The Esau McCaulley Podcast

Meryl Streep is the new voice of Aslan, and Christians have plenty of opinions about it. Esau, Malcolm, and Producer Mike talk about the outrage over Greta Gerwig's Narnia casting choice and what it reveals about the things Christians choose to treat as sacred. They also discuss Nicole Hannah-Jones's reflections on sending her daughter to public school and the difficult question of whether our children should have to bear the cost of our convictions. Plus, Esau breaks down Pete Hegseth's use of Isaiah 6 on his "Send Me" military tour and why turning a prophetic calling into a recruiting message badly distorts the text.
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
0:32 - Malcolm Foley
 
5:34 - Pete Hegseth and Isaiah 6
 
17:44 - Sending Kids to Private or Public School?
 
31:23 - Sponsor - Brooklyn Bedding - For a quality mattress, go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com and use promo code ESAU to get 30% off site wide!
 
32:15 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We've got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106
 
33:27 - Sponsor - The Center for Christianity and Public Life - Come to Washington, D.C. on October 5-7 to join the Good of the Public Summit. Go to https://www.ccpubliclife.org and use code BETTERSTORY for 20% off at registration
 
35:00 - Parental Failure
 
37:34 - Meryl Streep as Aslan
 
51:23 - End Credits
 
Pete Hegseth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0VynQFRJRs
 
Can I Kick My Dog out of Bed?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/well/get-pet-out-of-bed.html
 
Greta Gerwig's Narnia Casting Choice:
https://deadline.com/2026/09/greta-gerwig-chose-meryl-streep-voice-aslan-narnia-1237107096/
 
Public Schools
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.html

A Texas political candidate sees a crowd of brown students celebrating and assumes they must be foreigners. Esau, Mike, and Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez unpack what that reaction reveals about race, belonging, and the fear of a changing America. They also talk about the growing power of AI, the tech world's obsession with overcoming human limits, and why some limitations may actually be good for us. Plus, Pricelis shares about her new book, False Peace, and why churches can confuse unity with sameness, asking people to assimilate instead of making room for genuine difference.
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
0:20 - Esau in Español?
 
1:43 - Boosie's Presidential Pardon Attempt
 
6:20 - Community Work
 
19:35 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We've got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106
 
20:52 - Sponsor - With God Daily - Get the daily devotional for people who hate daily devotionals in your inbox every day by signing up at: https://holypost.com/plus
 
22:05 - A.I. and False Promises
 
33:24 - False Peace by Assimilation
 
49:08 - End Credits
 
False Peace: How to Reject the Lie of Sameness, Embrace Difference, and Embody True Unity (How Christians Can Go Beyond Surface-Level Agreement to Build Communities of Authentic Unity) by Priceless Perreaux-Dominguez: https://amzn.to/4yCKduC
 
Articles Covered:
Boosie Lawsuit:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/us/boosie-badazz-pardon-lawsuit.html
 
New York Times on AI Tech Apocalypse:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/opinion/ai-tech-apocalypse-silicon-valley.html

Esau joins Justin Giboney and Christopher Butler of the Church Politics Podcast for a special crossover conversation about Black liberation theology, James Cone, and the relationship between justice and the gospel. Together, they explore what Cone got right about the church's failures on race and oppression, where liberation theology can become too narrow, and why Christians need a gospel that transforms both people and society. They also discuss the resurrection, the authority of Scripture, the danger of reducing Christianity to a political program, and what faithful public witness should actually look like.
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
2:10 - Chance the Rapper on Liberation Theology
 
5:21 - James Cone's Books
 
20:56 - The Errors of Liberation Theology
 
39:52 - Trusting God, Not People
 
57:22 - End Credits

Youth sports are supposed to be good for kids, but what happens when giving your child every opportunity starts costing your family more than money? Esau, Malcolm Foley, and producer Mike talk about the booming youth sports industry, the pressure to keep up, and how parents can tell the difference between investing in their kids and trying to maximize them. Then they turn to the new TV show, Lanterns and its surprisingly thoughtful exploration of race, fear, parenting, and the pressure placed on Black children to be exceptional. And finally, they ask why Donald Trump has to make even superheroes about himself.
 
0:00 - Theme Song
 
0:21 - Youth Sports
 
11:28 - What's Worth Youth Sports?
 
16:57- Fear and the Black Experience
 
24:13 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We've got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106
 
25:24 - Sponsor - Curiously, Kaitlyn - Ever had a question about God, the Bible, or Theology that you're embarrassed to ask? Chances are, a kid has already asked Kaitlyn that question! Check out Curiously, Kaitlyn: https://pod.link/1739169925
 
26:36 - Parenthood and Black Fear
 
36:42 - Trump's Green Lantern Post
 
48:53 - End Credits
 
Articles Covered:
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/08/23/pay-to-play-youth-sports/

What happens when trust begins to break down between people and the institutions meant to serve them? Esau, Mike, and Sharon Miller talk about vaccine skepticism, bad experiences with the healthcare system, and why Christians should care more about truth than winning an argument. They also discuss the rise of AI-assisted cheating and why forming people of integrity may matter more than creating better rules. Plus, how much privacy should we be willing to sacrifice for safety as surveillance technology becomes increasingly common?
 
0:00 - The Height of Deception
 
1:20 - Theme Song
 
1:40 - Daejon Love and Being Duped
 
9:41 - Vaccines and the Medical System's Failings
 
25:33 - Sponsor - The Subtext - Want to see pop-culture through the lens of faith and ethics? We've got a podcast you need to check out: https://pod.link/1835471106
 
26:44 - Sponsor - Renovare Book Club - Spiritual formation through books! What else could you ask for? Learn more at https://renovare.org/bookclub
 
27:54 - Sponsor - Holy Post Plus - Want full episodes of the SkyePod? Wanna get schooled by Kaitlyn Schiess? What about a daily devotional for people who hate daily devotionals? Sign up for Holy Post Plus: https://substack.com/@holypostmedia
 
31:45 - Academic Cheating on the Rise
 
42:35 - Flock Cameras
 
53:53 - End Credit
 
Articles Mentioned:
Vaccines Custody Battle Article:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/09/07/the-maha-custody-battle
 
Students Cheating with AI:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/opinion/students-cheating-ai.html
 
Flock Cameras:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/podcasts/the-daily/flock-cameras-surveillance-america.html