Truce

What

One of my favorite podcasts it explores the history and nature of the relationship between Christianity and the United States. Addressed from the perspective of historical journalism (at least in my view), I am continually blown away by the information included in the seasons, much of which I had no idea about as a Christian.

How

The big takeaway, when it comes to my own scholarship, is that U.S. Christianity, broadly speaking, is a multifaceted mixture of various perspectives and influences. Some of these perspectives and influences are germane to scripture and biblical antiquity, and some are not. As a result, this podcast encourages us Christians to thoughtfully reflect on what about our faith is scriptural and thus independent of the U.S., and what is so intimately tied to being an American, it raises some challenging and uncomfortable questions. Indirectly, then, the podcast reminds me of the importance of intellectual humility and the complexity of social life, particularly in that Christian communities are not immune to the complex challenges of working alongside and at times, as state actors.