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**Warning*** This episode contains discussion about sexual abuse

Investigative reporter Jessica Lussenhop joins Faithful Politics to discuss her ProPublica investigation into sexual abuse and institutional silence inside the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church. Alongside reporter Andy Mannix, she walks through how a single criminal case in Minnesota exposed a broader system of internal “forgiveness sessions,” unreported abuse, and failures of accountability. The conversation also explores how investigative journalists verify survivor accounts, the role of clergy privilege laws, and why transparency inside religious institutions matters. This episode examines the intersection of faith, authority, and justice—and what happens when communities prioritize internal resolution over public accountability.

Learn more:

• Young Girls Were Sexually Abused by a Church Member. They Were Told to Forgive and Forget.: https://www.propublica.org/article/sexual-abuse-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-minnesota
• 5 Takeaways From Our Investigation Into How Leaders of a Minnesota Church Community Enabled a Child Abuser: https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-investigation-takeaways
• What a Recorded Interview Between Police and Preachers Reveals About How a Minnesota Church Handled Sexual Abuse: https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-sexual-abuse-police-recording

Guest Bios

Jessica Lussenhop
Jessica Lussenhop is an investigative reporter with ProPublica covering institutional failures, criminal justice, and accountability. She reports on how systems impact vulnerable communities and is the host of an upcoming ProPublica investigative podcast.

Andy Mannix
Andy Mannix is an investigative reporter with ProPublica and former Minnesota Star Tribune journalist. His work focuses on

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Church conflict is no longer the exception—it’s the norm. In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram are joined by Andy Hale, congregational psychologist and author of Mending the Fracturing Church, to explore why churches are experiencing deeper polarization and what it takes to rebuild trust.

Hale explains how psychology, family systems theory, and theology intersect in congregational life, and why conflict itself is not the real threat—avoidance and fear are. The conversation digs into how political identity, generational divides, and moral certainty are reshaping church communities, often in ways leaders are unprepared to address.

Rather than offering quick fixes or ideological answers, Hale calls for patience, self-awareness, and practices that restore human connection—starting with understanding how fear, identity, and the need to be “right” shape the way we treat one another. It’s a grounded, hopeful conversation about what it looks like for the church to remain faithful in a polarized age.

Guest Bio

Andy Hale is a congregational psychologist, minister, and organizational consultant who works with churches navigating conflict, polarization, and institutional change. With nearly three decades of experience in congregational and denominational leadership, his work integrates psychology, family systems theory, and theology to help faith communities rebuild trust and practice healthier forms of disagreement.

He is the author of Mending the Fracturing Church: How to Navigate Conflict and Build Trust for Thriving Communities and hosts two podcasts, including Clergy Confessions, which explores the hidden pressures pastors face today. Hale currently serves in denominational leadership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

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In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dan Carr, a pastor and Republican political organizer whose faith and politics are closely aligned with the MAGA movement.

The conversation explores how theological conviction becomes political identity and where those convictions collide with the realities of a pluralistic democracy. Carr shares his faith story, explains why he believes Christians should be deeply engaged in politics, and outlines how he evaluates public policy through a biblical worldview.

From contrasting political perspectives, the discussion moves beyond party labels to examine deeper questions: Where is the line between moral conviction and coercion? How should people of faith relate to those who do not share their assumptions? And what happens when religious identity and political identity become inseparable?

Rather than seeking agreement, the episode offers clarity. It reveals how faith-driven conservatism understands power, policy, and culture—and what it looks like when those ideas are tested in direct conversation with a Democratic host.

Learn more: https://danqcarr.com/

Dan Carr is a pastor, author, and political organizer working at the intersection of faith and conservative politics. He serves as pastor of Community Baptist Church and is involved in Republican political strategy and civic engagement in Mississippi. Carr has worked in political organizing and public policy, including serving as a political director connected to the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Raised in a ministry family, Carr’s work focuses on strengthening churches, families, and local communities while encouraging Christians to remain active in public life. He is the author of Chivalry Isn’t Dead and I Have Surrendered, where he explores themes of faith, identity, and cultural responsibility. Carr is a prominent voice in conservative Christian circles, advocating for policies shaped by a biblical worldview and engaging debates around religious freedom, social issues, and the role of government in American society.

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In this episode of Faithful Politics, Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Matthew Boedy, professor of rhetoric and author of The Seven Mountains Mandate, about the ideological and strategic framework driving modern Christian nationalism.

Boedy explains how the Seven Mountains Mandate evolved from a missionary concept into a coordinated political strategy aimed at gaining institutional control over key sectors of society, including government, education, media, religion, and family. He traces the movement’s theological roots, its connection to the New Apostolic Reformation, and its modern expression through figures like Charlie Kirk and organizations such as Turning Point USA.

The conversation explores how Christian nationalism differs from traditional religious influence, how eschatology shapes political urgency, and why the movement represents a shift from persuasion to power. Will and Josh also wrestle with the implications for democracy, religious freedom, and marginalized communities, while asking what responsible Christian leadership looks like in an era of rising populism and polarization.

Buy the book: The Seven Mountains Mandate: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780664269210

Guest Bio

Dr. Matthew Boedy is a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia and a scholar of religion, politics, and extremism in American culture. His work focuses on how religious ideas shape political movements and how rhetoric is used to mobilize power in public life.

He is the author of The Seven Mountains Mandate: Exposing the Dangerous Plan to Christianize America and Destroy Democracy, which traces the theological origins, political strategy, and institutional networks behind the modern Christian nationalist movement. In the book, Boedy examines how figures such as Charlie Kirk and organizations like Turning Point USA have transformed religious ideology into a coordinated strategy for influencing government, education, media, and other key sectors of society.

Boedy’s research bridges theology, political theory, and cultural analysis, offering a framework for understanding how faith-based movements evolve from spiritual influence into o

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In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Heather Cronk, founder of Project 21:12, to talk about what happens after people leave evangelical Christianity—and why that story matters politically, socially, and morally. Heather shares her own journey through fundamentalism, seminary, deconstruction, and organizing, and explains why roughly 15 million Americans now identify as exvangelicals. We discuss why LGBTQ treatment is one of the leading reasons people leave evangelical churches, how Christian nationalism distorts faith into a tool of power, and why organizing—not just healing—is central to accountability. The conversation wrestles honestly with Jesus, doubt, labels, and pluralism, while asking a forward-looking question: if this movement becomes visible and organized, how might it reshape the national conversation about faith and democracy?

Relevant Links

• Project 2112: https://project2112.org

Guest Bio
Heather Cronk is a longtime community organizer and the founder of Project 2112, an initiative focused on connecting and organizing Americans who have left evangelical Christianity. After deconstructing from fundamentalist evangelicalism more than two decades ago, Heather spent years working across progressive movement spaces, bringing organizing tools to issues of power, accountability, and harm. Through Project 2112, she works to make exvangelicals visible, connected, and equipped to challenge the political and social damage caused by authoritarian forms of religion—while building healthier forms of community and public engagement.

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Former ACLU president and First Amendment scholar Nadine Strossen joins Faithful Politics for a wide-ranging conversation on what free speech actually protects—and what it doesn’t—in today’s political climate. Strossen explains why free expression is the foundation for every other civil liberty, why censorship often backfires, and how both the left and the right have grown more comfortable restricting speech they dislike.

The conversation moves from campus speech controversies and hate speech laws to protest, ICE enforcement, January 6, and the legal standard for incitement. Throughout, Strossen makes a clear case for viewpoint neutrality and warns that powers used to silence one group rarely stay contained. The episode closes with practical guidance on how Americans should think about the First Amendment in daily life, and why defending speech we oppose is the price of protecting our own.

Guest Bio
Nadine Strossen is one of the country’s leading voices on free speech and civil liberties. She served for 17 years as president of the ACLU, becoming the first woman to lead the organization. She is a law professor at New York Law School and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Strossen is the author of several influential books, including Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know, and The War on Words.

Organizations:

• Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression: https://www.thefire.org/
• American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/

Recommended Readings:

• Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780190859121
• The War On Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781949846829
• The Coddling of the American Mind How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780735224919

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In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Bishop Dwayne Royster, pastor and national faith leader with Faith in Action, to wrestle with what faith looks like when political power is being used to intimidate, exclude, and dehumanize. Royster traces how his theology was shaped early by organizing, community action, and a church tradition where justice and faith were never separate. From the roots of white Christian nationalism to the modern machinery behind ICE raids and political fear, he explains why Christianity was never meant to serve empire—and why power itself is morally neutral until it is used to liberate or to dominate.

We talk through the shooting of Renee Good, the contrasting Christian response to political violence, and what it means for churches to hold government accountable without abandoning nonviolence. Royster challenges Christians to move beyond sermons and into action, calling the church to become “courageously uncomfortable” in a moment that demands moral clarity, solidarity with neighbors, and a recovery of faith rooted in human dignity rather than political control.

Links and Resources

• Faith in Action: https://www.faithinaction.org
• Follow Faith in Action: @FIANational (Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky)
• Contact Bishop Royster: bishop@faithinaction.org

Guest Bio
Bishop Dwayne Royster is a pastor, organizer, and national faith leader working at the intersection of religion and public life. He serves as Executive Director of Faith in Action, a multiracial, multifaith organizing network mobilizing congregations around issues like voting rights, immigration, housing, and economic justice. With more than three decades of pastoral experience, Royster’s work focuses on building faithful power that advances dignity, equity, and liberation in communities across the United States and globally.

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In this episode of Faithful Politics, we talk with Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, a Greek Orthodox nun who has spent nearly three decades living and working in Jerusalem and the West Bank. From teaching Palestinian girls in Bethany to navigating Israeli checkpoints during the Second Intifada, she offers a firsthand view of what life looks like for Christians under occupation.

She explains how families lose access to their land, why Christians are cut off from their own holy sites, and how settlements and the separation wall have reshaped daily life. We also discuss Gaza, October 7, and the role of the United States in sustaining the current system.

Throughout the conversation, Mother Agapia reflects on faith, endurance, and what it means to follow Christ in a place defined by displacement, fear, and political power.

Useful Link:

• Convent website: https://www.stnicholasconvent.org/
• Two groups that offer trips to Israel and Palestine to understand life of Christians there:
  • https://www.telosgroup.org/resources/israel-palestine-resources/
  • https://www.fosna.org/

Guest Bio

Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos is a Greek Orthodox Christian nun who entered monastic life in 1991 and has spent decades serving in Jerusalem and the West Bank. She worked in Orthodox schools for Palestinian children and lived through the Second Intifada, the construction of the separation wall, and the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Her work centers on Palestinian Christian communities and how occupation shapes daily life, faith, and survival in the Holy Land. She challenges the use of Christian theology to justify violence and land seizure and speaks widely about the human and spiritual cost of the conflict. She is also the sister of journalist George Stephanopoulos.

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