Finding Your Spine

Herzog Foundation
Herzog Foundation
  • 2.7 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

In a time when courage feels increasingly rare, Finding Your Spine challenges the status quo. Hosted by Dr. Chase Spears, this weekly podcast explores how Christians—and even secular conservatives—can stand firm in their values amid the pressures of cancel culture. With insightful commentary and bold conversations, Dr. Spears examines the tradeoff many make between conscience and comfort, reminding listeners that true freedom requires the spine to defend it. Tune in each week for thought-provoking discussions that inspire moral courage in an age of compromise.

  1. 19h ago

    Fables That Restore American Courage and Imagination

    Dr. Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., discusses The American Book of Fables and why stories still form citizens. A scholar of literature, rhetoric, and civic education, Mehan argues that arguments alone are not enough. People also need images that teach them to love courage, self-government, and the land. He explains how the book weaves fables, nursery rhymes, founding letters, and frontier accounts across 13 American regions, each tied to a phrase from the Declaration of Independence.  The conversation ranges from the New England Primer and the Columbian Orator to Daniel Boone, wagon trains at Council Grove, and the difference between liberty and law on the Great Plains. Mehan warns that cozy, softened children’s literature has drained grit from the American imagination, while rival narratives rush in to replace our history. He calls for gratitude to forebears, discernment about the images we give children, and a frontier spirit aimed not only west, but east—toward recultivating American towns, checking foreign threats, and forming tough citizens for the next three centuries. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:28 – Why Fables Matter 00:02:03 – Literature and Civic Education 00:03:29 – Teaching Mind and Heart 00:04:00 – Stories That Shape Children 00:05:13 – Settlement and Revolution 00:06:02 – Courage at the Backbone 00:07:37 – Primer and Columbian Orator 00:08:50 – Recapturing American Grit 00:10:48 – Declaration as Framework 00:12:08 – Toughness of the Pioneers 00:14:12 – Recapturing Frontier Spirit 00:16:56 – Americanizing the Fable 00:19:35 – Imagination Against Softness 00:21:46 – Daniel Boone’s Sacrifice 00:24:26 – True Stories Versus False Ones 00:25:43 – History Contains a Story 00:28:43 – Hidden Nursery Rhyme Meanings 00:31:26 – Losing Touch With Origins 00:31:33 – Face East and Stay Tough 00:33:58 – Conquer or Be Conquered 00:36:19 – Unchanging Principles of Justice 00:37:26 – War for the Sake of Peace 00:39:33 – Raising the Literary Standard 00:40:25 – Discerning Books and Images 00:42:07 – Wit Married to Wisdom You can find out more about Dr. Mehan here: https://dc.hillsdale.edu/Profiles/Matthew-Mehan/ You can order The American Book of Fables here: https://www.amazon.com/American-Book-Fables-Matthew-Mehan/dp/B0G1XYVC54 You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  2. Aug 24

    The Watch Company That Knows What Time It Is

    Paul Brown, founder of Wasson Watch Co., shares the story of building a business that openly embodies Christian, conservative, and patriotic values. He explains how the company began in 2018 out of a desire to create high-quality automatic mechanical watches while refusing to remain silent on the cultural issues of the day. The conversation covers the long product-development process, the slow early sales years, and the breakthrough that came after posting more freely on X.  Brown discusses the Dominion dive watch, inscribed with Genesis 1:28 and featuring a Jerusalem cross, as a wearable statement of the call to take dominion and live with moral courage.  The discussion expands to demographic changes in Texas, the nature of Islam as a system of power, the responsibility of Christians to oppose evil while loving individuals, and the urgent need for national repentance, reformation, and revival. Brown emphasizes daily Bible reading and prayer as the foundation for boldness, the importance of moral courage, and the truth that Christ reigns as King now. The episode closes with a clear call to faithfulness over outcomes and to act in the time and place God has placed us. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:02:22 – Founding Wasson Watch 00:07:56 – Product Development Timeline 00:09:09 – Growth on X Platform 00:10:57 – Why Watches Matter 00:14:59 – Jerusalem Cross Story 00:17:15 – Demographic Shifts in Texas 00:18:32 – Islam as Power System 00:21:53 – Mandate to Stand Firm 00:26:11 – National Day of Prayer 00:32:51 – Moral Courage Required 00:34:28 – Faithful in Little Things 00:37:08 – Christ Is King Now 00:42:09 – Faithfulness Over Outcomes You can find Paul Brown on X @WassonWatch of purchase a watch at https://wassonwatch.com/ You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  3. Aug 17

    Bringing the Bull Moose Spirit to Your Local School District

    Aiden Buzzetti, president of the Bull Moose Project and the 1776 Project, discusses the difference between traditional think tanks and “action tanks” that move principles into real-world results. He explains how the Bull Moose Project began in the early Biden years as a way to sustain America First energy and why the organization draws its name from Theodore Roosevelt’s famous resilience after being shot mid-speech. The conversation highlights the outsized power of local governance—especially school boards—where a single vote can shape curriculum, budgets, and daily life far more directly than one vote in Congress. Buzzetti details the practical work of preparing newly elected school board members, removing ideology from classrooms, and restoring focus on reading and math. He also walks through how congressional offices actually operate, the layers of staff gatekeeping, and why persistent physical presence remains the most effective way to influence policy. Additional themes include cultural messaging around family formation, the long-term demographic advantage of communities that prioritize children, and why conservatives should remain engaged in public schools even while expanding school choice. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:57 – Local vs. DC 00:08:11 – Starting in the Biden Years 00:09:19 – Origin of Bull Moose 00:14:20 – Roosevelt and Trump Parallels 00:18:06 – Supporting School Boards 00:19:26 – How Congressional Offices Work 00:21:22 – Staff Layers and Gatekeeping 00:28:17 – Why Launch an Action Tank 00:32:31 – Promoting Family and Children 00:38:00 – Local Pushback 00:41:28 – Strategic Value of School Boards You can find out more about Aiden's work at https://bullmooseproject.org/ You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  4. Aug 10

    The Erosion of Truth in Academic Research

    Social psychologist Dr. Jose Duarte, PhD joins the conversation to examine the widespread problem of invalid and ideologically driven research in academia, particularly in social psychology. He describes how institutions that claim to seek truth often publish false claims about politics, climate, misinformation, and human nature, eroding public connection to reality and shaping policy on taxpayer dollars. Dr. Duarte recounts his early experiences, including being denied admission to a graduate program over a blog post criticizing Jimmy Carter, and his role as lead author on a major 2015 paper documenting the lack of political diversity in academic psychology and its damaging effects on research validity. The discussion covers the replication crisis, concrete examples of flawed studies (such as those claiming conservatives rationalize inequality), the distinction between scholarship and rigorous research, and the embedding of leftist constructs like “microaggressions” into National Institutes of Health grants. He details his recent efforts at NIH to develop a clean-science framework free of ideological bias, the limited progress made, ongoing funded projects that advance partisan narratives, and the broader consequences when media and policymakers treat such work as authoritative science. The episode closes with practical avenues for reform through Congress and the executive branch. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:47 – Junk Academic Research 00:01:15 – False Claims from Academia 00:04:44 – Duarte’s Professional Background 00:05:15 – Denied Graduate Admission 00:07:58 – 2015 Political Bias Paper 00:10:12 – Military Academia Disconnect 00:11:49 – Invalid Research Methods 00:13:10 – Conservatives Happiness Study 00:16:26 – Scholarship Versus Research 00:18:16 – Lack of Logic in the Field 00:20:21 – Examples of Ideological Titles 00:22:26 – Taxpayer Funded Ideology 00:24:41 – Defining Microaggressions 00:27:10 – NIH Microaggression Grants 00:28:58 – Clean Science Framework Work 00:32:53 – Impact of Junk Science 00:34:18 – COVID Mask Efficacy Claims 00:35:46 – False Claims on Conservatives 00:37:48 – Tyranny of the Experts 00:39:03 – Current Open NIH Grants 00:41:21 – Paths to Reform You can find more of Dr. Duarte's work at https://validscience.substack.com You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  5. Aug 3

    Reclaiming Christian Institutions from Progressive Drift

    In this follow-up interview, Pastor Jake Dell continues the conversation by sharing how he is revitalizing First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut, growing the congregation through bold, historic Christian preaching. He explains Operation Reconquista, the movement to reclaim mainline Protestant churches that have drifted into progressive theology. Dell makes the case that Christians have a responsibility to engage these historic institutions rather than abandon them, drawing on America’s founding, the role of Protestant denominations, and lessons from J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. He outlines practical strategies, including starting with smaller under-resourced churches, using legal mechanisms for well-endowed ones, understanding denominational bylaws and state religious corporation laws, and the importance of stewardship from Genesis. The discussion also covers the myth of strict church-state separation in early America, the fallacy of the “red letter” argument, the role of social media in spreading uncompromised preaching, and the need for righteous boldness in the pulpit today. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:04:32 – Operation Reconquista Explained 00:08:52 – Machen and the Century-Old Fight 00:10:36 – Conservative Resistance in Episcopal Church 00:16:44 – Purpose Beyond Institutional Wins 00:18:51 – Following Bylaws and Legal Standards 00:21:54 – Separation of Church and State Myth 00:26:12 – Stewardship Mandate from Genesis 00:28:15 – Healing Sick Parts of the Church 00:32:32 – Red Letter Argument Fallacy 00:35:19 – Social Media for Bold Preaching 00:38:50 – Advice to Pastors in Captured Denominations You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  6. Jul 27

    Preaching Without Compromise After Leaving the Episcopal Church

    Pastor Jake Dell shares his personal journey from the Episcopal Church to his current role at First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut. He explains the progressive theological drift he witnessed in mainline denominations, the pressure to signal conformity on cultural issues, and the events that led him to resign in 2024.  Dell recounts his early call to ministry, experiences at Yale, the impact of Obergefell on the Episcopal Church, and how COVID-era policies and 2020 protests revealed inconsistencies that pushed him to speak more boldly from the pulpit. He discusses the difference between the form of religion and its true power, the proper role of pastors in addressing cultural and civic matters, and why he believes Christians must actively reclaim institutions rather than abandon them. The conversation highlights the growth he has seen in his current congregation by returning to historic Christian preaching and refusing to compromise on core truths. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:03:30 – Mainline Theological Drift 00:04:24 – Early Faith and Calling 00:09:33 – Divisive Cultural Issues 00:14:29 – Johnson Amendment as Excuse 00:21:23 – Post-Obergefell Shift 00:27:05 – 2020 as Turning Point 00:32:11 – Gospel Implications for Culture 00:34:17 – Public Witness Required 00:37:00 – School Board Stand 00:41:03 – Resignation and Fresh Start 00:42:19 – Growth Through Biblical Preaching You can find more of Jake Dell's work on Substack at https://jwdell.substack.com/ You can pre-order Jake's book, Exile and Return, here: https://payhip.com/b/Hc6up You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  7. Jul 20

    Questioning Islam Almost Cost Him His Life

    Dr. Mark Christian shares his remarkable journey from a devout Muslim upbringing in Cairo, Egypt, to surviving a horrific assassination attempt. He describes the early seeds of doubt that took root during a period of intense personal study, the painful confrontation with his father after seeking answers to deep inconsistencies in the faith, and the decade of family estrangement that followed. The conversation centers on the events of March 29, 2003, when Dr. Christian walked into what he believed would be a reconciliation meeting, only to face a firebomb that nearly ended his life. He recounts the miracle of his survival after tripping on a rug at the entrance, an event he credits to divine protection, and the long physical and emotional recovery that followed. Beyond his personal story, Dr. Christian explains why he came to see Islam as both a religion and a political movement that cannot be separated. He discusses the strategy of civilization jihad, the challenges of assimilation in Western societies, and the urgent need for citizens to understand and defend the foundational principles of freedom and national identity. This episode explores the high personal cost of standing for truth and the broader implications for Western culture today. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:37 – Survived Assassination 00:02:48 – The 2003 Incident 00:03:10 – Childhood in Egypt 00:05:21 – Movie Theater Incident 00:06:49 – Questioning Islam 00:08:33 – Seeking Father's Help 00:12:27 – Firebomb Ambush 00:15:03 – Zeal to Spread Islam 00:18:42 – Muhammad's Missing Proof 00:36:12 – Melting Pot America You can find out more about Dr. Mark Christian's work at Global Faith Institute's website: https://globalfaith.org/ You can find Dr. Mark Christian's book, The Apostate here: https://www.amazon.com/Apostate-My-Search-Truth/dp/1737176300 You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

  8. Jul 13

    Higher Ed's Culture of Conformity

    Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Herbert Riedel, former community college president and author of Silenced, to discuss the pressures of maintaining moral and intellectual integrity in today’s higher education environment. Riedel shares his experience leading institutions, confronting institutional conformity, and the personal and professional costs of resisting woke ideology. They explore how cultural Marxism influences campuses, accreditors, regulators, and professional associations, and why even red states are not immune. The conversation covers critical race theory compliance failures, gender ideology enforcement, and the challenges of reforming entrenched bureaucracies. Riedel also outlines his vision for Clymer College, a new institution grounded in classical education, true academic freedom, and whole-person development rooted in American founding principles. A candid look at institutional rot in education and paths toward renewal. 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:15 – Career Path and Challenges 00:03:08 – Silenced Book Overview 00:05:59 – Vision for Clymer College 00:10:15 – Location and Timeline 00:14:11 – Classical Liberal Arts 00:18:21 – Community Colleges Role 00:22:49 – Northeast Iowa Experience 00:28:55 – Administrative Pushback 00:34:18 – Doing the Right Thing 00:41:22 – Advice for Educators You can find out more about Clymer College at https://www.clymercollege.org/ You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #Faith #ChristianLiving #Military #Discipline #Morality #Politics #BiblicalMasculinity #Masculinity #ChristianPodcast #American #America #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #NationalGuard #ChristianMen

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In a time when courage feels increasingly rare, Finding Your Spine challenges the status quo. Hosted by Dr. Chase Spears, this weekly podcast explores how Christians—and even secular conservatives—can stand firm in their values amid the pressures of cancel culture. With insightful commentary and bold conversations, Dr. Spears examines the tradeoff many make between conscience and comfort, reminding listeners that true freedom requires the spine to defend it. Tune in each week for thought-provoking discussions that inspire moral courage in an age of compromise.

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