When The Wolves Came

Meanings of Democracy Lab
When The Wolves Came

Over the last decade, large swaths of evangelicals in the U.S. have embraced an extremist politics that threatens to turn our democracy into a theocracy. Through the eyes of one pastor in Phoenix, WHEN THE WOLVES CAME shows how some evangelicals are banding together to fight back – and how their efforts can fit into a bigger movement to defend democracy in the U.S. Hosted by Dr. Ruth Braunstein, When The Wolves Came: Evangelicals Resisting Extremism is a six-part audio documentary launching March 4 that follows this story. About Dr. Braunstein: Ruth Braunstein is an award-winning sociologist who studies religion, politics, and money. She is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut, where she leads the Meanings of Democracy Lab, which researches the growing resistance to Christian Nationalism. As part of this work, she created and hosts the audio documentary When the Wolves Came: Evangelicals Resisting Extremism. Her forthcoming book, My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America, explores how taxpaying has become a moral battleground in public life. WhenTheWolvesCame.org

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 2

    Rise of the MAGAchurch

    Political divisions within Pastor Caleb’s church and at a leading Christian magazine reveal how predominantly white evangelical spaces became hothouses for Christian nationalism. Republican politics, militant masculinity and QAnon conspiracy theories all contribute to its spread. Show Notes: Learn more: The Persistence of QAnon in the Post-Trump Era: An Analysis of Who Believes the Conspiracies | PRRI Episode Guests: Caleb E. Campbell is a pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and the author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. https://www.disarmingleviathan.com/ Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is the author of The New York Times bestselling book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future. Napp Nazworth, Ph.D., is Executive Director of American Values Coalition. He previously worked in academia teaching courses in U.S. government, Congress, and religion and politics; and as a journalist, serving as opinion editor and politics editor for The Christian Post. Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics, and her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Lionel Estrada is a father, grandfather, Jesus follower, worship leader, songwriter and addiction/trauma therapist from Phoenix, AZ. He has been a member of Desert Springs Bible Church for almost 20 years. For more, including full transcripts, go to WhenTheWolvesCame.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    45 min
  2. EPISODE 3

    The Great Re-Sorting

    COVID-19 church closures, a summer of Black Lives Matter protests, and a tense Presidential election all fan the flames of white Christian nationalism. Two churches in Phoenix react in wildly different ways, with dramatic results.  Content warning: this episode includes a depiction of police violence that might be disturbing to some listeners. Show Notes: Learn more: Religious Change in America | PRRI Episode Guests: Caleb E. Campbell is a pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and the author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. https://www.disarmingleviathan.com/ Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University.  Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics, and her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Linda Morris was called to the ministry in 1986 and has served at the First Pentecostal Church, the Mountain States Council and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World including being a founding member of the PAW Single People’s Alliance and a former member of the Convention Evangelism Outreach Services (C.E.O.S.). She recently led the Surge Network Women In Leadership and serves as Outreach Director at First Pentecostal Church where she also teaches biblical worldview, wholistic ministry, and evangelism and outreach for the church’s discipleship classes and other groups Katherine Stewart is the award-winning author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. https://katherinestewart.me Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is the author of The New York Times bestselling book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future.  Nathan Whitchurch graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007 with a B.S. Mechanical Engineering degree and moved to Phoenix, AZ.  Nathan joined the Desert Springs Bible Church board of elders in 2013 and continues to serve as an elder, volunteer, and spiritual leader there. For more, including full transcripts, go to WhenTheWolvesCame.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    44 min
  3. EPISODE 4

    Fight or Flight

    Evangelical leaders horrified by the extremism in their churches wonder: Is it better to break ties with people who you believe are dangerously wrong – or try to lead them out of the dark? Pastor Caleb comes up with a surprising plan.  Show Notes Episode Guests: Caleb E. Campbell is a pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and the author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor.  Nathan Whitchurch graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007 with a B.S. Mechanical Engineering degree and moved to Phoenix, AZ. Nathan joined the DSBC board of elders in 2013 and continues to serve as an elder, volunteer, and spiritual leader there. Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics, and her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Jared Stacy (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is an ethicist and theologian based in Washington DC. His research focuses on evangelical theology, digital media, and political extremisms, particularly conspiracy theory and mis/disinformation.  Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Church's Complicity in Racism, How to Fight Racism, and How to Fight Racism: Young Reader's Edition. He is also a Professor of History at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville. Jemar is the co-host of the "Pass the Mic" podcast.  Katherine Stewart is the award-winning author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.  For more, including full transcripts, go to WhenTheWolvesCame.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    46 min
4.9
out of 5
64 Ratings

About

Over the last decade, large swaths of evangelicals in the U.S. have embraced an extremist politics that threatens to turn our democracy into a theocracy. Through the eyes of one pastor in Phoenix, WHEN THE WOLVES CAME shows how some evangelicals are banding together to fight back – and how their efforts can fit into a bigger movement to defend democracy in the U.S. Hosted by Dr. Ruth Braunstein, When The Wolves Came: Evangelicals Resisting Extremism is a six-part audio documentary launching March 4 that follows this story. About Dr. Braunstein: Ruth Braunstein is an award-winning sociologist who studies religion, politics, and money. She is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut, where she leads the Meanings of Democracy Lab, which researches the growing resistance to Christian Nationalism. As part of this work, she created and hosts the audio documentary When the Wolves Came: Evangelicals Resisting Extremism. Her forthcoming book, My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America, explores how taxpaying has become a moral battleground in public life. WhenTheWolvesCame.org

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