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. 04: Searching for sincerity and standards: SCOTUS on religious rites in the execution chamber
The Supreme Court brought the execution chamber into the courtroom as it heard arguments about the activities clergy can perform at the moment of death. Amanda and Holly share clips from the arguments in Ramirez v. Collier and discuss issues raised by the justices. From questions about sincerity of religious belief to the key laws that protect the religious exercise of prisoners, hear what the justices focused on and learn about the arguments made by both sides.
S3, Ep. 03: What’s going on with religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates?
This week, Amanda and Holly explore questions swirling around vaccine mandates and religious exemptions related to COVID-19. Is there a newfound religious awakening that is leading to new requests? Are people gaming the system? Dive into the issue that is on the mind of employers, government officials and individuals across the country. Amanda and Holly discuss the religious liberty rationale for religious exemptions, the compelling government interest in mandating vaccines and how those values have been balanced in the past and in dealing with the present pandemic. They also talk about some of the difficult decisions employers are facing as they try to keep their workforce safe, healthy and productive. In the third segment, they look at the broader impact of COVID-19, including new reports on the trustworthiness of clergy when it comes to this topic.
S3, Ep. 02: Out of the shadows and into the courtroom: Religion in the execution chamber
The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments in a type of case it usually addresses in its emergency or “shadow” docket: Questions surrounding clergy and religious exercise in the execution chamber. Amanda and Holly review the issue by considering cases over the past few years. In segment two, they dive into the first religious liberty case the Court will hear oral arguments this term in Ramirez v. Collier (starting at 14:50), including the statute at the heart of the case: RLUIPA.
S3, Ep. 01: The fondness of magistrates: Is religion really winning at the Supreme Court?
Amanda and Holly discuss the big cases the Supreme Court will hear this term, and they break down the decision in Fulton v. Philadelphia, sharing why it’s not as sweeping a decision as the 9-0 outcome might make it seem.
Season 2 bonus episode: When ministers become candidates
Race and religion are topics at the forefront of the U.S. Senate race in Georgia between Sen. Kelly Loeffler and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock. On this bonus episode of Respecting Religion, we bring you a conversation between BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. and Executive Director Amanda Tyler about what happens when ministers become candidates. In this dialogue broadcast live on December 2, they go beyond partisan politics and dive into the sensitive topics, discussing the implications of using sermons in attack ads, the power structure of whiteness, Christian nationalism, liberation theology, double standards and how you can’t ignore the racial components at play right now.Plus, they ask a serious question: How do the attacks against the Rev. Warnock compare to similar attacks on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his time?
Season 2, Ep. 06: What’s next? The Biden administration and religious liberty (Featuring Melissa Rogers)
In our season finale, we look to the future and the potential ways the Biden administration could impact religious liberty. Our guest for this episode is Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama administration. Amanda, Holly and Melissa discuss the need for an administration to be organized at the outset and ready for issues that are going to impact religious liberty, both explicitly and implicitly.
Season 2, Ep. 05: This Emotional Court
This summer, the coronavirus pandemic raised novel new questions about religious freedom and government powers. Now, as we head toward winter, what have we learned? Amanda and Holly talk about the latest actions from this surprisingly emotional Supreme Court. Starting with Justice Samuel Alito’s November speech to the Federalist Society (starting at 08:12), they then break down the Thanksgiving eve decision that overturned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s limits on worship in coronavirus hotspots (20:03) and talk about what it might mean for restrictions in other places. Learn more about what’s at stake for religious freedom in these court cases and the importance of comparing apples to apples.
Season 2, Ep. 04: Grading the Trump administration on religious freedom
What do we make of the Trump legacy when it comes to religious freedom? Go beyond the sound bites and confusing statements as Amanda and Holly analyze what really happened over the past four years. They note areas of agreement, instances where religious language was used to divide, how high-level appointments mattered, proliferations of religious exemptions, Betsy DeVos and the shift of public funds to religious schools, and what it all means for the future of religious liberty in our country.
