Fractured Faith: A Mosaic of Belief

The Mystery of Jesus: How the Early Church Wrestled with the Unexplainable

In the years after Jesus’ resurrection, his followers weren’t building a system—they were trying to make sense of something that had happened to them. Faithful Jews began proclaiming that Jesus was Lord, yet they refused to abandon the God of Israel. That tension sparked one of the most profound theological struggles in history. This episode traces how the early church wrestled with the question: Who was Jesus? From Marcion’s rejection of the Old Testament to debates about whether Jesus was truly God, truly human, or somehow both, each answer tried to resolve a mystery that refused to be simplified. Rather than grasping for power, the early church councils were working to protect that mystery—to hold together what experience had revealed: that in Jesus, God had truly come near without ceasing to be God, and humanity had truly been taken up without being erased. We also explore why these ancient “heresies” are not just historical—they are still with us today, often in ways we don’t even recognize. Photo by Jr Korpa [https://unsplash.com/@jrkorpa?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] on Unsplash. [https://unsplash.com/photos/a-blurry-photo-of-a-bunch-of-smoke-bWBDZ1uViqI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText]

Christian Nationalism Explained - Faith, Power, and Politics

In this episode of Fractured Faith, Joshua Hopping—Cherokee lay theologian and author—examines the history, theology, and modern impact of Christian nationalism, defined as the belief that the United States is fundamentally a Christian nation. Drawing on historical scholarship and contemporary analysis, Hopping explores how this ideology has intersected with race, Manifest Destiny, slavery, demographic fears, and current culture wars. Speaking from both a Christian and Cherokee perspective, he argues that Christian nationalism differs from the teachings of Jesus and raises concerns about religious freedom, pluralism, and Indigenous spiritual sovereignty. Sources: https://www.freedomforum.org/what-is-christian-nationalism/ https://kettering.org/five-elements-of-christian-nationalism/ https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/a-virtual-roundtable-on-the-threat

Is Christianity inherently colonial in nature?

In this episode of Fractured Faith, Joshua Hopping — Cherokee author and lay-theologian — examines the question: Is Christianity inherently colonial in nature? With nuance and candor, he explores what is meant by both “Christianity” and “colonialism,” tracing the faith from Genesis through Jesus and Paul while acknowledging its historical entanglement with empire. Offering a “no, yes, maybe” response, Hopping considers the biblical mandate to proclaim Christ, the painful reality of Christianity being used to dominate Indigenous peoples, and the scriptural witness that portrays God at work among all nations (Amos 9:7). He also reflects on how European-American Christianity often developed alongside imperial power and argues that decolonizing the faith is not about abandoning Christ, but disentangling the gospel from empire. Drawing on Trinitarian theology, early church voices, and marginalized theologians, he invites listeners to imagine a shift from control to communion — and to consider what it would mean for Christianity to look more like Jesus himself.

When Christians Refused to Fight: Early Church to Early Pentecostals

Can Christians follow Jesus and kill? This episode starts with Jesus’ teachings and example of nonviolence, then shows how many early Christian writers insisted believers could not shed blood. We then recover a forgotten chapter of U.S. history: early Pentecostalism—including major denominations—was widely committed to pacifism and conscientious objection. Finally, we examine how WWII, the Cold War, and Christian nationalism reshaped American Christianity into something far more comfortable with war. Additional resources: - Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace and Justice [https://pcpj.org/pentecostal-pacifism/] - "The Hidden History of Pentecostal Pacifism" [https://sojo.net/magazine/march-2014/hidden-history-pentecostal-pacifism] article by Paul Alexander - Pentecostal Pacifism [https://amzn.to/4rtgr89] by Jay Beaman (affiliate link)

What Is a Christian Mystic?

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase Christian mystic? In this episode, Joshua Hopping—Cherokee Christian theologian, author, and podcast host— explores what mysticism is often assumed to mean and what it has meant within the Christian tradition from the beginning. Rather than visions or spiritual escapism, Christian mysticism is about learning to live attentively in the nearness of God, shaped by Jesus and grounded in love, patience, and presence. This episode invites listeners to see mysticism not as a strange fringe of Christianity, but as one faithful way of following Jesus.