Christians in the Public Square

Cole came to Chattanooga for a visit, so we joined Stephen Walker and Sean White's podcast to discuss the church and the public square. They kindly gave us permission to cross-post to our podcast. Thanks, fellas!

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Stephen Walker joins us to propose a Christian view of anarchy and challenges us to consider trust in something other than the state.

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Scott interrogates Cole to understand his definition of "harm construed narrowly." 

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Scott and Cole are joined by Andy Little to discuss the role of corporations, corporate responsibilities, and Christian ethics in the corporate world. Andy wants the world to know that "lawyers really don't go by doctor" ;-)

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Peter Wehner, "The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart," The Atlantic, Oct. 24, 2021 (quoting Alan Jacobs).

Ben Peterson joins us for a conversation about Catholic Social Teaching, and his thesis that the church needs to explore its opportunity to engage in social justice and love by creating communities that shape our character. 

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Scott and Cole discuss a controversy in the SBC, and Scott tries to argue that the problem runs deeper than the issue they're fighting over.

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Darryl Tippens joins us again for a discussion about the challenges of engaging with literature, film, and other media; how do we decide what we are willing to see/read?

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Scott and Cole talk about the challenge of identity, labels, and whether Christianity has become an identity religion.

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Scott and Cole unpack arguments of "religious exemptions," liberty, the rights of the state, and the importance of wearing pants.

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Scott and Cole discuss why we took and break, and why we stopped taking a break. Scott casts a vision for the coming season.

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At the end of Season 2, Scott enters the Speakers' Corner to argue that the church's cozy relationship with conservatism is a tragic flaw of American Christianity. Also, if you notice Scott's grammatical error at 12:20, go and tell it to a skunk ;-)

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In this Speakers' Corner, Cole makes a free-market argument. He distracted Scott with barbecue sufficiently to make his argument free from interruption or disputation.

Let us know if you have an essay you'd like to pitch for the Speakers' Corner on CP2!

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Scott and Cole discuss three different articles about the relationship between race, social groups, and Christianity.

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Scott and Cole are joined by Kenneth Pybus to discuss the history of abortion law, the efforts to reverse Roe v. Wade, and Kenneth's view of his role as a Christian in the Public Square in relation to the issue of abortion.

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Cole's essay defines capitalism as a pure and simple exchange of mutual self-interest. 

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Scott and Cole discuss health care, the implications of COVID-19 on the discussion, and Scott's belief that there is a "right to life and living."

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This is the first of a new feature on CP-Square called "The Speaker's Corner." These episodes are short audio essays. Cole and I will be sharing these from time to time, and we would be willing to consider essays from listeners as well. Pitch us your idea for an audio essay! 

In this essay, Scott is forced to rethink his own darker view of the world, and why he wants to notice more and confess less.

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Scott and Cole unpack the last couple of episodes. Scott is a little worried that Cole has taken a lickin' - Cole keeps on tickin'.

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Wake up - Season 2 starts with new intro music and a couple of fellas who are suspicious of each others' coughs.  Scott and Cole discuss the 2 trillion dollar Covid-19 stimulus package, and Scott tries to convince Cole that this is not socialism; it's something else.

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Scott and Cole are joined by Darryl Tippens to discuss the historical Christian roots of human rights and human dignity. Darryl ultimately makes the point that Judeo-Christian traditions have shaped how we understand them. 

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Our assigned reading was ... 

Moyn, R. (2014). The secret history of constitutional dignity. Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal, 17(1), 38-68. 

Additional readings... 

Moyn, R. (2014). Christian human rights. University of Pennsylvania Press. 

Moyn, R. (2018). Not enough: Human rights in an unequal world. Harvard University Press.

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Cole and Scott challenge each other on some things they have let slide so far in the podcast. Cole defends his explanation of the relationship between his faith and his politics, and Scott defends fleecing the rich.

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Cole and Scott are joined by F. LaGard Smith. This interview was edited into two parts in post-production. In Part 2, we discuss the relationship between law and morality, and the cultural influences on the church's interpretation of God's will.

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Cole and Scott are joined by F. LaGard Smith. This interview was edited into two parts in post-production. In Part 1, we discuss The First Amendment and Natural Law.

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Scott and Cole are joined by guest Bart Herridge. We discuss some of the arguments of whether 'diversity" is a virtue, and the challenges of thinking about issues of diversity in the workplace, the political space, or the education space. We referenced several articles in this episode. Scott incorrectly referred to Chrobot-Mason & Aramovich's (2013) study at one point, when he should have referenced Ely & Thomas' (2001) article. 

Chrobot-Mason, D., & Aramovich, N. P. (2013). The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity. Group & Organization Management, 38(6), 659-689. 

Ely, R. J., & Thomas, D. A. (2001). Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(2), 229–273. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667087 

Page, S. E. (2007). Making the difference: Applying a logic of diversity. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(4), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2007.27895335 

Roberge, M. E., & van Dick, R. (2010). Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance? Human Resource Management Review, 20(4), 295–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.09.002

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Scott and Cole record their podcast live in Dr. Jon Camp's "Civil Discourse" class at Abilene Christian University, where they discuss Kling's model for "The Three Languages of Politics."

Scott and Cole respond to listener feedback. We love hearing from our listeners; email your feedback to cpsquarepodcast@gmail.com. Also, Scott and Cole discuss whether Scott may be talking out of two sides of his mouth.

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Scott and Cole talk about the difference between the intellectual virtue of skepticism and the vice of cynicism.  Scott asserts that there are Christians operating in the public square who echo the lazy cynicism of Pilate's question, "What is truth?"

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Cole is worried that the previous episode made him sound like a jerk. Scott and Cole discuss more about the needs of the poor, the role of the state, and the role of Christians. Scott gets cranky about the theology of charis.

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Hudson, K. & Coukos, A. (2005). The dark side of the protestant ethic: A comparative analysis of welfare reform. Sociological Theory, 23(1), 1-25.

Scott and Cole have fundamental differences about how to think about social welfare. We fly our flags proudly in this episode, and argue about the ways in which our faith intersects with our view of welfare programs.

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Scott and Cole are joined by Dan McGregor to discuss whether Christians should have participated in the American Revolution, and the challenges of pacifism. Dan shares a critique of some modern "art" and its depiction of the ways in which Christian themes are syncretized with political imagery.

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Scott and Cole discuss Romans 13. Cole rehearses four options in interpreting the idea that leaders are chosen by God. Scott suggests that Romans 13 should be interpreted in the larger context of Romans. Some sacred cows most definitely get barbecued in this episode - and they are deLISH!

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Scott and Cole pick up from Episode 2. They discuss whether and how Christians should have any voice in the public square. Some assert that Christians shouldn't even vote. Scott and Cole think about the challenges of different answers to the question.

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Scott and Cole discuss what it means to "render unto Caesar," and whether we're even asking the right questions about the relationship between church and state.  The rise of Imperial Christianity and the relationship of Christianity to power are explored.

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Scott and Cole explore the differences in their political perspectives, and identify what unites them in Christian brotherhood.  Scott's love for all things Pink Floyd are also discussed.

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