Join VeggieTales and What's in the Bible? creator Phil Vischer and co-host Skye Jethani (author, speaker, pastor) for a fast-paced and often funny conversation ...
656: Defunding USAID and Blue Like Jazz’s Gospel of Vibes with Ross Douthat
The White House is defunding USAID, one of the largest distributors of foreign aid, and blaming it on wasteful spending—like a D.E.I musical in Ireland. But as Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn unpack, the real losers are Christian relief organizations like World Relief and Catholic Charities, which now face devastating budget cuts. Then, it’s been over 20 years since the release of Blue Like Jazz, the bestselling book that made faith feel cool. Did it offer a helpful critique of evangelicalism, or was this the beginning of the rise of vibes-based Christianity? Also, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Skye to discuss his new book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. He explains why our increasingly secular culture is still drawn to spirituality and why rejecting religious institutions in favor of “DIY faith” may not be the answer. Plus, we have a trailer for a new season of Why I’m Still a Christian. Holy Post Plus: Bonus Interview with Ross Douthat: https://www.patreon.com/posts/122056691/ 0:00 - Show Starts 2:18 - Theme Song 2:41 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order 3:45 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/holypost 8:25 - Trump and Christian Persecution 12:22 - Elon Shuts Down USAID 19:53 - Did USAID Really Fund That? 24:29 - Principle of Unitary President 35:42 - Blue Like Untethered Christianity 39:57 - Consumerist Christianity and Vibes 46:41 - Why I’m Still a Christian Season 2 Sneak Peak! 48:05 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout. 50:08 - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/HOLYPOST to download the app today! 51:11 - Interview 52:30 - A Case for Religion? 56:26 - Why Not Just Argue for Jesus? 1:02:23 - Are Secular Circles Falling Apart? 1:11:00 - Fine Tuning Argument 1:23:04 - Why Not Pursue Spirituality on Your Own? 1:28:05 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: Editorial: SIlence in the Face of Trump’s Cruelty is Complicity: https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/editorial/editorial-silence-face-trumps-cruelty-complicity Contact Bishops and Diocese by State: https://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses USAID Trump Fact Checker: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/07/usaid-trump-fact-checker/ Blue Like Jazz: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/blue-like-jazz-donald-miller-church-optional/ Other resources: Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious: https://a.co/d/3oVuOKR Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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1:28:39
655: What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice with Skye Jethani
During a recent Fox News interview, Vice President J.D. Vance cited “an old school and very Christian concept” to justify rejecting refugees and ending international aid. Bishops from his own church disagreed. The Holy Post crew explores the concept Vance was citing, how he misunderstands it, and why his interpretation undermines the entire New Testament. Kaitlyn interviews Skye about his new book, “What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice?” They talk about the link between justice and worship, what it means to have a heart “far from God,” and why the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement is biblical but taught in a proudly unbiblical way in many churches. Also this week, Phil returns to Twitter and learns who Margaret is. Holy Post Plus: Bonus Interview with Skye Jethani: https://www.patreon.com/posts/121522392/edit 0:00 - Sponsor - Bushnell University - Equip yourself to be transformative in your community! Go to https://www.bushnell.edu 0:49 - Show Starts 3:20 - Theme Song 3:42 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off 4:45 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST 6:09 - Inauguration 7:27 - Tariff Fight! 12:03 - Twitter’s a Dirty Aquarium 17:29 - Who’s Margaret and Should She Care? 20:52 - The American Council of Bishops 24:22 - Augustine and Ordo Amoris 31:56 - Scripture and Ordo Amoris 37:36 - Case for Christian Nationalism 43:23 - The Resurrection Disrupts Politics 48:22 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get up to 25% off your first order by going to https://www.Blueland.com/HOLYPOST 49:28 - Sponsor - Pique - Pique’s tea is a superfood in a cup! Comes with a frother and glass beaker—get the starter kit at https://piquelife.com/HOLYPOST 51:08 - Interview 53:05 - Justice and Social Justice 1:01:10 - Oppression Beyond Identity 1:09:55 - God’s Justice and Mercy 1:14:42 - Penal Substitutionary Atonement 1:22:45 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: JD Vance is Wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others: https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/jd-vance-wrong-jesus-doesnt-ask-us-rank-our-love-others?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/christianity Other resources: What if Jesus Was Serious About Justice by Skye Jethani: https://a.co/d/gFydI1K Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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1:23:18
French Friday: What Happened to Checks & Balances?
David French brings us his thoughts on why the GOP is no longer the party of the Constitution. Have political party allegiances broken the system? What Constitutional guard rails can operate when people are worried about falling out of the President’s favor? Then, he talks about Carl Schmitt, a German political thinker who may have the key to understanding the difference between the politics we’re used to—and the emerging politics of the New Right. David French’s article on Schmittian politics: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/opinion/trump-maga-schmitt.html 0:00 - Theme Song 0:17 - Show Begins 2:11 - Tiktok—banned or not? 8:10 - Does Trump obey the Supreme Court? 15:30 - Resistant Bacteria Analogy 24:26 - Senators Following the People 27:29 - Political Parties as Checks 34:45 - The Gingrich-Clinton Wars 41:28 - Schmitt and MAGA Morality 53:15 - The Moment for Courage 1:04:52 - End Credits
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1:05:18
654: Inauguration Consternation & Respecting Refugees with Matthew Soerens
The first week of the second Trump administration has seen refugees cut off and January 6th criminals cut loose. Franklin Graham declared in his inauguration prayer that God himself had chosen the President. The MAGA faithful applauded this mix of Christian faith and politics, but when Bishop Budde asked the President to “show mercy” to frightened people during her homily at the National Cathedral, she was accused of everything from political activism to witchcraft. Phil has a theory about what these two religious leaders at the inauguration reveal about the state of American Christianity. Then Matthew Soerens from World Relief is back to discuss Trump’s immediate shut down of all refugee resettlement, including cutting all financial aid previously promised to refugees already in the U.S. What’s behind the President’s aggressive policy, and how can we practically help our neighbors abandoned by the government that brought them here? Also this week—reanimated squirrels and Skye wears a red hat. 0:00 - Show Starts 4:14 - Theme Song 4:36 - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code HOLYPOST to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware! 5:42 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off 10:54 - Inauguration 20:57 - The Demonization of Empathy 27:08 - Loyalty Buys Protection 32:26 - Cruelty as Proof of Allegiance 39:30 - Created Order vs. the Marginalized 59:07 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout. 1:00:08 - Sponsor - The NIV Lectio Bible - A simple, ancient way to read the library of scripture. Find it at https://www.nivlectio.com or wherever Bibles are sold! 1:01:17 - Sponsor - J29 Coalition - Guide your church into a Christ-centered approach to politics! Visit https://j29coalition.com to sign up today 1:02:24 - Interview 1:05:50 - The Refugee Resettlement Program 1:09:44 - We Invited Refugees 1:15:22 - What Options to Help Refugees 1:21:45 - Helping Local Immigrant Communities 1:28:10 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: Evangelicals Made a Bad Trade: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/evangelicals-trump/681450/ Collision of Two Christianities: https://religionnews.com/2025/01/24/inauguration-week-was-a-collision-of-two-christianities/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/donaldtrump&utm_medium=social Other resources: Learn how recent executive orders are having a devastating impact on thousands of refugees and humanitarian programs both in the U.S. and globally, and find out how you can help make a difference! Learn more: https://worldrelief.org/stand-in-the-gap/?utm_source=HolyPost&utm_medium=ShowNotes&utm_campaign=EO_UrgentAppeal Partner with World Relief: https://give.worldrelief.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5541&5541.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&utm_source=HolyPost&utm_medium=ShowNotes&utm_campaign=EO_UrgentAppeal Sign the Christian Statement on Refugee Resettlement: https://worldrelief.org/christianstatement/ Easy tool to contact Congress with talking points: https://p2a.co/AEQhezU Access This Toolkit to Get Involved: https://worldrelief.org/content/uploads/2025/01/World-Relief-Toolkit.pdf Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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1:28:43
653: Character, Christian Colleges, & Why Trump Won with Robert P. Jones
According to New York Times columnist, David Brooks, our society has given up on moral formation to focus instead on individual success and happiness. Can we recover a culture of shared virtue? Surprising new data shows that overall college enrollment is down, but Christian colleges and universities are growing. What’s the explanation? Then Robert P. Jones, from PRRI, is back to unpack the numbers from the presidential election. Why did more Latinos support Trump, and are Democrats learning the wrong lessons from their loss? Also this week—animals hold grudges. List of Ways to Contribute: https://www.holypost.com/post/ways-to-contribute-to-la-fire-relief Holy Post Plus: Getting Schooled - Communion 201 https://www.patreon.com/posts/120202366/ 0:00 - Show Starts 3:17 - Theme Song 3:40 - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/HOLYPOST to download the app today! 4:43 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/holypost 5:50 - The Inauguration 8:30 - Connecting to Relief Work 12:05 - Ants’ Tiny Grudges 17:30 - Character Building Toolkit 24:28 - Morally Fragmented World 39:21 - Christian College Growth 44:52 - Sponsor - J29 Coalition - Guide your church into a Christ-centered approach to politics! Visit https://j29coalition.com to sign up today 45:58 - Sponsor - AG1 - Heavily researched, thoroughly purity-tested, and filled with stuff you need. Go to https://www.drinkag1.com/HOLYPOST 47:15 - Interview 48:50 - Lack of Change 57:01 - Don’t Overread 1:12:44 - Fatigue 1:17:38 - Pray for Wisdom 1:21:40 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: World Relief: https://worldrelief.org/advocate/ Christian Colleges Continue to See Enrollment Growth: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/christian-colleges-continue-enrollment-growth-record/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/religion Biologists Antagonised Ants: https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/biologists-antagonised-ants-and-found-out-they-can-hold-grudges/ Other resources: The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future by Robert P. Jones: https://a.co/d/5ZoIHOp White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones: https://a.co/d/0K5cI5W Robert P. Jones’ Substack: www.whitetoolong.net Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Join VeggieTales and What's in the Bible? creator Phil Vischer and co-host Skye Jethani (author, speaker, pastor) for a fast-paced and often funny conversation about pop culture, media, theology, and the fun, fun, fun of living a thoughtful Christian life in an increasingly post-Christian culture.