Good Faith Curtis Chang, David French

We toss around words like “conservative” and “progressive” without really understanding – or agreeing on – the meaning of these terms. 

This week, David and Curtis discuss how these labels simply don’t work when applied across both theology and politics.

How is the equivocation surrounding these terms misleading and therefore damaging to Christian discourse? Can politics be used as a proxy for faithfulness? If so, when?

Join David and Curtis as they dive deeper into the word “progressive” and “conservative” and attempt to provide clarity on this common, important conversational terminology.

This week David and Curtis are joined by Eric Costanzo, a Southern Baptist pastor from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has led his own congregation in the practice of welcoming refugees and immigrants in their community. Eric is also the co-author of the book “Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church”. Join us for this challenging discussion that, based on the number of times it’s mentioned in scripture (plus Jesus’ own experience as a displaced refugee), is an issue near to God’s own heart.

There is no shortage of punditry, analysis and Monday morning quarterbacking about this week’s midterm elections, including David’s own work at the Dispatch. In this podcast, however, David and Curtis try to take a slightly broader (dare we say higher?) view, to ask not only the raw political questions, but also the broader questions about what this election might be signaling for our country, our culture, and our church. What are the signs we should be paying attention to, and how should we as Christians be thinking, praying and responding to them?

If you watch any sports on television you may have seen one of the edgy, black & white ads from the “He Gets Us” campaign. Designed to introduce Jesus to a culture that is actually quite intrigued by him, this campaign has created both curiosity and questions. We are excited to be joined this week by one of the chief architects of the campaign, Jason Vanderground. Join us for this excellent conversation about the campaign itself, the broader theological questions at play, and even the role of advertising as a tool of evangelism.

This week David and Curtis are joined by David Skeel, one of the world’s leading experts on bankruptcy law and the Chairman of the Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, which was responsible for helping the territory restructure and cut its public debt by 80%. David brings a unique perspective as both a legal scholar and follower of Christ, particularly around how our understanding of debt can and should image Biblical values while not being strictly prescribed by Biblical law.

So how should Christians be approaching the midterm elections? Apart from the basic question of who to vote for, are there perhaps deeper questions to consider? What about the fact that 60% of Americans will have an election denier on their ballot this year? Is our democracy as unstable as a game of Jenga? Join David and Curtis for this enlightening discussion around the midterms and how we as Christians should be thinking about our role in the process.