This week, we reflect on the anticlimactic America250 celebrations in Washington, DC, and around the country. We also talked about the tragic, suspicious death of African American 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was found after he disappeared during a boat trip with a group of white friends on Horn Island over the Fourth of July weekend, and why so many Black Americans are reacting differently than white Americans to this story.
Finally, we talk about the mainstreaming of Doug Wilson, an extremist self-described Christian nationalist who leads a small denomination of churches to which Pete Hegseth belongs. In addition to the openly extremist views he holds about slavery, women, and theocracy, he also explicitly believes that he is justified in misrepresenting his true beliefs when speaking to those outside the Christian fold. In the past year, he’s landed high-profile interviews from CNN, New York Times, and most recently NPR. But his rising influence is mostly due to the failure of mainstream white evangelicalism to defend itself from incursions from the far right. Today, mainstream white evangelical leaders are not only failing to condemn his dangerous, illiberal views, they are inviting him into their circles and joining him on his own platforms. If we needed one more piece of evidence of the complete moral and theological collapse of the white evangelical world, the embrace of Wilson is it.
Many of you have asked how you can support our work, especially in these challenging days. One of the best ways you can support our work is by buying our books—especially pre-ordering new books (Kristin and Robby both have books coming out in September).
You can order books from The Convocation Unscripted podcast team at a curated bookshelf on Bookshop.com. (Note: If you purchase from the links below, a portion of your purchase goes to support this newsletter).
Here’s the latest book from each of us:
Kristin, LIVE LAUGH LOVE: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made (AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER)
Robby, BACKSLIDE: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER)
Diana, A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance (WINNER OF THE 2026 WILBUR AWARD)
Jemar, The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance
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