The Bulletin

This week, we’re re-airing favorite segments from The Bulletin archive about loneliness. First up, Alan Noble joins Russell and Clarissa to talk about loneliness in the university, and why it often feels shameful to share that you’re lonely. Then, Jon Tyson and Mike Cosper discuss the importance of the call to bless your children and others in your life. Finally, Clarissa, Ashley Hales, Ekemini Uwan, and John Shelton talk about people making the decision to live communally, new monasticism, and how to foster community whatever your living situation is.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

Another Symptom of Growing Isolation - The Atlantic

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Alan Noble is an associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous books and articles. Alan’s writing appears in Modern Reformation, Christianity Today, Vox, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic.

Jon Tyson is a New York City-based pastor and author. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the US over two decades ago to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western church. He is the author of the best-selling books Fighting Shadows, The Intentional Father, and Beautiful Resistance. He graduated from Capital Seminary and serves as the lead pastor of Church of the City New York.

Ekemini Uwan is a public theologian, international human rights activist, and co-author of Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation. She co-hosts the award-winning podcast Truth's Table and Get In The Word With Truth’s Table. Uwan was a 2024 fellow at The Aspen Institute where she served as the Special Advisor for The Aspen Institute’s Racial Justice and Religion Collective.

Ashley Hales is the editorial director for print at Christianity Today. She is the co-founder of The Willowbrae Institute, a think tank researching the intersection of Christianity and the common good in America. Ashley hosts the The Cartographers Podcast and is the author of Finding Holy in the Suburbs, A Spacious Life, and A Fruitful Life.

John Shelton is the policy director for Advancing American Freedom. He received degrees from Duke Divinity School and the University of Virginia.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world



The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.



“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Host: Alexa Copeland

Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July marked the highest number of individuals arrested by ICE during President Trump’s second term. A majority of those arrested had no criminal record in the US. As churches figure out how to help congregants and neighbors who may be at risk, we’re sharing Andy Olsen’s reporting on a Honduran couple, Raúl and Lilian, who were flagged by ICE because of an immigration paperwork error. Raúl ended up in an ICE detention facility, but used his time there as an opportunity to minister to others. It’s also a story about the advocacy and love of their church in East Boston, whose members continue to reach out to and care for individuals who have been detained in the same facility.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andy Olsen is the editorial director of news at Christianity Today. He previously oversaw the print magazine team. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other outlets, and has been recognized by the Religion News Association and the Evangelical Press Association.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world



The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.



“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Host: Alexa Copeland

Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A study published this year found that pro-gun PACs consistently increased campaign donations to politicians in the aftermath of fatal school shootings in their districts. Reporter Jack Panyard and school shooting survivor Taylor Schumann join Russell and Clarissa to discuss the aftermath of school shootings, the complexity of forgiveness, and whether to hold parents accountable for children’s crimes. Then, a former CIA agent who is transgender wrote an Atlantic article about her experience giving Vice President Mike Pence daily intelligence briefings. We re-air a conversation in which Mike Cosper and David French discuss the violent rhetoric directed by the online far right towards transgender people and how Christians should view the free speech of people they disagree with. Finally, a new study found that at least 1 in 4 NFL players likely has the degenerative brain disease CTE, which is caused by repeated hits to the head. We re-air a segment in which former NFL player Derwin Gray discusses how he found Jesus playing football, the violence of the NFL, and how the audience can view the sport and players.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

The Gun Lobby’s Most Cynical Move Yet - The Atlantic

The Wrong Kind of American - The Atlantic

Major Study Finds at Least 1 in 4 NFL Players Gets CTE - The New York TImes

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Join the conversation at our Substack.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Taylor Schumann is a writer, activist, and survivor of the shooting at New River Community College in Christianburg, Virginia in 2013. She wrote the book When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough.

Jack Panyard is a news writer for Christianity Today. Previously he was covered breaking news, courts, crime, politics, education, and health for LNP and Lancaster Online. He has reported on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes in the podcast Broken: Jeffrey Epstein.

David French is a columnist for The New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch and author of Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.

Derwin Gray played professional football in the NFL for five years with the Indianapolis Colts and one year with the Carolina Panthers. He received his M.Div. from Southern Evangelical Seminary and now serves as the Lead Pastor of Transformation Church in South Carolina.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world



The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.



“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Host: Alexa Copeland

Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we’re re-airing a conversation between Mike Cosper and Harrison Scott Key about marriage, community, and the gift of laughter in life’s darkest moments. Key’s latest book, How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Every Told, details his wife’s infidelity and the couple’s fight to save their relationship. Mike and Harrison talk about why it’s better to be the comedic hero than the tragic hero, looking to the scriptures for real wisdom, and leaning on the church community in times of tragedy.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Every Told - Harrison Scott Key

GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:

Join the conversation at our Substack.

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Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Harrison Scott Key is the author of How to Stay Married; Congratulations, Who Are You Again?; and The World's Largest Man. Harrison's humor and nonfiction have appeared in The Best American Travel Writing, Oxford American, Outside, and The New York Times. He is the winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world



The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.



“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Host: Alexa Copeland

Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the Trump administration announced that $2 billion will be given to faith-based organizations providing humanitarian aid, including World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, and Compassion International. We’re re-airing a segment in which Mindy Belz discusses the shuttering of USAID during the second Trump administration and why the US has historically offered help abroad.

Then, President Trump nominated a new inspector general for the Department of the Interior, who will oversee any review of the recent controversy surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation. Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, an author of The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. We revisit a conversation between Mike Cosper and David Graham, author of The Project, about the policy ideas behind Project 2025 and how the administration has been enacting them.

Finally, tradwives are having a moment, thanks in part to the summer’s popular book Yesteryear. Nicole Martin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll discuss the phenomenon of tradwives and theobros, as well as how to discern what is genuine and offer true hospitality.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

After Aid Cuts, US Announces $2 Billion for Christian Groups - CT Emily Belz

The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America - David A. Graham

GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:

Join the conversation at our Substack.

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Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Mindy Belz is a journalist who has covered wars and victims of conflict in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, and the Balkans. She recounts some of her experiences in a 2016 award-winning book, They Say We Are Infidels. She is the former senior editor at World magazine and has done writing and editing for Christianity Today.

David Graham is a journalist based in Durham, North Carolina. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers politics, criminal justice, music, and other topics. His coverage of the 2020 presidential election won the 2021 Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting. He was previously editor of The Atlantic’s politics section, which won a Webby Award.

Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as President and CEO. She has more than 25 years of nonprofit, academic, ministry leadership, and church engagement experience and has served at CT since 2023 as Chief Impact Officer and most recently Chief Operating Officer.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world



The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.



“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today

Host: Alexa Copeland

Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps

Executive Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices