Truce

Become a patron of the Truce Podcast! In our present moment, it seems that people are inclined to extremes. Christian fundamentalism seems to be on the rise. This season we're examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. We'll start by defining terms like "evangelical", "premillennialism", "dispensationalism", "modernist theology", and "fundamentalism". Then we'll work our way to the Scopes Monkey Trial, that massive media event in 1925 that pitted fundamentalism against evolution. Our guests this season include George Marsden, Joel Carpenter, Kevin Belmonte, Edward Larson, Paul T. McCartney, and Michael Kazin. We'll also feature a fascinating conversation with Jacob Goldstein, co-host of the Planet Money podcast. We can never hope to cover every facet of a subject this huge. Instead, the goal is to help normal people like us understand the basics of this movement that is actively shaping world history. Subscribe so you get every new episode as it is released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po

Christmas can be a difficult time for many of us. How do we love people who disagree with us? How do we cope with people who don't seem to make sense anymore? In this bonus Christmas message, I just want to remind all of us of Jesus' command to both love our God AND love our neighbor. How has 2021 been for you? Leave a comment on social media or on the website at www.trucepodcast.com. God willing, season 5 of Truce will begin in winter 2022. Merry Christmas, Chris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast When you think of the world's worst mass murderers, King Leopold II doesn't usually come up. But due to his forced labor practices in the Congo, nearly 10 million people lost their lives. He did this by pretending that his actions in that region were a missionary effort. In reality, he forced Africans to harvest wild rubber or risk having their hands cut off. The truth is even darker than that: it turns out that Leopold was far from the only person doing this. This same era was marked by many major world powers engaging in forced labor. From the US in the Philippines to Arab countries in eastern Africa, much of the modern world was built on forced labor. Author Adam Hochschild joins us for this episode to discuss his book "King Leopold's Ghost". I first heard about this story on the Noble Blood podcast and their episode "The Red Paint on Leopold II". Discussion Questions: Had you heard of

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The British slave trade had several well-known opponents: William Wilberforce and John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") to name a few. But historian Adam Hochschild ("King Leopold's Ghost", "To End All Wars") argues that history has largely forgotten the most valuable member of the abolition movement: Thomas Clarkson. Clarkson was in charge of gathering and disseminating information across the British Isles. He fought for years to end the slave trade and then slavery itself. This movement is important for many reasons. It was the first to use logos, a coordinated marketing campaign, and it established a high bar for investigative journalism. It was also an ecumenical movement. In this episode we explore slavery, the importance of slave rebellions, the power of ecumenical efforts, and the book "Bury the Chains". I mentioned the so-called Curse of Ham in the episode. Learn more about it here

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast So many Christians are angry at the Church. Not just the Church but their local churches as well. Producer Chris Staron decided to take a look inside one small congregation to see how Black Lives Matter, COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, and more have impacted one community. How are people in Jackson, Wyoming responding in a time of dissension and deconstruction in the body of Christ? Special thanks to Ray McDaniel and Karl Klemmer for talking with Chris for this interview. Helpful Links: Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps First Baptist Church Discussion Questions: How have the last few years changed your ideas about the global Church? How have they changed your ideas of your local church? How would you respond if you were the pastor of a local church today and your congregation wanted you to pick a political side? Should pastors speak about politics from the pulpit? Why do we put s

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Truce usually uses research, music, sound effects, and expert interviews to tell complicated stories about the Christian Church. We've made something like 100 episodes! Our listeners recommended that we celebrate by asking Chris questions submitted by audience members. Special thanks to Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast for asking the questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Jackson, Wyoming is a small tourist town in the middle of nowhere. It is just a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Millions of people pass through each year as tourists. It's a vacation hotspot. But for those who choose to stay in this region, Teton County is anything but a vacation. Rising income inequality and housing costs have created a hostile environment for working people. The median home price in Jackson went up 47% in 2020 alone, rising to $2.2 million while wages remain stagnant. We've been talking for the last few episodes about myths of the American West, how cowboy myths about a lone rugged individual have shaped the US. Now it's time to understand how cowboy myths have impacted American Christianity. Our guest today is Justin Farrell. He's a sociologist and professor at Yale. His book is Billionaire Wilderness. In it, Farrell recounts his studies o

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Some of the wealthiest people in the world live (or pretend to live) in Jackson, Wyoming. That includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Digging into the property tax records, we discovered that one of the most successful actors in film history pays less in property tax than a single mom living on less land. What gives? Why are rich people paying less in property tax than working people? The answer has to do with a thing called a conservation easement. A conservation easement is essentially an agreement between a landowner and the government that says, "I promise I'll keep my property from certain kinds of building projects". In return, the government gives the landowner massive tax benefits on the federal and local levels. In this episode, Chris digs into the history of these instruments to understand what they are and how they are impacting rural Wyoming and the rest of the country.

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The myth of the American cowboy features a lone man who makes his fortune on the open plains. He doesn't need the government, and he doesn't need some big corporation telling him what to do. But that myth is far from the reality in the west. Many cowboys worked for large corporate cattle operations. And when those operations were in danger, he relied on the government for help. The Johnson County War started when the Homestead Act of 1862 brought new people to central Wyoming. The area just west of the Big Horn Mountains had been free-range grassland where anyone could let their cattle run free. The large cattle operations loved this setup because it saved them an immense amount of money and infrastructure. The new homesteads threatened their empires because they divided up the land and restricted their access. So the Wyoming Stock Growers Association banded together to send a message: get o

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What do you think of when you picture a cowboy? A rugged, handsome individual? A lover? Someone who doesn't need the government's help? Evangelicalism has long pushed this as the ideal model for the Christian man. What is the impact of that set of ideas? John Wayne and Ronald Reagan have both become popular figures in American men's ministries. Their names come up often, they both played cowboys in Hollywood. But they are unlikely heroes. Both men were divorced. Wayne wasn't an evangelical, and Reagan had once been a democrat. But both men were instrumental in whipping up anti-communist sentiment in the US, building credibility with a religion focused on individualism. You can draw a line from them straight to former president Donald J. Trump. All three had questionable public morals but were seen as strong, uncompromising figures. They are seen in many men's books as the epitome of masculin

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Christians throughout history have responded to politics in different ways. In our modern era, it can seem like Christianity and Republican politics are one and the same. But what do we do when the Bible clashes with our political party? What if our economic model leaves no room for the poor? Author and theologian Kaitlyn Schiess joins us to talk about her book, "The Liturgy of Politics", as well as how we can heal as a church. Discussion Questions How have you seen politics and Christianity mixing in the US? Is there are healthy way for Christians to engage in politics? How have your politics informed your ideas of the poor? Do you think that all poor people are lazy? How can your local church reach out to people who look/speak/act differently that you do? How have you see Kaitlyn's four false gospels play out in your life and church? Prosperity Patriotism Security Supremacy Lea

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Do systems really keep minorities down? Even asking the questions sound socialistic to some. But we need to go through our society to root out systems that breed inequality. But how? Sometimes discussions of racism can make us feel helplessly lost. That's why I called in an expert. Jemar Tisby is a Christian speaker, author of “The Color of Compromise” and “How to Fight Racism”. He's also an important voice in modern America. Even if you don't agree with everything he writes in his books, it's important to hear what he's saying here. What are the systems that separate black and white people? How can we learn to grieve as a people, as a local church, and as a community? Discussion Questions: How can you organize an event at your church (online) to discuss the history of racism in your church, community, schools, and hearts? Have you ever stopped to do a racial autobiography? (my questio

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Some of the most common feedback I heard about season 3 of Truce is that I didn't give the Christian America camp enough time to back their opinion. In this mini-episode, I discuss my reason for leaving people like David Barton of Wall Builders off of the show. I also play a short clip from Gregg L. Frazer who was on our Christian America episodes. His book is "The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast At the 2019 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Los Angeles, I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Richard Land. Dr. Land is a man of the company line who mixes Republican thought with Christianity. At this interview, Dr. Land said (off mic) that the reason this generation struggles so much is that we are unwilling to see the issues of our time as black and white. Good vs. Evil. I disagree. I think the opportunity our generation has is that we can finally think of this complex world as complex. This mini-episode is just one of several meant to help sum up season 3 of Truce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast A few months ago I produced two episodes about the Christian roots of American labor unions. And... a bunch of people stopped listening to the show. It turns out that many American Christians are conservative and, therefore, anti-union. This mini-episode is the counterbalance to that series. Here we discuss the inefficient practices at General Motors in the 1980s. It was an era where GM slipped from holding over 40% of the market share to 17%. What happened? It's a story of unions, gasoline, and the reasons we treat labor well. Resources used: “Rude Awakening: The Rise Fall and Struggle for Recovery of General Motors” by Maryann Keller "Crash Course" by Paul Ingrassia Discussion Questions: Do you have a bias for or against labor unions? Who do you know who is or was in a union? What is their work ethic? The labor unions in GM in the 1980s were inefficient. Does that make all labor

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Season three of Truce has been all about how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian Church. As we approach the end of the season, I want to highlight some of the important takeaways. One of them is that communism can be used as a scapegoat. That is used by some people to get the public to hate or disregard something they don't like. That could be the COVID crisis or Black Lives Matter. Our guest today is Jemar Tisby. He's the author of the New York Times Bestseller "The Color of Compromise" and "How to Fight Racism". He's also a frequent voice on the Pass The Mic Podcast. You can access his Substack email list here. Helpful links: Article about the Wyoming Health Department official who resigned due to his denial of COVID 19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast MAGA folks look back on the history of the United States and see a golden era: the 1950s. When religion was in the public eye, television and movies were clean, and father came home from work with dinner hot on the table. The trouble is that this vision of the 1950s only existed in our imaginations or if we chose to ignore the world around us. The 1950s were an era of great upheaval, with public monuments to religion being erected at the same time as heavy censorship, McCarthyism, wars, racism, and sexism. For the next few weeks we'll be revisiting themes from season three of Truce to pull out some important takeaway. Takeaway 1: Think Deeper About the Past. Helpful links: The trailer for Secrets of Jonathan Sperry Chris' interview with director Rich Christiano Discussion Questions: What do you think of when you think of the 1950s? When is it okay to remember just part of history, a

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol demonstrated the dangers of extreme Christian nationalism. When we allow our ideas about God and His protection to overrun the Bible, we get into serious trouble. Now, many Christians are questioning their faith. Why does the Jesus of the Bible look so different from us and our country? In this episode, Chris discusses our strange relationship with the United States. We love it when it affirms us, but we don't know what to do when the US behaves in an evil manner. How do we unify the Church in an era of division? Helpful Discussion Questions: How have you seen the United States tied to Christianity? What do you think people mean when they say the US is a Christian nation? When have you seen the US behave in a Christian manner? When have you seen it wander from Christian principles? Do you follow the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, or an econ

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast How should Christians react in a post-Christian society? Many theologians describe our modern era as being post-Christian. Meaning that religion was once public in the United States, and it is slowly disappearing. Is that okay? Is it possible that now is a great time to be doing ministry? In this episode Chris interviews pastor/ author/ podcaster Skye Jethani. He's the author of the book "What if Jesus was Serious?" and co-host of The Holy Post podcast with Phil Vischer. Skye's wisdom for this time helps Christians put today in perspective. Discussion Questions: What is meant by the term "post-Christian"? Do you think we're living in a post-Christian world? How do our environment and culture impact Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount? What does it mean to love our neighbors? Turn the other cheek? Do you agree with Skye when he says that we are to obey our leaders, and yet we are th

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast When did school prayer end? When was school prayer made illegal? American Christians have disagreed about school prayer ever since it was declared illegal in the 1960s by the Supreme Court of the United States. But what were the conditions surrounding that debate? In this episode of Truce, we break down the debate using Justice Hugo Black's majority argument against school prayer. It goes all the way back to the founding of the Church of England when Thomas Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer and helped the king solidify his divorce. Thomas Cranmer was made Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest role in the Church of England. But when Mary Tudor became queen, she executed Cranmer because she was Catholic and he was Protestant. Justice Black's decision hinged on the story of Cranmer. England was thrown into turmoil with every new regent because they could change the religion. The US, he a