Tension

About Tension

Most of life and faith is lived in the tension between the two extremes. On this show, we look at what many of us were taught growing up in evangelical churches, weigh it against what our current culture is saying, and try to find what Jesus has for us in the tension between the two. ------- Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Jonathan Carone & Eric Williams

Category

news · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jan 2021

Latest episode

16 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

106 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Jan 2026

   The Bible is not here to protect power – What we get wrong about ICE, Renee Good, and Romans 13

   This episode is not about winning an argument. It is about people. Jonathan and Eric wrestle with how Christians talk about authority, obedience, and scripture when real people are caught in the middle. The conversation is sparked by the killing of Renee Good during an ICE operation, and by how quickly many Christians reached for Romans 13 to shut down grief, questions, and moral discomfort. At the center of this episode is a simple but difficult conviction: every person is made in the image of God. We talk about how scripture gets used to protect power instead of holding it accountable, why “just comply” is not a Christian ethic, and the tension between law and justice, order and mercy, and consequences and dignity. We also name the exhaustion that comes from watching fellow believers defend systems while ignoring the human cost. If you have ever felt like you are losing your mind watching these conversations unfold, you are not alone. If you have wondered whether there is a faithful way to care about law and borders without losing your humanity, this episode is for you. _________________ Follow us on social: http://instagram.com/jonathan_carone http://instagram.com/ericw712 https://www.threads.com/jonathan_carone https://www.threads.com/ericw712 __________________ Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   15 Dec 2025

   Christ Is Born for You Even If Church Has Let You Down

   Most of us were taught to see Christmas through the lens of Easter: Jesus was born to die for our sins so we could all go to heaven. The whole story points to the cross. While that is true, it is not the whole picture. So we ask a different question in this episode: What were people celebrating before anyone knew how the story would end? We talk about the good news Jesus announced from the start: Hope for the poor. Freedom for the oppressed. Comfort for the brokenhearted. A new kind of kingdom for people who were tired of carrying heavy burdens. This episode is the side of Christmas many of us never heard growing up, and our hope is it changes the way you see Christmas this year. If you want to believe there is still something good in the middle of all of *this* - this episode is for you. The arrival of Jesus was never only about what would happen later. It was also about what he brought with him the moment he showed up. Restoration. Hope. A place to belong. Christ is born for you. Merry Christmas everybody. __________________ Follow us on social: http://instagram.com/jonathan_carone http://instagram.com/ericw712 https://www.threads.com/@jonathan_carone https://www.threads.com/@ericw712 __________________ Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   25 Nov 2025

   The tension between loving the church and calling it out

   It has been eight months since our last episode, and a lot has happened. Jonathan and Eric sit down to talk honestly about why the break happened, how the last year has shifted their relationship with the church, and why speaking about faith in public has felt heavier than ever. This conversation sits in the tension between loving the church and calling it out. We talk about grief, frustration, Christian nationalism, worship songs that hit different now, the fear of saying the wrong thing in the wrong place, and what it means to represent Jesus when the loudest voices in the American church feel so far from him. Most of all, we talk about the people who feel stuck in the middle. The ones who still believe in Jesus but do not recognize the version of Christianity around them. The ones trying to love their neighbors when their churches are cheering for ICE raids and political power. The ones who wonder if they are the only ones who feel this way. If that is you, this episode is for you. You are not alone. __________________ Follow us on social: http://instagram.com/jonathan_carone http://instagram.com/ericw712 https://www.threads.com/jonathan_carone https://www.threads.com/@ericw712 __________________ Tension was called Unlearning Youth Group for the first six seasons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

45,192

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

68 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

53 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 86 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

85

Social presence

94

YouTube

76

Engagement

92

Contact Tension

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Tension