A Social Media Reckoning

This week, President of the Trinity Forum Cherie Harder shares about what healthy political discourse looks like and what we can keep in mind as we approach the midterm elections. Then, Courtney Blair sits down at The Museum of the Bible with Christianity Today President and CEO Nicole Martin for a discussion about where CT has come from, where we’re going, and what remains at our core.

Theobros are a new genre of Internet influencer who discuss theology on podcasts. They have been gaining an online following by saying the Bible supports their segregationist and antisemitic views. Bob Smietana from Religion News Service reported on these Theobros, and spoke to The Bulletin about their beliefs. Then, as the mid-term elections approach, we discuss the phenomenon of pastors, seminarians and former clergy running as Democratic candidates. We re-air a conversation with Mockingcast’s David Zahl, diving specifically into the rise of Texas’s Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Lastly, Charlie Sykes and Russell Moore discuss how to interpret polling data around the 2028 election, if they think JD Vance or Marco Rubio is more likely to become the Republican candidate, and what to value when thinking about who to vote for.

This week, President Trump welcomed China’s president Xi Jinping to Washington, D.C. for a two-day summit. Knox Thames joins to discuss Chinese religious liberty violations and why the two world leaders will most likely avoid the issue. Then, President Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland regarding the US’s military presence in Greenland. We re-air a segment in which Noah Rothman, Mike Cosper, Russell Moore, and Clarissa Moll discuss Trump’s comments from January about wanting to claim Greenland, and the harm that those comments may have caused. Finally, amidst the AI alarmism in the media cycle, we re-play a conversation featuring Meghan Sullivan from Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. She discusses some ways we can approach the AI issue, and what is in store for our work.

In June, the FDA authorized the nicotine pouch brand Zyn to advertise themselves as a lower-risk option than cigarettes. With Zyn has been growing in popularity with younger folks, it threatens to become a gateway into nicotine addiction. Luke Simon joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss whether using Zyn is a sin, and how addiction to nicotine pouches can develop. Then, Phylicia Masonheimer shares about overcoming her addiction to erotic novels, and how “romantasy” books warp our sense of the good and beautiful. Finally, Yale psychiatrist James Kimmell Jr. shares about neuroscience research on revenge, and how it looks very similar to an addiction.

This week, the Republican party held its first-ever midterm convention, attempting to energize voters ahead of the November midterm elections. While President Trump’s approval ratings have been declining, he maintains influence over the Republican Party and candidates. As voters approach the ballot, potentially deciding between a Republican candidate aligned with Trump or a Democratic candidate, we’re re-airing highlights from our 2024 miniseries, Stop. Look. Listen. In this series, Mike Cosper interviewed three Christians who decided to vote for different presidential candidates. Listen in as David French shares why he voted for Kamala Harris, Eric Teetsel explains why he voted for Donald Trump, and Matthew Martens discusses why he voted for a third party candidate. They share how they approach voting, and how they wrestled with candidates with whom they significantly disagree.