Faithful Politics

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]
What does religious trauma actually look like inside high-control Christian environments?
In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Tia Levings, author of A Well-Trained Wife and I Belong to Me, to unpack her experience inside Christian fundamentalism and her journey out. Tia shares what life looked like inside a patriarchal, high-control religious system and how those environments shape identity, relationships, and personal agency.
We explore how theology, culture, and authority structures work together in these spaces. Tia explains how belief systems are reinforced through obedience, how questioning is discouraged, and how survivors often internalize blame for harmful outcomes. She also discusses how movements like the Institute in Basic Life Principles and figures like Doug Wilsoninfluence broader religious and political culture.
The conversation goes deeper into the concept of religious trauma and how it can mirror symptoms associated with PTSD. Tia walks through common patterns survivors experience, including loss of identity, fear responses, and difficulty trusting themselves after leaving. She also explains why rebuilding a sense of self is often harder than leaving the environment itself.
We also examine the connection between high-control religion and broader political movements, including Christian nationalism. Tia highlights how these belief systems scale beyond individual households into larger cultural and political influence.
Finally, Tia shares what healing looks like. Her latest book, I Belong to Me, focuses on recovery, autonomy, and rebuilding identity after leaving high-control environments. This episode offers a practical and honest look at what it takes to move forward.
Buy the book, I Belong to Me A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope after Religious Trauma: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781250374271
Guest Bio
Tia Levings is an author and advocate focused on life inside high-control religious environments and the recovery that follows. She is the author of A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy and I Belong to Me. Her work centers on religious trauma, deconstruction, and helping survivors rebuild identity and autonomy after leaving fundame
Support the show
🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com
📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore
❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics
📩 Reach out to us:
Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected]
Political Host, Will Wright: [email protected]
📱 Follow & connect with us:
Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]
What is the religious right, and how has it shaped American politics over the last 50 years?

In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Peter Montgomery to break down the religious right and its influence on American politics.
We trace the movement from its modern roots in the late 1970s through figures like Jerry Falwell and the rise of organized political infrastructure. From legal battles over church-state separation to coordinated efforts in the courts, Peter explains how conservative Christian activism became a sustained political force.

We also explore the difference between the religious right as a movement and Christian nationalism as an ideology, including how it shapes policy, culture, and debates around religious liberty, education, and LGBTQ rights. Organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom and initiatives like Project 2025 are part of that broader strategy.

Finally, we talk about what it looks like to engage these issues without losing perspective, and why understanding the people behind the movement matters as much as understanding the movement itself.

Right Wing Watch: https://www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwatch
Guest Bio
Peter Montgomery is the Research Director at People For the American Way and a senior analyst for Right Wing Watch. He has spent more than two decades studying the religious right, its political strategies, and its influence on American law and culture. His work has been featured in major publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Montgomery is widely recognized for his expertise on the intersection of religion and politics in the United States.
Support the show
🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com
📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore
❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics
📩 Reach out to us:
Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected]
Political Host, Will Wright: [email protected]
📱 Follow & connect with us:
Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]
What if having good intentions alone isn’t enough?

In this episode, we sit down with J.D. Bauman, Executive Director of Christians for Impact and author of All the Lives You Can Change, to explore a challenging question: are Christians stewarding their money, time, and influence in the most effective ways possible?

J.D. breaks down the growing movement around “effective altruism” and why he believes Christians should think more critically about where they donate, how churches spend money, and whether our giving habits are shaped more by emotion than actual impact. We discuss everything from short-term mission trips and church budgets to global poverty, PEPFAR, political responsibility, and the difficult tradeoffs that come with trying to do the most good possible.

The conversation gets deeply personal as Josh wrestles in real time with what this framework means for pastors, families, and ordinary people trying to balance generosity with real-world responsibilities. This is one of those episodes that may leave you uncomfortable in the best possible way.

Links Mentioned in Episode
All the Lives You Can Change — https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780802885135
Christians for Impact — https://www.christiansforimpact.org
GiveWell — https://www.givewell.org
PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) — https://www.state.gov/pepfar/

Guest Bio
J.D. Bauman is the Executive Director of Christians for Impact, a nonprofit that helps Christians apply evidence, reason, and vocational discernment to major global challenges. He is a leading voice at the intersection of Christian ethics and the effective altruism movement and works to help believers maximize their impact through their careers, charitable giving, and public engagement. He is also the co-author of All the Lives You Can Change.
Support the show
🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com
📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore
❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics
📩 Reach out to us:
Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected]
Political Host, Will Wright: [email protected]
📱 Follow & connect with us:
Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]
In this conversation, Nadine Smith traces her journey from investigative journalism to becoming one of the country’s leading civil rights advocates. Drawing from decades of experience, she explains how organizations like Color of Change work to shift systems of power, amplify marginalized voices, and respond to real-time political threats.

The discussion explores how modern civil rights battles extend beyond race to include LGBTQ rights, immigration, and broader questions of access, dignity, and government authority. Nadine outlines how legislation, messaging, and grassroots organizing interact—and why fear-based narratives are often used to divide communities and maintain control.

She also breaks down how advocacy efforts successfully stopped dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills in Florida, emphasizing the role of real people showing up in public spaces and engaging directly with decision-makers. The conversation moves into deeper territory, examining how narratives around identity, religion, and “cultural decline” are constructed and weaponized in politics.

Throughout the episode, Nadine returns to a core idea: that civil rights work is ultimately about community, accountability, and whether people are willing to act when others are being harmed. The discussion closes with a reflection on what it means to stand up for others in a system that often rewards silence.

Color of Change: https://colorofchange.org
Equality Florida: https://www.eqfl.org

Guest Bio:
Nadine Smith is a longtime civil rights leader and the incoming President and CEO of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. She previously co-founded and led Equality Florida, building it into a nationally recognized model for grassroots advocacy focused on LGBTQ rights, voting access, and racial justice.

Smith has been a key figure in major civil rights efforts for decades, including co-chairing the 1993 March on Washington. Her work has influenced public policy, challenged discriminatory legislation, and mobilized communities at scale. With a background in journalism and organizing, she brings a systems-level perspective to how power operates in American society and how it can be challenged.
Support the show
🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com
📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore
❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics
📩 Reach out to us:
Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected]
Political Host, Will Wright: [email protected]
📱 Follow & connect with us:
Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected]
What is actually happening inside Congress right now—and how does it affect everyday people?
In this episode, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan breaks down a wide range of issues shaping the current political moment, from rising healthcare costs and federal budget cuts to military action in Iran and ongoing debates over voting rights. She explains how expiring ACA tax credits are impacting families, why proposed budget changes could affect hospitals, education programs, and energy costs, and what constituents in Virginia’s 4th District are already experiencing.
The conversation also explores the War Powers Resolution and the limits of presidential authority in military conflicts, offering context for recent U.S. actions abroad. On voting rights, McClellan walks through the details of the SAVE Act and why it has become a point of contention.
The episode closes with a discussion on artificial intelligence—its risks, energy demands, and the challenge policymakers face in regulating it—and a reflection on America’s 250th anniversary and what it means for the future of the country.
GUEST BIO
Jennifer McClellan is the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District. She previously served nearly two decades in the Virginia General Assembly and, in 2023, became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia. Her work focuses on healthcare, energy, technology, and voting rights.
Support the show
🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com
📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore
❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics
📩 Reach out to us:
Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected]
Political Host, Will Wright: [email protected]
📱 Follow & connect with us:
Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
Instagram: faithful_politics
Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics
📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com