Tim Talks Politics

Navigating the Kirk debate from the pulpit with Josh and Jeremy Matlock

Biological twins are about as demographically similar as one can get. So, it was rather surprising to me to find that social media algorithms fed Josh and Jeremy Matlock very different content related to Charlie Kirk. As we discuss in this episode of The Kirk Effect, taking a closer look at Charlie Kirk’s words and work after his assassination required both Josh and Jeremy Matlock to adjust their initial impressions of Kirk.  Also in this discussion, we talk about how Josh and Jeremy have observed and navigated the Kirk Effect in their respective congregations. The brothers are both pastors of churches in different states that have very different profiles, which is a good reminder that America is a big country with a diverse population, even among people of the same faith, which has a big impact on how they engage national events at the local level. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

Kirk, courage, and friendship with Stephen Mansfield

In this discussion, Stephen and I explore some of the early evidence of a possible “Charlie Kirk effect” on the growth of Christianity in America and discuss the upsides and downsides of using statistical data to try to understand what’s happening in American Christianity in the wake of Kirk’s death. From the broad social implications of Kirk’s work and assassination, Stephen and I pivot to discussing how a society should remember public figures after they’ve died and what the shape and tone of that discussion says about the relative health of our body politic. We close the conversation on the virtues of courage and friendship and how Charlie Kirk provides an excellent example of those virtues in action. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

Introducing 'The Kirk Effect' a new podcast miniseries

In this episode, I introduce The Kirk Effect, a podcast miniseries exploring the impact of Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA on American faith and politics.  In this episode, I frame the main issues I’ll be exploring around a basic thesis: Charlie Kirk’s death and its immediate fallout signaled a major shift in American political culture. Just what that shift means for American faith and politics is what I’ll be trying to understand in conversation with a diverse set of guests over the next several episodes ranging from professional historians to students, pastors to elected officials.  Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

Public Service and Regaining Democratic Credibility on Foreign Policy with Joel Rubin

My guest today is former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Democrat strategist Joel Rubin who publishes The Briefing Book on Substack and is the author of the forthcoming book Making Sense of the World: How Democrats Can Win Again on Foreign Policy. Joel is the definition of a career public servant having spent much of his career serving at every level of government from city council to the Department of State. When I talk about this podcast being about “government, citizenship and America’s place in the world,” Joel’s one of those guys who lives, works, writes, and thinks about all three of those elements of politics and their interactions. In this conversation, we hit all three. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

Recapturing a Classical Ideal of Citizenship with Eric Adler

In a polarized age of rapid technological advances that increasingly seem to pull us apart and turn us inward, the need for a robust civics education seems more important than ever, but most of the public discussion descends into hand wringing.  My guest today suggests that the framework for a strong civics education and pathway towards virtuous citizenship not only exists, but it’s relatively simple to deploy… if colleges will get on board. Eric Adler is a professor and the Classics Chair at the University of Maryland. Today on the podcast, we discuss Eric’s work writing advocating for a classically-informed retrieval of the humanities in America’s institutions of higher education. Dr. Adler views this project as critical to renewing both civility and civics in the US, and we explore both the historic debates surrounding the development and decline of the humanities in American higher education as well as the future possibilities, educational and civic, or its renewal. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!