Good Faith

Can Christian Americans Resist Authoritarian Drift?
 
Pete Wehner—The Atlantic columnist and former Reagan and Bush administration staff member—joins host Curtis Chang to ask the uncomfortable question: in Trump's America, is morality a loser that's been replaced by the "law of the jungle"—especially in U.S. foreign policy? From Venezuela to a looming Greenland/Denmark showdown that could fracture NATO, Wehner argues we're watching "might makes right" go mainstream. The antidote, he says, isn't vibes—it's resistance: stop living within the lie and start living within the truth.
 
00:04:23 - Explaining the U.S. Foreign Policy Shift 
00:06:36 - What Is America's Moral Aspiration in Foreign Policy?
00:07:57 - Trump's "Will to Power" Ethic
00:11:34 - Do We Have Historical Amnesia?
00:16:36 - Contrasting Trump and PEPFAR 
00:19:09 - The Disconnect Between Christian Identity and Policy 
00:26:34 - Demagogues and Moral Erosion
00:34:19 - President Trump's Unique Amorality
00:37:10 - Primacy of Human Dignity and Christian Ethics 
00:41:01 - Venezuela, Greenland, and Moral Implications
00:44:02 - The Value of Beauty and Creation
00:47:14 - What Are the Limits and Possibilities of Action
 
More about the Religious Landscape Study pewresearch.org/rls
 
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Mentioned In This Episode:
Pete Wehner's article Trump's Folly
More about PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)
Anne Applebaum's Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
William Galston's Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech
Jeane Kirkpatrick's essay Dictatorships and Double Standards (Commentary)
Václav Havel's The Power of the Powerless
David Brooks' article America Needs a Mass Movement—Now  Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades (The Atlantic)
C.S. Lewis' idea of active obedience is found in Mere Christianity
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" 
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Prize Lecture (literature, 1970)
 
More from Pete Wehner:
Pete Wehner's articles at The Atlantic
Pete Wehner's opinion pieces at The New York Times
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The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Can Christian Americans Resist Authoritarian Drift?
 
Pete Wehner—The Atlantic columnist and former Reagan and Bush administration staff member—joins host Curtis Chang to ask the uncomfortable question: in Trump's America, is morality a loser that's been replaced by the "law of the jungle"—especially in U.S. foreign policy? From Venezuela to a looming Greenland/Denmark showdown that could fracture NATO, Wehner argues we're watching "might makes right" go mainstream. The antidote, he says, isn't vibes—it's resistance: stop living within the lie and start living within the truth.
 
00:04:23 - Explaining the U.S. Foreign Policy Shift 
00:06:36 - What Is America's Moral Aspiration in Foreign Policy?
00:07:57 - Trump's "Will to Power" Ethic
00:11:34 - Do We Have Historical Amnesia?
00:16:36 - Contrasting Trump and PEPFAR 
00:19:09 - The Disconnect Between Christian Identity and Policy 
00:26:34 - Demagogues and Moral Erosion
00:34:19 - President Trump's Unique Amorality
00:37:10 - Primacy of Human Dignity and Christian Ethics 
00:41:01 - Venezuela, Greenland, and Moral Implications
00:44:02 - The Value of Beauty and Creation
00:47:14 - What Are the Limits and Possibilities of Action
 
More about the Religious Landscape Study pewresearch.org/rls
 
Sign up for the Good Faith Newsletter
 
Mentioned In This Episode:
Pete Wehner's article Trump's Folly
More about PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)
Anne Applebaum's Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
William Galston's Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech
Jeane Kirkpatrick's essay Dictatorships and Double Standards (Commentary)
Václav Havel's The Power of the Powerless
David Brooks' article America Needs a Mass Movement—Now  Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades (The Atlantic)
C.S. Lewis' idea of active obedience is found in Mere Christianity
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" 
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Prize Lecture (literature, 1970)
 
More from Pete Wehner:
Pete Wehner's articles at The Atlantic
Pete Wehner's opinion pieces at The New York Times
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)
Good Faith on Facebook
 
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

From Pews to Planet: Faith-Based Steps to Better Creation Stewardship
 
In this episode of the Good Faith Podcast, host Curtis Chang and guest Dr. Katherine Hayhoe—Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy and a committed evangelical Christian—explore why Christians and churches should care about climate change as a biblical "love your neighbor" issue rooted in justice for the poor and vulnerable. Hayhoe explains how political polarization and "solution aversion" fuel climate skepticism. She introduces the "Six Americas" framework and offers practical guidance for having hopeful, effective conversations that connect climate action to what people already care about. Dr. Hayhoe offers actionable next steps for individuals and congregations—like sharing solutions, starting church initiatives, and leading with hope instead of doom—so Christians can faithfully steward God's creation.
 
05:23 - Dr. Hayhoe's Faith Journey and Science
07:12 - Experiencing Creation's Vulnerability 
09:17 - Is Climate Change a Justice Issue?
10:42 - Encountering Christian Climate Skepticism 
18:06 - Christian Organizations and Climate Action
24:35 - Connecting Climate to Personal Values A
28:23 - Navigating Difficult Conversations 
33:31 -  What Are the "Six Americas" of Climate Attitudes?
43:02 - Scientific Evidence and Human Impact 
48:15 - Focusing on Solutions, Not Just Science 
50:03 - What Is One Action Step for the Unsure Christian?
53:00 - What Is One Action Step for the Committed Christian 
55:00 - Are There Practical Church-Based Climate Actions?
 
Episode Companion:
Christians and Climate Change Guide 1
 
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Mentioned In This Episode:
 
Organizations and Networks
A Rocha USA
Evangelical Environmental Network
Tearfund
Compassion International
World Vision
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
 
Websites, Tools, Books, and Newsletters
Skeptical Science
Global Weirding (Video podcast)
Colby May's Energy For Purpose (ministry Energy Management)
Mark Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
Dr. John Cook's Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change: How to Understand and Respond to Climate Science Deniers
Bill McKibben's website
 
Studies and Surveys
National Academy of Sciences Survey Results (2023-2024)
Belief in divine (versus human) control of earth affects perceived threat of climate change (npj)
Pew Research: The pope is concerned about climate change. How do U.S. Catholics feel about it? (2023)
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes (2025)
 
More From Dr. Katharine Hayhoe:
Katharine Hayhoe's Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
Katharine Hayhoe's Substack: Talking Climate
Katharine Hayhoe's website 
Subscribe to Katharine Hayhoe's Newsletter
 
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)
Good Faith on Facebook
 
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

How Do We Shape Future Generations Well?
 
Nancy French returns to The Good Faith Podcast with host Curtis Chang for a heartfelt, funny, and surprisingly practical conversation about how grandparenting reshapes your view of hope, kids and screens, grief, and what's worth doing with the time you have—even is that just means "robbing a bank with a Barbie." This conversation isn't just for grandparents: it's for anyone mentoring, parenting, teaching, or influencing the next generation, with practical wisdom on choosing connection, naming loss honestly, and creating space for kids to grow "analog" and resilient. Nancy also explains why legacy and being remembered aren't the point—what matters is faithfully loving the people in front of you and passing on stability, courage, and hope that outlasts you.
 
02:05 - Why Did Nancy Choose a Year as Primary Caregiver To Her Grandpkids?
07:44 - No screens and the value of analog, imaginative play.
13:15 - Preserving Children's Natural Hope 
14:26 - Navigating Difficult Topics with Children 
17:14 - The Value of Letting Children Experience Loss 
23:09 - Creativity and Storytelling with Grandchildren 
25:51 - Introducing Real-World Conflicts in Play 
29:19 - Grandparents as Links to Family Legacy 
34:53 - George Eliot: The Value of Unremembered Acts 
36:18 - Living with Cancer and Embracing the Present 
42:30 - Grandparenting from a Distance 
45:27 - Encouragement to Focus on fun, connection, and Presence Rather Than Legacy
 
Episode Companion: A Guide for Grandparents & All Those Influencing The Next Generation
 
Mentioned In This Episode:
Demographic research: Grandchildren's spatial proximity to grandparents and intergenerational support in the United States
Jennifer F. Cross, M.D.: Why screen time should be limited for kids 
The Child Mind Institute: The Power of Pretend Play for Children
Chicago's Harold Washington Library
Curtis Chang's The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your Best Self
Nancy French & Curtis Chang's The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics
Nancy French's Ghosted: An American Story
George Eliot's Middlemarch (epubs)
More about Secretary of State Cordell Hull
More From Nancy French:
Nancy French's website
Nancy French on instagram
Nancy French on Threads
 
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)
Good Faith on Facebook
 
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Can a Poetic Pause Help us Embrace the In-Between Moments of the Season?
 
On this special Christmas Day episode of the Good Faith Podcast, host Curtis Chang and singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken each explore the nativity, the "space between" Christ's first coming and second coming, and how Christian faith holds grief and joy together in a world that often "does not mesh with Jesus." Featuring Madeleine L'Engle's poem "First Coming" and music from McCracken's Christmas EP I Heard the Bells (including "The Space Between"), this episode invites listeners to slow down, notice the small things, and find God's nearness in waiting and quiet wonder.
 
(00:03:02) Christian Response to a Troubled World
(00:04:22) Madeleine L'Engle's "First Coming" 
(00:08:35) Sandra McCracken's Christmas Reflections 
(00:12:14) What Is Blessing the Space Between?
(00:12:47) Songwriting and the Sacred Space Between 
(00:15:10) From Christmas to New Year's: Blessing the In-Between Times
(00:17:12) Nativity, Slowness, and the Nearness of God 
(00:20:01) Curtis Chang's Closing Reflections
 
Enter the Christmas Day give away Good Faith mugs & a Sandra McCracken Christmas album
 
Sign up for the Good Faith Newsletter
 
Mentioned In This Episode:
Madeleine L'Engle's The Ordering of Love
Madeleine L'Engle's "First Coming"
Luci Shaw's Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation
Sandra McCracken's Christmas EP I Heard the Bells
Sandra McCracken's "The Space Between"
 
More From Sandra McCracken:
Sandra McCracken's website
Sandra's first Christmas album Sandra McCracken Christmas (2020)
 
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter)
Good Faith on Facebook
 
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.