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Today I feature an interview with Katherine Stewart, the author of the New York Time bestseller Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. The segment is timely in that we discuss income disparities accentuated by the passage of the recent Trump budget. The dominance of Christian nationalism in the current administration isn't helping many of the foot soldiers who helped bring Trump to power.

Katherine discusses her new book and much more. Here is a sampling of topics:

• The uneasy coalitions in Christian nationalism and MAGA world
• The lifeblood of Christian nationalism: bad history
• Religious liberty means the freedom to do what Christian nationalists want to do
• Religion is a tool of autocratic leaders
• The threat of the New Right to American governance
• Power is what unites the religion of the New Right
• David Barton (Where's Waldo) is still active
• The rank and file are ultimately victims of the theology of power

CREDITS:

Music is provided by Earl's Taco Shack and Jonus Fair. Artwork is by Sarah Eshelman.

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Why are Christian nationalists angry about the New York City Democratic mayoral primary victory of Zohran Mamdani? They surely are. Many are blaming "unchecked" immigration for his win. White Christians nationalist fear they are being replaced by too many non-Christians and too many black and brown people. In light of this event and the overall attacks on immigrants taking place in Trump's America, have I got a segment for you. We also hear from a founding father on why Muslims should not be discriminated against.

In contrast to prior episodes, this one features one guest: Sociologist Andrew Whitehead. Andrew is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. He is also the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church (2023) and co-author with Samuel Perry of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (2020).

The focus of the episode is what Christian nationalists fear, which is almost everything. Andrew does a wonderful job of breaking down what Christian nationalists fear and how fear is related to Christian nationalism. We also discussed why the Christian aspect of Christian nationalism isn't enough for Christian nationalists. It is good and proper to discuss the deficits in Christian nationalist history, but it is also important to understand the psychology behind the Christians who seek comfort in nationalism.

This isn't all about psychology; there is some history too. We hear from James Iredell, an early Supreme Court justice who has a good word for us today.

Music provided by Earl's Taco Shack, Jonathan Swaim, and Dustin Blatnik.

Hosted and produced by Warren Throckmorton

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Be it resolved: America's founders established a secular government with provision for a religious people. When the delegates met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, they deliberately prevented the government from favoring any religion. Then when the Bill of Rights were added, freedom of religious expression was guaranteed.

Those who wanted a Christian government at the time were upset at what they called the religious defect in the Constitution. They were honest enough to admit what today's Christian nationalists often cover up: The Constitution is not a Christian document and the nation was not founded on the basis of Christianity.

The Christian myths surrounding the Constitutional Convention and Constitution came out later. At the time, most people recognized that the founding was secular.

This is a bonus episode with regular segments to return in July.

Music provided by Earl's Taco Shack. Segment written by Warren Throckmorton

Artwork: Sarah Eshelman