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A lot happened in 1776. Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations was published. While Jefferson, a lawyer, wrote about an inalienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Smith, an economist, wrote about an “obvious and simple system of natural liberty” based on markets and voluntary exchange. Now, 250 years later, what accounts for the rise of Socialism in the United States?  Kenneth Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia, joined us to discuss multiple reasons, among them one that is foundational and goes back to the book of Genesis. Support the show

Dating back to the Charitable Choice Act, the White House faith-based initiative turned 25 this year. Benefiting from bipartisan support, the initiative has seesawed back and forth between different administrations, notwithstanding different policy priorities. Girien R. Salazar, Director of Faith-Based Policy and Research at the Center for Public Justice, and Stanley Carleon-Thies, founder of CPJ’s Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance joined us for a thoughtful conversation on this congressional initiative. Support the show

We live in a time of media disruption where every week, a local news outlet shuts down in America causing more and more small communities to lack access to local and national news. Justice Brandeis said, “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” That’s true for all Americans but perhaps especially for Christians, who should have no fear in searching-out the truth. Josh Good, director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program joined us to discuss why a free press matters.  Support the show

Marking the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum (reh-rum no-va-rum), Pope Leo the 14th released his first encyclical, entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.’ Father Michael Baggot, Associate Professor of Bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum (Pon-ti-fi-cal Athen-nee-um Regeena A-posto-lorum) and P. Bracy Bersnak, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Economics at Christendom College joined us for this timely and important conversion on AI and the Pope. Support the show

Jefferson called the Declaration of Independence “an expression of the American mind.” What is that mind and what does it tell us for today, especially about the great questions of truth, happiness, and . . . God? Matthew Spalding, Kirby Pro­fessor in Constitutional Government and Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College and member of the board of Faith and Law joined us to discuss the founding document of the United States 250 years after its drafting. Support the show

Sixty percent of women who had an abortion said they would not have if they had received adequate emotional or financial support. Women who seek abortions are typically already mothers living in poverty and facing food and housing instability. Churches and non-profits are essential sources of support for these moms – but what can Congress do to help them choose life? Autumn Christensen, Executive Director of Her PLAN, joined us to discuss the prevalence of abortion post-Dobbs, the factors that contribute to abortion in America, and how local communities are responding so pregnant moms can make, and sustain, their decision for life. Her PLAN is a project of SBA Pro-life America’s Education Fund focused directly on solving the “resource problem” for pregnant women and the local ministries that serve them. Support the show

The sports betting industry generated $16.96 billion in revenue in 2025 alone, with gamblers betting a total of nearly $167 billion on athletic contests. Is this working against the flourishing of our society? Christine Emba, Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute  and Dr. Johnathan Cohen, Sports Betting Policy Lead at The American Institute for Boys and Men joined us for a discussion on the impact of online vice and what it will take to regulate these activities. Support the show

The patriotism and personal virtue of George Washington have long been admired by a grateful nation. In this lecture, Dr. Joseph Prud’homme, Burton Family Chair in Religion, Politics, and Culture and Associate Professor of Political Science and Affiliated Faculty member in Religious Studies at Washington College, delved more deeply into the specific traits of character which made George Washington the Indispensable Man of the American Revolutionary cause. Support the show

Aristotle taught that every good deed requires a beautiful image. Then it stands to reason, America needs a great store of beautiful images designed to help us maintain our way of life and preserve equal justice, liberty, and law.  Dr. Matthew Mehan, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Government for the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College is at the end of a long research and writing project to complete his illustrated, semiquincentennial celebratory work, The American Book of Fables. He joined us for a discussion of what must be done to restore the American Imagination.   Support the show

What am I doing here? What steps can I take when at times I feel tempted to despair about my work? How will I be able to continue to do the work I love in a culture of such fracture, polarization and contempt that only seems to be intensifying?  This conversation with board certified psychiatrist, author, speaker,  Dr. Curt Thompson, will  provide practical ways of finding joy and resilience while discerning what it means to faithfully live out the vocational callings that perhaps for many of us feel so overwhelming.  Support the show

Honduras’ entrenched corruption, pervasive violence, narcotics flows, and weakened democracy continue to drive migration north and have consequences far beyond its borders. Amid these pressures, brave Christian civic leaders are stepping forward to uphold justice in a climate of impunity and inspiring others around the world to seek justice in their own contexts. Our discussion with reporter Ross Halperin,  Co-founder of ASJ-Honduras, Dr. Kurt Ver Beek, and director of criminal justice at the Niskanen Center Greg Newburn, examined how faithful Christian leadership can make accountability, rule of law, and democracy possible. Support the show

Many Christians talk earnestly about ‘the Christian roots of America,’ but never say what they were. Equally the MAGA movement aims to ‘make America great again,’ but never stops to say what made America great in first place. Dr. Os Guinness, foreign admirer of the US, will join us for a continuation of his Friday Forum from June 13, 2025 “2026: Recovering What Made America Great in the First Place,” and further dive into what it was that gave the American republic a freedom like no other – which needs to be recovered today. Support the show

What is the significance of the Christian confession that God has made each person with a sense of the divine?  Dr. Gray Sutanto, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary, joined us to discuss how the awareness of God arises in the human person, and its implication on apologetics as well as public discourse. Support the show

American political life is increasingly fractured by generational conflict, growing distrust of institutions, and a willingness across the spectrum to exercise power arbitrarily. From Congress to town halls, an older generation seeks to preserve the past while a younger movement pursues change even at the cost of community bonds. This shift raises urgent questions about democracy, the rule of law, and the moral health of our political life. Jake Meador, Editor in Chief of Mere Orthodoxy, joined us to explore how a renewed commitment to human dignity and the common good can provide hope and a unifying path forward. Support the show

Common ground is hard to find in today’s politics. In a society teeming with irreconcilable political perspectives, many people have grown frustrated under a system of government that constantly demands compromise. More and more on both the right and the left have come to blame the Constitution for the resulting discord. But the Constitution is not the problem we face; it is the solution. Yuval Levin, author of American Covenant and Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at AEI, joined us to discuss Congress’s central role in the minds of the founders, and in the solutions to the political crises and challenges of the current age. Support the show