For Your Consideration: Lee C. Camp on Theology in the Raw

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Feb 16, 2026

Lee C. Camp, a theology and ethics professor and author, reflects on how politics and technology shape Christian formation. He explores the history and dangers of Christian nationalism, the moral complexity of war and nonviolence, and how social media and AI reshape character. Short, thoughtful conversation about what kind of people we are becoming and how faith should respond.

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INSIGHT

Social Media Is Engineered For Anger

Social media businesses optimize for engagement by feeding anger through ad-driven algorithms.
Lee C. Camp warns that this model shapes public anger and degrades communal life.

ANECDOTE

Misquote Led To Middle East Study

After a controversial lecture a reporter misquoted him and he was doxed and attacked across media.
Lee C. Camp then studied Islam firsthand and formed lasting relationships in Israel-Palestine and Istanbul.

INSIGHT

Christian Nationalism Cuts Across Parties

Christian nationalism has surfaced across the political spectrum historically, not only on the right.
Lee C. Camp cites Woodrow Wilson as an example of progressive Christian nationalism during World War I.

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This week, we’re sharing a conversation originally recorded for Preston Sprinkle’s podcast, Theology in the Raw. It’s a wide-ranging, thoughtful dialogue that digs into political theology, Christian nationalism, just war theory, technology, and the deeper question underneath it all:

What kind of people are we becoming?

Lee joins Preston for an honest and at times searching conversation about the pressures facing the church in our current political and technological moment.

Key Themes:

Christian Nationalism — Then and Now

Why Christian nationalism is not just a “right-wing” problem
The surprising history of progressive Christian nationalism (Woodrow Wilson and World War I)
How allegiance to a nation can distort allegiance to Christ
The church’s temptation to baptize political power

Recovering Forgotten Christian Traditions

The pacifist roots of the Stone-Campbell movement
How World War I reshaped American Christianity
Why most Christians have never actually been taught the Just War tradition
The difference between claiming Just War and being morally formed by it

Violence, War, and Christian Witness

Why the Just War tradition is far more rigorous than most assume
The danger of defaulting to state power without serious moral discernment
What it might mean to “bear witness to the way of Christ” in a violent world
Why the church’s formation matters more than hypothetical “what would you do?” scenarios

Social Media, Anger, and the Business Model of Outrage

How the ad-revenue model rewards anger
Why social platforms amplify division by design
The spiritual consequences of living online
Why disengaging can sometimes be an act of wisdom

Technology, AI, and Moral Formation

Drawing on Jacques Ellul’s concept of “technique”
Why the real question isn’t whether technology is a tool
The deeper question: What kind of character is being formed in us?
Why Christians need to think more seriously about AI and moral responsibility

A Life Without a Cell Phone

Why Lee hasn’t owned a cell phone in eight years
The “serenity tax” of opting out
Anxiety, distraction, and what it means to be present
The difference between using technology and being shaped by it

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