Christian Nationalism, Demonization, and the End of Moral Politics

TCU+Live: Your Questions on Religion and Politics Answered

Because it’s the first week of the month, this week’s Convocation Unscripted episode was live. We talked about the latest happenings in the world of religion and politics: the drastic narrowing of officially recognized religions within the Department of Defense, the further politicization of the civil service by the Trump administration, and moral bright lines being crossed that we must continue to see and resist. And we answered your questions for the second half of the show. Hope you’ll tune in if you missed it! It was lively as always. Thanks so much for reading, listening, and supporting our work. Subscribe: Convocation.Substack.com Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b... https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky... https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb... https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones... Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.com Robert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.net Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com

Christian Nationalism, Demonization, and the End of Moral Politics

In this episode, we talk about the broad interdisciplinary research across the humanities and social sciences that has converged to establish the clear threat of Christian nationalism to pluralistic democracy, both here and across Europe. From the headlines, we also discuss the surprising victory by scandal-laden Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary race in Texas. The coming showdown between Paxton and Democratic nominee James Talarico promises not only to be the most expensive senate campaign in American history but also a clear contest between two visions of religion and the nation: Christian nationalism from Paxton and faith-infused support for pluralistic democracy by Talarico. In this race and so many others, we’ll be sure to see the Christian nationalist tactic of literally demonizing political opponents—a practice that destroys democratic ideals, short circuits moral thinking, and distorts Christian theology. Subscribe: Convocation.Substack.com Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b... https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky... https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb... https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones... Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.com Robert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.net Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com Subscribe: Convocation.Substack.com Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b... https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky... https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb... https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones... Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.com Robert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.net Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com

Rededicate 250, Selma, and the Future of American Democracy

In this episode of The Convocation Unscripted, we wrestle in real time with two competing visions of America unfolding side-by-side. On one hand, we discuss the “Rededicate 250” event and the growing effort to frame the United States as a distinctly Christian nation rooted in white Christian nationalist mythology. On the other hand, we reflect on “All Roads Lead to the South,” a contemporary voting rights pilgrimage through Montgomery and Selma that reminds us democracy has always required organized resistance, moral courage, and collective action. We connect the current political moment to deeper historical currents: the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, the myth of “Christian America,” the weaponization of religious liberty rhetoric, and the ways memory and public history shape our understanding of democracy itself. Along the way, we talk about political performance art in Washington, DC, the emotional and spiritual weight of visiting civil rights landmarks, and why this moment increasingly feels like the Civil Rights Movement of our generation. As always, this conversation is unscripted, historically grounded, and deeply engaged with the urgent questions shaping religion, culture, and politics in America today. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: * The Supreme Court’s continued dismantling of voting rights protections * The significance of Selma, Montgomery, and “All Roads Lead to the South” * The “Rededicate 250” event and the resurgence of Christian nationalist rhetoric * The myth of “Christian America” and why it remains politically powerful * How public memory and historical storytelling shape democracy * Political performance art, protest, and creative resistance * The difference between patriotism and nationalism * Why this political moment echoes earlier struggles for civil rights and democratic participation BOOKS REFERENCED * The Search for Christian America by Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch, and George Marsden Subscribe to The Convocation Unscripted on Substack [https://convocation.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] for weekly conversations at the intersection of faith, politics, history, and culture. You can also follow the individual work of Robby Jones [http://redeemingdemocracy.net/], Jemar Tisby [https://jemartisby.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], Kristin Du Mez [https://kristindumez.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], and Diana Butler Bass [https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com].

The Decline of America as a Good Neighbor

This week, we talk about the dismay our friends in Canada and other nations are expressing about the decline of America as a good neighbor. We also talk about two events that are taking place this weekend: 1) Jemar is attending the “All Roads Lead to the South” event, a day of action in Selma in response to the dismantling of the voting rights act; and 2) Robby is attending the Trump administration’s Christian nationalist event called “Rededicate 250” that is taking place this Sunday on the National mall in Washington, DC. Diana gives some hopeful examples of how Virginia, home to the former capitol of the Confederacy, is honestly facing the troubling parts of its past while illuminating a new path forward. Subscribe: Convocation.Substack.com Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b... https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky... https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb... https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones... Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.com Robert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.net Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com

Gerrymandering Our Way Back to Jim Crow

In this live episode, we talk about the hollowing out of the Voting Rights Act that the U.S. Supreme Court has accomplished with its recent LOUISIANA v. CALLAIS ET AL. ruling. The court’s conservative majority found that the Louisiana district represented by Democrat Cleo Fields relied too heavily on race. In its wake, a number of southern states with white Republican-dominated legislatures have raced to redraw their electoral maps to further dilute the power of African American voters. We talk about the perfect storm of the erasure of history, faulty logic, and gaslighting that is turning the clock back on voting rights for Black Americans and what we can do in response. And we took viewers questions on a wide range of topics in the last half of the show. Subscribe: Convocation.Substack.com Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b... https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky... https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb... https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones... Follow on Substack: The Convocation- convocation.substack.com Robert P. Jones- www.whitetoolong.net Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com