The Bad Roman: Christian Politics for Modern Times

Craig Harguess
  • 4.7 (31)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

Are you a Christian who feels disillusioned by politics? Do you see political systems—whether democratic, authoritarian, or otherwise—promising change but often leaving you unfulfilled? As followers of Christ, our calling isn’t tied to any earthly power; it’s to live like Jesus, no matter the political landscape. On this podcast, we explore what it means to set aside man-made allegiances—be they national, partisan, or ideological—and instead take up the Cross. Host Craig Harguess, a former neoconservative Southern Baptist Republican turned pacifist and Christian Voluntaryist, delves into the complex relationship between faith and political power. Through conversations with everyday Christians, church leaders, and even non-Christians, we challenge the ways politics can distract us from God’s work. True change starts where we are—because when we live like Christ, the world around us shifts, regardless of who holds power. New episodes release bi-weekly. Learn more at www.thebadroman.com.

  1. 1h ago

    Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? Faith, History & Power with Daryll Bryant

    Was America founded as a Christian nation, or was it a nation founded by Christians? There's a difference, and it's one Craig wants people to take seriously. As claims about America's Christian identity circulate through churches, social media, and political campaigns, Craig welcomes Daryll Bryant of REAL Xians to examine the history behind them. Daryll's article, America Is Not a Christian Nation, challenges a familiar assumption: Christian influence on America's founding doesn't necessarily mean the United States government was established as Christian. Together, Craig and Daryll explore the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, religious freedom, John Locke and Enlightenment thought, and the Treaty of Tripoli. They also discuss 1 Samuel 8, voting, the early church, Constantine, and what happens when Christianity becomes entangled with political power. The conversation moves between American history and a more uncomfortable question: If Christians already have a King, why are so many looking to government to secure His Kingdom? In this episode: Why being founded by Christians isn't necessarily the same as being founded as a Christian nation What the Constitution, Founding Fathers, and Treaty of Tripoli contribute to the debate How Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment ideas influenced American political thought Why Daryll's study of 1 Samuel 8 changed his thinking about voting What Jesus, Caesar, and the early church reveal about competing allegiances Constantine, paid clergy, and the relationship between church institutions and power Why questioning government isn't the same as hating your neighbors or your country As Daryll puts it, the earliest Christians weren't trying to “make Rome great again.” They proclaimed another King. Read Daryll's article: https://daryllbryant2025.substack.com/p/america-is-not-a-christian-nation Explore REAL Xians: https://realexians.com Full show notes, reflections, and episode chapters: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-172 Support and connect with The Bad Roman Project: Support the project: https://thebadroman.com/donate Bad Roman Salsa: https://badromansalsa.com Social links: https://thebadroman.com/social-links No King But Christ Network: https://nokingbutchristnetwork.com If this conversation raises questions you've been asking (or challenges an assumption you've never examined) share it with someone willing to think it through with you! Not left. Not right. Just following Jesus.

  2. Oct 8

    From ICE to Flock: Safety, Surveillance & Accountability with Jason Bassler

    Craig used to be a “back the blue” guy. When police hurt or killed someone, he could reach for the familiar answer: they should have just obeyed. George Floyd made that answer harder to live with. In this episode, Jason Bassler of The Free Thought Project returns to talk about ICE, masked federal agents, accountability, and a question that cuts through a lot of the politics: Is legality morality? Then the conversation moves to something Craig has only recently started noticing around his own town: Flock cameras. What begins as a discussion about immigration enforcement becomes a much bigger conversation about surveillance, safety, consent, and the powers we are willing to tolerate when the people we trust are the ones using them. And somehow, after all that, Craig and Jason end up talking about hope. Maybe Craig isn’t black-pilled or white-pilled. Maybe he’s a gray pill. 🤝 Connect with Jason Bassler: Jason’s Personal Links Police the Police Links Free Thought Project Links 📖 For Full Show Notes and Summaries visit: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-171 💕Ways You Can Support the Bad Roman Project 💕 👀 Share the show with a friend or leave a review, It helps people find us!👀 Know someone who’s been asking “Bad Roman Questions” about the tradeoffs of privacy vs. safety in mass surveillance? Send them this episode and start a conversation!   💸FUND THE FEED 💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. Donate at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ TASTE THE LOVE 🌶️ Feeling spicy? Grab a jar of Craig’s homemade salsa at:  https://badromansalsa.com  🔗 Want to Get Involved with the Project?  Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links GO DEEPER: Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Keep it Bad. Kept it on Jesus.

  3. Sep 24

    Allegiance to Jesus: Why Tyler Boyd Stopped Saying the Pledge of Allegiance

    Tyler Boyd used to say the Pledge of Allegiance without thinking much about it. Then one word started bothering him: “indivisible.” At first, he simply stopped saying that word. Eventually, a bigger question followed: If Christians already confess Jesus as King, what exactly are they promising when they pledge allegiance to a nation? Craig sits down with Tyler, co-creator and writer at The Christian Exile, to discuss his article, “The Case Against Christians Saying the Pledge of Allegiance.” Together they wrestle with the meaning of faith, loyalty, obedience, and allegiance—from the Greek word pistis and “Jesus is Lord” to Romans 13, competing loyalties, patriotic rituals, and the witness of early Christians like Polycarp and Speratus. Can Christians respect earthly governments without pledging allegiance to them? And when we say No King but Christ, what does that actually demand of our loyalty? Listen and consider the words for yourself. Inside this conversation: Should Christians say the Pledge of Allegiance? Why Tyler stopped saying “indivisible” Is a pledge an oath? Respect vs. allegiance to government Pistis: faith, faithfulness, loyalty, and allegiance What “Jesus is Lord” means in Tyler’s argument Can Christians have dual allegiance? Ordered loyalties vs. mutually exclusive loyalties Romans 13, Acts 17, and Revelation Polycarp, Speratus, and early Christian witness Social pressure around patriotic rituals Flags, patriotism, and worship in church Staying in Christian community across disagreement  📖 For Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-170 🤝 Connect with Tyler Boyd🤝 Tyler’s Article: The Case Against Christians Saying the Pledge of Allegiance  The Christian Exile Website Tyler’s Article: How the Early Church Approached Politics Other Resources Mentioned:  Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Matthew W. Bates On Civil Government, David Lipscomb The Martyrdom of Polycarp Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs 💕Ways You Can Support the Bad Roman Project 💕 👀 Share the show with a friend or leave a review, It helps people find us!👀 Know someone who’s been asking “Bad Roman Questions,” tell them what you got from the episode and send it their way. The more Christians talking about how to stay focused on Jesus the better in our book! 💸GIVE US YOUR CHANGE💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. Donate at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ If you haven’t tried Craig’s homemade salsa, grab a jar today at:  https://badromansalsa.com  🔗 Want to Get Involved?  Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links GO DEEPER: Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com Stay Bad Romans! No King but Jesus.

  4. Sep 10

    The Midwife vs. the State: Home Birth, Christianity & Obeying God with Brenda 'Granny' Smith

    The State of Arkansas told Brenda “Granny” Smith to stop attending births. She wadded up the cease-and-desist letter and threw it away. Brenda had already spent years helping mothers when she found herself facing state scrutiny, an arrest warrant, legal bills, and what she says were eight years of Facebook screenshots collected as evidence. Why keep going? Because Brenda believed God had called her to stand beside women who needed help, and she was not willing to let fear of the state become more important than obedience to Christ. That lived experience eventually helped her recognize something about herself: the Christian faith she already practiced fit naturally with anarchy built on consent and non-aggression. Her challenge is simple: “If your faith doesn’t require something difficult of you, why are you even doing it?” In this episode, Craig and Brenda dig into: 👶 Home birth, midwifery, and informed choice ⚖️ State regulation and voluntary relationships 📱 Arrest warrants, surveillance, and Facebook screenshots ✝️ Obeying God rather than men 🕊️ Consent, non-aggression, and Christian anarchy 👑 “Who is your master?” 🏛️ Government as a “perpetual parent” ❤️ Loving enemies instead of simply rejecting rulers 🌅 Becoming an “apocaloptimist” when the world looks like it is falling apart   📖 For Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-169   🤝 Connect with Brenda 'Granny' Smith 🤝 Facebook: Catching Freedom   💕 3 Ways You Can Support the Project 💕 💸DONATE 💸 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities: https://thebadroman.com/donate 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Grab a jar of Bad Roman Salsa: https://badromansalsa.com  👀 Share an Episode with a Friend, Start a Conversation 👀 Send this episode to someone and ask: When does obedience become compliance? What should a Christian do when the state commands something that conflicts with conscience? If faith never costs us anything, how much does it actually shape us?   🔗 Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

  5. Aug 27

    Have We Actually Tried Jesus? Christians in the Middle East with Adam Stump

    Adam Stump asked two congregations if they knew Christians lived in Iran. Not one hand went up. We hear plenty about Iran as an enemy, a government, or a military target. But how often do American Christians think about the people living beneath those labels, including fellow Christians? Adam joins Craig to talk about Christians in the Middle East, Iranian converts worshiping in underground churches, and what happens when nationalism teaches us who our enemies are before Jesus teaches us how to love them. Adam puts it simply: “We have tried bombs and bullets and it doesn’t work. Why don’t we try love?” So Craig asks the question hanging over the whole conversation: Have we actually tried Jesus? They dig into: Christians in Iran and the Middle East Iranian converts and underground house churches Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities war, American power, and Christian witness Christian nationalism and political party loyalty Constantine, Christendom, and the pursuit of political power loving people our governments call enemies relationships as an alternative to fear and coercion 📖 For Full Show Notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-168 🤝 Connect with Adam Stump: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Pastor.Adam.Stump Substack: https://pastoradamstump.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastor_adam_stump/ TikTok: @pastor.adam.stump Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pastor-Adam-Stump-100095132295636/ YouTube: adam.joseph.stump@gmail.com Western Pennsylvania UMC Profile: https://www.wpaumc.org/clergydetail/479051 Central Highlands UMC: https://www.wpaumc.org/churchdetail/218250 💕 Support the Project 💕 If this conversation with Adam helped you see the people behind the politics, and question whether bombs, borders, and nationalism belong in the way of Jesus, help us keep conversations like this going. Support The Bad Roman Project at: https://thebadroman.com/donate 100% of donations above production costs go to local Memphis charities. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Prefer your support edible? Grab a jar of Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fuel more Jesus-first, No-King-but-Christ conversations. FREE: Share & Start a Conversation Send this episode to a friend and ask: Do we know any of the people we call our enemies? Can Christians be Kingdom people first if national loyalty tells us who to fear? If bombs and political power keep failing us, have we actually tried Jesus? Meet people. Listen well. Love the person behind the label. No King but Christ. 🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

    Have We Actually Tried Jesus? Christians in the Middle East with Adam Stump

  6. Aug 13

    Christian Deconstruction: Leaving Bad Theology and Christian Nationalism Without Leaving Jesus with Jon Kinder

    Does questioning your theology mean you're losing your faith, or could it mean you're finally taking faith seriously? Craig sits down with Jon Kinder of The Geeky Preacher to talk about Christian deconstruction, church hurt, political allegiance, Christian nationalism, pacifism, hell, the rapture, and what happens when inherited beliefs stop looking like Jesus. Jon's deconstruction began in two places: politics and a hospital bed. Growing up in rural Christian culture, Republican politics and Christianity seemed almost inseparable. Then books like Greg Boyd's The Myth of a Christian Nation challenged Jon to judge political power by the teachings of Christ rather than by party loyalty. A few years later, Jon was hospitalized with stage-three lymphoma. While lying in bed, he heard a television preacher claim that sick people were sick because they did not have enough faith.  That hit differently when Jon was the person with cancer. Instead of abandoning Christianity, he began taking his theology apart one question at a time. His picture of deconstruction is not a wrecking ball. It is a home renovation: Christ stays as the foundation. The rooms get examined. Craig and Jon explore: Christian deconstruction without abandoning Jesus Dungeons & Dragons, horror movies, and the Satanic Panic Universal restoration and the fear of hell Christian pacifism and alternatives to violence Greg Boyd, Brian Zahnd, and Christian anarchism The Pledge of Allegiance and loyalty to the state Why honest questions threaten some church cultures Progressive revelation and reading Scripture through Jesus Finding Christ outside a brick-and-mortar church The Ship of Theseus as a picture of changing faith The Geeky Preacher and finding God in movies, games, anime, and culture One line may sum up the whole conversation: “If anything is true, it's gonna survive scrutiny, it's gonna survive questions.” Maybe deconstruction is not about destroying faith. Maybe it is about finding out what was actually built on Jesus. 🤝Connect with Jon Kinder / The Geeky Preacher🤝 Linktree: The Geeky Preacher Substack No King But Christ Network 📖 Full Show Notes: https://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-167 🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

    Christian Deconstruction: Leaving Bad Theology and Christian Nationalism Without Leaving Jesus with Jon Kinder

  7. Jul 30

    Christianity in the Middle East: U.S. Foreign Policy vs. The Holy Land with Nathan Perrin

    When the U.S. wages war in the Middle East that American Christians support, do we remember that some of the people beneath those bombs are fellow Christians? And even when they are not Christians, how can we forget that Jesus calls us to love our neighbor and enemy alike? Mennonite pastor, writer, screenwriter, and activist Nathan Perrin joins Craig for a conversation about the people Western headlines often leave out. Nathan has spent nearly a decade working alongside Assyrians, Kurds, Palestinians, and other Middle Eastern communities through local organizing and visits to northern Iraq. He recounts visiting an Assyrian church that had been rebuilt again and again after attempts to destroy it. A cross in its courtyard covered in bullet holes. Yet when new bombardments began, Christian and Muslim neighbors exchanged keys to their homes so each family would have a place of safety. That act of neighbor-love stands in sharp contrast to the fear often preached in American churches. Craig and Nathan explore why the word evangelical carries painful baggage in parts of the Middle East. Ancient Christian communities have sometimes been treated as mission targets, while humanitarian aid has been tied to conversion. Nathan challenges us to consider whether people abroad encounter Jesus through Western Christianity, or the pressure of empire. The conversation also covers: Christian communities in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine How US military action creates blowback against local Christians and Muslims Dispensationalism and unquestioning Christian support for the State of Israel The difference between loving Jewish neighbors and defending a government Craig’s Ramadan meal with a Muslim neighbor Assyrians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, and other overlooked communities Christian nationalism, political personality cults, and closed media silos Books, sermons, documentaries, and films for deeper learning Nathan reminds listeners that ordinary Muslims he has met often describe Christians in simple terms: “Christians are our neighbors.” What would change if the Western church began there? 🤝 Connect with Nathan Perrin Website: https://nathanperrinwriter.com Mennonite Action (Chicago chapter): https://mennoniteaction.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mennoniteaction/ Community Peacemaker Teams: https://cpt.org (peace and human-rights work in Iraq, Kurdistan, Palestine, and beyond) 📚 Resources Mentioned Munther Isaac: Christ in the Rubble Christ in the Rubble (InterVarsity Press) Mitri Raheb: Palestinian Christian writing and teaching Mitri Raheb Official Site Naim Ateek: Justice and Only Justice Justice and Only Justice (Orbis Books) Israelism (2023 documentary) Israelism Film Official Site 1948: Creation & Catastrophe (2017 documentary) 1948: Creation & Catastrophe Official Site Munich (2005 film by Steven Spielberg) Munich (IMDb) Waltz with Bashir (2008 film) Waltz with Bashir (IMDb) Lebanon (2009 film by Samuel Maoz) Lebanon (IMDb) 📚Full show notes: https://www.thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-166 Support the project by visiting Spot Fund or grabbing a jar of salsa at https://badromansalsa.com/. All funds received above production costs support charities in Memphis, Tennessee. Read the Gospels. Meet your neighbors. Refuse to whitewash war. Key Moments: (00:00) The Christians missing from our maps (04:20) A bullet-marked cross and shared house keys (08:15) Why “evangelical” carries painful baggage (12:40) Middle Eastern Christians and the cost of intervention (19:45) Dispensationalism, Zionism, and prophecy politics (24:45) A Ramadan meal breaks through fear (32:06) “Christians are our neighbors” (36:36) Assyrians, Yazidis, and Mandaeans (41:30) A political issue and a theological issue (46:23) What remains after Trump (50:55) Learning to see the people behind the war (54:18) Nathan’s writing and peace work   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

    Christianity in the Middle East: U.S. Foreign Policy vs. The Holy Land with Nathan Perrin

  8. Jul 16

    It's Not Left vs. Right: Music, God & Governments with Ancap Tim

    Ancap Tim returns to discuss his new album, It’s Not Left vs. Right, and the story behind the song inspired by the phrase, “Sometimes being a good Christian means being a bad Roman.” Drawing from his life as a musician, homesteader, homeschooling father, and Christian anarchist, Tim explains why allegiance to Jesus must come before allegiance to government, party, or nation. This is not a call to become more anti-government. It is a call to become more like Christ.   They dig into: The story behind “Sometimes Being a Good Christian Means Being a Bad Roman” Why Matthew 20:25–28 challenges domination and political power How love offers an alternative to coercion Why Christian discipleship must remain voluntary The difference between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world How music, humor, homesteading, and ordinary faithfulness can become acts of resistance Can Christians seek power over their neighbors while following a King who knelt to wash feet? Can love be commanded, enforced, or legislated? What does “Not so with you” mean in a church shaped by political fear and tribal loyalty? Let’s talk about it. 🤝Connect with Ancap Tim🤝 Website: ancaptim.crd.co Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/ancap-tim Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0V00pFy29YAmmaKqSRKTRC YouTube: youtube.com/@AncapTim Instagram: instagram.com/ancaptim X: x.com/ancaptim Facebook: facebook.com/p/Ancap-Tim-61571241265825 Playing the Midwest Peace & Liberty Fest, Aug 6–9, Laingsburg, MI: mplfest.org Previous episode: “Stateless Psalms: Songs for Liberty with Ancap Tim,” Episode 142 Starting Points and Key Moments: (00:00) Ancap Tim returns with a new album (11:42) The salsa table and the song that started it all (17:18) The law of love versus the logic of coercion (27:41) When party loyalty overrides Jesus (35:33) “But I'm Extreme” — who decided what counts as extreme? (40:16) An AI choir, Rothbard, and Scott Horton (52:51) The Iran war, Hormuz, and a tragedy neither side can spin away (1:02:19) The new album, the road, and where to find Tim   📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-165   Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 You can donate to the project at thebadroman.com/donate. Every sized donation helps, and anything beyond production costs is given to charities in Memphis, Tennessee. 🌶️ SALSA THE LOVE 🌶️ Want to an edible way to support the project? Try the Bad Roman Salsa at badromansalsa.com. Every jar helps fund more No King but Christ conversations and keeps this work independent. Want to support the project another way? Share this episode with someone untangling faith from politics!   🔗 How to Get Involved with the Project 🔗 Blog submissions: thebadroman.com/contribute-to-the-blog Connect with us on social: thebadroman.com/social-links Want to dig deeper? Request to join the private discussion group on Facebook (Bad Romans Only!!) Explore the No King but Christ Network: nokingbutchristnetwork.com

    It's Not Left vs. Right: Music, God & Governments with Ancap Tim
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Are you a Christian who feels disillusioned by politics? Do you see political systems—whether democratic, authoritarian, or otherwise—promising change but often leaving you unfulfilled? As followers of Christ, our calling isn’t tied to any earthly power; it’s to live like Jesus, no matter the political landscape. On this podcast, we explore what it means to set aside man-made allegiances—be they national, partisan, or ideological—and instead take up the Cross. Host Craig Harguess, a former neoconservative Southern Baptist Republican turned pacifist and Christian Voluntaryist, delves into the complex relationship between faith and political power. Through conversations with everyday Christians, church leaders, and even non-Christians, we challenge the ways politics can distract us from God’s work. True change starts where we are—because when we live like Christ, the world around us shifts, regardless of who holds power. New episodes release bi-weekly. Learn more at www.thebadroman.com.

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