ICYMI: Curtis Chang on Fear, Faith & Healing Our Political Witness

A deeply clarifying conversation about fear, faith, and how Christians can reclaim a healthier way of engaging in public life.

In this ICYMI release, Corey revisits his thoughtful and timely dialogue with Curtis Chang—public theologian, founder of Redeeming Babel, and co-creator (with David French, Dr. Russell Moore and Nancy French) of The After Party, a project devoted to healing the political fractures tearing churches and friendships apart.

Curtis explains why so much of our modern polarization isn’t actually about facts, but untended anxiety posing as conviction. He lays out how Christians can cultivate moral confidence without moral combat, why conspiracy theories often function as emotional painkillers, and what it looks like to move from combatant, cynic, or exhausted bystander toward the spiritual posture of a disciple.

If you’re new to TP&R thanks to Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this conversation is a grounded, hopeful entry point into what we’re about.

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⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics

[00:00] Why Curtis Chang’s work matters in this political moment [00:02] Anxiety as the hidden driver of polarization [00:06] Conspiracy theories as emotional “certainty drugs” [00:12] Faith, history, and what Christians misunderstand about the Resurrection [00:17] Cynicism, disengagement, and reclaiming hope [00:21] The origins of The After Party and its vision for church renewal [00:27] “Disappearings,” broken relationships, and the danger of social withdrawal [00:38] Zealots, tax collectors, and Jesus’s political imagination [00:42] The spiritual power of shared meals [00:47] Combatants, Cynics, the Exhausted — and the path toward “Disciple” [00:55] The hunger for a better way to live out our faith in public

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Anxiety drives more polarization than ideology. When fear is unexamined, it disguises itself as righteous certainty. • Conspiracy theories offer false relief. They provide temporary emotional clarity, not truth. • Jesus models a politics of proximity. Tax collectors and zealots shared the same table — not because they agreed, but because He held them together. • Shared meals heal what arguments can’t. Embodied community diffuses fear and restores relationship. • Discipleship is the way forward. Hope + humility > combat, cynicism, and exhaustion.

💬 Notable Quotes

“Conspiracy theories are like Xanax for Christian anxiety.” “Jesus formed a political community that held zealots and tax collectors in the same circle.” “We need to recover the how of politics — the spiritual posture — not just the what.” “You can’t heal the world if you’ve disappeared the people in it.”

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🎙️ May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little more grounded in hope and humility.