The Deep Map

Dec 26 2023 47 ep. 54 mins 15
The Deep Map Podcast artwork

The Deep Map is a weekly podcast that explores the hidden religious and cultural forces driving headlines in the Near East and around the world. Your host, Robert Nicholson, takes on a new topic each month, peeling back the layers of world events in dialogue with a wide range of guests, looking for answers and challenging his own beliefs along the way.

  Society & Culture  Religion & Spirituality
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


Lessons from October 7th

Dec 26 2023 73 mins  
In this Season Three recap, Robert and Dominique reflect on the podcast’s original trajectory and significant transition following 10/7. Season Three’s guests walked our listeners through topics addressing antisemitism in the U.S., Hamas’s ideology, and the generational gap in support for Israel. One of our biggest takeaways is that perhaps more than ever, the need for Chri

Is There Still Hope in the Holy Land? (Todd Morehead and Justin Kron)

Dec 20 2023 67 mins  
We produced a movie. A few years ago, Philos partnered with Todd Morehead and Justin Kron to discover the human experiences and stories caught in the tension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hope in the Holy Land follows Todd’s journey through Israel and Palestine, where he explores the biblical, religious, and historical narratives that shape the beliefs on both sides of the

Christian Zionism in the 21st Century (Motti Inbari and Kirill Bumin)

Dec 13 2023 59 mins  
The strongest predictor of evangelicals' support for Israel in the U.S. is the age of the believer. After October 7, Harvard found that 45% of 18–24-year-olds side more with Hamas. Today, war views and attitudes towards Israel are defined by generations rather than religious beliefs or political parties. Motti Inbari and Kirill Bumin join Robert and Dominique to discuss their bo

A Future for Protestantism (Mark Tooley)

Dec 06 2023 49 mins  
Mark Tooley is president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and editor of IRD’s foreign policy and national security journal, Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy. Mark joins Robert and Dominique to discuss the division in the United Methodist Church and the challenges Protestantism faces in an age of radical secularism.

40 years of terrorism, faith, and memory from Beirut to Gaza

Nov 30 2023 66 mins  
Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff joins Robert and Dominique to discuss his long naval career and eyewitness testimony of the October 23, 1983, Beirut attack. He tells of hope in the face of loss and the need to combat hate with compassion for all humanity. Rabbi Resnicoff reminds the audience that there is strength in diversity and encourages interfaith friendship to promote pluralism and re

Music and Art in Preserving Culture (Nikos Michailidis)

Nov 24 2023 67 mins  
Dr. Nikos Michailidis is a social-cultural anthropologist; his work focuses on the history of the ancient Pontics and modern Greek culture. Nikos speaks with Robert and Dominique about the importance of art, literature, and language in preserving memory and transmitting culture. For the Pontic Greeks, music helped preserve their ethnic identity during Ottoman persecution and the br

Covering U.S Protests and Marches after October 7th (Mary Margaret Olohan)

Nov 21 2023 61 mins  
Mary Margaret Olohan joins Robert and Dominique to reflect on the culture and analyze how recent protests and rallies following October 7th mirror the current political climate. Mary Margaret is a Senior Reporter at The Daily Signal where she covers the cultural and political stories of the moment through both video and print journalism.

The Crisis of Christianity in the Middle East (Gia Chacón)

Nov 14 2023 65 mins  
Gia Chacón is the founder of For the Martyrs, a Christian non-profit seeking to raise awareness about the crisis of Christian persecution, advocate for religious freedom, and aid victims of persecution worldwide. Gia speaks with Robert and Dominique about her work with the persecuted church and the crisis of Western Christianity. Gia reminds the audience about Israel’s importanc

9/11 to 10/7: American Intervention in the Middle East (Garrett Exner)

Nov 08 2023 68 mins  
Garrett Exner joins Robert and Dominique in analyzing the changing Middle Eastern landscape and Israel’s counter-offensive following the October 7th attack. Exner is the executive director of the Public Interest Fellowship in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a staffer to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as a counterterrorism policy adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,

Witness to Hamas’ Terror (Emily Schrader)

Nov 03 2023 64 mins  
Israeli journalist Emily Schrader joins The Deep Map to share her eyewitness account of the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7th terror attack. Covering a wide range of topics, from the Iranian regime’s support of terrorism to what it’s like working in a bomb shelter when the air raid sirens blare, Schrader delivers a heartfelt and clear testimony as to why Israel won’t back do