
Faith and Character in a Polarized Society / John Kasich
From For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture by Matthew Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Linz, Drew Collins, Miroslav Volf, Evan Rosa, Macie Bridge
January 21, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 238
About this episode
John Kasich discusses the role of faith and character in navigating a polarized society.
Can faith sustain courage and openness in a polarized democracy? Former Ohio governor and presidential candidate John Kasich reflects on faith, fear, character, and public life amid deep political polarization and religious tension in America. “There is a certain comfort in knowing you have somebody who’s always in your corner.” In this conversation with Evan Rosa, Kasich reflects on personal faith shaped by tragedy, the search for purpose, and why character matters more than ideology in leadership. Together they discuss religious faith in American life, his experience running in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, voting on character over beliefs, firm political commitments, open-minded perspective taking, his vision of a life worth living, and before the end of this conversation, you’ll find out his favorite Metallica song. Episode Highlights “There is a certain comfort in knowing you have somebody who’s always in your corner.” “You can be firm while at the same time looking at a point of view of somebody who’s diametrically opposed to you.” “I look for character. I don’t look for what somebody thinks about the Book of Revelation.” “Faith informs the way I think about…
People in this episode
Host: Evan Rosa
Guest: John Kasich
Topics covered
- faith
- political polarization
- character
- public life
- leadership
- religious tension
- democracy
Keywords
- faith
- courage
- politics
- character
- leadership
- polarization
- democracy
- public life
- Metallica
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ohio
Products: Metallica
Books & works: Book of Revelation
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