Send us Fan Mail
63. The Vote is Sacred: Faith, Christian Nationalism & the Fight for Democracy | Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
What happens when a form of Christianity is used to decide who belongs in America?
Christian nationalism. Religious freedom. A democracy under extraordinary strain. And Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, people of many faiths and people of no faith choosing to stand together.
What could interfaith solidarity teach us about protecting democracy?
Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is an ordained American Baptist minister, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, host of State of Belief, and former founding executive editor of HuffPost Religion.
And right now, he’s taking that work on the road with Vote Is Sacred, a nonpartisan, multi-faith campaign traveling across America ahead of the midterm elections.
Paul joins Alexis for an urgent but hopeful conversation about the state of American democracy, the rise of Christian nationalism, separation of church and state, and why no political movement gets to “own” Jesus or religion.
They explore what Jimmy Carter understood about faith and government, why some Christians feel politically homeless, what some politicians can learn about trying to engage with faith communities, and what Jesus actually taught about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger and loving our neighbors.
Rev. Paul also shares what decades of interfaith work have taught him about something increasingly difficult:
How do we deeply disagree with someone and still show up for them?
From Jewish-Muslim dialogue to solidarity across religious traditions, Rev. Paul makes the case that protecting our neighbors does not require agreeing with them.
Our futures are intertwined.
And for anyone wondering whether one vote really matters, Rev. Paul has a message:
“We are democracy.”
🗳️ THE VOTE IS SACRED
Go to VoteIsSacred.org to learn about the Vote Is Sacred bus tour, trainings and resources.
If you’re eligible to vote in the United States, make sure you’re registered to vote and know your state’s voting requirements at Vote.gov.
✨ GUEST + FOLLOW
Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush @raushenbush
President & CEO, Interfaith Alliance
Ordained American Baptist minister
Host, State of Belief
Interfaith Alliance | IG: @interfaithalliance
📚 MENTIONED + RESOURCES
Vote Is Sacred | VoteIsSacred.org
Interfaith Alliance | IG: @interfaithalliance | InterfaithAlliance.org
State of Belief | InterfaithAlliance.org/state-of-belief
U.S. voter registration | Vote.gov
⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS
03:16 | The Global Impact of U.S. Politics
05:28 | Interfaith Solidarity & the Midterm Elections
06:44 | The Sacred Vote: A Call to Action
11:16 | Faith, Democracy & the Role of Religion
16:14 | Challenging Christian Nationalism
23:53 | Bridging the Divide: Democrats & Faith
27:20 | The Intersection of Politics & Faith
30:38 | Navigating Political Outreach to Christian Communities
33:22 | The Power of Interfaith Collaboration
37:22 | Understanding the Importance of Voting
42:34 | The Stakes of the Midterm Elections
46:15 | A Prayer for Listeners
#InterfaithAlliance #VoteIsSacred #ChristianNationalism #ReligiousFreedom #Interfaith #Democracy #MidtermElections #TheSacredSlope
Support the show
About The Sacred Slope
thesacredslope.com
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.
🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)
🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com
🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit: ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control
