Podcast

The Calling

Michael Wear’s Uneasy Call to Politics

Obama’s former director of faith outreach left the White House frustrated but hopeful.

When Michael Wear shook hands with Barack Obama and told him he’d like to work for him, he couldn’t have predicted the swiftness with which he would be swept up into a historic presidential campaign. Nor could he have predicted the deeply uncomfortable tension he’d face as a lifelong Democrat who also happened to be a pro-life Christian.

As the director of faith outreach for Obama’s 2012 campaign, Wear had a front-row seat to the divide between secular and sacred politicians and voters. It was a divide that would come to define politics in the next election. But as the title of his book, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America, makes clear, he still has some faith that these challenges can be overcome.

On this week’s episode of The Calling, Richard Clark sits down with Michael Wear to discuss the best and worst of his time in the White House, how the church can help redeem politics, and about that one time Obama killed a fly with his bare hands.

Click the “play” button above to listen in.

Subscribe to The Calling on iTunes.

Listen to previous episodes of The Calling.

Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow our host on Twitter: Richard Clark

The Calling is produced by Richard Clark and Morgan Lee and edited by Jonathan Clauson.

Theme music by Lee Rosevere, used under Creative Commons 4.0.

Our Latest

The Bulletin

Neighborhood Threat

The Bulletin talks about Christians in Syria, Bible education, and the “bad guys” of NYC.

Join CT for a Live Book Awards Event

A conversation with Russell Moore, Book of the Year winner Gavin Ortlund, and Award of Merit winner Brad East.

Excerpt

There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Proper’ Christmas Carol

As we learn from the surprising journeys of several holiday classics, the term defies easy definition.

Advent Calls Us Out of Our Despair

Sitting in the dark helps us truly appreciate the light.

Advent Doesn’t Have to Make Sense

As a curator, I love how contemporary art makes the world feel strange. So does the story of Jesus’ birth.

Glory to God in the Highest Calling

Motherhood is honorable, but being a disciple of Jesus is every woman’s primary biblical vocation.

Public Theology Project

The Star of Bethlehem Is a Zodiac Killer

How Christmas upends everything that draws our culture to astrology.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube