The Russell Moore Show

What does it mean to call someone the “father” of a nation—and what happens when that father is more complicated than legend allows?

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Russell welcomes renowned historian H.W. Brands for a conversation on his newest book, American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington. Washington was a man formed by ambition and concern for character, but from the myth of praying at Valley Forge to the quiet realities of Washington’s faith, his life is often incorrectly perceived through a filter of our modern era. The truth about his leadership and life has more nuance than we realize.  

Brands helps uncover a leader who believed in providence but resisted religious spectacle, who embodied authority not through charisma but through consistency. And perhaps most strikingly, a man who understood power well enough to walk away from it.

But the conversation isn’t just about the past, It’s about the kind of leadership we recognize in the present (and the kind we are missing). In an age marked by distrust in institutions and suspicion of motives, Washington’s example raises uncomfortable questions we should reckon well with: Can character still command respect? Can authority still be earned rather than performed? And are we even looking for the kind of leaders who would rather leave than stay?

Resources mentioned in this episode:


American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington — H.W. Brands

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Russell answers a listener question about how to identify spiritual revival.

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Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription.
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Russell overcomes nerves while welcoming musical artist, songwriter, and overall legend Amy Grant.

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Amy Grant and Russell sit down in Charlie Peacock’s home to talk about her first album in over a decade, The Me That Remains (out May 8). The conversation starts with Russell’s admission that Amy’s was his first concert as a middle school youth group student. From there, Grant reflects on the aftermath of a serious bike accident, the strange disorientation of memory loss, and the rediscovery of songwriting in the midst of an ongoing, strenuous tour schedule. Along the way, the conversation turns to the inner critic that follows all of us, the spiritual weight of suffering, the possibility of grace in a fractured world, and the artwork surrounding the record from Nashville artist Wayne Brezinka. 

This is a story about legacy, growth, and the healing that comes…somewhere down the road.

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Russell shares his 8 tips for making major decisions.

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Russell reads the latest from his newsletter – read it here.

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McKay Coppins spent one year and $10,000 of The Atlantic’s money to find out the truth about sports betting.

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Russell welcomes McKay Coppins to talk about his latest for The Atlantic, a deeply personal and unsettling experiment with online sports betting, which opened a window into the addictive architecture of modern gambling, and the quiet ways it can take hold of a life.

Together, they explore not just the mechanics of gambling, but its deeper implications: how it alters our attention, distorts our relationships, fuels anger and illusion, and increasingly reshapes everything from sports to politics to everyday life. Coppins–a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints–even remarks at the ways the experiment affected his prayer life.

If you’ve wondered how sports betting has become so popular, or why younger men are being held tightly by its grasp, you might find this episode enlightening. 

This is a conversation about more than just betting, it’s about desire, discipline, and the kinds of guardrails we don’t realize we need until they’re gone.

Resources mentioned in this episode:


Sucker: My Year as a Degenerate Sports Gambler (The Atlantic)

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 [email protected] 


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