There is no more effective way to destroy an institution than to inhabit it, keep its vocabulary, and gut its definitions and convictions. Politicians have done a great job of this regardless of stripe or creed. State Rep. James Talarico (TX D-50) has become the newest architect of this age-old strategy. He is preaching a faith that looks like Christianity on a TikTok feed but functions as a press release for secular progressivism.

As a seventh-generation Texan, I have a deep stake in who represents my state in our nation’s capital. But as a follower of Christ, my concern runs deeper: I cannot stay silent when the language of the Kingdom is hijacked to lead the susceptible into spiritual darkness, wilderness, and confusion.

Talarico is currently making a national name for himself by positioning himself as the moral antidote to the Religious Right. He wants you to know that he hates how religion and politics have been fused. His response? To fuse his faith with modern-day progressive politics.

While appearing on some of the nation’s most popular podcasts and shows, like The Joe Rogan Experience and The Ezra Klein Show, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (kinda), Talarico—a current seminary student— said that many evangelicals are obsessed with issues Jesus “didn’t bother to mention,” referencing abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism. Most notably, he reframed the Annunciation—the moment the Son of God took on flesh in utero—as a divine affirmation of “reproductive consent.” In Talarico’s telling, Mary’s submission to the Almighty was not merely an act of worship, but a negotiation for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights.
As the saying goes, “Progressivism will hollow out your religion and wear its skin like a trophy.” We are witnessing a masterful performance of this strategy in Texas—preaching a new religion while masquerading as the old, authentic one. And it is specifically designed to capture a terminally online and disenchanted 2026 audience.
Candidly, I rarely hold politicians to high theological standards; however, when one postures himself as an exemplar of a more authentic, updated version of the historic faith, I consider it a worthwhile task to hold that posture up to the light of the Word. Read more»

Jamie Wilder | “James Talarico’s Gospel” | March 2, 2026

RESOURCES

• Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
• Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
• The Heidelblog Resource Page
• Heidelmedia Resources
• The Ecumenical Creeds
• The Reformed Confessions
• The Heidelberg Catechism
• The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2025)
• Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
• Why I Am A Christian
• What Must A Christian Believe?
• Heidelblog Contributors
• Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Post authored by:

• Heidelblog

  

  The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.

  More by Heidelblog ›