Why does rhetoric in American evangelicalism often feel so self-serving, authoritarian, and antichrist? Scholars, theologians, and even some evangelicals are sounding the alarm on the internal dangers plaguing this subculture, dangers such as nationalism, abuse, and political despotism. Much of the pushback plays out on the battlefield of “what the Bible says” or theology. But when these problems are critiqued through the combined lenses of philosophy and political ethics, we discover what is keeping the dangers entrenched: propaganda.

Dr. Scott Coley is a philosopher, scholar, and consultant whose research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology, and political philosophy. In his book Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right, Scott unravels the language and biblical prooftexting that support Christo-authoritarianism: an ideology that presses evangelical theology into the service of authoritarian politics. His historically-informed argument unsettles white evangelical orthodoxy on a range of issues and convictions; convictions not as unchanging as evangelical leaders would have us believe.

In the first half of this conversation, Scott walks us through a specific kind of propaganda common in white American evangelicalism: rhetoric that appropriates an ideal in order to perpetuate intellectual and social practices that wind up contradicting the ideal itself. He explains that we buy into propaganda because of motivated reasoning and ideology, at which point the Gospel becomes corrupted. Then, Mark and Scott discuss the embodiment of this propaganda in the real world, how it undermines the very institutions white evangelicals have built in service to themselves, and explore how we can decode this propaganda and, as we do, recover Jesus's teachings to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Purchase your copy of Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right

Read Mark’s review of Scott’s book.

Follow Scott on Instagram (scott_m_coley) and Bluesky (@scottmcoley.bsky.social)

Follow Mark on Instagram (markhackett.faith) and Threads (@markhackett)

What did the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus actually do? Many Christians today genuinely believe the answer is simple: Jesus died for our sins. But sincere followers of Jesus have wrestled with this question for nearly 2,000 years and arrived at very different conclusions along the way. In this episode, we dive down the rabbit hole into the world of Christian atonement theory, asking questions that lead us to more questions. Have we missed major components of The Gospel? Do we really understand Jesus? And why does it feel like some people who are so certain of The Gospel fail to live as Jesus did?

Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry at Campbell University. She is also an ordained pastor. In her book Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims, she shows how many Christians today read the New Testament as victors, not as victims. The teachings and actions of Jesus thus lose much of their subversive significance. The Gospels become one harmonized story about individual salvation rather than distinct representations of Jesus's radical work on behalf of victims.

In the first half of this conversation, Jennifer teaches us what atonement theory is and walks us through a few of the more significant theories found across Church history. Then, Mark and Jennifer discuss the embodiment of these beliefs in the real world and explore a new theory — Scapegoat Theory— which illuminates an essential truth of the Gospels: that Jesus modeled a reality in which victims become survivors, and the marginalized become central to the Kingdom of God.

Purchase your copy of Jennifer’s book Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims

Read Mark’s essay: Exploring the kaleidoscopic world of Christian atonement theory

Read Jennifer’s Commentary on John 4:5-42

Read Jennifer’s article: What The Gospels Teach Us About Salvation

Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @garciabashaw

Follow Mark on Instagram (markhackett.faith) and Threads (@markhackett)

Subscribe on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts. I explore faith and church culture in the American South from Memphis, TN. Never miss a post by ⁠signing up for my free newsletter⁠ or ⁠becoming a member⁠.

“Right now, Black voices are in.” That’s the opening line from Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just by Pastor Claude Atcho from Church of the Resurrection in Charlottesville, VA.

Learning from Black voices means listening to more than snippets. It means attending to Black stories. In Reading Black Books, Claude offers a theological approach to 10 seminal texts of 20th-century African American literature. Each chapter takes up a theological category for inquiry through a close literary reading and theological reflection on a primary literary text, from Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and Richard Wright's Native Son to Zora Neale Hurston's Moses, Man of the Mountain and James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain.

This book helps readers of all backgrounds learn from the contours of Christian faith formed and forged by Black stories, helping us move toward deeper conversations about racial justice in the church. Claude demonstrates that reading about Black experience as shown in the literature of great African American writers can guide us toward sharper theological thinking and more faithful living.

In the first half of this conversation, Claude shares some of his keen theological insights on a few formative works from Black writers. Then, Mark and Claude discuss the true universality of these stories and how they can inform our faith in ways that extend well beyond conversations about race, helping to bring renewal to our faith, churches, and communities.

Purchase your copy of Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just

Learn more about Church of the Resurrection in Charlottesville, VA and support this church plant

Check out The Scandal of Reading podcast for inspiring conversations about why Christians should be reading great literature

Visit Claude’s website

Follow Claude on Twitter: @ClaudeAtcho

Follow Mark on Instagram (markhackett.faith) and Threads (@markhackett)

Subscribe on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts. I explore faith and church culture in the American South from Memphis, TN. Never miss a post by ⁠signing up for my free newsletter⁠ or ⁠becoming a member⁠.