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].
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.
S3, Ep. 20: Forcing states to fund religion: Carson v. Makin decision
Does the Constitution require our government to fund religion? In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court says, for the first time, that if a state has a program that includes funding for private schools it must also provide funding for religious schools. In this episode, Amanda and Holly examine the Carson v. Makin decision, which shows how the Supreme Court is shifting further and further away from the Establishment Clause’s protections of religious liberty for all. They explore the Court’s “bait and switch” to make this radical shift seem not so bad, and they look at all of the reasons the Framers thought it was smart to avoid government funding of religion. In segment three, Amanda and Holly review the latest misleading headlines that conflate “religious liberty” with a promotion of free exercise rights at the expense of Establishment Clause protections.
S3, Ep. 19: Gun culture and Christian nationalism in America
The United States has a distinctive and increasingly destructive gun culture. In this episode, Amanda and Holly look at how embracing Christian nationalism correlates to opinions on gun control and why conversations about gun reform become more difficult when “God-given rights” are invoked and government-sponsored prayer is advanced as a policy solution after violence. Dive into this nuanced, complicated and emotional issue as our country reels from recent mass shootings and searches for policy solutions.
S3, Ep. 18: Christian nationalism and election season 2022
It’s an election year, and we’re already seeing high-profile primaries and debates over the role religion plays in elections. In this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss constructive engagement for religious organizations in elections and voting, discussing terms that often get confused – such as “political” and “partisan” – and the important role of religion and religious people when it comes to advocating for policies. They explain the tax benefit that houses of worship and other charitable organizations receive and what that means when it comes to partisan campaigns. Getting involved in elections is one way you can fight back against Christian nationalism, and this episode talks about the legal rules and the rules of thumb when it comes to making your voice heard in the public square.
S3, Ep. 17: Religious freedom and our Indigenous neighbors: Save Oak Flat
Imagine your house of worship is facing destruction and your elected officials could stop it, but they were more concerned with how others view your sacred space. That’s the scenario facing the San Carlos Apache and other tribes in their fight to preserve their sacred land of Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, loosely translated in English as “Oak Flat.” In this podcast, learn more about this issue facing our Indigenous neighbors and how you can use your position to make a difference and save sacred land. Just because a religious group doesn’t build a steeple, it doesn’t mean the sacredness of the land is any less than a church or mosque or other worship site.
S3, Ep. 16: SCOTUS decision roundup: Shurtleff v. Boston, Ramirez v. Collier, and the leaked Dobbs draft
It’s been quite the week for the Supreme Court, releasing a decision in a case we were watching and responding to the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion in a case that captured the attention of the entire country. In this episode, Holly and Amanda break down Monday’s ruling in Shurtleff v. Boston – about a city flying a Christian flag – and the recent decision in Ramirez v. Collier – concerning religion in the execution chamber. They also react to the big Supreme Court news this week: the leak of a draft opinion for Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case challenging a Mississippi law that restricts abortion. Amanda and Holly share their reactions to what’s happening at the Court and preview what’s to come.
S3, Ep. 15: The coach is the loudspeaker and the field is his classroom: Recapping the arguments in Kennedy v. Bremerton
This week, the Supreme Court discussed a coach-led prayer practice on the football field, hearing two very different versions of the facts. Amanda and Holly review Monday’s oral arguments in Kennedy v. Bremerton in this podcast, sharing their four takeaways and playing key courtroom exchanges. From the fights over the facts to conflating the rights of students and school officials, there are plenty of moments that caused more than fleeting concerns.
S3, Ep. 14: #NoPrayToPlay: Previewing the Kennedy v. Bremerton case
A public high school football coach is claiming a right to pray with students on the 50-yard-line immediately after the game while still on duty. What’s the best way to protect religious freedom for everyone in this situation? Amanda and Holly talk about the Supreme Court case of Kennedy v. Bremerton, what’s at stake, and how various groups are portraying what really happened. They go over BJC’s brief, which works to find a solution for everyone that protects the rights of students to be free to make their own choices about what religious practices they want to do and when to do so. Amanda and Holly also discuss the lines between private practice and government speech, and the different rights of students – who are compelled to be at school – and government employees, who represent the government.
