One may not expect Russell Moore and Jonathan Rauch, an openly gay atheist, to become friends—much less to be positive influences on one another’s lives and work. But as this conversation shows, this surprising fact is true.
The two discuss their perspectives on politics, Christianity, and culture. They talk about their regular gathering on Thursday nights with fellow thinkers and the ways they see fear taking precedence in American churches. Their discussion covers race, gender, and sexuality, as well as Christian nationalism, parallels between the political left and right, and the reasons why Rauch considers forbearance to be a key aspect of liberal democracy. Moore and Rauch consider the “four Ms”—mortality, morality, murder, and miracles—and talk about why Rauch dedicated his new book, Cross Purposes, to two Christian friends who have passed—Tim Keller and Mark McIntosh.
Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include:
- Tim Keller
- Jonathan Rauch
- Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy by Jonathan Rauch
- Brookings Institution
- The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Peter Wehner
- David French
- Mark A. McIntosh
- “Let It Be”
- “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time”
- No Compromise
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper
Host: Russell Moore
Producer: Will Dawson
Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill
Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens
Audio engineering by Dan Phelps
Video producer: Abby Egan
Theme Song: “Dusty Delta Day” by Lennon Hutton
