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Douglas Baker (Union University) clarifies the recent debate surrounding “Dominionism” and its relation to various Republican presidential candidates, most notably Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry. He covers the influence of thinkers such as Francis Schaeffer and Rousas John Rushdoony and how their thought has influenced others, as well as how their thinking has been misrepresented in the popular media. We also reflect on the proper role of religion in the public square.

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Prof. Kevin Cooney of Northwest University joins us to discuss his recent trip to the People’s Republic of China where he visited with numerous Chinese scholars to discuss the role of religion and the rule of law in that country. He shares his insights from that trip, including his experiences in touring different parts of the country and learning about the religious landscape. Prof. Cooney contrasts the scene in China today with what he experienced back in the mid-1980s when he was teaching English in that country.

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Get your yee haw on as we go West to discuss cowboy churches. Daniel Stiles, rodeo announcer and ordained minister, discusses his life ministering to cowboys and cowgirls. We talk bull riding, cowboy pride, the challenges of living in the country, and how the cowboy church movement has expanded since the late 1970s. Dan also relates a remarkably inspirational story how cowboy ministries made a difference in the life of one young man who was down and out. The podcast finishes with an outstanding observation about Christianity and life in the US from the vantage point of the countryside. (Special secret: This has been my favorite interview to date.)

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Is the global resurgence in public religiosity over the past 40 years linked in any way to the increase in democratic governance over the same period of time? Prof. Dan Philpott (Notre Dame) covers the historical trends of church-state relations and discusses how changes in political theologies and the increasing independence of religious organizations have provided a fertile ground for political democratization in some corners of the world. We examine how and why some religious traditions have been involved in promoting democracy under authoritarian conditions. Our discussion turns toward some speculation about the future of the “Arab Spring” at the end of our interview. This is the first part of a discussion of the book “God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics.”

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Was America founded as a Christian nation? This is the title of Prof. John Fea’s book and the topic of our podcast this week. Prof. Fea presents a nuanced answer to this question, showing that although that the British American colonies were overwhelmingly Christian in culture in the late 18th century, the Founding was not necessarily a Christian event. We cover what it means to be a “Christian nation,” and examine whether the Founders lived up to Christian ideals, including a discussion of just war theory. This is a great podcast to pair with next week’s discussion featuring Mark David Hall.

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Prof. Karrie Koesel (U of Oregon) explores the “house church” movement in China, revealing how these clandestine religious groups are formed and operate in an environment that is not necessarily hospitable to independent religious organizations. We note some of the penalties that can accrue if such churches are discovered, but also discover that many of these churches exist in a “gray” market with the tacit approval of local government officials. We end our discussion with some speculation about how religion may be changing Chinese society and politics.

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William Donohue of the Catholic League discusses how cultural nihilists are engaging in “secular sabotage.” Our discussion starts with an examination of who are these nihilists and how moral virtue is essential to control unbridled appetites in a free nation. We then weave through a variety of topics including Lady Gaga, Hollywood, and how Catholics and Protestants are often engaging in self-sabotage.

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Prof. Ruth Melkonian surveys the history of Protestantism in Latin America and examines whether evangelicals and Pentecostals in the region share the same political views as their U.S. brethren or whether they appear more similar to non-evangelicals in Latin America. She reveals that Latin American Protestants are more similar to their non-Protestant compatriots in the region than they are to their counterparts in the United States. We also discuss the issue of Latino immigration into the US and how evangelical leaders have viewed this phenemonenon.

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What are the top mainline Protestant hymns of the past two centuries? Why isn’t “Amazing Grace” on that list? Do Catholics share any common hymns with Protestants? Does the contemporary Christian music scene present a significant challenge to the old, traditional hymns sung in churches over the past two centuries? Robert T. Coote joins us to discuss these questions and more in an extremely interesting episode about the role of hymns in Christianity.

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Manuscript collector extraordinaire, and former professor of ancient history, Scott Carroll joins Tony in a discussion about the King James Bible, as Baylor Univeristy prepares to celebrate the 400th anniversary of this celebrated translation. Our discussion is far ranging, discussing everything from how ancient texts were translated and disseminated to the specific history of Tudor and Stuart England. We finish with some thoughts on the impact that this particular translation of the Bible has had on our contemporary understanding of the Bible and its imprint on the English language.

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