The Open Pew podcast

#Religion #Christianity #Rev Corey Simon

1:15:36

In this episode, we welcome back David French, columnist for The New York Times , former constitutional attorney, and author of Divided We Fall . We discuss the current state of American democracy, the challenges of political division, and how we can engage in civil discourse despite deep ideological differences. David also shares a personal update on his family and reflects on the profound trials and growth that come with adversity. 📌 What We Discuss: ✔️ How David and his family navigated the challenges of a serious health crisis. ✔️ The rise of political polarization and the factors driving it. ✔️ Why distinguishing between “unwise, unethical, and unlawful” is crucial in analyzing political actions. ✔️ How consuming different perspectives (even opposing ones) helps in understanding political dynamics. ✔️ The role of Christian values in politics and how they are being redefined. ⏳ Episode Highlights 📍 [00:01:00] – David French’s background and his journey from litigation to journalism. 📍 [00:02:30] – Personal update: David shares his wife Nancy’s battle with cancer and their journey as a family. 📍 [00:06:00] – How to navigate personal trials while maintaining faith and resilience. 📍 [00:10:00] – The danger of political paranoia and the pitfalls of extreme polarization. 📍 [00:18:00] – The "friend-enemy" paradigm in American politics and its influence in Christian fundamentalism. 📍 [00:24:00] – Revisiting Divided We Fall : How America’s divisions have devolved since 2020. 📍 [00:40:00] – The categories and differences of unwise, unethical, and unlawful political actions. 📍 [00:55:00] – The balance between justice, kindness, and humility in political engagement. 📍 [01:00:00] – The After Party initiative: A Christian approach to politics focused on values rather than policy. 💬 Featured Quotes 🔹 "You don't know who you truly are until your values are tested." – David French 🔹 "If we focus on the relational, we can have better conversations even across deep differences." – Corey Nathan 🔹 "Justice, kindness, and humility—if you're missing one, you're doing it wrong." – David French 🔹 "The United States has a history of shifting without repenting. We just move on." – David French 📚 Resources Mentioned David French’s Writing: New York Times David’s Book: Divided We Fall The After Party Initiative – More Info Advisory Opinions Podcast (with Sarah Isgur & David French) – Listen Here 📣 Call to Action If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect With Us on Social Media @coreysnathan: Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack David French: 🔗 Twitter | BlueSky | New York Times Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com Let’s keep talking politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡…

The Open Pew

Feed

Theology from the ground up. Interviews with practical theologians and voices from those who minsiter among the people.

10 episodes

The Open Pew

updated 5 years ago

Feed

Theology from the ground up. Interviews with practical theologians and voices from those who minsiter among the people.

10 episodes

#Religion #Christianity #Rev Corey Simon

All episodes

The Open Pew

1
Quarantine Self Care with Tony Caldwell 35:20

5 years ago35:20

35:20

Corey recently sat down today with Tony Caldwell, a psychotherapist, and public theologian living and working in Nashville, to talk about how we can best care for ourselves in this time of corona and quarantine. The conversation deals with some best practices, some hopes, and a few recommendations for what to be aware of in how you care for yourself in this time. You can find out more about Tony at Red Letter Christianity or on his personal webpage .…

The Open Pew

1
Welcoming the Stranger with Jenny Yang 40:29

5 years ago40:29

40:29

In this episode, Corey sat down with Jenny Yang, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief for a conversation on education and welcome towards immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Jenny Yang provides oversight for all advocacy initiatives and policy positions at World Relief. She has worked in the Resettlement section of World Relief as the Senior Case Manager and East Asia Program Officer, where she focused on advocacy for refugees in the East Asia region and managed the entire refugee caseload for World Relief. Prior to World Relief, she worked at one of the largest political fundraising firms in Maryland managing fundraising and campaigning for local politicians. She is co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate , serves as Chair of the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) Africa Work Group, and was named one of the “50 Women to Watch” by Christianity Today.…

The Open Pew

1
Witnessing Whiteness with Dr Kris Norris 45:56

5 years ago45:56

45:56

This week Corey sits down with Dr Kris Norris, visiting professor of public theology at Wesley Theological Seminary to discuss his upcoming book, Witnessing Whiteness: Confronting White Supremacy in the American Church. Dr. Kristopher Norris is Visiting Distinguished Professor of Public Theology and the Program Consultant for the Center for Public Theology. Norris teaches classes in the areas of Christian Ethics and Public Theology and co-directs the National Capital Semester for Seminarians with Prof. Mike McCurry. He is currently helping develop Wesley’s new Faith & Public Life Immersion experience through the Center for Public Theology. He has published two books and several journal articles on church practices, faith and politics, and just war theory, as well as the ethics of Bonhoeffer and Barth, and his current research is at the intersection of church, race, and politics. He is an ordained Baptist minister from North Carolina.…

The Open Pew

1
Exactly As You Are with Shae Tuttle 51:38

5 years ago51:38

51:38

Kicking off the return of The Open Pew, Corey and Ethan sit down with Shae Tuttle, author of the new book, Exactly As You Are: The Faith and Life of Mister Rogers and editor of Can I Get A Witness?: Thirteen Peacemakers, Community Builders, and Agitators for Peace and Justice . Together we talk about peacemaking, justice work, the witness of Fred Rogers and spend a few minutes speculating on the upcoming film.…

The Open Pew

1
Knowing the Child with Rev Dr Alexia Salvatierra 58:58

6 years ago58:58

58:58

In this episode Corey is joined by Wesley alum and fellow pastor Nick McMichael of Falls Church UMC in Pennsylvania and the Rev Dr Alexia Salvatierra, a Lutheran pastor, professor at Fuller, and a community organizer on both the local and international level. With a focus on the immigration crisis, Dr Salvatierra offers up a brief history lesson in the Central and South American refugee crisis and goes on to talk about how the church is uniquely gifted for engaging those displaced by state and non-state violence and how perhaps the biggest goal we can hope for in this present moment is resisting the current administration. Dr Salvatierra is the co-author of Faith-Rooted Organizing, a primer on preparing churches and communities for organizing and advocacy.…

The Open Pew

1
Swords into Plows with Shane Claiborne 58:01

6 years ago58:01

58:01

In this episode Corey, AhnnaLise, and Elizabeth Hurd of Caledonia UMC sat down with Shane Claiborne, activist, speaker, public theologian, and leader of the Simple Way Christian Community in Philadelphia, to discuss Christian nonviolence, the idolatry of guns, and what it means to be pro-life from the womb to the tomb.…

The Open Pew

1
Guns to Garden Tools with Mike Martin 1:00:10

6 years ago1:00:10

1:00:10

This episode finds Corey and AhnnaLise Stevens-Jennings sitting down with Mike Martin, executive director of RAW Tools and coauthor of Beating Guns: Hope for People Who are Weary of Violence . In it they talk about the ministry of reforming guns into garden tools and all the other work his organization does in regards to advocacy, restorative justice, and working towards challenging the idolatry of guns in this country.…

The Open Pew

1
Fred Rogers, Nonviolence, and Peacemaking with Dr Mike Long 57:26

6 years ago57:26

57:26

In this episode Corey is joined by Ethan Shearer as they spend some time sitting down with Dr Mike Long, professor at Elizabethtown College and author of over 20 books including Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers. Together they discuss the life and legacy of Mr Fred Rogers including his nonviolent, antiwar views, his peacemaking and we wonder at how we might apply his way of life to our own.…

The Open Pew

1
Grace Grace and More Grace with Bishop Karen Oliveto 47:26

6 years ago47:26

47:26

In this inaugural episode of The Open Pew, Corey is joined by co-host Kai Carico, director of student ministries at First UMC of Oak Ridge, TN, and Bishop Karen Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Conference. In this episode we talk about the next steps and follow-up to the specially called General Conference 2019 as well as the Annual Conference responses which have revealed a large amount of resistance. We talk about grace and ministry and loving our churches both large and small. If you'd like more info on the documentary, "Renewal or Ruin" you can find it over on Vimeo.…

The Open Pew

1
Room For Grace with Bishop David Bard 37:13

6 years ago37:13