All Podcasts

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, our award-winning podcast series about religion and the law, featuring weekly conversations with BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and BJC General Counsel Holly Hollman. We are currently in season 5, which began in October 2023. Search for “Respecting Religion” on your favorite provider to subscribe, or visit this link for every episode.

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, SoundCloudSpotify,  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].

S6, Special Episode: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and the rule of law

S6, Special Episode: Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and the rule of law

On this special bonus episode of the Respecting Religion podcast, we are featuring a conversation that could not wait until our normal release date. In this still-developing story, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was mistakenly removed by the U.S. government from Maryland to El Salvador. His case and series of injustices are not just things that move all of us as people of faith, but there are also profound ramifications of this situation on due process, the rule of law and freedom for everyone living in our country.
S6, Ep. 12: Back to SCOTUS: Regular business in disturbing times

S6, Ep. 12: Back to SCOTUS: Regular business in disturbing times

There has been no shortage of news from all three branches of government in Washington, D.C., but one thing hasn’t changed: the U.S. Supreme Court continues to be interested in religious liberty cases. On today’s show, Amanda and Holly review the recent oral arguments in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin, which focuses on a religious exemption in the state’s unemployment compensation laws. There are big questions being asked in this case, such as where one draws the lines, how can “religion” be defined, and what is meant – exactly – by the term “proselytization.” Plus, Holly and Amanda take a moment to step back and talk about the current attacks we are seeing on the rule of law in our country.
S6, Ep. 11: African Americans and Religious Freedom

S6, Ep. 11: African Americans and Religious Freedom

PodcastDr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Coery D.B. Walker join Amanda and Holly to discuss the need to expand the narrative of religious freedom African Americans’ knowledge traditions, religious practices, political cultures and ideas are rich resources that facilitate new concepts of religious freedom. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Dr. Sabrina E. Dent and Dr. Corey D. B. Walker join Amanda and Holly to discuss the book they co-edited, African Americans and Religious Freedom: New Perspectives for Congregations and Communities. It’s  a collection of essays that provide novel interpretations of religious freedom informed by African American experiences, which are essential for a full public discourse about the topic. First released in the days before the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the second edition includes a new preface addressing the need for religious freedom to undergo a deep interrogation in our perilous times. SHOW NOTES Segment 1 (starting at 00:38): Introducing the book and the conversations it inspires Dr. Sabrina E. Dent is the director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation. Learn more about her on BJC’s website. Dr. Corey D. B. Walker is the dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Wake
S6, Ep. 10: March Madness: Department of Education, school vouchers, and a Supreme Court preview

S6, Ep. 10: March Madness: Department of Education, school vouchers, and a Supreme Court preview

Actions and rumors of actions in Washington, D.C., are continuing to dominate the news cycle and keep people on edge. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly discuss the devastation of dismantling the Department of Education and the problematic push for a nationwide school voucher program. They also look at the latest in the battle between faith communities and the Trump administration to protect sensitive locations from immigration raids, and they preview the three religious liberty cases on the Supreme Court’s docket this term.
S6, Ep. 09: Threats to religious freedom from the Trump administration and a look at the growing resistance

S6, Ep. 09: Threats to religious freedom from the Trump administration and a look at the growing resistance

In our second show of the second Trump administration, Amanda and Holly run through a list of recent events that point to a gross misunderstanding of what “religious freedom” means. They review the policy announcements made during the National Prayer Breakfast – including the creation of a task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias” – and they look at how this administration’s accusations and actions are limiting the religious freedom of several Christian groups who serve others. They also discuss the growing resistance, including court challenges and two opportunities for action to share your views with Congress and the Trump administration. In the final segment, Amanda and Holly share how BJC is celebrating Black History Month with a special invitation.
S6, Ep. 08: Ten Commandments and Trump’s first week

S6, Ep. 08: Ten Commandments and Trump’s first week

In this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss the problems with government mandates to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms, focusing on a case out of Louisiana. BJC and other Christian groups filed a brief in that case to explain why, as Christians, we oppose the Louisiana law and how the government’s decision to choose a religious text to display in a public school setting not only cheapens our faith but also puts the government in a role it is not called to play. Plus, Amanda and Holly talk through President Donald Trump’s first week back in the White House, sharing where they saw concerning signs for religion and religious liberty.
S6, Ep. 07: Jimmy Carter: Baptist, president, servant leader

S6, Ep. 07: Jimmy Carter: Baptist, president, servant leader

President Jimmy Carter introduced millions of people to what it means to be a Baptist. In this episode, Amanda and Holly reflect on what he meant to our country and to both of them, as fellow Baptists, as well as his impact on faith freedom for all. They share how he is a shining example of the diversity of Baptists in our country as well as what it looks like to live out one’s faith freely and fully without forcing it on others.
S6, Ep. 06: Oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti: Medical care for transgender youth and the Equal Protection Clause

S6, Ep. 06: Oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti: Medical care for transgender youth and the Equal Protection Clause

A Supreme Court case on medical care for transgender youth could have major ramifications – not only for children who have gender dysphoria and their families but also for how other statutes are reviewed under the Equal Protection Clause. In this episode, Amanda and Holly examine the oral arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti, breaking down key moments in the heated courtroom exchanges, examining the specific constitutional question in this case, and discussing the broader implications of the possible ruling. While the specific question in this case involves the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and not the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment, religion and religious arguments often loom large in cases that involve sexual orientation or gender identity.
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