The Bulletin

4.4 (600)
News Commentary
Weekly

The Bulletin is a podcast for Christians seeking insights into the events, questions, and people that are shaping their world. Each episode will help Christians consider the intersection of faith, culture and spiritual formation. Subscribe today!

7h ago

Blue Tsunami Midterms, Israel’s Election, Latest Religious Liberty Case, and You Can See Everything

Voters showed their true colors in Tuesday’s elections, triggering what most are referring to as a “Blue Tsunami” in the massive overhaul of House and Senate seats as Democrats take the majority. With Peter Wehner as our first guest, we’re diving into the potential implications of these changes. We also talk with Nathan Diament about the elections in Israel and the latest religious liberty case before the Supreme Court. Then theology and culture professor Kutter Callaway joins the show for a conversation surrounding You Can See Everything, the new documentary about Elizabeth Holmes. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: A Good Night for the Christian Faith by Peter Wehner You Can See Everything⁠ A documentary directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Peter Wehner is an author and contributing writer at The Atlantic, and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He served as Deputy Director of Speechwriting for George W. Bush and later as the Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, where he acted as an in-house strategist and liaison to faith leaders, historians, and public intellectuals. Nathan Diament is the Executive Director of Public Policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, where he develops and coordinates public policy research and initiatives on behalf of the Jewish community. Nathan has testified before congressional committees and works closely with members of both political parties to craft legislation addressing religious liberty issues, education policy, homeland security and non-profit tax issues. Dr. Kutter Callaway is the William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts, as well as associate dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Studies, and associate professor of theology and culture. He is actively engaged in writing and speaking on the interaction between theology and culture, particularly film, television, and online media. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer & Moderator: Courtney Blair Producer: Nathan Nipper Associate Producer: Crystal Dady Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 30

Midterms on Tuesday, Election Security, and Living Distinctly as Christians

This Tuesday marks the last day for voters to cast their ballots in the midterm elections. In anticipation of the results, Courtney Blair speaks with Chris Stirewalt about which races to be looking out for. David Becker from the Center for Election Innovation & Research joins to discuss misinformation about noncitizen voters, the unprecedented actions of the Department of Justice, and how secure the election really is. And finally, pastor and author Mark Batterson provides encouragement about how to live life in response to God’s revealed Word as “transformed nonconformists.” REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Not My Circus: Living with Courage, Conviction, and Compassion in a World of Chaos by Mark Batterson GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Chris Stirewalt is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he focuses on American politics, voting trends, public opinion, and the media. He is a contributing writer for The Dispatch, and the host of The Hill Sunday on NewsNation, and he co-hosts the podcast Not Dead Yet with former Senator Ben Sasse. He is the author of Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back. David Becker is the founder and executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. David served for seven years as a senior trial attorney in the Voting Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, overseeing voting rights enforcement in several states, including California and Georgia. Mark Batterson serves as the lead visionary of National Community Church in Washington, DC. Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the author of 27 books including the New York Times bestselling The Circle Maker and the newly released Not My Circus. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer & Moderator: Courtney Blair Producer: Nathan Nipper Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trailer

Trailer

Welcome to The Bulletin, a news podcast from Christianity Today, hosted by Courtney Blair. Each week we will have a conversation from a variety of perspectives on the events, issues and people who are shaping our world. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Instagram, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 23

Midterms Anticipation, Riots in France, and Euthanasia Escalation

As anticipation and speculation increase for the midterm elections, Michael Wear joins Courtney Blair to discuss “faith forward” Democrats running for office and whether Christians should reconsider the idea of being “politically homeless.” Then, Mark Edington shares his perspective on pastoring a congregation in Paris during this week’s mass riots that swept France. And Courtney speaks with writer Kayla Craig and Dr. Lydia Dugdale about a disturbing new escalation in euthanasia in The Netherlands. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Euthanizing a Toddler Is Not Compassionate by Kayla Craig GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Michael Wear is the founder, president, and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Wear is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. He writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult magazine, Christianity Today, and other publications on faith, politics, and culture. Mark Edington is the Bishop in charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. He is the author of Bivocational: Returning to the Roots of Ministry and his essays have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and other national publications. Lydia Dugdale is the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center and director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She also serves as co-director of clinical ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her scholarship focuses on end-of-life issues, the role of aesthetics in teaching ethics, moral injury, and the doctor-patient relationship. Kayla Craig is a former journalist, bestselling author, and spiritual director whose work blends contemplative faith with fierce tenderness for the world God loves. She is the author of To Light Their Way, Our Daily Breath, and Every Season Sacred. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 23

Civility in the Midterms and Christianity Today Turns 70

This week, President of the Trinity Forum Cherie Harder shares about what healthy political discourse looks like and what we can keep in mind as we approach the midterm elections. Then, Courtney Blair sits down at The Museum of the Bible with Christianity Today President and CEO Nicole Martin for a discussion about where CT has come from, where we’re going, and what remains at our core. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Cherie Harder serves as President of The Trinity Forum. Previously, she worked in the White House as special assistant to the President and director of policy and projects for First Lady Laura Bush. She has also worked as the policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and the senior counselor to the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has ghost-written articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and elsewhere. Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as President and CEO. She has more than 25 years of nonprofit, academic, ministry leadership, and church engagement experience and has served at CT since 2023 as Chief Impact Officer and most recently Chief Operating Officer. Special thanks to the Museum of the Bible for hosting us for the recording of the interview with Dr. Nicole Martin! ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 9

A Social Media Reckoning

This week, Frances Haugen drops by The Bulletin to discuss the events in her life that inspired Aaron Sorkin’s new movie The Social Reckoning. Frances shares what she learned as a data scientist at Facebook that led her to become a corporate whistleblower, as well as how we can think about integrity in the workplace. Then, CT contributor Brad East joins the show to talk about his piece ‘Why Christians Should Delete Social Media’ and the value of living an offline life. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: Why Christians Should Delete Social Media - Brad East The Screen Free Church: How Pastors Can Diagnose and Resist the Spiritual Costs of Technology - Brad East Audio clip from the trailer of Sony Pictures' The Social Reckoning. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Frances Haugen is an American product manager, data engineer, scientist, and whistleblower. She disclosed tens of thousands of Facebook's internal documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission and The Wall Street Journal in 2021. Brad East is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He is the author of five books, including his upcoming book The Screen-Free Church: How Pastors Can Diagnose and Resist the Spiritual Costs of Technology. He also writes regularly on his personal blog and cohosts the podcast Mere Fidelity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 2

Jim Crow Theobros, Pastors Running as Democrats, and 2028 Polling Data

Theobros are a new genre of Internet influencer who discuss theology on podcasts. They have been gaining an online following by saying the Bible supports their segregationist and antisemitic views. Bob Smietana from Religion News Service reported on these Theobros, and spoke to The Bulletin about their beliefs. Then, as the mid-term elections approach, we discuss the phenomenon of pastors, seminarians and former clergy running as Democratic candidates. We re-air a conversation with Mockingcast’s David Zahl, diving specifically into the rise of Texas’s Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Lastly, Charlie Sykes and Russell Moore discuss how to interpret polling data around the 2028 election, if they think JD Vance or Marco Rubio is more likely to become the Republican candidate, and what to value when thinking about who to vote for. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: The rise of the Jim Crow theobros - Bob Smietana 'They're not real pastors': As clergy run as Democrats, Republicans question their faith - Religion News Service Can Democrats Reclaim the Christian Moral Highground? - Jia Lynn Yang GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Bob Smietana is a national reporter for Religion News Service based near Chicago, covering evangelicals, weird religion, and the changing religious landscape. David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website, and co-host of both The Mockingcast and The Brothers Zahl podcasts. His latest book is, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Guardian, among others. Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, and other national publications. He has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Alexa Copeland Producer: Nathan Nipper Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 25

Trump Hosts Xi Jinping, Military Might in Greenland, and AI Alarmism

This week, President Trump welcomed China’s president Xi Jinping to Washington, D.C. for a two-day summit. Knox Thames joins to discuss Chinese religious liberty violations and why the two world leaders will most likely avoid the issue. Then, President Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland regarding the US’s military presence in Greenland. We re-air a segment in which Noah Rothman, Mike Cosper, Russell Moore, and Clarissa Moll discuss Trump’s comments from January about wanting to claim Greenland, and the harm that those comments may have caused. Finally, amidst the AI alarmism in the media cycle, we re-play a conversation featuring Meghan Sullivan from Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. She discusses some ways we can approach the AI issue, and what is in store for our work. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: The Other Victims of China’s Church Crackdown - Vivian Wang DBU Center for Global Religious Freedom Resources Jensen Huang Thinks A.I. Alarmism Has Gone Too Far - The Ezra Klein Show GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Knox Thames is a diplomat and international human rights lawyer who served for 20 years in the US government across multiple administrations, most recently in the Obama and Trump administrations as a State Department special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East and South/Central Asia. He is the executive director of the new Center for Global Religious Freedom, an initiative of Dallas Baptist University. Noah Rothman is a senior writer with National Review and a contributor to MSNBC. He is the author of Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America and The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back Against Progressives’ War on Fun. Meghan Sullivan is a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. She serves as director of the ethics Initiative and is the founding director of Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. She is the author of Time Biases, and The Good Life Method based on a popular introductory philosophy course she developed at Notre Dame called “God and the Good Life.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See All (309)

Trailer

Trailer

Welcome to The Bulletin, a news podcast from Christianity Today, hosted by Courtney Blair. Each week we will have a conversation from a variety of perspectives on the events, issues and people who are shaping our world. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Instagram, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell D. Moore

Host
Courtney Blair

Host
Chris Stirewalt

Guest
David Becker

Guest
Mark Batterson

Guest
Michael Wear

Guest
Mark Edington

Guest
Kayla Craig

Guest
Lydia Dugdale

Guest
Cherie Harder

Guest

4.4

out of 5

600 Ratings

What happened?

5d ago

Jackson10283750

It’s just not as compelling, not sure what happened but I’m unsubscribing, Mike was great so was Clarissa, the whole crew was awesome, this is just not it. Still waiting on Mike’s next thing, he’s great
Voting

Oct 30

Tuned2Jazz

I really appreciated hearing from David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation & Research. It is encouraging to hear about more thorough research showing the integrity of our election system. Thank you.
New Hosts

Oct 26

the_ladydady

Thankful for the kingdom perspective on cultural events presented in this podcast. As a Christ follower and independent voter, this show gives me a sense of place in such a divisive landscape!
Unfortunate

Oct 4

OhLaMojo

I have listened to The Bulletin for years, and its predecessor Quick to Listen before that. The show is unfortunately in its worst incarnation right now. It may be time to scrap and rebuild again.