All Podcasts
BJC’s podcasts feature some of our most popular lectures, in-depth discussions of current events and analysis of church-state issues.
BJC has two podcast feeds:
Respecting Religion, a BJC Podcast series about religion and the law, featuring weekly conversations with BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and BJC General Counsel Holly Hollman. Season 3 begins in fall 2021. Search for “Respecting Religion” on your favorite provider to subscribe, or visit this link for every episode in our Respecting Religion podcast series .
BJC Podcast, a collection of archived podcasts from previous Supreme Court cases, early seasons of Respecting Religion, and our 2019 podcast series on the dangers of Christian nationalism. Search for “BJC Podcast” on your favorite provider, or click on the links for the podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and Amazon Music.
Visit this link for every episode in our series on the dangers of Christian nationalism (2019).
Have a question or a topic you want to hear discussed in a future podcast? Contact us at [email protected].
S4, Ep. 07: Does the Respect for Marriage Act protect religious liberty?
Can marriage equality and religious liberty co-exist? Amanda and Holly discuss the Respect for Marriage Act, including what led to this bill’s creation, the legislative wrangling to get it passed in an election year, and the bevy of amendments full of political posturing. They also discuss the important distinctions between marriage as a civil institution and marriage as a religious institution. Learn more about the current state of conflicts over LGBTQ rights and religious objections to same-sex marriage and what this means to those conversations.
S4, Ep. 06: Evaluating Christian nationalism as a political strategy
Where did we see religion and religious liberty have an impact during the midterm elections? Amanda and Holly break down election results in this podcast, including a look at how extremism fared at the ballot box. Plus, they review the implications of former president Donald Trump’s return as a candidate when it comes to Christian nationalism.
S4, Ep. 05: Christian nationalism and the midterm elections
Christian nationalism’s influence continues to permeate so many facets of our world, particularly as we approach the midterm elections. Holly and Amanda look at the headline-grabbing ReAwaken America tour events happening across the country, including how Michael Flynn and others are exploiting Christian nationalism in those arenas for political gain. Plus, they review new research about Americans’ attitudes toward – and knowledge of – Christian nationalism, Supreme Court justices, and recent court decisions. Amanda and Holly share how these new polls can help all of us in our work calling out and dismantling Christian nationalism in our communities and in ourselves.
S4, Ep. 04: A religious freedom right to an abortion?
Debates about access to abortion are often intertwined with religion, and the conversation is changing in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal constitutional right to an abortion. Amanda and Holly review some of the public and academic commentaries on the intersection of abortion and religion, and they look at religious liberty arguments being made for abortion access and what it takes to make a religious liberty claim.
S4, Ep.03: Lessons learned in 3 years of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign
It’s been three years since the launch of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative. In this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss what we’ve learned since convening that project and how the conversation is changing today. They share about accusations we’ve heard over the project’s lifetime, why we are seeing this topic in the media more often, and the odd ways the public discourse is shifting.
S4, Ep. 02: Justice Alito and religion at the Supreme Court: Previewing the new SCOTUS term
What are Amanda and Holly watching in the new Supreme Court term? They preview 303 v. Elenis, a case involving a woman who says she doesn’t want to design wedding websites for same-sex couples, and compare it to the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which the Court avoided the main question. Amanda and Holly also discuss an order from the Court’s “shadow docket” involving Yeshiva University’s refusal to recognize an LGBT club on campus, and they share why we’re still watching that case. Plus, hear their reaction to Justice Samuel Alito’s speech at a conference in Rome.
S4, Ep. 01: Still more to say: Review and updates on last term’s religious freedom cases from SCOTUS
The Supreme Court opened its new term this week, and Amanda and Holly look at where its last decisions are leading us. They provide updates on high-profile decisions, including the praying coach in Washington state who hasn’t returned to work yet and the dilemmas facing religious schools in Maine. Amanda and Holly lament how this Court ignores the distinctiveness of religion, despite religion’s special status in the Constitution. They view the Court as taking a major risk by leaving lower courts without better guidance. Amanda and Holly also weigh in on discussions regarding the Court’s legitimacy and remind us that we can’t just count on the Supreme Court to uphold our rights.
S3, Ep. 21: Not solving a problem, but creating one: Dissecting the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision
The Supreme Court is sowing more confusion with its Kennedy v. Bremerton decision, ruling for a public school official and abandoning long-standing Establishment Clause protections in ways that harm the religious freedom rights of students. In our season three finale – and our first episode in front of a live audience – Amanda and Holly discuss the impact of this ruling, and they ponder just what, exactly, would actually constitute “coercion” for this Court. The Supreme Court did not overrule the previous school prayer cases with the decision, but it did gut some of the consensus that protects the religious liberty rights of everyone at public schools. In the second and final segment, Amanda and Holly look to the next Supreme Court term and BJC’s plans to continue its work defending faith freedom for all.
