Historical roots: Scopes trial & culture war origins

Lee traces culture war roots to the Scopes trial and William Jennings Bryan's complex political alliances.

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Episode notes

This episode has been living rent-free in our heads leading up to the Super Bowl, so we're dropping it back in your feed.

What does it mean when the Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a front line in the latest culture wars?

When Turning Point USA launches an “All-American Halftime Show” to rival Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, it’s more than a musical critique; it’s a signal of a culture war. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why something as ordinary as a halftime show can feel like a referendum on faith, family, and freedom. From the backlash that followed Reconstruction to Reagan’s alliance with the religious right, to today’s debates over gender, race, and education, the culture wars have always been about who stays in power. How can we interact with culture wars better? How should we treat “hot topic” issues?

Things we mentioned in this episode:

Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

James by Percival Everett

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

Awake by Jen Hatmaker

The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

Bad Faith by Randall Balmer

Mere Discipleship by Lee C. Camp

All the Buried Women podcast

Ed Larson on No Small Endeavor