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Our favorite religious journalist, Jeremy Lott of RealClearReligion.org (and more), joins us to talk about his experience attending a religious service of the Latter Day Saints prior to the November 2012 election. Given that so many pundits were talking about Mitt Romney and the “Mormon moment,” Jeremy thought it would be useful to observe what life is really like within a Mormon ward. We also talk about Jeremy’s impressions of Pope Francis and share some of our insights about the world’s ugliest churches.

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Have you ever wondered what goes on at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting? Dr. Thom S. Rainer, prodigous author and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, gives us some background on the SBC’s convention and what issues were raised in during the June 2013 meeting, including mental health and chartering the Boy Scouts. We also discuss various trends affecting America’s religious landscape, including the growth in large churches at the possible expense of smaller congregations and the faith of the Millenials (individuals born between 1980 and 2000). Dr. Rainer also talks about what leads to church stagnation, what it takes to turn those churches around, and a few not-so-obvious pointers on how to guarantee a vibrant church.

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In an unusual podcast format, we take a peek into a “small group” at Redemption Church called “Theology on Tap” to discover how your typical churchgoer wrangles with political issues in light of their evangelical faith. The topic of the night’s discussion was “Who would Jesus vote for?” Listen to the various twists and turns, and sometimes surprising statements, from this group of sixteen individuals in the small town of Duvall, WA.

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The rise of megachurches has been one of the most interesting phenomenon shaking up the American religous landscape in recent decades. Dave Travis of the Leadership Network joins us to discuss what thse megachuchs are and look like. Along the way he counters some of the more frequent myths associted with these large congregations, including that they are “too large,” and “too theologically shalow.” We also think about the future of megachuches.

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Prof. James Wellman (University of Washington) discusses the findings of his recent research on evangelical versus liberal Christians in the Pacific Northwest. We cover the differences in these two distinct religious subcultures in terms of their core values and how this affects their pastoral organization. The podcast concludes with speculation as to why evangelical Christianity is growing in the Pacific Northwest, whereas liberal mainline Protestantism is not.

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Jay Hein of Baylor’s ISR and the Sagamore Institute talks about his tenure running the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the Bush Administration. Our discussion focuses on the history and workings of the Faith-Based Initiative, and the proper relationship between government and religious organizations.

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Economist Marc von der Ruhr (St. Norbert’s College) explains how megachurches attract and retain members, becoming one of the fastest growing segments of the American religious landscape. (To download, right click on the download button and select “save target as…”).

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