Podd: Truce - History of the Christian Church

Republicans and Evangelicals I Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention

19 november 2024 | 30 min

Mike Cosper: The Church in Dark Times

4 november 2024 | 41 min

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

29 oktober 2024 | 19 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I Frances Schaeffer and the Shaping of Christian Nationalism (feat. Barry Hankins)

22 oktober 2024 | 53 min

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Frances Schaeffer is one of the most important theological thinkers of the 20th century. He urged fundamentalists and evangelicals to think outside of their separatism and consider how they could reach the world and expand their worldview. He began his career as a preacher in the United States, but a foreign missions board asked him to assess the state of fundamentalism in Europe after WWII. While there he saw great works of art and met fascinating people. Eventually, Schaeffer moved to Switzerland to start L'Abri, a chalet community where wanderers could come, live, and discuss the gospel.

That's where the story may have ended. But his lectures were turned into audio cassettes and books. Then, from this small mountain village, Schaeffer became one of the best-known evangelicals in the world. Once he returned to the United States, his books took on a Christian nationalist tone which sticks with us today.

Our guest for this episode is Barry Hankins. He's the author of Frances Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America. He is a professor of history at Baylor University.

Sources:

Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitgerald
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
A helpful article about the Renaissance
A helpful article about the Enlightenment
Schaeffer's film How Should We Then Live?
Gospel Coalition article about secular humanism
A Christian Manifesto by Frances Schaeffer

Discussion Questions:

Have you read any of Schaeffer's work?
What is your "worldview"? How did you get it? How did you become aware of that concept?
Should all Christians have an idea of their worldview? Should it look a certain way?
What do you think about the middle part of Schaeffer's ministry when he was preaching in L'Abri? How does it differ from the last third of his ministry?
How have you seen Christian nationalism? What parts of the Bible do people use to justify it?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I Women's Roundtable Book Discussion

8 oktober 2024 | 51 min

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Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique kicked off second-wave feminism in the United States. The book was published in 1963 and addressed what she called "the problem that has no name". As women's roles shifted with the invention of electricity and the number of workers needed to run farms decreased, women's roles shifted. The idea of a "traditional" woman went from a farm laborer or factory worker to someone who kept the home and managed her children's schedules. This left many women feeling unsatisfied and searching for their purpose in life. Friedan's book addressed those issues and inspired more extreme views of women.

Several "Christian" books were published to respond to Friedan and second-wave feminism. One was The Total Woman, the number one bestselling nonfiction book of the year which has sold over 10 million copies. Published in 1973, it was the genesis of the scene in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates goes to the door to meet her husband wrapped in Saran Wrap. It encouraged women to use costumes to greet their husbands, to avoid being "shrewish", and to use Norman Vincent Peele's philosophy of positive thinking.

Another book was The Spirit-Controlled Woman by Beverly LaHaye. This was a companion piece to a book written by her husband Tim LaHaye, but it somehow managed to avoid telling women how to live by the Spirit.

Special guests join Chris for this episode. Each took a different book so we can better understand this movement and counter-movement.

Special Guests:

Amy Fritz of the Untangled Faith podcast
Anna Tran of the Love Thy Neighborhood podcast
Jen Pollock Michel author of In Good Time, A Habit Called Faith, and Surprised by Paradox

Sources:

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
The Spirit-Controlled Woman by Beverly LaHaye
The Total Woman by Marabel Morgan

Discussion Questions:

What is your relationship to the books we discussed in these episodes?
What is the difference between first-wave feminism and second-wave feminism?
How have the roles of women changed in society in the last 200 years? What role did electricity, the Industrial Revolution and wars shaped those roles?
What was the "problem that has no name"? How did/does it impact women's lives?
How does this vision of feminism compare and contrast to biblical images of women?
How have we added or subtracted from what the Bible says about women to create our modern image of a "Christian woman"?
Morgan advised her readers to meet their husbands at the door in costumes. What is your opinion of this idea?
What did she mean when she said she had been "shrewish"? Is that term insulting to women? Why?
Is the "Christian ideal" vision of women one that requires women to stay home with children?

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Compelled - KKK Terrorist Finds Christ

2 oktober 2024 | 34 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I National Women's Conference Part 2 (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

24 september 2024 | 39 min

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The National Women's Conference was set to take place. State meetings were overrun by conservative women causing disruptions to the meetings as they paid the entrance fee with pennies or made noises during the discussions. But liberal women were not angels either. Some went so far as to accuse the conservatives of sending in mental patients to do their voting.

It's easy in all of the noise to forget that this was a monumental meeting. Women from all over the country gathered together to discuss issues that impacted them. They ran the show. They set the agenda. Conservative women, by and large, didn't show up for the main meeting. Why? Because of conspiracy theories circulated by groups led by people like Phyllis Schlafly saying that the elections would be rigged. Also, they started their own conference across town.

This pro-life, pro-family rally was only about three hours long. But it packed a big punch. People from all over the country took busses overnight to attend. They couldn't stay the night because hotels were already booked up for the main meeting. So they came and went on the same day, taking the pro-family, pro-life movement with them.

In this episode, Chris winds up a three-part mini-series that takes us from Phyllis Schlafly's turn against the ERA to this momentous weekend in 1977. The fallout of the conference is still with us today as religious people on the right work together to accomplish their goals, often trying to undo what liberals on the far left have already done. Extremes continue to snipe at extremes as the middle tries to get things done.

Our guest for this episode is Marjorie Spruill, author of the book Divided We Stand. It is an excellent resource that is balanced and well-notated.

Sources:

Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
Interviews from the National Women's Conference
Phyllis Schlafly Report from December 1977
NBC's coverage of Phyllis Schlafly's funeral with Donald Trump's eulogy

Discussion Questions:

What were some positive outcomes of the National Women's Year conference?
What were some challenges they faced?
Why did conservatives feel shut out of the conference?
What do you think about the role of conspiracy theories in conservative circles (example: Schlafly's insistence that the meeting votes were rigged)?
Schlafly was overlooked in the Reagan administration. Why do you think that is?
Why is it so hard for people of different beliefs to work together, even for the common good?
What do you think would have happened if the IWY conference had not featured lesbian rights? Should it have avoided that controversial topic, or was it an issue whose moment had come?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I National Women's Conference Part 1 (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

10 september 2024 | 50 min

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In 1977, the Congress of the United States allotted $5 million for the National Women's Conference. The money was intended to bring together women from around the country so that they could put together recommendations for the Congress and President. It would highlight women of color, and those minorities who were sometimes overlooked like Native American women. But there was conflict from its inception.

Liberal women, some of the same who turned NOW into a liberal group, took control. They did not want the far-right to participate, women like Phyllis Schlafly who had fought so hard to stall the ERA. This only made conservative women more bitter.

There was more fuel for the fire. Gay and lesbian rights were added to the discussion topics of the convention. That was a big deal in 1977 when conservative women rallied around Anita Bryant and her fight against equal rights for homosexuals in Miami, Florida. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin, so some conservative religious people did not want to give homosexuals rights in the US. So for liberal women to incorporate a gay and lesbian plank into the National Women's Conference was a BIG deal. And a way to pick a fight with conservatives.

The battle ultimately led to conservatives hosting their own conference a few miles away. This gathering ultimately united the Religious Right and kicked off the Pro-Life, Pro-Family movement that we know today. How did women play a role in uniting evangelicals with the Republican Party?

Our guest today is Marjoie Spruill. She is the author of the fantastic book Divided We Stand. She is a distinguished professor emerita of history at the University of South Carolina.

Sources:

Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
Anita Bryant's orange juice commercial
Phyllis Schlafly on PBS video
Former President Trump's eulogy for Phyllis Schlafly
Andy Warhol's cover art for Time Magazine of Bella Abzug
New York Times article about women swinging while their husbands were in Vietnam
"Revive Us Again" by Joel Carpenter

Discussion Questions:

What is your impression of Anita Bryant? Do you remember her?
What rights should homosexuals have in the United States? In the last episode about Phyllis Schlafly, we looked at conflicting opinions of what equal rights look like for women. Should they be treated the same as men or have equality plus protections? Let's transfer that question to homosexuals. Should they have equal rights, fewer rights, or equal rights plus protections?
Should women on the president's council have opened the National Women's Conference to women on the far right?
What do you think will happen once the conference is launched?

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Chris Quits Driving A School Bus

7 september 2024 | 4 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I Phyllis Schlafly and the ERA (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

27 augusti 2024 | 34 min

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Phyllis Schalfly was a remarkable woman. Regardless of your politics, you have to admire the impact that one person, who was never elected to office, could have on national political conversations. Schlafly was already part of the in-crowd in Washington when she took a stance against the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She was an exercise in nuance herself-- a woman who fought for traditional views of women in society, while also earning a law degree and touring the nation on speaking tours. She had a family and held a prominent position in the national zeitgeist, even building on battles fought by Anita Bryant.

But who was Phyllis Schlafly? She was a Catholic woman, which is important because Catholics had long been the victims of prejudice in the United States. She was a mother, a popular speaker, publisher of The Phyllis Schlafly Report newsletter, and author of books like A Choice, Not An Echo, which was a conspiratorial screed about stealing elections. This lady knew how to turn a story. She ran for Congress in 1955 and again in 1970, losing both times.

Then in 1972, she learned about the ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed by Alice Paul in 1923. The goal was to have men and women treated equally under the law. That means that women would no longer receive special protections either. So... a double-edged sword, right? Women in the 1960s and 70s still had a ways to go when it came to equality. It brought forth some big questions about how to achieve it.

Schlafly wanted to protect the protections. So she formed STOP ERA (Stop Taking Our Protections, ERA) to rally her followers against the ERA. This was a big twist because state after state had rushed to ratify the amendment. But once Phyllis got going, they applied the brakes and waited.

Schlafly may have single-handedly stopped an Amendment to the Constitution.

In this episode, we're going to learn about this dynamo. A woman who is both loved and hated. An intelligent woman, and someone who traded in falsities.

Our guests for this episode are Marjorie Spruill, author of Divided We Stand and Angie Maxwell, author of The Long Southern Strategy.

Important Sources:

Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill
The Long Southern Strategy by Angie Maxwell
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
A helpful list of milestones in women's rights
Video of Esther Peterson
Video of Phyllis Schlafly talking about A Choice, Not An Echo on C-SPAN
A copy of Ladies, Have Ya' Heard? as mentioned in the episode
Illinois State Archives interview with Phyllis
An article from Time Magazine about the ERA's history
Britannica article about The Fairness Doctrine
Smithsonian article about Phyllis Schlafly

Discussion Questions:

What do you think about legal protections for women? Are you an Esther, an Alice, or a Phyllis?
The ERA is really short. Do you think it should be more specific to clarify its position?
How have you seen sexism? How has it impacted your life?
Have you seen women treated well in the workplace? What made the difference?
Are stay-at-home mothers respected in our society? If not, what can you and your church do to support them?
What are your impressions of Phyllis?
Are you okay with people using conspiracy theories to bolster their followings?
We've spent a fair bit of time this season talking about parachurch organizations. What are your thoughts on them?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I RJ Rushdoony and Christian Reconstruction

13 augusti 2024 | 50 min

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RJ Rushdoony is not a household name. But he influenced a lot of interesting people, from members of the New Right to the Christian homeschooling movement. His books and lectures inspired people to pull their kids out of public schools and teach them at home. But who was RJ Rushdoony?

He was deeply impacted by his time doing missionary work on a Native American reservation. There he saw how difficult it was to get anything done and to give people proper access to their government. He went on to work with libertarian organizations like Spiritual Mobilization and the Volker Fund. His mentor Cornelius Van Til taught him to see the triad of government, church, and family in a new way. In Rushdoony's mind, those three spheres should not interfere with each other. BUT, he did want Christians to run the government. Instead of doing a top-down change, he wanted change to begin with families, then rise to the church, eventually taking over the political sphere.

Howard Phillips, one of the founders of the New Right, was a disciple of Rushdoony. So was his son, Doug Phillips, who founded the homeschooling movement known as Vision Forum. In this episode, Chris interviews Paul Hastings of the Compelled podcast about how they met at a Vision Forum film festival.

The special guest for today is Michael McVicar, author of "Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism."

Sources:

Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism by Michael McVicar
Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
Helpful article about libertarian philosophy
One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse

Discussion Questions:

How do you think Rushdoony was impacted by his experiences on the reservation?
What is libertarianism? What do you think about it?
In what ways have you seen libertarianism presented in evangelical culture?
What did Rushdoony think about public schools? How was this a departure from progressive-era Christian thinkers?
How does Christian homeschooling differ from other forms of homeschooling?
Why did homeschooling take off in the 1980s and 1990s?
What role, if any, should Christians play in public schools?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I Kanawha County Textbook War

30 juli 2024 | 35 min

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In 1974, Alice Moore was a member of the school board in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The board met to hear the recommendations of the textbook committee and approve them. But Alice protested when she read a portion from the Autobiography of Malcolm X, which thanked Allah for preventing Malcolm X from being a black Christian. From there they uncovered a number of potentially offensive texts, some because of language, others because of discussions of rape. Race was likely a factor as well, though Moore denied it.

Local pastors decried what they saw as secularism and humanism creeping into public schools. Parents blocked school buses, and others kept their children at home. Soon, there were fights, and dynamite was used to blow up school buildings. What started as a disagreement over books erupted into an all-out war. One that echoed in other parts of the country at the same time as families wrestled with changes in education.

Sources:

"The Great Textbook Wars" - award-winning documentary on the battle
"The Invisible Bridge" by Rick Perlstein
"Soul on Ice" by Eldrige Cleaver (archive.org)
"Androcles and the Lion" by Aesop
Texas Monthly article about the Gablers
Video of the Gablers talking to William F Buckley on "Firing Line"
The New York Times article about schools closed in WV
The New York Times article about the textbook war
Radio interview about the John Birch Society

Discussion Questions:

Had you heard of the textbook war before?
What did you think of the passage from "Soul on Ice"? Should it be read by senior students headed for college? What about other students?
Who should decide what gets taught in local school districts? How about nationally?
How did Alice Moore and others act appropriately? How about inappropriately?
The KKK and John Birch Society show up a few times this season, often opportunistically. Does their appearance automatically smear all participants as racist?
What else was going on in 1974 that could have escalated the panic of the era?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I The New Deal

9 juli 2024 | 36 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I End of School Prayer

25 juni 2024 | 29 min

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In 1955, the Board of Regents for New York issued an optional prayer to be used in public schools. It became known as the "Regent's Prayer". Here it is: "“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.” That short prayer was contested not only by non-religious people but also by Protestants who thought that it was too vague. What God is it talking about? Where is the mention of Jesus or the Holy Spirit, salvation, sin, grace, etc.?

With help from the ACLU, parents sued and the case made it all the way to the US Supreme Court. It was known as Engle v. Vitale. It overturned prescribed prayer in schools. In this episode, Chris goes through the arguments the court and Justice Hugo Black made during this landmark decision. A year later, the Court heard Abington School District v. Schempp, which ended prescribed Bible reading in public schools.

This season we're covering how American evangelicals bonded themselves with the Republican Party. There are a lot of reasons that evangelicals started to vote as a block in the late 70s and early 1980s. They range from women's liberation, changes in attitude toward taxation, and battles over gay and lesbian rights, to education. This is part of our coverage of the education section. This episode has been rewritten and recorded, updating an episode from season 3.

Sources:

"One Nation Under God" by Kevin Kruse
Transcript of Abington School District v Schempp
Census data about public and private schools
Transcript and audio of Engel v Vitale

Discussion Questions:

Did you ever pray in school? What did you pray?
Did you ever read the Bible in school?
Is there an "ideal" prayer that should be read in schools? If so, what is it? What objections might parents have?
Is it important for school children to learn about religions in school?
Do you agree or disagree with Justice Hugo Black?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I Can I Love Extremists?

11 juni 2024 | 46 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I Long Southern Strategy (featuring Angie Maxwell)

28 maj 2024 | 38 min

Republicans and Evangelicals I Billy Graham and Nixon

14 maj 2024 | 36 min

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Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, was good friends with Richard Nixon. The two played golf and gave each other advice. Graham was the person who encouraged Nixon to run for president a second time. He also encouraged Nixon to regularly attend church, so Nixon started the first regular church service in the White House, only to make it another "it" place to be seen. But when Nixon's crimes were made public, Graham continued to support him, commenting only on the strong language used by the president.

What does it mean for Christian leaders to stand behind a corrupt president? In this episode, Chris interviews David Bruce, a historian at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

NOTE: I thought it was especially important to outline the many crimes of the Nixon administration. Today these crimes are downplayed by bad actors wishing to rewrite history. It is important to emphasize that not only were there immoral acts of shenanigans, there were real crimes perpetrated against individuals, organizations, and the American people.

Sources

"The Surprising Work of God" by Garth M. Rosell
An article from The Atlantic about the Pope and Mussolini
"The Popes Against the Protestants" by Kevin Madigan
NPR interview with Kevin Madigan
"A Prophet With Honor" book by William Martin
"The Invisible Bridge" by Rick Perlstein
"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald
"The Failure and the Hope: Essays of Southern Churchmen" book of essays accessed on Google Books
New York Times article about how the Watergate break-in was financed
Pat Buchanan hearings during the Watergate investigation
Frost/Nixon transcript

Discussion Questions:

Was Billy Graham being a good friend by supporting Nixon after Watergate?
Should religious leaders maintain a certain amount of distance between themselves and people of power?
Why do we like to see our governmental leaders as religious people?
Was Nixon's church service in the Whitehouse wrong to be a gathering place of the rich and famous?
How bad was the Watergate break-in? How does it change your mind about Nixon to know about the other criminal activity?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I Harold Ockenga - Can Christians Unite? (featuring Joel Carpenter)

30 april 2024 | 32 min

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Harold Ockenga was a famous fundamentalist(ish) pastor from Boston. And he had a problem. Liberal Christians had the ear of the government. That meant that military chaplain positions and free radio time were going to liberals, not conservatives. Why shouldn't conservatives have access to the radio waves like theologically liberal Christians? But that would take unity among evangelicals, or, what he called neo-evangelicals.

Neo-evangelicals were evangelicals who didn't separate from the world. In Ockenga's case, this meant maybe going to the movies or an opera. So he, along with other preachers like Billy Graham, founded the National Association of Evangelicals with the hope of uniting neo-evangelicals under one banner.

It didn't work.

The real story, though, sometimes gets lost. The was a big boom in evangelism in the 1940s as WWII wrapped up. Evangelists targeted the youth with organizations like Campus Crusade for Christ springing up left and right. This boom meant that churches swelled in the 1950s, only to begin their long slide a few decades later.

In this episode, Chris speaks with Joel Carpenter, a senior research fellow at Calvin College and author of "Revive Us Again".

Resources Used:

"Revive Us Again" by Joel Carpenter
"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald
"The Surprising Work of God" by Garth Rosell
"Reaganland" by Rick Perlstein
NPS article about the Bonus Army
“After the Ivory Tower Falls” book by Will Bunch
Billy Graham audio
National Association of Evangelicals "The New Treason"
Interviews from Harold Ockenga at Wheaton College

Discussion Questions:

What spurred the revivals of the 1940s?
How has youth evangelism shaped American society?
Why is it important to understand the role that cheap higher education played in shaping the 1960s?
Why did neo-evangelicals feel that they needed access to the radio waves?
Is unity important to the Christian walk?

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Republicans and Evangelicals I Prologue: What Is Biblical?

16 april 2024 | 21 min

Behind the Scenes Bonus

26 mars 2024 | 12 min

Season 6 Trailer

19 mars 2024 | 2 min

Advertising, New Cover Art, Season 6 Update

21 december 2023 | 3 min

Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn (featuring Larry Tye, author of Demagogue)

12 september 2023 | 47 min

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Joseph McCarthy was an unexceptional junior congressman from Wisconsin. He grew up brawling in the streets, playing cards, and embellishing his stories. Then, during a Lincoln Day address in 1950, Joseph McCarthy told an audience that he had a list of 205 communists working in the government. Within days, he was a household name.

McCarthy started "investigating" suspected communists in the American government, focusing on the US State Department. Along the way, he brought in a young lawyer named Roy Cohn. Cohn was already known for his work sending Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair. Now, he and McCarthy bullied and cajoled during private hearings. Being labeled a communist, or even a suspected communist could ruin a person's career. People committed suicide rather than face their scrutiny.

Their reign lasted four years, ending in the televised broadcasts of the Army-McCarthy hearings in which a lawyer asked if McCarthy had any decency. That was pretty much it for McCarthy. But Roy Cohn went on to have a well-connected career, providing legal services for the mob and Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News. He also became a mentor to a young real estate mogul named Donald Trump. Famous people like Andy Warhol attended his birthday party at Studio 54. Cohn died of AIDS, something that was killing gay men rapidly in the 1980s, though he denied he ever had it.

This is the story of two men allowed to prey on the fears of the American people for their own gain. One fell hard, the other found himself fighting against his own people.

In this episode, Chris interviews Larry Tye, author of the book "Demagogue". He's also the author of "Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend" and "Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon".

Sources:

"Demagogue" by Larry Tye
Helpful article about the Rosenbergs
Article about Klaus Fuchs
McCarthy's speech in Wheeling, WV
New York Times, February 23, 1954. Pages 16-17 “Transcript of General Zwicker's Testimony Before the McCarthy Senate Subcommittee”
Video from Army-McCarthy hearings (forward to the last 20 minutes if you want to jump to the stuff I used)
The guest list for Roy Cohn's birthday at Studio 54

Discussion Questions:

Why do we love demagogues?
Who are other demagogues in American history?
The threat of communists in the government in the 1950s is sometimes downplayed. Do you think it was a real concern?
McCarthy ran for Congress in an illegal way while still in the Marines. How do you feel about that?
Roy Cohn sometimes went against his own people, claiming that gay people did not deserve equal rights. What might have been his motivation?
Do you see any crossover between McCarthy, Cohn, and Donald Trump?
Cohn died of AIDs in the 1980s when the disease was at its peak. Why might he have wanted to keep his illness a secret?

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Love Thy Neighborhood - Where the Gospel Meets Artificial Intelligence

29 augusti 2023 | 64 min

Season 6 Update

4 juli 2023 | 3 min

Takeaway #5 - The Only Thing We Have to Fear

13 juni 2023 | 16 min

Takeaway #4 - We Are A People of the Means

30 maj 2023 | 37 min

Takeaway #3 - The Great Divorce

16 maj 2023 | 15 min

Takeaway #2 - Extremes Lead to Extremes

2 maj 2023 | 13 min

Takeaway #1 - How Should We Deal With Heretics?

18 april 2023 | 20 min

Inherit the Wind | Christian Fundamentalism Series

21 mars 2023 | 44 min

US Senator Joseph McCarthy unleashed an era of suspicion on the American people as he went looking for communists. His trials, both public and behind closed doors, focused on the government as well as Hollywood and the Army. He claimed that he had lists of communists, but failed to produce that list. It wasn't until the Army-McCarthy hearings in the spring and summer of 1954 that his unfounded hearings were put to rest.

One year later the play Inherit the Wind opened. It was supposed to be a critique of the McCarthy era set inside of a re-telling of the Scopes "monkey" trial. In doing so, it got many of the facts wrong. John Scopes never spent any time in jail. He didn't have a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was not berated on the stand. The townspeople of Dayton, TN were welcoming to both Bryan and Darrow.

To explore this work of art and revisionist history I spoke with the hosts of the Seeing and Believing podcast Kevin McLenithan and Sarah Welch-Larson.

Select differences between the Scopes trial and Inherit the Wind

John Scopes was arrested but never spent time in jail.
He was "arrested" in a soda fountain where the test trial was conceived and not in school.
Scopes later claimed he never taught evolution, which is why he never took the stand in real life.
The entire case was set up as a publicity stunt to bring attention to the town of Dayton, TN. They got the idea when they saw an ad placed by the ACLU.
The character of Rachel did not exist in real life.
The people of Dayton were welcoming to both Darrow and Bryan and Scopes was loved by many. He even spent time swimming with the prosecution between trial sessions.
The moment when Bryan was on trial was held outdoors.
H.L. Mencken was not some loveable curmudgeon. He was an anti-semite and a racist.
Dayton largely did not vote for Bryan when he ran for president.
Bryan died a few days after the trial, not while in the courtroom.
Darrow did not carry a copy of the Bible and Darwin out of the courtroom.
The textbook in question during the trial was clearly pro-eugenics, was sold in the soda fountain, and had been approved by the state textbook committee.
The preachers of the town were kind. The odd sermon given the night of the trial never happened and the script adds a lot of strange things that are not in the Bible.
Bryan wished the law to have no penalty, unlike his stand-in in the movie who hoped for a harsher punishment.

Sources

Inherit the Wind (1960 version) starring Spencer Tracy
Summer for the Gods by Edward Larson
Chris' own visit to the Dayton museum dedicated to the trial
Helpful video about the Napoleon painting

Discussion Questions:

Where is the line between art and propaganda?
Does art have an obligation to the truth?
Do you see McCarthyism in Inherit the Wind?
Is Inherit the Wind a fair way of discussing the Scopes trial, or a work of revisionist history? Why does it matter?
What would it mean for a group that feels maligned and misunderstood to have a film misrepresent them?

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The Scopes "Monkey" Trial Part Two | Christian Fundamentalism Series

7 mars 2023 | 38 min

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The trial was basically over. The prosecution won. John Scopes was moments away from being convicted of teaching evolution in Dayton, Tennessee. The ACLU and the prosecution had what they wanted. But Clarence Darrow did not. He wanted to make a monkey out of William Jennings Bryan, the famous "fundamentalist". But how?

Darrow knew that if he turned down the chance to make a closing argument that Bryan would not be able to make one either. That meant that Bryan's carefully crafted words would never get heard. But he had one more trick up his sleeve. He would call Bryan, the lawyer for the prosecution, to the stand. Imagine that! The case was no longer about the defendant. It was about the lawyers trying to flex.

Bryan took the bait. He got on the stand outdoors next to the Rhea County Courthouse in front of an audience of millions. Darrow, in a masterstroke, hit him over and over with the questions of any village atheist. Did Jonah really get swallowed by a large fish? Did the sun really stand still because Joshua prayed that it would? And Bryan... floundered on live radio.

This event was made even more famous by the long-running play Inherit the Wind on broadway, which was followed up by a movie adaptation. But the play got it all wrong. Edward Larson, professor at Pepperdine University, and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Summer for the Gods, joins Chris to uncover what really happened on that muggy summer day.

Helpful Sources:

"Summer for the Gods" by Edward Larson
Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum Worth a visit!
Court Transcript of the Scopes Trial (easy to find online)
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin

Discussion Questions:

Bryan believed in majoritarianism. What is that idea? What do you think of it?
Do you think Bryan should have gotten on the stand? Why or why not?
How did Bryan do on the stand in your opinion?
Does this court case matter in your understanding of fundamentalism?
How and when should Christians make stands for their beliefs? When should we stay quiet?

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The Scopes "Monkey" Trial Part One | Christian Fundamentalism Series

21 februari 2023 | 37 min

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Tennessee was the first state in the United States to crack down hard on the teaching of evolution in public schools. Others had dabbled, but Tennessee went all the way. The ACLU wanted to challenge the validity of the case in the courts. In order to do that they needed an educator to teach it, get busted, and be brought to trial.

At the same time, the town of Dayton, TN needed a boost. After the biggest employer closed down it faced serious economic trouble. What if the men of Dayon could manufacture a court case to draw the attention of the nation? They found a young teacher named John Scopes and convinced him to participate in their scheme. They booked Scopes, even though he probably never taught evolution. The ACLU had its case.

Soon William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow hopped on board and it went from a publicity stunt to something for the history books. This is the event that some historians (wrongly) point to as the death of Christian fundamentalism in the United States until it was revived by the Moral Majority. One man fighting for the biblical idea of creation and another for godless atheism. But the real history is far more complex.

Edward Larson, professor at Pepperdine University, joins us to discuss the trial and his Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Summer for the Gods".

Helpful Sources:

"Summer for the Gods" by Edward Larson
Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum Worth a visit!
Court Transcript of the Scopes Trial (easy to find online)
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin

Discussion Questions:

What events led to the Scopes trial?
Why did the ACLU feel they had to try the Tennessee Law?
Who should decide what is taught in schools? Teachers? Parents? Lawmakers? Or some combination?
What were William Jennings Bryan's motives for joining the prosecution?
What were Clarence Darrow's motives for joining the defense?
Should prayer be allowed before a trial about religion?
Should Christians get involved in what is taught in schools? To what degree?

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Are All Christians Anti-Evolution? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

7 februari 2023 | 41 min

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In the 1600s, an Irish Archbishop named James Ussher did a bunch of math. The Bible is full of numbers and genealogies. He sat down and calculated that, in his opinion, the Bible dated creation at 4004 BC. According to Ussher, that is when God created man. That number has really stuck around!

I gathered my small group together to explore the Adams Synchronological Chart. It is a 23-foot-long timeline of human history, beginning in 4004 BC and ending in 1900. There it was! The 4004 BC number! Which brings up an interesting question, right? What did Christians really believe about evolution just before it became a linchpin battle for fundamentalists?

I turned to Edward Larson for answers. He's a professor at Pepperdine University and the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Summer for the Gods". The book chronicles the Scopes "Monkey" trial that we'll be covering in the next two episodes. But it also gives us a great introductory look at what Christians believed about evolution in the build-up to the trial.

It turns out that evangelical Christians and even fundamentalists were all over the place when it came to ideas of evolution. Many Christians, like William Jennings Bryan, believed in an old earth and even some forms of evolution. But they thought that it was God who caused that evolution. Charles Darwin, though, said that evolution was a matter of chance adaptations, thus cutting God out of the equation. Fundamentalists like Bryan were determined to stop the spread of Darwinian evolution for that very reason. They believed that if young people were taught that they were the result of grand mistakes then what reason did they have to treat each other with respect? To be good citizens?

Helpful Sources

"Summer for the Gods" by Edward Larson
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin
"The Birth of a Nation" on YouTube
Article about James Ussher and his burial in Westminster Abbey
Helpful article about Lamarck
"The Evangelicals" by Francis Fitzgerald
More about Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism
An interesting article about "The Birth of a Nation"

Discussion Questions:

How did Cuvier and Lamarck differ in their ideas about evolution?
Do you believe in a young or old earth?
Do you believe in some evolution, macro-evolution, or no evolution at all?
What is the best way to oppose an idea?
When should we propose laws to combat ideas we don't like and when should we allow others to believe what they like?
Do you think the fundamentalists were right to combat teaching evolution in schools?
Now that you know about Bryan's failure to call out the KKK, what do you think of him?
"Birth of a Nation" shaped American views about black people. Are there more modern films and series that have shaped society in similar ways? Or changed public opinion in other ways?

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Leopold and Loeb | Christian Fundamentalism Series

24 januari 2023 | 40 min

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Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were wealthy young men in the early 1920s. They lived in big homes in Chicago and had world-class educations. They were both pushed hard academically, and Richard was sexually abused as a child. Both graduated early from high school and college. The two were an odd pairing. Nathan was quiet and awkward, not particularly handsome. Richard was gregarious and outgoing, good-looking... and a psychopath.

Nathan loved Richard, and the two sometimes had sex with each other. Richard realized he could control Nathan by trading intimacy for criminal activity. They started with typical juvenile delinquent behavior. Soon, though, Richard wanted more. He considered himself a master criminal, someone too smart to get caught. He and Nathan were exposed to the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche wrote that the ultimate purpose of humanity was to evolve into what he called the ubermensch or superman. Leopold and Loeb thought they were that evolved human. Therefore, they should be able to plot and execute the murder of a young boy without ever getting caught.

Only, they were so bad at it that it took very little time to pin it on them. Only the brilliance of Clarence Darrow, the country's most prominent defense attorney, could save their lives.

In this episode, we're joined by Candace Fleming. She's the author of the book Murder Among Friends about the crime.

The version of Also Sprach Zarathustra used in this episode is courtesy of the Creative Commons License and was produced by Kevin MacLeod.

Sources:

Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming
Helpful article on the Houston Symphony's website about Also Sprach Zarathustra
Article about what Nietzsche meant by "God is dead"
Full text of Also Sprach Zarathustra
Helpful video about Nietzsche's work
Smithsonian article about Leopold and Loeb
William Jennings Bryan's closing arguments of the Scopes trial
Clarence Darrow's closing arguments of the Leopold and Loeb trial

Discussion Questions:

Now that you know what the song Also Sprach Zarathustra is about, does it change your opinion of the piece?
Do you think Nietzsche was right to worry about what would happen after Christianity took a back seat to world events? What should have been our response?
With this little bit we covered about Nietzsche today, what do you think of his work? Can you see why it makes Chris nervous just to mention it in an episode?
Do you see the connection between evolution and superman?
Were people like Darrow and Bryan right to be concerned about young people learning Nietzsche's philosophy?

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Eugenics (Featuring Paul Lombardo) | Christian Fundamentalism Series

10 januari 2023 | 51 min

Eugenics. It's one of those words that gets thrown around these days, often by people accusing "the other side" of wrongdoing. But what is eugenics?

I invited law professor Paul Lombardo, author of "Three Generations, No Imbeciles", to join me to try to answer that very question. It turns out that that question is harder to answer than you'd think. In the early 1900s, the word "eugenic" was often used to mean "pure" or to imply that a product was healthy for babies. But that word also extended into segregating certain populations from society and forced sterilizations.

It is important to understand the history of eugenics because some Christians use the fear of eugenics as a lens to understand the Scopes "Monkey" trial. I think that is an accurate connection, but we really should understand it. Did William Jennings Bryan support eugenics? Can Christians support eugenics? Many did. There were even competitions that rewarded pastors for writing pro-eugenics sermons. That was especially true for liberal pastors.

In this episode, we attempt to answer some tough questions. I hope you enjoy it!

Helpful Sources:

"Three Generations, No Imbeciles" by Paul Lombardo
"Preaching Eugenics" by Christine Rosen
"Summer for the Gods" by Edward Larson
An article from Smithsonian Magazine about Herbert Spencer
Paul's article about William Jennings Bryan's support of the WCTU and eugenics
CDC article about syphilis
Helpful article about the immigration act
Helpful Focus on the Family article about how some Christians don't believe that the sins of the father carry over
Washington Post article about the "welfare queen" of the Reagan era

Discussion Questions:

What is eugenics?
How did the term "eugenics" differ in the early 1900s from today?
Are you in favor of eugenics? Why or why not?
How is eugenics tied to evolution? How is it not?
Do Christians have a responsibility to play when it comes to protecting people with special needs?
What can we do to help those with special needs?

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Christmas 2022

20 december 2022 | 2 min

The Battle for the Presbyterian Soul | Christian Fundamentalism Series

6 december 2022 | 27 min

Mr. Fundamentalist | Christian Fundamentalism Series

22 november 2022 | 26 min

World War One I Christian Fundamentalism Series

8 november 2022 | 39 min

Exciting News About the Future!

1 november 2022 | 4 min

Walter Rauschenbusch and the Great Reversal | Christian Fundamentalism Series

25 oktober 2022 | 27 min

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Walter Rauscenbush published his classic book Christianity and the Social Crisis in 1907. It went on to become a defining work of the social gospel movement. We've spent a lot of time talking about the social gospel this season. That is because it has been identified by historians as the key movement that fundamentalists rebelled against. So we really should understand it, right?

In this episode, Chris takes us through highlights of this classic book in order to understand how the social gospel differed from evangelical Christianity. While it lifted up the necessity of doing good works, the social gospel often omitted salvation altogether. Contrast that to evangelical preachers like D.L. Moody who lived their lives with the sole purpose of evangelism.

This division between evangelicalism and liberal theologies led to the Great Reversal when theologically conservative Christians went from participating in public acts of goodwill to distancing themselves from it.

Breakdown of points made from Christianity and the Social Crisis

Rauschenbush's thoughts on socialism (p152)
Theories on prophets of the Old Testament creating Judaism - p3 - 5
Amos and Jeremiah denied that God ever told them to sacrifice - p6
Morality is the only thing God cares about - p6
God is interested in the morality of the nation over the individual - p11, 29
The Bible has been altered when it comes to the stories of Jesus - p62-63
Wealth is associated with the wicked in the Bible - p13
Jewish people distributed land in communistic ways - p14
John the Baptist and Jesus both wanted to restore theocracy to Israel - p53
Rauschenbush's ideas about how industry chews people up - p370
Socialism is inevitable - outside link page 153

Discussion Questions:

What is Christianity?
How much of Christianity can you remove before it becomes something else?
Why are we so split between those of us who think of good works and those of us who think of salvation?
What is the role of Christians in society?
Now that you've decided on the role of Christians in society, how do you match up with your own expectations?

Select Sources:

Google Books version of Christianity and the Social Crisis
Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden
More on the ship of Theseus

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The Fundamentals | Christian Fundamentalism Series

11 oktober 2022 | 44 min

The Scofield Reference Bible | Christian Fundamentalism Series

27 september 2022 | 24 min

What kind of Bible do you have?

Most of us would answer with the translation we carry. Maybe it's New Living, the King James, or the New International Version. I've heard plenty of conversations about translations in my life. But I've never heard a serious discussion about the notes in various Bibles.

Continuing our long exploration of the Christian fundamentalist movement, we explore the Bible version that nudged the United States toward a particular negative theology. One that encouraged people to question the trajectory of history itself. That was one of the purposes of the Scofield Reference Bible, named for its author C.I. Scofield.

The Scofield Reference Bible emphasizes the premillennial dispensationalist theology we've been talking about all season. It expects that world history is sliding into chaos. That was not the primary view in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the US. Most people thought that humanity could improve things until Jesus returned. This Bible is one of the things that changed that.

Special thanks to Nick, Melanie, Hannah, Marc, and Marian for their help with this episode!

Discussion Questions:

What kind of Bible do you have? Why did you choose it?
What agenda does your Bible have?
What audience is it intended for?
Who wrote your Bible notes?
Flip to Genesis 1 and Revelation 1. What position does it take on creationism? The end of the world?
Have you ever considered the origins of your study notes?

How do you feel about us having so many different targeted Bibles?

Select Sources for this Episode:

The History of the Scofield Reference Bible by Arno C. Gaebelein
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitgerald
Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden
Article on Lyman Stewart who financed this Bible
A Godly Hero by Michael Kazin
Isaiah 37
A Christianity Today article about the changes made to the Scofield Bible (material not used for the episode, but still interesting)
The Scofield Reference Bible (1945 edition)
The MacArthur Study Bible
The Founders Bible
The Battlefield of the Mind Bible

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The Treaties of William Jennings Bryan | Christian Fundamentalism Series

13 september 2022 | 15 min

Looking Backward | Christian Fundamentalism Series

30 augusti 2022 | 13 min

In His Steps Discussion

16 augusti 2022 | 45 min

In His Steps (part 3)

2 augusti 2022 | 161 min

This is part 3 of an audiobook presented on Truce. Please start at part 1!

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In His Steps by Charles Sheldon is a classic of Christian fiction. It is also one of the top-selling Christian books of all time. We've been running through the history of Christian fundamentalism this season. It's worth noting that fundamentalism was a reaction to liberal theology, especially modernism. Another form of liberal theology was the "Social Gospel". It was a movement led by people like Walter Rauschenbusch that emphasized the socially conscious aspects of Christianity, while simultaneously downplaying evangelism.

Christian fundamentalists did not like the Social Gospel. For one thing, it had a positive view of human progress. It said that the world could get better and better and then Jesus would return. Christian fundamentalists generally think that world history trends downward.

I'm presenting this original audio recording for many reasons. I think this book offers a great window into the era in which it was created (the late 1800s). It also represents the Social Gospel and a slice of the Holiness movement quite well. Finally, I think we need to hear this story in our modern context. Modern Christian churches are divided. What would happen if we dared to ask "What Would Jesus Do?"

Things to track as you listen:

The role of women in this society
Wealthy attitudes toward the poor
The genesis of financial woes in this book is sometimes economic crisis (the late 1800s was full of panics and recessions) and sometimes sin based
The Holiness movement and those who object to it
Is this book evangelistic? If so, how is the gospel presented? If not, what does this book leave out?
The overall positive view of human progress
Social movements like the pure foods movement, temperance, suffrage, anti-gambling

In His Steps resides in the public domain, but this recording is copyrighted in 2022 by Truce Media LLC.

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In His Steps (part 2)

26 juli 2022 | 141 min

Bonus Episode - In His Steps

22 juli 2022 | 2 min

In His Steps (part 1)

19 juli 2022 | 181 min

The Holiness Movement | Christian Fundamentalism Series

5 juli 2022 | 21 min

Moody's Lieutenants | Christian Fundamentalism Series

21 juni 2022 | 22 min

After the evangelist D.L. Moody died at the end of the 1800s, he left behind a series of lieutenants, guys who carried on the work of sharing the gospel and shaping culture. It was these men who went on to set the foundation of the fundamentalist movement in the United States. James Gray, Arthur Pierson, A.J. Gordon, Charles Blanchard, and William Erdman, C.I. Scofield, and William Bell Riley. These guys went on to found schools, start radio ministries, spearhead publications, and amass large followings. They wrote the influential (if under-read) pamphlet series “The Fundamentals” and would fight the rise of Darwinism in schools and liberal theology in denominations.

In this episode, we'll explore the emergence of fiefdoms in evangelicalism—ministries with little or no denominational oversight. This method of ministry was crucial in landing us where we are today. Could the evangelicals Church of today use a Magna Carta of sorts to keep ministries under accountability?

Helpful Sources and Links:

D.L. Moody: A Life by Kevin Belmonte
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
A helpful article on the Magna Carta https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magna-Carta
Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden
Short bio on Reuben Torrey
Forbes article about Christianity in Ivy League Colleges
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

Discussion Questions:

Do you think that ministry leaders should be held accountable?
Should accountability be external or is it okay to limit it to internal accountability?
Are there steps that Truce can take as a show to introduce accountability without bogging Chris down with too many requirements?
Do you live in a Christian “bubble”? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the bubble?
Would you let your kids go to a secular school? Why or why not?
It's interesting that Reuben Torrey was seen as snooty. Do you think that attitude is compatible with humble Christian service?

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D.L. Moody | Christian Fundamentalism Series

7 juni 2022 | 37 min

Social Darwinism and the Spanish-American War | Christian Fundamentalism Series

24 maj 2022 | 42 min

The 1800s were an era of big questions, many of which we answered in cruel and selfish ways.

Is one race better than another?
Is one religion? If so, which one? In what ways?
Is one economic system better than another?
Is one system of governance like a democratic republic like the US, or socialist, or monarchy, theocracy, communism, best?

Some people answered these questions with a resounding "yes". But if we think our people and ways are better than anyone else's, what responsibility do we have to spread those things? Men like Henry Cabot Lodge and Theodore Roosevelt were firm believers in social Darwinism, though their vision of it meant teaching those less "civilized" people our ways. And they were okay with the United States taking power over them.

Meanwhile, there were men like William Jennings Bryan who refused to think of others in social Darwinism terms. He spent years fighting that dark philosophy, ultimately prosecuting the Scopes Monkey trial to stop the spread of social Darwinism. But the seeds of eugenics were planted.

Caught in the middle were the people of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Phillippines, and other colonies of the Spanish empire. Spain was busy imprisoning Cubans in concentration camps. Their ruthless behavior toward America's neighbors caught the attention of the US Senate, which was already champing at the bit for a fight. Men in the United States were worried about their waning influence on society. Groups bellyached about how men were not men anymore thanks to cities and offices. In the minds of some, war was the answer to weak-willed men. And Spain provided that war.

Our guest today is Paul T. McCartney author of “Power and Progress: American National Identity, the War of 1898, and the Rise of American Imperialism”. He teaches at Towson University.

**CORRECTION - In the original version of this story I referred to the USS Maine as the HMS Maine. That was incorrect. HMS stands for "Her Majesty's Ship", which makes no sense for American ships. The current version was changed for accuracy.**

Discussion Questions:

Do you believe your people are somehow superior to another people group? Why?
Does that sound like an attitude Jesus would have?
If you are somehow superior, what is your responsibility to other people?
Should the US help people who are being oppressed around the world? When should we intervene?
Do you think that men are in decline? If so, what is the answer to that?
Do you better relate to Teddy Roosevelt or William Jennings Bryan when it comes to war? Or are you a pacifist?
How would Jesus have responded to the cruelty of Spain?
What do you think about social Darwinism?

Helpful Links and Sources:

"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald
"Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce Shelley
"The War Lovers" by Evan Thomas
"Power and Progress" by Paul T. McCartney
"The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin
Britannica article on Darwin's Beagle voyage
Britannica article about Darwin's London years and natural selection
Bio of Henry Cabot Lodge
Article abouhttp://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/gilded/empire/text7/tillman.pdft Alfred Thayer Mahan
Proctor's Speech
Tillman's Speech
Bryan's Speech
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin

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Populism | Christian Fundamentalism Series

10 maj 2022 | 41 min

Give to help Truce. www,trucepodcast.com/donate

Populism is a tricky subject. We use it these days as a slur, but populism can be a useful phenomenon. History professor and author Michael Kazin says that populism is an important tool when it comes to regulating power. In the late 1800s, railroads and banks were out of control. Industrialists like John D. Rockefeller had uninhibited control of their markets. Rockefeller believed in social Darwinism and didn't mind using dirty tactics to undermine his competition.

The Populist Party sprouted out of frustrations women had with the political machines of their day. Republicans and Democrats were not yet willing to accept women and the issues they cared about. Women were slowly becoming a force within politics, but neither party had the guts to accept them. So women and others decided to form their own party. But in the election of 1896, the Populist Party was worried about a split vote. They worried that if they were to run a candidate of their own then they might split the vote. So the Populist Party backed Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan.

Bryan was a man of God. He quoted the Bible extensively, talked about the example of Jesus. But he was soundly defeated by the Republicans and William McKinley. He had only about 4% of the budget of his opponents. The story of Bryan is an interesting one because it contains the building blocks of fundamentalism.

Discussion Questions:

What is a populist?
Can you name some populists?
What are the advantages of populism? The drawbacks?
How are Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders similar?
William Jennings Bryan was one of the first presidential hopefuls from a major party to tour the country. How has this shaped American politics? Why do we like to see politicians in our home states?
What do populism and fundamentalism have in common?
Do you think that fundamentalism relies on strong figures as populism does? Why or why not?

Helpful Resources:

"A Godly Hero" and "What It Took to Win" by Michael Kazin
Library of Congress collection of Chautauqua materials
Bernie Sanders Clip from C-SPAN
Elizabeth Warren Clip from C-SPAN
Donald Trump clip from C-SPAN
Article about Mary Lease
"These Truths" by Jill Lepore
Library of Congress collection of McKinley/Bryan campaign materials. It's worth searching the site in general for images from both of them.

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The Gold Standard and the Great Depression

3 maj 2022 | 14 min

The Gold Standard | Christian Fundamentalism Series

26 april 2022 | 34 min

There was a time not so long ago when the value of an ounce of gold cost $20.67. That was true not just in one moment or one year. It was true in the 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1920s... This was the gold standard. A person could take $20.67 to a federal bank and receive an ounce of gold in return.

This system worked really well... for a while. But by the 1890s the constant deflation caused by the increasing value of gold meant that people with loans had to work harder and harder to pay them back. The value of gold and the value of goods had an inverse relationship, like a seesaw. One side went up and the other went down.

This is the topic William Jennings Bryan chose to discuss at the 1896 Democratic Convention. And it was that speech that won him the presidential nomination that year. Imagine that! Someone so passionate about inflating the cost of goods that they are chosen to be president! His bimetallism (he wanted to add silver into the mix to devalue the specie) stance came out of his social gospel leanings and his Christian faith. This was a high point for the social gospel. As the evangelical world was about to turn to the darker premillennialist view, Bryan made an impassioned plea that we could, in fact, make this world a better place.

My guest for this episode is the amazing Jacob Goldstein. He's the author of the book “Money: the True Story of a Made-Up Thing”. He's also a former co-host of the Planet Money podcast and now hosts "What's Your Problem?", a show where he interviews guests about the issues in their industries. You'll also hear from Michael Kazin, professor of history from Georgetown and author of "A Godly Hero".

Helpful Links

"Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing" by Jacob Goldstein (makes a great gift!)
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin
"The Cross of Gold" speech

Discussion Questions

Have you ever gotten so excited at a political speech that you would gladly carry the politician around the room?
What is money?
Why do some of us want our money to be backed by something else? Why gold?
Is there something inherent in gold that you think makes it forever valuable?
Do politicians and government officials have some responsibility to consider how monetary policy impacts those in the lower classes? What does that look like?
How has your life been impacted by monetary policy?
How do you feel about things like the FDIC?

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How Do We Deal with Christian Fundamentalism? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

12 april 2022 | 39 min

The Liberals | Christian Fundamentalism Series

29 mars 2022 | 40 min

The End of Reconstruction | Christian Fundamentalism Series

15 mars 2022 | 28 min

The 1800s were a time of milking cows and going to the county fair.

Sure... but what else? We tend to think of this century as a quiet, pastoral era when people were friendly and life was simple. But the 1800s were a crazy time! The American Civil War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Spanish-American War, conquest, the suffrage movement, the prohibition movement, massive technological changes. It's a wonder we ever made it out alive.

In this episode, we explore the early life of William Jennings Bryan and the Democratic Party, the party of Jim Crow that he would soon lead. After the Civil War, it was the Democrats who created Black Codes in the South to restrict the upward mobility of African Americans. They were the party of white farmers and soon transitioned into representing labor unions and, eventually, many black people in the United States. Bryan was one of the men responsible for that transition.

Helpful Links and Sources:

"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin
Truce episode about the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
Meeting notes of the 1873 Evangelical Alliance
"Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden
"A Righteous Cause" by Robert W. Cherny (book on William Jennings Bryan)
Interesting bio on Stephen Douglas
President Hays' acceptance speech

Discussion Questions:

What do you think of when you think of the 1800s?
Was the 1800s a simpler time?
What mistakes did the Republican Party make in ending Reconstruction?
How should abolitionists have handled the South after the Civil War?
Can a Christian lead a racist political party? Should they?
What were some technological advances that came about in the 1800s? How might they have shifted the way people lived and thought back then?
Are there technological changes going on now that could shift the way we think and interact with each other?
Chris ends the episode by talking about how Christians should be a people of the means, not necessarily the ends. Do you think the ends ever justify the means for Christians?

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Dispensationalism and John Nelson Darby | Christian Fundamentalism Series

1 mars 2022 | 31 min

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This season we're tracing the history of Christian fundamentalism through the life of William Jennings Bryan. But first, we need to learn some important definitions. Our big word of the week is dispensationalism. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Dispensationalism is (in part) the notion that God treats humankind differently depending on what era we are in. It is not accepted by all Christians, but it is a building block of fundamentalism. Another component of dispensationalism is the secret rapture--the idea that God will take His elect to heaven just before the tribulation. It also asserts that the Christian Church will become apostate before the end times. This last tidbit is important! Premillennialism made Christians suspicious of the outside world, but it was dispensationalism that made us suspicious of each other.

John Nelson Darby is often credited as the father of dispensationalism. He came up with the idea of the rapture and is the man who packaged a bunch of existing ideas into this systematized vision of the Bible. In the 1700s and 1800s, people adapted the scientific notion of categorizing everything into genus and species and applied it to all areas of study, even when reading the Bible. This encouraged people like Darby to break the Bible into "dispensations" or eras.

Our guest this week is George Marsden. He's the author of "Fundamentalism and American Culture".

Discussion Questions:

Are you suspicious of other Christians? Why is that?
Do you believe in the rapture? Why?
Does the God of the Bible behave differently in different parts of the Bible? Or is He the same throughout?
Do you believe that Jewish people were destined to return to Israel based on Matthew 24:32-33 or Romans 11:25-26?
What did you know about the French Revolution before our recent episodes on it? Do you think it was a significant event in world history? If so, why?

Helpful Links:

"Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book)
"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book)
"Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book)
Interesting article about Napoleon, the Pope, and the French Revolution
A fantastic book about Napoleon (one of my fav books) is "Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts
"American Apocalypse" by Matthew Avery Sutton (note: only the first few chapters influenced this episode)
"The Roots of Fundamentalism" by Ernest Sandeen.
1 Corinthians 1:8
Helpful article about Common Sense Realism
Fascination Smithsonian article about Mount Tambora

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Premillennialism and Postmillennialism | Christian Fundamentalism Series

15 februari 2022 | 24 min

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What is the difference between premillennialism and postmillennialism? And what does it matter?

After the French Revolution in the late 1700s, Christians began to see the world as coming to an end. Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 describe an oppressor who will wear the people out for a period of time. Some Christian interpret that as being 1260 years. That 1260 years can be placed over the reign of Justinian all the way through history up until the French Revolution. That is just one interpretation that not everyone shares. But if you hold that view then this event was HUGE. It meant that the end of the world was super close. It has now been over 200 years since that event, but many premillennialists still hold up this prophecy as proof of the fulfillment of scripture.

Many Christians were sparked to uncover the meaning of it all. Some turned to an old idea -- premillennialism. It's the notion that the world is on a downward trajectory. Things are going to get really bad and then Jesus will return. Before this time, many evangelicals were postmillennialism. They thought the world was going to get better over time. This split was an important part of what would become the fundamentalist/ modernist debate.

Premillennialism has some dark "logical" conclusions to it. Some premillennialist like pastor John MacArthur argue that since the world is going to burn anyway, we humans shouldn't worry about things like global warming.

Discussion Questions:

Why was the French Revolution such an important moment in world history?
Pre-Revolution the nobles and clergy controlled much of the power in France. They could out-weigh 98% of the population of France. Is this perhaps a reason why the French people turned against them?
Are you a premillennialist, a postmillennialist, or neither?
Did you read the Left Behind books? What do you remember? How did they impact you?
Do you think you have a positive or negative view of world history? How does that impact the way you act?
Should premillennialists see Jesus' second coming as a reason to avoid taking care of the planet?

Helpful Links:

The Victoria and Albert Museum's article about Mysore and Tipoos Tiger
"Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book)
"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book)
"Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book)
Interesting article about Napoleon, the Pope, and the French Revolution
A fantastic book about Napoleon (one of my fav books) is "Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts
John MacArthur sermon excerpted and used with permission from "Grace to You"

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What Is An Evangelical? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

1 februari 2022 | 30 min

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Correction: The original version of this episode incorrectly represented Arminian belief. It involves the belief that once grace is offered by God that a sinner can reject the offer. The original version stated that the sinner made the first move to initiate a relationship. That is incorrect. Arminians believe that God makes the first move, but His offer can be rejected. The error has been corrected in this version, My apologies for any confusion.

Who is an evangelical? If you go by the news today, you probably think evangelicals are all American middle-class white men. Nope! Evangelical Christians come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. They can be men or women from anywhere in the world. They can speak any language. And they can have a lot of variety in their beliefs.

This season on the Truce Podcast we are examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. How did fundamentalism begin? What is Christian fundamentalism? Is Christian fundamentalism a good thing, a bad thing, or somewhere in between?

In this episode, we're joined by author and professor George Marsden. He's the author of Fundamentalism and American Culture, which is THE book everyone else refers to when they talk about fundamentalism. According to Marsden, fundamentalism is "militantly anti-modernism protestant evangelicalism". That is a lot of big words! By the end of the season, you should understand all of that. One important part of that definition is the word "evangelicalism". It is one of those words that has been used so much in so many different ways that it can be difficult to define it. There are whole movements to create new definitions these days. But in order to move forward this season, we need to pick some frame of reference. I chose David Beggington's definition of what defines an evangelical:

Bebbington's Quadrilateral

Biblicism (a focus on the Bible)
Conversionism (an emphasis on evangelism)
Crucicentrism (the centrality of the cross)
Activism

Those four things, according to Bebbington, are what make up an evangelical. Again, it is a hotly debated subject.

So when did evangelicalism begin? Many of the sources that I found pointed to the revivals in the decades leading up to the American Revolution. Evangelists like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield spread the gospel using a post-millennialist vision of the end times mixed with Calvinism. This was part of the First Great Awakening. Then there were others after the revolution who spread an Arminian view of salvation. Guys like Finney. Belief in God became more personal, without the direct oversight of a priest or minister. It became an individual's responsibility to look after their spiritual growth.

Welcome to season 5! God willing, I'll be releasing new episodes every other week.

Discussion Questions:

What is an evangelical?
What is a fundamentalist?
If fundamentalists are evangelicals who are angry at something, what are they angry at? Are you one of those people?
Do you believe in the Calvinist view of salvation or the Arminian one? Does it matter? Why?
The Great Awakening movements established a sense that belief in God was not something that needed to be handed down by a priest or minister. Do you think that was a positive move? What are some potential drawbacks (if any)?

Helpful Links and Sources:

"Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book)
"The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book)
"Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book)
"A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin (book)
Transcript of the Scopes trial (book, though you can find it free online)

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Season Five Trailer - The History of Christian Fundamentalism

18 januari 2022 | 2 min

Christmas and the Sermon on the Mount

23 december 2021 | 8 min

King Leopold's Ghost (feat. Adam Hochschild)

26 oktober 2021 | 46 min

Christians and the British Slave Trade (feat. Adam Hochschild)

12 oktober 2021 | 40 min

Can I Still Love the Church?

17 augusti 2021 | 45 min

100th Episode

3 augusti 2021 | 40 min

The American West: Is It A Sin to Be Wealthy? (featuring Yale Professor Justin Farrell)

20 juli 2021 | 50 min

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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 of the ultra-wealthy. What makes them tick? What are they afraid of? Why do they dress the way they do? And what draws them to the far western border of Wyoming?

Discussion Questions:

Read the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). What do you think of Jesus' warning about wealthy people entering the kingdom of God?
Many of the tax avoidance practices discussed in this series are legal (except pretending to live in one place while living in another). Do you think that legality and morality are tied together?
Are these practices moral?
What types of friction do you experience in your own life?
How would more money change the level of friction you encounter?
How would less money change the level of friction you encounter?
Do you think that friction is a valuable thing to pay attention to in our lives?
What is the role of empathy in a Christian's life?
How do you use money to benefit yourself as opposed to others?

Helpful Links:

Justin Farrell's book Billionaire Wilderness
NY Times article about President Trump changing his residence to get out of paying taxes
Book The Velvet Rope Economy about inequalities in health care, airlines, services, and even Disney World.

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The American West: Conservation Easements

6 juli 2021 | 38 min

The American West: Johnson County War

22 juni 2021 | 49 min

The American West: Jesus and John Wayne (feat. Kristin Kobes Du Mez)

8 juni 2021 | 53 min

Kaitlyn Schiess and Our Four False Gospels

25 maj 2021 | 45 min

Jemar Tisby and How to Fight Racism

11 maj 2021 | 39 min

Takeaway 5: It's Easier to Call People to a Heritage Than A Saving Faith

27 april 2021 | 15 min

Takeaway 4: Complexity is Cool

20 april 2021 | 16 min

Takeaway 3: Treat Labor Well

13 april 2021 | 21 min

Takeaway 2: Communism as a Scapegoat (feat. Jemar Tisby)

6 april 2021 | 21 min

Takeaway 1: Think Deeper About the Past

30 mars 2021 | 9 min

How to Deal With Christian Nationalism

16 mars 2021 | 38 min

Skye Jethani and Post-Christian America

2 mars 2021 | 40 min

Is School Prayer Illegal?

16 februari 2021 | 36 min

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 argued, was founded on principles that would keep that from happening. The Establishment Clause of the US Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a religion. So... is school prayer a violation of the Establishment Clause?

What do you think?

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever used prayer as a weapon like Chris did in the locker room for his school play?
What are the benefits of prayers that are written down? What are the drawbacks?
Do you recite written prayers? Why or why not?
Was the Regent's Prayer right in being non-specific about which God it referred to?
Do you think your country would benefit from a national religion? What if that religion could be changed over time?
Did you ever pray in school?
Should we pray in schools?
What did you think of Justice Hugo Black's majority opinion which used the example of the Church of England in the 1500s as a reason why we should not have school prayer?

Helpful links:

One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse (book used for research)
Helpful site about Thomas Cranmer
Supreme Court audio of the deliberations for Engel v. Vitale on Oyez.org
Justice Black's majority opinion

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Jerry Falwell and Apartheid (feat. Melani McAlister)

2 februari 2021 | 17 min

Exporting Jesus and the American Way (feat. Melani McAlister)

19 januari 2021 | 36 min

A Christian Response to the Attack on the US Capitol

7 januari 2021 | 5 min

When I was a kid, we were playing at a friend's house. I fell and scraped up my knee pretty badly. Dirt and rocks were in the wound. My friend's mom was a nurse, so she got out her medical kit. She did her best to pick out what she could and then showed me her bottle of iodine. Iodine is a strong anti-microbial. Highly effective for cleaning wounds. But, like rubbing alcohol, it stings pretty bad.

Pain, she said, is not always a bad thing. Pain is what our body uses to tell us something is wrong. That we need to make a change. If your appendix hurts, it's helpful. Because if they didn't, you'd have no way of knowing that they were going to burst. Sometimes, we need to feel pain.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty raw today. I haven't been able to focus on much. Yesterday, January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters, incited by Donald Trump, stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. It was an act of terrorism. A coup attempt on US soil. I'm angry. I'm scared. And what hurts the most is to know that evangelical Christians share the blame. We were a big part of his support base. Despite his stirring up rebellion, his lies about everything from the size of his inaugural audience to the shameful claims of a rigged election, his obvious conflicts of interest, racism, sexism, and potentially criminal dealings with Deutsche Bank, many of my people stand by his side. And there is nothing he can do to break that spell. Some Christians will support him no matter what.

I started this podcast three years ago for a lot of reasons. There is one big reason, though. I wasn't public about it. I've spent a lot of hours debating whether or not I should tell you. But I started Truce because I think my people, Christians, are headed for persecution. Not because of the Bible. Not because we believe in Jesus, and the world hates Jesus. But because we're acting like children. We worship oligarchs and their money, even though Jesus told us not to. We ignore the poor, even though Jesus commanded us to take care of them. We've acquired a taste for hate, even though the Bible says to love our neighbors. We've sought vengeance when it's clear that vengeance belongs to the Lord.

I don't think anyone deserves to be persecuted. Hear that. Nobody deserves persecution. But I think we're building a pretty strong case against ourselves. Christian media will try to put a positive spin on it, say it's not our fault. That the heathens hate Jesus. Know that this is the reason: because we turned our back on our calling in pursuit of power.

I probably wounded you in saying that. That's okay. We've grown so used to thinking that we deserve a life free from pain. I want to remind you that pain is not always a bad thing. It tells us when we're bleeding, when we're wounded, when we're sick. I think a lot about the Babylonian's taking over Judah in the Old Testament. God's people acted wickedly generation after generation. So they paid for their wickedness.

I won't offer us comfort today. I just won't. Because we won't change until it hurts. Our positive and uplifting media outlets have robbed us of our ability to lament. To grieve. Yes, pray for this country. But if we stop there, we're missing the point. We need to repent, turn from our evil ways, humbly and graciously serve others as Jesus served. Repent.

Until we do, let it hurt. Let today hurt.

God help us.

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McCarthyism Before McCarthy

5 januari 2021 | 33 min

Positive Memories of 2020

30 december 2020 | 11 min

Christmas Episode Exchange

22 december 2020 | 23 min

Are Nativity Scenes Illegal on Public Land?

8 december 2020 | 30 min

The American Coup in Guatemala

24 november 2020 | 40 min

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Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

In 1954 the United States government, led by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, staged a coup to oust President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala. For what reason? To help the United Fruit Company.

United Fruit was a giant company, capturing over 90% of the market in its heyday. The juggernaut found President Arbenz to be a nuisance when his agrarian reform meant they would be paid for some of their unused land, which would be given to peasants. With the help of powerful friends like Allen Dulles (the Director of the CIA), the United States staged a coup, installing Castillo Armas in his place.

All of this took place while the USA was busy framing itself as a Christian nation. What does that mean for the Christian Church today? Are we a nation that supports that kind of behavior?

Our special guest for this episode is Stephen Schlesinger, co-author of the excellent book "Bad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala".

Discussion Questions:

What threat did President Jacobo Arbenz pose to United Fruit?
United Fruit owned many utilities in Guatemala from the trains to telephone lines. How would you feel if our utilities were owned by foreign entities? If they controlled our natural resources?
Do you think the land reform deal was a good one for their country?
Were people like John Foster Dulles right to overthrow Arbenz?
How might it have benefited them to do so?
In what way could the actions of the US in the 1950s reflect poorly on Christianity domestically and abroad?
It has been argued that American consumers benefit when Latin American and African countries are thrown in disarray. It means cheaper diamonds, gold, rubber, and more while also stranding the people in those countries in poverty.
Does it bother you that you may be benefiting from unbalanced countries?
Do you find the assumption that we are benefiting to be offensive? Why?
Is there anything we can do about it?

Sources:

"Bad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala" by Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer
CIA Document profiling Arbenz
YouTube clips of a documentary on the Guatemalan coup
Then Vice President Nixon talking with Armas after the overthrow
Statistics on Fruit
Financial Times article about United Fruit
Book "One Nation Under God" by Kevin Kruse (for the bio info on the Dulles brothers)
Peurifoy's cable to Washington
President Arbenz's farewell speech
List of governments that the US has overthrown

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Billy Graham v. Communism (feat. David Aikman)

10 november 2020 | 42 min

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Billy Graham may have been the most important evangelist of the 20th century. His words were heard by millions of people around the world. He preached in person, on television, magazines, radio, and film. His impact is still felt today. He is also one of the people most responsible for tying Christianity, Capitalism, and the United States. But his legacy didn't stop there. While he denounced communism, he went to great lengths to ensure that communists had access to the gospel too.

Our guest this episode is David Aikman, author of "Billy Graham: His Life and Influence".

Discussion Questions:

Is Jesus' message individualistic, collectivist, or something in between?
If the majority of a nation's citizens say they are Christians, does that make it a Christian nation?
Does hobnobbing with the wealthy and politically connected occasionally backfire? Like, say, when you've come out backing Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal as Graham did?
Is it possible to cross political and theological lines today in order to spread the gospel?
When do we prioritize the gospel over social issues and when do we have to put our foot down?
When do you walk out into the stadium and take down the ropes that divide us and when do you leave the ropes where they are?

Helpful Links:

Graham sermon "A Way of Life" from this episode.
Newsreel of his 1949 crusade
Truman's statement on the Soviets having the bomb
Decision Magazine article about Graham's crisis of faith
The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse

Topics Discussed:

Billy Graham's evangelistic efforts in Romania, Hungary, and China
Was Billy Graham anti-communist?
Billy Graham's sermons
Liberal Christians
Was Billy Graham a fundamentalist?
What is the difference between fundamentalist and mainline churches?

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We Want a King

27 oktober 2020 | 24 min

Rebrodcast: Why Does Donald Trump Appeal to Evangelicals?

20 oktober 2020 | 19 min

The Ad Council, CIA, and Christian America (feat. Wendy Melillo)

13 oktober 2020 | 37 min

Rebroadcast: Fatty Arbuckle and the MPAA

6 oktober 2020 | 25 min

Marketing Christian Libertarianism

29 september 2020 | 38 min

The National Prayer Breakfast and The Family

15 september 2020 | 28 min

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!

Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

When strikes broke out in the 1930's, some wealthy members of the US elite got together... to pray. One of the organizers of prayer groups across the country was Abraham Vereide. In this episode of Truce we tell the story of how Vereide became one of the most influential non-elected men of his time... and how his movement took a dark turn as revealed in Netflix's The Family.

Contributed Voices (not all were used):

Sharon Campbell - All God's Women Podcast
Shea and Michelle Watson - The Pantry Podcast
Annie Quinnell - The Unstoppable Solo Mom Podcast
Tim and JK Winders - Seek Go Create Podcast
Holland Webb - The Afterword Podcast
Markus Watson - Spiritual Life and Leadership Podcast

Discussion Questions:

When is it an appropriate time for a labor strike?
How bad do things have to get before a strike can shut down the economy?
Is there a Christian perspective on labor strikes?
Is there anything wrong or creepy about Christian businessmen praying to end a strike?
Do you think the National Prayer Breakfast is an event focused on piety?
Read Matthew 6 in the Bible. What do you think it means for public prayer? Jesus prayed in public. Is all public prayer wrong, or just some of it? Where is that line?
Vereide's legacy created "The Family", a shadowy organization that tries to create male Christian leaders. Is this good, bad, creepy, or some combination of the three?
"The Family" is focused on male leaders. Why do we struggle as Christians to let women lead?

Helpful Links:

One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse
Britannica article about The Family
History of the Prayer Breakfast
90% of Everything - book about shipping containers
Crash Course - Great book about unions and the US auto manufacturers
Helpful history of the San Fransisco and Seattle strikes and Bloody Thursday
YouTube video of West Coast during the strikes
"The Family" - the Netflix "documentary".

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An Evaluation

8 september 2020 | 8 min

The New Deal (feat. Justin Rosolino)

1 september 2020 | 36 min

Is the Church with Workers? (feat Heath Carter)

18 augusti 2020 | 29 min

The Pew and the Picket Line (feat. Heath Carter)

4 augusti 2020 | 35 min

$12,400

28 juli 2020 | 5 min

Spiritual Life and Leadership

21 juli 2020 | 53 min

The Case Against the Pledge

14 juli 2020 | 12 min

Your Youth Group Trip Was Cancelled - Now What?

7 juli 2020 | 4 min

The Pledge of Allegiance (Featuring Charles Dorn)

3 juli 2020 | 34 min

Truce Needs Your Support

1 juli 2020 | 2 min

Empire: The Game!

23 juni 2020 | 39 min

Home of the Forgotten

9 juni 2020 | 27 min

Teddy Roosevelt and the Guano Islands

26 maj 2020 | 31 min

How to Hide an Empire (featuring Daniel Immerwahr)

12 maj 2020 | 21 min

Is the US a Christian Nation?

28 april 2020 | 31 min

Is Revolution Biblical?

14 april 2020 | 22 min

Faith of the Founding Fathers (featuring Dr. Gregg L. Frazer)

30 mars 2020 | 37 min

Why Are We Covering This? A Conversation with Eric Nevins

27 mars 2020 | 27 min

Godless Utopia (featuring Roland Elliott Brown)

17 mars 2020 | 31 min

Pioneer 1

3 mars 2020 | 12 min

Vladimir Prokhnevskiy: Christian Refugee from Ukraine

25 februari 2020 | 28 min

Religious Persecution Under the Soviet Union

18 februari 2020 | 31 min

The Rise of Lenin and Stalin

4 februari 2020 | 29 min

What is the Difference Between Communism and Socialism?

21 januari 2020 | 33 min

History of The Russian Church

7 januari 2020 | 36 min

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!

Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

"We did our best, but it turned out as it always does".

Kind of a dark statement, no? It is a popular Russian phrase that kind of encapsulates the spirit of Russian history. People who try hard to make a change, but that change is not exactly great. In this episode of the Truce Podcast, we spoke with Jennifer Eremeeva, author of the excellent book, "Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia" about the history of the Russian Christian church.

Christianity came to Russia by sword point. It started out as a pagan culture, heavily influenced by the Vikings. When Vladimir, ruler of ancient Moscow, wanted some of the treasures of the Byzantine empire, he had a couple of options. He could invade and capture them, or he could make a trade deal. He tried both, but it didn't quite work out. As part of the peace deal, the Byzantine empire offered him a bride and trade if he converted to Christianity. So he did. Then Vladimir forced his kingdom to convert to Christianity or face death.

This means that Russian held on to their pagan ancestry and co-mingled it with their new Christian faith.

But that's not the end of the journey! Their shared faith became a bonding opportunity when the Mongols invaded. The church was their hub, the thing that connected them to all of the disconnected parts of Russia.

After the Mongols left, things settled down for a bit. Until the Orthodox church showed up. You see, when the Byzantine empire fell to Muslim forces, the Orthodox church needed a new home. So Ivan brought them to Moscow. Now Moscow is home to one of the largest branches of Christianity in the world - the Russian Orthodox church.

From sword point to housing one of the largest branches of the faith, Russia has a varied history with Christianity. Listen to this episode to get the full story.

Sources and links:

Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia - book by Jennifer Eremeeva
Stephen Mansfield interview featured in this episode
Five Minute Bible Hour video about the Orthodox Church

Topic Discussed:

How did the Russian Orthodox church begin?
Who was Prince Vladimir?
When did the Mongols enter Russia?
Who was Ivan the Great?
Why is the Russian church associated with paganism?
What is a good primer on Russian history?
The fall of the Byzantine Empire
How did Moscow become the capital of Russia?
Why do we like dark jokes?

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A Russian Christmas

24 december 2019 | 23 min

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Christmas and New Years can be a stressful time for us. But what if you had to celebrate two Christmas' and two Years'? Our special guest Jennifer Eremeeva (author of Have Personality Disorder Will Rule Russia) is an American married to a Russian. Each year they have the potential of four holidays in less than a month. But why?

The confusion has to do with a discrepancy in calendars. It turns out that the old Julian calendar, which is used by the Russian Orthodox Church, is several days different than the Gregorian calendar that we use. This has to do with an old disagreement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Subscribe to Truce so you'll get every new episode as it is released!

Donate here to keep Truce going!

Herring Under Fur Coat:

This recipe is pretty simple, but it may take a few hours to make so do this one in advance.

Ingredients:

1 jar of mayonnaise (squeeze-able is easiest)
3 medium size beats (peeled)
4-5 carrots (peeled)
1 large potato (peeled)
1 jar of pickled herring
1 bag of grated cheddar cheese
1 bunch of fresh green onions
1 jar of pickles

Cooking Instructions:

Peel the beats, carrots, and potato then put them on boil for an hour. Yes, it will look like blood and the beats will dye the other veggies.
While the vegetables are boiling, open the pickled herring (if in a jar). Remove any bones. Dice. Keep refrigerated until it is used.
After the vegetables are boiled, grate each of them separately with the small holes.
On a pie plate make a mound with the potato. Spread it out to the edges of your plate.
Cover the potato with the following layers: mayo, pickled herring, green onions, mayo, carrots, mayo, pickles, beats, mayo, grated cheese.
Place the whole thing in the refrigerator and let it sit for 2-3 hours before consuming. Overnight is okay too. The whole thing will turn a light pink color.
Serve it like any other dip with veggies, crackers, or tortilla chips.

Other Sources

Russian Christmas blog post - Dividing My Time
Jennifer Eremeeva blog post - Is This Christmas?
Britannica article on the Julian Calendar

Topics Discussed:

Why is the Orthodox church on a different calendar?
What are the differences between the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar?
What is Christmas like in Russia?
What unique dish should I make for Christmas?
Russian food
Why did Pope Gregory establish the Gregorian calendar?
Who created the Julian calendar?
Russian history

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Christmas Episode Exchange

18 december 2019 | 24 min

Rasputin

10 december 2019 | 32 min

The Fall of the Romanovs (2 of 2)

26 november 2019 | 24 min

Romanov Stroganoff (1 of 2)

12 november 2019 | 34 min

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!

Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

One murder changed the course of Christian history. And it wasn't of a pope or church leader - it was the murder of Russia's last czars, the Romanovs. This is the beginning of our series on how communist Russia shaped modern Christianity in America. Tsar Nicholas II made many crucial mistakes: allowing Rasputin into his life, ignoring workers, the Russo-Japanese War, and many others. How we dealt with these tragic errors led the country into the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Oh yeah, and we made stroganoff. The recipe is below.

Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible.

Our research was greatly aided by the following books:

The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore

A Well Ordered Thing - Michael D Gordin

Dairy-free stroganoff recipe

Ingredients:

Egg noodles (as many as necessary - we used half a bag)

1 lbs ground beef

1 can mushrooms (small)

1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 diced onion

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup dairy-free sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Brown ground beef in a skillet. A little extra beef is fine. Elk and deer meat work just as well, though you may want to add more seasoning if it is too "gamey".
Put hot water on to boil for the noodles.
Drain the fat from the beef.
Add noodles to hot water.
When the meat is brown, add in garlic powder, pepper, mustard powder, onion, and mushrooms. Cook at about medium heat and stir.
When the onion has softened a little, add in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and beef broth. Let that simmer for about 15 minutes.
Drain noodles. Stroganoff is best served over a big heap of noodles. Put the beef mixture over the noodles and enjoy!

Questions we examine:

Why did communism take over Russia?
Who were the last tsars of Russia?
Who was Rasputin?
What was the Russo-Japanese War about?
Why did Lenin want to stay out of WWI?
Was Tsarina Alexandra crazy or just on a lot of drugs?
How did the downfall of the Russian tsars impact American Christianity?

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Phil Vischer (creator of VeggieTales)

29 oktober 2019 | 28 min

Season 3 Trailer

17 oktober 2019 | 2 min

The Faith of Napoleon Bonaparte

3 september 2019 | 33 min

Patreon/ Season 3 Update featuring Eric Nevins of Halfway There

27 augusti 2019 | 4 min

We are the 99%

6 augusti 2019 | 16 min

Leverage: How Wealthy Christians Use Money to Change the Church

30 juli 2019 | 25 min

John D. Rockefeller: Money in the Church

23 juli 2019 | 24 min

Are Christians Supposed to Tithe?

16 juli 2019 | 18 min

Using the Internet to Reach Muslims

25 juni 2019 | 21 min

Population Scare!

25 juni 2019 | 21 min

Reaching Muslims featuring Samy Tanagho

18 juni 2019 | 11 min

Should Christians Fear Muslims?

11 juni 2019 | 28 min

Embryo Adoption - featuring Nate Birt of "Frozen But Not Forgotten"

5 juni 2019 | 7 min

Fatty Arbuckle and the MPAA

28 maj 2019 | 22 min

Censorship

21 maj 2019 | 38 min

How Multi-Level Marketing Targets Christians (4 of 4)

7 maj 2019 | 24 min

The Amway Decision (feautring Robert Fitzpatrick of Pyramid Scheme Alert) (3 of 4)

30 april 2019 | 14 min

The Human Cost of Multi-Level Marketing (featuring Robert Fitzpatrick) (2 of 4)

23 april 2019 | 26 min

Multi-Level Marketing, Pyramid, and Ponzi Schemes (1 of 4)

16 april 2019 | 30 min

Prosperity and Reformed: Follow the Money

10 april 2019 | 3 min

The Prosperity Gospel (featuring Brandon Kimber from American Gospel)

2 april 2019 | 27 min

The Prosperity Gospel. It goes by a lot of names. Prosperity, name it and claim it theology, The Secret, the word of faith movement... but how did it begin? Who came up with the ideas that are now spreading throughout the world?

This week on the Truce Podcast we interview Brandon Kimber, director of the new film American Gospel. The film takes a deep dive into the world of the prosperity gospel, and what the gospel is in the first place. The film is 2.5 hours long, and covers a lot of ground. I recommend watching it in 2-3 chunks as a small group with discussion after each chunk.

Interviews within the movie include Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, Jackie Hill Perry, Costi Hinn and many others. There are many clips of famous prosperity teachers explicitly preaching in opposition to the Bible, including Benny Hinn, Joel Osteel, Victoria Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, and Bill Johnson of Bethel Church.

Discussed within the episode:

What is the prosperity gospel?

Who founded the prosperity gospel movement?

Who is Phineus Quimby?

How did Phineus Quimby influence Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science religion?

Who is E.W. Kenyon and how did he shape our modern blend of New Thought and biblical living?

What is the Christian gospel?

How do I get to heaven?

What happens if God doesn't heal me?

The episode also features a number of gospel presentations that are at about 10 words each. Here are some of them, thanks to First Baptist Church of Jackson, WY.

Jesus' resurrection reconciles holy God and sinful people who believe.

Faith in Jesus is enough to be forgiven and received.

Faith in Jesus is enough to be forgiven and transformed.

God's gift of reconciliation offered to humanity.

Jesus' resurrection reconciles holy God and sinful people who believe.

Christ died so that we might live!

God's righteous wrath shall be averted pleading Christ's death alone.

Choose God’s grace through Jesus or default to God’s punishment.

The truth about God's plan of salvation for believers

Acceptance of undeserved blessings & atonement for yesterday, today, and forever.

Christ's perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection affords opportunity for a positive eternity for all who are willing to accept it.

Individuals can have peace with God through Jesus’ atoning death.

He died on the cross for my sins even though I constantly fall short.

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Leadership (featuring Mark Galli of Christianity Today)

26 mars 2019 | 20 min

Failure as a Weapon (featuring Andrew Schwab of Project 86)

19 mars 2019 | 19 min

The Influencer Economy (featuring Andrew Schwab of Project 86)

12 mars 2019 | 26 min

Your Media Time Out Experiences

5 mars 2019 | 32 min

The Media Time Out

26 februari 2019 | 26 min

Trailer: The Influencer Economy

24 januari 2019 | 1 min

The Christmas Truce

18 december 2018 | 13 min

The Rosetta Stone

11 december 2018 | 13 min

Christianity Today's Living and Effective

20 november 2018 | 25 min

Help! (For One Minute)

13 november 2018 | 1 min

Predicting the End

6 november 2018 | 17 min

Suffrage: The Textbook and the Hatchet (2 of 2)

30 oktober 2018 | 25 min

Suffrage: How Women Stopped the Drink and Gained the Vote (1 of 2)

23 oktober 2018 | 25 min

Is Jesus Eternal?: Begotten

9 oktober 2018 | 9 min

A Roman Emperor and the Easter Bunny

2 oktober 2018 | 8 min

Constantine: Council of Nicaea and the Spread of Relics

25 september 2018 | 21 min

Constantine: Persecuted to Preferred

18 september 2018 | 19 min

The Heart Behind Christian Films (Part 2 of 2)

11 september 2018 | 18 min

The Humble Christian Film: Economics and History of an Art Form (Part 1 of 2)

4 september 2018 | 28 min

Healing the Southern Baptist Convention

8 juni 2018 | 22 min

Scott Pruitt, Christianity, and NPR's Embedded

4 juni 2018 | 30 min

Girolamo Savonarola: One Man Against the Renaissance

26 mars 2018 | 24 min

Church Discipline

26 mars 2018 | 24 min

Plantation Jesus

26 mars 2018 | 12 min

The Curse of Ham and the Southern Baptist Convention

26 mars 2018 | 12 min

Stephen Mansfield: Choosing Donald Trump

26 mars 2018 | 27 min

Evangelical Christians and Donald Trump: An Unlikely Love Affair

26 mars 2018 | 17 min

Season One Trailer

19 mars 2018 | 1 min

Truce – History of the Christian Church

Truce explores the history of the evangelical church in America, from fundamentalism to pyramid schemes to political campaigns.

Om podden

Avsnitt

Republicans and Evangelicals I Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention

Mike Cosper: The Church in Dark Times

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

Republicans and Evangelicals I Frances Schaeffer and the Shaping of Christian Nationalism (feat. Barry Hankins)

Republicans and Evangelicals I Women's Roundtable Book Discussion

Compelled - KKK Terrorist Finds Christ

Republicans and Evangelicals I National Women's Conference Part 2 (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

Republicans and Evangelicals I National Women's Conference Part 1 (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

Chris Quits Driving A School Bus

Republicans and Evangelicals I Phyllis Schlafly and the ERA (featuring Marjorie Spruill)

Republicans and Evangelicals I RJ Rushdoony and Christian Reconstruction

Republicans and Evangelicals I Kanawha County Textbook War

Republicans and Evangelicals I The New Deal

Republicans and Evangelicals I End of School Prayer

Republicans and Evangelicals I Can I Love Extremists?

Republicans and Evangelicals I Long Southern Strategy (featuring Angie Maxwell)

Republicans and Evangelicals I Billy Graham and Nixon

Republicans and Evangelicals I Harold Ockenga - Can Christians Unite? (featuring Joel Carpenter)

Republicans and Evangelicals I Prologue: What Is Biblical?

Behind the Scenes Bonus

Season 6 Trailer

Advertising, New Cover Art, Season 6 Update

Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn (featuring Larry Tye, author of Demagogue)

Love Thy Neighborhood - Where the Gospel Meets Artificial Intelligence

Season 6 Update

Takeaway #5 - The Only Thing We Have to Fear

Takeaway #4 - We Are A People of the Means

Takeaway #3 - The Great Divorce

Takeaway #2 - Extremes Lead to Extremes

Takeaway #1 - How Should We Deal With Heretics?

Inherit the Wind | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial Part Two | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial Part One | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Are All Christians Anti-Evolution? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Leopold and Loeb | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Eugenics (Featuring Paul Lombardo) | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Christmas 2022

The Battle for the Presbyterian Soul | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Mr. Fundamentalist | Christian Fundamentalism Series

World War One I Christian Fundamentalism Series

Exciting News About the Future!

Walter Rauschenbusch and the Great Reversal | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Fundamentals | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Scofield Reference Bible | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Treaties of William Jennings Bryan | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Looking Backward | Christian Fundamentalism Series

In His Steps Discussion

In His Steps (part 3)

In His Steps (part 2)

Bonus Episode - In His Steps

In His Steps (part 1)

The Holiness Movement | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Moody's Lieutenants | Christian Fundamentalism Series

D.L. Moody | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Social Darwinism and the Spanish-American War | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Populism | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Gold Standard and the Great Depression

The Gold Standard | Christian Fundamentalism Series

How Do We Deal with Christian Fundamentalism? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The Liberals | Christian Fundamentalism Series

The End of Reconstruction | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Dispensationalism and John Nelson Darby | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Premillennialism and Postmillennialism | Christian Fundamentalism Series

What Is An Evangelical? | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Season Five Trailer - The History of Christian Fundamentalism

Christmas and the Sermon on the Mount

King Leopold's Ghost (feat. Adam Hochschild)

Christians and the British Slave Trade (feat. Adam Hochschild)

Can I Still Love the Church?

100th Episode

The American West: Is It A Sin to Be Wealthy? (featuring Yale Professor Justin Farrell)

The American West: Conservation Easements

The American West: Johnson County War

The American West: Jesus and John Wayne (feat. Kristin Kobes Du Mez)

Kaitlyn Schiess and Our Four False Gospels

Jemar Tisby and How to Fight Racism