Illustration of Slate’s Amicus podcast hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Laser discussing Christian nationalism and church-state separation.
Illustration of Slate’s Amicus podcast hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Laser discussing Christian nationalism and church-state separation.
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Slate’s Amicus examines Christian nationalism and church-state separation in a new episode with Americans United’s Rachel Laser

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Fact checked

A new episode of Slate’s “Amicus” podcast features host Dahlia Lithwick in conversation with Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, about the modern push for Christian nationalism and the legal and political fights over church-state separation.

In a new episode of Slate’s Amicus podcast, host Dahlia Lithwick speaks with Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, about Christian nationalism and debates over the separation of church and state.

The Slate episode described church-state separation as a principle under pressure and argued that recent political and legal developments have helped accelerate a Christian-nationalist project in public life, including within the federal government.

Lithwick, a longtime legal journalist who writes about U.S. courts and law for Slate, used the episode to frame the discussion around the Supreme Court’s role in reshaping how the Constitution’s religion clauses are applied, while Laser discussed Americans United’s view of the stakes for religious freedom, pluralism and civil rights.

The episode is available through major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and Slate promotes additional ad-free listening and bonus content for Slate Plus subscribers.

What people are saying

Initial reactions on X to Slate's Amicus podcast episode with Rachel Laser focus on concerns about SCOTUS decisions enabling Christian nationalism in the U.S. military, particularly at the Pentagon. Critics decry it as dangerous and unconstitutional, while defenders argue it reflects natural Christian influence on policy rather than nationalism.

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