105. Tricky Topic #4: Politics (with Kaitlyn Schiess)

Politics might be the ultimate dinner-table taboo—and if we’re honest, it’s a topic we rarely tackle! Our own personal stories with political events — from counter-protesting teacher strikes to experiencing a military coup overseas — set the stage for a conversation with Kaitlyn Schiess, political theology scholar and author of The Liturgy of Politics. Kaitlyn helps us think beyond elections and arguments to consider politics as the everyday work of how communities care for one another. Together, we talk about why politics feels so personal, how to have hard conversations without turning up the heat, and why the best place to start might look less like a debate and more like helping a neighbor in need.

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Kaitlyn Schiess is a writer, theologian, and podcaster who helps Christians think well and live faithfully in a pluralistic world. She is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Brazos Press, 2023) and The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor (InterVarsity Press, 2020). Her writing has appeared in outlets including Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, RELEVANT, and Sojourners. She is also a co-host of the Holy Post podcast and host of Curiously, Kaitlyn, both of which explore how Christians can navigate faith, culture, and life in a pluralistic world. Kaitlyn holds a ThM in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a doctorate in political theology at Duke Divinity School. 

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Interact with Kaitlyn’s resources:

• The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here

• The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor 

• Holy Post podcast: holypost.com

• Website: kaitlynschiess.com

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With You in Marriage: A Family Systems Approach to a Healthy Relationship by David & Tara Van Dyke launches February 2! Please help us get the word out, and preorder the book on Amazon or at IVPress.com

If you’d like to bring a marriage workshop to your organization or church, reach out to us on our website, withuprojects.com

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Don’t miss next week’s podcast on the tricky topic of death & dying with Dr. Kimberly Rich

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Produced by Zach Van Dyke