The SkyePod

Episodes

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  Air Mail: Repentance, Gehenna, and Circumcision 09.10.2026 32m

  Skye sifts through your questions, like panning for gold! Or, cleaning the gunk from your dishwasher, depending on your perspective. Mailman Mike's brought Skye questions about what repentance means, how we should respond to historically-questionable-sermon-illustrations, and if we take scripture-reading too seriously. Plus—what are women supposed to feel about all this talk about male circumcision in the Bible?   0:07 - Theme Song   2:13 - Repenting of Trump?   8:35 - Gehenna   17:17 - Sermon on the Mount: Serious and Literal?   30:44 - How Important is Scripture-reading?   31:44 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/5f17706f-3b89-4901-b1ed-a903f2638ffc?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-08T20%3A21%3A26.549Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true     Questions Answered: What did Skye mean when he said Christians should repent of supporting Trump? Was Gehenna actually a trash-pit outside Jerusalem? How do you take the Sermon on the Mount seriously? Do we overemphasize scripture reading? Do men know how alienating discussions of circumcision are to women? How bad are the bears gonna be this year?
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  Spectacle vs Subtlety 02.10.2026 16m

  When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was his most public and spectacular miracle ever. But why were most of his miracles before this marked by secrecy and subtlety instead? In this message, Skye explores the role spectacles play in our faith, why we are so drawn to them, and why they usually fail to foster a transformative, sustainable love for God.   0:00 - Preamble   1:21 - Theme Song   1:52 - American Duels   6:46 - Lazarus and Duels   10:39 - How Jesus Creates Spectacle   16:04 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/f8df4b24-a965-417a-803a-56d559e03a56?postPreview=free&updated=2026-10-01T19%3A24%3A32.487Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true
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  French Friday: The Problem with "Heritage Americans" 25.09.2026 1h 2m

    Republican candidate Bo French in Texas created a controversy when he reacted to a photo of college students at the University of Texas football game. Many in the photo were of South Asian descent. He called it a "problem." David French (no relation) talks with Skye Jethani about the unmasked racism that MAGA has unleashed and what has led to the emergence of "heritage Americans" as a way of demoting immigrants and racial minorities. They also discuss the vacuum created efforts to diminish or remove American history from schools, and why overwhelming dissatisfaction with the two major political parties has failed to create a reform movement in the U.S.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:34 - Sports Catch-Up   2:36 - Bo French's Open racism   15:25 - 17 Million vs. 77 Million   25:09 - "Heritage Americans"   40:20 - Progressive Smugness   48:50 - Why Do Third Parties Keep Failing?   1:01:40 - End Credits   David French on Bo French: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/opinion/bo-french-university-texas-longhorns.html
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  Drew's News: Bogus Sermons, Boring Sons, and Burnt-Out Worship Leaders 18.09.2026 29m

  Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Is a "tsunami" really coming for the American church? How many of your favorite sermon illustrations are completely made up? Are parents raising successful young men who are boring to talk to? Skye and Drew also discuss the Gen Z stare, why worship leaders are burning out, and why women may be more suspicious of AI than men. Plus, if the people building AI think there's a chance it could destroy humanity, should the rest of us be a little more worried?   0:03 - Theme Song   6:13 - Can We Predict Church Change?   18:10 - Bogus Sermon Illustrations   25:45 - How to Raise an Unattractive Son   28:41 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/e0a58469-27ba-49a7-9cd2-b88d13a18252?postPreview=free&updated=2026-09-17T21%3A36%3A38.704Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true
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  Politics & Pluralism with Chuck Todd 11.09.2026 30m

  We are two months away from the midterm elections, and with multiple clergy running for office, faith is playing a larger role. Are evangelicals souring on MAGA? Will the Democrats close the "God gap?" Skye is joined by former chief political analyst for NBC News and moderator of Meet the Press, Chuck Todd, to discuss the intersection of faith and politics. Their conversation also turns to their diverse religious upbringings, the role of public education, backlash against big tech, and how to repair our broken, corrupt political system. Once named "The Most Powerful Journalist in Washington" by GQ magazine, Todd now hosts The Chuck ToddCast, featuring in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:26 - Empty Nesters   2:16 - Clergy Running as Democrats   16:06 - Inflection Point in Evangelicalism   27:36 - Importance of Pluralism   36:48 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/93204b4f-df70-496e-ab96-8f9ce2a9cca8?postPreview=free&updated=2026-09-10T18%3A46%3A02.325Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true
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  Kids & College with Ryan Burge 04.09.2026 28m

  It's back to school and off to college season. Sociologists and master of "Graphs About Religion," Ryan Burge, is back with new data about which college majors are the most and least devoted to Christianity. He also has stats about declining birth rates even among religious groups, and why some kids raised with and without faith switch their beliefs as adults.   0:11 - Theme Song   2:17 - Religiosity Among Different College Majors   10:42 - Finance Bros are Major Church-Goers   20:14 - Deconstruction and College   27:32 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/so-you-want-your-child-to-keep-the  
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  French Friday: The Solution to Partisan Christianity 28.08.2026 1h 4m

  New data finds that almost half of Gen Z adults won't consider going to church because of Christians' support for Donald Trump. David French and Skye Jethani wonder what the research means for the majority of evangelical churches that avoid anything political, and why that may actually be part of the problem. They also discuss the rise of socialism on the political left and why JD Vance's recent memoir suggests socialism may be just as popular on the political right. Plus, what America can learn from the goodness of Dolly Parton.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:17 - Mourning Dolly Parton   9:23 - Is Polarization Keeping Gen Z Out of Church?   21:02 - Should the Church Be Political?   31:04 - The Rise of Socialists   50:21 - Can the Middle Hold Together?   1:04:32 - End Credits
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  SkyeDive: Hypocrisy 21.08.2026 20m

  Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, but Lazarus was not transformed. He was still mortal, subject to the curse, and destined to die again. In other words, Lazarus was resuscitated; he was not truly resurrected. This message contrasts the difference between being rescued by God and being reborn, and asks whether we have accepted a lesser gospel of mere resuscitation when the life we are called to is one of transformation possible through the power of Christ's resurrection.   0:05 - Theme Song   0:20 - Intro   4:42 - John  Newton's Resuscitation   10:00 - Two Tombs   14:01 - Jesus Came Back Different   18:52 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/skyedive-resuscitation-vs-resurrection?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true  
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  Drew's News: Spiritual Puberty, AI Sermons, Exorcisms, and Deconstruction 14.08.2026 30m

  In perhaps the most faith-centric Drew's News yet, Drew Dyck brings us the rise of A.I. sermons, the rise of exorcisms, and the delayed rise of an airplane where a woman decided to evangelize to the unenthusiastic captive audience. Skye and Drew also speculate if the brief period of lucidity dementia patients experience shortly before death points to the existence of the human soul. And why does the church favor people going through "spiritual puberty?" All this and more on the new Drew's news!   0:00 - Theme Song   2:52 - Is Deconstruction a meaningless word now?   15:03 - Florida Evangelist Kicked Off Alaska Flight   27:12 - Terminal Lucidity   29:31 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/drews-news-spiritual-puberty-ai-sermons?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
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  A.I. Ethics with Meghan Sullivan 07.08.2026 28m

  Skye wants to wrap his head around what's happening with A.I. There's the economic factor, the ethical factor, the societal factor… too much for most of us to keep up with. Skye sat down with Meghan Sullivan, a leading voice on ethics with A.I., to talk about how people in Silicon Valley are navigating this thorny topic. 0:00 - Intro   8:18 - Theme Song   8:38 - LLMs with Personalties   14:57 - Market Pressure   23:45 - Theory of Secularization   27:57 -  This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/6bb8ed52-78c1-45d3-bb70-4851140b06b2?postPreview=free&updated=2026-08-06T22%3A10%3A37.356Z&audience=only_paid&free_preview=true&freemail=true   Read more about Meghan Sullivan's work at her website: https://meghansullivan.org/
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  French Friday: Nerdfest 2026 31.07.2026 1h 3m

  Guess what time it is? Once every year, David French and Skye Jethani devote an episode to movies, TV shows, and pop culture nerdery. This year's Nerdfest focuses on Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," and David makes his case that the film is a Trojan horse filled with conservative values. They also react to the new "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer, why superhero movies aren't working anymore, and their shared hatred of multiverses. Finally, from the non-nerd world, they discuss new data showing Gen Z is turned off to Christianity by the evangelical support for Donald Trump. What's really behind the numbers?   0:00 - Theme Song   1:24 - The Conservatism of The Odyssey   16:04 - The Odyssey and Culture Wars   25:42 - Marvel, Star Wars, and Decay   43:24 - Is Trump Driving Gen Z from Church?   1:03:00 - End Credits
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  The Odyssey & the Bible with Nijay Gupta 24.07.2026 29m

  Christopher Nolan's take on Homer's epic "The Odyssey" is the biggest film in the world right now. Holy Post Pundit and New Testament scholar, Nijay Gupta, joins Skye to talk about what it tells us about pagan religion in the ancient world. He explains how the faith taught by the Apostles contradicted the kind of idolatry and superstition described in "The Odyssey," and what the ancient Greek understanding of hospitality toward strangers—a major theme in the movie—shares in common with both the Old and New Testaments.   0:07 - Theme Song   2:03 - The Odyssey and the Ancient World   8:28 - Demigods Among Us   22:02 - Hospitality as a Virtue   28:13 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-bible-with-nijay?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true   Link to Nijay's Substack series on Paganism: https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-world-of-the   Engaging Scripture (Nijay Gupta's Substack): https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/       Link to Nijay's Substack series on Paganism: https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/p/the-odyssey-and-the-world-of-the   Engaging Scripture (Nijay Gupta's Substack): https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/
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  Drew's News - Fat Pastors, Non-Denoms, & Depopulation 17.07.2026 28m

  Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Are physically unfit pastors spiritually unfit for ministry? Christian influencers are only eating foods found in the Bible. Why non-denominational churches are a myth. What's really behind the falling birthrates, and why aren't economic solutions working?   0:01 - Theme Song   0:19 - Drew's Newsletter   1:39 - Fat Pastors   5:25 - Are Pastors Aspirational?   22:58 - The Bible Diet   27:24 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/drews-news-fat-pastors-non-denoms    
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  Christian Zionism 10.07.2026 31m

  Historian Daniel G. Hummel joins Skye Jethani to talk about the changing relationship between American evangelicals and Israel. Driven by a particular view of the end times, Hummel explains the origin of evangelical support for the modern state of Israel, and why current events are testing that commitment. They also examine influential media voices, like Tucker Carlson, who are aggressively pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories and half-truths about the origins of Christian Zionism.   0:07 - Theme Song   6:54 - Secularism and Zionism   12:03 - Dispensationalism   19:29 - Israel and Blessings   22:02 - Controlling God   27:56 - Carlson's Anti-semetic Anti-zionism   30:33 - End Credits   CT's article on Tucker Carlson and the Scofield Bible: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/06/what-tucker-carlson-got-wrong-cyrus-scofield-christian-zionism/
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  Caleb Campbell 03.07.2026 30m

  In honor of Independence Day, Holy Post Media released a new explainer video titled "Should America Rededicate Itself to God?" The short 12-minute video featured clips of a conversation between Skye Jethani and Caleb Campbell, the pastor of Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix and author of "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor." This episode features their full conversation, including Campbell's journey from neo-Nazi skinhead to senior pastor, what America's founders really thought about pluralism, and why so many pastors failed to speak up as their church members got sucked into Christian nationalism.   0:00 - Intro   1:29 - Theme Song   9:42 - The Founders RejectedNationalism   15:30 - Shouldn't Laws be Aligned to God's Will?   21:45 - How Caleb Changed   29:11 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to:  https://holypost.substack.com/p/caleb-campbell
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  French Friday - Vichy Christianity 26.06.2026 1h 2m

  It's a history lesson on today's French Friday. David French explains the parallels between the Vichy French government that cooperated with the Nazis in WWII and Christian nationalists in America today. Both were highly misogynistic, nativist, and blamed liberal democracy for all of the country's problems. Obviously, things did not end well for the Vichy government in France. David and Skye discuss why the authoritarianism pushed by Christian nationalists won't work in America either. They also discuss the 2026 midterm elections and what the Democrats are learning from the popularity of pugilistic candidates like Platner in Maine and the decency of candidates like Talarico in Texas.   0:00 - Theme Song   1:11 - Vichy France and Modern America   8:18 - Mistrust Toward Democracy   17:50 - Why Do We Return to Authoritarianism?   33:08 - Graham Platner   43:41 - What's a Good "Representative?"   1:02:09 - End Credits   David French's Vichy France article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/opinion/christian-nationalism-maga-france.html
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  Disclosure Day: Faith, Aliens, and Spielberg 19.06.2026 30m

  Skye and Esau saw Disclosure Day by Steven Spielberg this weekend—did it make them believe in aliens? Maybe not, but it does show a cultural preoccupation with our place in the world. Would the existence of aliens change history? Would you believe aliens were telling the truth? Skye and Esau debate these issues and Esau pitches a sequel.   0:06 - Theme Song   1:15 - Disclosure Day   7:27 - Why Aliens Would Change Our View of God   13:51 - Religion Without God   25:40 - Are Aliens Demons?   29:05 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/disclosure-day-faith-aliens-and-spielberg  
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  Drew's News - Weed, Prayer Apps, and UFOs 12.06.2026 25m

  The internet keeps serving up strange stories, and Drew Dyck is back to help Skye figure out what they reveal about faith, wisdom, and our very weird cultural moment. They start with a Christianity Today article on marijuana and the Christian life, but the conversation quickly turns toward a bigger question about how believers learn discernment when Scripture doesn't give a simple rule. Then they discuss Freya India's warning that prayer apps, livestreamed sermons, and gamified discipleship can quietly train new Christians to experience faith as one more thing to consume on a phone. Also this week, Skye and Drew talk about microwaved fish, AI-generated Christian content, ghostwriting, UFOs, demons, and why the modern world may be getting stranger, not less spiritual.   0:05 - Theme Song   2:10 - Christianity Today on Weed   11:02 - Fundamentalism   21:35 - Commodification of Christianity   24:46 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/p/drews-news-weed-prayer-apps-and-ufos
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  Orbiting the Hairball 05.06.2026 25m

  Because it's graduation season, Skye offers some lessons for those starting their careers. He takes us through the story of his professional development from seminary, to pastoral ministry, into journalism, publishing, and eventually the creation of Holy Post Media. Along the way, he draws on the metaphor from Gordon Mackenzie's 1996 book, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball," to explain the tension between our callings and feeling trapped in broken institutions.   0:04 - Theme Song   6:15 - Hairball Number One: Ministry   11:28 - Sermon ROI   17:03 - Hairball Number Two: Publishing   24:40 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://holypost.substack.com/publish/post/200657253?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
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  French Friday: Jesus vs. Gerrymandering 29.05.2026 1h 11m

  The Supreme Court recently struck down a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill that prevented the dilution of votes by racial minorities, unleashing red states throughout the South to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome is likely to be fewer Black representatives in Congress. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the issue of gerrymandering—partisan and racial—and why it is contrary to both the Constitution and the Christian call to love our neighbors. They also offer suggestions for fixing the problem in order to heal our broken politics.   0:00 - Theme Song   0:21 - Being on Bill Marr   6:04 - What is Gerrymandering?   11:27 - Racial vs Political Gerrymandering   26:22 - Christian Podcast and Politics   29:57 - Disempowering the People   40:22 - Possible Solutions   52:37 - Do We Need a Third Founding?   1:10:47 - End Credits