Sharon Says So on Teaching Civics in an Age of Misinformation

The Russell Moore Show

Russell Moore

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2026

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What can we do when we love our country, but feel exhausted by politics and unable to understand how the government actually works? Watch the video of this episode on YouTube here. In this episode, Russell–who this guest would lovingly call a “governerd”–welcomes Sharon McMahon, who has been called “America’s government teacher,” known online as Sharon Says So and through her Substack The Preamble. They talk about why so many Americans feel either helpless or furious in the public square, and what it would look like to rebuild sanity without sliding into cynicism. McMahon explains how she stays out of partisan leanings by anchoring herself to the Constitution and to moral commitments that can critique both sides—without dehumanizing the people who vote differently. The conversation ranges from digital burnout and practical tools to build better habits to what genuine civic hope looks like, and McMahon makes a case for a “small and mighty” faithfulness: history is shaped by ordinary people who keep doing the next needed thing. Ultimately, the conversation ends with a heed: spend less energy proving you’re right and more energy living in a way that makes love believable. If the churn of back-and-forth political rhetoric has you feeling whiplash, anchor yourself in this conversation, which reminds that democracy isn’t sustained by viral takes or ideological purity, but by normal people doing the next faithful thing. Sharon says so. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon We Are Mighty by Sharon McMahon (releasing May 2026). Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This paid message is from the Russell Moore Show. Here at the Russell Moore Show, we make space for the deeper questions of faith, the ones that don't always have answers. That's why we want to share a podcast we think many of you will appreciate, called With and Four, hosted by Dr. Pam King. Back for a brand new season, With and Four brings together psychology and spiritual wisdom
0:24.0	in a way that's thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human.
0:28.0	Each episode features thoughtful conversations
0:30.5	with trusted voices like Kristen Neff on self-compassion
0:34.5	and Parker Palmer on spiritual struggle and vocation, among many others.
0:40.1	Follow with and four hosted by Dr. Pam King, wherever you're listening now.
0:45.9	The truth is not a Democrat or a Republican.
0:51.8	The truth does not pick a side.
0:53.7	You can choose to be on the side of the truth.
0:58.6	Hello, this is Russell Moore, and this is the Russell Moore Show, brought to you by Christianity
1:03.2	today. Here, we look for signposts in a strange time by standing fast to what really matters.
1:12.7	Kingdom over culture wars, truth over tribalism, pilgrimage over partisanship, sanity over cynicism, witness over winning, and
1:19.3	Christ over everything. Today we have a conversation to do just that.
1:30.5	You know, I was a weird kid.
1:38.6	For my 16th birthday, my dad asked me what I wanted, and I wanted to go to hear a candidate for U.S. Senate in Mississippi, and my dad took me.
1:43.1	And the thing that I think about now is that this wasn't
1:47.0	even a candidate he supported, but he wanted to spend some time with his son. And I think that
1:53.4	told me a lot that day about my father, told me a lot about family, but it also told me that I was a weird kid. And I didn't really have a word for it until I started picking up on some things that our guest today, I started talking about the word governors. And I think that probably fits where I was headed as a 16-year-old. But today, I want to talk about some really important
2:22.3	questions about how we raise up a new generation to care about America in the 250th anniversary
2:30.3	year of the United States. And that's why I have with us today, Sharon McMahon.
2:35.7	Now, many of you already follow her videos. She's known as America's government teacher.
2:42.1	She has written a book, The Kingdom of Small Things. Many of you are very familiar with her.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Russell Moore, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Russell Moore and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.