Chapter 7: David Glade

The Hangover concludes on a unique note, as David Glade, rector of Virginia’s Christ the King ...

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The Hangover concludes on a unique note, as David Glade, rector of Virginia’s Christ the King Anglican Church, joins Chris Stirewalt to discuss what the future holds for religion in a divided America. Politics, the pair note, can be an especially alluring idol. Today, even shopping at Home Depot is seen as a political act, and the forces of populism and wokery have supplanted real faiths in the lives of many Americans. Committed Christians, meanwhile, increasingly focus on relatively trivial political issues rather than deeper ethical matters. With politics, David observes, “a little more disinterestedness may not be a bad thing” when true religion can offer so much more to human beings. He and Chris also reflect on the evolution of American Christianity and how the relationship between evangelicals and the GOP changed in the age of Trump.

Show Notes:

–David’s work at Christ the King

–The Falls Church split

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  1. Avatar photo
    Mitch Reed

    I have enjoyed the whole series and this particular episode. I agree that David Glade hit the right note with keeping the main thing the main thing.
    I would enjoy hearing more on the past evangelical engagement on public issues and how it has evolved over time. There is a lot more to explore. I read and mostly agree with David French's writing. However, he comes from a particular background, especially dealing with the southern church experience. I am a pastor in a evangelical church in upstate New York, and it is a different ballgame than in Nashville. I was in the para-church world at one point and then an evangelical pastor in a liberal mainline denomination. So, Chris, not sure if you read comments, especially those a week later, but I would enjoy talking with you about the same questions you asked Pastor Glade.
    Overall thanks for doing the Hangover. I am taking it all in.
    Pastor Mitch Reed

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    Jason Godwin

    Excellent interview! I'm glad I finally got around to listening to this episode. Rev. Glade's closing remarks about "keeping the main thing, the main thing" are 100% on point. The Church's "main thing" is Jesus and the Gospel. Keep the message of Jesus clear. And I also agree that it would probably do the Church some good to disengage from politics a bit. I attend one of those non-denominational "megachurches" (though not that big by North Texas non-denominational church standards!), but I love the particular church I go to because the senior pastor makes it a point that our church is not political, and that the church is not going to identify itself by what it's against, but by what it's for, and that's for making the Gospel clear.

    A few criticized this in other comments as Rev. Glade not giving a ton of analysis or being too brief/general with his answers, but I actually greatly appreciated this. He's not a political or cultural commentator, but he's giving his thoughts through the eyes of a man who is not some super star megachurch pastor who makes TV appearances and signs huge book deals, but as a very humble clergyman in a church with a long history (not ACNA per se, but Anglicanism generally). I appreciated his humble but very well-informed insights, and thought this was a fantastic interview.

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  3. DocHeartless

    I absolutely adored this podcast. Yes, I love the fast-talking, information filled podcasts for the most part. But I am 100% down for the occasional inclusion of well-spoken but regular human beings as a temperature check of the culture. Honestly, I found his measured speech, his honest humility, and his thoughtful responses absolutely refreshing. Pundits get in the habit of speaking so fast and rehashing material that occasionally their mouths just run on 1/2 autopilot--no disrespect, that's just part of the job. But I loved the bravery of Pastor Glade here to refuse certain political topics as distracting from his purpose and his mission. I'd love to have him, or another similar figure, back occasionally.

    Were I to push him on anything, though, I would like to hear his thoughts on the social aspects of the church and whether or not they truly are secondary to the mission of the gospel. I certainly understand his answer and why he would say Jesus and the gospel always takes primacy, of course. But he gives me the impression that when he thinks of the social aspects of church, his mind goes to the negative associations with politics. I would venture that it is the death of these sources of community (throw neighborhoods, villages, local teams, unions, etc... into the mix as well) that played a key role in making national politics our largest form of community and tribal belonging. I'm not churchgoing myself, but I see the fall in church attendance as a disaster along those lines.

    Wonderful episode, Chris. In ways it was my favorite of the series.

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    Mandy

    I really appreciate David's willingness to speak openly with Chris, and I commend the evenness of his approach. I'm particularly grateful for his suggestion that Christians use the word "persecution" verrrrrry carefully with regard to our experiences in the United States. Great guest, authentic conversation - exactly what I'm looking for in a podcast!

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  5. Buzzwheat

    I think what he was trying to say is that it is not the job of the church to fix the world or even the United States. Peter's letters to the church at a time of mild discrimination at the hands of the Romans is a good source of what is expected of the Christian/evangelical. The latter verses of 1 Peter 2 while hard to swallow directly address how to handle injustice and it ain't a call to arms. Christ suffered injustice quietly at the hands of both the Romans and the Jewish leadership without threats and it is he who has overcome the world. Better served back in church and off of Twitter and FB.

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    Reed Benet

    I am struggling to say nice things about this one, so I’ll mostly just shut up. Oh to be a fly on the wall when Chris after actions it in his mind on its so many politely said sub-optimizations and disconnects and the subsequent learning value on his mart. But I guess The Dispatch’s consistent 110% excellence until this one not only makes me perhaps overly to even unrealistically sensitive but also makes me in awe of the successful high wire act everyone at The Dispatch has pulled off until now.

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    Angie

    Thanks Chris and your guest
    I will reiterate my desire you do more of these short term pod episodes on a single theme
    It has become one of my favorite pods

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  8. Bob M.

    I really enjoyed this edition of The Hangover. I might be in the minority there (given the comments I've read), but I thought both parties did well and I appreciated their conversation.

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  9. Kim

    Hi Chris,
    I have truly enjoyed all episodes of The Hangover. I hope there will be more podcasts from you. The two consistently amazing features of your work are the caliber of your guests and your incredible work to ask interesting, pertinent, and clear questions and then LETTING YOUR GUESTS ANSWER THEM! So many pundits are seeking sound bites. You, Sir, seem to be seeking understanding. THANK YOU!

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  10. Very Old Grumpy Guy

    I will speak for myself, but I suspect many of the The Dispatch subscribers feel similarly. This interview is a first rate example of the sort of content I seek. I do not agree with many of the views expressed on The Dispatch. However, this is one of the few places where the speakers honestly acknowledge that people that disagree with them have good points, too. They acknowledge the flaws in their own arguments. They acknowledge that some of their fellow travels, can be dangerously deranged. It is adults speaking to other adults. I cannot imagine why people watch MSNBC or Fox, which seems to be a bunch of people crushing the worst straw man argument of the other side with their "superior" intellect - and be angry about it the whole time. Why do people want to be so angry?

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    1. Avatar photo
      Tracie

      Historically, political coalitions have been filled with people who disagree but make common cause. People who demand you adopt their worldview are basically undemocratic in spirit.

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