The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Ash Wednesday forces us to acknowledge that some day we will die. For some, that truth is abstract. For others, it is painfully personal. Esau and Mike are joined by Hannah Miller King, author of Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness, to talk about what happens to faith when prayers for healing go unanswered. After losing her father to cancer as a teenager, Hannah began wrestling with a question many believers quietly carry: What does hope look like when God doesn't do what you asked? They explore the difference between a "transaction of goods" gospel and the communion of persons, the role of the Lord's Supper in shaping Christian imagination, and how Lent invites us to hold suffering and resurrection together. Also, can Hannah and Esau convince Mike to become anglican?
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
1:19 - Making Mike Anglican
 
7:21 - King's New Book on Ash Wednesday
 
14:40 - The Book's Thesis
 
18:10 - Grief
 
26:07 - Community and Grief
 
39:22 - End Credits
 
Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness by Hannah Miller King: https://amzn.to/4aHAvgh

A video shared by Donald Trump depicting Barack and Michelle Obama with a racist trope sparked outrage, swift defenses, and eventually, quiet deletion. Esau, Malcolm, and Mike explore the long history of dehumanizing imagery, the theological weight of the image of God, and why the refusal to repent may matter more than the original post. Then the conversation turns to rhetoric at the National Prayer Breakfast and the danger of blending national power with the language of the gospel. What does it mean to follow a crucified king in an age that prizes dominance?
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
2:00 - Can You Beat Middle Schoolers at Basketball?
 
6:56 - Trump's Racist Obama Video
 
24:23 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330
 
25:26 - The Military and Religion
 
35:27 - What's Part of the Gospel?
 
46:00 - End Credits

Students aren't just using AI to finish assignments. They're using it to manage social interactions, from emails to professors to conversations on dating apps. Esau, Justin, and Mike explore how that might spare a little awkwardness, but also skips the stage of failure where real growth usually happens. Then, are small liberal arts colleges actually better at forming students, and are universities still teaching people how to think rather than what to think? Also, sports gambling continues to cause problems and why Y2K culture, including the return of CDs, is making a surprising comeback.
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
0:18 - Black History Month Present
 
2:23 - CDs Are Coming Back?
 
9:23 - Physical Media in a Digital World
 
13:29 - A.I. Keeps Us from Failing
 
22:12 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/esau
 
23:33 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330
 
24:50 - Avoiding A.I. Entirely?
 
34:09 - Liberal Art's Inefficiency is Its Strength
 
40:54 - Sports Betting's Return
 
51:50 - End Credits
 
Resources:
God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone by Esau McCaulley:
https://www.tyndale.com/p/gods-colorful-easter/9798400501029?srsltid=AfmBOopFr6DDhzFFW4jVivkDhEgT3FNiuzM1cc8xmhgBCDtMuXLNVBSZ

The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis has become another moment where violence, misinformation, and political certainty collide. As video evidence contradicts official narratives, Esau, Malcolm Foley, and Mike wrestle with what this death reveals about power, propaganda, and the erosion of public trust. Then the three discuss Esau's recent article for the New York Times to ask a harder question: how do Christians name injustice without being consumed by rage? What does faithful witness look like when anger feels justified but spiritually dangerous?
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
1:10 - American Girl Doll Nostalgia
 
9:36 - Dark New Normal
 
14:45 - Justifying Violence with "Woke" Accusations
 
23:52 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330
 
25:02 - Sponsor - Brooklyn Bedding - For a quality mattress, go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com and use promo code ESAU to get 30% off site wide!
 
25:53 - Why Do We Believe Things?
 
33:25 - Not Living with Rage
 
47:40 - End Credits

Greenland is suddenly back on the menu of American foreign policy, raising real questions about conquest, NATO, and whether Christians can ever justify taking land that isn't theirs. Then, J. Cole's fear of "the fall off" becomes a window into ambition, calling, and the strange psychology of decline. And when Druski lampoons megachurch culture, it forces an uncomfortable look at why the church keeps becoming an easy punchline, and how Christians should respond when they are the butt of the joke. Plus, will Instagram be the thing that finally tears apart Esau and Mike?
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
0:50 - Hills to Die On
 
7:03 - Why Are We Against Invading Greenland?
 
16:05 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/esau
 
18:50 - J Cole's Retiring
 
27:55 - Pastors Falling Off
 
33:53 - Satirizing Megachurches
 
48:50 - End Credits