Joseph Backholm

Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement

Joseph Backholm is Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. He combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way biblical truth cultivates human flourishing.

Previously, Mr. Backholm served as legal counsel and Director of What Would You Say? at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview where he developed and launched a growing platform that creates short, animated videos answering common questions about faith and culture. His YouTube career began as a self-identified "6'5 Chinese Woman" in a series of YouTube videos exploring the logic of gender identity.

He served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the President and General Counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy.

He is a Washington State native who loves travel, sports, and whatever his kids are into. Joseph received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from Seattle University. He and his wife Brook have four children. 

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Recent Activity

Ep. 140: Navigating Election Season with Pastor Gary Hamrick

Ep. 139: Raising Children in a Woke Culture with Katy Faust

Ep. 138: Update on Israel - Future of the Middle East

Ep. 137: Life In Occupied Ukraine - An Update

Ep.136: Make Civics Great Again

Ep. 135: Politics for People Who Hate Politics with Denise Gitsham

Ep. 133: How to Think Biblically About the Economy with Jerry Bowyer

Ep. 132: Kamala Harris's Policies

Ep. 131: The Deep State with Eric Teetsel

The Difference between a Christian Conscience and a Secular Conscience

Ep. 130: Minnesota Educators, PELSB, and Freedom of Religion

Ep. 129: Pros and Cons of the Child Tax Credit

Ep. 128: Important Voter Issues - Abortion Edition

Ep. 127: A Breakdown of the Democratic National Convention

Ep. 126: What to Do About the Department of Education

Ep. 125: Who is JD Vance?

Ep. 124: Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Ep. 123: Who is Tim Walz?

Ep. 122: Making a Difference with Bunni Pounds

Ep. 121: Religious Freedom Is Under Attack with Renee Carlson

Ep. 120: The Impact and Spread of the Transgender Ideology with Brandon Showalter

Ep. 119: Who is Kamala Harris with Jonathan Keller

Ep. 118: A Psychedelic Experience with Jennifer Bauwens

Ep. 117: RNC Party Platform Reflections

Ep. 116: A Christian Perspective on the Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

Ep.115: The Truth Behind Chemical Abortion with Elizabeth Gillette

Ep. 114: Integrating Faith and Sports with Coach Gilliam

Reality, Anyone?

Ep. 113: A Conversation with Gen Z

Ep. 112: Independence Day with Rick Green pt. 2

Ep. 111: Independence Day with Rick Green pt.1

Ep. 110: Should Christians Support Israel with Dr. Jeff Myers

Ep. 109: Corporate Pride with Stephen Soukup

Matt Rosendale, Jack Phillips, Jake Warner, Jim Runestad, Joseph Backholm

Ep. 108: People Can CHANGE with Elizabeth Woning

It's About Far More Than Politics

Ep. 107: What is Happening in Europe and Why Should Americans Care?

Ep. 106: Queer Politics with Joy Pullmann

Ep. 105: PRIDE Goeth Before the Fall Month - Rosaria Butterfield

Ep. 104: The Long Term Effects of Pride with Walt Heyer

Ep. 103: Voddie Baucham on Pride: It's Not Like Being Black

Ep. 102: George Barna - How to Raise Spiritual Champions

Just Ask A Boy Scout

Ep. 101: The Original Constitution - What Has Changed?

Ep. 100: Who is the WHO?

Ep. 99: A Prison Guard's Testimony: Transgender Agenda in Prisons

Ep. 98: What Can Death Teach Us About Life with Detective J. Warner Wallace

Ep.97: Anti-Semitism - How Is It Affecting Current Events, Politics, and Culture?

The 4th Circuit Chooses Willful Ignorance

University Protests Are Evidence of a Failed Education System

Ep. 96: Deconstruction with Alisa Childers pt.2

Ep. 95: Deconstruction with Alisa Childers pt.1

Ep. 94: Title IX - Revisions & Repercussions

Randy Weber, Gordon Chang, Gabe Kaminsky, Joseph Backholm

Ep. 93: The Economy and Fertility Rates: Are They Connected?

Ep. 92: Samuel Sey on Assisted Suicide

Ep. 91: Luke Moon - The Current and Future State of Israel

Ep. 90: Surrogacy - A Moral Argument with Katy Faust

Ep. 89: Abortion and the Changing Political Landscape

Ep. 88: Solar Eclipse - Doomsday or Intentional Design?

Ep. 87: Raided by the DEI: Mark Bauerlein on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Ep. 86: The Soft Tyranny of Smartphones

Ep. 85: Jody Hice on Election Integrity

Ep. 84: What Is Happening In Haiti?

Ep. 83: The War on Language - How to Discern the Truth

An Era of Euphemism and Lies

Ep. 82: The Illusion of the Gold Coast - Where is California Headed?

Ep. 81: Dr. Eithan Haim - A Whistleblower's Testimony

Ep. 80: The Battle for the Border - A Christian Perspective on Immigration

Ep. 79: Bill Bock on the NCAA Transgender Policies

Ep.78: Analyzing the Rise of Hostility Against Churches

Ep. 77: Janet Boynes - A Story of Redemption

Ep. 76: Alabama, IVF, and the Dignity of Human Life

Laken Riley Did Not Have To Die

Ep. 75: Josh Abbotoy on Creating Intentional Christian Communities and Institutions

A Fatal Ignorance

Ep. 74: Michael Graham on The Great American Dechurching

Ep. 73: Jennifer Lahl on the Detransitioner Movement and Influences

Ep. 72: Christian Nationalism from All Sides of the (Produce) Aisle

Anatomy of a Deconstruction

Ep. 71: How to Pursue Marriage and Relationships in a Biblical Way

An Open Border Policy Is Not a Biblical Mandate

Ep. 70: David Bahnsen on a Biblical Perspective of Work and Rest

Ep. 69: Aaron Renn on Life in a Negative World

Ep. 68: Taylor Swift & The Influence of Music

Ep.67: The Future of AI In The Church

They Lied To Us

Ep. 66: Kevin Freeman on the Economy, Digital Currency, and Pirate Money

Ep. 65: Life In Occupied Ukraine - One Pastor's Story Of Encouragement

Ep. 64: Nancy Pearcey on The Toxic War On Masculinity pt.2

Ep. 63: Nancy Pearcey on The Toxic War On Masculinity

Ep. 62: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing

The Pornography Divide

Ep. 61: Public Good or Personal Gain - Should Congress Members Own Their Own Stocks?

Ep. 60: When a Republican Governor Vetos a Law Protecting Children

Ep. 59: Resolved: Stephen J. Nichols, Jonathan Edwards, and How to Make a Resolution

Ep. 58: First Amendment & Higher Education Reform

Ep. 57: The Ethics of Voting As A Christian

Ep. 56: Rosaria Butterfield: An Unlikely Convert

Ep. 55: Rosaria Butterfield and Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age

Ep. 54: Raising Up the Next Generation: A Gen Z Perspective

Ep. 53: How To Start A Christian School

Ep. 52: The Current and Future State of America with Os Guinness

Disney Admits to Prioritizing Politics over Profits

Ep. 51: How to Save Western Civilization (Calvin Robinson pt. 2)

Ep. 50: Pt. 1: The Changing of Culture

It’s Okay to Be Thankful

Ep. 49: Thankfulness vs. Gratitude: Is Thanksgiving a Christian Holiday?

Ep. 48: Life in the Aftermath of 2023

Ep. 47: Sex As Industry, and the Audacity of Guarding Against It

Ep. 46: From Anxiety to Peace: A Christian Consideration of Mental Health

Americans Love Sex More Than Life

Ep. 45: Criminal Justice System Reform: A Biblical Model

Ep. 44: Speaker Mike Johnson - Too Biblical For The Media?

Ep. 43: Why You Should Care About Ohio Issue One

Ep.42: Christian Just War Theory: Israel and Hamas

This Is Your Brain on Critical Theory

Ep. 41: When is 'Christian' Teaching No Longer Christian?

Ep. 40: Unpacking the Hamas/Israel War

Ep. 39: Free Speech vs. Government Censorship

Ep. 38: The War on Men

Ep. 37: Israel at War: The Lay of the Land

Ep. 36: What Does It Mean To Be a Conservative?

Ep. 35: How has the Abortion Industry Changed?

Ep. 34: What Forms a Worldview?

Ep. 33: We Are Not Our Own

Ep. 32: Thinking Biblically About Where You Spend Your Money

Teach Your Children Well

Ep. 31: In Good Company: When Business Takes a Risk on What's Right

Ep. 30: The Seven Cornerstones of a Biblical Worldview

An Act of Political Evasion

Episode 29: How to Advance Pro-Family and Pro-Life Issues in a Blue State

Ep. 28: What Causes Transgenderism?

A Strange 2024 Election Is Taking Shape

Ep. 27: Scandal, Politics, and The Family Business

Ep. 26: Everyone has the Right to Free Speech

Ep. 25: Back to School -- The State of Education in America

Trump Supporters Are Sending A Message

Ep. 24: The Importance of Knowing America's Foundational Values

The Rise and Risk of the Chosen Family

Ep. 23: UFOs, the U.S. Government, and the Bible: The Truth is out There

Jack Smith: Prosecutor or Biden’s Press Manager?

Ep. 22: Confusion, Feminism, and What it Really Means to Be a Woman

Ep. 21: California Scheming on Parental Rights

Why Are Young Liberals So Unhappy?

Chestfeeding Recommendations Tell Us about the Sexual Revolution

Ep. 20: Is Gen Z The End of The Line for Humanity?

Ep. 19: Economics, Bidenomics, and the Kingdom of God

Supreme Court Says You Can’t Fight Racism with Racism

Ep. 18: America, Foreign Affairs, and Religious Freedom -- A Conversation with Sam Brownback

Ep. 17: California, USA and The Leftovers of The Progressive Lurch

Brittney Griner Finds Gratitude for America

Ep. 16: Exporting Pride: The USA's New Foreign Policy Priorities

Ep. 15: When It Isn't 'My Pleasure' to Buy From Activist Corporations

10 Things for Christians to Remember during Pride Month

Ep. 14: Pride Month & Saying Yes to Something Better

Ep. 13: Griner's New Perspective on Anthem; Dodgers' Pride Night Swipe at Faith

No, You Can’t Invoke the 14th Amendment to Raise the Debt Ceiling

Ep 12: Socialism under the Microscope

Ep. 11: Cutting the Grass: Marijuana Culture and What To Do about It

A War On Nature and Nature's God Escalates

The Injustice of Biden’s Equity Agenda

Ep. 10: The Elephant in the Groom: Schools, Grooming, and Your Kids

Sad and Futile Ideas About Happiness

Ep. 9: The Government's Chemical Romance with Death

Why Are Young Progressives So Unhappy?

Ep. 8: Christian Approaches to the Crisis of Violence

Why Blue States Are Legalizing Kidnapping

Ep. 7: This Bud's for Wokeness; Country Music Drags on; Violence on Churches; Border Protection Unchristian?

Thinking Biblically about Guns

Ep. 6: Pronouns Verbally Processed

Ep. 5: The Nashville School Murders and the Way Forward

Ep. 4: Courage with a (Hockey) Stick; Artificial Intelligence Meets Real Idolatry

Ep 3: A Bank Collapse (And The Things That Don't Fail)

Ep 2: Women, Drew Barrymore, and The Trans Patriarchy; What Biden Labels 'Close to Sinful'

A Master's Degree in Miseducation

Ep 1: Introducing Outstanding; Deion Sanders Gets Checked; The Rise of Chemical Abortion; Congress Dances with TikTok

Ukraine, East Palestine, and the Politics of Crisis

Fighting An Online Epidemic

When The World Calls Christians "Fascist"

At Grammys and Elsewhere, the Devil Is in the Details

Haris Alic, Randy Weber, Glenn Youngkin, Mark Houck, Mary Miller, Joseph Backholm

Bob Good, Connor Semelsberger, Joseph Backholm, Tony Perkins, Gregg Walters

School Choice Is an Issue of Discipleship

Is California The True Freedom State?

A Win For The Status Quo

What John Fetterman Teaches Us about Why We Vote

Policies Have Consequences, Mr. President

The Injustice of the Equity Agenda

An Excuse to Discriminate?

The Left Isn’t Afraid of Christian Nationalism. They’re Afraid of Christians.

Is It UnChristian to Send Migrants to Chicago and Martha’s Vineyard?

Motherless or fatherless, on purpose

Disciple Your Kids and Run for School Board

A Transgender Power Play in California

In the Marriage Debate, Let’s Make Sure We Define ‘Love’ the Same Way God Does

Politics and the Strange Providence of God

It’s Okay to Be Grateful for America

Biden v. America

Why Are Drag Queens Everywhere?

We Expect Too Much of Government

The Supreme Court Case That Could Be as Important as Dobbs

Are they now the Tampa Bay Gay Pride Rays?

What Christians Should Remember about Pride Month

Refusing to Let the Law Tell Lies

Fighting over the assets in our cultural divorce

Mary Miller, Matt Carpenter, Jonathan Mitchell, David Closson, Joseph Backholm

Mike Waltz, Kevin Brady, Joseph Backholm, Mary Margaret Olohan, Becky Gerritson

Ukraine, Russia, and Who to Believe

Florida bill shows how good policy makes for good politics

Despite War, Progressive Priorities Remain Unchanged

Is America really getting gayer?

Should Christians Always Be Winsome?

When Liberal "Truths" Come Home to Roost, We Get Lia Thomas

Is Diversity a Biblical Goal?

The courage of Barronelle Stutzman

The Sleeper SCOTUS Case That Could Radically Change Education

Haris Alic, Kevin Cramer, Mark Green, Bob Fu, Luther Harrison, Dave Brat

Cultural bullies out for revenge

Let's take them at their word

What To Believe About Issues Jesus Didn't Discuss

While the World Burns, Biden Celebrates Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal

Obeying Politicians Is Not the Same as Obeying the Law

Critical Race Theory and the Path to Truth

Back to School Is Different This Year

How Unmet Expectations Destroy our Faith

Thinking Biblically About Racism

Thinking Biblically About "Pride Month"

Why I Don't Use Preferred Pronouns

Thinking Biblically About Judging

Thinking Biblically About Communication

Thinking Biblically About Identity

Thinking Biblically About Forgiveness

Thinking Biblically About Love

Is the Equality Act Biden's dragonnade?

Thinking Biblically About Safety

Trump Judges and the Equality Act

Ohio Public School Orders Teachers and Students to Lobby for LGBT Legislation

For LGBT Activists, Critical Thinking Has Become Offensive

Utah Parents Push Back Against the Transgender Agenda - and Win

Alabama Bill Would Protect Children From Puberty Blockers

Thinking Biblically About Unity

7 Executive Actions on Abortion, Gender Identity We Can Expect From Biden

What Does Joe Biden's HHS Nominee Have to Do with the Senate Run-Offs in Georgia?

Why the Left Lost the Election Even if Biden Wins the White House

Reince Priebus, Ken Blackwell, J. Christian Adams, Connor Semelsberger, Mary Beth Waddell, Joseph Backholm, Brent Keilen

Christian Voting Myth #4: "I'm Not in the Majority Where I Live, So Why Bother?"

The Left's (Real) Issue with Amy Coney Barrett

Christian Voting Myth #3: "I Don't Like Either Candidate, So What's the Point?"

Christian Voting Myth #2: "God Is in Charge Anyway So It Doesn't Matter if I Vote"

Christian Voting Myth #1: "One Vote Doesn't Make a Difference"

The religious war over the Supreme Court

Why There's Nothing Unprecedented about what the Republicans (or Democrats) are Doing

Jonathan Cahn, Carter Conlon, Joseph Backholm

The Election Started Today. Here Are Five Things to Remember.

What it Means if Kamala Harris is a "Pragmatic Moderate"

Michele Bachmann, John Schilling, Doug Wilson, Joseph Backholm

Why Every Church Should Start a Christian School

Coronavirus, Education, and Tofu: Why Choice is the Solution to the Education Conundrum

SCOTUS Delivers for Religious Schools