Everyone wants love and community in a fractured world. What happens when they are lost?

Host Curtis Chang and Pete Wehner, a columnist for The Atlantic and former White House staffer, explore the deep sense of political, cultural, and spiritual exile felt by many Americans. Reflecting on Pete’s journey from shaping policy during 9/11 to breaking from the Republican Party over Donald Trump, they discuss the challenges of shifting identities while staying true to one’s convictions. Drawing from the Psalms, cognitive psychology, and Christian history, they offer a vision for engaging culture and finding new purpose amid political disillusionment and feelings of living in exile, even in the place you call home.

This episode revisits a past conversation to examine cognitive dissonance and the pursuit of truth in times of uncertainty.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: askcurtis@redeemingbabel.org

Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH

Resources From This Episode:

• Psalm 126 (New Living Translation)
• Winston Churchill’s Painting as a Pastime
• A Short History Of The Dardanelles Campaign
• The GOP and the Birther Trap (article) by Pete Wehner
• Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth
• Jeremiah 29 (New Living Translation)
• Makoto Fujimura’s Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life
• Mark Labberton’s talk: The Deep Work of a New Creation
• Mark Labberton’s talk: Beauty in Exile
• Rodney Stark (books)
• Russell Moore clip: “Jesus is a hood ornament”
• 2 Corinthians 5 New Living Translation

More From Pete Wehner:

• Read Peter Wehner’s latest article: MAGA Has Found a New Model
• Peter Wehner’s The Atlantic opinion pieces
• Peter Wehner at The Trinity Forum

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Good Faith inspires a campus pastor to create a more meaningful worship experience that drills down hope and gratitude by asking three simple questions.

Good Faith's series of Campfire Stories, invites listeners to share how the podcast has inspired them to engage deeply with their families and communities. These personal narratives illuminate how individuals like you are grappling with complex issues and fostering meaning right where they live. Join us for Alyssa's Campfire Story.

Send your Campfire Stories to: info@redeemingbabel.org

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.

Send written questions or voice memos for “Ask Curtis” episodes to: askcurtis@redeemingbabel.org

Get a 25% discount when you buy The Art of Disagreeing by Gavin Ortland at thegoodbook.com with code: GOODFAITH

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 about The After Party

More From Jonathan Rauch:

• Read the latest article by Jonathan Rauch: One Word Describes Trump
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth
• Jonathan Rauch’s work at the Brookings Institute
• Jonathan Rauch’s The Atlantic articles

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