The Right’s DEI, the Internet’s Pope, and a Plantation in Flames
Elite universities are trying something new, or maybe not so new. To attract more conservative faculty, they’re adopting diversity strategies once used to support marginalized communities. So now that DEI is working for the right, is it still “woke”? Plus, fake Pope quotes are everywhere. Why is everyone trying to make the new Pope say what they want to hear? And in other news: a plantation burns, prom has officially lost its mind, and Producer Mike is in need of some friends. 0:00 - Theme Song 2:11 - Big Budget Proms 14:18 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238 15:40 - Fake Pope Quotes 25:18 - DEI for Conservatives 39:51 - The Plantation Fire 47:12 - End Credits
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48:10
Single Parenting, Disability, and the Church's Blind Spot
Author and mother of six, Katie Blackburn joins Esau for a conversation around single parenting, disability, and faith. Katie shares her experience raising a son with severe autism, the grief and grace that come with it, and how the church has responded, sometimes with welcome, other times with unintentional exclusion. Together, they explore why single parents and families affected by disability often feel unseen in church spaces, and what communities can do to change that. They also talk about Katie’s new children’s book The Very Best Baseball Game, inspired by a local disability league, and how stories can help us better understand diversity, empathy, and belonging. 0:00 - Show Starts 2:15 - Mount Rushmore of Family Films 7:55 - Single Motherhood 10:42 - Writing as Therapy 18:09 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238 19:21 - Church with Single People 24:28 - The Very Best Baseball Game 33:20 - What Can Churches Do for Disabled Children? 42:38 - End Credits
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43:35
Is Pop Culture Out of Ideas?
Why does everything feel like a reboot? In this episode, Esau is joined by producer Mike and historian Malcolm Foley for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of American pop culture. From promising films like Sinners and Thunderbolts to the creative fatigue behind endless reboots and auto-tuned algorithms, they explore whether we're stuck in a cycle of stagnation and cynicism, and why Beyoncé’s country album might provide a glimmer of hope for the future of the pop culture industry. 0:00 - Show Starts 0:45 - Theme Song 2:55 - Uninformed Takes on Ryan Coogler’s Sinners 10:16 - Movies with Anit-Christian Elements? 18:16 - Worst Pop Culture Era 26:15 - How in-Person Classes Change Things 33:55 - Revitalization of Pop Culture 47:15 - End Credits
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48:11
Help Me Help You: Esau Becomes the Internet's Life Coach
Everyone needs a life coach sometimes and Esau is here to play the role. In today's episode, he answers the internet's questions about friendship, marriage, calling, AI, church, and, yes, the ethics of eating your kid’s leftovers. Joined by Producer Mike and Holy Post Community Coordinator Emerson, the trio tackles everything from existential crises to the proper number of slices you’re allowed to take from a pie. Whether you’re wondering how to make friends as a tired parent or if your marriage is weird because you don’t fight, Esau’s got takes, and lots of them. 0:00 - Theme Song 2:10 - Are Leftovers Fair Game? 5:32 - A.I. and Writing Careers 9:50 - Adult Friendships 17:35 - A Marriage with No Fights? 21:45 - Sponsor - Northern Seminary - Through Taste of Northern, you can experience the richness of a theological education for free, with leading New Testament scholars. Visit https://www.seminary.edu/taste to join a class today! 23:08 - Unfulfilling Job 35:18 - Is four “a few?” 37:45 - Church Disappointment 47:00 - End Credits
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47:56
Love in a Time of Outrage: Recovering the Center of Paul’s Theology
When most people think of the Apostle Paul, they picture a guy who cares more about doctrine and judgment than love. But what if I told you that the guy who wrote the most famous chapter on love in the Bible actually built his whole theology around it? Esau McCaulley talks with New Testament scholar Nijay Gupta about his new book The Affections of Christ and why Paul might be the Bible’s most misunderstood writer. They explore what Paul really says about love, how emotion theory helps us read the Bible better, and why recovering Paul’s tender side could help the church in a time of outrage, division, and burnout. Also, whatever happened to Ned Flanders? 0:00 - Theme Song 2:03 - Last Time Your Church Made You Feel Loved 7:10 - Paul and Love? 13:50 - Sponsor - No Small Endeavor - Award-winning podcast where theologians, philosophers, and best-selling authors talk about faith with Lee C. Camp. Start listening today: https://pod.link/1513178238 14:50 - Sponsor - Fabric by Gerber Life - Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://www.meetfabric.com/ESAU 17:00 - The Bible’s Emotional! 27:50 - Covenant vs. Court 40:04 - Was He Rehabilitating Paul’s Image? 49:32 - End Credits The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul’s Theology by NIjay Gupta: https://a.co/d/82LsTS0 Paul and the Language of Faith by Nijay Gupta: https://a.co/d/bROX4lx My Hill to Die On - In-N-Out Burger is Overrated: https://www.patreon.com/posts/my-hill-to-die-n-125861271
The Esau McCaulley Podcast looks to find God in the midst of culture. Each week, Esau will bring together friends, scholars, artists, and writers to unpack the cultural stories that shape our lives and discuss how these stories point us back to God’s presence in the world. Whether it's literature, sports, movies, music, or politics, Esau and his guests will explore how culture reflects both human creativity and our deepest longings. They’ll also challenge the notion that spirituality and culture are at odds by showing how faith can inform our engagement with the world around us. The Esau McCaulley Podcast wants to help the church move beyond the walls of the sanctuary to meet real people where they are, in this beautiful, complex world God has made, and find the space where truth and goodness meet.
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