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, 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].
Best of: ‘How to End Christian Nationalism’
Is the separation of church and state in the Constitution? How does Christian nationalism overlap with white supremacy? Why do we keep seeing so many proposals to post the Ten Commandments? In this wide-ranging conversation from 2024, Amanda Tyler talks about these issues and more as she discusses her book “How to End Christian Nationalism” with the Rev. Dr. Bill Leonard.
Best of: Inside the ReAwaken America tour
Christian nationalism was on full display at the ReAwaken America tour, which was a series of conferences that fused Christian language and symbols with conspiracy theories and election denials. Amanda went inside a Miami event in 2023, and she shared her experiences in this podcast – from assembly-line baptisms to the reaction of the crowd as speakers moved seamlessly from religious worship songs to calls for political violence.
This episode originally aired May 18, 2023.
Best of: A decision that continues to create misguided claims: Kennedy v. Bremerton
A 2022 decision from the Supreme Court continues to sow confusion and misguided claims four years later. Today, we’re revisiting our conversation on the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision, where the Court ruled for a public school official and abandoned long-standing Establishment Clause protections in ways that harm the religious freedom rights of students. Hear Amanda and Holly react right after this decision and 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.
This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on June 29, 2022, and was first released July 7, 2022.
Best of: Rob Reiner and ‘God and Country’ director Dan Partland on Christian nationalism
What is the cost of speaking out against Christian nationalism? In 2024, Rob Reiner came on the podcast to talk about a film he produced, called “God & Country.” In this episode from our archives, Amanda Tyler talks with Reiner and Dan Partland, the director of the film. “God & Country” discusses the dangers of Christian nationalism to the country, to the faith, and to pluralism.
Best of: But … is it Christian nationalism?
Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired”? In this conversation from 2024, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we all should be asking ourselves when evaluating the political ideology.
This program originally aired March 21, 2024
Best of: Dr. Walter Brueggemann on Christian nationalism
What does the Bible have to teach us about Christian nationalism? How does that political ideology undermine the Christian faith and the nature of God? In this interview from 2019, author and scholar Walter Brueggemann talks with Amanda Tyler about the theological dangers of Christian nationalism. Don’t miss his thoughts on what the prophets have to teach us about our current times, the importance of the crucifixion and resurrection narrative in these conversations, and what the Bible says about oppression, hope, truth and power. This program originally aired August 21, 2019.
Best of: The myth of American ‘chosenness’ with Dr. Catherine Brekus
How does the myth of America being a “chosen” nation lead to the religious nationalism we see today? In a presentation first aired in 2023, Harvard Divinity School’s Dr. Catherine Brekus talks about how the myth is a complicated mixture of arrogance, exploitation, reform, racism and violence. She looks at the roots of this myth, how it has played out through our country’s history, and how the recent surge of white Christian nationalism reflects a deep uneasiness about the loss of Christian privilege in this country.
This program originally aired on June 1, 2023, in season 4 of Respecting Religion.
Best of: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Remembering the January 6 attack
As Amanda’s sabbatical begins, we are revisiting previous episodes of the podcast. This week – in 2026 – marked the 5th anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. In today’s episode of Respecting Religion, hear a conversation two years after the attack. Amanda and Holly share their reactions to the report released by the January 6 Select Committee at the end of 2022, including the lack of any mention of Christian nationalism and why that matters. They also discuss the importance of Christian leaders providing an alternative witness in 2023 to the Christian nationalism exhibited during the attack on the Capitol. And, they review how the insurrection still shapes our world and how it – surprisingly – doesn’t shape Capitol tours.
This program originally aired on January 12, 2023, in season 4 of Respecting Religion.
