Why do people cling to beliefs even after they’ve been proven wrong? In this episode, we explore what happens in the mind when deeply held beliefs are challenged, why facts alone often fail to persuade, and how emotional investment shapes what we accept as true. Drawing on decades of psychological research, this conversation unpacks why…

Why do intelligent, well-informed people so often talk past one another? Why do we cling to our beliefs, even when presented with overwhelming evidence that on the surface disproves them? In this episode, we explore a phenomenon known as “Confirmation Bias.” This is the tendency to favor information, even blatantly false, that supports what we…

The American Founders are often remembered as champions of reason, restraint, and religious liberty. But beneath that story lies a less examined assumption: a deep certainty about which forms of belief were acceptable—and which were dangerous. In this episode, we revisit some of the important documents of that era, namely Federalist Nos. 10 and 51…

Most Americans assume the founders intended a rigid wall between church and state. In fact, many Christians even consider it a great blessing. Yet the historical record tells a more complicated and far more interesting story. In this episode, we examine how the Establishment Clause was originally understood, why the founders opposed state churches while…

In this episode, we explore how the theology of the New England Puritans shaped a distinctive political imagination—one that continues to echo through American culture, governance, and foreign policy. Drawing on historian Perry Miller’s concept of an “errand into the wilderness,” the conversation reframes the Puritans not as caricatured zealots, but as idealists who believed…

This episode presents a dialogue exploring how religious rhetoric functioned as a form of political power in colonial New England. The conversation examines how Puritan clergy used biblical typology to justify political authority, shape collective identity, and frame historical events as divine confirmation. It also highlights dissenting voices such as Robert Cushman and Roger Williams,…

I had a conversation with the founder of a pretty well-known American brass group yesterday. We were talking about a possible collaboration for an event here in Minnesota later this year. If anything comes of it, I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as there’s anything to report. But something this gentleman said…

We all know what has happened in Venezuela in the last 48 hours. What we’re not so sure about is what to make of it. There’s been no shortage of opinions from all corners of the globe re: the actions of the U.S. intervening in Venezuela. I will share my own in due time. But…

Happy New Year! This is a time of reflection, and even a bit of optimism as we think about what has transpired the last year, and how we hope it can change for the better in the upcoming year. Follow my work at jamesdnewcomb.com. Get full access to James D. Newcomb at jamesdnewcomb.substack.com/subscribe