Venezuelan Oil, LA Fires Aftermath, and Revival In America

The Bulletin

Christianity Today

News, News Commentary, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.4 • 586 Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The world grapples with the US’s capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro. The Hudson Institute’s Michael Sobolik joins the show to discuss how China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and others might respond. January marks the one year anniversary of California’s devastating Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires. CT’s Mia Staub shares about her reporting on churches whose buildings burned down and have not been rebuilt. Finally, many say revival is happening in America, but it doesn’t seem to be showing up in our churches or in research data. Michael McClymond from Saint Louis University joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to talk about the history of revivals, and whether it’s something we can predict. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODES: -⁠A House of Worship Without a Home⁠ - Mia Staub -Religion Holds Steady in America - Pew Research Center ABOUT THE GUESTS: Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is the author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Reuters, among others. He has also appeared on Fox News, ABC, BBC, and other outlets. Mia Staub is the senior editorial project manager at Christianity Today. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and is currently working toward a Master in Theology of Public Life and Justice with Princeton Theological Seminary. Michael McClymond is a professor of modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. He is the author of The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism and the editor of Encyclopedia of Religious Revivals in America. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Venezuela had Chinese radars and Russian air defenses, both of which were completely neutralized.
0:09.7	And it introduces this question to every other customer in the world who has bought from China or Russia for their air defenses.
0:18.4	If the United States can do that to the Venezuelans, who else could we do
0:22.7	that to?
0:27.6	From Christianity today, you're listening to The Bulletin, a podcast about the people, events, and
0:32.5	issues that are shaping our world. I'm Clarissa Mall, producer, and moderator of the Bulletin.
0:39.1	This week, the capture of Venezuela's president Nicholas Maduro raises global tensions. Los Angeles remembers the devastation
0:44.9	of last January's fires, and revival doesn't seem to be showing up in American churches. Is it
0:50.8	something we can predict or manufacture? Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and I join with our guests to talk all about it.
0:57.5	Welcome to the show.
1:06.5	This paid message is from Pew Research Center.
1:09.9	The U.S. Census doesn't track religion, but Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study does.
1:15.1	Since 2007, it's provided a comprehensive look at the ever-changing role of faith in America.
1:21.2	With responses from more than 35,000 Americans, the Religious Landscape Study provides authoritative data on religious beliefs, practices,
1:29.3	and identities across all 50 states. To explore how faith shapes your community, visit
1:34.4	pewresearch.org slash RLS.
1:41.6	Hello, listeners. Welcome to our Friday Roundtable. Joining me today, our columnist and editor-at-large Russell Moore. Hi, Russell.
1:48.7	Hello.
1:49.6	Senior contributor, Mike Cosper. Hi, Mike.
1:52.1	Hello.
1:53.0	And senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, Michael Sobolick. Michael, welcome to the show.
1:58.5	Thanks so much. On Wednesday, President Trump held a two-hour interview with the New York Times to discuss his plans for Venezuela now that the president has been extracted and stands under charges of drug trafficking.
	...

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