Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“(Ndidi’s) really one of the most compelling social entrepreneurs that I’ve come across in my life.” -Michael [00:26]

“So much of the advocacy and the wins that the ONE Campaign has had over the last two decades of their work have been grounded in faith-based activism and have been the result of faith leaders, pastors, Christian artists coming together to advocate for the end of global poverty.” -Phebe [02:29]

“What we want to do under my leadership is really invite people who are sitting across the aisle to connect in a deeply human level. A level where we see each other, where we trust each other, but where we also believe we’re here on assignment. And where we are here because we have a legacy that is bigger and deeper than our own.” -Ndidi [12:20]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:43] History of ONE Campaign

[08:07] Ndidi’s vision for Africa

[13:30] Humanity and equity

[17:06] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of ONE Campaign
• Drop the Debt campaign
• President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
• TED Talk: The role of faith and belief in modern Africa

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

X: @CCPublicLife

Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

Instagram: @ccpubliclife

Podcast: For the Good of the Public

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Caregiving is a hot topic. It’s on the campaign trail right now. It’s in the headlines, but there’s such depth to what we need around caregiving.” -Liz [07:44]

“I believe that care consists of various peoples–aunties, uncles, teachers, coaches–that contribute to the being of one person. And I believe that it’s mutually beneficial. I think members of their culture have someone to contribute to their being. None of us arrive to this place of love and care by ourselves. It takes a village.” -Charles [13:35]

“Caring for others is self care. It is challenging and stressful and hard, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not nourishing us in other ways.” -Elissa [21:20]

“If we want to support stay-at-home parents, if we want to empower choices by parents to care for their children in the ways that they think best and align with their values, one of the most important things we can do is address the cost of housing.” -Joe [45:32]

“It’s really tough to fix this because what we have on one hand is parents who can’t afford safe, clean, reliable childcare, and the biggest input into that is the wages.” -Tim [52:15]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:04] About the panelists

[07:36] The deeper meaning of caregiving

[14:10] America’s concept of care

[21:29] Economic and cultural pressures

[25:43] The role of women

[32:05] Learning from other countries and cultures

[41:25] A more human approach to care

[51:12] Questions from the audience

[1:08:39] Outro

REFERENCES

• For the Good of the Public Summit
• Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly and Founding Women
• Elissa Strauss
• “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others” by Elissa Strauss
• Joe Waters, CEO and co-founder of Capita
• Tim Carney, journalist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American...]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly and Founding Women, moderates a conversation on creating a culture of care with Elissa Strauss, journalist and author of “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others,” Joe Waters, co-founder and CEO of Capita, Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Dr. Charles Daniels Jr., founder and CEO of Fathers’ Uplift. The panelists explore what it means to have a culture of care in this country and how it relates to today’s concept of care, drawing from their professional experiences and personal journeys with parenthood. They dig into the practical solutions that would approach care in a more humane way, both on a policy level and a community level.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Caregiving is a hot topic. It’s on the campaign trail right now. It’s in the headlines, but there’s such depth to what we need around caregiving.” -Liz [07:44]

  
  

  “I believe that care consists of various peoples–aunties, uncles, teachers, coaches–that contribute to the being of one person. And I believe that it’s mutually beneficial. I think members of their culture have someone to contribute to their being. None of us arrive to this place of love and care by ourselves. It takes a village.” -Charles [13:35]

  
  

  “Caring for others is self care. It is challenging and stressful and hard, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not nourishing us in other ways.” -Elissa [21:20]

  
  

  “If we want to support stay-at-home parents, if we want to empower choices by parents to care for their children in the ways that they think best and align with their values, one of the most important things we can do is address the cost of housing.” -Joe [45:32]

  
  

  “It’s really tough to fix this because what we have on one hand is parents who can’t afford safe, clean, reliable childcare, and the biggest input into that is the wages.” -Tim [52:15]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:04] About the panelists

  [07:36] The deeper meaning of caregiving

  [14:10] America’s concept of care

  [21:29] Economic and cultural pressures

  [25:43] The role of women

  [32:05] Learning from other countries and cultures

  [41:25] A more human approach to care

  [51:12] Questions from the audience

  [1:08:39] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly and Founding Women
  • Elissa Strauss
  • “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others” by Elissa Strauss
  • Joe Waters, CEO and co-founder of Capita
  • Tim Carney, journalist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
  • Dr. Charles Daniels, founder and CEO of Fathers’ Uplift
  • “Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be” by Timothy P. Carney
  • The Atlantic: Why Do So Many Parents Think Kids Need Their Own Bedroom?
  • Child Care is Infrastructure: Evidence from Universal Pre-K
  • Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
  • Call Her Daddy: Vice President Kamala Harris
  • Friendship Bench
  • Invisible Labor, Visible Needs: Making Family Policy Work for Stay-At-Home (And All) Parents
  • Glamour: They Raised the World’s Biggest Superstars. Now They’re Telling Their Own Stories
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Podcast: For the Good of the Public

  Mentioned in this episode:

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  For the Good of the Public Summit 2025

  For the Good of the Public Summit '25

  ]]>9a64e578-dc31-4906-a71d-cc44c18d1814Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -040001:12:00falsefull29292Democratic Leadership in Fractious TimesIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk from Eduard Heger, former Prime Minister of Slovakia. Eduard shares the challenges he faced  leading Slovakia from 2021 to 2023, through the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, a pandemic and an energy crisis. He focuses on what is required of leaders in tumultuous times–moral, integrity and character–to help build a resilient society for a more positive and better future. 

   

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  “What we need in this moment are leaders who are willing to tell the truth, who are honest about the challenges that their people are facing, who respond with care and compassion and have a spirit of generosity, and Eduard Heger is a leader like this.” -Phebe [01:44] 

  
  

  “One of the things we try to do throughout our summit, but really throughout the whole of the work at CCPL, is help to expand and reground our imagination for what public leadership can look like, the kinds of values that can ground public leadership and motivate it.” -Michael [03:14]

  
  

  “Serving politics is about serving. Nobody really believes that anymore, because they think it’s about ruling. Well we know that if you want to rule, you must start with serving, because actually serving, that’s how you rule the best. It’s not in your interest. It’s for the interest of society, of the good, of human mankind.” -Eduard [24:20]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:50] Governing Slovakia in unprecedented times

  [06:59] What’s going on in the World today

  [13:47] In the digital era

  [17:07] Building a strong resilient society

  [23:54] Serving politics

  [32:02] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Eduard Heger
  • Russia’s War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Podcast: For the Good of the Public

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  ]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk from Eduard Heger, former Prime Minister of Slovakia. Eduard shares the challenges he faced  leading Slovakia from 2021 to 2023, through the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, a pandemic and an energy crisis. He focuses on what is required of leaders in tumultuous times–moral, integrity and character–to help build a resilient society for a more positive and better future. 

   

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  “What we need in this moment are leaders who are willing to tell the truth, who are honest about the challenges that their people are facing, who respond with care and compassion and have a spirit of generosity, and Eduard Heger is a leader like this.” -Phebe [01:44] 

  
  

  “One of the things we try to do throughout our summit, but really throughout the whole of the work at CCPL, is help to expand and reground our imagination for what public leadership can look like, the kinds of values that can ground public leadership and motivate it.” -Michael [03:14]

  
  

  “Serving politics is about serving. Nobody really believes that anymore, because they think it’s about ruling. Well we know that if you want to rule, you must start with serving, because actually serving, that’s how you rule the best. It’s not in your interest. It’s for the interest of society, of the good, of human mankind.” -Eduard [24:20]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:50] Governing Slovakia in unprecedented times

  [06:59] What’s going on in the World today

  [13:47] In the digital era

  [17:07] Building a strong resilient society

  [23:54] Serving politics

  [32:02] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Eduard Heger
  • Russia’s War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Podcast: For the Good of the Public

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  ]]>eac6d748-6b69-48fc-b2aa-1d1e77124f64Fri, 19 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -040034:42falsefull28282Strengthening Our DemocracyMichael and Phebe return for the second half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with six conversations from last year’s For the Good of the Public Summit. We start this week with a talk by Romanita Hairston, CEO of M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a 50-year-old organization that partners with non-profit organizations and community leaders around the Pacific Northwest to invest in transformational ideas that enable the region to flourish. Romanita is a respected national leader who not only guides the Murdock Trust, but shapes the entire philanthropic sector’s approach to strengthening democracy. In her talk, she shares her vision for the role philanthropy can play in shaping and supporting civic life, drawing on her experience leading the Trust, her broader philanthropic experience and her faith. She believes philanthropy can lead the way to civic renewal through these highly polarized times within a trifecta society, the civic and social sector, and its relation to faith.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Romanita is someone with real vision for the future of philanthropy." -Michael [02:57]

  
  

  “One of the reasons why we wanted to host this conversation is because we believe philanthropy is an essential and powerful lever in the work towards civic renewal.” -Phebe [03:27]

  
  

  “The best gift we give is love. Transforming enemies into friends, healing the divides, and honoring diversity. Not only can we all be philanthropists, we in fact, all are philanthropists, with every choice we make for our time, our resources, and our money to different degrees.” -Romanita [24:51]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:46] About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

  [09:57] Philanthropy in the tri-sector

  [13:56] Philanthropy's role within the civic and social sector

  [18:59] Philanthropy in faith

  [22:38] In summary

  [25:43] An act of prayer

  [26:42] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Romanita Hairston
  • M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
  • Steven Garber
  • Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Podcast: For the Good of the Public

  Mentioned in this episode:

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  New Updated Feed Here!

  Michael and Phebe return for the second half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with six conversations from last year’s For the Good of the Public Summit. We start this week with a talk by Romanita Hairston, CEO of M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a 50-year-old organization that partners with non-profit organizations and community leaders around the Pacific Northwest to invest in transformational ideas that enable the region to flourish. Romanita is a respected national leader who not only guides the Murdock Trust, but shapes the entire philanthropic sector’s approach to strengthening democracy. In her talk, she shares her vision for the role philanthropy can play in shaping and supporting civic life, drawing on her experience leading the Trust, her broader philanthropic experience and her faith. She believes philanthropy can lead the way to civic renewal through these highly polarized times within a trifecta society, the civic and social sector, and its relation to faith.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Romanita is someone with real vision for the future of philanthropy." -Michael [02:57]

  
  

  “One of the reasons why we wanted to host this conversation is because we believe philanthropy is an essential and powerful lever in the work towards civic renewal.” -Phebe [03:27]

  
  

  “The best gift we give is love. Transforming enemies into friends, healing the divides, and honoring diversity. Not only can we all be philanthropists, we in fact, all are philanthropists, with every choice we make for our time, our resources, and our money to different degrees.” -Romanita [24:51]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:46] About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

  [09:57] Philanthropy in the tri-sector

  [13:56] Philanthropy's role within the civic and social sector

  [18:59] Philanthropy in faith

  [22:38] In summary

  [25:43] An act of prayer

  [26:42] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Romanita Hairston
  • M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
  • Steven Garber
  • Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steven Garber
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Podcast: For the Good of the Public

  Mentioned in this episode:

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  ]]>3065dded-9f8c-46f7-95de-d0176a0e2df1Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -040029:20falsefull27272For The Good of the Public | A New Weekday RhythmWe want to bring our communities together by combining our podcast feeds!

  You can continue to stay up to date and follow For the Good of the Public Podcast at our new home HERE or search for "For the Good of the Public" on your favorite podcasting app.

  For the Good of the Public brings you daily news and weekly conversations at the intersection of faith and civic life. Monday through Thursday, The Morning Five starts your day off with scripture and prayer, as we catch up on the news of the day together. Throughout the year, we air limited series on Fridays to dive deeper into conversations with civic leaders, thinkers, and public servants reimagining public life, for the good of the public.

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  ]]>We want to bring our communities together by combining our podcast feeds!

  You can continue to stay up to date and follow For the Good of the Public Podcast at our new home HERE or search for "For the Good of the Public" on your favorite podcasting app.

  For the Good of the Public brings you daily news and weekly conversations at the intersection of faith and civic life. Monday through Thursday, The Morning Five starts your day off with scripture and prayer, as we catch up on the news of the day together. Throughout the year, we air limited series on Fridays to dive deeper into conversations with civic leaders, thinkers, and public servants reimagining public life, for the good of the public.

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  ]]>863add8c-daf5-4b15-bd40-2753dc7358bfFri, 12 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -040004:35falsetrailer29292I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsMichael and Phebe close out the first half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with a benediction by Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today, Founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries and founding board member for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Dr. Nicole talks about hope as a metric for success and the key ingredient for having a peaceful life. Hope is part of our Christian life, and she reminds us through the inspiration of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” why it’s important to have hope in the midst of hopefulness with God’s strength. For the Good of the Public podcast will return with new episodes in September. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Hope is something that actually makes a difference in our everyday lived realities, and it is something that is cultivated in our communities. It’s cultivated in our churches. It’s cultivated by a faith in the everlasting love and salvation of Jesus Christ. And it’s actually an essential resource for public life.” -Phebe [01:34]

  
  

  “Nicole is very much someone who embodies our mission, our identity as an organization. She is an incredible leader.” -Michael [02:07]

  
  

  “The challenge of our faith isn’t just to have hope in good times. The challenge of our faith is how do we have hope when everything around us looks dismal, horrible, hopeless.” -Nicole [11:06]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [02:54] About Rev. Nicole Massie Martin

  [03:33] Habakkuk 3:17-19

  [10:06] Hope in absolute chaos

  [14:08] It’s our job to see the .1%

  [18:50] Shaping us for the call

  [26:16] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • Nicole Massie Martin
  • Christianity Today
  • Soulfire International Ministries
  • Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender by Nicole Massie Martin
  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  • Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America by Michael Wear
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Mentioned in this episode:

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public...]]>Michael and Phebe close out the first half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with a benediction by Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today, Founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries and founding board member for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Dr. Nicole talks about hope as a metric for success and the key ingredient for having a peaceful life. Hope is part of our Christian life, and she reminds us through the inspiration of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” why it’s important to have hope in the midst of hopefulness with God’s strength. For the Good of the Public podcast will return with new episodes in September. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Hope is something that actually makes a difference in our everyday lived realities, and it is something that is cultivated in our communities. It’s cultivated in our churches. It’s cultivated by a faith in the everlasting love and salvation of Jesus Christ. And it’s actually an essential resource for public life.” -Phebe [01:34]

  
  

  “Nicole is very much someone who embodies our mission, our identity as an organization. She is an incredible leader.” -Michael [02:07]

  
  

  “The challenge of our faith isn’t just to have hope in good times. The challenge of our faith is how do we have hope when everything around us looks dismal, horrible, hopeless.” -Nicole [11:06]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [02:54] About Rev. Nicole Massie Martin

  [03:33] Habakkuk 3:17-19

  [10:06] Hope in absolute chaos

  [14:08] It’s our job to see the .1%

  [18:50] Shaping us for the call

  [26:16] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • Nicole Massie Martin
  • Christianity Today
  • Soulfire International Ministries
  • Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender by Nicole Massie Martin
  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  • Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America by Michael Wear
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Mentioned in this episode:

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  ]]>0408fb0d-8c9f-4d45-b0b3-0406d9ca2322Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -040029:45falsefull26262What Dignity DemandsIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, we hear from Rachael Denhollander about Christian resources for confronting abuse. Rachel is an attorney, educator and author who was the first person to pursue criminal charges against Larry Nassar, USA gymnastics team’s doctor, in 2016. Her act of activism inspired other women to come forward and has turned her experience into becoming a powerful advocate and consultant about the realities of abuse. Rachael provides a stirring, challenging keynote address on what is required to build a culture that recognizes human dignity and opposes abuse. 

  Content Warning: This episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including sexual abuse that may be triggering for some individuals.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Rachael shows us how we can draw from the resources of the Christian faith to gain insights that get closer to the heart of reality than we would otherwise.” -Michael [00:49]

  
  

  “One of the most meaningful aspects of the talk for me was hearing Rachael reflect on the character of God. She talks about how throughout scripture, God is referenced as a refuge and a safe place, and an ever-present help in trouble. And that is exactly what the church should be, and most importantly, the people within the church that are a safe place to come to.” -Phebe [02:27]

  
  

  “What I find so beautiful as a Christian is that as Christians, we are actually uniquely positioned to speak to a culture of abuse, and to bring hope to those who have suffered devastating wounds.” -Rachael [18:32]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:01] About Rachael

  [06:39] A starting point

  [10:07] Who was the most helpful?

  [18:51] Just and unjust

  [23:23] A few framework concepts

  [27:56] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • Rachael Denhollander
  • CNN: Read Rachael Denhollander’s full victim impact statement about Larry Nassar
  • What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander
  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, we hear from Rachael Denhollander about Christian resources for confronting abuse. Rachel is an attorney, educator and author who was the first person to pursue criminal charges against Larry Nassar, USA gymnastics team’s doctor, in 2016. Her act of activism inspired other women to come forward and has turned her experience into becoming a powerful advocate and consultant about the realities of abuse. Rachael provides a stirring, challenging keynote address on what is required to build a culture that recognizes human dignity and opposes abuse. 

  Content Warning: This episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including sexual abuse that may be triggering for some individuals.

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “Rachael shows us how we can draw from the resources of the Christian faith to gain insights that get closer to the heart of reality than we would otherwise.” -Michael [00:49]

  
  

  “One of the most meaningful aspects of the talk for me was hearing Rachael reflect on the character of God. She talks about how throughout scripture, God is referenced as a refuge and a safe place, and an ever-present help in trouble. And that is exactly what the church should be, and most importantly, the people within the church that are a safe place to come to.” -Phebe [02:27]

  
  

  “What I find so beautiful as a Christian is that as Christians, we are actually uniquely positioned to speak to a culture of abuse, and to bring hope to those who have suffered devastating wounds.” -Rachael [18:32]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [04:01] About Rachael

  [06:39] A starting point

  [10:07] Who was the most helpful?

  [18:51] Just and unjust

  [23:23] A few framework concepts

  [27:56] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • Rachael Denhollander
  • CNN: Read Rachael Denhollander’s full victim impact statement about Larry Nassar
  • What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander
  • For the Good of the Public Summit
  • Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
  
  

  
  

  CONNECT WITH US:

  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

  X: @CCPublicLife

  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

  Mentioned in this episode:

  New Updated Feed Here!

  New Podcast

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

  ]]>88d7c309-6c3b-4f90-891e-79db24fafef8Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -040030:35falsefull25252Pastors Navigating PoliticsIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a panel discussion with pastors as they think about their approach to leading their congregation during this current political moment. Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Christianity Today and founding board member of CCPL, leads the discussion with Lisa Cummins, Founder of Urban Strategies, Duke Kwon, Lead Pastor at Grace Meridian Hill and co-author of Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair and Chris Butler, Director of Christian Civic Formation at CCPL and a pastor at Ambassador Church (formerly Chicago Embassy Church Network). They consider the role of clergy when it comes to politics and the local congregation. Their deep insights grounded in practical experience help show how Christian resources provide crucial support for a healthier politics that benefits from positive Christian contribution. 

  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

  
  

  “I think there’s an important role that spiritual leaders–pastors in particular–in our calling, we are called to testify to a transcendent reality… So when our eyes are only fixed at ground level, and our conversations are only engaged in a cacophony of discording voices and vitriol and anger and fear and wrath, that deforms the soul, even of the pastor herself or himself.” -Duke [29:23]

  
  

  “I think that there is an opportunity for us to begin this conversation–a healthy conversation, biblically-rooted conversation–about what it means to be politically involved using the Good Word, publicly engaged and loving our neighbors.” -Lisa [45:16]

  
  

  “I’m a preacher’s kid. So I remember when we were growing up, my dad never said the name of the political candidate from the pulpit, because of fear of losing the 501(c)(3). This feels like a different age where preachers are very, very flippant. I mean, they just use anybody’s name as a positive or a negative.” -Nicole [1:02:04]

  
  

  “You have to dig in and do the work to allow the Holy Spirit to give your words that are going to wake people up and not shut them down.” -Chris [1:02:56]

  
  

  TIMESTAMPS

  [00:00] Intro

  [07:19] Meet the panelists

  [14:09] Handling political engagement

  [26:16] The role that fear might play

  [28:32] How to avoid co-opting to a particular agenda

  [36:44] The role of the church right now

  [46:31] A prophetic word

  [52:56] Love your neighbor and your enemy

  [55:59] Immigration and how we speak about immigrants

  [59:56] Addressing political discipleship

  [1:08:41] Outro

  
  

  REFERENCES

  • The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life by Michael Wear
  • Chris Butler, Director of Christian Civic Formation at CCPL
  • Ministry Leaders Interest Survey
  • Christianity Today
  • Soulfire International Ministries
  • Urban Strategies
  • Grace Meridian Hill
  • Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    
    

    “I think there’s an important role that spiritual leaders–pastors in particular–in our calling, we are called to testify to a transcendent reality… So when our eyes are only fixed at ground level, and our conversations are only engaged in a cacophony of discording voices and vitriol and anger and fear and wrath, that deforms the soul, even of the pastor herself or himself.” -Duke [29:23]

    
    

    “I think that there is an opportunity for us to begin this conversation–a healthy conversation, biblically-rooted conversation–about what it means to be politically involved using the Good Word, publicly engaged and loving our neighbors.” -Lisa [45:16]

    
    

    “I’m a preacher’s kid. So I remember when we were growing up, my dad never said the name of the political candidate from the pulpit, because of fear of losing the 501(c)(3). This feels like a different age where preachers are very, very flippant. I mean, they just use anybody’s name as a positive or a negative.” -Nicole [1:02:04]

    
    

    “You have to dig in and do the work to allow the Holy Spirit to give your words that are going to wake people up and not shut them down.” -Chris [1:02:56]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [07:19] Meet the panelists

    [14:09] Handling political engagement

    [26:16] The role that fear might play

    [28:32] How to avoid co-opting to a particular agenda

    [36:44] The role of the church right now

    [46:31] A prophetic word

    [52:56] Love your neighbor and your enemy

    [55:59] Immigration and how we speak about immigrants

    [59:56] Addressing political discipleship

    [1:08:41] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life by Michael Wear
    • Chris Butler, Director of Christian Civic Formation at CCPL
    • Ministry Leaders Interest Survey
    • Christianity Today
    • Soulfire International Ministries
    • Urban Strategies
    • Grace Meridian Hill
    • Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson
    • Ambassador Church (formerly Chicago Embassy Church Network)
    • Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Chris Butler, Justin Giboney, and Michael Wear
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness by Raphael G. Warnock
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    ]]>c7ec51ac-2eae-48f0-853e-0fbbb3f7a2e4Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -040001:12:13falsefull24242Religion, Lady Bird and AI: A Conversation with the New York Times’ Jessica GroseIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael shares his in-depth conversation with Jessica Grose, a columnist at the New York Times, about her five-part series on how Americans think about religion today. Jessica dives into some of the trends she discovered through her reporting, and explores what Americans value, or miss, about religious experiences in modern America. Michael and Jessica also talk about Artificial Intelligence, and consider the potential for AI to help, or deepen, loneliness and social disrepair. Jessica’s approach to writing about these issues with a degree of earnest curiosity provides a fresh, essential perspective regarding how we think about religion and modern life. As a bonus: don’t miss Michael’s effusive reflections on Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “It is just so rare to have someone who is approaching these things with an attempt to look at religion with fresh eyes, and that’s what Jessica’s really able to do in this series. I think it’s what she’s able to convey in this conversation that we have.” -Michael [01:14]

    “A distinct good that Jessica talks about in her interview is churches being a place where people can find meaning and belonging and enriching friendship.” -Phebe [03:35]

    “The best part of it has been opening up a space for people to talk about their faith.” -Jessica [14:53]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [06:25] What Lady Bird teaches about religion

    [10:12] Inspiration behind Jessica’s writing

    [13:57] Her contribution to the conversation

    [17:35] The role religion can play

    [21:48] The “Nones” and spiritual but not religion

    [26:42] AI and loneliness

    [29:36] Jessica’s personal story and what’s next

    [34:48] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Jessica Grose
    • Jessica’s columns for the New York Times
    • What Churches Offer That ‘Nones’ Still Long For By Jessica Grose
    • Lady Bird
    • Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America
    • Wall Street Journal: More Americans Left Religion During the Pandemic
    • Loneliness Is a Problem That A.I. Won’t Solve by Jessica Grose
    • ‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins. by Jessica Grose
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael shares his in-depth conversation with Jessica Grose, a columnist at the New York Times, about her five-part series on how Americans think about religion today. Jessica dives into some of the trends she discovered through her reporting, and explores what Americans value, or miss, about religious experiences in modern America. Michael and Jessica also talk about Artificial Intelligence, and consider the potential for AI to help, or deepen, loneliness and social disrepair. Jessica’s approach to writing about these issues with a degree of earnest curiosity provides a fresh, essential perspective regarding how we think about religion and modern life. As a bonus: don’t miss Michael’s effusive reflections on Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “It is just so rare to have someone who is approaching these things with an attempt to look at religion with fresh eyes, and that’s what Jessica’s really able to do in this series. I think it’s what she’s able to convey in this conversation that we have.” -Michael [01:14]

    “A distinct good that Jessica talks about in her interview is churches being a place where people can find meaning and belonging and enriching friendship.” -Phebe [03:35]

    “The best part of it has been opening up a space for people to talk about their faith.” -Jessica [14:53]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [06:25] What Lady Bird teaches about religion

    [10:12] Inspiration behind Jessica’s writing

    [13:57] Her contribution to the conversation

    [17:35] The role religion can play

    [21:48] The “Nones” and spiritual but not religion

    [26:42] AI and loneliness

    [29:36] Jessica’s personal story and what’s next

    [34:48] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Jessica Grose
    • Jessica’s columns for the New York Times
    • What Churches Offer That ‘Nones’ Still Long For By Jessica Grose
    • Lady Bird
    • Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America
    • Wall Street Journal: More Americans Left Religion During the Pandemic
    • Loneliness Is a Problem That A.I. Won’t Solve by Jessica Grose
    • ‘Nobody Wants This’ Pits Jewish Women Against ‘Shiksas.’ Nobody Wins. by Jessica Grose
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    Community of Young Christians in Politics

    Young Christians Network

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    ]]>c5b985df-b754-4d54-833e-09e1ac99ac45Wed, 25 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -040038:17falsefull23232A Clear View of Religion in American Public LifeIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a presentation from Tim Dixon, co-founder of More in Common, a leading international non-profit that seeks to understand the polarizing forces in our civic and cultural life and build strategies and partnerships to find common ground solutions. Tim highlights key findings that were discovered in More in Common’s recent report called Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful, that uses data and research to understand how America’s polarization is playing out among Evangelical Christian, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Latter-day Saint communities. Interviewing over 6,000 Americans with a specific focus on Christian, Jewish and Muslim Americans, the study reveals myths about faith in America today, but also a more hopeful perspective on what it means to be a person of faith and a clearer view of religion in American public life.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “What I love about More in Common is that they’re committed to data. They’re committed to research. They’re also committed to not making things worse than they appear. They’re committed to not just generating conflict for conflict’s sake. Tim–in this talk–actually sees ways in which maybe we’re overestimating how divided we are, overestimating how intractable some of our differences might be and I thought that was a good way to set the tone for the summit in 2024.” -Michael [00:37]

    “While Tim acknowledges that this is a distinct crisis facing our churches, that there is so much division in specific faith congregations, it also is the biggest opportunity. And he acknowledges that local churches is actually where change will take place and trust will be built.” -Phebe [02:04]

    “We’re still a country of faithful people. Yes, there’s a decline. Yes, there’s a change, and yes, I think there’s a lot of evidence of spiritual crisis, but the pews aren’t empty. And this is still a far more religious nation than other Western countries.” -Tim [23:17]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [05:59] Surveying over 6,000 Americans

    [07:52] The deepest story they found

    [13:34] Faith in politics

    [20:02] The perception of decline

    [23:34] Religion intolerance

    [26:07] Two other interesting findings

    [30:49] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Tim Dixon, Co-Founder of More in Common Global
    • Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the...]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a presentation from Tim Dixon, co-founder of More in Common, a leading international non-profit that seeks to understand the polarizing forces in our civic and cultural life and build strategies and partnerships to find common ground solutions. Tim highlights key findings that were discovered in More in Common’s recent report called Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful, that uses data and research to understand how America’s polarization is playing out among Evangelical Christian, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Latter-day Saint communities. Interviewing over 6,000 Americans with a specific focus on Christian, Jewish and Muslim Americans, the study reveals myths about faith in America today, but also a more hopeful perspective on what it means to be a person of faith and a clearer view of religion in American public life.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “What I love about More in Common is that they’re committed to data. They’re committed to research. They’re also committed to not making things worse than they appear. They’re committed to not just generating conflict for conflict’s sake. Tim–in this talk–actually sees ways in which maybe we’re overestimating how divided we are, overestimating how intractable some of our differences might be and I thought that was a good way to set the tone for the summit in 2024.” -Michael [00:37]

    “While Tim acknowledges that this is a distinct crisis facing our churches, that there is so much division in specific faith congregations, it also is the biggest opportunity. And he acknowledges that local churches is actually where change will take place and trust will be built.” -Phebe [02:04]

    “We’re still a country of faithful people. Yes, there’s a decline. Yes, there’s a change, and yes, I think there’s a lot of evidence of spiritual crisis, but the pews aren’t empty. And this is still a far more religious nation than other Western countries.” -Tim [23:17]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [05:59] Surveying over 6,000 Americans

    [07:52] The deepest story they found

    [13:34] Faith in politics

    [20:02] The perception of decline

    [23:34] Religion intolerance

    [26:07] Two other interesting findings

    [30:49] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Tim Dixon, Co-Founder of More in Common Global
    • Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    CCPL Short Survey for Pastors and Ministry Leaders

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>cd173540-e2ea-4d65-bf0c-7af68655a197Wed, 18 Jun 2025 03:30:00 -040034:02falsefull22222What We Need - What We Can OfferIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff, of Center for Christianity & Public Life (CCPL), reflect on the meaningful and thought-provoking conversations from the second annual For the Good of the Public Summit, starting with Michael’s opening keynote. CCPL provides a hospitable place for speakers—from civic leaders to advocates to journalists and politicians—to reflect on some of the most pressing issues in public life today and what Christianity has to offer for a healthier politics and public life. While these conversations occurred a month prior to the 2024 Presidential Election, they will provide important context for the issues occurring today.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “It’s not only a summit where we cover a lot of deep and heavy topics, but it’s also genuinely fun. People come away from the summit having made new connections and friends and really having felt like they were at an event that has a generous and hospitable spirit to it.” -Phebe [04:18]

    “In order to truly engage with what’s happening nationally, you need to be attentive to what is happening within your own spirit. You need to be attentive to the kind of person you are becoming in the midst of all of your thinking about structures and systems. You need to think about who you are, who you are becoming and what you are doing.” -Michael [17:07]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [02:08] The work of CCPL

    [04:46] The approach to the summit

    [07:02] Being responsive to the moment

    [09:58] A keynote address for today

    [19:14] Sometimes a summit is called for

    [23:38] Christianity still has much to offer America

    [27:29] Spiritual formation is central to civic renewal

    [31:07] On the lookout for light

    [33:06] Outro

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • CCPL’s 2024 Annual Report
    • Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
    • Sargent Shriver‘s Address to the National Conference of Catholic Charities
    • New York Times: CHRIST IS DECLARED ALWAYS WITH MAN; He Confronts Conscience All Through Life, Dr. B.E. Mays Says in Riverside Sermon
    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff, of Center for Christianity & Public Life (CCPL), reflect on the meaningful and thought-provoking conversations from the second annual For the Good of the Public Summit, starting with Michael’s opening keynote. CCPL provides a hospitable place for speakers—from civic leaders to advocates to journalists and politicians—to reflect on some of the most pressing issues in public life today and what Christianity has to offer for a healthier politics and public life. While these conversations occurred a month prior to the 2024 Presidential Election, they will provide important context for the issues occurring today.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “It’s not only a summit where we cover a lot of deep and heavy topics, but it’s also genuinely fun. People come away from the summit having made new connections and friends and really having felt like they were at an event that has a generous and hospitable spirit to it.” -Phebe [04:18]

    “In order to truly engage with what’s happening nationally, you need to be attentive to what is happening within your own spirit. You need to be attentive to the kind of person you are becoming in the midst of all of your thinking about structures and systems. You need to think about who you are, who you are becoming and what you are doing.” -Michael [17:07]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [02:08] The work of CCPL

    [04:46] The approach to the summit

    [07:02] Being responsive to the moment

    [09:58] A keynote address for today

    [19:14] Sometimes a summit is called for

    [23:38] Christianity still has much to offer America

    [27:29] Spiritual formation is central to civic renewal

    [31:07] On the lookout for light

    [33:06] Outro

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • CCPL’s 2024 Annual Report
    • Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
    • Sargent Shriver‘s Address to the National Conference of Catholic Charities
    • New York Times: CHRIST IS DECLARED ALWAYS WITH MAN; He Confronts Conscience All Through Life, Dr. B.E. Mays Says in Riverside Sermon
    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    ]]>1c6ed2a1-7823-4012-8b9d-7333040b29ddTue, 10 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -040035:45falsefull21212Season 2 of For the Good of the Public PodcastThe Center for Christianity & Public Life returns with another season of our podcast, For the Good of the Public. Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff, review some of the most impactful sessions from CCPL’s 2024 For the Good of the Public summit, which brings together civic leaders, organizations and individuals who care about the public good to learn, dream and work together. In the coming weeks, we invite you to listen to conversations with Rachael Denhollander on preventing abuse, Former Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger about democracy and Murdock Trust CEO Romanita Hairston on how philanthropy can strengthen our democracy along with other topics such as creating a culture of care and the future of religion in America.

    Connect with Us:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>The Center for Christianity & Public Life returns with another season of our podcast, For the Good of the Public. Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff, review some of the most impactful sessions from CCPL’s 2024 For the Good of the Public summit, which brings together civic leaders, organizations and individuals who care about the public good to learn, dream and work together. In the coming weeks, we invite you to listen to conversations with Rachael Denhollander on preventing abuse, Former Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger about democracy and Murdock Trust CEO Romanita Hairston on how philanthropy can strengthen our democracy along with other topics such as creating a culture of care and the future of religion in America.

    Connect with Us:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>7c53d0af-1098-4a03-8391-936492055a27Wed, 04 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -040004:15falsetrailer222Building a Culture of Service and VolunteerismIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a conversation about service and volunteerism, highlighting leaders that show what Christians are doing to build a culture of service in their own communities. Phebe moderates as the panelists–Bryant Wright, President of Send Relief, Josh Dickson, Vice President of Public Policy at United Way Worldwide, and Sister Norma Pimentel, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley–discuss their work in helping others by restoring human dignity and building trust. Sister Norma is also one of the first two recipients of the CCPL’s Civil Renewal Award, which honors Christians who show exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of their communities and nation. Jonathan Keller received the award on behalf of his father, the late-Rev. Timothy Keller. The talks from the awards ceremony are not included in the podcast, but are available on the website and Youtube channel.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “The message of this panel is that this is what Christians are doing in their own communities at very local levels every day. It’s something that each of us can do as we go about our lives, and it’s those kinds of contributions that really make up the fabric of this country and make life livable for so many.” -Michael [02:18]

    
    

    “Each of you have a wealth of experience working with faith groups or individuals who are motivated by faith. What motivates Christians to serve?” -Phebe [07:37]

    
    

    “I think that’s key to what our faith moves us forward to do–to help others–because we’re able to see the need and the struggle, and we want to be able to restore that dignity of the person that is in need of that.” -Sister Norma [11:55]

    
    

    “One thing I would encourage you folks on is don’t give up on the local church, because you’ve got the largest manpower of volunteers in local churches all over the world.” -Bryant [26:03]

    
    

    “It’s important to get offline a little bit and to get into community. I think that too often people are sitting on screens and only on screens, and I think where I have seen the most moving, formative, influential and impactful work happen is person-to-person with people.” -Josh [28:09]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [03:16] This week’s guests

    [07:05] Restoring human dignity

    [17:13] The church is the heartbeat

    [22:59] Building that trust

    [24:28] How to build a culture of service

    [29:11] Current trends and innovations

    [32:34] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • New award honors Tim Keller and Sister Norma Pimentel for civic renewal
    • Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley
    • Send Relief
    • United Way Worldwide
    • Beyond the Offering Plate: Views on Volunteering
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a conversation about service and volunteerism, highlighting leaders that show what Christians are doing to build a culture of service in their own communities. Phebe moderates as the panelists–Bryant Wright, President of Send Relief, Josh Dickson, Vice President of Public Policy at United Way Worldwide, and Sister Norma Pimentel, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley–discuss their work in helping others by restoring human dignity and building trust. Sister Norma is also one of the first two recipients of the CCPL’s Civil Renewal Award, which honors Christians who show exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of their communities and nation. Jonathan Keller received the award on behalf of his father, the late-Rev. Timothy Keller. The talks from the awards ceremony are not included in the podcast, but are available on the website and Youtube channel.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “The message of this panel is that this is what Christians are doing in their own communities at very local levels every day. It’s something that each of us can do as we go about our lives, and it’s those kinds of contributions that really make up the fabric of this country and make life livable for so many.” -Michael [02:18]

    
    

    “Each of you have a wealth of experience working with faith groups or individuals who are motivated by faith. What motivates Christians to serve?” -Phebe [07:37]

    
    

    “I think that’s key to what our faith moves us forward to do–to help others–because we’re able to see the need and the struggle, and we want to be able to restore that dignity of the person that is in need of that.” -Sister Norma [11:55]

    
    

    “One thing I would encourage you folks on is don’t give up on the local church, because you’ve got the largest manpower of volunteers in local churches all over the world.” -Bryant [26:03]

    
    

    “It’s important to get offline a little bit and to get into community. I think that too often people are sitting on screens and only on screens, and I think where I have seen the most moving, formative, influential and impactful work happen is person-to-person with people.” -Josh [28:09]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [03:16] This week’s guests

    [07:05] Restoring human dignity

    [17:13] The church is the heartbeat

    [22:59] Building that trust

    [24:28] How to build a culture of service

    [29:11] Current trends and innovations

    [32:34] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • New award honors Tim Keller and Sister Norma Pimentel for civic renewal
    • Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley
    • Send Relief
    • United Way Worldwide
    • Beyond the Offering Plate: Views on Volunteering
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>688a704b-8a23-4b67-9da2-28dd87f99d68Wed, 18 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -040035:13falsefull1161161What A Pluralistic America Needs from ChristiansIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk by Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization that works with governments, universities, private companies and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation, rather than a barrier of division. He draws from Muslim theology to share how to cultivate peace and pluralism by considering viewpoints and resources that are not our own. Following the talk, Michael joins Eboo to learn more about the work of Interfaith America, and to share more about Eboo and Michael’s history of friendship and partnership.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “I think that Christians, not only need to listen to others, but can benefit from listening to others, and Eboo’s talk is the proof of that.” -Michael [02:09]

    
    

    “Diversity is holy… that’s why it needs us–the practitioners of peace of pluralism–who seek the welfare of the city, but know that we are called to do it by our faith, because that will last.” -Eboo [23:54]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [03:44] About this week’s guest

    [04:19] Seek the welfare of the city

    [08:38] A Muslim theology of pluralism

    [14:42] The Constitution of Medina

    [24:35] The fundamental story

    [30:44] The work of Interfaith America

    [38:07] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Interfaith America
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
    • The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization by Peter T. Coleman
    • How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk by Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization that works with governments, universities, private companies and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation, rather than a barrier of division. He draws from Muslim theology to share how to cultivate peace and pluralism by considering viewpoints and resources that are not our own. Following the talk, Michael joins Eboo to learn more about the work of Interfaith America, and to share more about Eboo and Michael’s history of friendship and partnership.

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “I think that Christians, not only need to listen to others, but can benefit from listening to others, and Eboo’s talk is the proof of that.” -Michael [02:09]

    
    

    “Diversity is holy… that’s why it needs us–the practitioners of peace of pluralism–who seek the welfare of the city, but know that we are called to do it by our faith, because that will last.” -Eboo [23:54]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [03:44] About this week’s guest

    [04:19] Seek the welfare of the city

    [08:38] A Muslim theology of pluralism

    [14:42] The Constitution of Medina

    [24:35] The fundamental story

    [30:44] The work of Interfaith America

    [38:07] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Interfaith America
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
    • The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization by Peter T. Coleman
    • How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>07dd688d-9327-47df-8c7d-a02073a6c41cWed, 11 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -040040:46falsefull1151151Christianity and a Healthier PoliticsIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk by U.S. Senator Chris Coons about the way his Christian faith informs his public service. Senator Coons highlights the importance of friendship, the power of forgiveness and navigating difference. Following his talk in front of our summit audience, Michael joined Senator Coons for conversation, which you will hear in this episode as well. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    
    

    “He always highlights friendship and he highlights getting to know people beyond their political convictions. Those models are so necessary right now in both our public life, but in our life with our next door neighbors and our parents and our grandparents who we may not agree with.” -Phebe [02:28]

    
    

    “Because at the end of the day, the most true thing I can say about our weekly prayer breakfast is that it is harder to throw a rhetorical punch on the floor of the Senate at someone with whom you’ve held hands in prayer in the morning.” -Senator Coons [11:25]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [04:25] About this week’s guest

    [05:09] How do we find our way in this moment

    [13:00] Reflecting on a trip with the late-John Lewis

    [16:35] The antidote to the division and distraction of our age

    [19:36] How we can help

    [23:17] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Senator Chris Coons
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a talk by U.S. Senator Chris Coons about the way his Christian faith informs his public service. Senator Coons highlights the importance of friendship, the power of forgiveness and navigating difference. Following his talk in front of our summit audience, Michael joined Senator Coons for conversation, which you will hear in this episode as well. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    
    

    “He always highlights friendship and he highlights getting to know people beyond their political convictions. Those models are so necessary right now in both our public life, but in our life with our next door neighbors and our parents and our grandparents who we may not agree with.” -Phebe [02:28]

    
    

    “Because at the end of the day, the most true thing I can say about our weekly prayer breakfast is that it is harder to throw a rhetorical punch on the floor of the Senate at someone with whom you’ve held hands in prayer in the morning.” -Senator Coons [11:25]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [04:25] About this week’s guest

    [05:09] How do we find our way in this moment

    [13:00] Reflecting on a trip with the late-John Lewis

    [16:35] The antidote to the division and distraction of our age

    [19:36] How we can help

    [23:17] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Senator Chris Coons
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    ]]>56d49aa7-0a97-4ab0-a647-784c5ff7a4d9Wed, 04 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -040025:56falsefull1141141Christian Resources and Criminal Justice Reform: A ModelIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation about criminal justice reform with Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship, and Ralph Diaz, a former correction officer and Vice-Chairman of Prison Fellowship’s Board of Directors. With 1.7 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails across the country, Heather and Ralph discuss what they are seeking to do with the current criminal justice system and offer a vision for it. They draw from Prison Fellowship as a practical model for how to think about criminal justice reform and why rehabilitative justice is important and essential. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “When we think about the concept of justice, we’re thinking that it just doesn't leave people where they are, but it’s actually seeking their betterment.” -Phebe [01:50]

    
    

    “When we’re having public policy conversations, it helps to (consider) ‘What is the purpose we have in mind for this system? What is the goal that we have in mind?’ And that’s why I appreciate this conversation so much. The way that Heather and Ralph are able to talk about what we’re seeking to do with our criminal justice system and offering a vision for it.” -Michael [02:08]

    
    

    “I learned right away, today’s inmates are tomorrow’s neighbor, and sending people out back into a community with no resources, no skills, not dealing with some of the court issues, that was an injustice. Not only for the individual, but the communities that we’re sending them back to.” -Ralph [13:32]

    
    

    “I would encourage folks to make sure you’re following your lawmakers on these issues, talking to them about it. Local, federal, at every level, because we see the justice system does exist at every level.” -Heather [27:45]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [04:14] About this week’s guests

    [04:55] A little bit of context

    [06:08] Ralph’s experience in the justice system

    [11:21] The need for rehabilitation

    [17:53] Practical ways to prevent the cycle of crime

    [24:01] Coming from a place of love

    [27:56] Resources to get more engaged on this issue

    [31:12] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship
    • Ralph Diaz, Vice Chairman of Prison Fellowship board of directors
    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Christian Legal Aid of DC
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation about criminal justice reform with Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship, and Ralph Diaz, a former correction officer and Vice-Chairman of Prison Fellowship’s Board of Directors. With 1.7 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails across the country, Heather and Ralph discuss what they are seeking to do with the current criminal justice system and offer a vision for it. They draw from Prison Fellowship as a practical model for how to think about criminal justice reform and why rehabilitative justice is important and essential. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “When we think about the concept of justice, we’re thinking that it just doesn't leave people where they are, but it’s actually seeking their betterment.” -Phebe [01:50]

    
    

    “When we’re having public policy conversations, it helps to (consider) ‘What is the purpose we have in mind for this system? What is the goal that we have in mind?’ And that’s why I appreciate this conversation so much. The way that Heather and Ralph are able to talk about what we’re seeking to do with our criminal justice system and offering a vision for it.” -Michael [02:08]

    
    

    “I learned right away, today’s inmates are tomorrow’s neighbor, and sending people out back into a community with no resources, no skills, not dealing with some of the court issues, that was an injustice. Not only for the individual, but the communities that we’re sending them back to.” -Ralph [13:32]

    
    

    “I would encourage folks to make sure you’re following your lawmakers on these issues, talking to them about it. Local, federal, at every level, because we see the justice system does exist at every level.” -Heather [27:45]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [04:14] About this week’s guests

    [04:55] A little bit of context

    [06:08] Ralph’s experience in the justice system

    [11:21] The need for rehabilitation

    [17:53] Practical ways to prevent the cycle of crime

    [24:01] Coming from a place of love

    [27:56] Resources to get more engaged on this issue

    [31:12] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship
    • Ralph Diaz, Vice Chairman of Prison Fellowship board of directors
    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Christian Legal Aid of DC
    
    

    
    

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

    X: @CCPublicLife

    Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

    Instagram: @ccpubliclife

    Mentioned in this episode:

    New Updated Feed Here!

    New Podcast

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

    ]]>a08d1e1e-7d5b-47bd-aa62-42dbe251f6cdWed, 28 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -040033:51falsefull1131131A Worker-Friendly ConservatismIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation with Chris Griswold, Policy Director at American Compass, a D.C.-based conservative policy think tank. Griswold previously served as the Senior Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Mario Rubio. In this interview, Chris shares with Michael his vision for a worker-friendly, conservative economic agenda. They discuss how theology can inform public policy, and the prospects for new coalitions to be formed in this polarized political environment. This interview was among the favorites by summit attendees. 

    Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

    “I think this is an important conversation to have because there are innovative policy (conversations) that are happening when it comes to protecting workers.” -Phebe [02:03]

    “I think this conversation shows worker-friendly economics and working class issues are at the very heart of electoral fights and political positioning, and I think it’s important to show that Christian resources can be live, contributing factors there.” -Michael [03:36]

    
    

    “I think we really need to take very seriously the role of collective worker voice and power to dignify. Everyone likes to talk about the dignity of work. It’s a lot more important, I think, to talk about the dignity of workers.” -Chris [11:33]

    
    

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [04:57] About this week’s guest

    [05:24] Chris’ journey to American Compass

    [08:01] The future of conservative economic policies

    [13:23] The purpose of political parties

    [16:36] The UAW Strike

    [21:09] A challenging moment

    [25:35] Outro

    
    

    REFERENCES

    • Chris Griswold
    • American Compass
    • For the Good of the Public Summit
    • Reaganomics: Economic Policy and the Reagan Revolution
    • Election Results 2022
    • 2023 United Auto Workers strike
    • Senator Vance Visits Uaw Picket Line In Toledo, Ohio
    • Hawley visits UAW Picket Line to Support Workers
    • Sanders, Brown Lead​ Resolution in Solidarity With Striking UAW Workers
    • For the Good of the Public: Faith and Belonging
    • National Labor Relations Board dismisses UAW complaint against Tim Scott
    • Nikki Haley unveils economic proposal while slamming both parties...]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation with Chris Griswold, Policy Director at American Compass, a D.C.-based conservative policy think tank. Griswold previously served as the Senior Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Mario Rubio. In this interview, Chris shares with Michael his vision for a worker-friendly, conservative economic agenda. They discuss how theology can inform public policy, and the prospects for new coalitions to be formed in this polarized political environment. This interview was among the favorites by summit attendees. 

      Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

      “I think this is an important conversation to have because there are innovative policy (conversations) that are happening when it comes to protecting workers.” -Phebe [02:03]

      “I think this conversation shows worker-friendly economics and working class issues are at the very heart of electoral fights and political positioning, and I think it’s important to show that Christian resources can be live, contributing factors there.” -Michael [03:36]

      
      

      “I think we really need to take very seriously the role of collective worker voice and power to dignify. Everyone likes to talk about the dignity of work. It’s a lot more important, I think, to talk about the dignity of workers.” -Chris [11:33]

      
      

      TIMESTAMPS

      [00:00] Intro

      [04:57] About this week’s guest

      [05:24] Chris’ journey to American Compass

      [08:01] The future of conservative economic policies

      [13:23] The purpose of political parties

      [16:36] The UAW Strike

      [21:09] A challenging moment

      [25:35] Outro

      
      

      REFERENCES

      • Chris Griswold
      • American Compass
      • For the Good of the Public Summit
      • Reaganomics: Economic Policy and the Reagan Revolution
      • Election Results 2022
      • 2023 United Auto Workers strike
      • Senator Vance Visits Uaw Picket Line In Toledo, Ohio
      • Hawley visits UAW Picket Line to Support Workers
      • Sanders, Brown Lead​ Resolution in Solidarity With Striking UAW Workers
      • For the Good of the Public: Faith and Belonging
      • National Labor Relations Board dismisses UAW complaint against Tim Scott
      • Nikki Haley unveils economic proposal while slamming both parties over government spending
      
      

      
      

      CONNECT WITH US:

      Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

      X: @CCPublicLife

      Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

      Instagram: @ccpubliclife

      Mentioned in this episode:

      The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

      The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

      New Updated Feed Here!

      New Podcast

      ]]>60d00f78-9146-471f-b0a2-29ac333d1330Thu, 22 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -040028:14falsefull1121121A Conversation on Poverty and Child HungerIn this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation about child hunger and child poverty and highlights organizations that are doing the essential work on the ground. Jason DeParle, a reporter for The New York Times and author of A Good Provider is One Who Leaves and American Dream, moderates the conversation with Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia; Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; and Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength. Child poverty fell to a record low in 2021 due to the expansion of government aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that rate along with child hunger have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. One in five children in the U.S. are food insecure. These panelists discuss the pathways to addressing and ending child hunger in America.

      Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

      
      

      “Where does that leave us? I guess an optimist could say that having been through the experience of cutting child poverty in half, we’ve seen the potency and potential of government action. Progressives often say that poverty is a policy choice, not a fate. And if the government could cut it in half, they could do so again. Of course, I’m a journalist, not an optimist. A pessimist might point to the political backlash against that aid and especially the current determination among conservative Republicans who control the House of Representatives to make deep cuts to government spending.” -Jason [07:42]

      
      

      “The way that I think about the work, Yes, I am deeply passionate about making sure that all our children have full bellies, but I think about it more broadly. I think about it as ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.” -Anne [09:40]

      
      

      “And I’ll tell you the truth. I’ve seen some of the oldest people that I’ve worked with now for 42 years, and I believe it’s the fountain of youth. When you pour yourself out into someone else, it keeps you young. It keeps you spirited, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment in a way that you couldn’t do it any other way.” -Rev. Irvin [18:35]

      
      

      “When people ask me the question, ‘How do you think or why do you think people of faith and Christian should be involved in this work?’ I often and respectfully push back and say, how can we not?” -Rev. Cho [19:40]

      
      

      TIMESTAMPS

      [00:00] Intro

      [02:30] This week’s guests

      [06:04] Context on child poverty

      [08:27] Disrupting the status quo

      [14:38] The power of influence

      [19:19] Theology of flourishing

      [25:04] Speaking across political divides

      [31:01] Government aid vs private aid

      [35:00] Outro

      
      

      REFERENCES

      • Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia
      • Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World
      • Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength
      • Jason DeParle, reporter at the New York Times
      • In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation about child hunger and child poverty and highlights organizations that are doing the essential work on the ground. Jason DeParle, a reporter for The New York Times and author of A Good Provider is One Who Leaves and American Dream, moderates the conversation with Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia; Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; and Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength. Child poverty fell to a record low in 2021 due to the expansion of government aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that rate along with child hunger have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. One in five children in the U.S. are food insecure. These panelists discuss the pathways to addressing and ending child hunger in America.

        Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

        
        

        “Where does that leave us? I guess an optimist could say that having been through the experience of cutting child poverty in half, we’ve seen the potency and potential of government action. Progressives often say that poverty is a policy choice, not a fate. And if the government could cut it in half, they could do so again. Of course, I’m a journalist, not an optimist. A pessimist might point to the political backlash against that aid and especially the current determination among conservative Republicans who control the House of Representatives to make deep cuts to government spending.” -Jason [07:42]

        
        

        “The way that I think about the work, Yes, I am deeply passionate about making sure that all our children have full bellies, but I think about it more broadly. I think about it as ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.” -Anne [09:40]

        
        

        “And I’ll tell you the truth. I’ve seen some of the oldest people that I’ve worked with now for 42 years, and I believe it’s the fountain of youth. When you pour yourself out into someone else, it keeps you young. It keeps you spirited, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment in a way that you couldn’t do it any other way.” -Rev. Irvin [18:35]

        
        

        “When people ask me the question, ‘How do you think or why do you think people of faith and Christian should be involved in this work?’ I often and respectfully push back and say, how can we not?” -Rev. Cho [19:40]

        
        

        TIMESTAMPS

        [00:00] Intro

        [02:30] This week’s guests

        [06:04] Context on child poverty

        [08:27] Disrupting the status quo

        [14:38] The power of influence

        [19:19] Theology of flourishing

        [25:04] Speaking across political divides

        [31:01] Government aid vs private aid

        [35:00] Outro

        
        

        REFERENCES

        • Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia
        • Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World
        • Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength
        • Jason DeParle, reporter at the New York Times
        • American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare by Jason DeParle
        • Feeding America
        • For the Good of the Public Summit
        • SNAP Benefits - COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
        • Implementation of Universal School Meals During COVID-19 and Beyond: School Food Authority and Parent Perspectives
        • Coronavirus Tax Relief: Child Tax Credit
        • Child Poverty Fell to Record Low 5.2% in 2021
        • Understanding Child Poverty in 2024: Facts and Statistics
        • Are we doing better on child hunger? A sweeping UNICEF report weighs in
        • Big Win for Kids: Congress Approves New Funding for Summer Meals
        • Household Food Security in the United States in 2022
        • Farm Bill
        • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
        
        

        
        

        CONNECT WITH US:

        Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

        X: @CCPublicLife

        Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

        Instagram: @ccpubliclife

        Mentioned in this episode:

        New Updated Feed Here!

        New Podcast

        The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

        The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

        ]]>eb4a1de9-75fe-4ca4-b5a5-c4d7b397838aWed, 14 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -040037:39falsefull1111111Rethinking SexIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation with Christine Emba, staff writer at the Atlantic and author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, and Chine McDonald, director of Theos, a research think tank based in London. Christine argues that when it comes to sexual ethics today, “Consent is the floor. It was never meant to be the ceiling.” In this vital conversation, Christine and Chine help us face the reality of our culture today, and discuss what it might look like to build a healthier culture around sexuality and romantic relationships. 

        Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

        “It also feels like from your work and your conversation with younger people, that there is almost a realization that consent isn’t enough, that there is a dissatisfaction somewhere in their sexual relationships.” -Chine [10:34]

        
        

        “As a number of people have told me, the vibes are bad. They’re very bad in the romantic culture. And that’s actually true.” -Christine [11:58]

        
        

        TIMESTAMPS

        [00:00] Intro

        [02:29] What we highlighted this conversation

        [04:47] About this week’s guests

        [06:11] The problem with the focus on consent

        [10:35] It’s ok to want intimacy

        [15:44] Men and toxic masculinity

        [23:12] The role of the Church

        [28:07] Outro

        
        

        REFERENCES

        • Christine Emba’s articles at The Atlantic
        • Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba
        • Chine McDonald
        • For the Good of the Public, Episode 9: Faith and Belonging
        • Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness. By Christine Emba
        • Theos
        • For the Good of the Public Summit
        • Let’s rethink sex by Christine Emba
        • Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
        
        

        
        

        CONNECT WITH US:

        Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

        X: @CCPublicLife

        Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

        Instagram: @ccpubliclife

        Mentioned in this episode:

        New Updated Feed Here!

        New Podcast

        The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation with Christine Emba, staff writer at the Atlantic and author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, and Chine McDonald, director of Theos, a research think tank based in London. Christine argues that when it comes to sexual ethics today, “Consent is the floor. It was never meant to be the ceiling.” In this vital conversation, Christine and Chine help us face the reality of our culture today, and discuss what it might look like to build a healthier culture around sexuality and romantic relationships. 

        Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

        “It also feels like from your work and your conversation with younger people, that there is almost a realization that consent isn’t enough, that there is a dissatisfaction somewhere in their sexual relationships.” -Chine [10:34]

        
        

        “As a number of people have told me, the vibes are bad. They’re very bad in the romantic culture. And that’s actually true.” -Christine [11:58]

        
        

        TIMESTAMPS

        [00:00] Intro

        [02:29] What we highlighted this conversation

        [04:47] About this week’s guests

        [06:11] The problem with the focus on consent

        [10:35] It’s ok to want intimacy

        [15:44] Men and toxic masculinity

        [23:12] The role of the Church

        [28:07] Outro

        
        

        REFERENCES

        • Christine Emba’s articles at The Atlantic
        • Rethinking Sex: A Provocation by Christine Emba
        • Chine McDonald
        • For the Good of the Public, Episode 9: Faith and Belonging
        • Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness. By Christine Emba
        • Theos
        • For the Good of the Public Summit
        • Let’s rethink sex by Christine Emba
        • Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
        
        

        
        

        CONNECT WITH US:

        Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

        X: @CCPublicLife

        Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

        Instagram: @ccpubliclife

        Mentioned in this episode:

        New Updated Feed Here!

        New Podcast

        The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

        The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

        ]]>b5ff6b6f-a4fd-4ace-a580-cc31b8be22aeWed, 07 Aug 2024 09:00:00 -040030:46falsefull1101101Faith and BelongingIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present an agenda-setting speech by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy delivered at CCPL’s inaugural summit about the “spiritual crisis” in America in which “millions of Americans feel like they have lost their sense of purpose, their identity, their conception of meaning.” Senator Murphy argues that “if we want to restore the spiritual health of this nation, then we have got to have a more purposeful and more powerful policy of supporting strong healthy religious institutions and a loud, vibrant labor movement.”

        Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

        
        

        “Civic leaders are asking these questions. There’s an invitation on the table for Christians to engage in a substantive way, and it’s worth considering. What do you have to offer? What do you have to say?” -Michael [03:12]

        
        

        “What I believe is that supporting institutions that help build the common good and help grow social connection, it just has to be at the center, not at the periphery, of our public work.” -Senator Murphy [18:07]

        
        

        TIMESTAMPS

        [00:00] Intro

        [03:35] About this week’s guest

        [04:02] A spiritual crisis

        [07:06] What makes a good life?

        [12:18] The need for strong institutions

        [18:18] Restoring America’s soul

        [22:05] Outro

        
        

        REFERENCES

        • U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
        • Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
        • Murphy, Casey Introduce Bill to Fight Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Americans
        • National Strategy for Social Connection Act
        • For the Good of the Public Summit
        • Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
        • Civilian unemployment rate
        • Harvard Study of Adult Development
        • The State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss: Findings from the May 2021 American Perspectives Survey by Daniel A. Cox
        • Unions increase job satisfaction in the United States by Benjamin Artz, David G. Blanchflower and Alex Bryson
        • Shawn Fain, President of United Automobile Workers (UAW)
        • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
        • In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present an agenda-setting speech by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy delivered at CCPL’s inaugural summit about the “spiritual crisis” in America in which “millions of Americans feel like they have lost their sense of purpose, their identity, their conception of meaning.” Senator Murphy argues that “if we want to restore the spiritual health of this nation, then we have got to have a more purposeful and more powerful policy of supporting strong healthy religious institutions and a loud, vibrant labor movement.”

          Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

          
          

          “Civic leaders are asking these questions. There’s an invitation on the table for Christians to engage in a substantive way, and it’s worth considering. What do you have to offer? What do you have to say?” -Michael [03:12]

          
          

          “What I believe is that supporting institutions that help build the common good and help grow social connection, it just has to be at the center, not at the periphery, of our public work.” -Senator Murphy [18:07]

          
          

          TIMESTAMPS

          [00:00] Intro

          [03:35] About this week’s guest

          [04:02] A spiritual crisis

          [07:06] What makes a good life?

          [12:18] The need for strong institutions

          [18:18] Restoring America’s soul

          [22:05] Outro

          
          

          REFERENCES

          • U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
          • Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
          • Murphy, Casey Introduce Bill to Fight Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Americans
          • National Strategy for Social Connection Act
          • For the Good of the Public Summit
          • Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
          • Civilian unemployment rate
          • Harvard Study of Adult Development
          • The State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss: Findings from the May 2021 American Perspectives Survey by Daniel A. Cox
          • Unions increase job satisfaction in the United States by Benjamin Artz, David G. Blanchflower and Alex Bryson
          • Shawn Fain, President of United Automobile Workers (UAW)
          • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
          • President Obama’s remarks from the 2023 Democracy Forum
          • Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P. Carney
          • Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be by Timothy P. Carney
          • Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
          
          

          
          

          CONNECT WITH US:

          Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

          X: @CCPublicLife

          Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

          Instagram: @ccpubliclife

          Mentioned in this episode:

          New Updated Feed Here!

          New Podcast

          The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

          The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

          ]]>ba9e20c3-bab6-485e-bcac-7928471a471eWed, 31 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -040024:44falsefull19191Moral Knowledge, Higher Education, and the PublicIn this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, we present two sessions on the topic of moral knowledge. In the first session, Dr. Steve L. Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College, moderates a theoretical conversation about moral knowledge, in context of higher education, with Brandon Paradise, Associate Professor of Law and Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law School; Dr. Cheryl Sanders, professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School and the senior pastor at Third Street Church of God in Washington D.C.; and Matthew Scogin, president of Hope College. This panel reveals the differences in approaches about moral knowledge as they discuss ways to combat the abandonment of moral formation and if moral knowledge can be taught. In the second conversation, Anne Snyder, editor-of-chief of Comment Magazine and founder of Breaking Ground, interviews President Scogin about Hope Forward, a pilot program that is reimagining a way of how students pay for college. Matthew shares the five specific areas the school is studying in this gift-based system and the impact and transformation they have seen in the students as a result of this gift.

          Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

          
          

          “You don’t have to go to school to learn how to be good.” -Cheryl [16:26]

          
          

          “We want to be able to produce good people, so when Michael, in his opening remarks, talked about the state of our politics and its quality, partly tied to the quality of the people who make it up and the quality of the soul, that’s directly relevant to us today.” -Steve [21:47]

          
          

          “I’m perfectly content with young people being taught very early on that you treat people equally with high respect and regard, independent of what we now call in the legal world–suspect classifications.” -Brandon [26:09]

          
          

          “I think we live in a society that often likes to say, ‘You need to put skin the game to really get invested’–and I’m sure you get that critique from time to time–but what I just watched was students from all over the world from all kinds of backgrounds suddenly having an aha moment of ‘I am so humbled by this. I am clearly part of some broader fabric out there of goodwill and trust and belief, and I am now going to pursue medicine in that same spirit.’” -Anne [49:33]

          
          

          “There’s 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. If we had all 4,000 presidents in the room, every single one of them–with the exception of the very elite institutions who have ginormous endowments–every single one of the presidents knows the business model is broken. And yet, no one is doing anything about it. And what we decided is how about instead of waiting for somebody else to solve our problem, let’s just do it.” -Matthew [55:23]

          
          

          TIMESTAMPS

          [00:00] Intro

          [00:13] Two sessions as a coherent whole

          [02:10] Difference of approaches

          [03:33] Meet the panelists

          [05:05] The disappearance of moral knowledge

          [15:24] Can moral knowledge be taught?

          [20:22] Moral knowledge tied to virtue

          [28:04] Power and accountability

          [34:16] Where they see hope

          [38:45] A conversation with Anne and Matthew

          [41:51] About Hope Forward

          [44:54] Five observations of Hope Forward

          [51:09] The challenges, pushback and skepticism

          [53:16] Sometimes you just have to focus on the practice

          [56:18] Outro

          
          

          REFERENCES

          • Matthew Scogin, president of Hope College
          • In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, we present two sessions on the topic of moral knowledge. In the first session, Dr. Steve L. Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College, moderates a theoretical conversation about moral knowledge, in context of higher education, with Brandon Paradise, Associate Professor of Law and Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law School; Dr. Cheryl Sanders, professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School and the senior pastor at Third Street Church of God in Washington D.C.; and Matthew Scogin, president of Hope College. This panel reveals the differences in approaches about moral knowledge as they discuss ways to combat the abandonment of moral formation and if moral knowledge can be taught. In the second conversation, Anne Snyder, editor-of-chief of Comment Magazine and founder of Breaking Ground, interviews President Scogin about Hope Forward, a pilot program that is reimagining a way of how students pay for college. Matthew shares the five specific areas the school is studying in this gift-based system and the impact and transformation they have seen in the students as a result of this gift.

            Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

            
            

            “You don’t have to go to school to learn how to be good.” -Cheryl [16:26]

            
            

            “We want to be able to produce good people, so when Michael, in his opening remarks, talked about the state of our politics and its quality, partly tied to the quality of the people who make it up and the quality of the soul, that’s directly relevant to us today.” -Steve [21:47]

            
            

            “I’m perfectly content with young people being taught very early on that you treat people equally with high respect and regard, independent of what we now call in the legal world–suspect classifications.” -Brandon [26:09]

            
            

            “I think we live in a society that often likes to say, ‘You need to put skin the game to really get invested’–and I’m sure you get that critique from time to time–but what I just watched was students from all over the world from all kinds of backgrounds suddenly having an aha moment of ‘I am so humbled by this. I am clearly part of some broader fabric out there of goodwill and trust and belief, and I am now going to pursue medicine in that same spirit.’” -Anne [49:33]

            
            

            “There’s 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. If we had all 4,000 presidents in the room, every single one of them–with the exception of the very elite institutions who have ginormous endowments–every single one of the presidents knows the business model is broken. And yet, no one is doing anything about it. And what we decided is how about instead of waiting for somebody else to solve our problem, let’s just do it.” -Matthew [55:23]

            
            

            TIMESTAMPS

            [00:00] Intro

            [00:13] Two sessions as a coherent whole

            [02:10] Difference of approaches

            [03:33] Meet the panelists

            [05:05] The disappearance of moral knowledge

            [15:24] Can moral knowledge be taught?

            [20:22] Moral knowledge tied to virtue

            [28:04] Power and accountability

            [34:16] Where they see hope

            [38:45] A conversation with Anne and Matthew

            [41:51] About Hope Forward

            [44:54] Five observations of Hope Forward

            [51:09] The challenges, pushback and skepticism

            [53:16] Sometimes you just have to focus on the practice

            [56:18] Outro

            
            

            REFERENCES

            • Matthew Scogin, president of Hope College
            • Anne Snyder, editor-of-chief of Comment Magazine
            • Hope Forward
            • Steve L. Porter, senior research fellow and executive director of Westmont’s Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture
            • Brandon Paradise, Associate Professor of Law and Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law School
            • Cheryl Sanders, professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School
            • Third Street Church of God
            • Breaking Ground
            • For the Good of the Public Summit
            • The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge by Dallas Willard
            • How America Got Mean by David Brooks
            • Plato: The Republic
            • For the Good of the Public Podcast, Episode 1: The Spirit of Our Politics
            • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
            • The De-Moralization of the Public Square by Michael Wear 
            • The Gift Logic
            • Anne Snyder’s articles in Comment Magazine
            • Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren
            • The Intimacy of Imbalance by Leah Libresco Sargeant
            
            

            
            

            CONNECT WITH US:

            Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

            X: @CCPublicLife

            Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

            Instagram: @ccpubliclife

            Mentioned in this episode:

            The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

            The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

            New Updated Feed Here!

            New Podcast

            ]]>5f1b6dec-0686-4d55-a51e-92434c35bfd5Wed, 24 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -040058:57falsefull18181Thoughts and Prayers? The Place of Prayer in PoliticsIn this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a powerful conversation about the role and resource of prayer in our public life and politics. James Catford, founding chair of The Center for Christianity and Public Life, moderates the discussion with Reverend Cece Jones-Davis and U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black about the significance prayer has been in their outreach and work. Rev. Jones-Davis shares her story about how she relies on prayer in her work as an activist. Chaplain Black draws from his experiences in public leadership as the chaplain of the U.S. Senate and a trusted advisor and confidant of civic leaders across the political spectrum. 

            Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

            
            

            “I know this conversation moved many to tears and moved many into, I think, a deeper place of conviction that we don’t need to live bifurcated lives. That we can bring the whole of who we are to our civic life and make a difference there.” -Michael [02:56]

            
            

            “It was a powerful testimony to the fact that prayer not only transforms in our lives, but it also really does have the power to transform our external environment as well.” -Phebe [03:27]

            
            

            “I have a minute and a half worth of decent prayer material before I start repeating myself without an open bible. But with an open bible, I can pray for hours, and with an open bible, I give God the courtesy of starting the conversation.” -Chaplain Black [18:07]

            
            

            “God is found when we reach the end of our capabilities. He shows up there.” -James [22:38]

            
            

            “Prayer will always be essential, but it will not be prayer alone. We have to be willing to do the work.” -Rev. Jones-Davis [29:19]

            
            

            TIMESTAMPS

            [00:00] Intro

            [03:42] About this week’s guests

            [04:30] Prayer: A communication with God

            [09:18] Prayer as the most significant thing in their stories

            [19:26] The Prayer of Tears

            [22:48] What Chaplain Black thinks about when he prays

            [26:34] Advice from Rev. Jones-Davis and Chaplain Black

            [35:30] Outro

            
            

            REFERENCES

            • James Catford, founding board chair for The Center for Christianity and Public Life
            • Reverend Cece Jones-Davis
            • 2023 Public Life Fellows
            • U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black
            • Justice for Julius
            • For the Good of the Public Summit
            • Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisholm
            • The love of God is greater far by Frederick Martin Lehman
            
            

            
            

            CONNECT WITH US:

            Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

            X: @CCPublicLife

            Facebook: Center for Christianity &...]]>In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a powerful conversation about the role and resource of prayer in our public life and politics. James Catford, founding chair of The Center for Christianity and Public Life, moderates the discussion with Reverend Cece Jones-Davis and U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black about the significance prayer has been in their outreach and work. Rev. Jones-Davis shares her story about how she relies on prayer in her work as an activist. Chaplain Black draws from his experiences in public leadership as the chaplain of the U.S. Senate and a trusted advisor and confidant of civic leaders across the political spectrum. 

            Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

            
            

            “I know this conversation moved many to tears and moved many into, I think, a deeper place of conviction that we don’t need to live bifurcated lives. That we can bring the whole of who we are to our civic life and make a difference there.” -Michael [02:56]

            
            

            “It was a powerful testimony to the fact that prayer not only transforms in our lives, but it also really does have the power to transform our external environment as well.” -Phebe [03:27]

            
            

            “I have a minute and a half worth of decent prayer material before I start repeating myself without an open bible. But with an open bible, I can pray for hours, and with an open bible, I give God the courtesy of starting the conversation.” -Chaplain Black [18:07]

            
            

            “God is found when we reach the end of our capabilities. He shows up there.” -James [22:38]

            
            

            “Prayer will always be essential, but it will not be prayer alone. We have to be willing to do the work.” -Rev. Jones-Davis [29:19]

            
            

            TIMESTAMPS

            [00:00] Intro

            [03:42] About this week’s guests

            [04:30] Prayer: A communication with God

            [09:18] Prayer as the most significant thing in their stories

            [19:26] The Prayer of Tears

            [22:48] What Chaplain Black thinks about when he prays

            [26:34] Advice from Rev. Jones-Davis and Chaplain Black

            [35:30] Outro

            
            

            REFERENCES

            • James Catford, founding board chair for The Center for Christianity and Public Life
            • Reverend Cece Jones-Davis
            • 2023 Public Life Fellows
            • U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black
            • Justice for Julius
            • For the Good of the Public Summit
            • Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisholm
            • The love of God is greater far by Frederick Martin Lehman
            
            

            
            

            CONNECT WITH US:

            Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

            X: @CCPublicLife

            Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

            Instagram: @ccpubliclife

            Mentioned in this episode:

            The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

            The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

            New Updated Feed Here!

            New Podcast

            ]]>61572e85-f9c5-473e-933a-d1bd0973818cWed, 17 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -040038:09falsefull17171The Valley of the Shadow of DeathIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Elizabeth Bruenig, a journalist at The Atlantic. Elizabeth’s series on the death penalty in Alabama tells stories in such a raw and humanizing way that it was named a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. This candid and deep conversation reflects on the issue as a moral and policy matter as well as reveal Elizabeth’s approach to her coverage and why these stories are important. She shares how keeping an open heart allows her to sustain in this difficult reporting while also informing her passion and motivation to continue to tell these stories.

            Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

            “Inmates, they’re the forgotten ones of our society, and she tells these stories in a really raw and humanizing way.” -Phebe [02:02]

            “What I see in the forgiveness that I’ve witnessed just doing this work is that forgiveness is a gift you give to other people.” -Elizabeth [18:47]

            
            

            “In the end, I’m convinced that the state of our politics is a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [28:08]

            
            

            TIMESTAMPS

            [00:00] Intro

            [00:46] The importance of this conversation

            [03:39] What led Elizabeth to Alabama

            [07:02] Elizabeth’s approach to her reporting

            [11:00] The influence of her work

            [17:18] The virtue of forgiveness

            [23:55] Keep an open heart

            [27:43] There’s good and evil inside all of us

            [30:56] Outro

            
            

            REFERENCES

            • Elizabeth Bruenig
            • Pulitzer Prize Finalist: Elizabeth Bruenig of The Atlantic
            • Elizabeth Bruenig on Alabama’s Botched Executions
            • For the Good of the Public Summit
            • Execution of Joe Nathan James Jr.
            • Alan Eugene Miller
            • Execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith
            • The Innocence Project
            • Burl Cain, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections
            • Criminal menopause
            • Alabama Executes James Barber
            • John Sage, Founder and CEO of Bridges To Life
            • Sister Norma Pimentel
            • A Conversation on Justice and Character with Gary...]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Elizabeth Bruenig, a journalist at The Atlantic. Elizabeth’s series on the death penalty in Alabama tells stories in such a raw and humanizing way that it was named a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. This candid and deep conversation reflects on the issue as a moral and policy matter as well as reveal Elizabeth’s approach to her coverage and why these stories are important. She shares how keeping an open heart allows her to sustain in this difficult reporting while also informing her passion and motivation to continue to tell these stories.

              Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

              “Inmates, they’re the forgotten ones of our society, and she tells these stories in a really raw and humanizing way.” -Phebe [02:02]

              “What I see in the forgiveness that I’ve witnessed just doing this work is that forgiveness is a gift you give to other people.” -Elizabeth [18:47]

              
              

              “In the end, I’m convinced that the state of our politics is a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [28:08]

              
              

              TIMESTAMPS

              [00:00] Intro

              [00:46] The importance of this conversation

              [03:39] What led Elizabeth to Alabama

              [07:02] Elizabeth’s approach to her reporting

              [11:00] The influence of her work

              [17:18] The virtue of forgiveness

              [23:55] Keep an open heart

              [27:43] There’s good and evil inside all of us

              [30:56] Outro

              
              

              REFERENCES

              • Elizabeth Bruenig
              • Pulitzer Prize Finalist: Elizabeth Bruenig of The Atlantic
              • Elizabeth Bruenig on Alabama’s Botched Executions
              • For the Good of the Public Summit
              • Execution of Joe Nathan James Jr.
              • Alan Eugene Miller
              • Execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith
              • The Innocence Project
              • Burl Cain, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections
              • Criminal menopause
              • Alabama Executes James Barber
              • John Sage, Founder and CEO of Bridges To Life
              • Sister Norma Pimentel
              • A Conversation on Justice and Character with Gary Haugen
              • St. Mary Magdalene
              • Augustine, the Guilty Optimist  by Elizabeth Bruenig
              
              

              
              

              CONNECT WITH US:

              Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

              X: @CCPublicLife

              Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

              Instagram: @ccpubliclife

              Mentioned in this episode:

              New Updated Feed Here!

              New Podcast

              The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

              The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

              ]]>f7a8ee8f-cafa-409b-98a2-9d6f36ffaf4bWed, 10 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -040033:35falsefull16161The Rise of the Nones and the Future of Religion in AmericaIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, Tara Isabella Burton, a writer and a 2023 Public Life Fellow, and Chine McDonald, director of Theos, a religious society think tank based in UK. There has been a rise in religious disaffiliation or people who desire to distance themselves from the institutional church, especially among Gen Z and millennials. The panelists bring their perspective as they provide a deep dive on the current religious trends and demographics, and what the “Rise of the Nones” means for American politics, culture and communities.

              Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

              
              

              “I think this is one of the most significant demographic and cultural shifts that’s taken place in American life over the last couple of decades, and so that’s an important reason for us to be hosting a conversation.” -Phebe [01:15]

              
              

              “It’s a trend that’s impacting every aspect of American society. There’s no demographic group that you can name that has not been more secularized today than 10 or 15 years ago, whether it be race or age or gender or politics or region. Everyone–basically every demographic group in America today—is less religious than they were 10 or 15 years ago. -Ryan [06:30] 

              
              

              “One of the positives that one of my previous bosses used to say when looking at this from a religious disaffiliation in the UK was actually what you were left with was the real Christians, right? Because it was no longer socially advantageous to go to church or to occupy a pew on a Sunday morning.” -Chine [20:09]

              
              

              “I wonder–and I don’t have the wisdom to have the answer–how one preserves both the openness and the communal importance of religious life without ceding ground that church is just another thing you can choose to do with your Sunday.” -Tara [24:49]

              
              

              TIMESTAMPS

              [00:00] Intro

              [01:05] Why did we host this conversation?

              [01:56] About this week’s speakers

              [03:36] More introductions

              [05:31] People leaving the church

              [08:57] Community and belonging

              [15:16] American non-religion

              [20:06] What cause the disaffiliation

              [25:57] What they see in the future

              [30:28] Outro

              
              

              REFERENCES

              • 2023 Public Life Fellows
              • Theos
              • Ryan Burge’s Substack
              • Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton
              • For the Good of the Public Summit
              • The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going by Ryan Burge
              • The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Michael Graham, Ryan Burge and Jim Davis
              • Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to...]]>In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, Tara Isabella Burton, a writer and a 2023 Public Life Fellow, and Chine McDonald, director of Theos, a religious society think tank based in UK. There has been a rise in religious disaffiliation or people who desire to distance themselves from the institutional church, especially among Gen Z and millennials. The panelists bring their perspective as they provide a deep dive on the current religious trends and demographics, and what the “Rise of the Nones” means for American politics, culture and communities.

                Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

                
                

                “I think this is one of the most significant demographic and cultural shifts that’s taken place in American life over the last couple of decades, and so that’s an important reason for us to be hosting a conversation.” -Phebe [01:15]

                
                

                “It’s a trend that’s impacting every aspect of American society. There’s no demographic group that you can name that has not been more secularized today than 10 or 15 years ago, whether it be race or age or gender or politics or region. Everyone–basically every demographic group in America today—is less religious than they were 10 or 15 years ago. -Ryan [06:30] 

                
                

                “One of the positives that one of my previous bosses used to say when looking at this from a religious disaffiliation in the UK was actually what you were left with was the real Christians, right? Because it was no longer socially advantageous to go to church or to occupy a pew on a Sunday morning.” -Chine [20:09]

                
                

                “I wonder–and I don’t have the wisdom to have the answer–how one preserves both the openness and the communal importance of religious life without ceding ground that church is just another thing you can choose to do with your Sunday.” -Tara [24:49]

                
                

                TIMESTAMPS

                [00:00] Intro

                [01:05] Why did we host this conversation?

                [01:56] About this week’s speakers

                [03:36] More introductions

                [05:31] People leaving the church

                [08:57] Community and belonging

                [15:16] American non-religion

                [20:06] What cause the disaffiliation

                [25:57] What they see in the future

                [30:28] Outro

                
                

                REFERENCES

                • 2023 Public Life Fellows
                • Theos
                • Ryan Burge’s Substack
                • Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton
                • For the Good of the Public Summit
                • The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going by Ryan Burge
                • The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Michael Graham, Ryan Burge and Jim Davis
                • Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians by Tara Isabella Burton
                • Tom Holland interview: ‘We swim in Christian waters’
                • Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
                
                

                
                

                CONNECT WITH US:

                Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                X: @CCPublicLife

                Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                Mentioned in this episode:

                The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                New Updated Feed Here!

                New Podcast

                ]]>0b83d086-4207-408a-9713-01133486c5b6Wed, 03 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -040033:07falsefull15151Christian Resources and Artificial IntelligenceIn this episode of For the Good of the Public, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Dr. Rosalind Picard and Michael Sacasas about artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Picard is a scientist, inventor, engineer, a member of the faculty of MIT's Media Lab, founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab and co-founder of Affectiva (now part of Smart Eye) and Empatica. Michael is the executive director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, Florida and author of The Convivial Society newsletter about technology, culture and the moral life. In this conversation, Sacasas and Dr. Picard discuss the implications of advanced Artificial Intelligence, and how Christian resources might contribute to how civic leaders and the general public navigate these technological developments and the attending challenges and opportunities. 

                Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

                “What I think is exciting about this moment, and this conversation around artificial intelligence, is that I think that people are engaging with these developments in a way that says, We don’t just have to passively receive these technological developments. We can be discerning. We can even shape how these technologies develop.” -Michael [01:24]

                “I think at its very core, the advancements around AI are causing us to ask some of the most essential questions that Christianity has provided answers for around what does it mean to be human? Who are we? What were we created for?” -Phebe [03:08]

                “Because there has been a long history of various cycles of development in AI and AI winters and hype cycles that come with it as well, right now we’re in a moment that feels as if things are changing very quickly, evolving very quickly.” -Michael Sacasas [07:17]

                “If we can inspire more people working on technology to serve the folks that are being left out, the world would be a much better place.” -Dr. Picard [14:43]

                
                

                TIMESTAMPS

                [00:00] Intro

                [03:38] About Dr. Rosalind Picard

                [04:07] About Michael Sacasas 

                [04:37] The term “artificial intelligence”

                [07:18] AI in this moment

                [12:57] Dr. Picard’s faith has impacted her work

                [17:05] Wisdom to share

                [20:53] Pitching Affective Computing

                [22:33] How to live faithfully in the moment

                [24:47] Outro

                
                

                REFERENCES

                • MIT Media Lab
                • MIT’s Affective Computing
                • Empatica
                • Affectiva
                • Christian Study Center of Gainesville
                • The Convivial Society
                • For the Good of the Public Summit
                • President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence
                • ChatGPT
                • In this episode of For the Good of the Public, Michael and Phebe share a conversation with Dr. Rosalind Picard and Michael Sacasas about artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Picard is a scientist, inventor, engineer, a member of the faculty of MIT's Media Lab, founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab and co-founder of Affectiva (now part of Smart Eye) and Empatica. Michael is the executive director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, Florida and author of The Convivial Society newsletter about technology, culture and the moral life. In this conversation, Sacasas and Dr. Picard discuss the implications of advanced Artificial Intelligence, and how Christian resources might contribute to how civic leaders and the general public navigate these technological developments and the attending challenges and opportunities. 

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

                  “What I think is exciting about this moment, and this conversation around artificial intelligence, is that I think that people are engaging with these developments in a way that says, We don’t just have to passively receive these technological developments. We can be discerning. We can even shape how these technologies develop.” -Michael [01:24]

                  “I think at its very core, the advancements around AI are causing us to ask some of the most essential questions that Christianity has provided answers for around what does it mean to be human? Who are we? What were we created for?” -Phebe [03:08]

                  “Because there has been a long history of various cycles of development in AI and AI winters and hype cycles that come with it as well, right now we’re in a moment that feels as if things are changing very quickly, evolving very quickly.” -Michael Sacasas [07:17]

                  “If we can inspire more people working on technology to serve the folks that are being left out, the world would be a much better place.” -Dr. Picard [14:43]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [03:38] About Dr. Rosalind Picard

                  [04:07] About Michael Sacasas 

                  [04:37] The term “artificial intelligence”

                  [07:18] AI in this moment

                  [12:57] Dr. Picard’s faith has impacted her work

                  [17:05] Wisdom to share

                  [20:53] Pitching Affective Computing

                  [22:33] How to live faithfully in the moment

                  [24:47] Outro

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • MIT Media Lab
                  • MIT’s Affective Computing
                  • Empatica
                  • Affectiva
                  • Christian Study Center of Gainesville
                  • The Convivial Society
                  • For the Good of the Public Summit
                  • President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence
                  • ChatGPT
                  • Christianity Today: An MIT Professor Meets the Author of All Knowledge
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  ]]>96d9e8ce-18bd-4ca5-9345-18714100e252Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -040027:26falsefull14141What the Black Church Offers America TodayIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a talk from Rev. CJ Rhodes, pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on what the Black Church offers America today. Rev. Rhodes is the founder and president of Clergy for Prison Reform, a Public Theologian in Residence for the AND Campaign, and the author of two books: “7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success” and “Deeper Still: Ministry Empowered by the Holy Spirit.” This talk–recorded at CCPL’s inaugural Summit–reflects on the witness and contributions of the Black Church, and what it has to offer America today. 

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

                  
                  

                  “For me, learning from Black faith leaders has been so essential to my own understanding of what faith and public life look like when they’re intersected in a healthy way.” -Phebe [01:22]

                  
                  

                  “The nostalgia for the Black Church of the ‘60s and the Civil Rights Movement can lead some to overlook the contributions that the Black Church is offering and can offer today, and Dr. Rhodes exemplifies the present and future of the Black Church.” -Michael [02:06]

                  
                  

                  “Between the schoolhouse and the church house and your mama and daddy’s house, the Black Church has been a central force for making sure we bear witness, not only to freedom, but to do it in a way that maintain hope against great odds.” -Rev. Rhodes [8:54]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [02:32] This week’s guest, Rev. CJ Rhodes

                  [03:10] A brief history of Mount Helm Baptist Church

                  [10:01] Politics is one part of human flourishing

                  [13:39] The Black Church’s role in the mission of hope

                  [18:08] The social and historical realities of the Black Church

                  [22:34] Outro

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • Join us at For the Good of the Public Summit this fall
                  • Rev. C.J. Rhodes, pastor at Mount Helm Baptist Church
                  • Clergy for Prison Reform
                  • AND Campaign
                  • 7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success by Rev. C.J. Rhodes
                  • Deeper Still: Ministry Empowered By The Holy Spirit by Rev. C.J. Rhodes
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  • Barna: How the Church Can Fuel Black Gen Z’s Desire for Justice
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe share a talk from Rev. CJ Rhodes, pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on what the Black Church offers America today. Rev. Rhodes is the founder and president of Clergy for Prison Reform, a Public Theologian in Residence for the AND Campaign, and the author of two books: “7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success” and “Deeper Still: Ministry Empowered by the Holy Spirit.” This talk–recorded at CCPL’s inaugural Summit–reflects on the witness and contributions of the Black Church, and what it has to offer America today. 

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

                  
                  

                  “For me, learning from Black faith leaders has been so essential to my own understanding of what faith and public life look like when they’re intersected in a healthy way.” -Phebe [01:22]

                  
                  

                  “The nostalgia for the Black Church of the ‘60s and the Civil Rights Movement can lead some to overlook the contributions that the Black Church is offering and can offer today, and Dr. Rhodes exemplifies the present and future of the Black Church.” -Michael [02:06]

                  
                  

                  “Between the schoolhouse and the church house and your mama and daddy’s house, the Black Church has been a central force for making sure we bear witness, not only to freedom, but to do it in a way that maintain hope against great odds.” -Rev. Rhodes [8:54]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [02:32] This week’s guest, Rev. CJ Rhodes

                  [03:10] A brief history of Mount Helm Baptist Church

                  [10:01] Politics is one part of human flourishing

                  [13:39] The Black Church’s role in the mission of hope

                  [18:08] The social and historical realities of the Black Church

                  [22:34] Outro

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • Join us at For the Good of the Public Summit this fall
                  • Rev. C.J. Rhodes, pastor at Mount Helm Baptist Church
                  • Clergy for Prison Reform
                  • AND Campaign
                  • 7 Leadership Principles of Service and Success by Rev. C.J. Rhodes
                  • Deeper Still: Ministry Empowered By The Holy Spirit by Rev. C.J. Rhodes
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  • Barna: How the Church Can Fuel Black Gen Z’s Desire for Justice
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  ]]>0376c7be-7603-46ad-af62-6916ff05a3f4Wed, 19 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -040025:14falsefull13131A Conversation on Justice and CharacterIn this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Gary Haugen, CEO and Founder of the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. This conversation, titled “A Conversation on Justice and Character,” was recorded at the Center for Christianity and Public Life’s For the Good of the Public Summit and focuses on justice and character as well as the future of the justice movement. Gary shares the transformative worldwide experiences that revealed the reality of violence against the poor and inspired him to leave his job at the U.S. Department of Justice to start IJM. Listen as he discusses the organization’s work, and how Christian resources are integral to both IJM’s work, and the overall justice movement. 

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! 

                  “Gary is someone who has operated at such a high level, whose life has been so oriented around the public good, and serving those who are–what Howard Thurman referred to as–the disinherited, and he’s done this in a way that’s not just integrated with, but supported by his faith.” -Michael [00:56]

                  
                  

                  “And that is my actual conviction and that’s our conviction at IJM, that the power to do the work of justice in the world comes from God.” -Gary [18:00]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [00:26] This week’s conversation with Gary Haugen

                  [01:47] Gary’s role in the start of CCPL

                  [04:18] IJM’s origin story

                  [09:33] IJM’s work in the past and today

                  [13:34] The shape of injustice

                  [19:07] The work of justice is long and boring

                  [21:10] The future of the justice movement

                  [23:16] Outro

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • For the Good of the Public Summit
                  • International Justice Mission
                  • The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard
                  • Apartheid
                  • Desmond Tutu
                  • Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
                  • NPR: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots
                  • U.S. Department of Justice: Law Enforcement Misconduct
                  • United Nations: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  • Deepening the Soul for Justice by Bethany H. Hoang
                  • The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: In this episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael speaks with Gary Haugen, CEO and Founder of the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. This conversation, titled “A Conversation on Justice and Character,” was recorded at the Center for Christianity and Public Life’s For the Good of the Public Summit and focuses on justice and character as well as the future of the justice movement. Gary shares the transformative worldwide experiences that revealed the reality of violence against the poor and inspired him to leave his job at the U.S. Department of Justice to start IJM. Listen as he discusses the organization’s work, and how Christian resources are integral to both IJM’s work, and the overall justice movement. 

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! 

                  “Gary is someone who has operated at such a high level, whose life has been so oriented around the public good, and serving those who are–what Howard Thurman referred to as–the disinherited, and he’s done this in a way that’s not just integrated with, but supported by his faith.” -Michael [00:56]

                  
                  

                  “And that is my actual conviction and that’s our conviction at IJM, that the power to do the work of justice in the world comes from God.” -Gary [18:00]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [00:26] This week’s conversation with Gary Haugen

                  [01:47] Gary’s role in the start of CCPL

                  [04:18] IJM’s origin story

                  [09:33] IJM’s work in the past and today

                  [13:34] The shape of injustice

                  [19:07] The work of justice is long and boring

                  [21:10] The future of the justice movement

                  [23:16] Outro

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • For the Good of the Public Summit
                  • International Justice Mission
                  • The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard
                  • Apartheid
                  • Desmond Tutu
                  • Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
                  • NPR: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots
                  • U.S. Department of Justice: Law Enforcement Misconduct
                  • United Nations: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  • Deepening the Soul for Justice by Bethany H. Hoang
                  • The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  ]]>f3b07398-4eae-49e6-9157-fa08834fc160Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -040025:57falsefull12121The Spirit of Our PoliticsIn the debut episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, of Center for Christianity & Public Life (CCPL), preview their conversations with civic and religious leaders about the future of Christianity and American public life. This summer, listeners will hear sessions from CCPL’s inaugural For the Good of the Public Summit that provides the environment for robust conversations, starting with Michael’s opening remarks, “The Spirit of Our Politics.” These remarks describe the purpose of the summit, and provide a preview of his book of the same name that explores what Christianity has to offer to our politics in this particular moment. It is also a great introduction to the spirit of the summit and CCPL’s work. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts in order to receive new episodes featuring speakers and conversations on some of the most pressing issues in public life today.

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! 

                  “I think one of the distinctives of our summit and of this podcast is that it's just not designed for Christians. We do believe at the center that Christian values and resources should be offered as an act of loving service and not as an imposition.” -Phebe [08:28]

                  
                  

                  “The truth is that while I think I know public policy is important and systems matter, the state of our politics is in the end a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [25:17]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [00:46] About CCPL and its mission

                  [02:55] About For the Good of the Public Summit

                  [04:09] Highlights from the summit

                  [08:25] Not just designed for Christians

                  [10:40] An invitation to a new conversation

                  [12:51] The Spirit of Our Politics

                  [27:55] Outro

                  [28:49] What to expect at this year’s summit

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • For the Good of the Public Summit
                  • Young Professionals Network
                  • Public Life Fellowship
                  • High School: Public Good Generation
                  • Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission
                  • Eboo Patel of Interfaith America
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  In the debut episode of For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, of Center for Christianity & Public Life (CCPL), preview their conversations with civic and religious leaders about the future of Christianity and American public life. This summer, listeners will hear sessions from CCPL’s inaugural For the Good of the Public Summit that provides the environment for robust conversations, starting with Michael’s opening remarks, “The Spirit of Our Politics.” These remarks describe the purpose of the summit, and provide a preview of his book of the same name that explores what Christianity has to offer to our politics in this particular moment. It is also a great introduction to the spirit of the summit and CCPL’s work. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts in order to receive new episodes featuring speakers and conversations on some of the most pressing issues in public life today.

                  Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube! 

                  “I think one of the distinctives of our summit and of this podcast is that it's just not designed for Christians. We do believe at the center that Christian values and resources should be offered as an act of loving service and not as an imposition.” -Phebe [08:28]

                  
                  

                  “The truth is that while I think I know public policy is important and systems matter, the state of our politics is in the end a reflection of the state of our souls.” -Michael [25:17]

                  
                  

                  TIMESTAMPS

                  [00:00] Intro

                  [00:46] About CCPL and its mission

                  [02:55] About For the Good of the Public Summit

                  [04:09] Highlights from the summit

                  [08:25] Not just designed for Christians

                  [10:40] An invitation to a new conversation

                  [12:51] The Spirit of Our Politics

                  [27:55] Outro

                  [28:49] What to expect at this year’s summit

                  
                  

                  REFERENCES

                  • For the Good of the Public Summit
                  • Young Professionals Network
                  • Public Life Fellowship
                  • High School: Public Good Generation
                  • Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission
                  • Eboo Patel of Interfaith America
                  • The Spirit of Our Politics by Michael Wear
                  
                  

                  
                  

                  CONNECT WITH US:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life

                  ]]>c3316ddc-3434-4f55-bbbd-73737d083c6bWed, 12 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -040032:36falsefull11111Welcome to For the Good of the PublicThe Center for Christianity & Public Life introduces For the Good of the Public podcast, bringing conversations on how Christians and Christianity can and must contribute in 21st Century America. This summer, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, will speak with journalists, U.S. senators, non-profit executives, activists and other leaders on today’s most pressing issues as well as discuss how Christianity can contribute to healthier politics and public life. Listen in upcoming weeks to hear conversations with Gary Haugen, Liz Bruenig, Eugene Cho, Eboo Patel, Christine Emba, and many others! 

                  Connect with Us:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  ]]>The Center for Christianity & Public Life introduces For the Good of the Public podcast, bringing conversations on how Christians and Christianity can and must contribute in 21st Century America. This summer, Michael Wear, Founder and CEO, and Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, will speak with journalists, U.S. senators, non-profit executives, activists and other leaders on today’s most pressing issues as well as discuss how Christianity can contribute to healthier politics and public life. Listen in upcoming weeks to hear conversations with Gary Haugen, Liz Bruenig, Eugene Cho, Eboo Patel, Christine Emba, and many others! 

                  Connect with Us:

                  Website: www.ccpubliclife.org

                  X: @CCPublicLife

                  Facebook: Center for Christianity & Public Life

                  Instagram: @ccpubliclife

                  Mentioned in this episode:

                  New Updated Feed Here!

                  New Podcast

                  ]]>b8fcf019-ca05-4bcb-bc15-0ca2cff45ebbTue, 04 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -040003:29falsetrailer