Truce

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast What is the difference between communism and socialism? They get used interchangeably in our culture, but do they really mean the same thing? In this episode, we'll give a textbook definition of each and then see how those ideas change in the wild. Our guests today are my friend Brian Faehnrich, Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia"). The basic difference between communism and socialism is where the profit goes: In communism, the profits go to the government In socialism, the profits can go to the people Also, communism is inherently atheistic, in keeping with the vision of Karl Marx. Topic Covered: What is the difference between communism and socialism? Who was Karl Marx? Who invented communism? What was the first communist country? (Russia) How did Vladimir Lenin rise to power? Does communism work?

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast "We did our best, but it turned out as it always does". Kind of a dark statement, no? It is a popular Russian phrase that kind of encapsulates the spirit of Russian history. People who try hard to make a change, but that change is not exactly great. In this episode of the Truce Podcast, we spoke with Jennifer Eremeeva, author of the excellent book, "Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia" about the history of the Russian Christian church. Christianity came to Russia by sword point. It started out as a pagan culture, heavily influenced by the Vikings. When Vladimir, ruler of ancient Moscow, wanted some of the treasures of the Byzantine empire, he had a couple of options. He could invade and capture them, or he could make a trade deal. He tried both, but it didn't quite work out. As part of the peace deal, the Byzantine empire offered him a bride and trade if he converted to Christianity

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Christmas and New Years can be a stressful time for us. But what if you had to celebrate two Christmas' and two Years'? Our special guest Jennifer Eremeeva (author of Have Personality Disorder Will Rule Russia) is an American married to a Russian. Each year they have the potential of four holidays in less than a month. But why? The confusion has to do with a discrepancy in calendars. It turns out that the old Julian calendar, which is used by the Russian Orthodox Church, is several days different than the Gregorian calendar that we use. This has to do with an old disagreement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Subscribe to Truce so you'll get every new episode as it is released! Donate here to keep Truce going! Herring Under Fur Coat: This recipe is pretty simple, but it may take a few hours to make so do this one in advance. Ingredients: 1 jar of mayonnaise (squeeze-able is easi

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Merry Christmas! As a bonus, we are featuring some stories from the Christian Podcasters Association Christmas Episode Exchange. Each person in the group was allowed to submit a 5-minute mini-episode on the theme of Christmas. I've collected a few of them here and some more will be on our Patreon page for people who donate a little each month to keep Truce going. You can access the Truce Patreon page and for those extra stories. Here are the submissions in order of appearance: 1) Truce Podcast – Christmas Bolero Chris Staron http://www.trucepodcast.com http://www.twitter.com/trucepodcast http://www.facebook.com/trucepodcast 2) The Road Home To You Podcast Brandy Goebel – Every Home Needs a Gnome http://theroadhometoyou.libsyn.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/166024570692834/ 3) Biblical Chili https://biblicalchili.podbean.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BiblicalChili/ http://www.twitt

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Rasputin - the rogue monk who changed the face of the world. Or did he? Grigory Rasputin was a wandering monk from Siberia. A peasant. A long-haired man with a family. Through a series of connections with powerful people, he became the right-hand man of Nicholas II, the Russian tsar. Some claimed that he had the power to heal. He was also a known philanderer. Rumors of his relationship with the tsarina ran rampant. He, a peasant, may have influenced military decisions in WWI. The man was everywhere all at once--until he was brutally murdered in Petersburg one dark night. They tried cyanide and nothing happened. The shot him, and he fled. Who was this mystery man? What was his impact on Russia? On the Christian church? Listen to this special episode to find out! Our goal is to become the best Christian podcast out there. We can only do that with your financial support. You can donate on Patr

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast This is the second in a two-part story about the fall of the last czars of Russia. Their murder had a ripple effect across history. After them came Lenin and the rise of communism and the USSR. The modern American church changed to keep up. If Russia was going for collectivism and atheism, the USA would hold on to capitalism and Christianity. Which means that the gospel would soon be identified with money, power, and military might. In this episode we follow the abdication of Nicholas II to the untimely end of him and his family. Theirs was just the first of a long string of murders that would elevate Lenin and Stalin to power. Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible. Our research was greatly aided by the fol

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast One murder changed the course of Christian history. And it wasn't of a pope or church leader - it was the murder of Russia's last czars, the Romanovs. This is the beginning of our series on how communist Russia shaped modern Christianity in America. Tsar Nicholas II made many crucial mistakes: allowing Rasputin into his life, ignoring workers, the Russo-Japanese War, and many others. How we dealt with these tragic errors led the country into the hands of the Bolsheviks. Oh yeah, and we made stroganoff. The recipe is below. Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible. Our research was greatly aided by the following books: The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore A Well Ordered Thing - Michael D Gordin Dairy-free s

Truce is back with a special guest: Phil Vischer, one of the creators of the VeggieTales video series. He's also the creator of the new Laugh and Learn Bible and one of the hosts of the Holy Post Podcast (strongly recommended). You can find our bonus material for this episode at www.patreon.com/trucepodcast. Links: https://philvischer.com/ Topics discussed: * How did Phil create VeggieTales? * How do Christians deal with loss and negative criticism? * Phil Vischer's recent response to LGBT rights in the Christian Post * Answering your questions about VeggieTales * Where is my hairbrush? * The Laugh and Learn Bible * Why should I read the Bible on my own? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Truce is back for a third season! We'll begin with a conversation with Phil Vischer, creator of the popular VeggieTales animated series and the author of the new Laugh and Learn Bible. Then we're going to take a sharp turn and study Russia: how did tsarist Russia fall, how did communism gain its hold, and how did that shape the American church. I promise you, it's going to be fascinating! Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Napoleon Bonaparte. No question he was a military genius and was partially responsible for modernizing Europe. But there are some things we just aren't sure about. Like, was Napoleon a Christian, a Muslim, or a poser? In this, the final episode of season 2, we're going to explore the faith history of one of the most influential men of all time. We're joined by Pastor Justin Butler (highlandccky.org), author of Double-Sided Power: Studies in the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Our goal is to make Truce the best Christian podcast available. We need your help to do that! We're currently over $3,000 in the hole in this project. Would you consider helping us you? Donate on our website at http://www.trucepodcast.com. God willing, we'll be back with more Truce in early October. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've started to post bonus content for Truce on our Patreon subscribers. If you give as little as $3/ month you'll get special bonus episodes like this one. You can donate at https://www.patreon.com/trucepodcastSpecial thanks to Eric Nevins of the Halfway There podcast. Learn more about his show at: https://ericnevins.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember Occupy Wall Street? That movement from the early 2000's caused a stir after the financial crisis of 2007-2008. They demanded that the people responsible for the crash be punished for their actions. We in the Christian church often struggle with the rich-- how to treat them, how to see ourselves. In this episode we take a look at some statistics that will make us rethink our view of the wealthy.This episode was produced by Nick Staron. When Nick isn't busy with the podcast, he's working as a stand-up comedian. He's the perfect guy for your church picnic, youth night, or college gathering. Find more about Nick at www.nickstaron.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John D. Rockefeller was a shrewd businessman. Even to the point of breaking the law to get what he wanted. His Standard Oil company was eventually broken up using the Sherman Antitrust act. But his money kept influencing society. On this episode of the Truce Podcast, we take a field trip to the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park to see how one wealthy family strong-armed Congress into declaring federal land. And we see how this kind of leverage is used in the modern Christian church. The Bible verse used in this episode was excerpted from the Streetlights Audio Bible. https://www.streetlightsbible.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John D. Rockefeller was the richest man... maybe ever. His Standard Oil Company swallowed up the competition and broke the law. Yet, this man claimed the name of Christ.We're in the middle of a series about money in the church. How does it get to the church? Does it matter where the money comes from and where it goes?This episode of the Truce Podcast was written and produced by Nick Staron: https://www.nickstaron.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Christians supposed to tithe? It's a big question, one that many pastors disagree on. A tithe literally means 10%. A bunch of people in the Old Testament were commanded to give 10%... are we supposed to continue that tradition today?This is the first part in our series about money in the church -- how it gets there, where it's used, and how it can be used to gain power. Special thanks to our friends who gathered around the campfire with us.Topics discussed in this episode:* Does the 10% tithe still apply to modern Christians?* What is a tithe?* What is the verse in Malachi that talks about giving?* How much money should a pastor make?* Do we have to pay our pastor?* Should a pastor wear expensive clothes?* What does Jerry Savelle think about tithing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reaching Muslims via the Internet. Can it be done? Our special guest today uses Google Ads, videos, and messaging apps to reach out in Muslim countries. We can't give any specifics about who he is or which organization he works for. But we think you'll find this episode inspiring. Topics explored: * How can we reach out to Muslims using the Internet? * What questions to Muslims have about Christianity? * Where are the greatest numbers of Muslims turning to Christ? * Where should I start reading in the Bible? * How do I share my faith with Muslims? * Is Islam as dangerous as mainstream media says it is? * How can I be praying for the Muslim world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pew Research Center released a study stating that there will be more Muslims in the world than Christians by the year 2050. That study terrified many Christians! Because we're so used to being the dominant religion on Earth. So there seemed to be only one solution -- have more babies.On this episode of the Truce Podcast, we press pause on the would-be baby boom and ask, "is there a better way?". This episode is the third in a series on reaching out to Muslims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This bonus episode features Samy Tanagho, author of "Glad News, God Love You My Muslim Friend". Samy explains a few ways that Christians can reach out to our Muslim friends. He recommends that we start with common ground: Jesus as Messiah, Abraham and Isaac, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 9/11 many American Christians became afraid of Islam. Even to the point of no longer wanting to share the gospel with Muslims. On this special episode of the Truce Podcast, Chris speaks with Dr. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries and Samy Tanagho, author of "Glad News, God Loves You My Muslim Friend". In this episode we discuss:* How international ministries can impact Muslim countries like Iran through media* Ways Christians can reach out to Muslims* Encouragement for Christians to love on Palestinians as well as Jews.* Economic and social issues within Iran, including massive inflation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If life begins at conception, what do we do with all of the embryos left after in vitro fertilization? Author and journalist Nate Birt joins us to discuss embryo adoption and his book Frozen But Not Forgotten. This is a Truce Podcast extra. Truce is a listener supported show. Donate on Patreon, GoFundMe, and on our website. Send us an email to let us know what you think of the show and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices