WTL Conversations S3E2 [podcast]: My Discussion with Rev. Jim Wallis on the Soul of the Nation
WTL Conversations S3E2 [podcast]: My Discussion with Rev. Jim Wallis on the Soul of the Nation
What PRRI's 2022 American Values Survey reveals about white Christian nationalism
Dear WTL readers,
First, thanks to the great response to our first Substack chat experiment. We had nearly 50 people sharing their best recent reads, including some off the beaten path titles. ICYMI, you can access it on the Substack app (chats are only available on the app). And the thread is still open, so feel free to chime in!
This week I’m sharing an in-depth conversation I had with Rev. Jim Wallis on his “Soul of the Nation” podcast. As many of you know, in addition to writing important books such as his most recent Christ in Crisis? Reclaiming Jesus in a Time of Fear, Hate, and Violence, Jim also authors the lively substack newsletter
.Jim and I have known each other for more than a decade now, and this episode contains a wide-ranging conversation not just about what recent public opinion survey data tells us about the threat of white Christian nationalism but also reflections on how we came to this place and where we might go from here.
I hope you’ll enjoy listening-
Robby
P.S. I’ll have more to say about this in a future post, but PRRI and the Brookings Institution have teamed up to field a major new survey focused entirely on measuring Christian nationalism and putting it into a broader context. We are releasing the initial results at an event at The Brookings Institution (in person and streaming) on 2/8. Registration details are here.
The Soul of the Nation with Jim Wallis
What a New Survey Reveals About White Christian Nationalism
This week on Soul of the Nation, we continue our series on White Christian Nationalism by welcoming pollster Robert P. Jones to the program for a conversation with host Rev. Jim Wallis. Jones is the president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), and the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won a 2021 American Book Award.
Each fall, PRRI takes the pulse of Americans on a range of issues at the intersection of religion, culture and politics. This year, they covered attitudes about white Christian nationalism, systemic racism, abortion, gender and gender identity, QAnon, and critical issues for voting among others.
Click here or on the image below to listen to the episode.
ICYMI: Trump and His Allegedly Disloyal White Evangelical Supporters
Key takeaway: “In terms of favorability, Trump is actually in better shape at this point in the presidential race, compared to two election cycles ago.”
I highly recommend the book “Is American Christianity Antichrist?” by Carolyn S. Byars. The author was inspired to write her book from reading Robert P. Jones’s books, “The End of White Christian America” and “White Too Long”. She identifies the root cause of hate in America in all its manifestations (racism, homophobia, gun violence, injustice, religious intolerance, Christian nationalism, etc.). She also provides insight and strategies on how authentic followers of Jesus Christ can overcome and defeat the enemy. The book can be purchased on Amazon. Thank you, Dr. Jones, for leading us in the Truth and love of Jesus!