Episode Details

What is the hidden influence of Christianity in American society—and what happens if it disappears?

Host Curtis Chang sits down with Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy, to explore how Judeo-Christian values have shaped democracy and what their decline means for our political and social landscape. They discuss the rise of fear within the evangelical church, political polarization, and make the case for Christian virtues as a stabilizing force at the heart of the American republic. Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, it's important to understand why Christianity's influence extends far beyond the church—and why its disappearance could reshape the future of democracy.

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Resources from this episode:

• Jonathan Rauch's 2003 The Atlantic article Let It Be
• Jonathan Rauch's Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy
• The rise of the AfD in Germany
• France holds off the far right
• Pew Research: Modeling the Future of Religion in America
• James Madison and religious freedom
• Can the Religious Right Be Saved? by Dr. Russell Moore
• Dr. Timothy Keller: Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?
• Learn more