instead of criticizing NACL as violating the separation of church and state by seeking to abolish abortion, what religious people ought to do, is articulate how “choice” is a moral and theological good in this humanly complex issue.   The “separation of church and state” was never meant to disconnect moral philosophy and moral theology from public questions.   There are reasonable people, of good will, who have substantive critiques of liberal (understood as a political philosophy, not a political party) democracy, and (some of) its laws. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers may or may not be reasonable, or of good will. Either way, to refrain from engaging the moral and humanistic theological dimensions of our shared common life, in the name of the “separation of church and state,” leaves a void that such voices then fill.    And leaves the positive goods of liberal democracy unspoken.    Chris Owen   Chris is the Founder and Co-Associate Director of the S-1 Project, dedicated to the promotion of moral and humanistic theological reflection on our shared common life 

    S6 Ep602: Can You Be A Liberal And A Conservative At The Same Time? Let's Hope So

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2023 27:48


    S6 Ep601: What Are The Moral Foundations Of Democracy? with Joseph Minich

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 57:20


    Joseph's most recent book, Bulwarks of Unbelief: https://www.amazon.com/Bulwarks-Unbelief-Atheism-Absence-Secular-ebook/dp/B0BZ91GQDV?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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