Christian Civics Podcast

Ep. 27: The Future of Human Trafficking (Dr. Amanda Eckhardt and RestoreNYC)

Dr. Amanda Eckhardt of RestoreNYC joins us to talk about how COVID-19 is re-shaping anti-trafficking work and how we can pray against trafficking in an informed way.
This is the first in a short series of "minisodes" covering how several issue areas that are common passions for people in the church are being re-shaped by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Ep. 26: Justice That Restores (Heather Rice-Minus and Prison Fellowship)

Our guest this week is Heather Rice-Minus. She's vice president of government affairs and church mobilization for Prison Fellowship. Prison Fellowship is in a rare spot where some of the work they do is responding in a simple, direct way to simple direct commands in scripture—to not forget those in prison and to visit prisoners. But another part of what they do is taking big, broad principles that we're supposed to dedicate ourselves to and finding specific ways to apply those themes in a complicated, multifaceted system.
Prison Fellowship is a great example of a collection of Christians humbly trying to figure out the best way to be a practical, visible example of the kingdom that is to come in the middle of the here and now. They don't shy away from engaging with a very hard, very complicated form of brokenness, and they do it while leaving room for people who don't share their approach to still exercise their best wisdom.
We recorded this via Skype, so the connection is not great, but the questions Heather raises—"What is the purpose of the justice system?" "How do we as Christians take our thoughts about crime and punishment captive to the gospel?"—are worth wrestling with even over a poor-sounding connection.
Visit christiancivics.org for links to the research, resources and events Heather mentions during our interview.

Ep. 25: Praying Through Psalm 46

For the 2020 election season, we are going back to our roots, bringing you weekly podcasts featuring prayers for the public square. We begin this series with a prayer for our response to the coronavirus pandemic, based on Psalm 46. Look for a transcript and shownotes on our website later this weekend!

Ep. 24: Prayer from the Front Lines of Coronavirus Research (Dr. William Petri)

The coronavirus and its economic, social, and mortal fallout are obviously dominating the news and changing the way many of us are ordering our lives for the next few weeks. For our first episode back, we welcome Dr. William Petri, a UVA public health researcher, to share with us what this outbreak looks like to a Christian who works in public health and lead us in prayer for his colleagues as they work on responding to this pandemic.
We're grateful that Dr. Petri took time off of literally working on a Corona Virus vaccine to talk with us on short notice, and hope that this offers something instructional, helpful or comforting to you.
Our podcast will be back next week, but in the mean time, follow us on Facebook for ongoing updates, prayer prompts and reflection material related to the COVID-19 response.

Ep. 23: What’s Good About Politics? (with Rev. Charles Drew)

Pastor Charles Drew shares where his concern for the church in the face of political polarization comes from, and why he thinks Christians shouldn't let fear of excess prevent them from learning to engage politics responsibly.
We also share the first of several upcoming events, and how you can join us for that event even if you aren't in the DC area.
A transcript and shownotes will be on the Christian Civics website on Monday, April 22, 2019.

Ep. 22: Stories from the Shutdown: An Interview with a Pastor on Capitol Hill

How often does a quarter of a church get laid off simultaneously?
We talk with Pastor Matthew Watson of Christ City Church in Washington, DC, about how the body of Christ reacts when a city's major industry grinds to a halt.
For more information on Matt, his church and other upcoming events, visit us online at christiancivics.org. Shownotes for this episode will be available at noon on Friday, February 15.

Ep. 21: Joshua Harris on Saying You’re Wrong in Public

In politics, people usually double down when they're afraid they might be wrong. Joshua Harris, author of "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," discusses withdrawing his most well-known book and shares what it was like to say he was wrong in a very public setting.

An Invitation, A Prayer and Assorted Housekeeping

An invitation to meet the Christian Civics team in Washington, DC, plus an exclusive prayer from our newsletter and information on how to support our mission this Christmas season.

Ep. 20: Rethinking Incarceration (with pastor Dominique DuBois Gilliard)

Last week, the White House signaled support for bipartisan criminal justice reform, a stark departure from the Justice Department's position just a month earlier. The story of how that happened is a long and winding one, but the issue itself is central to how we understand the Christian faith. Pastor Dominique DuBois Gilliard, author of the provocative RETHINKING INCARCERATION, joins us to share a little bit about why this issue seems to frustrate so many people across the political spectrum and what it has to do with our identity as Christians.

Ep. 19: Where Shaped Your Vote?

For the next few weeks, pundits are going to love discussing the voting patterns of suburban voters, urban voters, rural voters. But all of that analysis is going to be inherently limited unless it takes into account that those aren't just the places we vote—they also might be the reasons we vote the way we do. Author and theologian Craig Bartholomew and pastor William McGee help us get a fuller understanding of our relationships to our towns.