Best Foreign Policy ProvCast Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 95 | Why We Need the Apocalypse 1:18:43

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2d ago1:18:43

1:18:43

The end times get a bad rap. Typically associated with Christian fundamentalists, the apocalypse has in fact been an object of human fascination for thousands of years. In this offbeat conversation with Robert Joustra, professor of politics and international studies at Redeemer University, the Provcast crew (James Diddams and Robert Nicholson) unpa…

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Ep. 94 | What We Mean by 'Judeo-Christian' 1:21:53

19d ago1:21:53

1:21:53

On June 30th, Providence and Tikvah partnered to convene a panel titled "What We Mean by 'Judeo-Christian'" to discuss the role of the Hebrew Bible as a shared point of reference in the American traditions of liberal democracy and constitutional republicanism. This panel was inspired by the Providence article "The Judeo-Christian Nation" by Pete Pe…

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Ep. 93 | The Israeli General Who Predicted Oct 7 – and What He's Predicting Now (Yossi Kuperwasser) 1:12:30

20d ago1:12:30

1:12:30

In July 2023, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Yossi Kuperwasser saw something catastrophic on the horizon: a Hamas invasion of Israel. A year later, in a conversation with Providence, he predicted an aggressive IDF military campaign to proactively degrade Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and Iran itself -- another bold prediction which also came true. One year later…

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Episode 92 | Is America Betraying Middle East Christians? 1:13:05

28d ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Responding to two recent essays, the Provcast team interview Rich Ghazal, Executive Director of In Defense of Christians, to discuss the question of Christian persecution as it relates to US foreign policy past and present—and particularly to the well being of Christians now under threat in Syria. What is America’s obligation to these Christians an…

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Episode 91 | Is Israel's Fight for Survival also America's Fight? 1:12:44

1M ago1:12:44

1:12:44

Talking with Iranian scholar and policy expert Dr. Farhad Rezaei, the Provcast crew get caught up on the latest developments related to the Iran-Israel war before talking through a number of hard questions: the nature of America's involvement, the potential for escalation and unexpected outcomes, and the controversial question of regime change. How…

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Episode 90 | Is There a “Trump Doctrine”? And What Just Happened in Ukraine? 1:36:10

1M ago1:36:10

1:36:10

In this two-part conversation, the Provcast crew unpacks Ukraine’s surprise drone attack on Russia and what it means for the war (and the future of war in general), America’s involvement, and whether the attack risks escalation with Russia.The crew then shifts to President Trump’s recent speech in Riyadh, which lays out the preliminary principles o…

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Episode 89 | The Sources of Iran's Revolutionary Ideology 43:03

1M ago43:03

43:03

Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Jozef Kosc, Hamilton Center Fellow at the University of Florida, to discuss the varied ideological parentage of Iran's official state ideology, which includes not only Islamic sources but also European philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, Georges Sorel, Vladimir Lenin, Ernst Cassirer, and GWF …

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Episode 88 | How Hindu Political Theology Halted, then Restarted Indian Nuclear Proliferation 26:43

2M ago26:43

26:43

Providence Editor James Diddams is joined by Bill Drexel, Fellow at Hudson Institute in US-India relations and geopolitical competition with China, to discuss his April 4th article "How Competing Hindu Theologies Drove India’s Nuclear Decision Making—In Opposite Directions." The story of India's acquisition of nuclear weapons is a compelling counte…

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Episode 87 | Of American Popes and American Power in a Multipolar Age 1:33:38

2M ago1:33:38

1:33:38

Pondering recent events in the Vatican, the Provcast crew talks through the legacy of Pope Francis and the rise of "Pope Bob from Chicago" (the first Bishop of Rome to laugh at the Blues Brothers?) against the backdrop of a more important question: What role should the Roman Pontiff play in global affairs, if any? They then pick up questions surrou…

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Episode 86 | Providence Magazine's 10th Anniversary 1:37:53

3M ago1:37:53

1:37:53

As Providence Magazine approaches 10 years since its launch, editors Mark Tooley, Marc LiVecche, Robert Nicholson, and James Diddams discuss the founding vision of Providence and how the magazine has functioned as a forum for Christian realism since its inception.By Providence Magazine

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Episode 85 | Early America: Christian Republic—or Republic of Christians? 44:55

3M ago44:55

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In his recent book "Religion and Republic: Christian America from the Founding to the Civil War" (Davenant, 2024), Miles Smith IV, Assistant Professor of History at Hillsdale College, explores the interplay between faith and politics in early America, revealing a more complex picture than current polemics might have us believe. Breaking down his th…

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Ep 84 | Peter Berkowitz on Liberal Education, Progressive Ideology, and the Israel-Hamas War 1:00:50

6M ago1:00:50

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Marc LiVecche joins Providence contributor Keith Pavlischek and the Hoover Institution's Peter Berkowitz on a wide-ranging exploration of Israel's war against Hamas and adjacent themes. Taking place on the leeward side of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, they discuss ongoing antisemitism as it exploded on American colle…

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Episode 83 | Reflections One Year After Oct. 7, 2023 1:13:42

10M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

The world looks very different a year after the Iran-orchestrated Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023. With Israeli counterstrikes in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran itself—and with hatred for Israel reaching an all-time high around the world—it’s worth asking what it all means. In this episode, Marc LiVecche talks with Providence’s co-founder and Editor…

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Episode 82 | On Tim Walz, Military Ethos, and Service Before Self 54:29

11M ago54:29

54:29

In the midst of ongoing debate regarding the military service record of Democratic party vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, Providence's Marc LiVecche spoke with Marine Corps veterans Mac Owens and Keith Pavlischek to clarify the real issues. Focusing on the charge that Walz placed his own interests over his duty to his men by retiring rather th…

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Episode 81 | (In)vincible Ignorance andJust Getting it Wrong About Hamas (Keith Pavlischek) 1:00:40

1+ y ago1:00:40

1:00:40

Marc LiVecche hosts COL Keith Pavlischek, USMC (RET), long-time Providence contributor for a long-form discussion about the Israel-Hamas War. Points of focus include getting the meaning of proportionality right, the criticality of making basic distinctions between good and evil, right and wrong, causal and moral responsibility, and much else.Among …

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Episode #80 | How America Combats Human Trafficking (Rebecca Munson) 31:31

3y ago31:31

31:31

Rebecca Munson—department chair for government and public policy at Liberty University’s Helms School of Government—talks with Mark Melton about how the United States has combatted human trafficking globally. She explains how big of a problem human trafficking is and assesses America’s role in combatting this crime while comparing it to the Europea…

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Episode #79 | China as Democracy Falls in Hong Kong (Olivia Enos) 26:58

3y ago26:58

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Olivia Enos of the Heritage Foundation speaks with Mark Melton about how the Chinese government has been snuffing out liberty in Hong Kong. She discusses the recent arrests of Cardinal Zen and pro-democracy advocates and explains what they mean for religious liberty in the city-state. She also analyzes the Vatican’s deal with the Chinese Communist …

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Episode #78 | The Russia-Ukraine War after the Battle of Kyiv (Paul Miller) 24:29

3+ y ago24:29

24:29

In this episode, Mark Melton speaks with Paul Miller about what may happen in Ukraine now that the Battle of Kyiv appears to be over and the war is moving into a new, probably longer phase. In addition to discussing the current situation in the country, Miller covers what Russia’s relations with the United States may look like in the medium to long…

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Episode #77 | How to Help Ukraine Effectively without a NATO-Russia War (Lt. Col. Tyson K. Wetzel) 20:08

3+ y ago20:08

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In this episode, Mark Melton speaks with Lieutenant Colonel Tyson K. Wetzel (US Air Force) about how the United States can help Ukraine fight Russia effectively without NATO and Russia getting into a war. Wetzel helped conduct a survey and write a report for the Atlantic Council that created a “strategic risk calculator.” The survey asked foreign p…

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Episode #76 | Just War Perspective on the Ukraine War (Marc LiVecche and Rebeccah Heinrichs) 43:38

3+ y ago43:38

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In this wide-ranging and impassioned conversation about the war in Ukraine, Providence editors Marc LiVecche and Rebeccah Heinrichs, also of the Hudson Institute, discuss the latest developments, the intersection of just war reasoning and the facts on the ground, future options against Putin, how best to assist President Zelensky and his brave comp…

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Episode #75 | A Conversation with the "Daughters of Diaspora" (Mariam Wahba And Adela Cojab) 23:52

3+ y ago23:52

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In this episode, Mariam Wahba and Adela Cojab talk about their new show "American-ish: Daughters of Diaspora", which covers the topics of faith, culture, religion, and more. Wahba is a Coptic Christian who was born in Menya, Egypt, and Cojab is a Syrian-Lebanese Jew born in Mexico City. They both now live in New York City. While talking with Mark M…

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Episode #74 | America’s New Law on Forced Labor in Xinjiang (Christine McDaniel and Weifeng Zhong) 27:20

3+ y ago27:20

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Weifeng Zhong and Christine McDaniel of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University talk with Mark Melton about the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. They cover how forced labor in China works and how the world knows this is happening. Zhong and McDaniel also discuss potential difficulties with how the law might be implemented and the dilemmas…

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Episode #73 | On The Looming Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (Rebeccah Heinrichs) 24:22

3+ y ago24:22

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Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute speaks with Mark Melton about the Russian threat to Ukraine. She gives an update of the latest situation in Ukraine at the time of recording (the morning of February 7) and explains why Americans should be concerned about a Russian invasion of the country. Heinrichs details how the United States has respon…

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Episode #72 | "It's a Wonderful Life" 75 Years Later (Dark Ops) 29:16

3+ y ago29:16

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In this special Dark Ops episode of the podcast, Mark Melton and Marc LiVecche discuss the 1946 movie It’s a Wonderful Life and the short story that inspired it, “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. The film premiered in New York City 75 years ago on December 20, 1946. During the episode, Melton and LiVecche cover how the movie depicts th…

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Episode #71 | Brazil In The World Under Jair Bolsonaro (Igor Sabino) 30:17

3+ y ago30:17

30:17

In this episode Mark Melton speaks with Igor Sabino about the political situation in Brazil and that country’s role in global affairs. They focus on the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, and Sabino explains the reasons why Brazilian evangelicals supported him. While courting the evangelical vote, Bolsonaro promised to improve relations with Israel, so …