Faithful Politics

Faithful Politics Podcast
  • 4.7 (44)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Dive into the profound world of Faithful Politics, a compelling podcast where the spheres of faith and politics converge in meaningful dialogues. Guided by Pastor Josh Burtram (Faithful Host) and Will Wright (Political Host), this unique platform invites listeners to delve into the complex impact of political choices on both the faithful and faithless. Join our hosts, Josh and Will, as they engage with world-renowned experts, scholars, theologians, politicians, journalists, and ordinary folks. Their objective? To deepen our collective understanding of the intersection between faith and politics. Faithful Politics sets itself apart by refusing to subscribe to any single political ideology or religious conviction. This approach is mirrored in the diverse backgrounds of our hosts. Will Wright, a disabled Veteran and African-Asian American, is a former atheist and a liberal progressive with a lifelong intrigue in politics. On the other hand, Josh Burtram, a Conservative Republican and devoted Pastor, brings a passion for theology that resonates throughout the discourse. Yet, in the face of their contrasting outlooks, Josh and Will display a remarkable ability to facilitate respectful and civil dialogue on challenging topics. This opens up a space where listeners of various political and religious leanings can find value and deepen their understanding. So, regardless if you're a Democrat or Republican, a believer or an atheist, we assure you that Faithful Politics has insightful conversations that will appeal to you and stimulate your intellectual curiosity. Come join us in this enthralling exploration of the intricate nexus of faith and politics. Add us to your regular podcast stream and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Let's navigate this fascinating realm together!  Not Right. Not Left. UP.

  1. 1d ago

    Why Women Are Leaving the Church - Sarah Stankorb on What Broke

    Why are millions of women walking away from American churches, and what finally pushes them to leave? Journalist Sarah Stankorb, author of Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, traces an exodus she says has been building for decades. The conversation examines purity culture, sexual abuse and institutional cover-ups, racism, LGBTQ exclusion, political polarization, and the growing influence of Christian nationalism.  Stankorb explains why leaving is rarely about a single event. For many women, questions and contradictions accumulate until the institution they trusted becomes impossible to reconcile with the faith and values they were taught. Some leave Christianity entirely. Others reach a different conclusion: they never lost faith in God. They lost faith in the church. The conversation also looks at Gen Z women, deconstruction, the Christian Right, and what the continued departure of women could mean for the future of American religion. Stankorb's book documents this trend through women's stories from the 1980s through today Book: Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091 GUEST BIOSarah Stankorb is an award-winning journalist and author whose reporting focuses on religion, politics, gender, and power. She is the author of the national bestseller Disobedient Women and Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vogue, and Elle. She studied religion and philosophy at Westminster College and ethics and South Asian religion and history at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

  2. 4d ago

    When Moderation Becomes a Liability in the GOP | Meg Griffiths & Scott Faris

    What happens when moderation becomes a political liability inside your own party? Filmmakers Meg Griffiths and Scott Faris join Faithful Politics to discuss The Life of the Party, their documentary following three Republican women in Texas whose careers reveal a party undergoing significant change. Former State Rep. Sarah Davis was once the last pro-choice Republican in the Texas House and represents a tradition of moderate dissent. Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress, represents a newer, faith-driven and MAGA-aligned Republican coalition. And longtime State Rep. Geanie Morrison reflects on an older political culture where bipartisan relationships and compromise were more common. Together, the filmmakers describe them as an outlier, an outsider, and an old guard. We talk about abortion, faith, MAGA, women as the Republican Party’s political organizers, partisan purity tests, political identity, and what disappears when disagreement becomes disloyalty. Meg and Scott also explain what they learned as liberal filmmakers spending a year listening to conservative women and why relationships across political differences still matter. Watch the film: https://universecreative.org/the-life-of-the-party/ GUEST BIOMeg Griffiths and Scott Faris are documentary filmmakers, producers, and co-founders of Universe Creative. Their work focuses on stories that complicate political and cultural assumptions and elevate perspectives that are often overlooked. Before founding Universe Creative in 2017, they worked together at Teach For America and later in social-impact video strategy. Their documentaries include Impossible Town and The Life of the Party, which follows three Republican women navigating leadership, identity, and political change in Texas.

  3. 4d ago

    POV: Why Is DHS Sending Undercover Agents Into Churches? | Brian Kaylor

    The Department of Homeland Security sent undercover agents into churches to monitor anti-ICE activists. In at least one case, an agent entered a Baptist church that was already protected by a federal court order restricting certain DHS activity on the property. Brian Kaylor, president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, joins us to walk through the court documents behind his reporting. We discuss DHS surveillance at at least five churches in Minnesota and Michigan, agents secretly recording meetings, collecting license plate information, and monitoring people who were not themselves targets of the investigation. The conversation also gets into the difference between judicial and administrative warrants, First Amendment protections for houses of worship, government surveillance of religious communities after 9/11 and during the Reagan era, and what Kaylor calls the “imperial boomerang” - surveillance powers created for one purpose eventually being used elsewhere. Subscribe: https://publicwitness.wordandway.org GUEST BIO Brian Kaylor is president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way and leads its newsletter, A Public Witness, which covers religion, politics, and culture. He is a Baptist minister with a Ph.D. in political communication and the author or co-author of seven books on religion and politics. His recent reporting has examined Department of Homeland Security surveillance of churches and religious liberty questions surrounding immigration enforcement.

  4. Sep 8

    How White Christianity Turned Against Democracy | Robert P. Jones

    Robert P. Jones argues that the crisis facing American democracy is also a crisis inside white Christianity. In this conversation, Jones, president and founder of PRRI and author of Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy, explains why he believes white Christian support for Donald Trump and Christian nationalism represents both democratic backsliding and theological apostasy. We dig into one of the interview's most striking findings: among white evangelicals, higher church attendance is associated with stronger support for Trump, anti-immigrant attitudes, and Christian nationalism. Jones also examines the growing Christian critique of empathy, the racial history embedded in American Christianity, how culture shapes biblical interpretation, and what Martin Niemöller's regret can teach Christians today. The conversation ends with the question Jones says Christians and Americans have to confront now: what will we regret not doing while there was still time? Book: Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781250431134 GUEST BIO Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI, and a New York Times bestselling author whose work focuses on religion, race, politics, and democracy. His books include The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy, White Too Long, The End of White Christian America, and his newest book, Backslide. Jones holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University and writes the Redeeming Democracy newsletter

  5. Sep 5

    Religious Liberty for Christians, Not Muslims? | Michelle Boorstein

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s fight over Muslim wudu stations at Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth airports opens into a much larger question: who gets protected by religious liberty in America? Washington Post religion reporter Michelle Boorstein joins Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram to explain why facilities that existed for years suddenly became a political target, how legal experts view Abbott’s First Amendment argument, and how the dispute fits into a broader pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas.  The conversation moves from Employment Division v. Smith and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to Kennedy v. Bremerton, the decline of the Lemon test, Ten Commandments laws, school vouchers, Christian nationalism, and the changing meaning of church-state separation. Boorstein also explains why religious liberty becomes complicated in a pluralistic country and why some of the next major constitutional fights may center on the Establishment Clause. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott takes aim at Muslim washing stations in airports:https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/08/20/fight-over-airport-washing-stations-is-latest-anti-muslim-salvo-gop/ GUEST BIOMichelle Boorstein is a religion reporter for The Washington Post who has covered religion, spirituality, politics, and public life for more than two decades. Her reporting examines religious liberty, church-state disputes, changing religious identity, and the political influence of faith communities. She holds a journalism and history degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s in Near Eastern studies from New York University. Her recent reporting has focused heavily on religion, government, and the changing boundaries between them.

  6. Sep 2

    Why Migrant Parents Risk Everything for Their Kids | Gabrielle Oliveira

    Why would a parent take their child on a dangerous journey to the United States? Gabrielle Oliveira argues that one of the most overlooked answers is care. Oliveira, a Harvard professor who studies immigration, education, and family migration, spent years following 16 migrant families from Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. She explains how violence, insecurity, and a lack of opportunity push families to leave, while safety and education become central to what they hope to find in America. We talk about border detention and family separation, what children remember about migration, why American schools can represent opportunity for immigrant families, and Oliveira’s idea of “constrained care” among teachers trying to support immigrant students. She also challenges the way immigrant children are often portrayed only as victims or extraordinary success stories, leaving out the ordinary lives most children eventually build. BOOKBook: Now We Are Here: Family Migration, Children’s Education, and Dreams for a Better Life https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781503644540 GUEST BIOGabrielle Oliveira is the Jorge Paulo Lemann Associate Professor of Education and Brazil Studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. An anthropologist of education, her research examines immigration, mobility, family life, and children’s schooling across borders. She is the author of Motherhood Across Borders and Now We Are Here: Family Migration, Children’s Education, and Dreams for a Better Life, which received the 2026 American Educational Research Association Outstanding Book Award.

  7. Sep 1

    American Fascism Was Homegrown: Joseph Kelly on Slavery and Jim Crow

    Historian Joseph Kelly argues that the roots of American fascism reach much further back than Nazi Germany or Mussolini’s Italy. They can be found in the antebellum South and the political system built to defend slavery and racial hierarchy. Kelly, author of The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818 - 1915, traces how the promise that “all men are created equal” collided with a growing ideology that insisted inequality was natural. We discuss Thomas Jefferson, the Denmark Vesey conspiracy, Nat Turner, pseudoscientific racism, Samuel George Morton, Jim Crow, and the use of fear and political violence to protect white power. Kelly also explains Robert Paxton’s definition of fascism, why January 6 changed Paxton’s view of Donald Trump, and how election denial can function as a test of political loyalty. The conversation ends with the institutions Kelly believes still protect American democracy, including a free press, independent courts, academic freedom, and organizations committed to defending civil rights. BOOKBook: The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818 - 1915 https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781639732111 GUEST BIOJoseph Kelly is a historian and professor of literature and history at the College of Charleston. His work examines American democracy and the historical struggle between egalitarian ideals and systems of racial and political hierarchy. His latest book, The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818 - 1915, traces the development of American fascist politics from the antebellum South through Jim Crow and the rise of Anglo-Saxon nationalism. He is also the author of Marooned and America’s Longest Siege.

  8. Aug 28

    Who Gets to Vote? Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey on the 2026 Midterms

    With the 2026 midterms approaching, the rules around voting are becoming part of the political fight itself. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey joins Faithful Politics to explain what voters actually need to know about election security, voter registration, mail-in voting, voter ID laws, voter roll purges, and misinformation. Andrea walks through current efforts to change how elections are administered, including the SAVE Act, challenges involving mail voting, citizenship verification, restrictions on digital voter registration, and the possibility of federal involvement at polling locations. She also explains what happens if you discover you have been removed from the voter rolls and why checking your registration early matters. The conversation also tackles a larger question: What happens when Americans stop trusting elections themselves? With AI-generated misinformation likely to increase ahead of Election Day, Andrea explains how voters can verify information, protect their ability to vote, and make a plan before problems arise. GUEST BIOAndrea Hailey is CEO of Vote.org, the nation’s largest nonpartisan nonprofit voter registration and get-out-the-vote technology platform. Under her leadership, Vote.org has combined digital voter tools, legal strategy, data-driven outreach, and grassroots partnerships to expand access to the ballot. In August 2026, Vote.org announced that Americans had used its platform to register to vote 10 million times. Hailey’s career has focused on voter engagement, civic participation, and election access

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About

Dive into the profound world of Faithful Politics, a compelling podcast where the spheres of faith and politics converge in meaningful dialogues. Guided by Pastor Josh Burtram (Faithful Host) and Will Wright (Political Host), this unique platform invites listeners to delve into the complex impact of political choices on both the faithful and faithless. Join our hosts, Josh and Will, as they engage with world-renowned experts, scholars, theologians, politicians, journalists, and ordinary folks. Their objective? To deepen our collective understanding of the intersection between faith and politics. Faithful Politics sets itself apart by refusing to subscribe to any single political ideology or religious conviction. This approach is mirrored in the diverse backgrounds of our hosts. Will Wright, a disabled Veteran and African-Asian American, is a former atheist and a liberal progressive with a lifelong intrigue in politics. On the other hand, Josh Burtram, a Conservative Republican and devoted Pastor, brings a passion for theology that resonates throughout the discourse. Yet, in the face of their contrasting outlooks, Josh and Will display a remarkable ability to facilitate respectful and civil dialogue on challenging topics. This opens up a space where listeners of various political and religious leanings can find value and deepen their understanding. So, regardless if you're a Democrat or Republican, a believer or an atheist, we assure you that Faithful Politics has insightful conversations that will appeal to you and stimulate your intellectual curiosity. Come join us in this enthralling exploration of the intricate nexus of faith and politics. Add us to your regular podcast stream and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Let's navigate this fascinating realm together!  Not Right. Not Left. UP.

Information

  • Creator
    Faithful Politics Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    523
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Faithful Politics Podcast
  • Show Website
    Faithful Politics