Faithful Dissent

James Farlow

Two voices, one conversation- faithfully interrogating the world.  Hosts Brian Metzger and James Farlow explore changes in politics and culture through the lens of faith and the search for meaning. Faithful Dissent brings laughter, story, and fun debates to topics that can divide us but that we can't escape.  No drama, no forced narratives, and everyone is welcome!  

  1. Piper, MAGA, and the Evangelical Identity Crisis

    Mar 10

    Piper, MAGA, and the Evangelical Identity Crisis

    Send us Fan Mail   In this episode of Faithful Dissent, James and Brian talk through the strange and revealing reaction to a simple John Piper tweet about loving the foreigner and what it says about the state of American evangelicalism. What should have been an unremarkable citation of scripture instead became a flashpoint, exposing just how deeply politics and ideology now shape what many Christians are willing to hear from the Bible.  From there, the conversation widens. They look at the backlash to Kirk Cameron for questioning eternal conscious torment, the fallout from another pastor scandal closer to home, and the larger pattern underneath it all: a version of evangelicalism that has traded theological depth for tribal certainty, spiritual maturity for celebrity, and faith for ideology.  Together, they explore:  Why John Piper’s tweet provoked such a strong reaction from MAGA evangelicalsWhat the Kirk Cameron controversy reveals about theological rigidity and fearHow celebrity pastor culture creates unhealthy systems and protects strongman leadershipWhy church planting movements can drift into cults of personalityThe difference between conviction and ideological captureWhether the current evangelical crisis might also become a moment of reckoning and renewal This is a conversation about power, theology, personality, and the kind of church America has built and whether something more honest and more faithful might still emerge from the wreckage.

    53 min
  2. Politics with Brian & James: Coalitions, Catastrophes, and Casual Bigotry

    11/17/2025

    Politics with Brian & James: Coalitions, Catastrophes, and Casual Bigotry

    Send us Fan Mail https://buymeacoffee.com/faithfuldissent?new=1  In this off-the-cuff episode of Faithful Dissent, James and Brian take a break from theology to talk about the strange, collapsing circus of American politics. From Tucker Carlson’s platforming of white nationalists to the generational weirdness fueling Gen-Z extremism, they walk through the coalitions, catastrophes, and casual bigotry shaping the moment we’re all stuck in.  This is not a formal analysis — it’s two friends thinking out loud about the unraveling of the American Right and why the “big tent” that Trump held together with spite and entertainment value was always destined to fall apart.  Together, they get into:  Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and the GOP’s increasingly porous boundariesWhy Gen-Z racism and antisemitism are both baffling and deeply predictableThe internal contradictions of a coalition united only by its enemiesWhy no future Republican can replicate Trump’s insult-comic superpowerWhether Democrats’ greatest strength is simply not being in chargeHow economics, identity, and media chaos warp political loyaltyAnd whether any of this gives us reason for hope Funny, bleak, curious, and surprisingly thoughtful — this is a politics episode for anyone trying to make sense of a political moment that feels genuinely unhinged.  Check out this article from Rod Dreher's substack for useful background.  Note: (we DO NOT endorse Dreher's opinions or support for various politicians, in the US or outside)

    46 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Two voices, one conversation- faithfully interrogating the world.  Hosts Brian Metzger and James Farlow explore changes in politics and culture through the lens of faith and the search for meaning. Faithful Dissent brings laughter, story, and fun debates to topics that can divide us but that we can't escape.  No drama, no forced narratives, and everyone is welcome!