Jason Harris and the Resound Project Podcast Resound Project

Two of the most opinionated and emotionally charged cultural arenas are higher education and politics. Campuses of higher education are ripe with fresh minds and strong opinions, but lately they have also been characterized by division, isolation, and loneliness. The strong polarization of the political sphere extends not only to colleges and universities but also to the American church.

In this episode, historian and former university president Nathan Hatch reflects on the state of higher education in America and the political captivity that threatens the Christian church. Though there are significant issues plaguing our most important cultural institutions, Nathan suggests that these divisive times provide Christians with a remarkable opportunity to rise above ideological cults and make a positive difference.

Nathan Hatch is the former provost of Notre Dame University, the president emeritus of Wake Forest University, and the author of the award-winning book “The Democratization of American Christianity.” An active leader in American higher education and in local and community affairs, he has served on the board of the American Council on Education and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2014.

When we consider the ways scripture can sometimes be mishandled, misinterpreted, and misapplied, it’s understandable why some people may feel put off by the Christian faith. If one is not careful, misreadings of the Bible can often result in an ethic that fosters chauvinism, sexism, or other dehumanizing ideologies — gender-related or otherwise. So how should we address these erroneous views?

In this episode, author and speaker Rebecca McLaughlin explains why distancing ourselves from the Christian faith on account of harmful misinterpretations is not the solution; instead, we should seek God’s heart on the hot button topics of our day by stepping closer to the full storyline of the Bible. When we begin with the character of Jesus and his teachings, a very different ethic is uncovered — one that champions the dignity of men and women alike, celebrates the beauty of God’s design for human sexuality, and offers hope to a broken world.

Rebecca McLaughlin grew up in the UK and holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Cambridge and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is the author of several books including Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion and Jesus Through the Eyes of Women.

If you feel dissatisfied or disappointed with the state of your romantic relationship—or lack thereof—or if you’re confused by the conflicting messages from our culture and from the Church regarding sex and sexuality, this episode is for you. Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, and speaker, and the author of a number of books including "Is God Anti-Gay?," "Why Bother with Church?," "7 Myths about Singleness" and "What God Has To Say About Our Bodies." In this episode, Sam shares his own personal story of wrestling with the Bible’s instruction on sexuality, and why he believes Jesus is still worth following. We discuss why it’s imperative for the Church to be a place of compassion, clarity, and courage, practical ways to love and care for friends with differing views on sexuality, and how the credibility of a Biblical ethic of sexuality is determined by the way in which the Church values and supports those who are single.

In addition to preaching, teaching, and providing pastoral care, pastors and Christian leaders today are increasingly expected to make pronouncements on the latest events in the news cycle while providing ongoing social and political commentary. But playing the role of a pundit is dangerous territory for a pastor. So what role should Christian leaders and the local church play in the public square? In the first episode of our second season we speak with Michael Wear about what the Christian tradition has to offer to public life and the opportunity Christians have to bring a sense of well being and joy to our political culture.

Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer.

Michael is the author of "Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America" and "The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life" which will be released on January 23, 2024.

Given the combustible relationship between the two, conventional wisdom suggests that you should never mix religion and politics. But that is an overly simplistic response. If you want to better understand the dynamic relationship between religion and politics—from the standpoint of Christianity as well as the Constitution—there is no one better to ask than Michael McConnell.

Michael is a professor of constitutional law and the Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School as well as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a former Circuit Judge for the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. In addition to being a committed Christian, Michael is an expert on the First Amendment.

In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss religious freedom, the separation of church and state, the politicization of the church, the Capitol riot on January 6th, critical race theory, and the inspiring role that people of religious conviction have played in American history. Michael offers timely advice for how to mix religion and politics in all the right ways.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Princeton professor Eric Gregory about what we can learn from Augustine as we consider our fraught social life and divisive political culture. In true Augustinian fashion, we discuss how Christians should resist the false choices that are often presented to us, for example, between either idolizing America or condemning it, between either fleeing from the secular world of politics or embracing it in a kind of power grab, between either committing oneself to one’s nation or considering oneself a citizen of the world. Eric concludes the episode by offering some practical suggestions for how Christians can take inspiration from the past while creatively addressing problems in the present.

Eric Gregory is Professor of Religion at Princeton University and the author of Politics and the Order of Love: An Augustinian Ethic of Democratic Citizenship. In addition to being an expert on Augustine, Eric teaches courses on religion, ethics, and politics.