Published by Christianity Today
The Bulletin is a podcast for Christians seeking insights into the events, questions, and people that are shaping their world. Each episode will help Christians consider the intersection of faith, culture and spiritual formation. Subscribe today!
Listen on Apple PodcastsThis week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump in the White House. His visit highlights the drawn out war in Iran, as well as growing antisemitism in the US. We re-air a conversation between Russell Moore and Rabbi Michael Holzman about the difference between dislike for Netanyahu and antisemitism and the true definition of pluralism. Next, there have been more cases of measles so far in 2026 than in all of 2025. Dr. Lydia Dugdale joins Clarissa Moll to discuss specifics about measles, and how distrust in the US government during the Covid pandemic spilled over into more widespread vaccine skepticism. Finally, a recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that some therapists play a part in the trend of adults cutting off their parents. Psychotherapist Allison Cook shares some categories to think about estrangement from a family member. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: Are Therapists to Blame for the Rise of Adults Cutting Off Their Parents? - The Wall Street Journal GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Rabbi Michael Holzman is the spiritual leader of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation and the founder of the American Scripture Project and Faith250. Rabbi Holzman has partnered with a variety of organizations like the Aspen Institute, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America to examine the intersection of faith and democracy. Lydia Dugdale is the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center and director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She also serves as co-director of clinical ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her scholarship focuses on end-of-life issues, the role of aesthetics in teaching ethics, moral injury, and the doctor-patient relationship. Alison Cook is a therapist and host of The Best of You podcast. She is the author of the ECPA-bestselling book The Best of You and coauthor of Boundaries for Your Soul. Cook empowers individuals to heal from past wounds, develop a strong sense of self, forge healthy relationships, and experience a loving God who is for them. 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
We’re continuing our summer series with an episode about the state of the church, highlighting favorite conversations from The Bulletin archive. Daniel Silliman, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper discuss trends in Americans’ religiosity and spirituality from a 2025 Pew survey. Then, Beth Moore joins the show to talk about the importance of Sunday School for adults, and why small groups may not be meeting the same needs. Finally, church planter and author of the book The Reason for Church Brad Edwards sits down with Mike to talk about why he encouraged his congregation to briefly stop inviting others to church, the danger of viewing church as a vehicle for Christian self-actualization, and why physical participation in the gospel narrative is vital. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: The Hartford Institute for Religion Research’s report on congregational health since the pandemic. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Daniel Silliman is a journalist and a historian. He is the news editor for Christianity Today, the author of a religious biography of Richard Nixon, and a teacher of humanities at Milligan University. Beth Moore is a dynamic teacher whose conferences take her across the globe. She has written numerous best-selling books and Bible studies. She is also the founder and visionary of Living Proof Ministries, based in Houston. Brad Edwards is the lead pastor and church planter of The Table Church in Lafayette, Colorado. He is a regular contributor to Mere Orthodoxy and The Gospel Coalition, and he cohosts the podcast PostEverything. He is Christianity Today’s 2025 Book of the Year winner for his book The Reason for Church. 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
We’re continuing our summer series with a recap of the week’s top headlines and relevant conversation from The Bulletin archive. This week, two individuals were killed by ICE agents during traffic stops. We re-air a conversation with Emily Belz about her reporting on January immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis and how Christians are responding. Then, President Trump has been bringing up election fraud claims from the 2020 elections as the midterm elections get closer. Rep. Adam Kinzinger discusses his role in Congress certifying those elections, the importance of assuring confidence in the voting process, and what true courage looks like. Finally, the World Cup is coming to a close on Sunday as Spain and Argentina compete for the title. The entire tournament is looking like it will be responsible for over $50 billion in bets on the matches. We feature a conversation about sports betting with Isaac Rose-Berman from the American Institute for Boys and Men and why you should be wary of the apps. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Emily Belz is a staff writer with Christianity Today. She is a former senior reporter for World magazine. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and also previously reported for the New York Daily News, The Indianapolis Star, and Philanthropy magazine. Adam Kinzinger is an American politician, senior political commentator for CNN, and former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. He served as a United States representative of Illinois from 2011 to 2023. Isaac Rose-Berman is a fellow at The American Institute for Boys and Men focused on gambling research and policy. He is a professional sports bettor, avid poker player, and writes about the gambling industry at his blog howgamblingworks.com. He graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Politics. 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
We’re continuing our summer series with a recap of the week’s top headlines and relevant conversation from The Bulletin archive. This week, Maine’s Democratic Nominee for US Senate Graham Platner suspended his bid for Senate after Politico reported a woman’s accusations of rape. We re-air a conversation with Charlie Sykes, Russell Moore, and Clarissa Moll about other politicians who have removed themselves from office due to sexual allegations, and why politicians have become more shameless. Then, conflict reignited in the Middle East after Iran struck three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the US began retaliatory strikes. Jill Nelson joins to discuss the importance of the Strait and how it affects international Christian aid organizations. Finally, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married last weekend, and some are speculating how their wedding will affect trends to come. Jen Wilkin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll discuss secular and sacred wedding traditions, and what couples getting married today can focus on. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, and other national publications. He has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC. Jill Nelson is Christianity Today’s Ukraine and Israel correspondent. She holds a master’s in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas and began her journalism career as a reporter and anchor in South Dakota. For nearly 20 years, she covered Ukraine and the Middle East for World News Group. Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. 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 4th of July weekend, we are revisiting patriotic conversations from The Bulletin archive. Mike Cosper and The Bulwark’s Mona Charen discuss the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Then, Mike speaks with Hudson Institute’s Rebeccah Heinrichs about far-right podcasters who are promoting a counter-narrative about the US’s role in World War II. And last, we revisit a segment with former US Representative Adam Kinzinger about why soldiers face a crisis of mental health upon leaving the military. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Mona Charen is a syndicated columnist, the policy editor of The Bulwark, and the host of the podcast The Mona Charen Show. Rebeccah Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence. Adam Kinzinger is an American politician, senior political commentator for CNN, and former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. He served as a United States representative of Illinois from 2011 to 2023. 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
We’re continuing our summer series with a recap of the week’s top headlines and relevant conversation from The Bulletin archive. The Supreme Court is releasing a number of decisions prior to their summer break. One decision that is forthcoming is President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. We re-air a conversation between Russell Moore, Clarissa Moll, and executive director for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network to discuss birthright citizenship from a Catholic and Protestant perspective. Then, in a rare show of agreement, Congress passes a bill with broad bipartisan support to encourage housing construction and affordability. David Bahnsen and Mike Cosper speak about why housing is so expensive. Lastly, it’s summer camp season! Megan Fowler, Russell Moore, and Clarissa Moll discuss the pros and the woes of summer camp. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Anna Gallagher is the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, where she leads nationwide efforts to provide expert legal training and advocacy support to migrants and refugees. David Bahnsen is the managing partner and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a wealth management firm based in Newport Beach, California. Bahnsen has been named as one of Forbes’ Top 250 Advisors, Financial Times' Top 300 Advisors in America, and Barron's America's Top 1200 Advisors. The communication in this episode is provided for informational purposes only and expresses views of David Bahnsen, an investment adviser. This does not constitute investment advice. Megan Fowler is a religion reporter at Christianity Today. She is also an associate editor at byFaith magazine, and her writing has appeared in The Gospel Coalition and Common Good. 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
We’re continuing our summer series with a recap of the week’s top headlines and relevant conversation from The Bulletin archive. This week, President Trump signed a short-term deal with Iran, with many saying the US got the losing end of the deal. We re-air a conversation from May in which Russell Moore, Bonnie Kristian, and Clarissa Moll discuss the difficulty of negotiating with Iran. Then, President Trump hosted his 80th birthday on the White House South Lawn complete with a UFC fight in which the winners were paid with cryptocurrency produced by a Trump family organization. The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols joins to discuss why Trump is interested in cryptocurrency and why it may be concerning. The Southern Baptist Convention recently voted to ban churches who ordain women or allow women to preach. We revisit a conversation between Nicole Martin and Mike Cosper in which they discuss the issue in the context of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Community Church being expelled from the SBC in 2023. Finally, Nicole Martin shares about how we as believers can collectively celebrate Juneteenth. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the US Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. He has served as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House and the US Senate. His books include The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy. Dr. 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 Producers: 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, Maine’s Graham Platner won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate despite having a Nazi tattoo on his chest and recent relationship scandals surface from his past. As well, Texas’s Ken Paxton won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, while having allegations of infidelity and securities fraud. How did these people gain popularity with voters and within their parties? This week on The Bulletin’s summer programming we look at segments that have to do with how tribalism has become ingrained in how we navigate the world, including our church, and what happens when someone steps outside of the lines of their group. The episode includes conversations with New York Times journalist Frank Bruni about his book The Age of Grievance, Mockingcast’s David Zahl about an incident in which David French was cancelled from a polarization panel, and Sharon McMahon about how to view others you disagree with. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: The Age of Grievance by Frank Bruni GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Frank Bruni has been a journalist at The New York Times for over 25 years, in roles as diverse as op-ed columnist, White House correspondent, Rome bureau chief, and chief restaurant critic. He is the author of four New York Times bestsellers. In July 2021, he became a full professor at Duke University, teaching in the school of public policy. His latest book is The Age of Grievance. David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website, and co-host of both The Mockingcast and The Brothers Zahl podcasts. His latest book is, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Guardian, among others. Sharon McMahon is a former government teacher who took her passion for education to Instagram, where more than a million people rely on her for non-partisan, fact-based information as "America's Government Teacher." Sharon is also the host of the podcast, Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, where, each week, she provides entertaining yet factual accounts of America’s most fascinating moments and people. She is the author of The Small and Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement. 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 Producers: 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
As we continue our summer programming around a specific theme in the headlines, this week we’re focusing on the subject of truth in media with previous Bulletin guests Chris Stirewalt, Francis Haugen, Renee DiResta, and Francis Collins. This episode of The Bulletin weaves together three distinct conversations exploring the death of local reporting, the rise of algorithmic echo chambers, and a practical blueprint for how Christians can navigate the news with wisdom and discernment. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Chris Stirewalt is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he focuses on American politics, voting trends, public opinion, and the media. He is concurrently a contributing editor and weekly columnist for The Dispatch, and the host of The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation. A well-known political commentator, Mr. Stirewalt is the author of Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back. Francis Collins, MD, PhD, served as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. Prior to that, he led the Human Genome Project at NIH, coordinating a consortium of laboratories to produce the first ever complete sequence of human DNA in 2003. Collins’s research has led to landmark discoveries of disease genes and helped pioneer a multitude of therapies for many diseases. Renee DiResta is a professor, writer and former research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory. DiResta has written about pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, terrorism, and state-sponsored information warfare. Frances Haugen is an American data scientist and product manager who became a prominent whistleblower in 2021 after disclosing thousands of internal Facebook documents to the SEC and The Wall Street Journal. She highlighted that Facebook prioritized profit over safety, fostering hate and misinformation. 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: Leslie Thompson Associate Producers: Alexa Burke and Crystal Dady 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
Here at The Bulletin, our summer programming is underway and we’re re-airing our best segments around a theme. This week: Clarissa sits down with author Sara Billups to unpack our collective societal anxiety and how to navigate it in our daily lives. Sheila Wise Rowe chats with Mike and Russell about managing pressure as a ministry leader and Steve Cuss explains healthy ways to handle workplace stress. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Nervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety in Your Body, the Church, and Politics by Sara Billups Healing Leadership Trauma by Sheila Wise Rowe and Nicholas Rowe Being Human with Steve Cuss GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Christianity Today, Aspen Ideas, and others. Sara writes Bitter Scroll, a monthly Substack letter and co-hosts the podcast That’s the Spirit. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. Sheila Wise Rowe is a graduate of Tufts University and Cambridge College with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She has over thirty years of experience as a Christian Counselor, Spiritual Director, Educator, Writer, and Speaker. Sheila has counseled women, children, couples, emerging, and established leaders and taught counseling in Massachusetts, Paris France, virtually. And for a decade in Johannesburg, South Africa where she also ministered to homeless and abused women and children. Sheila’s essays can be found in numerous blogs, newspapers, journals, and books. In 2020 she authored the award-winning book, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience. Recently she wrote Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration and has co-authored Healing Leadership Trauma. Steve Cuss is a pastor, former chaplain, and founder of Capable Life which helps people lower internal and relational anxiety in the workplace and at home. He is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs and The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God. Steve hosts the CT Media podcast, Being Human. 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: Leslie Thompson Associate Producers: Alexa Burke and Crystal Dady 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
Here at The Bulletin, we’re beginning our summer programming. We’ll be re-airing the best segments from the past four years of the show. This week: Christian universities are closing at a notable rate. Alan Nobel joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss the reasons for this trend and the implications. Then, Clarissa talks with author and former Obama speechwriter David Litt about developing an unlikely friendship with his MAGA brother-in-law. Then, we consider how churches can effectively and appropriately engage the world in the age of screens and digital media. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: It’s Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground by David Litt GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. 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. David Litt is a New York Times bestselling author and a semi-finalist for the James Thurber Prize for American Humor. A former senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, David was described as "the comic muse for the president" for his work on the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Since leaving the White House, he's written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, TIME, and The Guardian, among others, and served as a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
The national average gas price has increased to $4.50 / gallon, reflecting skyrocketing crude oil prices due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. While sticker shock at the gas pump is our most salient contact point, oil surrounds us from the moment we’re born. In today’s Long Read from the CT archives, writer Ken Baake traces the history of oil from its discovery to the transformation of our world. Have Christians become too accustomed to the luxuries oil provides? Is there a place for moderation in our consumption of oil? Tune in to this 2019 piece, read with updated statistics by James Thompson. READ THE PRINT VERSION: Oil is a Gift From God: Are We Squandering It? - Ken Baake GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Baake is an associate professor in the English Department of Texas Tech. He studies the art of communication, specifically focusing on “the rhetoric of science” and the language of technical communication. Ken studies art, poems, and songs looking to see people's perception and what is being conveyed through different types of language. James Thompson is an international campus minister based in Thailand. He is a contributing writer to Christianity Today, where his reporting focuses on the global church and missions. His work has also been published in the Christian Standard and Religion Unplugged. Find him at jamescthompson.net. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Russell Moore, Charlie Sykes, and Clarissa Moll break down new polling about Americans’ responses to changes in the economy, US involvement in foreign affairs, and their opinions on presidential hopefuls for 2028. Then, CT’s Sho Baraka joins to discuss how modern vices of marijuana use, AI porn, gambling look different with an undercurrent of loneliness and isolation. Finally, Sho and Russell discuss NASA’s reports that the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are drying up at an alarming rate, and how people are relating this to a prophecy in Revelation. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: AtlasIntel Poll GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, and other national publications. He has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC. Sho Baraka is Christianity Today’s Big Tent editorial director. He is a recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. He is a cofounder of Forth District and the And Campaign, and he has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was an original member of influential hip-hop consortium 116 Clique, recording with Reach Records. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posts a video that seems like a campaign ad. The cybercrime group ShinyHunters attacks an edtech platform for ransom. Russia’s annual celebration of its WWII victory against the Nazis is pared down. The Dispatch’s Michael Reneau joins Clarissa Moll to discuss these headlines, and then Clarissa sits down with Dan Allender of The Allender Institute to discuss Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s skepticism about antidepressants, and how Christians can thoughtfully approach the use of psychiatric medication. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Michael Reneau is an executive editor at The Dispatch and is based in Greeneville, Tennessee. Prior to that, he was editor of WORLD Magazine and for several years was editor of a daily newspaper in East Tennessee. Dan Allender is a psychologist who pioneered a treatment approach that bridges the story of the gospel and the stories of trauma and abuse. Dan serves as a professor of counseling psychology at The Seattle School. He is the author of The Wounded Heart, The Healing Path, To Be Told, and God Loves Sex. Dan also co-hosts The Allender Center Podcast. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
On Tuesday, Indiana and Ohio held primary elections. Chris Butler joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss how Republican candidates endorsed by the Trump administration fared. President Trump heads to China next week to discuss trade with President Xi Jinping. Mark Tooley from the Institute on Religion and Democracy shares what these conversations mean for Taiwanese independence, and how China and Taiwan are both taking notes from Russia’s war in Ukraine. On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit paused the distribution of abortion pills-by-mail for patients who did not first have an in-person doctor visit. John Mize from Americans United for Life joins us to discuss why the Supreme Court subsequently blocked that decision. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: CT’s Reporting on Religious Freedom GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Chris Butler is the director of Christian civic formation at the Center for Christianity and Public Life, and he has pastored at Ambassador Church in Chicago for nine years. Chris co-authored Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement. Mark Tooley is president of The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence. He worked eight years for the CIA and is a graduate of Georgetown University. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, World, Law & Liberty, and National Review. John Mize serves as CEO of Americans United for Life, advancing the human right to life in culture, law, and policy. He previously served on the Senior Leadership team at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, a leading patient advocacy organization devoted to supporting people impacted by inflammatory bowel disease. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
The Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional map was unconstitutional because it improperly considered race to create a majority-Black district. Congress voted to end the longest Department of Homeland Security shutdown in US history. And President Trump says he is considering a reduction in the number of US troops in Germany. Warren Cole Smith joins Clarissa Moll to discuss these headlines, and then Clarissa speaks with Walter Kim and Bonnie Kristian about the term ‘evangelical,’ and whether Christians should keep it or not. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Warren Cole Smith is the president of MinistryWatch.com. Previously, Smith served as vice president and associate publisher of WORLD News Group, publisher of WORLD Magazine. He is the author of Restoring All Things: God’s Audacious Plan To Change The World Through Everyday People. Walter Kim is the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and is on Christianity Today’s board of trustees. He previously served as a pastor at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University. Bonnie Kristian is the editorial director of ideas and books at Christianity Today and a fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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, President Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to end the war, saying he isn’t willing to accept Iran’s terms unless they agree to gut their nuclear capabilities. CT’s Bonnie Kristian joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss the status of the war. Eyes are on English celebrity Russell Brand assessing the authenticity of his conversion to Christianity. Why do Christians care so much when celebrities profess faith, and what is the role of testimony in the church? Bonnie, Russell and Clarissa weigh in. Finally, former US Senator Ben Sasse has terminal cancer and is using his final months to publicly talk about his love for his country, family, and God. CT’s Sho Baraka stops by for a heartfelt conversation about what it means to live and to die well. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Christianity Today Bible Studies “AI Necromancy Impersonates the Dead” by Haleluya Hadero GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. Sho Baraka is Christianity Today’s Big Tent editorial director. He is a recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. He is a cofounder of Forth District and the And Campaign, and he has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was an original member of influential hip-hop consortium 116 Clique, recording with Reach Records. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
Yale University releases its report on restoring trust in American colleges and universities. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signs an order to lower the official risk level of medical marijuana products. And, descendant of Cuban immigrants Fernando Mendoza is the number one NFL draft pick. CT’s editor in chief Marvin Olasky joins to talk about these headlines, and then Clarissa Moll speaks with Jennifer Murtazashvili about updates on the West Bank and the Israeli settler movement. LEARN MORE: Coverage on Palestine and the West Bank from Christianity Today GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Marvin Olasky is the editor in chief of Christianity Today. He edited World magazine from 1992 to 2021, wrote for the Boston Globe and Austin American-Statesman, and is a Discovery Institute senior fellow and an Acton Institute affiliate scholar. He has written 30 books, and now chairs the board of the Zenger House Foundation. Jennifer Murtazashvili is a professor at University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs and the Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets. Murtazashvili is the author of Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan and Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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, a photo circulated on social media that showed an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon smashing the face of a fallen statue of Jesus. Rabbi Michael Holzman joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss this incident and Americans’ shifting attitudes towards Israel. Then, FBI Director Kash Patel files a defamation lawsuit against reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic for publishing an article stating that Patel consistently drinks on the job and is a national security vulnerability. Justin Giboney and Sho Baraka join the conversation. Then, Bonnie Kristian stops by to talk about why pastor John Mark Comer has become so popular. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: The FBI Director Is MIA - Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic Is Hurry the Great Enemy of Spiritual Life? - Nancy Waleki, The Atlantic ABOUT THE GUESTS: Rabbi Michael Holzman is the spiritual leader of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation and the founder of the American Scripture Project and Faith250. Rabbi Holzman has partnered with a variety of organizations like the Aspen Institute, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America to examine the intersection of faith and democracy. Sho Baraka is Christianity Today’s Big Tent editorial director. He is a recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. He is a cofounder of Forth District and the And Campaign, and he has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was an original member of influential hip-hop consortium 116 Clique, recording with Reach Records. Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister in Atlanta. He is also the cofounder and president of the And Campaign, a coalition of urban Christians who address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the gospel. Giboney is the coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement. Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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
Last Thursday, a 10-day ceasefire began between Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, both the House and Senate reject measures to curb the war in Iran. President Trump proposes building a triumphant arch in Washington D.C., and a federal court of appeals greenlights his $400 million White House ballroom project. Warren Cole Smith from Ministry Watch joins Clarissa Moll to discuss these headlines, and Clarissa speaks with CT’s Jill Nelson about Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. TO LEARN MORE: Strait of Hormuz Closure Is Hurting Global Aid - Jill Nelson, Christianity Today GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Warren Cole Smith is the president of MinistryWatch.com. Previously, Smith served as vice president and associate publisher of WORLD News Group, publisher of WORLD Magazine. He is the author of Restoring All Things: God’s Audacious Plan To Change The World Through Everyday People. Jill Nelson is Christianity Today’s Ukraine and Israel correspondent. She holds a master’s in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas and began her journalism career as a reporter and anchor in South Dakota. For nearly 20 years, she covered Ukraine and the Middle East for World News Group. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. 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 Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 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