Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

In this episode of Faithful Politics, we’re joined by Marc J. Defant, a professor of geology and geochemistry at the University of South Florida, to discuss his controversial peer-reviewed paper Evolutionary Psychology and the Crisis of Empirical Rigor in Feminist Studies.

Marc explains how his scientific training shaped his concerns about how some areas of feminist scholarship handle evidence, critique, and falsifiability. We walk through the core claims of evolutionary psychology, how it differs from social constructionism, and why Marc believes certain academic fields have shifted away from empirical methods toward ideological frameworks.

The conversation also explores academic peer review, cancel culture, emotional safety versus intellectual inquiry, and what universities lose when dissenting ideas are treated as harm rather than arguments. Along the way, Marc reflects on backlash to his work, the changing culture of higher education, and why he thinks truth-seeking requires discomfort.

• Marc's website: https://www.marcdefant.com/
• Article discuss: Evolutionary Psychology and the Crisis of Empirical Rigor in Feminist Studies https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s12119-025-10465-7?sharing_token=xhLL_kUU3AJoozWOStCtNPe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY7qhjlkYrDnv0nFUr1VvYzTCYBHSTVW-yEPNQylsA981gK0c23F0a6k3aPlfqm7DyZEyCJfPpG8vxwrAaQNK1T4wUIgNwdfhLSIcCOOkeI5yj6S2np70SCryX2HcwsAUaQ%3D

Guest Bio

Marc J. Defant is a professor of geology and geochemistry at the University of South Florida. Trained as a physical scientist, his academic work spans volcanology, geochemistry, and evolutionary psychology. In recent years, he has published peer-reviewed research examining methodological weaknesses in feminist studies and critiques of evolutionary psychology. Marc has appeared on platforms including TEDx, The Joe Rogan Experience, and numerous academic and media outlets, where he focuses on e

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

Note: Audio from our most recent POV. You can watch the live version on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/Mw5zzuCeIRY

POV episodes are intentionally slower. They create space to step back from the constant churn of headlines and talk through what’s happening without rushing to conclusions. Will Wright and Josh Burtram use these conversations to think out loud, ask honest questions, and stay focused on clarity rather than reaction.

In this episode, we reflect on three developments that raise serious questions about power and accountability. We begin with the U.S. seizure of Venezuela’s president and what that action means for constitutional authority, regime change, and America’s role in the world. We then turn to growing discussions around Greenland, national security in the Arctic, and how those conversations are being received by U.S. allies.

The episode closes with a difficult discussion about the killing of an American citizen during a federal immigration operation in Minnesota. We walk through what is known, what remains unclear, and how quickly public narratives form before investigations are complete.

Throughout the conversation, Josh works to frame a Christian perspective shaped by human dignity, restraint, truthfulness, and lament. POV is a space to slow down, think carefully, and keep people at the center when policy decisions carry real human consequences.

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

In this conversation, we sit down with Amar D. Peterman to talk about his new book, Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local. Amar reflects on his experience as an Indian American adoptee formed across Catholic, evangelical, and interfaith spaces, and how those tensions shaped his understanding of belonging, faith, and the common good.

We explore why “neighbor” is an active practice rather than a passive label, how shared tables create space for real relationship across difference, and why listening, lament, and accompaniment matter more than efficiency or winning arguments. The conversation moves from theology to lived practice, grounding big ideas like evangelism, interfaith dialogue, and Christian witness in everyday, local relationships.

Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local -https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9780802884121

Guest Bio
Amar D. Peterman is a writer and theologian focused on religion, civic life, and community formation. He is the founder of Scholarship for Religion and Society, LLC, a former Assistant Director of Civic Networks at Interfaith America, and a PhD student at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Amar holds an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and has written for outlets including Sojourners, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, The Future Institute, The Berkeley Forum, and The Anxious Bench. He also publishes regularly on Substack at The Common Life.

Support the show

🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?
👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com

📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:
faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore

❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics

📩 Reach out to us:

• Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com
• Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com

📱 Follow & connect with us:

• Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik
• Instagram: faithful_politics
• Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast
• LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics

📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:
faithfulpolitics.substack.com