Finding Your Spine
In a time when courage feels increasingly rare, Finding Your Spine challenges the status quo. Hosted by Dr. Chase Spears, this weekly podcast explores how Christians—and even secular conservatives—can stand firm in their values amid the pressures of cancel culture. With insightful commentary and bold conversations, Dr. Spears examines the tradeoff many make between conscience and comfort, reminding listeners that true freedom requires the spine to defend it. Tune in each week for thought-provoking discussions that inspire moral courage in an age of compromise.
Episodes
71 episodes
The Army’s Worldview Crisis
Sam Rolofson, a serving Army officer and trainer of future leaders, talks about what happens when a fighting force tries to run on several incompatible moral systems at once. He traces the tension from equal-opportunity classrooms to Army value...
Christianity That Goes on the Offense
Pastor J. Chase Davis of The Well Church in Boulder, Colorado, discusses Offensive Christianity and why Christian men should stop treating manhood as a liability. He explains the book’s double meaning: the gospel will offend a dying world, and ...
This Ad Man Left Super Bowl Spots to Defend Women’s Sports
Brett Craig, an award-winning advertising creative and chief creative officer of XX/XY Athletics, talks about standing up for women’s sports from inside an industry that rarely rewards that kind of candor. After years making Super Bowl work for...
Fables That Restore American Courage and Imagination
Dr. Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., discusses The American Book of Fables and why stories still form citizens. A scholar of ...
The Watch Company That Knows What Time It Is
Paul Brown, founder of Wasson Watch Co., shares the story of building a business that openly embodies Christian, conservative, and patriotic values. He explains how the company began in 2018 out of a desire to create high-quality automatic mech...
Bringing the Bull Moose Spirit to Your Local School District
Aiden Buzzetti, president of the Bull Moose Project and the 1776 Project, discusses the difference between traditional think tanks and “action tanks” that move principles into real-world results. He explains how the Bull Moose Project began in ...
The Erosion of Truth in Academic Research
Social psychologist Dr. Jose Duarte, PhD joins the conversation to examine the widespread problem of invalid and ideologically driven research in academia, particularly in social psychology. He describes how institutions that claim to seek trut...
Reclaiming Christian Institutions from Progressive Drift
In this follow-up interview, Pastor Jake Dell continues the conversation by sharing how he is revitalizing First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut, growing the congregation through bold, historic Christian preaching. He explains Op...
Preaching Without Compromise After Leaving the Episcopal Church
Pastor Jake Dell shares his personal journey from the Episcopal Church to his current role at First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut. He explains the progressive theological drift he witnessed in mainline denominations, the pressu...
Questioning Islam Almost Cost Him His Life
Dr. Mark Christian shares his remarkable journey from a devout Muslim upbringing in Cairo, Egypt, to surviving a horrific assassination attempt. He describes the early seeds of doubt that took root during a period of intense personal study, the...
Higher Ed's Culture of Conformity
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Herbert Riedel, former community college president and author of Silenced, to discuss the pressures of maintaining moral and intellectual integrity in today’s higher education environment. Riedel shares his e...
Rethinking Race Through Christ
Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Ron Freeman — former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, All-American at Pittsburg State University, Chaplain for the Royals and Chiefs, and current football coach at Maranatha Christian Academy. R...
Operating Under the Consent of the Governed
Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Josiah Lippincott back to Finding Your Spine for a candid follow-up discussion on how the two first connected. Lippincott recounts his viral 2021 Twitter exchange with a general over COVID policies and rising military ...
Questioning Wars of Choice
Dr. Chase Spears welcomes Marine veteran and scholar Josiah Lippincott to discuss courage, intellectual independence, and the need to challenge institutional orthodoxies. Lippincott shares his journey from questioning U.S. presence in Okinawa t...
Navy Chaplain Forced into Homelessness?
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Navy Chaplain Jonathan Shour to discuss his courageous stand against the military’s COVID vaccine mandate. Shour shares the intense pressure he faced during chaplain training, the personal toll on his family—incl...
Teacher Stands for Virtue
In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears welcomes public school teacher William Loggans, author of Quiet Courage in the Classroom. William shares how he placed an inspirational poster featuring Charlie Kirk in his classroom — onl...
Christian Witness in Politics and Rebuilding America
In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears is joined by Eric Teetsel, Fellow at the Center for Renewing America and Chronicles magazine. They discuss the vital role of Christians in public life and how faith should inform policy wi...
Classical Education and the Battle for Paideia
In this episode of Finding Your Spine, Dr. Chase Spears sits down with David Goodwin, co-author of Battle for the American Mind and a leader in the classical Christian education movement. They explore how education shapes...
From Marine to Media Maverick: Defying Corporate Censorship
Dr. Chase Spears chats with Kristian Garic, a Marine veteran, ex-sheriff's deputy, and New Orleans radio veteran, about standing firm amid cultural pressures. Kristian recounts his Army brat upbringing, Marine service, law enforcement stint, an...
JAG Corps Exodus: Fighting Back Against Bureaucratic Drift
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Caleb Byrd, partner at Younts Law and fellow veteran, for a wide-ranging discussion on integrity, faith, and resistance in institutions. They reflect on their friendship origins in Fort Knox, shared military expe...
From Battlefield to Ballot Box: A Veteran's Fight Against Marxism
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Chandler Langevin, a Navy veteran and Palm Bay City Councilman, to explore a journey shaped by real-world experiences. Chandler shares his eye-opening deployment to Afghanistan, where restrictive rules and politi...
Intercepting 100,000 Lives: The Fight Against Human Trafficking
Dr. Chase Spears interviews John Molineux, Founder and CEO of Love Justice International, a Christian nonprofit disrupting human trafficking in over 20 countries. John shares how the organization has intercepted over 100,000 individuals—prevent...
The Thirty Year Fight Against Anthrax Mandates and Illegal Orders
Dr. Chase Spears welcomes retired Air Force Colonel Tom Rempfer, whose nearly 30-year battle against the unlawful anthrax vaccine mandate mirrors the recent fight against COVID shot coercion in the military. Tom shares how the program—declared ...
Saving Babies at the Sidewalk
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Brian Westbrook, founder and president of Coalition Life in St. Louis, Missouri. Brian shares the remarkable journey of building a ministry dedicated to professional sidewalk counseling and high-risk pregnancy su...
Where are These Unaccompanied Minors Being Sent to?
Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Clarissa Rippee, a former GSA contract specialist turned whistleblower, for a powerful conversation on one of the darkest chapters of recent border policy. Clarissa shares how a routine training session revea...