Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What Does the Confederacy’s Legacy Mean for the Modern South and Christian America?
Host Curtis Chang and New York Times columnist, and Good Faith podcast “founding friend,” David French confront the enduring power of the Confederate myth. David reflects on growing up as a white Southerner in a culture shaped by Confederate symbols, revisionist history, racial injustice, and a deeply rooted shame-and-honor code. Curtis, a Chinese American immigrant, brings an outsider’s perspective that challenges familiar assumptions about heritage, memory, and belonging. Together, they examine Confederate monuments, the theological defenses of slavery, the meaning of “heritage, not hate,” and whether honest historical reckoning can lead to redemption and reconciliation.
02:51 - Curtis Congratulates David on the Birth of His Latest Grandchild
05:54 - Why Does the Confederacy Still Matter?
10:12 - The South's Distinct Cultural Cohesion
22:19 - “Heritage, Not Hate”: A White Southern Perspective
29:52 - Race, Religion, and Revisionism in the South
42:13 - The Resurgence of Explicit Racism
47:20 - What to Do with Confederate Memorials
56:32 - Repenting of Southern Shame-Honor Culture
01:01:32 - Institutions Founded on Injustice Can Carry Spiritual Darkness
Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars: goodfaith.org/the-after-party/webinars
Sign up for The Good List: goodfaith.org/thegoodlist
Mentioned in This Episode:
Learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre: tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre
Learn about The Great Migration: archives.gov/research/african-americans/migrations/great-migration
Watch MLK50 Conference (video): thegospelcoalition.org/conference/mlk50/?filter_media=plenary
More about General George H. Thomas: nps.gov/people/george-thomas.htm
More about the Southern Baptist Convention and slavery: https://srmp.wfu.edu/to-stand-with-and-for-humanity/defending-the-indefensible-wake-forest-baptists-and-the-bible/
What is Kinism: monergism.com/kinism
More about the South’s resistance to Reconstruction: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-southern-violence-during-reconstruction
Read the Civil Rights Act of 1964: archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act
Watch: Selma and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (video): history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/Civil-Rights/VRA-Documentary
Scriptures:
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Ephesians+6:12
Colossians 2:15 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Colossians+2:15
Luke 10:25–37 (ESV): esv.org/Luke+10
Matthew 20:16 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Matthew+20:16
Matthew 10:39 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Matthew+10:39
More From David French:
David French’s New York Times pieces: nytimes.com/by/david-french
Follow David French on Threads: threads.net/@davidfrenchjag?hl=en
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
What Does the Confederacy’s Legacy Mean for the Modern South and Christian America?
Host Curtis Chang and New York Times columnist, and Good Faith podcast “founding friend,” David French confront the enduring power of the Confederate myth. David reflects on growing up as a white Southerner in a culture shaped by Confederate symbols, revisionist history, racial injustice, and a deeply rooted shame-and-honor code. Curtis, a Chinese American immigrant, brings an outsider’s perspective that challenges familiar assumptions about heritage, memory, and belonging. Together, they examine Confederate monuments, the theological defenses of slavery, the meaning of “heritage, not hate,” and whether honest historical reckoning can lead to redemption and reconciliation.
02:51 - Curtis Congratulates David on the Birth of His Latest Grandchild
05:54 - Why Does the Confederacy Still Matter?
10:12 - The South's Distinct Cultural Cohesion
22:19 - “Heritage, Not Hate”: A White Southern Perspective
29:52 - Race, Religion, and Revisionism in the South
42:13 - The Resurgence of Explicit Racism
47:20 - What to Do with Confederate Memorials
56:32 - Repenting of Southern Shame-Honor Culture
01:01:32 - Institutions Founded on Injustice Can Carry Spiritual Darkness
Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars: goodfaith.org/the-after-party/webinars
Sign up for The Good List: goodfaith.org/thegoodlist
Mentioned in This Episode:
Learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre: tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre
Learn about The Great Migration: archives.gov/research/african-americans/migrations/great-migration
Watch MLK50 Conference (video): thegospelcoalition.org/conference/mlk50/?filter_media=plenary
More about General George H. Thomas: nps.gov/people/george-thomas.htm
More about the Southern Baptist Convention and slavery: https://srmp.wfu.edu/to-stand-with-and-for-humanity/defending-the-indefensible-wake-forest-baptists-and-the-bible/
What is Kinism: monergism.com/kinism
More about the South’s resistance to Reconstruction: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-southern-violence-during-reconstruction
Read the Civil Rights Act of 1964: archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act
Watch: Selma and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (video): history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/Civil-Rights/VRA-Documentary
Scriptures:
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Ephesians+6:12
Colossians 2:15 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Colossians+2:15
Luke 10:25–37 (ESV): esv.org/Luke+10
Matthew 20:16 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Matthew+20:16
Matthew 10:39 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Matthew+10:39
More From David French:
David French’s New York Times pieces: nytimes.com/by/david-french
Follow David French on Threads: threads.net/@davidfrenchjag?hl=en
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
