In this episode, we get into the rhetoric and ideology used in the 2024 election. We discuss former president Trump's comparison to a controversial messiah figure similar to Cyrus, the calling for Christian/White Nationalism, the American people's frustration with current and former power systems, as well as the roles religion, gender, ethnicity, and identity have played and will play in political discussions, regardless of who will win the presidency.

References:

NPR segment - https://www.npr.org/2024/01/26/1227070827/a-video-making-the-rounds-online-depicts-trump-as-a-messiah-like-figure

World Values Survey - https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSDocumentationWV1.jsp

Isabel Wilkerson - Caste

Kristin Kobes Du Mez - Jesus and John Wayne

Music by Caleb, Aiden, and Kirk Sandvig

Rev. Dr. Carver Pace helps us navigate the positives and negatives of maintaining online spaces for religious institutions. Since the Pandemic, religious institutions have been forced into the deep waters of not only increasing their online presence through virtual services, online giving, and digital prayer requests, but also hold responsibility to ensure this information stays safe and secure. This can be especially difficult for older populations and communities where internet access and technological know-how is limited. Having the right people and tools in place can make navigating these online spaces more inviting, safe, and secure. Rev. Dr. Pace shares with us his research and experience to make this possible.

In this episode we get into the connections between religion and the olympic games. Issues of nationalism, identity, belonging, migration, environmental sustainability, and physical/spiritual transcendence are all discussed. We welcome in our new co-host, Briana Wong, from Phillips Theological Seminary. Thanks for joining us!!

Janice McLean-Farrell is the Dirck Romeyn Associate Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry & Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies, at New Brunswick Theological Seminary.

Briana Wong is the Assistant Professor of the History of World Christianities at Phillips Seminary.

Kirk Sandvig is a Lecturer in the Department for the Study of Religion at San Diego State University.

Music composed in this episode comes from Aiden, Caleb, and Kirk Sandvig