ERLC presidential kerfuffle, Secret Service Director Resignation, and Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington.

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This week, Clarissa, Mike, and Russell welcome Pete Wehner (The Atlantic, NYT, Trinity Forum) to talk about the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and the unlawful firing of their president, which leads to discussion of populism in the church. Then, the three engage in a review of the Secret Service director’s resignation and what this means for the American people. Finally, Chris Seiple (Comparative Religion Program Fellow at University of Washington) joins for a discussion of the events and implications surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to DC.

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TODAY’S GUESTS: 

Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.

Chris Seiple is the Senior Fellow for Comparative Religion at the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is widely known and sought after for his decades of experience and expertise regarding issues at the intersection of geopolitics, US foreign policy, Asia, conflict resolution, human rights and religion. He has pioneered innovative solutions in the U.S. Marine Corps, at the U.S. State Department, the Templeton Religion Trust, and as the president of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), where he developed a “Track 1.5” theory of change rooted in relational diplomacy. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s Editor-in-Chief) and Mike Cosper (Director, CT Media). Each week the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

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President Biden withdraws from the 2024 Presidential Race.

In this bonus episode of The Bulletin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll react to Biden's announcement to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. They consider the implications and consider the announcement from a kingdom-focused perspective.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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RNC recap, Dr. Ruth and Richard Simmons die, and Christian higher ed’s survival

This week on The Bulletin, Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll welcome Madeleine Kearns to recap the first three days of the Republican National Convention ahead of Trump’s keynote address. Then, author and professor Alan Noble joins the show for a conversation about the loneliness, longing, and deaths of Richard Simmons and Dr. Ruth. Finally, Christian universities are closing at a notable rate. Alan, Russell and Clarissa discuss the reasons for this trend and the implications of it. 

Today’s Guests: 

Madeleine Kearns is a staff writer at National Review and a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She is from Glasgow, Scotland, and is a trained singer.

Dr. O. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous books and articles. Alan has written articles for Christian publications such as Modern Reformation, InTouch Magazine, and Christianity Today and for secular publications like VOX, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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The Trump assassination attempt, violence, and rage in America.

This special bonus episode of The Bulletin features a conversation with national security expert Elizabeth Neumann on the weekend’s assassination attempt of former President Trump and its implications on the upcoming election. 

Today’s Guest: 

Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert, violence prevention advocate, and author of the new book Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace. She served on the White House Homeland Security Council in the George W. Bush Administration, and as the Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump Administration. She is currently the Chief Strategy Officer for Moonshot - a tech-enabled company supporting governments and community partners to understand and prevent violence. She is also a national security contributor for ABC News.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Grievance and how to talk across differences.

This special episode of The Bulletin features an interview with New York Times columnist Frank Bruni about his book, The Age of Grievance. Where polarization has split churches, families and friendships, Bruni suggests that the root of this polarization is grievance, an animating impulse in our culture that focuses on scarcity instead of abundance. This conversation offers a way forward for Americans or anyone who looks at culture and wants something better.

Today’s Guest: Frank Bruni has been a prominent journalist for more than three decades, including more than twenty-five years at The New York Times, in roles as diverse as op-ed columnist, White House correspondent, Rome bureau chief, and chief restaurant critic. He is the author of four New York Times bestsellers. In July 2021, he became a full professor at Duke University, teaching in the school of public policy. He currently writes his popular weekly newsletter for the Times and produces additional essays as one of the newspaper’s Contributing Opinion Writers. His latest book is The Age of Grievance.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This week’s supreme Court rulings and the Israel/Hamas conflict

This week on The Bulletin, Russell Moore and Mike Cosper welcome legal expert David French to discuss the decisions delivered by the Supreme Court. Then, Shane Claiborne joins Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll to discuss the Israel/Hamas conflict.

Today’s Guests:

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, and The Irresistible Revolution. In 2023, Shane received the prestigious The King Center's Beloved Community Award for Social Justice from Dr. Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King).

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Debate review, the future of Electric Vehicles, and Gender Youth Medicine

In this episode of The Bulletin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss last night’s first presidential debate. Then, NBC news analyst Mike Murphy joins us to talk about the future of electric vehicles. Finally, gender youth medicine is a highly controversial topic both inside and outside the church. Mark Yarhouse and Rebecca McLaughlin join us to talk about the Cass Review and how Christians can respond to children wrestling with issues of gender identity.

Today’s Guests:

Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful Gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns. He served as a top campaign messaging and political strategist to Sen. John McCain’s historic Straight Talk Express Presidential campaign in 2000, and also for successful gubernatorial candidates Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tommy Thompson, and John Engler. In 2020 he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump. He currently co-hosts the popular weekly politics podcast “Hacks on Tap” with David Axelrod, which boasts over 14 million downloads to date. 

Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in conflicts tied to religious identity and sexual and gender identity. He assists people who are navigating the complex relationship between their sexual or gender identity and Christian faith. He runs the Sexual and Gender Identity (SGI) Institute at Wheaton College, and is an award-winning teacher and researcher. He was a past participant with the Ethics and Public Policy Center think tank in Washington, DC, and he was named Senior Fellow with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities to conduct a study of students navigating sexual identity concerns at Christian colleges and universities. He has been a consultant to the National Institute of Corrections to address issues facing sexual minorities in corrections, and he was part of a consensus panel from the American Psychological Association on sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts that convened to provide input to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Washington, DC. He is currently the Chair of the task force on LGBT issues for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association.

Rebecca McLaughlin holds a PhD from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill Seminary in London. She is the author of several books, including Confronting Christianity, The Secular Creed, Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, and Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Robert Morris’s abuse, rising nationalism in Europe, and Summer reading suggestions.

In this episode of The Bulletin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll talk with Nicole Martin about the resignation of pastor Robert Morris and why churches harbor predators. Next, nationalism is increasing in Europe. Are the threats the same as we’ve seen on our own shores? Finally, we end with some suggestions for summer reading from our hosts and the larger Bulletin community.

Today’s Guest:

Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as chief impact officer after serving on its board of directors. Nicole oversees three major strategic initiatives that are shaping the future of CT including The Global Initiative, the Big Tent Initiative, and the Next Gen Initiative. 

Book list:

David Zahl:

Fully Alive - Elizabeth Oldfied 

The Bright Sword - Lev Grossman

Erik Petrik:

Lives of Girls and Women - Alice Munro

All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy

The Beginning of Wisdom - Leon Cass

Commentaries on Peter - Karen Jobes 

The Work of Art - Adam Moses

Leslie Thompson:

The Irrational Season - Madeleine L’Engle

Gentle and Lowly - Dane Ortlund

What is Life Worth? - Kenneth R. Feinberg 

The Complete Stories - Flannery O’Connor

Mike Cosper:

You Like it Darker - Stephen King

The Age of Grievance - Frank Bruni

Nicole Martin:

The Lagos Wife - Vanessa Walters

Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride 

Russell Moore:

When the Clock Broke - John Ganz

Dæmonomania (The Aegypt Cycle Book 3) - John Crowley

Mariner - Malcolm Guite

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Biden’s asylum order, intentional community, and the criminalization of clergy sexual misconduct

This week on The Bulletin, producer and moderator Clarissa Moll welcomes Ashley Hales and Ekemeni Uwan for a conversation about President Biden’s new asylum order, our fascination with intentional community, and the criminalization of clergy sexual misconduct. Special guests Bri Stensrud, John Shelton, and Boz Tchividjian join the discussion for an episode that will inform and encourage you toward kingdom thought and action.

Today’s Guests:

With her husband, Ashley Hales is the co-founder of The Willowbrae Institute, a new think tank researching the intersection of Christianity and the common good in America. Ashley hosts the The Cartographers Podcast and is the author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs, A Spacious Life, and the forthcoming Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount, A Fruitful Life. She produces The Russell Moore Show for CT Media.

Ekemini Uwan is a public theologian, international human rights activist, and co-author of Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation. She co-hosts the award-winning podcast Truth's Table and Get In The Word With Truth’s Table. Uwan is a 2024 fellow at The Aspen Institute where she serves as the Special Advisor for The Aspen Institute’s Racial Justice and Religion Collective. Her writings have been published in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post Black Voices, and Hallmark Mahogany. As one who is passionate about theology, Ekemini has a fierce commitment to the gospel and its implications for issues pertaining to reparations, racial injustice, anti-black racism, and white supremacy.

John Shelton is the policy director for Advancing American Freedom. He received degrees from Duke Divinity School and the University of Virginia.

Bri Stensrud is an author, human dignity advocate, and the Director of Women of Welcome. Her passion is to equip the Church to engage more consistently and tangibly in holistic human dignity issues. Bri holds a Masters of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and has authored two books: Start with Welcome: The Journey toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation, and a children’s book: The Biggest Best Light: Shining God’s Light into the World Around You.

Boz Tchividjian, Esq. is an experienced litigator who has dedicated his career to empowering survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to step forward and seek justice against perpetrators and the institutions legally responsible for their trauma. Prior to becoming a civil litigator, Boz served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he created the first Sex Crimes Division at the Office of the State Attorney and served as Division Chief. Boz is also the Founder and former Executive Director of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), an internationally recognized non-profit organization that equips faith-based organizations with the tools they need to correctly respond to allegations of sexual abuse and educates them on how to create safeguards to protect children and other vulnerable people within their communities. Boz is the co-author of The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide, a handbook for faith-based non-profit organizations looking to improve their child safeguarding policies. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This week on The Bulletin, Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll welcome Michael Wear back to the show to discuss the GOP’s response to the guilty verdict for former president Donald Trump. Then, historian Kurt Piehler joins to acknowledge the 80th anniversary of D-Day and how WWII affected the Greatest Generation–who are quickly dwindling. Finally, we turn our eyes to the hunger crisis in Sudan amid a violent internal conflict, and ask Eugene Cho how might Christians respond to the need.

Today’s Guests:

Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. Michael is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. 

Kurt Piehler is a specialist in U.S. History with an emphasis on the Twentieth Century. Piehler is author of A Religious History of the American GI in World War II. As founding director (1994-1998) of the Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II, Piehler conducted over 200 interviews with veterans of this conflict. His televised lecture, "The War That Transformed a Generation," which drew on the Rutgers Oral History Archives, appeared on the History Channel in 1997.

Rev. Eugene Cho is President/CEO of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger. Eugene is Co-Chair of the U.S. Nutrition CEO Council, the body of leaders from international NGOs encouraging the U.S. government, civil society, corporations, and other stakeholders to make global nutrition expertise into law and policy. Prior to becoming President/CEO of Bread for the World, Eugene pastored a local church for nearly thirty years. He is also founder and visionary of One Day’s Wages.

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Producer: Clarissa Moll

Associate Producer: Leslie Thompson

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Trump’s verdict, Never Bidens, historic flags, and this summer’s must see movies.

This week on The Bulletin, producer Clarissa Moll and Mike Cosper talk to Matt Marten and Daniel Silliman about the Trump guilty verdict. Next, special guest Michael Wear joins the show to discuss Nikki Haley’s endorsement of Donald Trump and the rise of disenchanted voters. Next, conversation shifts to Justice Alito’s controversial flags and the power of symbols to shape and articulate belief. Finally, resident Hollywood expert, Kutter Callaway, joins Clarissa for a preview of this summer’s must-see movies.

Today’s Guests:

Daniel Silliman is a journalist and a historian. He is the news editor for Christianity Today, the author of a history of bestselling evangelical fiction, and teaches humanities at Milligan University. Daniel spent several years as a crime reporter outside Atlanta before pursuing higher education in Germany, earning a MA from Tübingen University and a doctoral degree from Heidelberg University. He has reported and edited news coverage for CT since 2019.

Matthew Martens is an experienced litigator of complex, high-stakes criminal and civil matters, with more than twenty jury trials in both state and federal courts in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois and California. He is the author of Reforming Criminal Justice.

Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. Michael is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, a paradigm-shifting book that advances a vision for spiritual formation in the context of political life. Michael’s first book, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America, offers reflections, analysis and ideas about the role of faith in the Obama years and what it means for today. He has co-authored, or contributed to, several other books, including Compassion and Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, with Justin Giboney and Chris Butler. He also writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult Magazine, Christianity Today and other publications on faith, politics and culture.

Kutter Callaway is the William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts, as well as associate dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Studies, and associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary. He is author and contributor to several books, and his most recent book is Theology for Psychology and Counseling: An Invitation to Holistic Christian Practice (Baker Academic, 2022). Some of his past titles include Techno-Sapiens in a Networked Era: Becoming Digital Neighbors (Cascade, 2020), which he coauthored with Fuller’s Associate Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture Ryan Bolger; The Aesthetics of Atheism: Theology and Imagination in Contemporary Culture (Fortress Press, 2019); and Deep Focus: Film and Theology in Dialogue (Baker Academic, 2019).

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Producer: Clarissa Moll and Matt Stevens

Associate Producer: McKenzie Hill and Raed Gilliam

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Music: Dan Phelps

Show Design: Bryan Todd

Graphic Design: Amy Jones

Social Media: Kate Lucky

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