Episodes

  • Illiterate | Religion, Part 1

    Illiterate | Religion, Part 1
    May 17 2024

    Summary

    Hosts Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, and Steve Phelps sit down with Pastor Scott Sauls and Rabbi to discuss the topic of religion. Both Scott and Asher share their backgrounds and how they became interested in religion, despite Scott growing up in a home where one parent was hostile toward faith, while Asher was brought up in an observant Jewish household. They discuss the purpose of religion, the importance of meaningful relationships, the role of rituals and observance, and the social function of religion in the world.

    Chapters

    • · First Interest in Religion
    • · The General Purpose of Religion
    • · The Specific Purpose of Christianity
    • · The Specific Purpose of Judaism
    • · The Social Function of Religion

    ASHER LOPATIN (JEWISH RABBI)

    Asher Lopatin is the Director of Community Relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor. He is an American Open Orthodox rabbi and leader of Kehillat Etz Chayim, an Open Orthodox synagogue in Oak Park, MI. Asher is also the founder and executive director of the Detroit National Center for Civil Discourse, which has run a Fellowship in Civil Discourse at Wayne State University since September 2019. Previously, he was the President of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (2013-2018) and the spiritual leader of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation in Chicago before that. He is a Rhodes Scholar and a Council on Foreign Relations member.

    You can hear more from Rabbi Asher Lopatin on his podcast, “A Rabbi and a Lawyer Walk into a Bar” https://rabbilawyerbar.com/

    SCOTT SAULS (CHRISTIAN PASTOR)

    Scott Sauls is husband to Patti, dad to Abby and Ellie, and formerly served as senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee and previously a lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City after planting two churches in Kansas City and St. Louis. More recently, Scott has founded The Sycamore Collective, an in-person masterclass for high output leaders and influencers. Scott has authored multiple books and blogs regularly at scottsauls.com. His work has also been featured in Christianity Today, Relevant magazine, Catalyst Leadership magazine, and other publications. Connect with Scott on Facebook or Twitter and Instagram at @scottsauls and his website www.scottsauls.com.

    Run Time 34m22s
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    34 mins
  • Illiterate | Politics, Part 2

    Illiterate | Politics, Part 2
    Apr 26 2024
    Summary Hosts Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, & Steve Phelps sit down with Professor Saeed Khan and Josh Lewis to discuss how politics work. The conversation covers various topics including childhood memories, voting with emotions, trying to remember book annotations, the Constitution and the purpose of good government, the formation of the United States, and changing political ideologies. Chapters Childhood Memories Voting with Emotions The Constitution Formation of the United States Political Parties Evolution of Political Parties SAEED KHAN Saeed A. Khan is currently in the Department of History and Lecturer in the Department of Near East & Asian Studies at Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan, where he teaches Islamic and Middle East History, Islamic Civilizations and History of Islamic Political Thought. Mr. Khan is also a Research Fellow at Wayne State University’s Center for the Study of Citizenship. He is also Adjunct Professor in Islamic Studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy and at Rochester College, co-teaching a course on Muslim-Christian Diversity. With areas of focus including US policy, globalization, Middle East and Islamic Studies, as well as genomics and bioethics, Mr. Khan has been a contributor to several media agencies, such as C-Span, NPR, Voice of America and the National Press Club, as well as newspapers and other outlets, and is also a consultant on Islamic and Middle East affairs for the BBC and the CBC. In addition, he has served as consultant to the US-Arab Economic Forum. Mr. Khan has founded the Center for the Study of Trans-Atlantic Diasporas, a think tank and policy center examining and comparing the condition of ethnic immigrant groups in North America and Europe, consulting the US and UK governments on their respective Muslim communities. Most recently, Mr. Khan has become co-host of the radio show “Detroit Today” on Detroit Public Radio. JOSH LEWIS Josh Lewis is a CPA who lives in Tulsa and works for the Oklahoma State Auditor's Office*. A former candidate for City Auditor with over a decade of experience in auditing governments, Josh has a unique and practical perspective as an outside observer of politics put into practice. Josh graduated from College of the Ozarks--Hard Work U--majoring in Accounting with a minor in Speech Communications, where he was president of the College Republicans. Though a lifelong Republican, Josh stepped down as Treasurer of the Tulsa County Republican Party in 2016 when he could no longer support the candidate chosen to represent his party. As a diligent student of the conservative movement championed by Edmund Burke, Russel Kirk, William F. Buckley, Thomas Sowell, and many others, Josh is passionate about conservatism surviving and thriving in the 21st century. In particular, Josh is interested in sharing with fellow Millennials how the conservative worldview offers solutions to our unique challenges from learning ways to celebrate and revitalize the uniqueness of the multitude of sub-cultures within America, addressing the loss of civil society and institutions that give our lives meaning and community, and continuously striving to balance order and liberty in the soul of the individual and our nation. Josh has contributed to The Millennial Review and The Liberty Hawk. He can be reached at savingelephantsblog@gmail.com Run Time 35m59s
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    36 mins
  • Illiterate | Politics, Part 1

    Illiterate | Politics, Part 1
    Apr 19 2024
    Summary Hosts Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, & Steve Phelps sit down with Professor Saeed Khan and Josh Lewis to discuss how politics work. The conversation covers various topics including childhood memories, voting with emotions, trying to remember book annotations, the Constitution and the purpose of good government, the formation of the United States, and changing political ideologies. Chapters Childhood Memories Voting with Emotions The Constitution Formation of the United States Political Parties Evolution of Political Parties SAEED KHAN Saeed A. Khan is currently in the Department of History and Lecturer in the Department of Near East & Asian Studies at Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan, where he teaches Islamic and Middle East History, Islamic Civilizations and History of Islamic Political Thought. Mr. Khan is also a Research Fellow at Wayne State University’s Center for the Study of Citizenship. He is also Adjunct Professor in Islamic Studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy and at Rochester College, co-teaching a course on Muslim-Christian Diversity. With areas of focus including US policy, globalization, Middle East and Islamic Studies, as well as genomics and bioethics, Mr. Khan has been a contributor to several media agencies, such as C-Span, NPR, Voice of America and the National Press Club, as well as newspapers and other outlets, and is also a consultant on Islamic and Middle East affairs for the BBC and the CBC. In addition, he has served as consultant to the US-Arab Economic Forum. Mr. Khan has founded the Center for the Study of Trans-Atlantic Diasporas, a think tank and policy center examining and comparing the condition of ethnic immigrant groups in North America and Europe, consulting the US and UK governments on their respective Muslim communities. Most recently, Mr. Khan has become co-host of the radio show “Detroit Today” on Detroit Public Radio. JOSH LEWIS Josh Lewis is a CPA who lives in Tulsa and works for the Oklahoma State Auditor's Office*. A former candidate for City Auditor with over a decade of experience in auditing governments, Josh has a unique and practical perspective as an outside observer of politics put into practice. Josh graduated from College of the Ozarks--Hard Work U--majoring in Accounting with a minor in Speech Communications, where he was president of the College Republicans. Though a lifelong Republican, Josh stepped down as Treasurer of the Tulsa County Republican Party in 2016 when he could no longer support the candidate chosen to represent his party. As a diligent student of the conservative movement championed by Edmund Burke, Russel Kirk, William F. Buckley, Thomas Sowell, and many others, Josh is passionate about conservatism surviving and thriving in the 21st century. In particular, Josh is interested in sharing with fellow Millennials how the conservative worldview offers solutions to our unique challenges from learning ways to celebrate and revitalize the uniqueness of the multitude of sub-cultures within America, addressing the loss of civil society and institutions that give our lives meaning and community, and continuously striving to balance order and liberty in the soul of the individual and our nation. Josh has contributed to The Millennial Review and The Liberty Hawk. He can be reached at savingelephantsblog@gmail.com Run Time 38m19s
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    38 mins
  • The Introductory Episode

    The Introductory Episode
    Apr 19 2024

    Summary

    In this introductory episode, the show hosts Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, and Steve Phelps introduce themselves and discuss their backgrounds and interests. They share how they got into podcasting and their goals for the show. The conversation takes a humorous turn when one of the hosts reveals a story about owning two machetes. The episode concludes with a discussion about Bill Cosby and a lighthearted ending.

    Chapters

    • Introduction and Show Setup
    • Getting to Know the Hosts
    • Background and Education
    • Interest in Podcasting
    • Purpose of the Show
    • What Each Host Hopes to Achieve
    • Kent's Machete Story
    • Kent's Donald Trump Twitter Account
    • Goals for the Show
    • Conclusion

    Run Time: 20m14s
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    20 mins