The Bulletin Review: Therapists' Free Speech, Grads' Careers, and Hegseth's Imprecatory Prayer

If you've ever wished your Friday news roundup came with actual theological depth instead of hot takes, The Bulletin from Christianity Today might be your podcast. This episode — covering the Supreme Court's landmark conversion therapy ruling, the bleak job market for new graduates, and Pete Hegseth's prayer habits — is a solid example of what Clarissa Mall and Russell Moore do well: take genuinely complicated stories and make them worth 53 minutes of your time. If you're searching for a The Bulletin Therapists' Free Speech, Grads' Careers, review, here's the honest version.

What's Good

The opening segment on the Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling against Colorado's conversion therapy ban is the strongest stretch of the episode. Luke Goodrich of the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty walks through what the law actually said — and it's more nuanced than most headlines let on. The ban wasn't targeting shock therapy (which Goodrich flatly notes is "long-dead"); it was targeting talk therapy, specifically licensed counselors who helped minors work through gender identity questions in ways that didn't affirm transition. The chilling detail: violators faced $250,000 fines and loss of licensure, even though Colorado had never enforced the law. Goodrich's explanation of the "chilling effect" — the idea that you don't need to prosecute someone to silence them — is genuinely illuminating, and it's the kind of First Amendment nuance that gets flattened everywhere else.

Moore and Mall are good hosts in the best sense: they ask the obvious questions so you don't have to feel dumb for having them. When Mall points out that Colorado had a religious exemption and had never enforced the law, Goodrich's answer — that the threat of enforcement is the whole point — reframes the case cleanly. That's good radio.

The segment on young graduates entering a difficult job market hits differently if you have a college-aged kid or recently graduated yourself. The conversation doesn't just wring its hands; it situates the anxiety in something bigger about vocation and identity, which is very on-brand for Christianity Today and more useful than the usual "here are five tips" framing.

The Hegseth imprecatory prayer segment — yes, prayers of judgment and cursing from the Psalms — is the wildcard, and it earns its place. Rather than just dunking on or defending Hegseth, the episode uses the moment to ask a genuinely interesting question: what does it mean to pray against your enemies, and is that even coherent for a Christian? It's the kind of theological sidebar that makes The Bulletin feel less like a news show and more like a smart dinner conversation.

The Ad Load

Four ads, 3 minutes, 5.3% of the episode — that's a light load by podcast standards, and the sponsors (Bible Studies for Life, Tindall House Publishers, Glue technology platform, and Zondervan Bibles) are on-brand enough that they don't feel jarring. Still, if you'd rather skip The Bulletin ads entirely, PodSkip is free and handles all four automatically with on-device AI that listens ahead and jumps past them without you touching anything.

Verdict

8 / 10 — A well-structured, substantive episode that treats its audience as adults; the conversion therapy deep-dive alone is worth the runtime.

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FAQ

What is the Supreme Court ruling on conversion therapy that this episode covers?

The episode covers the Supreme Court's 8-1 decision to strike down Colorado's conversion therapy ban, which the Court found violated First Amendment free speech protections for licensed counselors. Guest Luke Goodrich of the Beckett Fund explains how the law targeted verbal counseling — not any physical practice — and how even unenforced laws create a chilling effect on professional speech.

Is The Bulletin from Christianity Today worth subscribing to?

If you want news analysis that integrates faith, ethics, and public policy without shouting, yes. Hosts Clarissa Mall and Russell Moore bring in well-sourced guests and ask follow-up questions that actually move the conversation. It's best for listeners who want context, not just headlines.

How do I skip ads on The Bulletin podcast automatically?

PodSkip is a free app that uses on-device AI to detect and skip ads in real time — including the four sponsors in this episode. You just listen normally and it jumps past them automatically, no manual fast-forwarding required.