Complexified

Written by: Institute of Religion Politics and Culture Amanda Henderson Iliff School of Theology
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  • Summary

  • For too long we have avoided talking about religion and politics. But the truth is, religion and politics are about daily life. When we avoid the hard topics connected to religion and politics, we become stuck in the status quo. On Complexified we dive into the places where religion and politics collide with real-life, so we can get unstuck- so we can make real change. We dive into our most entrenched problems to better understand the hidden histories and experiences of real people on the front lines. We look at the ways religion has shaped our systems - and the ways we see ourselves and others– from there, we work together to imagine new paths forward.
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Political Science Social Sciences Spirituality
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Episodes
  • Faith, Politics, and Power: J.D. Vance’s Tightrope Act

    Faith, Politics, and Power: J.D. Vance’s Tightrope Act
    Feb 3 2025
    JD Vance took the stage at the March for Life to thunderous applause, positioning himself as a champion of conservative Catholic values. With Republican heavyweights like Ron DeSantis and Mike Johnson in attendance, the rally was a display of political and religious unity—or so it seemed. Just two days later, Vance went on Face the Nation and publicly attacked Catholic bishop, seeming to accuse them of financially benefiting from immigration policies and failing to support law enforcement. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson and RNS journalist Aleja Hertzler-McCain explore the contradictions in Vance’s political and religious journey—his late-in-life conversion to Catholicism, his embrace of Catholic integralism, and his balancing act between conservative ideology and Trump’s agenda. Why did he shift from echoing traditional Catholic rhetoric at the March for Life to distancing himself from the church’s leaders on immigration? What does this reveal about the evolving priorities of the religious right and the tensions between power and principle?
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    22 mins
  • The Mercy Pulpit & The Sermon Heard Around the World

    The Mercy Pulpit & The Sermon Heard Around the World
    Jan 27 2025
    God and Trump collide in a week of political and religious tension, sparked by a prophetic sermon at the National Cathedral. Host Amanda Henderson and RNS Executive Editor Roxanne Stone delve into how this sermon—calling for mercy and justice—reshaped the national discourse and exposed the fractures between competing Christianities. From Trump’s invocation of divine authority to the shifting influence of evangelical power, they explore how faith and politics are shaping America’s identity and future.
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    26 mins
  • President Trump's Crusader

    President Trump's Crusader
    Jan 17 2025
    "By the grace of God, by Jesus, and Jenny." Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense avoided overt debates on his faith or claims of moral redemption, leaving the politics of his nomination largely unspoken. Amanda Henderson and RNS reporter Jack Jenkins examine how Hegseth’s Christian nationalism, personal controversies, and claims of transformation served as a stormy backdrop to the hearing, raising deeper questions about the unacknowledged intersections of religion, power, and leadership in his path to the Pentagon.
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    28 mins

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