Church and Main

Rethinking Anne Boleyn with Martha Tatarnic | Episode 280

What do you really know about Anne Boleyn? Most of us remember her as Henry VIII's ill-fated second wife — and not much more. But according to Martha Tatarnic, Anglican priest and author of Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History, we've been missing the bigger picture entirely.
Martha returns to the podcast to explore Anne Boleyn as a serious religious reformer whose influence on the English Reformation — and the Anglican Church — has been vastly underestimated. History painted her as a seductress rather than a scholar.  Victim-blaming narratives have shaped her legacy for centuries, and Martha shares what recovering her true story means for the church today.
Shownotes:
Martha's website
Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History
When IDIC Met the Culture War (Dennis' Article)
Related Episodes:
Talking About Success and Failure in the Church with Martha Tatarnic | Episode 218
 
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The Good News vs. the Good Work with Jackson Campbell Walker | Episode 279

Many progressive and moderate Christians are passionate about justice, inclusion, and showing up for their neighbors. But what if in pursuing all the right causes, we've quietly set aside the message that makes us Christian in the first place?
Jackson Campbell Walker knows this tension firsthand. As a gay pastor who has navigated both conservative evangelical and progressive Baptist spaces, he has watched well-meaning churches slowly replace the grace of God with the works of people. 
Jackson and Dennis get honest about what it feels like to be clergy who love both the gospel and justice, and why those two things should never have to compete. They talk about the quiet crisis of trust underneath it all — how, when we stop believing God is at work, we scramble to fill the void with programs, politics, and causes. 
This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt caught between their faith and their convictions — and wondered if they had to choose.
Shownotes:
Trading the Cross for a cause (Jackson's article)
 
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Unpacking Romans 13 with Chris Nye | Episode 278

What does it mean to "submit to governing authorities" — and does that command require Christians to accept whatever their government does without question?
I sat down with Chris Nye, lead pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon, to take a closer look at one of the most frequently cited — and frequently misused — passages in political discourse: Romans 13:1. From immigration enforcement to protests in the streets, this text keeps resurfacing, often wielded as a call for unconditional obedience to whoever holds power.
Chris argues that reading Romans 13 in isolation misses the point entirely. Placed within the sweep of Paul's letter — and alongside 1 Peter — a richer picture emerges: one built on a higher law of God, a coming judgment, and a vision of the church as a holy nation that transcends any political order.
Shownotes:
Chris Nye's website
 
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When the Cross Becomes a Brand with Andrew Donaldson | Episode 277

In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, I sat down with my friend and media commentator Andrew Donaldson to wrestle with one of the most uncomfortable questions facing American Christianity today: Is the public display of faith we're seeing from figures like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth genuine witness — or just performance?
This is a conversation about our failings, the danger of chasing validation over transformation, and what it really means to live out your faith when no one is looking.
Shownotes:
Heard Tell (Andrew's Substack)
 
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Can America Change Course? with Jerry Mitchell | Episode 276

Jerry Mitchell comes to the podcast to discuss his Christian Chronicle article. Jerry argues that America's deepest crisis isn't political — it's spiritual. From the erosion of humility and kindness to our growing inability to honestly confront our own sins, Jerry makes the case that the nation is sliding toward collapse for one simple reason: we have traded godliness for gaslighting, and piety for partisanship.
Shownotes:
Can America change its course before it’s too late? The answer is up to us (Jerry Mitchell)
 
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Hunting for Heretics: America's Polarization Problem with Michael Baharaeen | Episode 275

Dennis Sanders sits down with Michael Baharaeen, chief political analyst for The Liberal Patriot, to explore the growing crisis of political polarization in America. Drawing on data, history, and his own experience working in national politics, Baharain examines how Americans have increasingly sorted themselves into politically homogenous communities, fueled by the decline of shared public spaces, the rise of social media, and a two-party system that leaves little room for nuance. The conversation covers the real dangers this polarization poses to democracy — from eroding trust between neighbors to the risk of sustained political violence — while also offering practical paths forward.
Shownotes:
Growing Tribalism Threatens the American Experiment (Michael Baharaeen)
How everyday Americans can help pull their democracy back from the brink (Michael Baharaeen)
 
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Gen Z's Spiritual Awakening: Revival or Something New? with Rob Myallis | Episode 274

In part two of his conversation with Lutheran Pastor Rob Maialis, host Dennis Sanders turns the lens toward the youngest generation entering adulthood. Is there a genuine religious revival happening among Gen Z, or are we measuring the wrong things?
Together, they explore what it might look like for mainline churches to truly meet Gen Z rather than simply wait for them, and how an unlikely partnership between the oldest and youngest generations in the pew might be exactly what both groups need.
 
Shownotes:
Gen Z's Religious Revival Likely Escapes Notice (Rob's Article)
Lectionary Greek Blog
 
Related Episode:
The Church and the Three-Quarter Life Crisis with Rob Myallis | Episode 273
 
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The Church and the Three-Quarter Life Crisis with Rob Myallis | Episode 273

What happens when the people who built your church — the ones who carried it through lean years, chaired every committee, and showed up faithfully for decades — start to feel like the ladder has been taken away from them? In this episode, I welcome back Lutheran pastor and Rob Myallis to explore what Rob calls the "three-quarter life crisis": the profound emotional, physical, and spiritual transition many people face in their mid-to-late seventies.
Shownotes:
 The Three-Quarter Life Crisis (Rob's Article)
Lectionary Greek Blog
 
Related Episode:
Luther Seminary and the Future of Mainline Protestantism with Rob Myallis | Episode 239
 
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The Quiet Christian Resistance to America's Refugee Crackdown with Emily Belz | Episode 272

When the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation PARRIS in January 2026, thousands of legal refugees in Minnesota suddenly found themselves targets of ICE arrests and detention — despite having followed every rule required of them. In this episode, I sit down with Emily Belz, senior staff writer at Christianity Today, to unpack how this shocking crackdown unfolded and how faith communities responded.
Shownotes:
Emily Belz- Refugees Disappeared. Churches Prayed and Lawyered Up. 
Emily Belz- Excerpts from a Judge’s Ruling in Favor of Minnesota Refugees
Arrive Ministries Facebook Page
Related Episodes:
A Theology of Protest with David Swanson
Why Minneapolis Needs Potlucks with Rachel Pieh Jones
Renee Good and Minnesota ICE with Eric Elkin
 
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A Theology of Protest with David Swanson | Episode 271

In this conversation, David Swanson discusses his experiences as a pastor in Bronzeville, Chicago, and the role of protest within the Christian faith. He reflects on the importance of community engagement, the theological underpinnings of protest, and the connections between spiritual practices and activism. Swanson emphasizes the need for lament in protest, the significance of bearing witness, and offers guidance for those new to activism. He encourages Christians to participate in protests as an expression of their faith and to recognize the historical context of protest within Christianity.
Suggested Reading and Listening:
🌐David Swanson’s website
📝A Christian Theology of Protest: Bearing Faithful Witness in a Time of Unrest
 
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