The Deep Map

In this Season Three recap, Robert and Dominique reflect on the podcast’s original trajectory and significant transition following 10/7. Season Three’s guests walked our listeners through topics addressing antisemitism in the U.S., Hamas’s ideology, and the generational gap in support for Israel. One of our biggest takeaways is that perhaps more than ever, the need for Christian advocacy is being realized. But where do we start galvanizing Christian engagement, education, and activism? Join Robert and Dominique to hear their personal takeaways and get a glimpse of Season Four.

We produced a movie. A few years ago, Philos partnered with Todd Morehead and Justin Kron to discover the human experiences and stories caught in the tension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hope in the Holy Land follows Todd’s journey through Israel and Palestine, where he explores the biblical, religious, and historical narratives that shape the beliefs on both sides of the conflict. Along the way, he discovers the painful struggles of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. The result is an enlightening journey that exposes viewers to perspectives rarely seen in the media and a challenge to a man’s heart to love his enemy. In this podcast, Robert and Dominique revisit themes from the documentary and ask the challenging question: Is there still hope for pluralism, peace, and prosperity for Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Holy Land?

The strongest predictor of evangelicals' support for Israel in the U.S. is the age of the believer. After October 7, Harvard found that 45% of 18–24-year-olds side more with Hamas. Today, war views and attitudes towards Israel are defined by generations rather than religious beliefs or political parties. Motti Inbari and Kirill Bumin join Robert and Dominique to discuss their book, "Christian Zionism in the Twenty-First Century," and their findings on the growing generational divide supporting Israel. 18–29-year-olds are the first-generation post-information revolution, with access to both news and misinformation at their fingertips, resulting in Generation Z as the first outwardly anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas generation since the Holocaust. These trends can be attributed to two compounding factors: decreased regular church attendance and a surge in popular teaching of Supersessionism from the pulpit. Will young evangelicals return to the views of their parents with age or remain an outlier in their diverging beliefs? Time will tell.

Mark Tooley is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy. Mark joins Robert and Dominique to discuss the division in the United Methodist Church and the challenges Protestantism faces in an age of radical secularism.

Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff joins Robert and Dominique to discuss his long naval career and eyewitness testimony of the October 23, 1983, Beirut attack. He tells of hope in the face of loss and the need to combat hate with compassion for all humanity. Rabbi Resnicoff reminds the audience that there is strength in diversity and encourages interfaith friendship to promote pluralism and respect for our neighbors and enemies. Rabbi Resnicoff is a retired U.S. Navy Chaplain who started his career in Vietnam. His report of the October 23 terror attack in Beirut and its aftermath, written at the request of the White House, was read as a keynote speech by President Ronald Reagan. He has also worked to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and lobbied the U.S. military to participate in the U.S. Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust. President Reagan's keynote speech on the Beirut attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFA5f0n-Nak

Dr. Nikos Michailidis is a social-cultural anthropologist; his work focuses on the history of the ancient Pontics and modern Greek culture. Nikos speaks with Robert and Dominique about the importance of art, literature, and language in preserving memory and transmitting culture. For the Pontic Greeks, music helped preserve their ethnic identity during Ottoman persecution and the brutality of Communism under Stalin. Nikos talks about the importance of music as a mechanism to preserve culture through the generations, speaking to the power of art in shaping civilizational identities.

Mary Margaret Olohan joins Robert and Dominique to reflect on the culture and analyze how recent protests and rallies following October 7th mirror the current political climate. Mary Margaret is a Senior Reporter at The Daily Signal where she covers the cultural and political stories of the moment through both video and print journalism.

Gia Chacón is the founder of For the Martyrs, a Christian non-profit seeking to raise awareness about the crisis of Christian persecution, advocate for religious freedom, and aid victims of persecution worldwide. Gia speaks with Robert and Dominique about her work with the persecuted church and the crisis of Western Christianity. Gia reminds the audience about Israel’s importance as a safe haven for Christians in the Middle East who face persecution and forced migration from their ancient homelands.

Garrett Exner joins Robert and Dominique in analyzing the changing Middle Eastern landscape and Israel’s counter-offensive following the October 7th attack. Exner is the executive director of the Public Interest Fellowship in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a staffer to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as a counterterrorism policy adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and as a special operations officer in the Marine Corps with deployments to Iraq, North Africa, East Africa, and the South Pacific. His life exemplifies what strong Christian leadership should look like in the face of crisis and conflict.

Israeli journalist Emily Schrader joins The Deep Map to share her eyewitness account of the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7th terror attack. Covering a wide range of topics, from the Iranian regime’s support of terrorism to what it’s like working in a bomb shelter when the air raid sirens blare, Schrader delivers a heartfelt and clear testimony as to why Israel won’t back down — and why the West should stand up and lend greater support.

In this episode of The Deep Map, Robert and Dominique answer audience frequently asked questions and address media misinformation from a historic and Christian perspective.

Hussein Aboubakr Mansour speaks with Robert Nicholson and co-host Dominique Hoffman to provide a unique Arab perspective to the conflict. The anti-Semitic rhetoric sweeping the West is all too familiar to Hussein, who grew up in Egypt during the Second Intifada. He is willing to say what most are not. Although uncomfortable for many, Mansou addresses the deep-rooted antisemitism of the Arab world. For the Arab world, the Palestinian question was never simply a geopolitical issue. “Free Palestine” is a unifying symbol both for religious and Arab nationalist aims. Hussein explains the surprising ideological origins of modern Arab political thought and the religious fascist vision Hamas has for the region.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, speaks with Robert and Dominique about developments in Israel. She discusses how events unfolded on October 7th, her work in helping the families of hostages, and the threat of Hamas to Israelis and Palestinians. Her message is clear: anti-Zionism is antisemitism. She is not only a government official but a mother whose heart hurts for her people and nation. Fleur has spent her career working with her Arab neighbors to promote pluralism in Jerusalem and the region. She is resolute about Israel’s right to defense and rebukes the growing condemnation of justified military action. Her optimism about Israel's future and standing in the region in a time of great darkness and uncertainty is refreshing. It should inspire all who listen.

With violence against Jews surging 1200% since October 7th, this conversation with Jonathan Silver from the Tikvah Fund is more pertinent than ever. In this episode, Robert, Dominique, and Jonathan delve into the repercussions of the events on October 7th for American Jews. Jonathan candidly shares his feelings of isolation, sorrow, and bewilderment following the Hamas terrorist attack. He emphasizes that this tragic event will have a lasting impact on Jewish history. Jonathan also advocates for reform within the Jewish community and highlights the importance of Israel embracing its military strength. Jonathan Silver is editor of Mosaic, a magazine of Jewish ideas, history, and public affairs. He is also Senior Director at the Tikvah Fund, co-chair of the Jewish Leadership Conference, and host of the Tikvah Podcast. He was educated at Tufts University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Government at Georgetown University. Tikvah Fund classes: https://tikvahfund.org/toa/ Pathfinder: https://pathfinder.philosproject.org

When Hamas carried out its campaign of terror on October 7th, many of us woke up to text messages blowing up our phones. For Andrew Doran, who was in Jerusalem when the attack started, the gravity of the situation on the ground was all that more real. Andrew, Director of Philos Catholic, talks with Robert and Dominique from Jerusalem about first-hand observations of Israel's collective trauma and move to support the war front. Andrew raises concerns over rising antisemitism, the Biden administration's foreign policy, and the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah. Andrew Doran served on the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State from 2018-21. He previously served as Deputy Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO at the State Department. He is a cofounder of In Defense of Christians. He has published extensively on U.S. foreign policy and human rights in the Middle East. He is an Army veteran and attorney.

Over the last week, news coverage and political commentators have rushed to make arguments of moral equivalence and proportionality to justify Hamas' terror attack and call for the restraint of the IDF within Gaza. What is the Christian response to political evil, and how does the Hebraic tradition inform concepts of war and justice? Robert and Dominique are joined by Marc LiVecche, McDonald Distinguished Scholar of Ethics, War, and Public Life at Providence Magazine. He is also a non-resident research fellow at the US Naval War College in the College of Leadership and Ethics.

Season 3 kicks off much differently than we imagined...72 hours after Hamas invaded Israel, Robert is joined by Luke Moon and Dominique Hoffman to share reactions and new updates. Robert also shares context on the religious and cultural mindsets of Hamas and its members, while also shedding light on some of the recent polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.

Your host, Robert Nicholson, gives insights into the original plan for Season 3 and why it’s changed now, given the current events in Israel.

Looking back on Season 2 of The Deep Map, Robert and his co-host Dominique Hoffman reflect on the rapid changes in the Near East even during the lifetime of the podcast. Diving deeper into the invisible factors driving those changes, they discuss the declining ability of the US to influence any of it. Is the West in decline? Where are our young people at in 2023? Will China take our place in the Near East? Why are Israel and other allies willing to entertain the idea? How should we, people of faith, respond? And how should Christians respond in particular? At the end of the episode, Robert and Dominque reveal some exciting new changes in the run-up to Season 3.

The role of religion and culture is the most overlooked yet most important dimension of Near Eastern affairs. In this episode, Robert talks with Philos Senior Research fellow and former State Department policy expert Andrew Doran about the way religion and politics manifests in advocacy for Eastern Christians and in issues related to Israel and antisemitism. Andrew Doran is the Director of Philos Catholic and a Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Malik Institute. Prior to joining Philos, he served on the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State from 2018-21. He previously served as Deputy Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO at the State Department. He is a co-founder of In Defense of Christians. He has published extensively on U.S. foreign policy and human rights in the Middle East. He is an Army veteran and attorney.