Political Religion and Religious Politics

We discuss the religious character of our contemporary politics and the leading influences on the American democratic mind.

Christian college professors Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Leading Off (1:27) - We discuss President Biden’s first primetime address. Links: Biden speech; Susan Crabtree at Real Clear Politics; New York Times fact check.

Required Reading (10:28) - Professor Corbin leads us through the opening chapters of volume 2, part 1 of Democracy in America and a selection from Francis Bacon’s Aphorisms Concerning the Interpretation of Nature. Assigned for next week: Democracy in America, volume 2, part 1, chapters 7-11.  

Headlines (34:42) - We discuss Shadi Hamid’s recent article in The Atlantic, “American without God” in light of our Tocqueville and Bacon readings. Link: Shadi Hamid at The Atlantic.  

Open the Gradebook (49:31) - With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on Wednesday, we grade four classic Irish entrees. Link: St. Patrick’s Day recipes.

Tocqueville's Crystal Ball (54:20) - Dave continued his great run of 2021 picks last week by hitting on both of his NBA All-Star game projections. He is now 13-3 this year. Matt was 1-1 and now stands at 7-9. This week we pick the #1 seeds for the upcoming NCAA men’s basketball tournament and some of the first round results. Link: All-time NCAA tournament seed records.     

Opening and closing music is from the beginning of "Happy Life" by Ryan Andersen from his 2018 album, Americana volume 1. Available here. Licensed by Creative Commons.

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Matt Parks is an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is a Professor of Politics and the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California. All views expressed in this podcast are their own.