Podcasts about ethnic

A timeless time capsule episode featuring special guest: Earon James Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new law in China requires parents to guide their children to love the Chinese Communist Party, schools to teach a government-approved version of Chinese history, and all citizens to refrain from doing anything the government deems not conducive to promoting a unified Chinese ethnicity. With the laws extending to critics abroad, minority ethnic groups like the Uyghurs and Tibetans say the laws codify and expand longstanding policies of forced assimilation and threaten to silence critics around the world.

The world is aflame with endless wars and racial strife. Some societies are tearing themselves apart as mass migration fuels a nationalist backlash. Since the nineteenth century, ethnic nationalism has been a potent force, galvanizing peoples — imagined nations — around shared myths and historical truths. Our guest is Sune Haugbølle, an expert on global political sociology. He specializes in social memory, the history of radical movements, and transnational solidarity at Roskilde University in Denmark. He is the author of War and Memory in Lebanon (Cambridge Middle East Studies). Further listening: The Nakba: 1947-present w/ historian Mark LeVine Subscribe today to History As It Happens Premium for ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content! Subscribe today to support our important work! Subscriptions begin at only $5 per month. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mary Anne Grady Flores, spoke with WBAI on Monday..

Everyone has been focused (and rightfully so) on the Electrolit growth story, but there's another trending Mexican beverage company you shouldn't be overlooking! For decades, Jumex was stuck in the “ethnic aisle” as a nostalgia brand for immigrants. But then, they teamed up with AriZona Beverages and went completely rogue…launching a Hard Nectar lineup that absolutely blew up on social media. Now, that iconic blue can is quietly conquering the United States…and the company is sponsoring college football, dropping energy drinks and functional hydration beverages. Grupo Jumex even revived the legacy premium juice brand Odwalla last year, proving its no longer some hidden small bodega beverage company.

Loopz podcast episode 147 - Whispers from afar // Ga-l // Melon,Nalini Blossom,Alunawachuma,ERKKA,KÖNI,Lemurian,DIBIDABO,Alex Doering,WasiSunqu Remix,Wakhan,Max Tenrom,Mashk,Soul Button,Sheila Chandra,MI.LA,Vestra,Bakean,Solidmind ,Eranota ,Kaan Koray,Vaha,Alma Deya,TETOUZE // https://www.loopz.fr //

Anele had the shock of her life yesterday when she found a porcupine wandering around her house. Security was called to remove it... but here's the problem: they left without saying whether they'd actually caught it. So now she's wondering... is there still a porcupine hiding somewhere on the property? That got us thinking... across South Africa, different cultures have very different beliefs about animals that unexpectedly appear at your home. For some, it's nothing more than nature doing its thing. For others, it's a warning, a message from the ancestors, a sign of good luck... or even bad luck. A porcupine, in particular, carries all sorts of meanings depending on who you ask. Hang out with Anele and The Club on 947 every weekday morning. Popular radio hosts Anele Mdoda, Frankie du Toit, Thembekile Mrototo, and Cindy Poluta take fun to the next level with the biggest guests, hottest conversations, feel-good vibes, and the best music to get you going! Kick-start your day with the most enjoyable way to wake up in Joburg. Connect with Anele and The Club on 947 via WhatsApp at 084 000 0947 or call the studio on 011 88 38 947Thank you for listening to the Anele and the Club podcast..Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 to 09:00 to Anele and the Club broadcast on 947 https://buff.ly/y34dh8Y For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/gyWKIkl or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/K59GRzuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favourite My Cousin Vlad is back in the Sooshi Cave this week. We talk through our experiences travelling through Turkey and Macedonia. He has a very different way of parenting his children than we do and making the most of a CPAP machine. Subscribe'a now! Tank'a you... - https://linktr.ee/sooshimango Ptou you bastard!

Nicholas Lemann is the Pulitzer-Moore Professor of Journalism at Columbia University and a staff writer for The New Yorker. He is the author of several books, including Higher Admissions: The Rise, Decline, and Return of Standardized Testing, Transaction Man: The Rise of the Deal and the Decline of the American Dream, and most recently, Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries. Greg speaks with Nicholas about Returning, his memoir tracing five generations of his German Jewish family in New Orleans. Nicholas reflects on how the pursuit of acceptance led many German Jews to downplay their Jewish identity, distance themselves from Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and oppose Zionism, before describing his own gradual return to Jewish tradition and community later in life. From there, the conversation broadens into a discussion about the changing role of identity and institutions in American life. Greg and Nicholas explore the decline of religious and ethnic identity, the growing secularization of academia and journalism, and how changing ideas of merit, belonging, and fairness have shaped debates over standardized testing, affirmative action, and elite college admissions. Finally, they discuss Transaction Man, examining the rise and fall of the “company man,” the shift from stakeholder-oriented corporations to shareholder primacy, and Nicholas's argument that today's more individualistic, network-driven society has transformed how people find purpose, stability, and community. unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM. Episode Quotes: The hidden cost assimilation 13:35: Jewish assimilation, like my family's story, tends to involve offloading many parts of traditional Jewish observance. Ethnic and religious culture can be a very beautiful and enriching community to live in. And it is for me today. But if you start watering it down, after a certain point, it kind of loses...It doesn't have that much left, and it doesn't fulfill the needs that it used to. It doesn't have the sense of community that it used to. It doesn't have the hold between generations that it used to. A culture doesn't need an enemy to disappear 14:21: We all know why there's almost no German Jews in Germany. That's one story. But there's really almost no coherent German Jewish culture in America, and that's for a whole different set of reasons, which is just lightening what it meant to be Jewish and live as a Jew to the point that it just didn't hold people anymore. The tradeoff between acceptance and identity 11:08: Eastern European Jews made us very uncomfortable. And so we felt that if they came to America in very large numbers, it would kind of make things worse for us 'cause it would unleash prejudice. And with Zionism, Zionism can be defined in a lot of different ways. But if you define it as a sense of peoplehood, you know, we are a people, we are a tribe, even if we don't have a nation state, we are a de facto nation, and we're all in it together in common cause and have a primary loyalty to each other. What I just said, that's exactly what the German Jews didn't think. That's... I was raised not to think. So, we were supposed to be Americans with a light ethno-religious identity, but we were Americans. We didn't have dual loyalty. Show Links: Recommended Resources: Moses Mendelssohn Pittsburgh Platform Lillian Hellman Zionism Antisemitism Felix Frankfurter James Tobin SAT Jack Welch Adolf A. Berle Louis Brandeis Peter Drucker Michael C. Jensen Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure Werner Erhard Reid Hoffman Guest Profile: Faculty Profile at Columbia Journalism School Profile at Tulane University LinkedIn Profile Wikipedia Page Guest Work: Amazon Author Page Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries Higher Admissions: The Rise, Decline, and Return of Standardized Testing Transaction Man: Traders, Disrupters, and the Dismantling of Middle-Class America American Democracy: 21 Historic Answers to 5 Urgent Questions The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America By Nicholas Lemann - Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War The New Yorker Articles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Leila Warah is a Palestinian American multimedia journalist currently based in Palestine. Born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, she holds a degree in Journalism and Media and has significant experience in reporting across digital platforms. Through her social media (@leila.shw on Instagram), Leila creates videos that stay true to the Palestinian question, breaking it down for an international audience to better understand what life under Israeli occupation in the West Bank looks like. Her content delivers on-the-ground visual storytelling, tailored for an international audience, that humanizes the headlines, shedding light on Palestinian identity, resistance, and the everyday realities of communities often overlooked by mainstream media. Zena Tahhan is a journalist with over ten years of experience in journalism and human rights organizations. She holds a BSc in Journalism from Northwestern University in Qatar and an MA in Middle East Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As a writer and TV reporter, she focuses on exposing the realities of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation, covering issues such as killings, settler attacks, land confiscation, military raids, political prisoners, and forced displacement. Alongside field reporting, she also produces political analysis and opinion pieces. Her expertise spans Palestine's political history, settler colonialism, and international human rights law, with a particular focus on how Israel's system of military occupation operates through laws, courts, and policies that undermine basic freedoms. They both joined me in the Shack. Thanks to Pau Garcés for his help in making this pod happen. The Whistleblower Special Series is here:https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack/posts/patron-exclusive-163145416

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Leila Warah is a Palestinian American multimedia journalist currently based in Palestine. Born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, she holds a degree in Journalism and Media and has significant experience in reporting across digital platforms. Through her social media (@leila.shw on Instagram), Leila creates videos that stay true to the Palestinian question, breaking it down for an international audience to better understand what life under Israeli occupation in the West Bank looks like. Her content delivers on-the-ground visual storytelling, tailored for an international audience, that humanizes the headlines, shedding light on Palestinian identity, resistance, and the everyday realities of communities often overlooked by mainstream media. Zena Tahhan is a journalist with over ten years of experience in journalism and human rights organizations. She holds a BSc in Journalism from Northwestern University in Qatar and an MA in Middle East Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As a writer and TV reporter, she focuses on exposing the realities of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation, covering issues such as killings, settler attacks, land confiscation, military raids, political prisoners, and forced displacement. Alongside field reporting, she also produces political analysis and opinion pieces. Her expertise spans Palestine's political history, settler colonialism, and international human rights law, with a particular focus on how Israel's system of military occupation operates through laws, courts, and policies that undermine basic freedoms. They both joined me in the Shack. Thanks to Pau Garcés for his help in making this pod happen. The Whistleblower Special Series is here:https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack/posts/patron-exclusive-163145416

When evil rises against God's people, God is never absent or outmatched. In Esther 3, Haman's pride and hatred grow into a plot to destroy every Jew in the Persian Empire. Though his plan appears unstoppable, God is governing every detail. The chapter reminds us that the true battle is not merely against people but against the spiritual forces that oppose God's plan of redemption. Believers can trust that God remains sovereign, faithful, and victorious over every scheme against His people.

Dawit Teferi joins us from Ethiopia to share his work as a travel specialist tour guide. Dawit talks about his book, Visiting Ethiopia with Understanding: The Mursi People and Tourism in Ethiopia. He explains from his research, why the Mursi ethnic group have their tradition of wearing the lip plate, and about the effects of tourism in the Omo Valley where the Mursi live. Dawit tells us about his company Nightjar Tours, where they go, and what people will see on his tours.#ethiopia #africa #tourism #ethnic #travelFOLLOW Dawit Teferi:WEBSITE/LINKS: Nightjar Tourshttps://www.nightjartour.comCONTACT:E-MAIL: dawitnightjar@gmail.comBOOKS :Dawit Teferi, Visiting Ethiopian Churches (Addis Ababa: Nightjar Tours, 2019)Dawit Teferi, Visiting Ethiopian with Understanding: The Mursi (Addis Ababa: Nightjar Tours,2023)Dawit Teferi, Visiting Ethiopian with Understanding: The Hamer (Addis Ababa: Nightjar Tours,forthcoming)FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ASMALPodcastVISIT OUR WEBSITE: http://www.asmallmediumatlarge.coEMAIL: asmallmediumatlargepodcast@gmail.com Show Produced by Green Valley Production StudioMusic by DJ Booda: http://www.djbooda.com

"If God has placed an immigrant group in your community, we have the opportunity to reach out and share the lovely gifts that God has given us," said Rev Jeff Thormodson, the executive director of the Lutheran Society of Missiology. "The Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology raises up leaders who speak Congolese, Aramaic, Telugu. It's a wonderful opportunity to make disciples of all nations." Learn more about how the Lord is raising up leaders in his church through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis!

Wednesday 7-8-26 Show #1289: We talk snitches, the death of Blackberry phones, World Cup, Miguel's friend named Cobra, and how we spent the 4th of July.

Wednesday 7-8-26 Show #1289: We talk snitches, the death of Blackberry phones, World Cup, Miguel's friend named Cobra, and how we spent the 4th of July.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode of China Insider, Miles Yu covers the 250th anniversary celebrations in the US, and examines the impact of these events on China and Chinese society. Next, Miles reviews the Chinese Communist Party's 105th anniversary celebrations, including President Xi Jinping's address to the Party and key meetings held among leading party members to study Xi Jinping's guiding principles and thought on party building. Finally, Miles looks into the new Ethnic Unity law that recently went into effect in China, and the implications this legislation carries for human rights issues and minority groups both in and out of China. China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute's China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world's future. 

Academics say China's new ethnic unity law has implications for people living outside of the country and New Zealanders should be concerned. Anna Fifield, former Bureau Chief in Beijing for the Washington Post spoke to John Campbell about the potential implications of the new law.

Academics say China's new ethnic unity law has implications for people living outside of the country and New Zealanders should be concerned. The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law of China came into effect on Wednesday, with a provision indicating that Beijing could target people overseas for inciting ethnic separatism. Luka Forman reports.

We talk the government reacting to a new Chinese law, competing drone procurement bills and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Steve Yates analyzes China's Ethnic Unity Law, which codifies ethnonationalism and criminalizes the denial of Chinese identity even for those outside the PRC. The law targets Taiwanese identity and may lead to the extradition of critics, reflecting the CCP's focus on total ideological control. (3)1910 IDAHO

a set i played at AMARA VALLEY 2013 support at http://patreon.com/gagarinproject https://buymeacoffee.com/gagarin

Send us Fan MailComedian Paul Bragin is back in the studio for his lucky-number-seven appearance, and the wheels come off almost immediately. This week on The Days Grimm Podcast, Brian, Thomas, and producer Corey turn a simple "deaths of the month" check-in into a no-topic-is-safe deep dive that somehow connects a horse-racing legend, a paramount principle of Jewish law, and a dictator's 1987 plan to breed cows the size of dogs. If you like your comedy podcast unscripted, unfiltered, and wildly off the rails, you found the right episode.From there it only escalates: the crew debates whether a pig heart transplant counts as kosher (turns out there's a real answer), digs into the melanin-peptide tanning trend and the surprising cancer research behind it, and settles into a heated greatest-director argument over Christopher Nolan's upcoming Odyssey. You'll get the real backstory of how Henry Ford "borrowed" the assembly line from Toyota, a field guide to Amish Rumspringa, and a passionate case for why Waffle House needs to come to Evansville — fights and all.Recorded in the Days Grimm studio in Evansville, Indiana, this episode closes with Paul's report from his longest-ever clean stand-up set, a tour through the chaos of the Evansville Watch local-news feed, and a stack of local plugs you'll actually want to hit. Grab a Four Roses (hopefully one day a sponsor), subscribe, and settle in.If this one made you laugh, do us a favor: smash that Subscribe button, ring the bell so you never miss a Tuesday drop, and drop a comment below telling us your hottest take from the episode. New episodes of The Days Grimm Podcast every week — and hey, Four Roses, our DMs are open.

What's in a name? Well, in South Africa, quite a lot! Surnames carry the stories of ancestors, cultures, and the complex history that shaped this incredible country. Whether your last name is Van der Merwe, Mbatha, Patel, or even Botha, understanding its origin can unlock a treasure trove of genealogical clues. Let's dive into some of the most fascinating aspects of South African surnames and have some fun while we're at it! The Cultural Mix South Africa is known as the "Rainbow Nation" for a reason: its people come from a variety of backgrounds, including indigenous African tribes, European settlers, Indian laborers, and even Chinese immigrants. The surnames that arise from these different groups reflect their unique cultural stories. Knowing a surname's origin can provide insight into your family's place in South Africa's diverse past. Let's break down the main cultural groups and explore their surnames... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/understanding-south-african-surnames-a-guide-to-cultural-and-ethnic-origins/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support https://ancestralfindings.com/paypal  #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

A Washington State University study found that rates of food insecurity in the U.S. vary among members of different racial and ethnic groups. It found, for example, that only 10% of Asian American adults who live in severe poverty are food insecure, compared to 40% of American Indian and Alaska Native adults living in severe poverty. It also found that low-income white adults had similar levels of food insecurity as low-income Hispanic adults while low-income Black adults faced more food insecurity than both those other groups.    A household whose income is below 50% of the federal poverty level is considered to be living in severe poverty, whereas a household whose income is 100% to 200% above the federal poverty level is considered to be living in near poverty.   Justin Denney, a professor of sociology at Washington State University, joins us to share more details about the study and how its findings could inform outreach efforts to communities with the greatest food assistance needs.  

Did you know China is home to 56 ethnic groups, each with its own unique traditions? Tune in to learn why the pomegranate is a symbol of ethnic unity in China and discover the vibrant festivals celebrated by the country's ethnic groups. (09:30) Experience the excitement of the Mongolian Naadam Festival, featuring wrestling, horse racing, and archery. (17:00) Discover the colorful celebrations of the Miao New Year.

Over the years, America has seen the slow transformation of entire industries that seem to be captured by specific foreign diasporas. From truck driving to IT, hotels, and gas stations, ethnic cartels have used advantages enshrined in law to corner the market for many businesses. The drop in quality of these establishments has had an overall deleterious effect on the quality of life in the U.S. Writer and entrepreneur C. Jay Engel joins me to discuss his solution.  Follow on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148af Substack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyre Gab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyre YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyre Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:f Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We examine the Commonwealth Fund report's findings and what they reveal about health care access, affordability and outcomes across Texas.

Continuing our series in Ephesians, Joshijah speaks on Ephesians 3:10-13, walking us through God's design for a diverse, multicolored church here in Jonesboro as in Heaven.

Why there is no mass youth movement in Pakistan?The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceTo support the channel:Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912Patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceAnd Please stay in touch:https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperienceThe podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikhFacebook.com/Shehzadghias/Twitter.com/shehzad89Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC44l9XMwecN5nSgIF2Dvivg/joinChapters:0:00 What is Cockroach Janta Party2:00 Where is Pakistan's cockroach party?4:00 1970s movement and Zia-ul-Haq's use of religion6:50 Military ka danda and urban-rural divide9:04 Lack of unions11:02 Provincialism and Ethnic movements17:30 PTI kay hotay huay Pakistan mai cockroach party nahee asakti24:14 Class division in Pakistan and our national media

A short clip. A blunt question. And apparently, more than a few people had thoughts about it.When Dr. Alan Strange asked his evening class whether anyone really believes some nations or ethnic groups are superior to others, the clip made the rounds, and the comment sections lit up. In this episode of MarsCast, we slow the moment down as Dr. Strange walks through what Paul was actually doing at the Areopagus, why the gospel "relativizes" natural kinship without dismissing it, and why the impulse to rank peoples by blood runs straight into the unity of the human race that Scripture plainly teaches. The church has spoken on this before. The question is whether she'll speak clearly now.

A short clip. A blunt question. And apparently, more than a few people had thoughts about it. When Dr. Alan Strange asked his evening class whether anyone really believes some nations or ethnic groups are superior to others, the clip made the rounds, and the comment sections lit up. In this episode of MarsCast, we slow the moment down as Dr. Strange walks through what Paul was actually doing at the Areopagus, why the gospel "relativizes" natural kinship without dismissing it, and why the impulse to rank peoples by blood runs straight into the unity of the human race that Scripture plainly teaches. The church has spoken on this before. The question is whether she'll speak clearly now.

Modern sports did not just change how people played; they fundamentally rewired how they lived, looked, and identified within a rapidly transforming world. The conversation with Murat Yildiz, an assosciate professor of history at Skidmore College, explores the high-stakes intersection of physical culture, social status, and the 19th-century quest for a new global aesthetic. Elite educational and military institutions utilized gymnastics and disciplined exercise to mold an upwardly mobile generation, using sports to reconfigure traditional social hierarchies. Meanwhile, the rise of photography helped normalize and spread a uniform corporal aesthetic, allowing young men from diverse backgrounds to adopt a standardized look of proper modern masculinity. Tracing a vibrant athletic awakening, the discussion follows how sporting culture rippled across urban centers, from Istanbul to Cairo, Beirut, and Jerusalem, signaling a deeper transformation in community, selfhood, and the shift from indigenous traditions to professionalized international play.   0:00 Introduction 1:39 Misconceptions of Athletics and Modernity 4:07 Professionalism vs. Amateurism in Regional Sporting Culture 8:41 Sports as a Tool for Capturing Urban Diversity 9:17 Educational Reformers and the Significance of Gymnastics 12:47 Sports as a New Modern Technology 18:53 Photography and the Global Corporal Aesthetic 21:56 Visual Normalization of Ethnic and Religious Identities 23:14 Sports and the Creation of New Militaries 26:13 Reconfiguring Class Hierarchies in Elite Schools 30:41 Spreading Western Sports: From Baseball to Soccer 32:21 Tension with Indigenous Traditions: The Case of Wrestling 36:40 Gendering the Ottoman World of Sports 41:04 Tracing the Regional Sports Nahda beyond the Capital 48:07 History as a Creative Conversation with the Past 52:02 Al Abtal Magazine and the Egyptian Physical Culture 56:53 Further Recommendations: Football, Books, and Film 1:01:56 Future Directions for Archival Research   Murat C. Yildiz is Associate Professor of History at Skidmore College. He specializes in the cultural and social history of the modern Middle East. In particular, his research examines the intersections of sports, identity, the body, gender, and intercommunality in the late Ottoman Empire. His book, "The Ottoman World of Sports: Refashioning Bodies, Men, and Communities in Late Imperial Istanbul" (The University of Texas Press), examines how Istanbul's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish denizens created a shared sports culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is an assistant editor for the Arab Studies Journal and serves as an editorial board member of the International Journal of the History of Sport. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and served as a Manoogian Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Michigan.   Connect with Murat C. Yildiz

Jason and Dan DeGraff kick off the Messy Reformation's annual Synod coverage with a breakdown of the convening session of Synod 2026. The convening session is mostly a warm-up — an hour of tech troubleshooting and a chance for delegates to find their footing before the real work begins. But it ends with the one piece of business that, year after year, tells you more about where Synod is headed than almost anything else: the election of officers. Chad Steenwyk is president. Derek Buikema is vice president. Jose Reyes is first clerk. Dave Tenclay is second clerk. Jason's point is not the names themselves but what it means that none of these names is a surprise. Four years ago, the idea that a leader of the Abide Project could be elected president of Synod would have been unthinkable — anyone associated with Abide carried what Jason calls the black mark of the plague. Now it just makes sense. That, he argues, is the single most important thing this episode is about: the fog of reformation makes it easy to forget how far the CRC has actually moved. Dan brings the numbers and the texture. Over 100 new delegates this year — close to 58 percent of the floor — which is roughly the pattern of the last several synods. He and Jason talk about why the convening session matters even when it looks like nothing happens, why around 25 absent delegates is worth a gentle rebuke, and what it means that the delegates got behind strong confessional leaders right out of the gate. They engage Paul VanderKlay's recent video predicting that the pendulum has swung about as far as it will, and Jason pushes back: he thinks Synod is increasingly willing to take the reins on things like the Calvin Seminary presidency precisely because trust in the institution has been lost. The conversation closes on demographics that complicate any simple read — the confessional fire Jason has seen among Korean, Hispanic, and Venezuelan delegates, the talk of a new Classis Lone Star out of Hispanic church plants in Texas, and the continued decline in women delegates. The hosts commit to a few coverage episodes during Synod rather than daily updates, and Jason ends where the podcast always ends: this is Christ's church, he bought it with his blood, so keep watch on your life and doctrine and keep fighting the good fight in this messy reformation. Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro and welcome 2:00 — Why we always cover the convening session 3:30 — The tech struggles of an online convening session 5:00 — Why the officer elections signal where Synod is headed 5:30 — Chad Steenwyk elected president 7:00 — Chad and the fallout of 2023 9:00 — The shift: an Abide leader as president would have been unthinkable 11:00 — The fog of reformation: forgetting how far we've come 13:00 — Three officers have been on this podcast 15:00 — The new leaders versus the old institutional names 16:30 — Derek Buikema elected vice president 19:00 — Jose Reyes elected first clerk 21:00 — Dave Tenclay elected second clerk 24:00 — Over 100 new delegates: what it means 28:00 — Preparing first-time delegates 31:00 — Around 25 absent delegates and why the convening session matters 34:00 — Paul VanderKlay's video and the confessional trajectory 37:00 — Synod taking the reins and the Calvin Seminary overture 40:00 — Ethnic minorities and the confessional fire 43:00 — Classis Lone Star and a more confessional CRC 45:00 — Women delegates and the officer board 47:00 — Coverage plans and closing Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Intro music by Matt Krotzer

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Evolution of Ukrainian IdentityVolodymyr Zelenskyy, a Russian-speaking Jewish entertainer and businessman, represents a shift toward a civic Ukrainian identity rather than an ethnic one. His 2019 election victory was rooted in a desire for an outsider to fix the failing political system and find a path to peace with Moscow. Because of his background, Zelenskyy initially believed he could negotiate directly with Putin. His presidency highlights that being Ukrainian is now defined by a commitment to the state rather than language or religion, directly contradicting Putin's "one people" myth. Guest: Professor Eugene Finkel. (6/8)1890