About the show

Crossing Faiths is a podcast where people from diverse religious backgrounds openly discuss everything you're NOT supposed to discuss at the dinner table. Join hosts Jt Pinna, a career national security, international affairs, and D.C. insider, and Elliot Toman, a former media director in the Evangelical church, as they engage in lively conversations about the impact of faith on current events. Crossing Faiths also welcomes guests from various religious and experiential backgrounds to share their insights.

The podcast was initially developed in collaboration with Matt Hawkins, a former policy director for the Southern Baptist Convention. Their conversations are built on a decade of collaboration, advocating in Washington, D.C., for religious freedom domestically and globally. The two developed the podcast to share conversations that model friendship and cooperation despite profound differences in religion and background. The podcast has reached almost 3 million multi-faith listeners, 83% millennials.

Crossing Faiths on social media

Episodes

  • 89: 89: Israel and Hamas

    October 17th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 3 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    John Pinna and Elliot Toman had a discussion about the Israel-Palestine conflict, unpacking their different religious perspectives on the situation. John spoke about his background growing up in a multifaith community with close Jewish friends and his experiences visiting Israel. He provided analysis on the conflict, criticizing actions by both Israel and Hamas. He argued that a two-state solution seems unrealistic currently given the positions of both sides, and that a third party may need to intervene to find a solution. Elliot shared his perspective as an evangelical Christian, noting the support for Israel among evangelicals.

  • 88: 88: Dignity of Human Life

    October 16th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 8 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A conversation between John Pinna, a Muslim, and Father John Anderson, a Christian priest, discussing the current Israel-Palestine conflict sparked by recent Hamas rocket attacks and Israeli retaliation. John condemned Hamas' attacks on civilians as inconsistent with Islamic teachings. They discussed principles in Islam like human dignity, jihad, and protecting civilians in war. John argued Palestinian leadership and the broader Muslim community should clearly condemn Hamas as un-Islamic. They agreed peace will require creative solutions giving concessions to both sides. John advocated designating Jerusalem an international city and the UN securing it. The conversation aimed to clarify an Islamic perspective on the crisis.

  • 87: 87: Eastern Orthodoxy

    October 5th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  57 mins 6 secs
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. This week, John Pinna speaks with Father John Anderson, a priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

  • 86: 86: Montezuma's Revenge

    October 5th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 24 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. In this episode, John and Elliot engage in a meandering discussion about colonization and historical revision.

  • 85: Accidents of Substance

    October 1st, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 9 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. In this episode, we discuss transubstantiation, internal factions within Christianity and the question of primacy.

  • 84: Double Standards for Muslims?

    September 15th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 5 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics.

  • 83: Textual Integrity and Cognitive Dissonance

    September 9th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  57 mins 15 secs
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics.

  • 82: The religious veneer of Conservatism

    August 29th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  57 mins 42 secs
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. Today we’re talking about a Pew Research survey suggesting that many Americans see ourselves as highly religious, but the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily agree. Why the disconnect? But first, let’s talk about parfaits.

  • 81: Putting the Man Back in "Son of Man"

    August 25th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 6 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics.

  • 80: 80: This is The Way

    August 16th, 2023  |  Season 9  |  1 hr 14 mins
    bible, christianity, islam, politics, quran, religion

    A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics.