Keeping faith in democracy

And a big announcement

I study things you’re not supposed to talk about at parties: Religion. Politics. Money. 🫣 But here at Democracy is Hard, we’re throwing a different kind of party. One where we talk about all of the hard things, because we can’t understand our current world without them. 

And we are kicking things off with a bang. Today, the trailer drops for WHEN THE WOLVES CAME: EVANGELICALS RESISTING EXTREMISM, a six-part audio documentary launching March 4 (listen and subscribe today on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!).

This project, which I host and produced in partnership with the brilliant team at The Mash-Up Americans, has been a true labor of love. And I am excited and nervous and all the feelings to have it almost out in the world. 

I set out around a year ago, with generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation, to follow the growing chorus of organizations and individuals working to raise awareness about the dangers of white Christian nationalism. Much of this work correctly identifies white evangelicals as the group of Americans most likely to support the ideas associated with white Christian nationalism, and white evangelical churches as key spaces where the Christian nationalist movement has mobilized support over the past decade.

But then I started hearing murmurings about evangelicals within those churches— pastors and leaders and regular people who were not on board. Many of their voices and spirits were crushed as extremist politics that brooked no dissent took hold of their churches. But many persevered. Quietly at first, and then more loudly, they have been organizing a movement to resist extremism within evangelicalism.

WHEN THE WOLVES CAME follows one of these leaders, a pastor from Arizona named Caleb Campbell who has made it his mission to stand up to Christian nationalism, and to create a new kind of church that is more resilient to extremist forces within the church and the country as a whole. 

Caleb’s story helps us see how churches like his around the country descended into extremism, and the role of far right media and organizations in this process. His unusual backstory also helps us to better understand the allure of extremist movements, and the potential for people to be deradicalized.  

With the help of prominent scholars, journalists and other insiders, we also see how the seeds of extremism were planted in evangelicalism long ago, and how decades of partisan opposition makes it difficult (but not impossible!) for these evangelical resisters to forge ties to the broader pro-democracy movement today.  

Guests include: Caleb Campbell, Lionel Estrada, Linda Morris, Robert P. Jones, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Napp Nazworth, Nathan Whitchurch, Jared Stacy, Jemar Tisby, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, John Thielepape, and Katherine Stewart. 

In the coming weeks, stay tuned for updates on new episodes, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of WHEN THE WOLVES CAME, and reflections on this project, including: 

• I’m an evangelical — why should I care (what you have to say about my church)?

• I’m not an evangelical — why should I care (what’s happening inside other people’s churches)?

• What can an emerging divide within evangelicalism can tell us about American politics writ large?

• What does it mean to engage in ethical big tent organizing?

• The unexpected joys of being a beginner (TLDR: I learned so much fun new podcaster lingo, y’all!)

• And more…

Subscribe to WHEN THE WOLVES CAME: EVANGELICALS RESISTING EXTREMISM. 

And please keep reading this newsletter, and sharing it with others who may want to join us. Because DEMOCRACY IS HARD, but it’s worth the work.

RB