Truce - History of the Christian Church (Chris Staron)

DL Moody. The name may be familiar. There is a Moody Publishers, a Moody Bible Institute, Moody Radio. His name is all over evangelicalism. His remarkable life story is something worth noting. Though Moody was not a fundamentalist, some of the tactics he used to build his ministry would be employed by some of his lieutenants when they built the foundation of the movement. So we're going to spend this episode talking about this remarkable man. Born in poverty, educated to only about a 4th-grade level, he would rise to become one of the most important American evangelists. His folksy style and booming voice were winsome to the millions of people to whom he preached. In this difficult series about controversial ideas, why not take some time to discuss something that went right in the late 1800s? The ministry of Moody. I'm joined in this episode by Kevin Belmonte. He's the author of several history books including D.L. Moody: A Life. Check out his books and let me know what you think! Helpful Links and Sources Kevin Belmonte's book D.L. Moody: A Life The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald A nice bio on Harry Moorhouse See the plaque where Moody was converted Discussion Questions Have you ever shared the gospel with someone like Mr. Kimball did in the shoe store? Why or why not? Is there someone you could pray for that they would be saved? Why do you think Moody was so popular in his day? Have you ever encountered Moody Radio, Publishers, or Bible Institute? The “Christian bubble” really started to take shape in the era of Moody. How has the “bubble” impacted your life? What are your views on poverty? How do people become poor and how can it be fixed? Do you think that all poor people are lazy? Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Truce! Donate here. 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue making Truce Barry Goldwater may be one of the most interesting figures in Republican history. He grew up the son of a wealthy department store owner. He was a city council member and then a senator from Arizona. He was handsome and took pictures with guns and cacti. Goldwater was also a libertarian who wanted a small government and low taxes. His platform was laid out in a ghostwritten book Conscience of a Conservative. L. Brent Bozell wrote the book. He was a member of the John Birch Society. The book advocated for state's rights, though Goldwater argued that he was not a racist. The problem is that the South had long been using state's rights complaints to justify their oppression of black people. So, was Goldwater a racist? He sure as heck did what racists wanted. He also advocated for nuclear weapons in the US, an end to progressive taxation, and strange plans to reduce government spending. He courted extremists, mashing traditional conservatism false conspiracies and bad actors. The Republican Party would eventually bounce back to being an establishment party, but not for long. Many of Goldwater's ideas would be carried out by Reagan just a decade and a half later. CORRECTION: The original version of this episode said that Goldwater served in WWI. It was WWII. Sorry! The error has been corrected. Sources Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus by Rick Perlstein The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro. Especially The Passage of Power Bichers by Matthew Dallek A Choice Not An Echo by Phyllis Schlafly Buckley: William F Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism by Cart T. Bogus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05MPUsdFyQY The Memory Palace episode 130 “Independence Hall 2: The Legend of Walter Knott” 1964 Republican Party Platform Heather Cox Richardson's video series on the history of GOP Questions What does it mean for someone to be a "conservative"? How does it impact us when we are tied to organizations like the John Birch Society? How did it impact conservatives? Discuss the relationship between the state's rights argument and racism. Was Goldwater a racist? Many of the people we've covered over the years have been public speakers. Should we take a second pass at vetting our public speakers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the fall of 1814, the powers of Europe gathered together to discuss what to do with the continent after the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon had changed a lot in his time in power! He cowed the Roman Catholic Church, ended serfdom where he went, freed Jews from their ghettos, took away kingdoms, and placed new kings in charge. The Congress of Vienna was tasked with a Humpty Dumpty scenario and they couldn't put Europe back together again. The various countries also wanted to be compensated for their efforts to stop Napoleon. Couldn't they take a little piece of land? Encroach on one of the lesser kingdoms? Install their own puppet governments? In trying to undo all of the changes Napoleon made, they became little Napoleons themselves. In the same way, when we confront extremism with extremism we become exactly what we dislike. Shouldn't Christians be more focused on simple righteousness than culture wars? Select Sources: The Rites of Peace by Adam Zamoyski Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts (a great place to start if you want to learn about Napoleon) Discussion Questions: What was the Congress of Vienna? Why did the congress matter? Have you ever served God to the point where it cost you something big to do so? How have you seen the modern Church become what it opposes? Have you seen Christians or churches act in a righteous way? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you love the Truce Podcast? Be a part of supporting the show by giving to keep the show going. You can send a traditional check (made out to Chris Staron) to: Chris Staron PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 Or donate online using a credit card at: https://trucepodcast.com/donate/ Please note that Truce is not a non-profit and money given to us cannot be deducted on your tax returns. We did this on purpose. 90% of Americans do not benefit from write offs like those given to non-profits because the standard deduction is so high. Non-profits only benefit the wealthy. We want to try to finance this show through normal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the second part of the series. Please start with part 1. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show! So far this season I've covered William Jennings Bryan, a man who enjoyed the nickname "Mr. Fundamentalist". But he wasn't really a fundamentalist. Experts point to another man as the true face of fundamentalism. That man was William Bell Riley. He was a famous preacher in his day, bouncing around the midwest until he settled in Minnesota. He founded the Northwestern schools to spread his vision of Christianity and picked debates with modernists at the University of Chicago. He formed the World's Christian Fundamentals Association to help deliver denominations from modernism. But... he lost. A bunch. In this episode we explore the life of William Bell Riley to discover why he and the fundamentalists burned brightly, only to fizzle out a few years later. Helpful Links: God's Empire by William Vance Trollinger Minnesota History article about Riley New Hampshire Confession Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Discussion Questions: How should we react to heresy? Do you look for strong leaders like William Bell Riley or do you prefer calm leaders? Why? Do you have a creed you live by? Does your church profess one? Why or why not? How do Bible schools shape our world? Have they impacted your life or the lives of friends? Riley and his friends lost in part because they were all trying to be leaders. Do you think you could submit to the leadership of others? If so, who? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show! Send checks to: Truce Media LLC PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 The modernish/ fundamentalist controversy was heating up in the early 1900s. Conservatives saw this coming a long way off but could not stop modernism from taking control of seminaries and popular pulpits. It was everywhere. It all came to a head with WWI. Theological conservatives saw WWI as evidence that the world was getting worse. To them, it was a chance to fight for patriotic reasons. Modernists were also pro-war because they thought this was the "war to end all wars". There would be no more war after this and democracy would take over the world. The liberals fired the first shots in this theological battle because they thought that premillennialism encouraged people to root for the end of the world. William Jennings Bryan was Secretary of State in the US during this time and did his best to keep us out of the war. This episode features the voices of George Marsden (author of "Fundamentalism and American Culture") and Michael Kazin, professor at Georgetown University and author of "What it Took to Win". Sources: Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald A Godly Hero by Michael Kazin What it Took to Win by Michael Kazin These Truths by Jill Lepore To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild Dead Wake by Erik Larson (about The Lusitania) Woodrow Wilson's second inauguration Short article about Billy Sunday Discussion Questions: What was the purpose of WWI? What caused it? Would you have been for or against the war in the 1900s? How can pre and post-millenniallism shape a person's view of the world? Does it have to? How does social Darwinism tie into WWI and WWII? Is WWI an outcome of changing morality? How would you tell a large audience of Christians to adapt to changing morality? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce! 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help keep Truce going! 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" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast In this bonus episode, host Chris Staron does his best to quiet fears about where Truce is headed. Is this show pushing a political motive? What about an economic system? Nope. Truce is about exploring our past in order to make us better. The goal is to remain orthodox and a-political. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Please fill out our listener survey here: https://forms.gle/G5euVtM3JistChuz7 What do you think of when you hear the word "empire"? Maybe Great Britain? The Soviet Union? The Mongols? Sure. But what if I told you that the United States is also an empire. And always has been. Our guest this episode is Daniel Immerwahr, author of the book "How to Hide an Empire" and an associate history professor at Northwestern University. In his book he argues that the United States has been an empire since it's inception. We claimed lands owned by native peoples, and then expanded into places like the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, and more. This is the story of war, greed, resources, and tragedy. Helpful Links: We recorded some the games in this episode at the Spark Christian Podcast Conference A lecture from Daniel regarding his book We received help from these artists: Stand up comedian Nick Staron (Napoleon) Holland Webb of the Afterword Podcast Angel McCoy from Angel Reads the Bible Colleen and Danny from Fitness at Houston's First Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Remember to post #nowherenearcuba this week! When we were done conquering the west, done warring with Mexico, done fighting Native Americans, we looked out across the Pacific Ocean and said... "huh... I wonder what's over there?" The truth is that the United States is an empire. We accomplished that by fighting wars and by seeking out resources. In the 1800's the United States faced a very real problem: we were running out of nitrogen. Not in the air. There is plenty in the air. We were losing it in our soil. Plants need nitrogen. Where were we going to get it? The answer we came up with was: bird poop. It's rich in nitrogen and makes a great fertilizer. The trouble is that we didn't have any way to get large quantities of it. Until American businesses took over islands off the coast of our country. This is the story of greed, a different kind of slavery, a Supreme Court battle, and the worst job in the 1800's. Our guest this episode is Daniel Immerwahr, author of the book "How to Hide an Empire" and an associate history professor at Northwestern University. In his book, he argues that the United States has been an empire since it's inception Special thanks to: Stand up comedian Nick Staron Paul Hastings of the Compelled Podcast Angel McCoy of Angel Reads the Bible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The United States, a "Christian" nation, has a bad habit of forgetting its own people. Really. We'll prove it to you! We forget that the territories are a part of our country. Why does that matter? It impacts if/when they can vote and allows us to withhold federal aid. That matters! What happens when a "Christian nation" ignores its own people? Our guest this episode is Daniel Immerwahr, author of the book "How to Hide an Empire" and an associate history professor at Northwestern University. In his book, he argues that the United States has been an empire since it's inception. Special thanks to: Stand up comedian Nick Staron Helpful Links: FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech Topics Covered: Is the United States an Empire? Can Puerto Rico vote in congress? Can Puerto Rico vote for president? Can American Samoa vote for president? Who was bombed on December 7, 1941? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast We've spent the last several weeks asking the question: "Is the United States an empire?" Now we want to go even deeper: "Is empire always a bad thing?" So we invented a game that will explore that question. It's Capture the Flag... with resources. Topics discussed: Is empire always a bad thing? How can the US use resources to build alliances? Is the US a Christian nation? How should Christians treat resources? The US has over 800 military bases. Would we want a foreign military base in or near our land? Should Christian resist burglars? Would we want a Chinese military base in the US? How do we treat countries with less important resources? Truce is listener supported. Find out how to help at www.trucepodcast.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue to make Truce Milton Friedman is one of the most important economists of the last hundred years. His ideas were quoted by many evangelical writers in the 1970s and 80s, despite his not being a Christian and few of his ideas being in the Bible. Figures like Jerry Falwell loved the guy. Ronald Reagan adopted many of his ideas, though they disagreed on things like the increasing national debt. Friedman played a major role in the popularization of the school voucher concept. Essentially, some people want to allow parents to have a say in which school their children attend. If they want to take the children to a private school, they believe that the government should give them a certain amount of money that would have gone to the public school and give it to the private one. Those who disagree say that this would defund already underfunded schools. Friedman also believed that teachers should not necessarily be certified and that the free market would weed out the bad ones. Stanford professor Jennifer Burns (author of Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative) returns to help Chris explore this complicated subject. Sources: Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative by Jennifer Burns Reaganland by Rick Perlstein Free to Choose A helpful Britannica article on Friedman Listen, America! by Jerry Falwell. Paperback, August 1980 reprint version Bantam edition Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman Discussion Questions: Had you heard of Friedman before this episode? What are school vouchers? How could school vouchers be seen by some as a tool of segregation? What would it mean if parents had to keep track of every teacher their children learned under? How are schools currently funded in the US? Why does that matter? How are some schools wealthy while others are poor? What should be the role of wealthy people when it comes to education? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to help Truce? Give via Venmo at: https://account.venmo.com/u/trucepodcast Help via Paypal Help via Patreon Pledge to help Truce Or support Truce via check by sending it to: Truce Media LLC PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce William F. Buckley Jr. helped change the face of conservatism in the US because he gave it intellectual backing. But that doesn't mean that his ideas were accepted completely. He had several nemesis within his own movement that tried to derail him. One opponent was the John Birch Society. Buckley's whole modus operandi was to make conservatism respectable. But Robert Welch and other members of the JBS were using their movement to spread bogus conspiracy theories. They were actively discrediting the movement that Buckley tried to build. So Buckley, National Review, and Barry Goldwater tried to bring it down. Another enemy was Ayn Rand. Buckley and Rand were libertarians, but they disagreed on something important: religion. Rand was an ardent atheist, while Buckley believed Christianity and conservatism were inseparable. When Buckley started Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) he discovered that his young followers were incorporating many other ideas into their ideology. Rand's writings were impacting the students. So Buckley had to work to expel those ideas from YAF. Libertarian economist Murray Rothbard was another enemy. Rothbard actively encouraged his followers to split YAF and leave the organization. Extremism leads to extremism. Extremism lends itself to ideological purity, which means that groups like YAF were destined to split and split and split again. Buckley has his work cut out for him. Sources Buckley: William F Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism by Carl T. Bogus. The Rise and Fall of Modern American Conservatism by David Farber Burning Down the House by Andrew Koppelman Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus by Rick Perlstein God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley Jr Heather Cox Richardson's YouTube series on the history of the GOP Hoover Institution article on the impact of Buckley and Firing Line Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Incomparable Mr. Buckley documentary The Sharon Statement Discussion Questions: Extremism leads to extremism. Do you agree? The desire to keep a movement ideologically pure is not unique to Buckley. Discuss that desire. When is it important and when does it lead to issues? Rand and Buckley disagreed on the role of religion. Why did that put them at odds? Why would Murray Rothbard want to split YAF? Why are youth movements so important to politics? To religion? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris do Truce full time! 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue Truce Modern evangelicalism sometimes incorporates pieces of different ideas. Things that are in the air. Social messages. Political stances. But has evangelicalism been enchanted by libertarianism? In this episode, we cover a brief history of libertarianism. What is it and who are some of the main thinkers? We discuss Murry Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek, and Robert Nozick. What is a libertarian? Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi define libertarianism by six characteristics. Libertarians are defined by a love of private property, they are skeptical of authority, and they like free markets, spontaneous order, individualism, and negative liberty. We will define each of these throughout the episode. Our special guest for this episode is Andrew Koppelman, law professor at Northwestern University. He's the author of the book Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed. Sources Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed. by Andrew Koppelman The Individualists by Matt Zwolinski and John Tomasi The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek Matthew 25 The Road to Serfdom cartoon version The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (for the Dust Bowl section in book 2) 99% Invisible episode The Infernal Machine for information on anarchists Teddy Roosevelt's first address to Congress Dark Money by Jane Mayer EPA.gov article about The Clean Air Act NPR story about law enforcement throwing protestors in unmarked vans Listen America! by Jerry Falwell Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (I could only stomach maybe 1/4 of it. I promised myself if she wrote "Rearden Steel" one more time that I would stop reading. She did. So I did.) Discussion Questions What is libertarianism? How have you seen libertarianism crossing over into evangelicalism? Does libertarianism counter the story from Matthew 25? What is the impact of Ayn Rand? Have you read her books? Why did Atlas Shrugged suddenly become the "it" book among Republicans in 2020? Is there any place for selfishness in the Christian walk? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Christians throughout history have responded to politics in different ways. In our modern era, it can seem like Christianity and Republican politics are one and the same. But what do we do when the Bible clashes with our political party? What if our economic model leaves no room for the poor? Author and theologian Kaitlyn Schiess joins us to talk about her book, "The Liturgy of Politics", as well as how we can heal as a church. Discussion Questions How have you seen politics and Christianity mixing in the US? Is there are healthy way for Christians to engage in politics? How have your politics informed your ideas of the poor? Do you think that all poor people are lazy? How can your local church reach out to people who look/speak/act differently that you do? How have you see Kaitlyn's four false gospels play out in your life and church? Prosperity Patriotism Security Supremacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The British slave trade had several well-known opponents: William Wilberforce and John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") to name a few. But historian Adam Hochschild ("King Leopold's Ghost", "To End All Wars") argues that history has largely forgotten the most valuable member of the abolition movement: Thomas Clarkson. Clarkson was in charge of gathering and disseminating information across the British Isles. He fought for years to end the slave trade and then slavery itself. This movement is important for many reasons. It was the first to use logos, a coordinated marketing campaign, and it established a high bar for investigative journalism. It was also an ecumenical movement. In this episode we explore slavery, the importance of slave rebellions, the power of ecumenical efforts, and the book "Bury the Chains". I mentioned the so-called Curse of Ham in the episode. Learn more about it here. Helpful discussion questions: Had you heard of Thomas Clarkson before this episode? Do you participate in any cross-denominational movements? Where do you draw the line? Has your church ever participated in anti-racism movements? Was there any wisdom in ending the slave trade first? Why do you think John Newton didn't give up the slave trade as soon as he became a Christian? Was it possible to be a Christian and own slaves? Do you think humanity will ever go back to slavery? Do modern payday loans keep people in bondage in the way that debt kept people in bondage in the 1700s? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to support the Truce Podcast It seems like so many people define their faith by what they believe about Donald Trump. How can godly Christians return to the gospel to get us back on track? In this round table discussion episode, Chris is joined by Pastor Ray McDaniel of First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY and Nick Staron to prepare us for the season. Topics Discussed: What is Christianity? The importance of forgiveness and going to those who are angry with us Why it is important to cover things like the Watergate scandals of the 1970s in a Christian podcast The need for humility in our lives The gospel in 10 words or less Do you have a gospel message in 10 words or less? Find Truce on social media and let us know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue making Truce 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast This is the second in a two-part story about the fall of the last czars of Russia. Their murder had a ripple effect across history. After them came Lenin and the rise of communism and the USSR. The modern American church changed to keep up. If Russia was going for collectivism and atheism, the USA would hold on to capitalism and Christianity. Which means that the gospel would soon be identified with money, power, and military might. In this episode we follow the abdication of Nicholas II to the untimely end of him and his family. Theirs was just the first of a long string of murders that would elevate Lenin and Stalin to power. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Rasputin - the rogue monk who changed the face of the world. Or did he? Grigory Rasputin was a wandering monk from Siberia. A peasant. A long-haired man with a family. Through a series of connections with powerful people, he became the right-hand man of Nicholas II, the Russian tsar. Some claimed that he had the power to heal. He was also a known philanderer. Rumors of his relationship with the tsarina ran rampant. He, a peasant, may have influenced military decisions in WWI. The man was everywhere all at once--until he was brutally murdered in Petersburg one dark night. They tried cyanide and nothing happened. The shot him, and he fled. Who was this mystery man? What was his impact on Russia? On the Christian church? Listen to this special episode to find out! Our goal is to become the best Christian podcast out there. We can only do that with your financial support. You can donate on Patreon and Paypal. Every little bit helps! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast A few months ago I produced two episodes about the Christian roots of American labor unions. And... a bunch of people stopped listening to the show. It turns out that many American Christians are conservative and, therefore, anti-union. This mini-episode is the counterbalance to that series. Here we discuss the inefficient practices at General Motors in the 1980s. It was an era where GM slipped from holding over 40% of the market share to 17%. What happened? It's a story of unions, gasoline, and the reasons we treat labor well. Resources used: “Rude Awakening: The Rise Fall and Struggle for Recovery of General Motors” by Maryann Keller "Crash Course" by Paul Ingrassia Discussion Questions: Do you have a bias for or against labor unions? Who do you know who is or was in a union? What is their work ethic? The labor unions in GM in the 1980s were inefficient. Does that make all labor unions inefficient? Does specialization in factories help or hurt in the long run? Do you have a bias for employers or employees? Do you work as unto Christ in your own job? What is the Christian way to work? To employ someone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What do American Christians really want in the Trump era? I think that we just want representation. We want someone to stand for us, to fight out battles. But that gets tricky. There is a story in the Old Testament that gives us some clues about how that temptation can hurt us in the end. Discussion Questions: Have you ever received a gospel tract? What was your reaction? What kind of information do you think is essential on a tract? Have you ever received a tract for a different religion? How did that make you feel? How did you know it was from a different religion? Is it okay for corporations to evangelize? What are the risks of that? The benefits? Are capitalism and Christianity the same thing? If so, where does it say that in the Bible? Does it feel threatening to question the connection between capitalism and Christianity? Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue Truce It all started with a meeting over fancy donuts. Paige Patterson and a friend met together to plot the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. Before that time, the SBC had been more theologically diverse (though, not necessarily racially diverse due to its founding as a group that desired slavery). But if this group of fundamentalists was going to get a whole denomination to turn their way, they'd have to be clever. It would take time. Their scheme involved getting fundies elected into high office who could then turn committees and sub-committees to their side. It's a story of a minority group gaining control of a large organization, and steering it toward their vision of what it means to be a Christian. Sources The Fundamentalist Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention – by Rob James, Gary Leazer The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Christianity Today article about Paige Patterson's allegations Religion News article about Patterson Tennesseean article about Patterson Article about early Baptists Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley Cornell's article about the separation of church and state Frances Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins Johnson Archives about SBC Johnson Archives SBC Resolutions Certified Pastry Aficianatro article about beignets Discussion Questions The episode starts with a discussion of accusations about Paige Patterson. What was your reaction to that story and why? Is it possible for a spouse to be a part of the salvation of their husband or wife? Where are the lines? When were you baptized? Did you do it as an adult, child, or both? Why? What do you think is the "right" way to baptize someone? Why? What are your thoughts on inerrancy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Vladimir Prokhnevskiy moved to the United States as a Christian refugee from Ukraine. He and his family left that country after enduring oppression from their governments. He spoke with Chris about what it was like to live in such poverty, how his father was threatened with work in Chernobyl, and how a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child impacted his life. Vladimir and his twin brother own Ukramedia, a company that teaches people to make motion graphics. You can watch this video about their lives and work. It was a thrill to talk with Vladimir. Please consider supporting this show so that we can continue to make these episodes. You can donate via our Patreon or Paypal pages or at trucepodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you like to help support the Truce Podcast? You can learn how at www.trucepodcast.com/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help make the Truce episodes you love. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 5 of the Truce Podcast was a blast! I'm hard at work on season 6, which will discuss how American evangelicals got tied to the Republican Party. It is already coming together so well! I can't wait to share it with you. God willing, season 6 will drop in the fall or early winter of 2023. Like, subscribe, sign up for the email list, and remember the show in your prayers! Godspeed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce Well, we survived the 2024 US presidential election! But many people still feel anxiety as we head into the Christmas and New Year holidays. How can Christians prepare for a holiday season when politics will likely arise? Chris Staron is joined by Karl Klemmer, Nick Staron, and Ray McDaniel at First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY to discuss these issues and more. Plus Chris talks about his own anger as a pedestrian as drivers have come close to hitting him. How do Christians respond when they are wronged? We also spend a lot of time talking about Romans 14 which encourages believers to love their brothers and sisters who struggle in their faith or who have convictions different than our own. Can verses about food sacrificed to idols teach us something about dealing with loved ones who are different than us? Sources: Romans 12-15 (mixed translations) Discussion Questions: Why is it important to come to a complete stop at stop signs? Has anyone ever wronged you on the road? How did that feel? How did you react? Do you get upset about things you can't change? What are some examples? How can you adjust to not beat yourself up over things you can't change? What are other examples of non-mission critical things we can give grace on (like food sacrificed to idols)? Are there political issues that are mission-critical? Which ones are not? What are some that you can let slide in a conversation? How do you prepare yourself to enter a stressful environment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What do you think of when you picture a cowboy? A rugged, handsome individual? A lover? Someone who doesn't need the government's help? Evangelicalism has long pushed this as the ideal model for the Christian man. What is the impact of that set of ideas? John Wayne and Ronald Reagan have both become popular figures in American men's ministries. Their names come up often, they both played cowboys in Hollywood. But they are unlikely heroes. Both men were divorced. Wayne wasn't an evangelical, and Reagan had once been a democrat. But both men were instrumental in whipping up anti-communist sentiment in the US, building credibility with a religion focused on individualism. You can draw a line from them straight to former president Donald J. Trump. All three had questionable public morals but were seen as strong, uncompromising figures. They are seen in many men's books as the epitome of masculinity. That idea, though, comes in contrast with Jesus' own words about turning the other cheek, forgiving our enemies, and loving our enemies. In this episode, Chris talks with Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of "Jesus and John Wayne: How Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation". Discussion Questions What do you think of when you picture a cowboy? How have you heard cowboys, soldiers, and fighters discussed in evangelical circles? What books have you read that stressed the importance of tough men? What do you picture when you think of a Christian man? How has that been shaped? What do you picture when you think of a Christian woman? How has that been shaped? What is your idea of Jesus like? Is He a warrior, a gentle savior, or both? Can you see the link between the cowboy image and Donald Trump? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Season three of Truce has been all about how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian Church. As we approach the end of the season, I want to highlight some of the important takeaways. One of them is that communism can be used as a scapegoat. That is used by some people to get the public to hate or disregard something they don't like. That could be the COVID crisis or Black Lives Matter. Our guest today is Jemar Tisby. He's the author of the New York Times Bestseller "The Color of Compromise" and "How to Fight Racism". He's also a frequent voice on the Pass The Mic Podcast. You can access his Substack email list here. Helpful links: Article about the Wyoming Health Department official who resigned due to his denial of COVID 19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Do systems really keep minorities down? Even asking the questions sound socialistic to some. But we need to go through our society to root out systems that breed inequality. But how? Sometimes discussions of racism can make us feel helplessly lost. That's why I called in an expert. Jemar Tisby is a Christian speaker, author of “The Color of Compromise” and “How to Fight Racism”. He's also an important voice in modern America. Even if you don't agree with everything he writes in his books, it's important to hear what he's saying here. What are the systems that separate black and white people? How can we learn to grieve as a people, as a local church, and as a community? Discussion Questions: How can you organize an event at your church (online) to discuss the history of racism in your church, community, schools, and hearts? Have you ever stopped to do a racial autobiography? (my questions, not Jemar's) When was the first time you met someone of a different race? What did your parents teach you, consciously or unconsciously, about race? Have you ever used a racial slur? Why? How did you feel about it then? How do you feel about it now? What is the power of those words? Have you ever been afraid of someone from another race? Why? When? Do you regularly come in contact with people of a different race? How do you feel when you see a police officer? Why might someone else have a different reaction? How did you come to feel that way? Are there distinct, racially divided neighborhoods in your area? How did they get there? Do you ever go to a different neighborhood? Why or why not? Are discussions of race inherently socialistic? Are discussions of class inherently socialistic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast MAGA folks look back on the history of the United States and see a golden era: the 1950s. When religion was in the public eye, television and movies were clean, and father came home from work with dinner hot on the table. The trouble is that this vision of the 1950s only existed in our imaginations or if we chose to ignore the world around us. The 1950s were an era of great upheaval, with public monuments to religion being erected at the same time as heavy censorship, McCarthyism, wars, racism, and sexism. For the next few weeks we'll be revisiting themes from season three of Truce to pull out some important takeaway. Takeaway 1: Think Deeper About the Past. Helpful links: The trailer for Secrets of Jonathan Sperry Chris' interview with director Rich Christiano Discussion Questions: What do you think of when you think of the 1950s? When is it okay to remember just part of history, and when do we need to consider the whole picture? What era do people who wear MAGA hats want to return to? In other words, when was America greater than it is now? When you think of your own childhood, what comes to mind? Do world or social issues play into that? How is nostalgia a helpful tool? How can nostalgia shape our memory of the past? Is there an era you wish to return to? What can we do to create a fuller picture of the past when we retell it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 1910 and 1915 a collection of 90 essays was distributed by two wealthy oil magnates. These essays attempted to nail down the basics of the Christian faith and counteract the growing modernist movement. "The Fundamentals" is often mentioned in history books about Christian fundamentalism, but it is rare for anyone to discuss the essays themselves. So I thought we should break down at least 6 of them together! I'm joined this episode by some good friends to introduce you to "The Fundamentals". This influential time capsule document takes us inside the proto-fundamentalist movement, just before it really took off. Discussion Questions: What would you include in your own list of fundamentals? Is creationism fundamental? What is the role of evolution in our modern theology? The fear of evolution wasn't just about people thinking we'd come from chimps. It also revolved around concerns of people applying evolution to other areas of life. How have you seen evolution applied to other studies? Is the Bible inerrant? What does that mean? Have you read the full Bible yourself? Why or why not? Essays we read: “My Experience With the Higher Criticism” by JJ Reeve "The Deity of Christ" by BB Warfield “The Certainty and Importance of the Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead” by Reuben Torrey “Science and Christian Faith” by James Orr “Evolutionism in the Pulpit” by “An Occupant of the Pew” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue making Truce 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give a little to help support the Truce Podcast When did Republicans, the party of Abraham Lincoln, start courting the American South? It's a big question! For decades, Republicans were known as the party that helped black people (except, you know, for ending Reconstruction to help gain the White House). Then, with the nomination of Barry Goldwater, the tide turned. Goldwater's team promoted him as a racist when he toured the South. And... he won some ground in the traditionally Democratic region. So when it came time for Richard Nixon to run in 1968, his team decided to court the South. Not out in public like Goldwater had. Instead, they decided to operate a campaign of "benign neglect" where they would not enforce existing laws meant to protect African-Americans. Our special guest this week is Angie Maxwell, author of The Long Southern Strategy. Discussion Questions: What caused the rift in the Democratic Party that made Strom Thurmond leave (hint: it has to do with Truman)? What was the Democratic Party like before Truman? What influence did Strom Thurmond have on Nixon? Who was Barry Goldwater? How did he change the Republican Party by courting white Southerners? How might the idea of the South being "benighted" impact them as a people? Why do so many evangelicals see themselves as "benighted"? Sources: "The Long Southern Strategy" by Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields. "Reaganland" by Rick Perlstein YouTube clip of Nixon not wanting "Law and Order" to mean "racist" Nixon talking about "law and order" in a speech Nixon's campaign ad about protests and tear gas Article about Nelson Rockefeller Nixon's civil rights ad Helpful Time Magazine article "These Truths" book by Jill Lepore Bio on Strom Thurmond Article about Reconstruction "The Evangelicals" book by Frances Fitzgerald Truman's speech to the NAACP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Some of the wealthiest people in the world live (or pretend to live) in Jackson, Wyoming. That includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Digging into the property tax records, we discovered that one of the most successful actors in film history pays less in property tax than a single mom living on less land. What gives? Why are rich people paying less in property tax than working people? The answer has to do with a thing called a conservation easement. A conservation easement is essentially an agreement between a landowner and the government that says, "I promise I'll keep my property from certain kinds of building projects". In return, the government gives the landowner massive tax benefits on the federal and local levels. In this episode, Chris digs into the history of these instruments to understand what they are and how they are impacting rural Wyoming and the rest of the country. UPDATE: The original version of this episode contained an error that has since been corrected. The original version stated that getting an $800,000 tax deduction was essentially the same as getting an $800,000 refund. That is incorrect. My apologies. Helpful links: Helpful article about conservation easements Excellent pamphlet with information about easements YouTube video about how taxes are assessed Search the Teton County property tax records Discussion Questions What do you think about public land? Do conservation easements seem fair? Are conservation easements a helpful way to preserve the environment or government-sponsored private land? Both? What should Jackson locals do to make the property taxes fair? How do you feel when you learn that taxation practices favor the rich? Are there conservation easements where you live? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that we've read In His Steps together and discussed it, let's talk about another work of fiction. Looking Backward was written by Edward Bellamy. That name may sound familiar! We talked about his cousin Frances Bellamy in the episode about the Pledge of Allegiance. Frances was a Christian socialist. Edward wrote his famous book looking forward to the year 2000. He predicted that the United States would be a socialist paradise. People would work hard, retire early, and equality would reign. None of that came true. We're talking about it today in order to understand the zeitgeist in the late 1800s. This book sold over half a million copies in its first few years of publication. It is now over a million copies. That doesn't happen without stirring something in society. As we'll see, socialism was tied to the Social Gospel. The opposition to the Social Gospel is what would go on to create the Christian fundamentalist movement. Helpful Links: What's the Difference Between Communism and Socialism? - Episode of Truce from season 3 A helpful New York Times article about Looking Backward Discussion Questions: How have fictional books you've read impacted your worldview? What do you think about Bellamy's predictions? How does the fear of socialism and communism impact evangelicalism? What real threats were facing evangelicalism in the 1800s? How about now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Some of the most common feedback I heard about season 3 of Truce is that I didn't give the Christian America camp enough time to back their opinion. In this mini-episode, I discuss my reason for leaving people like David Barton of Wall Builders off of the show. I also play a short clip from Gregg L. Frazer who was on our Christian America episodes. His book is "The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce Season six is almost here! This season we're exploring the backstory of why so many evangelicals turned to the Republican Party in the 1970s and 80s. It's a huge story that involves murder, corruption, greed, taxes, school choice, racism, and a lot of big questions. Special guests include Rick Perlstein, Frances Fitzgerald, Marjorie Spruill, Jesse Eisinger, and so many more. Subscribe to Truce wherever you get your podcasts, or listen at trucepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate to help Chris make Truce! The first-century Christian Church had a lot going on. Their Savior died and was resurrected, sending the Holy Spirit and leaving them with the command to take this new message to all tribes and tongues. The book of Acts records some of their travels, as they went all over the known world with this good news. But they were not the only people evangelizing. So were the gnostics. Gnosticism takes a lot of different shapes. It was a belief system that challenged Christianity, even as some tried to incorporate elements into the faith. Now consider modernist theology - what we've been talking about all season. It is a belief system that doesn't believe in the miracles or the divinity of Jesus. To evangelicals of the 1800s and 1900s, this was a real threat. Like Gnosticism before it, modernism threatened to destabilize the gospel message. What to do? In this bonus episode, Chris takes a look at 1-3 John to see what they have to say about dealing with heresy. Chris is hard at work on season 6! He'll be presenting these short episodes in the meantime to recap some of the themes of season 5. Discussion Questions: If you were alive in the mid-1800s and saw modernism rising, what would you do? Do you think modernism is a heresy? How should Christians today deal with heresy? What did the fundamentalists get right and how did they mess up when approaching heresy? Selected Source Materials: 1-3 John "The Early Church" by Henry Chadwick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce Paypal Venmo Patreon Help via check at: Chris Staron PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Many of us are familiar with Joseph McCarthy and his infamous hearings on Communism in the US government. What we don't know is that McCarthy was far from the first person to use these tactics. In this episode of the Truce Podcast we examine the Rapp-Coudert Committee-- an effort in the New York City school system to root out Communists, Fascists, and Nazis who might be teaching students. In the end, even outspoken Christians participated in this witch hunt, which targeted mostly Jewish teachers and staff. Discussion Questions: Why were Americans so afraid of Communists? Was it against the constitution to withhold rights from people because Rapp-Coudert was just a hearing? What would you have done if you were accused of being a communist? Would you have named names? Why were Jewish people targeted for violence by the Christian Front? Do the actions of one part of a group define the entire group? In this episode, some communists advocated for using schools to teach communism. But, to our knowledge, nobody in the district did that. Yet they were accused of having done so. Who do we scapegoat today in our society? Knowing that the Soviets did have spies working in the US government (like Klaus Fuchs who stole nuclear secrets), what should the government have done to root out spies? Helpful Links: Bad Faith: Teachers, Liberalism, and The Origins of McCarthyism by Andrew Feffer Fatty Arbuckle and the MPAA: episode of the Truce Podcast where we talk about how Christians censored the golden age of cinema The Santa Clause comic strip from the top of the show Smithsonian article about Soviet spies Brief article about the House Un-American Activities Committee Helpful article about the Communist Control Act Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate to help Chris make Truce In the 1960s, Tom Tarrants was a young man on a mission - to save America from Communism, Marxism, and desegregation. He was prepared to do anything, including joining the Ku Klux Klan, drive-by shootings, or even dying for his cause. Yet God had a far greater plan for this would-be revolutionary. Find the Compelled Podcast at https://compelledpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce In this special bonus episode, Truce host Chris Staron walks you through a day in the life of a podcast host. He works about 11 hours per day between this show and his full-time job driving a school bus. Imagine what he could do if he were doing this show full-time!!!! Chris has worked on Truce for 6 1/2 years and is ready to make the show his main focus. We could make that happen if every listener gave $15 per year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce?? Donate to keep the show going! 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol demonstrated the dangers of extreme Christian nationalism. When we allow our ideas about God and His protection to overrun the Bible, we get into serious trouble. Now, many Christians are questioning their faith. Why does the Jesus of the Bible look so different from us and our country? In this episode, Chris discusses our strange relationship with the United States. We love it when it affirms us, but we don't know what to do when the US behaves in an evil manner. How do we unify the Church in an era of division? Helpful Discussion Questions: How have you seen the United States tied to Christianity? What do you think people mean when they say the US is a Christian nation? When have you seen the US behave in a Christian manner? When have you seen it wander from Christian principles? Do you follow the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, or an economic Jesus? How can you love people in your local church who believe different things about Jesus than you do? Helpful links: You can learn more about the Virginia Law Codes in Rebecca Cox Richardson's book "How the South Won the Civil War". In the episode, I reference that the US provided rebels in Afghanistan with copies of the Koran and VHS bootlegs of the movie "Rambo". You can learn about that in Steve Coll's book, "Ghost Wars" pages 90 and 194-197. Learn about John Adam's day of fasting The Treaty of Tripoli More about Dalton Trumbo "Trumbo" movie trailer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Did Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle murder Virginia Rappe? That questions defined the film industry for thirty years. Upset with Hollywood's moral failures, Christians demanded changes. We took over, fighting until the studios decided to censor themselves. This special episode of Truce ties into our last episode with Abby Johnson of the Unplanned movie. This episode explores: * Who was Fatty Arbuckle? * Who was Virginia Rappe? * Did Fatty Arbuckle murder Virginia Rappe? * What is the MPAA? * What started the Motional Picture Association of America? * Did Christians really censor the golden age of films? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show! 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want more Truce? Give a little bit each month and you'll gain access to a patrons-only Zoom event! We'll be getting together to discuss "In His Steps" and answer listener questions. This event is open to anyone who gives $10/month or more on Patreon. Link: https://www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Event details: Tuesday August 9, 2022 at 8pm EST/7pm CST/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PST. Zoom link will be posted on Patreon for those who give $10/month or more. If you cannot give to help the show, but still really want to participate, please get in touch with @trucepodcast on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and Chris will try to squeeze you in. Potential discussion topics: How "In His Steps" ties into the Holiness and Social Gospel movements What is the role of the female characters in this book? The role of wealth and poverty in the story What this book means to us Is "In His Steps" an evangelistic book? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The 1983 Supreme Court case Lynch v Donnelly brought church and state together in one important decision. In it, the court decided that a city-owned creche (also known as a manger scene) could remain on private land because it was part of a greater display. It wasn't a stand-alone creche. It was surrounded by Christmas trees, a Santa's village, and more. The diorama could stay because it held no significant religious value. It was, in their words, "ceremonial deism". In this modern era where it seems like religion is slipping away from public life, it's good to stop and ask what we're losing. Do our public displays of piety have any real Christian weight to them in the first place? What are we fighting for if "In God We Trust" doesn't specify which God it's referring to? Supreme Court audio for this episode was used with a Creative Commons License from Oyez.org. The audio was edited from it's original form. Helpful Links: Full Lynch v. Donnelly audio US Treasury article about symbols on money One Nation Under God - book by Kevin Kruse Helpful Slate article about Christmas displays Helpful article about ceremonial deism Ligonier article about Festival of the Booths Pawtucket and the Industrial Revolution Majority opinion on Lynch v. Donnelly from Justia.com Discussion Questions: Where do you see examples of ceremonial deism? What do expressions of ceremonial deism hope to achieve in our society? Does it work? How can we make them better? Do you like seeing God on the money? Why? Where would you like to see more of God in the public square? Where would you like to see less? Should we be more specific in our public displays? Do you think the manger scene can be both religious and non-religious? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast This was one of our first ever episodes! We're rebroadcasting it today because the 2020 US Presidential election is upon us. One of the questions that keeps coming up is: why does Donald Trump appeal to white evangelical Christians? This episode was produced three years ago, so it may sound a little different, but the information is still relevant to today. President Trump has made it pretty clear that he does not know the basic tenants of Christianity. So why do we say that he is one? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Are you curious about why Truce is covering the topics that it is? Wondering where this thing is going? We've heard you! In response to the confusion of our audience, we've put together this special interview episode to answer some of your questions. Chris is joined by Eric Nevins, host of the Halfway There podcast. Would you like to see Eric's review of Truce in Podcast Magazine? Click here to learn more. The review will come out March 30, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate to support the Truce Podcast! 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help the Truce Podcast Thomas McIntyre stood before the US Congress to deliver a moving speech. The man was being hounded by a fringe movement known as the New Right. The movement came from the work of men like Paul Weyrich, Howard Phillips, and Richard Viguerie. Their goal was to disrupt the Republican Party. They wanted to do away with much of the federal government and program to help the poor while simultaneously cutting taxes and increasing the military. They hoped to accomplish this by controlling direct mail. Direct mail! It sounds silly, but by inundating voters and congressional offices with bulk mail they could control the story. Men like McIntyre and Senator Mark Hatfield didn't know what to do with this influx of petty politics. Someone had even gone so far as to question Hatfield's Christian salvation just because of how we was going to vote on the Panama Canal treaty. What does giving the Panama Canal back to Panama have to do with salvation? Almost nothing. Today, we're going to explore this wacky phenomenon where we call something "Christian" or "biblical" if it fits out politics not if it is addressed in the Bible. How are we being manipulated by propaganda like this? And what can we do about it? Discussion Questions: Was the United States responsible in its claiming the Panama Canal as a territory? Are there things in your life that you mix with Christianity? How have your politics gotten confused with your faith? Does the Bible have anything to say on the Panama Canal treaty? Sources: "Reaganland" book by Rick Perlstein Handy article on the history of the Panama Canal Congressional record including the speeches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give a little to help Chris continue to make Truce! In 1945, C.S. Lewis published his excellent book "The Great Divorce". It happens to be one of my favorite books. It has many themes, the biggest of which is that there can be no hell in heaven. The two are divorced from each other (hence the title). Another is that humans are easily distracted from God's work and the gospel. This season I've been telling the backstory of Christian fundamentalism. I think many of us have been distracted from the gospel because of politics or the people around us. If you were joined by a loved one who passed away or an angel who challenged you to walk to heaven, would you? What distracts you from following Jesus? From really going for it? Special thanks to my improv troupe (Nick, Josh, and Jackie) who helped with voices. Additional vocal work came from Paul Hastings from the "Compelled" podcast and Jerry Dugan from "Beyond the Rut". Give their shows a listen and let me know what you think! Sources: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis (though I only used some concepts) Discussion Questions: What distracts you from following God? Are you tied too strongly to things? Safety? Your family? Your job? Your identity? Your politics? What books do you read over and over again? Why? How can a person's own love of intellectualism be a distraction? How can we have compassion? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the Truce Podcast! In our present moment, it seems that people are inclined to extremes. Christian fundamentalism seems to be on the rise. This season we're examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. We'll start by defining terms like "evangelical", "premillennialism", "dispensationalism", "modernist theology", and "fundamentalism". Then we'll work our way to the Scopes Monkey Trial, that massive media event in 1925 that pitted fundamentalism against evolution. Our guests this season include George Marsden, Joel Carpenter, Kevin Belmonte, Edward Larson, Paul T. McCartney, and Michael Kazin. We'll also feature a fascinating conversation with Jacob Goldstein, co-host of the Planet Money podcast. We can never hope to cover every facet of a subject this huge. Instead, the goal is to help normal people like us understand the basics of this movement that is actively shaping world history. Subscribe so you get every new episode as it is released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make the Truce Podcast 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support the Truce Podcast via Patreon or through the website you can do Paypal, check, or Venmo! We've been reading the book "In His Steps" together for the last few weeks. It was written by Charles Sheldon, a man whose book is often associated with the social gospel movement. While some historians struggle over the significance of this work, it's pretty plain how it fits this movement. I invited patrons of the show to listen early and then discuss their thoughts on this controversial book. What did you think about the audiobook? Should I record other books this same way? Discussion Questions: Did you enjoy "In His Steps"? Why or why not? How do you think women were portrayed in "In His Steps"? What do you think about the Home Economics movement? How did you see the social gospel in the book? Is the book evangelistic? At which points? If not, why not? Does Christian media need to be "heavy handed"? Recommended Resources: In His Steps by Charles Sheldon The Secret History of Home Economics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This season of the Truce Podcast tracks the history of Christian fundamentalism. So far we've covered the rise of para-church ministries through preachers, the creation of dispensationalism, and the rising threat of modernist theology in the late 1800s. That is a lot to digest! So in this episode, I thought it would be helpful to sit down with some of the smartest guys I know and ask them, "how do we deal with Christian fundamentalism?" Christian fundamentalism has impacted our lives in various ways. Ray McDaniel (pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY) shares that he grew up under fundamentalist teaching. Chris Staron (host of the Truce Podcast) talks about his childhood and teen years listening to fundamentalist radio. Nick Staron discusses the last few years when he has seen fundamentalism rise inside his own circle of friends. Here are some things to consider from this episode: Modernist theology can be seen as an actual threat to evangelical theology. How should we deal with threats in a godly way? Do end times teachings open doors for sharing the gospel? How much do we really know about the end times? And how should that shape the way we live today? What does it really mean to love people who are from a different denomination? Do we still need denominations today? How can we keep ministries accountable? Helpful links: The Late Great Planet Earth - hosted by Orson Welles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce. 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help the Truce Podcast! 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce Milton Friedman may be the most famous American economist. His research and theories have profoundly shaped the modern American economy. But few of us can clearly articulate what he taught and what it means for our times. Friedman's career was defined by the aftermath of the Great Depression. He worked in the government administering the New Deal, but never really agreed with it. He joined the faculty at the University of Chicago and built a department around him that taught a version of free-market economics known as monetarism. Essentially, monetarism is the idea that inflation is a product of how much money is in circulation. Friedman did not like the Federal Reserve or the gold standard, instead, advocating for a standard 4% increase in the money supply every year that would not be shifted. By setting a rule, he hoped to do away with an entire governmental department. Friedman and his co-authors ventured into areas that other economists thought, perhaps, unwise. They used economics to explain things like marriage and school choice. He was also a proponent of school vouchers. Stanford professor Jennifer Burns joins Chris today to explore the many facets of Milton Friedman. This is the first of two parts. Sources: Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative by Jennifer Burns The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Part to Power by Robert Caro https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laissez-faire “Keynesian Economics Theory: Definition and How It's Used” Investopedia article https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/article/one-hundred-years-of-price-change-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-american-inflation-experience.htm Reaganland by Rick Perlstein Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman Milton Friedman: A Concise Guide to the Ideas and Influence of the Free-Market Economist by Eamonn Butler Friedman on the Donahue show in 1979 Discussion Questions: Had you heard of Friedman before this episode? If so, what did you know about him? What does "laissez-faire" mean in economic terms? Does it line up with the Bible in any direct way? Why do you think so many conservative Christians lean toward laissez-faire? How bad was the Great Depression? If you had worked for the government during the Depression, what would you have advocated? Why are some people against the New Deal? What did the New Deal mean to starving people during the Depression? How does a fear of communism play into anti-New Deal sentiment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What is the difference between communism and socialism? They get used interchangeably in our culture, but do they really mean the same thing? In this episode, we'll give a textbook definition of each and then see how those ideas change in the wild. Our guests today are my friend Brian Faehnrich, Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia"). The basic difference between communism and socialism is where the profit goes: In communism, the profits go to the government In socialism, the profits can go to the people Also, communism is inherently atheistic, in keeping with the vision of Karl Marx. Topic Covered: What is the difference between communism and socialism? Who was Karl Marx? Who invented communism? What was the first communist country? (Russia) How did Vladimir Lenin rise to power? Does communism work? Is communism a utopian idea? What did Karl Marx have against the Christian church? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast When the Russian tsars fell, they left a power vacuum. Who would rule Russia after the Romanov dynasty? The Bolshevik's rose to power, led by Vladimir Lenin. Lenin immediately began persecuting anybody he didn't like. In this episode, we'll examine the dark realities behind the Russian revolution: how it started with good intentions but ended with the death of millions. We'll also see how a culture of fear and suspicion held the nation captive. Our guests today are Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia"). This is part of our series examining how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian church. Check out the rest of season three for more information. We're working hard to make Truce the best Christian podcast on the market. Please rate and review the show! FACT CHECK NOTICE: Genghis Khan, who I did not mention in the episode, is in the running for having murdered the most people in history. I discovered this fact after the episode had been completed. Sorry! Topics covered: How did Vladimir Lenin come to power? How did Stalin come to power? How many people did Stalin kill? (20-25 million) Is communism bad? What was the Soviet Union? How did the Soviet Union begin? Who were the Bolsheviks? Why do some people like Stalin? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast In Russia during the Soviet era, hundred of posters and magazine covers were printed to encourage people to abandon their faith. They were state-sponsored and designed to be interpreted even by people who could not read. This propaganda clearly tied anti-Christian sentiment to the United States. In his new book, Godless Utopia, Roland Elliott Brown collected a number of these images and provided commentary on their meaning. What does it mean that we call the United States a Christian nation? What does it mean when presidents like Ronald Reagan merge their faith with the US? How does that impact our witness? These are questions we'll continue exploring throughout this series. Donate a little to help the show on either Patreon or Paypal Helpful links: You can view images from the book here. Please note that some of these images may not be appropriate for all eyes. Watch the whole "evil empire" speech here. Article about Ruth Snyder, the first woman to be sent to the electric chair Roland's article about Soviet propaganda (see page 18) Mobituaries podcast episode about lynching and D.W. Griffith's film "Birth of a Nation" Topics covered: What did soviet propaganda look like? How did Stalin use the Orthodox church to fight in WWII? What was Ronald Reagan's "evil empire" speech? Is it okay for US Presidents to speak at Christian events? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast The myth of the American cowboy features a lone man who makes his fortune on the open plains. He doesn't need the government, and he doesn't need some big corporation telling him what to do. But that myth is far from the reality in the west. Many cowboys worked for large corporate cattle operations. And when those operations were in danger, he relied on the government for help. The Johnson County War started when the Homestead Act of 1862 brought new people to central Wyoming. The area just west of the Big Horn Mountains had been free-range grassland where anyone could let their cattle run free. The large cattle operations loved this setup because it saved them an immense amount of money and infrastructure. The new homesteads threatened their empires because they divided up the land and restricted their access. So the Wyoming Stock Growers Association banded together to send a message: get off our land. They send a murder squad to Johnson County, Wyoming to scare the people of Buffalo with a series of brutal murders. What followed was one of the darkest chapters in Wyoming history. Where big businesses murdered with impunity, aided by the governor and sitting president. Helpful links: The Jim Gatchell Museum in Buffalo, WY The TA Ranch (where the siege took place) Book used for research: Wyoming Range War by John W. Davis Discussion Questions: What role did the Homestead Act play in stirring up trouble in central Wyoming? Is there a character in the story that you identify with? Is there any part of you that sympathizes with the WSGA? How does this story challenge your concept of the American cowboy? What role does the government have in protecting an industry? How do you feel about the government's failure to punish the invaders? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast When you think of the world's worst mass murderers, King Leopold II doesn't usually come up. But due to his forced labor practices in the Congo, nearly 10 million people lost their lives. He did this by pretending that his actions in that region were a missionary effort. In reality, he forced Africans to harvest wild rubber or risk having their hands cut off. The truth is even darker than that: it turns out that Leopold was far from the only person doing this. This same era was marked by many major world powers engaging in forced labor. From the US in the Philippines to Arab countries in eastern Africa, much of the modern world was built on forced labor. Author Adam Hochschild joins us for this episode to discuss his book "King Leopold's Ghost". I first heard about this story on the Noble Blood podcast and their episode "The Red Paint on Leopold II". Discussion Questions: Had you heard of King Leopold II before this? Leopold did send missionaries to the Congo. Was that a positive or negative thing for our Christian witness? Did you know that other major countries were engaged in forced labor into WWII? What do you think of the US-backed coup in Congo? Is it okay for the US to get involved in the politics of another nation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Melani McAlister, author of "The Kingdom of God Has No Borders" and Professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University joins us to discuss how we export Christianity. In the 1950s and 1960s, American denominations sent white missionaries to Africa to share the good news. But with them went their bias and racism. This was the era of Jim Crow laws. Some missionaries took those laws to Africa, not allowing black people to eat at their tables. In this episode, we examine the problem of tying the United States to Christianity. When the US makes mistakes or does evil, how does that reflect back on the church? Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages. What else is going with our missionaries? Discussion Questions: Have you ever been on a mission trip before? What was your motivation for going? Do you think that it is possible to marginalize the people we are trying to witness to? How do you feel about showing pictures of poor people in church presentations? How might that practice encourage churchgoers to marginalize a people group? Do you think poor people in other countries are happier? Is it okay for us to export the American way with the gospel? If yes, then which things should we export? Links: The Kingdom of God Has No Borders An interesting introduction to the British Empire and their withdrawal from colonialism An introduction to the troubles in Congo An NPR article about US-backed rebels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make Truce! 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give $10/ month to help Chris make Truce What are the warning signs that a church leader will become a tyrant? How do we prevent church hurt from becoming our identity? What are ideologies and how do they become the overall focus of some ministries? Mike Cosper is the co-host of Christianity Today's The Bulletin podcast, the producer and host of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, and now the author of The Church in Dark Times. Discussion Questions: How does Mike define "Ideology"? What does it mean to have a strong ideology? Do you have any? How does this differ from having a simple belief? Why do you think so many people today struggle with anxiety? How can ideologies protect us from our anxiety? Why might that be a poor crutch? Mike recommends worship as a way to fend off anxiety. Why could that help? Is it wrong for churches and organizations to have a missions statement or goals? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast So many Christians are angry at the Church. Not just the Church but their local churches as well. Producer Chris Staron decided to take a look inside one small congregation to see how Black Lives Matter, COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, and more have impacted one community. How are people in Jackson, Wyoming responding in a time of dissension and deconstruction in the body of Christ? Special thanks to Ray McDaniel and Karl Klemmer for talking with Chris for this interview. Helpful Links: Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps First Baptist Church Discussion Questions: How have the last few years changed your ideas about the global Church? How have they changed your ideas of your local church? How would you respond if you were the pastor of a local church today and your congregation wanted you to pick a political side? Should pastors speak about politics from the pulpit? Why do we put so much emphasis on messages from the pulpit and discount the ability for congregants to have meaningful conversations on their own? Are you deconstructing your faith? What does that term mean to you? If you are deconstructing your faith, have you removed the local church? The Bible? If so, how has that impacted your faith? Are you open to people who have different opinions? How do you interact with those people? Is it in person? Do you have friends with different opinions than you? How can you get some if you don't? Do you see the Church as a "we" and "us" or as a "them"? Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris continue the Truce Podcast. 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make the Truce Podcast 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce? Give a little to help support the show! "The ends justify the means" is a phrase we hear occasionally. Often it is used to justify bad behavior, so long as it creates a profitable outcome. But we Christians know that we are called to live righteous lives. Are we people of the ends, or should we be known as a people of the means? Chris is joined this week by Pastor Ray McDaniel of First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY, and his twin brother Nick Staron to discuss this important issue. Discussion Questions: What does "the ends justify the means" mean? How have you seen that philosophy played out? Is that something you believe? How would things change if we focused more on the way we do things instead of our goals? How have fundamentalists justified their goals with poor behavior? How have modernists? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show! Harry Emerson Fosdick had a certain reputation. He was the theological "bad boy" of modernist theology when he stood at a lectern in the 1920s and delivered his famous sermon "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?". He was in New York City. One preacher, preaching one sermon. But this one talk spread all over the country and created real upset. Could modernist theology win in the Northern Presbyterian denomination? J. Grescham Machen didn't think it should. He was a fundamentalist and wrote in response to Fosdick's sermon. But how does one keep out heresy? The fundamentalists decided to call in a big-name Christian celebrity -- William Jennings Bryan. He was on a cross-country crusade to stop the teaching of evolution in public schools. Not because he didn't believe in science. He did. The problem that Bryan saw with teaching evolution in school was the cruelty that humanity would express if they believed they were nothing more than animals. The battle between liberal and conservative Christians was a public one. William Jennings Bryan and Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote competing articles in The New York Times. Would it cause a split in the Northern Presbyterian denomination? Sources for this episode: "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald "A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin Articles about Fosdick on Christianity Today and the Gospel Coalition Fosdick's sermon Machen's response Westminster Confession of Faith Discussion Questions: What do you think are the basic beliefs required to call something "Christianity"? What if someone does not believe those things but still calls themselves a Christian? Does it matter when people try to use a word to describe themselves that does not apply to them? What is to be our response when we encounter someone who spreads false doctrine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast At the 2019 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Los Angeles, I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Richard Land. Dr. Land is a man of the company line who mixes Republican thought with Christianity. At this interview, Dr. Land said (off mic) that the reason this generation struggles so much is that we are unwilling to see the issues of our time as black and white. Good vs. Evil. I disagree. I think the opportunity our generation has is that we can finally think of this complex world as complex. This mini-episode is just one of several meant to help sum up season 3 of Truce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices