Real America’s Voice: The War Room with Stephen K. Bannon

Episode 5021 | December 24, 2025

Main Theme & Overview

This special Christmas Eve episode of The War Room with Stephen K. Bannon spotlights the state of Christianity in the modern West, explores the enduring and evolving legacy of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, and highlights the struggles and resilience of Christian communities in the Holy Land and beyond. Featuring live contributions from Bethlehem and the Vatican, the conversation weaves together history, faith, culture, and urgent contemporary realities—particularly regarding Christian-Muslim relations, the waning of Christianity in Europe, and the imperative of protecting embattled Christian communities worldwide.

Key Guests & Locations

• Stephen K. Bannon (Host, USA)
• Ben Harnwell (Correspondent, Vatican/Rome)
• Jason Jones (On location, Bethlehem)
• Father Issa (Greek Orthodox Priest, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem)
• Alice Kisia (Christian activist, Bethlehem)

Segment Summaries & Key Insights

1. The Meaning of Christmas in Europe and the Enduring Spirit of Faith

Timestamps: 07:01–16:19

Discussion Points

• Bannon goes live to Bethlehem and the Vatican on Christmas Eve, seeking eyewitness insights into the historical and current state of Christian communities.
• Ben Harnwell highlights the differing ways Christmas is observed in Italy versus England, noting a decline in explicit Christian meaning in the UK due to the secularization of the Anglican Church:

  "In Italy, it's a residue, but it's still left that Christmas is fundamentally a religious festival, whereas in England...there's no focus on Jesus Christ, there's no focus on his nativity. It's just a purely pagan festival of indulgence in the UK." (Ben Harnwell, 09:49)

• Harnwell argues that England moved from a muscular, missionary Victorian Christianity to a fully secular institution, laying the groundwork for the decline of the supernatural aspect of faith—and with it, Christian morality.
• He voices concern for Catholicism in southern Europe, warning against following the UK model and noting the rise of Islam as the dominant faith in much of Western Europe:

  "We're no longer a post-Christian West, we're a pre-Islamic West, and that's what we're trying to stop." (Ben Harnwell, 16:13)

Notable Quote

• Stephen K. Bannon:

  "...many of the traditions we have in the United States really come from Victorian England. And if you look at Victorian England, I would argue that leading up to World War I...that Victorian muscular Christianity...How did we go from that...to modern UK today with the Church of England being completely secularized?" (12:10)

2. Bethlehem: History, Humility, and the Living Stones

Timestamps: 22:05–32:11, 40:50–45:08

Discussion Points

• Jason Jones asks Father Issa to describe Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth and trace its evolution.
• Father Issa explains:

  "When Mary and Joseph came from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it was an old house...barely places you can see like houses, small houses, and it's not actually you can live in...They found just in a place which is stable for animals...God born in a place to be with the poverty people and to simplicity, to live with simplicity." (Father Issa, 23:14)

• The "Humble Door" of the Church of the Nativity teaches humility, reflecting Christ's birth in poverty and simplicity.
• Emphasizes Christian and Muslim coexistence in Bethlehem, citing shared celebrations and mutual respect—a striking contrast with the broader regional and global trends of religious strife.
• The concept of "living stones": The faithful community, not merely structures, sustains the church's presence and message over centuries.

Notable Moments

• On St. Joseph as a model for Christian manhood:

  "He had calloused hands. He was a carpenter, he was amiable, he was kind, he was gentle...But this is deep in your heart, like you think when God just put things, like to think wisely, with love, with respect." (Father Issa, 27:38–28:13)

• On coexistence:

  "In Bethlehem, since I was born, actually, I can tell that we live Christians and Muslims together side by side." (Father Issa, 30:01)

3. Christian-Muslim Relations and Persecution in the Middle East

Timestamps: 29:17–32:11, 40:50–45:08

Discussion Points

• Bannon and Jones probe the differences in Christian-Muslim relations in Bethlehem versus elsewhere, especially given widespread persecution of Christians across the Middle East and North Africa.
• Father Issa reflects on the 750-year survival of Orthodox communities under shifting powers (Ottoman Caliphate, Crusaders, British, and present-day pressures).
• He distinguishes between the deep, local relationships of Muslims and Christians in Bethlehem and the rise of political Islam and extremism elsewhere, leading to exodus and violence against Christians (e.g., Iraq, Syria, Nigeria).
• The continuing emigration of Christians due to occupation, lack of dignity, and safety is addressed.
• Father Issa’s urgent call for Christian communities to remain, to be “living stones” and to preserve the Christian heritage of the Holy Land.

Notable Quotes

• Father Issa:

  "Maybe some of them like Christians lived like with fear, you know, with no hope...in many Christians communities...they're leaving, immigrations...Christians are immigrating and still leaving Syria, Iraq and even Palestine. Even in Bethlehem many people left this because of these difficulties, living under difficult occupation or difficult situations." (41:19–42:56)

• On staying:

  "We would never leave. Actually, I lived in America...but we refuse because we need. Our land is different...Everything begins from Christianity, began from Bethlehem where Jesus was born to give this peace and love." (Father Issa, 43:55)

4. Political Forecasts and the Future of Christianity in the Region

Timestamps: 45:09–48:47, 56:44–60:54

Discussion Points

• Bannon floats the controversial idea of a three-state solution: a Christian state stretching from the Christian quarter of Jerusalem to Bethlehem, in light of ongoing changes in Gaza and the wider region.
• At the Vatican, Ben Harnwell forecasts the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass with the new Pope Leo, anticipating a blend of traditional Christian themes with subtle political messaging, as opposed to the more openly political stance of the previous Pope Francis.
• Harnwell warns of Pope Leo’s calculated continuation of “revolutionary” changes within Catholicism:

  "You might not get the full frontal Marxism of Pope Francis, but it's not, you're not going to get pure Milton Friedman either...He's going to be doing what he always does in his subtler way, which is continuing the revolution of Bergoglio...but in a way that beds down amongst the church rather than generating opposition..." (Ben Harnwell, 46:21)

5. Calls to Action and Support for Holy Land Christians

Timestamps: 58:32–60:54

Discussion Points

• Jason Jones and guest Alice Kisia share efforts to provide practical aid to Christians in Gaza and Bethlehem through organizations like the Vulnerable People Project and campaigns to “Save Al Mahloor.”
• Alice Kisia expresses gratitude to President Trump and appeals for greater international action to help Christians remain in their ancestral homeland:

  "I thank Mr. President Trump that he's bringing us hope and peace to the Middle East and especially Palestine." (Alice Kisia, 59:27)

• Father Issa’s repeated plea: “We need an act. We need support...just keep them staying in Bethlehem, staying in their lands and not to leave.” (44:33)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Ben Harnwell on secularization in the UK:

  "It's just a purely pagan festival of indulgence in the UK and one of the reasons…is...the absolute implosion of the Church of England, the Anglican Communion..." (09:49)

• On the meaning of Bethlehem’s “Humble Door”:

  "The door of the Church of Nativity is called humble door. So when we bow inside as to go inside for the place for the King of the kings was born in a place like in a stable of animals." (Father Issa, 24:00)

• Jason Jones reflecting as a convert:

  "When you look back, what good news is it? That the Caesar is not God, the Pharaoh is not God, but I could be a humble peasant, I can be a slave, but I am made in the image of God." (Jason Jones, 26:00)

• On perseverance despite hardship:

  "Bethlehem without the Christians means nothing. We need them to continue living in there and call them living stones." (Father Issa, 43:16)

Closing Thoughts & Next Steps

The episode concludes with well-wishes for Christmas, information on how listeners can support Christian communities in the Holy Land through various projects, and a tease for future programming (including Bannon’s annual “Combat History of Christmas” special). Both correspondents urge continued prayer, action, and solidarity with the Christian "living stones" who maintain faith and hope at Christianity’s source, despite mounting pressures.

Find More / Stay Connected

• Jason Jones:

  • Vulnerable People Project: vulnerablepeopleproject.com
  • Social: @JasonJonesShow (Instagram, Substack, Podcast)

• Alice Kisia:

  • Instagram: @AliceKisia
  • Save Al Mahloor: al-mahrur.org

• Ben Harnwell:

  • Getter: @harnwell

Recommended Segments & Timestamps

• 07:01 – Bannon launches global Christmas coverage from Bethlehem and the Vatican
• 09:38 – Harnwell compares the meaning of Christmas in Rome vs. London/Paris
• 22:05 – Father Issa describes Bethlehem at the Nativity and today
• 29:17 – Questions on Christian-Muslim coexistence in Bethlehem
• 40:50 – Addressing persecution and the need for Christians to remain in the Holy Land
• 46:21 – Harnwell on Pope Leo's first Christmas and the future of the church
• 58:32 – On-the-ground activism for Holy Land Christians with Alice Kisia

Tone:
Serious, reflective, and passionate; emphasizing cultural, religious, and political stakes amid ongoing crises for Christians in the Middle East, with occasional direct advocacy and a sense of historical urgency consistent with Bannon’s “War Room” style.