A raw, reflective journey through the political upheavals, personal reckonings, and hard-won hope of 2025.

Corey takes us on a tour of 2025’s most pivotal moments—both in politics and in his own life. He recounts the Trump administration’s controversial actions, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and civic responses like the No Kings Rallies. Interwoven are deeply personal stories: Corey’s mental health struggles, the loss of a friendship, and a psychotic break that led to crucial self-reflection.

But it’s also a celebration: of the TP&R community, of new collaborations with Pew Research Center and Weave, and of the many courageous conversations shared on the pod. From Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde to Governor John Kasich, from wildfires to wake-up calls, 2025 was a year of complexity—and Corey captures it all with honesty and heart.

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[00:00] Opening & Shoutouts Thanks to Pew Research Center, Village Square, and our new show: East Meets West Sports

[01:30] Year in Political Review Trump’s second term: Pardons, ICE expansion, inflation, foreign policy failures The assassination of Charlie Kirk and national grief 2025 elections and democratic resilience

[08:00] The No Kings Rallies & Civic Engagement An unforgettable conversation with an 87-year-old woman who attended Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech Reflections on American threats—and hope

[09:30] Personal Reckonings A broken friendship, mental health collapse, setting healthy boundaries “One of the few times I had to block someone I once considered a friend.”

[14:00] TP&R in 2025: The Guests Who Shaped the Year Revisiting conversations with:

• Wajahat Ali

• Dr. Beth Allison Barr

• Jonathan Rauch & Liz Joyner

• Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

• Rep. Ritchie Torres

• David French

• McKay Coppins, EJ Dionne, Isaac Saul & more!

[24:00] On Free Speech & Evolving Views Why Corey no longer blocks or mutes—he now believes in the power of “better speech”

[26:00] Favorite Moments & New Projects Civic bridges with Weave Collaboration with Pew Research Launching East Meets West Sports

[38:00] Hard-Won Wisdom: 5 Boundaries for Healthier Dialogue When it’s time to walk away from toxic conversations

“We’re facing unprecedented threats to our democracy—but also experiencing a renaissance in civic engagement.”

“The best way to combat bad speech is with good speech. Better speech.”

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Take a breath. Take inventory. Set boundaries. And step into the new year with gentleness and respect.

Wishing you a peaceful end to 2025 and a hopeful beginning to 2026. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and yes… Happy Festivus! 🎄🕎🎉

A deeply clarifying conversation about fear, faith, and how Christians can reclaim a healthier way of engaging in public life.

In this ICYMI release, Corey revisits his thoughtful and timely dialogue with Curtis Chang—public theologian, founder of Redeeming Babel, and co-creator (with David French, Dr. Russell Moore and Nancy French) of The After Party, a project devoted to healing the political fractures tearing churches and friendships apart.

Curtis explains why so much of our modern polarization isn’t actually about facts, but untended anxiety posing as conviction. He lays out how Christians can cultivate moral confidence without moral combat, why conspiracy theories often function as emotional painkillers, and what it looks like to move from combatant, cynic, or exhausted bystander toward the spiritual posture of a disciple.

If you’re new to TP&R thanks to Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this conversation is a grounded, hopeful entry point into what we’re about.

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[00:00] Why Curtis Chang’s work matters in this political moment [00:02] Anxiety as the hidden driver of polarization [00:06] Conspiracy theories as emotional “certainty drugs” [00:12] Faith, history, and what Christians misunderstand about the Resurrection [00:17] Cynicism, disengagement, and reclaiming hope [00:21] The origins of The After Party and its vision for church renewal [00:27] “Disappearings,” broken relationships, and the danger of social withdrawal [00:38] Zealots, tax collectors, and Jesus’s political imagination [00:42] The spiritual power of shared meals [00:47] Combatants, Cynics, the Exhausted — and the path toward “Disciple” [00:55] The hunger for a better way to live out our faith in public

• Anxiety drives more polarization than ideology. When fear is unexamined, it disguises itself as righteous certainty. • Conspiracy theories offer false relief. They provide temporary emotional clarity, not truth. • Jesus models a politics of proximity. Tax collectors and zealots shared the same table — not because they agreed, but because He held them together. • Shared meals heal what arguments can’t. Embodied community diffuses fear and restores relationship. • Discipleship is the way forward. Hope + humility > combat, cynicism, and exhaustion.

“Conspiracy theories are like Xanax for Christian anxiety.” “Jesus formed a political community that held zealots and tax collectors in the same circle.” “We need to recover the how of politics — the spiritual posture — not just the what.” “You can’t heal the world if you’ve disappeared the people in it.”

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🎙️ May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little more grounded in hope and humility.

A luminous conversation about leadership, love, and what spiritual courage looks like in a polarized age.

In this ICYMI episode, Corey revisits his deeply moving conversation with Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and one of the most trusted—and most tested—faith leaders in American public life. With striking humility and clarity, Bishop Budde reflects on her faith journey, her response to political turbulence, her viral inauguration sermon, and the inner practices that sustain grace under pressure.

🧭 If you’re new to TP&R thanks to Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this episode is a beautiful entry point: vulnerable, grounded, and full of moral imagination.

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[00:00] Corey welcomes new listeners & frames why Bishop Budde matters today [00:02] A nonlinear, grace-filled faith journey: altar calls, questions & belonging [00:07] The Episcopal Church as “middle C” — finding a spiritual home [00:13] Love, mercy, and the discipline of offering grace under pressure [00:21] “Moving toward the light when it’s still dark”: Easter, trauma & renewal [00:26] Her 2025 inaugural sermon, public backlash & what real pastoral courage requires [00:36] Navigating political polarization inside the church [00:43] The emotional & spiritual toll of public criticism — and how she stays grounded [00:54] Hope vs. despair: why older generations must model courage for the young [01:00] The TP&R Question: how to talk across difference without losing one another

• Courage is a practice. Grace isn’t temperament—it’s cultivated through discipline, prayer, and self-awareness. • Resurrection starts small. Healing—personal or societal—often begins as “the faintest stirrings of light.” • Humanity first. Behind every political category (immigrant, LGBTQ, federal worker) are real people with real stories. • Leadership invites backlash. Staying grounded requires boundaries, humility, and community support. • Hope is generational stewardship. We don’t burden the next generation with our despair—we model resilience.

“Something happened that night at the altar — an ache in my heart I couldn’t ignore.” “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.” “Resurrection begins in darkness, with the smallest flicker of new life.” “People can disagree with me; they are not entitled to harm me.” “I will not ask my children to carry the weight of my despair.”

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🎙️May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little more rooted in love.

One of the clearest, most necessary voices on Ukraine, democracy, and what the West keeps getting wrong.

In this ICYMI episode, Corey revisits his most recent conversation with Dr. Alexander Vindman — retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, former Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council, and author of The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine.

From the thousand-year struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty to why U.S. administrations repeatedly misread Russia, Vindman explains how we arrived at this moment — and what a values-based foreign policy (“neo-idealism”) could mean for America’s future. He also opens up about family history, his brother Eugene’s first term in Congress, and what gives him both concern and hope in a destabilized world.

🧭 If you're new to TP&R through Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this episode is a timely, clear-eyed introduction: personal, historically grounded, urgently relevant, and we even have some fun!

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[00:00] Why Alexander Vindman’s voice has become essential to TP&R [00:03] Eugene Vindman’s first term in Congress — governing from a purple district [00:11] Lessons from military families, public service, and bipartisan problem-solving [00:17] Reconnecting with family in Ukraine — personal history meets geopolitics [00:24] The thousand-year struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty [00:34] Russia’s imperial narrative and why the West kept buying it [00:41] Nuclear weapons, U.S. policy missteps, and the legacy of denuclearization [00:51] Neo-Idealism: Why values must guide U.S. foreign policy [00:56] What worries Vindman about Trump 2.0 — and where he still finds hope [01:08] The TP&R Question: How to talk across deep differences

• History matters. Ukraine’s fight for independence is centuries old — and central to understanding today’s war.

• The West misread Russia. U.S. administrations succumbed to “hopes and fears,” offering accommodation instead of strategy.

• Nuclear exceptionalism distorts policy. Fear of escalation often hands leverage to bad actors.

• Values are interests. Neo-Idealism argues that long-term U.S. strategy must be rooted in democratic principles.

• Domestic health = foreign strength. The fight for democracy abroad is inseparable from the one at home.

“Russia, absent Ukraine, ceases to be an empire. With Ukraine, it becomes one.”

“We succumbed to misplaced hopes and fears. We thought if we treated Russia as a partner, it would behave like one.”

“Values aren’t sentimental — they’re strategic.”

“You can find common ground by talking about family. That’s where our shared concerns lie.”

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🎙️ May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little clearer about what’s at stake.

One of the most compelling personal and political stories in Congress today — raw, principled, and deeply human.

In this ICYMI episode, Corey revisits his conversation with Congressman Ritchie Torres, who represents New York’s 15th district in the Bronx. With refreshing candor, Torres shares his journey from public housing and poverty to becoming the first openly LGBTQ elected official from the Bronx and one of the most forthright voices in American politics.

He discusses the values that shape his independence, his commitment to social justice, why he proudly defends Israel despite intense backlash, and the inner tools he uses to face personal and political challenges — all while staying focused on the people he serves.

🧭 If you’re new to TP&R thanks to Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this episode is a powerful entry point: personal, honest, and courageous.

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• [00:00] Why Congressman Torres exemplifies what TP&R is all about

• [00:03] The budget fight and why Medicaid cuts would devastate his district

• [00:05] How his mother and public housing shaped his mission

• [00:08] Struggles with mental health and the resilience behind his rise

• [00:14] Why he values independence over tribalism

• [00:18] On facing backlash for defending Israel and combating antisemitism

• [00:24] Cutting through ideological noise: real issues vs. performative politics

• [00:27] Thoughts on Trump, authoritarian threats, and American democracy

• [00:28] Considering a run for Governor of New York

• [00:29] The TP&R Question: How to foster pluralism in polarized times

• Politics is personal. Rep. Torres's life story fuels his commitment to housing, healthcare, and fighting poverty.

• Independence matters. He resists ideological pressure to stay focused on practical solutions.

• Mental health is not taboo. Rep. Torres openly discusses depression and how therapy and medication help him lead.

• Courage isn’t comfortable. Taking principled stands—especially on Israel—can invite hostility but builds credibility.

• Pluralism is essential. Democracy thrives when we resist extremism and practice intellectual humility.

“Before I’m a congressman, I’m the son of my mother.” “The greatest threat to liberal democracy isn’t the extremes—it’s the cowardice of the center.” “Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s something to talk about.” “Pluralism should not be seen as a weakness, but a strength.”

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🎙️ May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little more grounded in good faith.

One of the most clarifying conversations we’ve had about conscience, character, and navigating our divisions with integrity.

In this ICYMI release, Corey revisits his conversation with David French — New York Times columnist, attorney, veteran, and one of the most thoughtful voices on religious liberty, civic virtue, polarization, and how principled disagreement can strengthen rather than destroy a pluralistic society.

David unpacks how he thinks about political persuasion, why courage and humility are twin civic virtues, what it means to disagree in good faith, how social media distorts our moral instincts, and why democracy requires both conviction and restraint.

If you’re new to TP&R thanks to Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this episode is an ideal introduction: rigorous, nuanced, grounded in lived experience, and rooted in a deep belief in the dignity of difference.

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[00:00] Corey welcomes new listeners & frames the ICYMI series [00:02] David’s path from law and military service to commentary [00:08] Why pluralism requires courage, humility, and restraint [00:14] The ethics of disagreement & how to argue in good faith [00:21] Tribal identity, social media, and moral panic [00:28] Religious liberty, conscience, and the case for principled pluralism [00:36] Persuasion vs. performative politics [00:41] Hope, community, and why democracy is worth the struggle

• Pluralism is a moral discipline. It requires seeing opponents as neighbors, not enemies.

• Arguments should be invitations, not indictments. Good-faith disagreement is a civic good.

• Identity often overwhelms evidence. Social media amplifies fear, outrage, and tribal reflexes.

• Religious liberty protects everyone. David explains why conscience rights are essential in a diverse democracy.

• “You cannot have a functioning democracy unless people are free to disagree in good faith.”

• “Pluralism is hard — but the alternative is worse.”

• “If your goal is persuasion, performative outrage is self-defeating.”

• “Humility is not weakness; it’s a civic virtue.”

• Divided We Fall — David French

• David French’s writing at The New York Times

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May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little more grounded in good faith. 🎙️✨