Culture, Faith and Politics with Pat Kahnke

Culture, Faith and Politics with Pat Kahnke

Pat Kahnke is the author of the book ”MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience,” which was published before the 2020 election. He was an evangelical church planter and pastor for twenty years before retiring from church ministry in 2016. Planted a church in the inner city of St. Paul, MN - part of the Baptist General Conference (Converge) and Alliance for Renewal Churches. A lifelong conservative Republican until the party left him in 2016. Now a political independent, he has written off the Republican party until it completes 40 years in the wilderness for its capitulation to the MAGA movement. This podcast contains political and social commentary related to issues at the intersection of culture, faith, and politics.

Episodes

August 29, 2025 61 mins

Is our gospel big enough to handle race? In this episode of the Culture, Faith, and Politics podcast, Pat Kahnke sits down with Dr. Karen Johnson, historian and professor at Wheaton College, to talk about her new book, Ordinary Heroes of Racial Justice.

Dr. Johnson’s scholarship explores how Christians have both shaped and resisted racial injustice in America. Together, we unpack stories of ordinary believers who stood against syst...

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Why are so many Latter-day Saints embracing Christian nationalism—an ideology that once rejected them outright?

In this episode, Pat Kahnke sits down with historian Dr. Benjamin Park to unpack the surprising—and troubling—history of how Mormonism became entangled with Christian nationalism and right-wing politics in America.

From the Kingdom of Nauvoo to the Cold War era, from Glenn Beck’s obsession with The 5000 Year Leap to Trump...

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Adam Swenson writes at https://substack.com/@friendlyneighborhoodphilosopher

Pat Kahnke's Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

In this episode of Culture, Faith, and Politics, Pat Kahnke and A...

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In this wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, Pat Kahnke speaks with Reverend Tihomir Kukolja—a Christian leader shaped by war, steeped in reconciliation work, and unafraid to speak hard truths.

Kukolja reflects on the collapse of Yugoslavia, the rise of Donald Trump, the horrors of Gaza, and the dangerous theology driving evangelical silence and complicity. Drawing from decades of international ministry and firsthand expe...

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Tihomir Kukolja's Substack page: https://substack.com/@tihackuk25

My Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

For too long, I’ve stayed silent about what’s happening in Gaza—not because I didn’t care, but because I felt inadequate to speak. In this episode, I open up about that silence, the fears that kept me quiet, and the theology that I believe is fueling real harm in the region.

I’m joined by Rev. Tihomir K...

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Welcome to Culture, Faith & Politics with your host, Pat Kahnke. In this special interview, Pat sits down with Will Wright and Josh Burtram of the Faithful Politics Podcast to unpack their journey of friendship across ideological divides.

Discover: How a conservative pastor who once voted for Trump in 2016 and a progressive Christian built genuine trust rooted in Christian faith Their approach to modeling civil disagreement and...

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Corey Nathan is the host of "Talkin' Politics and Religion Without Killin' Each Other."

In this episode, Corey and Pat talk about Corey's faith journey from an Orthodox Jewish upbringing to Christianity. We also talk about his political background, and what led him to start his podcast. We talk about the difficulty - and the necessity - of having real conversations during the Trump years.

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Chris Volpe's Website: http://www.volpeforamerica.com

Pat Kahnke interviews Chris Volpe, Democratic candidate for the 2026 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by JD Vance in Ohio.

Pat Kahnke's Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Ch...

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Amy Hawk's book: "The Judas Effect" https://a.co/d/3H0y3sB

Pat Kahnke's Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

Amy Hawk and Pat Kahnke discuss Adam Serwer's key 2018 Atlantic article "The Cruel...

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Robert Jeffress is only one of many "pastors" who've gained power for themselves by supporting Trump and his unchristian policies. But he's a good case study.

Pat Kahnke's Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://...

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Angela Denker and Pat Kahnke discuss her new book "Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood".

Purchase Angela Denker's books:

Disciples of White Jesus: https://a.co/d/c76jyw7

Red State Christians: https://a.co/d/0elpRSo

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Amy Hawk is a writer, a Bible teacher, and a YouTuber. She discusses why she chose to stand up to Donald Trump's corruption of the White Evangelical church.

Purchase Amy Hawk's books:

The Judas Effect: https://a.co/d/9xXOWnp

Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton: https://a.co/d/4VKIKdp

Pat Kahnke's Substack page: https://culturefaithandpolitics.subst...

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" ...

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Subscribe to Culture, Faith, and Politics on Substack at https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

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Dave Johnson and Pat Kahnke discuss Chapter 4 of Matthew Taylor's outstanding book "The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that's threatening our democracy."

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon: "A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

Dave Johnson's books are also available on A...

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Subscribe to Culture, Faith, and Politics on Substack at https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

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Subscribe to Culture, Faith, and Politics on Substack at https://culturefaithandpolitics.substack.com/

Adam Swenson writes at https://substack.com/@friendlyneighborhoodphilosopher

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon:

"A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience" (2020): https://a.co/d/1KNX3uQ

 

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After I made a video criticizing Kristi Noem's gross and vile antics at a prison in El Salvador, a listener asked this question:

 “Can someone please tell me what is ‘wrong’ with the video she did?  I honestly would like to know.  Standing up for the law?  That's not ‘Christian?’"

Here's my answer.

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The episode where Pat tries (and fails) to not be mean. This one is about Cindy Jacobs and other supposed "prophets" and spiritual warriors who ended up supporting Trump all the way through January 6th and beyond.

Dave Johnson and Pat Kahnke discuss Chapter 3 of Matthew Taylor's outstanding book "The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian Movement that's threatening our democracy." Taylor's book is an in-depth study of the New Apo...

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Kristi Noem made a propaganda video from an El Salvador prison where Venezuelan migrants have been sent by Donald Trump, without due process. Most are probably gang members, but some appear not to be. As a Christian, I have some serious issues with all of this.

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C. Peter Wagner was the genius behind the NAR - the New Apostolic Reformation. Although he may have had good intentions, he got a ball rolling that is still leaving destruction in its wake.

Pat Kahnke and Dave Johnson discuss Chapter 2 of Matthew Taylor's outstanding book: The Violent Take it by Force.

Pat Kahnke's books are available on Amazon: "A Christian Case Against Donald Trump" (2024): https://a.co/d/iVSTqny

"MAGA Seduction...

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