We’re binging on information; but is it making us wiser? Or are we eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet of chaos—unguided facts with no overarching purpose or theme. Is all this information good for us? This week Joe talks to author Brett McCracken, who thinks our daily diet of information is off ...

Craig DeRoche was young, rising-star city councilman—in a city of about 50,000—to the Michigan State legislature. At age 34, he went to the top spot in the 110-member legislative body and was sworn as Speaker. But what happened when ambition, power, and politics converge? What lessons can people ...

He was the 46th Governor of Pennsylvania—born here in Philadelphia with deep ties to Pittsburgh. He was often described as a “Boy Scout” — with a simple challenge to his staff to always: “Do the right thing” — no matter the consequences. But what if doing the right thing costs you your job? What ...

Life is hard. And if you’re a person of faith, you might even be asking if in the broken world we live in—filled with pandemics and anxiety-inducing 24-hour news— if God has a sense of humor. On this episode of State of Independence Joe talks with James Cary, a sitcom writer for BBC TV and Radio ...

From Joe’s introduction to this week’s show- “I’ve had to preach at many funerals since I left the seminary and entered full-time ministry. It’s such a common experience as we grow older. There are certain words and rituals, Scripture passages, and hymns that tie us together—smoothing over the ra...

It was 2016 when Aaron Anderson, a white, Classical Christian school headmaster in York Pennsylvania—a racially diverse city of 450,000 in Central Pennsylvania—invited black ministers, chiefs of police and other area pastors to begin a monthly meeting together.

The purpose? To create dialogue a...

With the Faith & Liberty Discovery Center opening—right here in Philadelphia—in the historic space around the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, America’s story will be offered with a little more accuracy and care. Because in addition to understanding the unique character of the Declaration of I...

His obituary opened like this: “Richard Thornburgh, an effective and respected two-term governor of Pennsylvania who later served a tumultuous three-year stint as U.S. attorney general under Presidents Reagan and Bush, has died at age 88.”

In fact, Dick Thornburgh was so respected and admired th...

Dr. Gerald R. McDermott has lived an extraordinary professional life as a school principal, college professor, author, pastor and prolific author. Each of these assignments comes with the challenge to speak—often before large audiences. But not everyone who hears Dr. McDermott is aware that much ...

What does the word “missionary” mean to you? Maybe you have romantic images from the early 20th Century of a husband and wife abandoning western comforts to move to the jungles of South America, China, or the interiors of Africa—perhaps on a steam ship. Right here in Philadelphia, the heritage of...

Today’s guest is Gary Sutton, longtime radio talk show host and someone who has been trying to mend the fences of the conversation during the time he’s been give on the airwaves.
Gary Sutton isn’t a provocateur. Far from it. He’s a former social studies teacher, who uses his airtime on WSBA in Y...

Is it possible that America’s great highway system—the most efficient and sophisticated infrastructure system in the world—is designed to keep American consumers connected to every possible need and convenience. Is it possible that those same roads are being used to transport victims of modern-da...

Eleven minutes after it was announced in Tel Aviv, President Harry S. Truman led the American government into formal recognition of a new Jewish State—the State of Israel. It was in that moment—against the advice of his own Secretary of State—that in 1948, Harry Truman stepped into history—giving...

On this episode of “State of Independence”: 31% of pastors say they’re struggling with emotional health. 26% say their relationships are suffering. And despite 55% saying they felt happy in their ministry in the last week, 41% told BARNA research group that they felt sad and even exhausted.
Where...

In this episode of State of Independence, Joe Watkins interviews Rep. Bryan Cutler. In June of 2020, Representative Bryan Cutler was sworn in as the 139th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House—a famously held position by the body’s first Speaker, Benjamin Franklin. In a brief speech to his colleagues...

This week on State of Independence, a conversation with David Sonju, the headmaster of Covenant Christian Academy —part of a national movement to return to a traditional learning style— a classical education—one that’s designed to help students do more than pass tests but live lives in pursuit of...

This week Joe Watkins welcomes Josh Kail to State of Independence; one of Pennsylvania’s emerging leaders. Someone whose commitment to his faith and his family are the defining marks of his life. He’s a public servant, a legislator, lawyer, husband and father of seven children. You will want to m...

This year, both candidates for president made a hard play for the affections and votes of Christians—specifically conservative, evangelical, and Catholic voters. Vice President Biden’s campaign expected his lifelong identity as a practicing Catholic would allow him to compete for millions of vote...