Want to learn more about the Respect for Marriage Act, the Supreme Court arguments in the 303 Creative case, and congressional testimony that mentions Christian nationalism for the first time? Join Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman on the Respecting Religion podcast feed. Now is a great time to catch up – search for “Respecting Religion” on this same …

For new podcast episodes featuring BJC’s Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman, subscribe to the “Respecting Religion” podcast feed. It is available on this same podcasting provider. There, you’ll find their latest conversations on faith freedom for all, including their reactions to Supreme Court arguments and decisions impacting religious liberty. Subscr…

It’s been one year since President Joe Biden took office. What have we seen from his administration in regards to religious liberty? From executive actions to court cases to appointments, Amanda and Holly take a look at this administration’s actions that impact faith freedom for all. In segment three, they talk about how President Biden has continu…

The Christian flag is at the center of a case the Supreme Court hears next week. Amanda and Holly preview Shurtleff v. Boston, share how this situation made it to the highest court, and look at the central legal question presented before the justices. They discuss the best arguments from both sides that the Court will consider when it determines wh…

You're listening to this podcast on the old feed! Join us on the feed called "Respecting Religion" for the latest episodes. It’s a frustrating day at the Supreme Court when several justices seem not to care about the reasons religion gets special treatment in our constitutional system. Amanda and Holly share audio clips and their reaction to the or…

What do you do when you’re around the dinner table or visiting family over the holidays and hear someone share misinformation? How do you have productive conversations and truthful exchanges that bring people together? From fake narratives that drive violence to the mundane myths that build a false foundation, Amanda and Holly talk about common mis…

You are subscribed to our old feed! Subscribe to "Respecting Religion" on this same provider to get the clean feed and to access show notes! A central concern for BJC in protecting faith freedom for all involves keeping the government out of religion, and that principle is at stake at the Supreme Court next week. Holly and Amanda preview the case o…

You're listening to this show on the old feed -- subscribe to "Respecting Religion" on its permanent feed so you don't miss any episodes! This was released November 18, 2021. Description: The Supreme Court brought the execution chamber into the courtroom as it heard arguments about the activities clergy can perform at the moment of death. Amanda an…

You're still listening to the show on the old feed. Search for "Respecting Religion" and listen to us there! This week, Amanda and Holly explore questions swirling around vaccine mandates and religious exemptions related to COVID-19. Is there a newfound religious awakening that is leading to new requests? Are people gaming the system? Dive into the…

You're listening to this podcast on our old feed. Search for "Respecting Religion" on this same podcast provider to find the current feed -- we won't be here much longer! The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments in a type of case it usually addresses in its emergency or “shadow” docket: Questions surrounding clergy and religious exercise in the…

As we kick off season three of Respecting Religion, Amanda and Holly take a look at where we’ve been and the big cases the Supreme Court will hear this term. Please join us on our new podcast feed -- search for "Respecting Religion" on this same podcast provider. In this episode, they dig into doctrinal shifts at the Court and recent studies about …

Respecting Religion is coming back this month -- join us on our new podcast feed! Search for "Respecting Religion" and subscribe. The new icon will be a photo of Amanda and Holly in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Join BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and General Counsel Holly Hollman for new conversations on religion and the law this season, i…

Race and religion are topics at the forefront of the U.S. Senate race in Georgia between Sen. Kelly Loeffler and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock. On this bonus episode of Respecting Religion, we bring you a conversation between BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. and Executive Director Amanda Tyler about what happens when ministers become can…

In our season finale, we look to the future and the potential ways the Biden administration could impact religious liberty. Our guest for this episode is Melissa Rogers, former executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships during the Obama administration. Amanda, Holly and Melissa discuss the need for an …

This summer, the coronavirus pandemic raised novel new questions about religious freedom and government powers. Now, as we head toward winter, what have we learned? Amanda and Holly talk about the latest actions from this surprisingly emotional Supreme Court. Starting with Justice Samuel Alito’s November speech to the Federalist Society (starting a…

What do we make of the Trump legacy when it comes to religious freedom? Go beyond the sound bites and confusing statements as Amanda and Holly analyze what really happened over the past four years. They note areas of agreement, instances where religious language was used to divide, how high-level appointments mattered, proliferations of religious e…

How did Christian nationalism show up on the campaign trail and at the ballot box? What is the possibility for religion to be a positive and unifying force for our politically divided country? How did President-elect Joe Biden talk about religion in his acceptance speech? Amanda and Holly look at religion and politics this election season — the goo…

What’s at stake in the high-profile religious liberty case at the Supreme Court this term? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman break down the oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, which centers on whether a religious organization can apply its religious criteria to discriminate when operating as a government contractor delivering foster care service…

What did we learn about religious freedom from the Amy Coney Barrett hearings? To kick off season two of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman put the Senate’s confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett into context, spotlighting the religious freedom issues raised – or politicized – during the event. And, after so much talk …

The doctrine of the “ministerial exception” and the latest installment in the ongoing saga of challenges to the contraceptive mandate capped off this year’s Supreme Court term. Amanda and Holly give their analysis of those key cases impacting religious liberty and discuss how they interact with other decisions from this blockbuster year. In this se…

Amanda and Holly examine the troubling Supreme Court ruling that has major implications for funding education and protecting against government-sponsored religion. They break down the decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, including a concurrence that would undermine the entire Establishment Clause and the different angles taken by …

We’re bringing you important conversations on white supremacy and American Christianity in this episode. First, we’ll play the June 26 discussion between researcher Robert P. Jones of PRRI and journalist Adelle Banks from Religion News Service (starting at 2:14). Jones is the author of the forthcoming White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy i…

This week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark case for LGBTQ rights, interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Amanda and Holly discuss the opinion and the dissents, looking at the way each interprets “because of sex” in the statute. They also talk a…

As the conversation about racial justice continues in our country, we dig in to talk about race and religious liberty. BJC Director of Education Charles Watson Jr. joins Amanda and Holly for a personal conversation about his experiences and how his work at BJC intersects with the work for racial justice. He tells his story and explains how a semina…

After President Trump publicly addressed the unrest following the killing of George Floyd, peaceful protesters were violently dispersed and the president posed for a photo holding a Bible in front of a church. This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman talk about the photo op and what it means in terms of religious liberty and Christian nationalism.…

Churches are facing a barrage of challenges as they navigate whether, when and how to resume in-person worship and other gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. This week, Amanda and Holly explore what’s at stake for churches and how religious liberty fits into these nuanced conversations (28:30). They look at what makes religion unique in the …

On this episode, Amanda and Holly discuss this week’s Supreme Court arguments in cases involving the ministerial exception, a First Amendment doctrine that makes Title VII and other employment discrimination protections inapplicable to certain employees of religious organizations. They explain what the doctrine means (5:33), what you need to know a…

The controversy over the contraceptive mandate was back at the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman react to the live arguments in Trump v. Pennsylvania and give the history of the contraceptive mandate, including how the Hobby Lobby and Zubik cases led to this one. They also share audio clips from key moments in the argumen…

The dangerous political ideology of Christian nationalism is a persistent problem in our country, and continues to be during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Amanda and Holly talk about how Christian nationalism often contributes to confusion about religious liberty in our public discourse at this time, conflating legal and religious understanding…

As religious communities deal with bans on mass gatherings, legal disputes are popping up across the country. What’s happening now, and what could we see more of when the country begins lifting restrictions? This week, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman examine the key issues in these lawsuits (starting at 12:45) and talk about how courts are ruling in…

How do religious groups work together for the greater good? On this episode of Respecting Religion, we bring you a conversation featuring Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith Youth Core (starting at 13:01). In this discussion from March 2020, Patel talks about how the history behind the term “Judeo-Christian” suggests opportunities for greater rel…

As the coronavirus changes everything – including the topics for this podcast series – Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review how religious freedom principles are coming into focus. They talk about three principles that are part of many conversations during this time: the essential nature of religion for many people (04:53), why the government does …

As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus, Congress passed and the president signed stimulus packages that impact businesses and nonprofits. But, what does this mean for houses of worship? On this week’s Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman review the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (starting at 5:35), provisio…

What does it mean for religious liberty when the government asks houses of worship not to hold services in the middle of a pandemic? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman look at the impact of the coronavirus on religious communities and how they are responding (starting at 6:13). Plus, they explore a key law that keeps coming up in these conversations: t…

The coronavirus is leading many conversations this week, and we’ll talk about how it has impacted religious communities during this unprecedented time. But first, Amanda Tyler and Holly Holllman take a look at several Supreme Court cases this term that deal with protections for workers from employment discrimination that could have implications for…

This year, the Trump administration released proposed regulations impacting faith-based organizations that partner with the government. But, the story has gone largely unnoticed by the media, and it can have huge implications for people receiving government services. On this episode of Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman discuss the…

Has God been kicked out of the public schools? Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman dig into a recent announcement from President Trump about constitutional prayer in public schools and explore the rhetoric and the reality. Hear their reactions to the Oval Office announcement (starting at 3:20), the stories behind the stories shared there (11:11), and th…

Why is religion treated differently by our Constitution? In a blockbuster year at the Supreme Court, BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and General Counsel Holly Hollman examine one case that could have major implications for religious liberty law. They dig deeper into Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (starting at 1:50), talk about what p…

Why do we need to talk about religion and the law? In the inaugural episode of the “Respecting Religion” podcast series, BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and General Counsel Holly Hollman recount things that have happened in the first few weeks of 2020 (starting at 4:50) and discuss the importance of understanding what’s at stake. They also shar…

It seems like we’re constantly seeing new headlines about religious liberty or an important legal development about the relationship between faith and government. Keep track of it all with our new podcast series: Respecting Religion. Each week, BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler and General Counsel Holly Hollman will sit down for a conversation on…

What’s the antidote to Christian nationalism? To conclude our podcast series, we take a look at what it means to embrace civic pluralism with Eboo Patel, the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core. He talks with BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler about the difference in religious and civic pluralism, the origins of the term “Judeo-Christia…

In light of our conversations about Christian nationalism, this podcast takes a broader view of work in the church-state realm. BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler is joined by Rabbi Ambassador David Saperstein, Melissa Rogers and BJC General Counsel Holly Hollman to look at the challenges to our constitutional commitment to religious liberty for a…

As we continue to explore the overlap of Christian nationalism and white supremacy, this week’s episode looks at their connection and the impact on communities. Hear from the Rev. Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins about race, reconciliation, religious liberty, Christian supremacy and more The post Ep. 08: Christian nationalism and white nationalism appear…

What is the connection between the history of racism and Christian nationalism? On this podcast, Jemar Tisby shares a historical view of white Christian nationalism in America, including how conflations of politics, race and religion in our past continue to impact conversations today. The author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Ameri…

What happens when bills influenced by Christian nationalism appear in state legislatures? Minnesota State Sen. John Marty discusses his experience standing against legislation from the “Project Blitz” playbook in this episode of our podcast series. He talks about how his Christian faith influences his work defending the rights of all people, and he…

“Project Blitz,” a coordinated effort to draft and pass bills informed by Christian nationalism, is showing up in state legislatures across the country. What is this effort, and what are its goals? Frederick Clarkson, the writer who broke the story about Project Blitz, discusses its origins, motivations and definitions of success. This is episode f…

What does the Bible have to teach us about Christian nationalism? Author and scholar Walter Brueggemann talks about the theological dangers of Christian nationalism in the fourth episode of our podcast series. Hear his thoughts on what the prophets have to teach us about our current times, the importance of the crucifixion and resurrection narrativ…

Learn about the political and religious history behind the idea that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation” in this episode of our podcast series on Christian nationalism. BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler talks with Dr. Steven Green, author of "Inventing a Christian America: The Myth of the Religious Founding," about the political…

Dr. Andrew Whitehead talks about his work researching Christian nationalism in the second episode of our special podcast series. A professor of sociology at Clemson University, he explains what Christian nationalism is, how he and other researchers measure the ideology, and how it affects the way individuals see the world. Whitehead also shares how…

In the first episode of our podcast series on Christian nationalism, hear what Christian leaders have to say about the ideology. BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler speaks with Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (starting at 5:19); Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (10:12); Diane Randall fr…