Truce - History of the Christian Church

Chris Staron
Truce - History of the Christian Church

Truce explores the history of the evangelical church in America, from fundamentalism to pyramid schemes to political campaigns. Host Chris Staron uses journalistic tools to investigate how the church got here and how it can do better. The current season follows the rise of the Religious Right, examining the link between evangelicals and the Republican Party. Featuring special guests like Rick Perlstein, Frances Fitzgerald, Jesse Eisinger, Daniel K. Williams, and more.

  1. JAN 21

    Republicans and Evangelicals I The John Birch Society (featuring Matthew Dallek)

    Give to help Chris make Truce Robert Welch was a candy magnate who invented the Sugar Daddy and sold favorites like Junior Mints and Milk Duds. He was also very anti-communist. His dubious research led him to found the John Birch Society, a group whose mission was to spread conspiracy theories worldwide. They had major support from wealthy men like Fred Koch, father of the Koch brothers (who financed opposition to Obamacare and climate change legislation). Some of their most notable campaigns were those against Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Earl Warren and President Dwight Eisenhower. They claimed that these men were communist sympathizers working behind the scenes to put the communist agenda. Bogus stuff, but they gained thousands of followers across the country. They also fought the income tax, said that black people would not have wanted equality if the communists hadn't taught them to, and argued that the US is a republic and not a democratic republic. Phyllis Schlafly, RJ Rushdoony, Tim LaHaye, and many others had ties to the birchers. This group had a huge influence on the Religious Right! Not to mention shifting the GOP to accept extremists. Our special guest for this episode is Dr. Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University. His book is Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right. Sources: Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right by Matthew Dallek Before the Storm by Rick Perlstein Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill Helpful Guardian article about the Koch brothers and Americans for Prosperity Christian Reconstruction: RJ Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism by Michael McVicar NY Times article about J. Howard Pew's connections to Robert Welch Dark Money by Jane Mayer Discussion Questions What is the John Birch Society? Was communism a threat to the country in the mid-1900s? What would have been the proper way to respond to communism? What is the impact of conspiracy theories on American Christianity? There are real conspiracies in the US, like those by Donald Trump and his allies to steal the 2020 election. But a lot of Christians don't believe these real conspiracies. How has an abundance of false conspiracies numbed our ability to recognize reality? Are you surprised Tim LaHaye, Phyllis Schlafly, and RJ Rushdoony were affiliated with the JBS? How can believers maintain their faith even when evangelical culture has been corrupted? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min

  2. JAN 7

    Republicans and Evangelicals | A Brief History of Libertarianism (featuring Andrew Koppelman)

    Give to help Chris continue Truce Modern evangelicalism sometimes incorporates pieces of different ideas. Things that are in the air. Social messages. Political stances. But has evangelicalism been enchanted by libertarianism? In this episode, we cover a brief history of libertarianism. What is it and who are some of the main thinkers? We discuss Murry Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek, and Robert Nozick. What is a libertarian? Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi define libertarianism by six characteristics. Libertarians are defined by a love of private property, they are skeptical of authority, and they like free markets, spontaneous order, individualism, and negative liberty. We will define each of these throughout the episode. Our special guest for this episode is Andrew Koppelman, law professor at Northwestern University. He's the author of the book Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed. Sources Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed. by Andrew Koppelman The Individualists by Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek Matthew 25 The Road to Serfdom cartoon version The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (for the Dust Bowl section in book 2) 99% Invisible episode The Infernal Machine for information on anarchists Teddy Roosevelt's first address to Congress Dark Money by Jane Mayer EPA.gov article about The Clean Air Act NPR story about law enforcement throwing protestors in unmarked vans Listen America! by Jerry Falwell Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (I could only stomach maybe 1/4 of it. I promised myself if she wrote "Rearden Steel" one more time that I would stop reading. She did. So I did.) Discussion Questions What is libertarianism? How have you seen libertarianism crossing over into evangelicalism? Does libertarianism counter the story from Matthew 25? What is the impact of Ayn Rand? Have you read her books? Why did Atlas Shrugged suddenly become the "it" book among Republicans in 2020? Is there any place for selfishness in the Christian walk? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 3m

  3. 12/17/2024

    Republicans and Evangelicals I How Bad Drivers Prepare Us for Christmas

    Give to help Chris make Truce Well, we survived the 2024 US presidential election! But many people still feel anxiety as we head into the Christmas and New Year holidays. How can Christians prepare for a holiday season when politics will likely arise? Chris Staron is joined by Karl Klemmer, Nick Staron, and Ray McDaniel at First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY to discuss these issues and more. Plus Chris talks about his own anger as a pedestrian as drivers have come close to hitting him. How do Christians respond when they are wronged? We also spend a lot of time talking about Romans 14 which encourages believers to love their brothers and sisters who struggle in their faith or who have convictions different than our own. Can verses about food sacrificed to idols teach us something about dealing with loved ones who are different than us? Sources: Romans 12-15 (mixed translations) Discussion Questions: Why is it important to come to a complete stop at stop signs? Has anyone ever wronged you on the road? How did that feel? How did you react? Do you get upset about things you can't change? What are some examples? How can you adjust to not beat yourself up over things you can't change? What are other examples of non-mission critical things we can give grace on (like food sacrificed to idols)? Are there political issues that are mission-critical? Which ones are not? What are some that you can let slide in a conversation? How do you prepare yourself to enter a stressful environment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min

  4. 12/03/2024

    Republicans and Evangelicals I How the Wealthy Dodge Taxes (w/ Pro Publica's Jesse Eisinger)

    Give to help Chris make Truce How do ultra-wealthy people avoid paying taxes? It seems like a strange subject to bring up when discussing why some evangelicals are drawn to the Republican Party. But many of the ties between evangelicals and the GOP have to do with money. So, let's take a little side trip and explore the tax loopholes of today. More importantly, let's try to understand why so many Americans are tax-averse. Could it possibly be because we, deep down, know that someone else is getting a better deal than us? One tactic used by the ultra-wealthy is "buy, borrow, die". They avoid "income", instead opting for assets like stock and real estate they can borrow against. Borrowed money is not taxed. Then they either pay back those loans with other loans (often with interest rates that are much lower than their tax rates would be) or they fail to pay back the loans. Then... they die. Jesse Eisinger is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with Pro Publica. Chris first heard about him from his book (pardon the language) The Chickenshit Club and met him when he appeared at a live event in Jackson, WY hosted by the Teton County Library, the Center for the Arts, and the Jackson Hole News and Guide. Sources Pro-Publica's reporting on taxation This lecture at the Center for the Arts in Jackson, WY on November 8, 2023 Fascinating IRS responses to some of the conspiracy theories about them Disney's Donald Duck film "The New Spirit" encourages income tax as a national duty Time Magazine article about the history of taxes William McKinley vs. William Jennings Bryan by John Pafford (pg 29) New York Times archival article listing taxes paid by the wealthy The 16th Amendment The Macomber case article on Justia.com Historic Tax Bracket data Time Magazine article on the John Birch Society Methodist History from January 1988 Discussion Questions: What are your thoughts on the income tax in general? How should countries be funded? Why might a progressive tax structure (where wealthy people pay more) make sense? How could we close some of these tax loopholes? What is the difference between income and wealth? Should we tax wealth in the USA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    47 min

  5. 11/19/2024

    Republicans and Evangelicals I Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention

    Give to help Chris continue Truce It all started with a meeting over fancy donuts. Paige Patterson and a friend met together to plot the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. Before that time, the SBC had been more theologically diverse (though, not necessarily racially diverse due to its founding as a group that desired slavery). But if this group of fundamentalists was going to get a whole denomination to turn their way, they'd have to be clever. It would take time. Their scheme involved getting fundies elected into high office who could then turn committees and sub-committees to their side. It's a story of a minority group gaining control of a large organization, and steering it toward their vision of what it means to be a Christian. Sources The Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention – by Rob James, Gary Leazer The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Christianity Today article about Paige Patterson's allegations Religion News article about Patterson Tennesseean article about Patterson Article about early Baptists Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley Cornell's article about the separation of church and state Frances Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins Johnson Archives about SBC Johnson Archives SBC Resolutions Certified Pastry Aficianatro article about beignets Discussion Questions The episode starts with a discussion of accusations about Paige Patterson. What was your reaction to that story and why? Is it possible for a spouse to be a part of the salvation of their husband or wife? Where are the lines? When were you baptized? Did you do it as an adult, child, or both? Why? What do you think is the "right" way to baptize someone? Why? What are your thoughts on inerrancy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min

  6. 11/04/2024 · BONUS

    Mike Cosper: The Church in Dark Times

    Give $10/ month to help Chris make Truce What are the warning signs that a church leader will become a tyrant? How do we prevent church hurt from becoming our identity? What are ideologies and how do they become the overall focus of some ministries? Mike Cosper is the co-host of Christianity Today's The Bulletin podcast, the producer and host of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, and now the author of The Church in Dark Times. Discussion Questions: How does Mike define "Ideology"? What does it mean to have a strong ideology? Do you have any? How does this differ from having a simple belief? Why do you think so many people today struggle with anxiety? How can ideologies protect us from our anxiety? Why might that be a poor crutch? Mike recommends worship as a way to fend off anxiety. Why could that help? Is it wrong for churches and organizations to have a missions statement or goals? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min

  7. 10/29/2024 · BONUS

    The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

    Give to help Chris continue to make Truce In the Kanawha County Textbook War episode, Chris shared that the people of that county fought against some textbooks and stories being read in classrooms and as homework. Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado is one of the texts that was contested. So Chris decided to read it here as a bonus episode at the end of October. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    19 min

  8. 10/22/2024

    Republicans and Evangelicals I Frances Schaeffer and the Shaping of Christian Nationalism

    Give to help Chris make Truce. Frances Schaeffer is one of the most important theological thinkers of the 20th century. He urged fundamentalists and evangelicals to think outside of their separatism and consider how they could reach the world and expand their worldview. He began his career as a preacher in the United States, but a foreign missions board asked him to assess the state of fundamentalism in Europe after WWII. While there he saw great works of art and met fascinating people. Eventually, Schaeffer moved to Switzerland to start L'Abri, a chalet community where wanderers could come, live, and discuss the gospel. That's where the story may have ended. But his lectures were turned into audio cassettes and books. Then, from this small mountain village, Schaeffer became one of the best-known evangelicals in the world. Once he returned to the United States, his books took on a Christian nationalist tone which sticks with us today. Our guest for this episode is Barry Hankins. He's the author of Frances Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America. He is a professor of history at Baylor University. Sources: Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins The Evangelicals by Frances Fitgerald Reaganland by Rick Perlstein A helpful article about the Renaissance A helpful article about the Enlightenment Schaeffer's film How Should We Then Live? Gospel Coalition article about secular humanism A Christian Manifesto by Frances Schaeffer Discussion Questions: Have you read any of Schaeffer's work? What is your "worldview"? How did you get it? How did you become aware of that concept? Should all Christians have an idea of their worldview? Should it look a certain way? What do you think about the middle part of Schaeffer's ministry when he was preaching in L'Abri? How does it differ from the last third of his ministry? How have you seen Christian nationalism? What parts of the Bible do people use to justify it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    53 min
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Truce explores the history of the evangelical church in America, from fundamentalism to pyramid schemes to political campaigns. Host Chris Staron uses journalistic tools to investigate how the church got here and how it can do better. The current season follows the rise of the Religious Right, examining the link between evangelicals and the Republican Party. Featuring special guests like Rick Perlstein, Frances Fitzgerald, Jesse Eisinger, Daniel K. Williams, and more.

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