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Why do everyday Americans feel more divided than ever—despite living side by side?

Anthropologist Anand Pandian joins Faithful Politics to explore the literal and metaphorical walls shaping American life. Drawing from his new book, Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life and How to Take Them Down, Pandian reflects on how gated communities, armored SUVs, and isolated media bubbles reinforce our moral divisions and political tribalism. From border walls to suburban surveillance, the conversation investigates how social infrastructure amplifies fear, reduces neighborly contact, and fosters moral distance.

Pandian doesn’t just critique—he models empathy across difference, even recounting his own experience at a Trump rally. Together with hosts Will and Josh, the episode challenges listeners to reconsider what “safety” really means and how we might rediscover shared belonging.
Whether you're wrestling with polarization, cultural identity, or moral responsibility, this episode offers a hopeful reframe grounded in anthropology, faith, and civic curiosity.

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Guest Bio
Anand Pandian is a professor of anthropology at Johns Hopkins University and the author of Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life and How to Take Them Down. His work blends ethnography, cultural theory, and storytelling to explore how we live with difference, both globally and within the U.S. He has conducted fieldwork across multiple continents and brings a deeply personal lens to the study of American social divisions.

Something Between Us by Anand Pandian: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781503637870
Anand Pandian's Website: https://anand.studio

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Why does so much political dysfunction begin before Election Day? In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright speaks with Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America and author of The Primary Solution. They unpack how gerrymandering and redistricting battles in states like Texas and California are only part of the problem. The real issue? Closed primaries that shut out millions of voters and reward partisan extremes.

Troiano explains how open primaries, ranked choice voting, and reforms already working in states like Alaska, Colorado, and New Mexico could restore competition, accountability, and majority rule to American elections. This conversation blends history, constitutional context, and on-the-ground reform efforts to show how we can strengthen democracy from the ground up.

If you’ve ever wondered why your vote feels like it doesn’t matter—or what can be done about it—this episode is your roadmap to meaningful reform.

Guest Bio
Nick Troiano is the Executive Director of Unite America, a nonpartisan organization advancing political reform to foster a more representative and functional government. A nationally recognized leader on electoral reform, Troiano has been at the forefront of efforts to end gerrymandering and promote open primaries across the country. His book, The Primary Solution (2024), makes the case for abolishing closed party primaries and empowering voters with real choice. He has been featured in national outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and C-SPAN, and is widely regarded as one of the leading voices on fixing the structural roots of polarization in American politics.

Relevant Links
Nick Troiano’s book: The Primary Solution https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-primary-solution-nick-troiano/
Unite America: www.uniteamerica.org

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What happens when your zip code determines your child’s future?

In this episode, Will and Josh talk with Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, to unpack the complex—and often contentious—landscape of school choice. Bedrick shares his 20+ year journey in education reform, tracing his advocacy for parental rights and religious liberty back to a post-9/11 awakening and Milton Friedman’s theories.

The conversation explores vouchers, education savings accounts (ESAs), the history and distortion of school choice post-Brown v. Board, and how pandemic-era frustrations accelerated parental engagement. Bedrick also addresses the tension between religious freedom and government schooling, pushing back on claims that school choice fuels segregation or undermines civic unity.

If you’re wondering how school choice intersects with parental rights, government responsibility, First Amendment protections, or the values debate in public schools, this episode is a must-listen.
Subscribe, share, and join the conversation as we examine what true educational freedom looks like—and who gets to decide.

👤 Guest Bio
Jason Bedrick is a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, where he focuses on education freedom, religious liberty, and classical education. A former New Hampshire state legislator, Bedrick has spent over two decades working in the school choice movement and is one of the nation's most prominent voices advocating for education savings accounts and parental rights.

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More than half of all historical carbon emissions have occurred since 1989—after world leaders knew the risks. So why do we still believe we can innovate our way out of collapse?

In this sobering and deeply philosophical conversation, Roy Scranton—former soldier, literary scholar, and author of Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress—joins Will to explore why our faith in progress may be our greatest liability. Drawing from his experience in Iraq and his study of civilizational decline, Scranton dismantles the optimistic narratives that shape American culture, from techno-utopianism to climate heroism.
They discuss everything from American exceptionalism and carbon optimism to moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt’s “elephant and rider,” and the ethical case for pessimism. Scranton argues that rather than trying to save the world, we should focus on how to live meaningfully in a collapsing one—with compassion, honesty, and courage.

Whether you’re a climate realist, a techno-optimist, or just anxious about the future, this episode will stretch your mind.

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Guest Bio
Roy Scranton is a writer, scholar, and former U.S. Army soldier whose work explores the philosophical and cultural implications of climate change. He is the author of Learning to Die in the Anthropocene, War Porn, and most recently Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress. Scranton is a professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches literature, environmental humanities, and moral philosophy.

Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress (Stanford University Press) – https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781503640030

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What happens when a religious sect rooted in patriarchy and Christian nationalism gains influence over America’s largest government agency?

Dr. Samuel P. Perry, a scholar of race, religion, and rhetoric at Baylor University, joins Will to unpack the rise of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC)—a small but strategically influential network founded by Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho. Perry explains how the CREC uses media, schools, and publishing arms like Canon Press to shape a hyper-patriarchal, theocratic vision of society. He also explores the implications of Pete Hegseth—Trump’s Secretary of Defense—being a member of a CREC church.

The conversation covers Christian reconstructionism, the erosion of church-state separation, militant rhetoric, and the creeping normalization of extreme ideology through polished media ecologies. Perry also warns how these theological fringes have real-world implications, from women in combat to anti-LGBTQ policies in the military.

If you've never heard of the CREC, now is the time to pay attention.
Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.

👤 Guest Bio:
Samuel P. Perry is a scholar of rhetoric and public discourse at Baylor University, specializing in the intersection of race, religion, and politics. He is the author of Rhetorics of Race and Religion on the Christian Right, and his research has appeared in leading journals and outlets like Salon and The Conversation.

🔗 Resource Links:
CREC Overview: https://crechurches.org
Doug Wilson’s Canon Press: https://canonpress.com
Heath Druzin’s Podcast Extremely American: https://www.extremelyamerican.com
Sam Perry’s Article in Salon: https://www.salon.com/2025/06/23/what-is-crec-the-christian-nationalist-group-has-a-vision-for-america-and-pete-hegseths-backing_partner/

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Nearly 60% of Americans still believe the Pope speaks infallibly—but what does that actually mean?

In this illuminating episode, Dr. Stephen Okey, a Catholic theologian at Saint Leo University, helps us unpack the mysteries of the papacy—from apostolic succession and the theology of confession to why popes change their names and how AI may shape the next Catholic revolution. With humor and clarity, Okey demystifies concepts like papal infallibility and ex cathedra pronouncements, clarifying that only two infallible statements have ever been made—and both were about Mary.

As the Catholic Church wrestles with moral leadership in an age of automation, this episode also explores the social teachings of Pope Leo XIII, how they inspired the new Pope Leo XIV, and what all this means for the dignity of work, human agency, and religious liberty in 2025.
Subscribe, share, and join the conversation as we ask: How should theology engage public life in a digital world?

Guest Bio
Dr. Stephen Okey is a Catholic theologian and Associate Professor of Theology at Saint Leo University, where he specializes in theological anthropology, Catholic social teaching, and the intersection of faith, technology, and public life. He writes the Substack Okey Doxy and hosts a podcast where he interviews leading theologians.

🔗 Resource Links
Dr. Stephen Okey’s Substack: https://stephenokey.substack.com
Okey Doxy Podcast: https://stephenokey.substack.com/podcast

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Nearly 4 in 10 Americans now say they actively avoid the news. Why is our information landscape leaving so many people overwhelmed, cynical, or checked out?

In this episode, Will and Josh sit down with award-winning journalist Julie Rose, host of the Top of Mind and Uncomfy podcasts, to explore the moral cost of our fast-paced, sensational news culture. After years at NPR stations and BYUradio, Julie burned out—and reimagined journalism from the ground up. She now creates longform conversations designed to slow us down, challenge certainty, and foster empathy.

Together, they unpack media bias, bridge-building across ideological divides, abortion discourse, and why persuasion may not be the goal of dialogue—but curiosity might be. If you’ve ever felt disillusioned with the news, this is your invitation to rethink how you consume—and contribute to—the conversation.
🎧 Subscribe, share, or leave a review to keep meaningful dialogue alive.

Guest Bio
Julie Rose is an award-winning journalist and host of the Top of Mind podcast, where she explores hard topics with empathy, curiosity, and nuance. Formerly a host at BYUradio and a reporter for NPR stations including WFAE Charlotte, Rose has conducted over 10,000 interviews in her career. Her work focuses on deepening understanding across political, cultural, and moral divides.

Top of Mind with Julie Rose: https://www.byuradio.org/topofmind
Uncomfy Podcast: https://www.topofmind.org/uncomfy

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80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries—despite everything. Why? And what does it reveal about the state of the Christian conscience?

In this raw and pastoral conversation, Will and Josh speak with Pat Kahnke—author of A Christian Case Against Donald Trump—about the moral cost of evangelical allegiance to Trump. A former pastor and lifelong Republican, Kahnke shares his journey from voting a straight GOP ticket to being “deported” from the party for refusing to support Trump. Together, they explore how fear, political power, and theological drift have distorted the witness of the Church.

The episode dives into key moral foundations: care vs. harm, truth vs. deception, and justice vs. oppression. With rare empathy and candor, Pat explains why he believes the Church needs a “40-year wilderness” before it can heal.

Listen in for a conversation that challenges, convicts, and—most importantly—calls us to a better way.

👉 Subscribe, share, and join the conversation.

👤 Guest Bio
Pat Kahnke is a former pastor and author of MAGA Seduction and A Christian Case Against Donald Trump. Through his YouTube channel and Substack, “Culture, Faith, and Politics,” he critiques the misuse of Christianity for political gain and calls for a gospel-centered public witness.

🔗 Resource Links
A Christian Case Against Donald Trump by Pat Kahnke (Amazon)
https://a.co/d/fx7gNj2
MAGA Seduction by Pat Kahnke (Amazon)
https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798684280344
Culture, Faith, and Politics on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/ @culturefaithandpolitics
Culture, Faith, and Politics on Substack
https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com

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🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
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