Respecting Religion

A 2022 decision from the Supreme Court continues to sow confusion and misguided claims four years later. Today, we're revisiting our conversation on the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision, where the Court ruled for a public school official and abandoned long-standing Establishment Clause protections in ways that harm the religious freedom rights of students. Hear Amanda and Holly react right after this decision and ponder just what, exactly, would actually constitute "coercion" for this Court. The Supreme Court did not overrule the previous school prayer cases with the decision, but it did gut some of the consensus that protects the religious liberty rights of everyone at public schools.
This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on June 29, 2022, and was first released July 7, 2022. 

SHOW NOTES
Segment 1 (starting at 02:57): Not solving a problem, but creating one: Kennedy v. Bremerton decision
You can read the Bremerton opinion here, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch. Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissenting opinion includes photos of the prayer practice at issue (see pages 9 and 10 of the dissent, which are on pages 49 and 50 of the opinion PDF document).
We released three podcasts on this case: 
We previewed the case in April 2022 in Episode 14 of Season 3 in an episode titled "#NoPrayToPlay."

We recapped the oral arguments in Episode 15 of that same season: "The coach is the loudspeaker and the field is his classroom: Recapping the arguments in Kennedy v. Bremerton"

We released this episode as our season 3 finale. The full episode is titled "Not solving a problem, but creating one: Dissecting the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision"

 
Segment 2 (starting at 26:51): Concluding thoughts
For all of BJC's resources on this case, visit BJConline.org/Bremerton.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

What is the cost of speaking out against Christian nationalism? In 2024, Rob Reiner came on the podcast to talk about a film he produced, called "God & Country." In this episode from our archives, Amanda Tyler talks with Reiner and Dan Partland, the director of the film. "God & Country" discusses the dangers of Christian nationalism to the country, to the faith, and to pluralism. 
This program originally aired January 18, 2024
SHOW NOTES
Segment 1 (starting at 02:22): Rob Reiner and Dan Partland on Christian nationalism
Released in February 2024, "God & Country" is available to watch on several streaming platforms. You can learn more at GodAndCountryTheMovie.com.
About the guests:
Dan Partland, the director of the movie, is a veteran documentary producer and director for film and television. His work includes several landmark nonfiction features and series over the past three decades, and he's a two-time Emmy winner for best nonfiction series.
Rob Reiner was a producer of the film. He first came to fame as a two-time Emmy award winning actor in the landmark television series "All in the Family." He went on to become an acclaimed director of some of the most popular and influential motion pictures in American film history, and he remained a dedicated political activist until his death in 2025.
The exact phrase "separation of church and state" is not in the U.S. Constitution, but the concept is laid out several times, including Article VI's prohibition on any religious test for office, the First Amendment's prohibition of a government establishment of religion, and the First Amendment's guarantee of the free exercise of religion. Read more in Brent Walker's "Top 5 Myths of the Separation of Church and State."
Learn more about the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign – a project BJC began in 2019 – by visiting ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org.
 
Segment 2 (starting at 20:56): Post-screening Q&A with Partland and Reiner
BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation released a comprehensive report on the role of Christian nationalism in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. You can access it here.
Dan Partland mentioned The Power Worshippers, a book by Katherine Stewart on the rise of religious nationalism. It serves as a basis for the movie. 
 
Segment 3 (starting at 40:39): Closing
Michelle Boorstein covered the screening for The Washington Post in this article: 'God & Country' film spotlights Christian nationalism's threat to democracy
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is "divinely inspired"? In this conversation from 2024, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we all should be asking ourselves when evaluating the political ideology.
This program originally aired March 21, 2024
SHOW NOTES:
Segment 1 (starting at 01:25): What does it mean to determine the level of Christian nationalism?
This podcast episode won the "Best in Class" award from the Religion Communicators Council in 2025. It was first released as episode 21 of season 5 on March 21, 2024.
Learn more about the Christians Against Christian Nationalism movement and how you can get involved at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org. 
 
Segment 2 (starting at 09:09): Answering some political questions about Christian nationalism 
Amanda mentioned this op-ed by David French in The New York Times: What is Christian Nationalism, Exactly? 
 
Visit this link to access the report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection from BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. 
Amanda mentioned this article by Steven Monacelli for the Daily Dot: A new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America gains traction with GOP politicians
Hear Amanda and Holly's reaction to President Trump's 2020 appearance at St. John's Church with a Bible in episode 15 of our first season: Protests, the president and the photo op with a Bible
 
Segment 3 (starting at 29:56): Answering some church-related questions about Christian nationalism 
Read about the 2024 survey results from PRRI on the support for Christian nationalism at this link that Amanda mentioned during the podcast. UPDATE for the re-release of this episdoe: PRRI's most recent report on the topic was released in February 2025, which is available at this link.  
To learn more about Patriot Churches, read this 2020 article in The Washington Post by Sarah Pulliam Bailey: Seeking power in Jesus' name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches
 
Segment 4 (starting at 39:40): History and civics questions about Christian nationalism
Amanda and Holly spoke about some lawmakers sharing the idea that the Constitution is "divinely inspired" in episode 10 of season 4: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Two years after January 6. It was also re-released as a "best of" episode in January 2026.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

SHOW NOTES:
Segment one (02:45): Conversation with Dr. Walter Brueggemann
This program originally aired August 21, 2019, as episode 4 in our 10-part BJC Podcast series on the dangers of Christian nationalism.
One of the most influential Bible interpreters of our time, Dr. Walter Brueggemann was the author of more than 100 books, including The Prophetic Imagination. He passed away June 5, 2025. Visit his official website to learn more about his work and his legacy.
This was the fourth episode in our 10-part series on Christian nationalism in 2019. Other episodes are available at this link or on the feed called "BJC Podcast" on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), SoundCloud, Spotify, and more.
Amanda mentioned the Easter Monday message she sent in 2025, which quoted Dr. Brueggemann from this episode. Sign up for our email list to get more emails by visiting this link.
To learn more about BJC's work countering Christian nationalism, visit ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org or BJConline.org/ChristianNationalism.
Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

How does the myth of America being a "chosen" nation lead to the religious nationalism we see today? In a presentation first aired in 2023, Harvard Divinity School's Dr. Catherine Brekus talks about how the myth is a complicated mixture of arrogance, exploitation, reform, racism and violence. She looks at the roots of this myth, how it has played out through our country's history, and how the recent surge of white Christian nationalism reflects a deep uneasiness about the loss of Christian privilege in this country.
This program originally aired on June 1, 2023, in season 4 of Respecting Religion.
 
SHOW NOTES
This episode was originally broadcast as episode 23 of season 4 in 2023. To hear the panel presentation that follows, check out episode 24 of season 4.
Segment one (01:39): Presentation from Dr. Catherine Brekus

Read more about Dr. Brekus on Harvard Divinity School's website.

This presentation was the 2023 Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lecture on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State, an annual lecture series sponsored by BJC. Dr. Brekus gave this presentation at Old North Church in Boston. 
Following her presentation, Dr. Brekus joined a panel discussion alongside The Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher, Ph.D.; the Rev. Darrell Hamilton; and Dr. Michael Hober­man. It was moderated by the Rev. Dr. Jaimie Crumley. You can hear their conversation in episode 24.
You can watch the full presentation online at this link, including the panel discussion that followed the talk.

Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.