Disarming Leviathan Podcast

Caleb E. Campbell

The Disarming Leviathan Podcast features interviews with Christian leaders, authors and scholars that will give you a better understanding of American Christian Nationalism and equip you with tools to reach Christian Nationalists as a mission field. disarmingleviathan.substack.com

  1. An update and an invite.

    APR 24

    An update and an invite.

    Who do you want to see on the pod?We are recording the next season of the Disarming Leviathan podcast! Let us know who you want to see on the pod in the comment section. Use the contact form at disarmingleviathan.com. Calling all Pastors! Join us for the J29 Coalition Cohort, starting August 2026. Learn more at J29Coalition.com. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min
  2. Special Episode: Interview with Surge Network

    MAR 21

    Special Episode: Interview with Surge Network

    We are in between seasons of the Disarming Leviathan podcast (mainly so I can finish my Doctoral project at Fuller Seminary), but I wanted to post this episode I did with the Surge Network. My friend Aaron Dailey and I talk about a variety of things, including how we have seen pastoral ministry change in Phoenix over the last two decades. I share some of the lessons I’ve learned, the growing anxiety about affiliation among clergy, and why the hardest part of this job is the ghosts. You can also find the video here. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min
  3. A Revival of What Kind?

    FEB 5

    A Revival of What Kind?

    In this episode of Disarming Leviathan, Caleb sits down with Pastor David Ruybalid Ruybalid to examine the growing narrative that a “revival” is underway—especially among young men returning to church. While acknowledging real shifts in generational engagement, David offers a careful theological and pastoral critique of revival language that prioritizes numbers, emotion, or cultural momentum over repentance, humility, unity, and Spirit-formed fruit. Drawing on historical examples like the Moravian Revival, David argues that genuine revival cannot be manufactured or controlled—and must be evaluated by its fruit, not its hype. The conversation also explores why increased male participation in church has coincided with many women disengaging, highlighting the impact of institutional betrayal, abuse, unaddressed power dynamics, and the weaponization of Scripture. About DavidDavid Ruybalid is a pastor, writer, and trauma-informed practitioner who works at the intersection of church leadership, abuse response, and spiritual formation. He is the co-founder of the Religious Trauma Network and teaches on abuse response through a course developed with Danielle Strickland’s organization. Drawing on years of pastoral ministry, worship leadership, and advocacy for survivors, David equips churches to recognize institutional betrayal, respond faithfully to abuse, and cultivate leadership rooted in humility, repentance, and the character of Christ. Learn more about Disarming Leviathan at DisarmingLeviathan.com Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min
  4. From Conquest to the Cross: How the Bible Transforms Violence

    JAN 29

    From Conquest to the Cross: How the Bible Transforms Violence

    Many Christians struggle with the violence and conquest language of the Old Testament—especially texts like Joshua that seem at odds with the way of Jesus. In this episode, biblical scholar Helen Paynter helps us read these passages within the unfolding story of Scripture, showing how themes like warfare and power are transformed at the cross. Together, we explore why using these texts to justify modern political or military agendas is theologically thin, and how deeper biblical literacy helps Christians discern when Scripture is being misused. About HelenHelen is a former nephrologist who followed a call into Baptist ministry, training at Bristol Baptist College and serving in associate and interim ministry roles in South Bristol before taking up her current full-time role at the college in 2020. She holds a PhD in Old Testament, along with master’s degrees in Biblical Studies and Missional Church Leadership, and her research focuses on narrative texts in the Hebrew Bible, particularly themes of violence, humor, and the misuse of Scripture. Helen is the founding director of the College’s Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, which equips churches and scholars to engage biblical texts responsibly in a violent world. She is deeply committed to teaching and preaching, passionate about the Bible’s life-giving power through the Spirit, and attentive to the harm it can cause when misused. Her most recent book is Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Biblical Theology of Human Violence (Zondervan, 2023). Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    32 min
  5. The Differences Between Biblical Law and American Law w/ Dru Johnson

    JAN 15

    The Differences Between Biblical Law and American Law w/ Dru Johnson

    In this episode of the Disarming Leviathan podcast, biblical scholar Dr. Dru Johnson pushes back against the misuse of Old Testament law by culture warriors and partisan tribalists who treat the Torah as a ready-made tool for coercive governance. Instead, he presents biblical law as a formational guide—not a rigid codebook—for shaping the moral and social imagination of God’s people. Johnson explains how casuistic law in the Bible functions through patterns and wisdom rather than universal enforcement. He contrasts this with modern Western legal assumptions shaped by Enlightenment thought, which often distort how Christians read and apply Scripture in public life. This conversation invites listeners to approach biblical law as a source of discernment, not domination. About Dru Dr. Dru Johnson is a biblical scholar and philosopher specializing in Old Testament law, ritual, and theological epistemology. He serves as Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Hope College and is the author of numerous books, including Human Rites, Biblical Philosophy, and Understanding Biblical Law (Zondervan Academic, 2024). Johnson is also a Senior Fellow at The King’s College and director of the Center for Hebraic Thought. His work bridges academic scholarship and public theology, helping Christians engage Scripture with intellectual integrity and cultural awareness. He also heads up the Center for Hebraic Thought and the Biblical Mind podcast. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min
  6. Reclaiming Scripture from the Culture Wars w/ Zach Lambert

    JAN 8

    Reclaiming Scripture from the Culture Wars w/ Zach Lambert

    In this episode, pastor and author Zach W. Lambert confronts the weaponization of Scripture in American public life and church culture. Drawing from his book Better Ways to Read the Bible, he outlines how harmful interpretive “lenses” have been used to justify everything from Christian nationalism to slavery to spiritual abuse. Rather than abandoning Scripture, Lambert calls Christians to reclaim a Jesus-centered, context-aware, fruit-bearing engagement with the Bible. He offers four healthy lenses—Jesus, context, flourishing, and fruitfulness—and explains how these can guide both personal discipleship and public theology in a way that heals rather than harms. About Zach Zach W. Lambert is the founding pastor of Restore Austin, a multiethnic, multigenerational church in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, a book that helps Christians rethink how Scripture is interpreted and applied in both church and society. Zach is a frequent speaker and writer on topics related to justice, public theology, and deconstruction. His work appears on Substack under the title Public Theology, and he shares regular content on Instagram and X at @ZachWLambert. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  7. Unafraid and Unhurried: Faithful Presence In a Divided World w/ Tara Beth Leach

    JAN 1

    Unafraid and Unhurried: Faithful Presence In a Divided World w/ Tara Beth Leach

    In this episode, pastor and author Tara Beth Leach reflects on how the work of preaching and pastoring has changed in a time of political division, cultural anxiety, and social media outrage. She names the temptation pastors face to use the pulpit for venting or applause, and instead offers a vision of slow, intentional, Spirit-led formation shaped by liturgy, Scripture, and communal prayer. Drawing from her own journey, Tara Beth shares how she moved from reactive preaching to prophetic pastoring marked by maternal empathy, imagination, and subversive presence. About Tara Beth Tara Beth Leach is a pastor, writer, and speaker who serves as the Senior Pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, Illinois. She is the author of several books including Radiant Church and Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry. A graduate of Northern Seminary, Tara Beth has pastored in diverse settings across the country and regularly writes and teaches on preaching, spiritual formation, and women in leadership. Her ministry centers on helping the church embody a radiant witness of the Kingdom of God in the midst of division, injustice, and fear. She writes regularly on Substack and speaks at conferences and churches across the U.S. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  8. Patriarchy, Authoritarianism, and the Church w/ Rachel Darnall

    12/26/2025

    Patriarchy, Authoritarianism, and the Church w/ Rachel Darnall

    In this episode, writer and researcher Rachel Darnall shares her firsthand perspective on the rise of patriarchal theology in American Christianity and its connection to Christian nationalism. Drawing from her new video series It’s a Man’s World: The Genesis 3:16 Effect, Rachel explains how teachings rooted in control, male hierarchy, and politicized family roles have moved from the margins into mainstream evangelical spaces. She outlines how homeschooling, classical education, and economic structures are often used to reinforce authoritarian leadership, particularly in places like Moscow, Idaho. Rachel helps listeners see the human cost of these systems and offers practical insight into how churches and families can resist spiritual abuse while staying rooted in Scripture and community. About Rachel Rachel Darnall is a writer and researcher focused on gender, theological ethics, and religious authoritarianism. She is the creator of It’s a Man’s World: The Genesis 3:16 Effect, a video series produced with the Anastasis Center for Christian Education and Ministry that examines the rise and reach of Christian patriarchy in American religious life. Rachel holds an M.A. in Theological Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary (2024) and has been writing on gender, purity culture, and church power dynamics since 2017. Her work is shaped by a deep interest in women’s history and a commitment to biblical integrity. Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
See All (111)

4.8
out of 5
57 Ratings

About

The Disarming Leviathan Podcast features interviews with Christian leaders, authors and scholars that will give you a better understanding of American Christian Nationalism and equip you with tools to reach Christian Nationalists as a mission field. disarmingleviathan.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Caleb E. Campbell
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Caleb E. Campbell
  • Show Website
    Disarming Leviathan Podcast

You Might Also Like