{"podcast":{"title":"The Bad Roman: Christian Politics for Modern Times","slug":"the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940","podcast_index_feed_id":1217940,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/thebadroman/feed.xml","website_url":"https://www.thebadroman.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/7566994/BR_podcast_logo.jpg","author":"Craig Harguess","episode_count":166,"summary":"Feeling caught in the crossfire of your Christian beliefs and the political turmoil around you? If the clash between your faith and the pressures of national loyalty has left you questioning where you stand, The Bad Roman is here to explore these very issues with you. Craig Harguess, once a neoconservative, now leads this engaging series, drawing from his own journey to understanding that being true to Christ often means challenging the expectations of the state. At the heart of ”The Bad Roman Project” is the provocative idea that ”sometimes to be a good Christian means to be a bad Roman.” This concept isn’t about defiance for its own sake (the mol tov cocktail version of anarchy) but emphasizes that our primary allegiance is to Christ’s teachings, which can sometimes put us at odds with worldly powers. It’s a call to prioritize our heavenly citizenship over earthly political ties, embodying the principle of ”No King but Christ.” This phrase underlines the choice to follow Jesus’s example of love, service, and justice, rather than aligning with the ambitions of worldly leaders within a state-bound system. This podcast offers a platform for those who feel the tension between their…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T20:22:21.694180+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940"},"episode":{"title":"Faith, Politics, & the War Within: Allegiance, Grace & Addiction with Josif Wright","slug":"faith-politics-the-war-within-allegiance-grace-addiction-with-josif-wright","published_at":"2026-06-18T18:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940/faith-politics-the-war-within-allegiance-grace-addiction-with-josif-wright","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940","url":"https://thebadroman.podbean.com/e/faith-politics-the-war-within-allegiance-grace-addiction-with-josif-wright/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/rkjyshayv8gp7atk/BR163.mp3","summary":"What happens when the faith you inherited no longer looks like Jesus? Josif Wright joins Craig to talk about leaving Christian nationalism, questioning the flag-and-cross mixture, and learning to trust Christ instead of political power. Josif is a teacher, coach, hospice chaplain, church speaker, and author of The War Within: My Story. The conversation later turns toward his son Ryan’s decade-long struggle with addiction. Craig also shares memories of his brother TJ, whose battle with alcohol ended in 2020. Together, they ask what families and churches can do when control fails, shame makes things worse, and love is the only faithful path left. They dig into: Why Christians should question “God-and-country” teaching Flags, pledges, voting, and divided allegiance Loving people beyond national and political teams Addiction from a parent’s point of view Grace, identity, recovery, and harmful church labels 📖 For Full Show Notes: thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-163 🤝Connect with Josif🤝 Book: The War Within: My Story at Barnes & Noble, Amazon Email: thewarwithinmystory@gmail.com Instagram: @Josifwright X: @Josifwright Nostr/Damus: @j3 Josif also invites people who cannot afford a copy to email him. His stated goal is not sales, but helping families and people who are struggling. Key Moments: 00:00 Leaving Christian nationalism 04:20 “Don’t trust the government and be kind” 08:30 God is pro-people 21:40 Flags, pastors, legalism, and fear 25:18 Can Christians pledge to two masters? 29:10 Voting and political identity 34:53 The War Within and Craig’s brother TJ 40:00 A family living on emotional life support 44:05 “Step back. Let God be God” 47:10 Recovery, grace, and new identity 53:40 Why people are more than their addiction Support the Show 💕 Feed the Feed 💕 Support t…","meta_description":"What happens when the faith you inherited no longer looks like Jesus? Josif Wright joins Craig to talk about leaving Christian nationalism, questioning th…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3558,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940/episodes/faith-politics-the-war-within-allegiance-grace-addiction-with-josif-wright/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bad-roman-christian-politics-for-modern-times-1217940/faith-politics-the-war-within-allegiance-grace-addiction-with-josif-wright.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}