Highest Power: Church + State
Baptist News Global
A podcast from Baptist News Global examining the intersection of faith and politics at the highest levels of power. Hosted by Rick Pidcock.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2026 • 23min
Ep112: Pete Hegseth's Holy War in Iran & the Absurdity of Authoritarian Power, with Ginny Brown Daniel
Thursday, March 26, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 23, 2026 • 26min
Ep111: The Duggar Scandal, Christian Nationalism, & the Seeming Inescapability of the Abusive Power Dynamics Many of Us Left Behind, with Tia Levings
Tia Levings, author and survivor advocate known for writing about religious trauma and recovery, talks about the Duggar scandals and her role on Shiny Happy People. She explores how afterlife promises and inerrancy can trap people, how patriarchy harms all genders, and the political spread of Christian nationalism. Conversations center on control, inescapability, and practical paths toward safety and solidarity.
Mar 19, 2026 • 25min
Ep110: Rhymes of Power between the Epstein Files & Complementarian Ministries like The Gospel Coalition
Thursday, March 19, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 16, 2026 • 30min
Ep109: James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett, & Liberating Feminine Wisdom from Christian Patriarchy, with Angela J. Herrington
Monday, March 16, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 12, 2026 • 28min
Ep108: Responding to Sexual Abuse in the Church & in the Epstein Files, with Laura Thien & Robert Peters of GRACE
Thursday, March 12, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 9, 2026 • 20min
Ep107: How Evangelicals Pick and Choose What Parts of the Bible to Emphasize to Sacralize Trump's Violence
Monday, March 9, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 5, 2026 • 57min
Ep106: How the IFB Dispensationalism We Grew Up with Is Affecting Opinions on the Iran War Today, with David Bumgardner
Thursday, March 5, 2026 — You're listening to Highest Power: Church + State, a weekly podcast from Baptist News Global, hosted by Rick Pidcock. Support faith-based journalism at baptistnews.com.
Mar 2, 2026 • 36min
Ep105: The American Military Fetish, Pacifism, & the War in Iran, with Ben Daniel
Ben Daniel, a Presbyterian minister, peace activist, and author exploring Christian pacifism. He warns about America’s sacralizing of the military. He explains how media, pastors, and history normalize war. He describes the longings that fuel militarism and imagines neighborhood-level alternatives. He previews his book Grace Over Guns.
10 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 19min
Ep104: Trump's State of the Union Address & Belittling the Women's Olympic Hockey Team
Discussion of Trump’s unusually long State of the Union and his portrayal of America as a winner. Coverage of the men’s hockey team being honored and the notable exclusion of the women’s gold-medal team. Analysis of locker-room jokes, misogyny, and how public honors become about a single personality. Notes on omitted topics like the Epstein files and fact-checked falsehoods in the speech.
Feb 23, 2026 • 26min
Ep103: Doug Wilson Preaches at the Pentagon, with Brian Kaylor
Brian Kaylor, president/editor-in-chief of Word & Way and a Baptist minister who studies Christian nationalism. He discusses how preaching at the Pentagon reframes familiar evangelical language into political theology. He traces patterns in who leads services, song choices, and how worship can be repurposed for power. He also points to resources and coverage tracking these trends.
