The God Squad Pod

The plot thickens. The standards don’t. From the new press secretary’s stumble-and-fumble debut to Abdul El-Sayed’s debate and James Talarico’s town hall, we’re unpacking who showed up, who showed out, and who needs their script rewritten. Plus: the raid on Ilhan Omar’s home, the reported push to strip her citizenship and deport her, and Trump’s diesel deal with Putin... because apparently “A...

America’s serving up another episode of “This Cannot Be Real,” and Dillon & Desimber are clocking in. Tonight on The God Squad Podcast , we’re unpacking the headlines, calling out the hypocrisy, and asking what happens when political power gets mistaken for divine permission. Dillon reveals this week’s Fundamentalist Fuckwittery (FFW) candidate, while Desimber tackles This MF —because sometime...

What happens when presidents threaten the democracy they’re sworn to protect? Dillon and Desimber welcome constitutional scholar Corey Brettschneider, host of The Oath and the Office , for a timely conversation about presidential power, constitutional accountability, and the people who push back. Drawing from his book, The Presidents and the People , we’ll explore lessons from past presidenti...

Dillon and Desimber break down the battle over media, messaging, and political power. We’re talking Trump’s failed attempt to ban major news outlets from White House access, the launch of Trump TV and the growing debate over government-controlled media, plus new polling showing serious warning signs for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. What does this mean for press freedom, the GOP, an...

Dillon & Desimber welcome author and Quoir Publishing co-owner Keith Giles to The God Squad SPOTLIGHT for a fascinating conversation about his creative evolution from nonfiction theology to science fiction.  We'll explore what inspired this unexpected shift, why the launch of Pink Beam Press could signal a bold new future for Quoir Publishing, and how science fiction can challenge authori...

Everybody's got something to say about James Talarico needing to EARN the Black vote. Fair question. But does that same standard apply to Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. Venton Jones? Because apparently, Chris Brown gets congressional recognition, while the pastors, activists, educators, and nonprofits doing the work in Crockett's own district aren't getting the same spotlight!  We'...

Rev. Henry is an Anglican priest, speaker, and widely respected online voice whose ministry reaches thousands through honest conversations about faith, justice, Scripture, and what it means to follow Jesus with both conviction and compassion. Through her work at the Church of the Holy Wisdom in Toronto and her growing digital ministry, she has encouraged people around the world to wrestle with dif...

Leslie Nease—host of Honoring the Journey, spiritual director, coach, author, and former Survivor contestant, joins Dillon & Desimber for an honest conversation about her evolving spiritual journey, deconstructing inherited beliefs, rebuilding faith beyond certainty, and her book Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian. We’ll also explore her work helping others navigate faith...

Dillon & Desimber sit down with Daniella Mestyanek Young, "The Knitting Cult Lady", for a powerful conversation about survival, identity, belief, and the systems that teach us who we are allowed to become. Daniella is the bestselling author of Uncultured and co-author of The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them. Raised in the Children of God, a notorious sex cult, she survive...

Dillon & Desimber are taking on a week of headlines that somehow managed to combine religion, war, money, and bigotry into one political circus. We’re unpacking the hyper-religious GOP convention , Trump’s eyebrow-raising promise of a $5,000 stimulus check if Republicans win , and how the Iran War is sending gas prices soaring . We’ll also confront the ugly wave of Islamophobia aimed at M...

Dillon and Desimber dive headfirst into another week where the headlines apparently looked at “normal” and said, nah, we’re good. From Republicans reportedly dodging Trump’s big midterm convention while he makes the election all about himself, to Iran-war damage control, ICE controversy, and a new Trump administration attack on DEI—there’s a whole lot of politics desperately searching for some san...

And Another Thing... is a new monologue spin-off from The God Squad, featuring Desimber Rose, Co-Host of The God Squad. In this episode, Desimber explores moral disengagement, privilege blindness, and psychological distance through the stories of Milo Yiannopoulos and Charlie Kirk—asking what happens when the consequences we accept for “other people” suddenly become personal. It’s a provocative re...

Apparently America’s biggest problem was… Lake Ontario having the wrong name. Donald Trump officially signed an executive order renaming it “Lake America” as his feud with Canada escalates. Meanwhile, he’s telling voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot,” Republicans are catching heat from their own side, and somehow we’re expected to treat all of this like normal politics. We will not.&nbs...

Author Daniel Henderson joins The God Squad to discuss his newest book, Reflections of a Recovered Evangelical: Love Plus Nothing Else . We explore what comes after deconstruction, the difference between “recovering” and “recovered,” and Dan’s journey toward a faith centered on radical love rather than doctrine, dogma, or religious certainty.  It’s a conversation about questioning what we inherite...

What happens when Christianity becomes entangled with political power?  The God Squad sits down with Pastor Cody Deese of Vinings Lake Church for a no-nonsense conversation about Christian Nationalism, MAGA, Donald Trump, and activism from the pulpit. We discuss  what it means to be an activist in the pulpit, why Cody refuses to remain silent about injustice and harmful political ideology, the dan...

This week on The God Squad , Dillon and Desimber welcome historian, writer, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez , author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation . Du Mez joins us for a fascinating conversation about the history of White Evangelicalism and the intersection of religion, gender, masculinity, politica...

What happens when the faith you've always known no longer looks like the Jesus you love? This week on The God Squad Podcast, Dillon and Desimber welcome Amy Hawk, author of The Judas Effect: How Evangelicals Betrayed Jesus for Power, for an honest conversation about faith, politics, and spiritual transformation. Amy shares the deeply personal journey that inspired her book, why she believes the Am...

In this episode of The God Squad Podcast , Dillon and Desimber welcome Fr. Joash P. Thomas —priest, public theologian, author, and educator—for a compelling conversation about his book, The Justice of Jesus . Together they explore what biblical justice really means, why peacemaking is central to the Gospel, and how Christians can faithfully embody the teachings of Jesus in a divided world. Fr. Joa...

This week on The God Squad , Dillon and Desimber dive into the biggest headlines shaping faith, politics, and justice in Breaking News and Broken Theology . Dillon names Doug Wilson as his Fundamentalist Fuckwit of the Week , while Desimber spotlights Pastor Dale Partridge as This MF of the Week , unpacking the influence of White Christian Nationalism and its impact on the Church and society. The...

Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin joins Dillon and Desimber for a thoughtful conversation about Progressive Christianity and its relevance in today's world. Together they explore what Progressive Christianity is, the mission of the modern church, and the role Christians can play in pursuing justice, compassion, and reconciliation. Dr. Sandlin also shares what he believes is his calling in these tumultuous tim...

Dillon & Desimber debrief the debate of Matthew Distefano and Andrew Wilson on "Modern Day Debate." The question that persists within the church and within the political arena is: Where do LGBTQ+ people belong? Do they belong in the Church? If not, why? If so, how do we validate that position in scripture? And ultimately the age old question remains, What Would Jesus Do? Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

Former MAGA activist Jerry Koch joins Dillon and Desimber to share his powerful journey into—and ultimately out of—the MAGA movement. Together, they explore the role of faith, identity, and political culture in shaping beliefs, what prompted Jerry to question his worldview, and how he found a new path grounded in compassion, critical thinking, and service. They also discuss his work with the Leavi...

Dillon & Desimber discuss the growing collision of politics, entertainment, and spectacle in American culture following a UFC fight at the White House. The proposed Iran deal is taking fire from both Republicans and Democrats. Is it a pathway to peace, political theater, or something else entirely? The star-studded Grand Opening of the Obama Presidential Center and the legacy President Obama leave...

This week on The God Squad, Dillon and Desimber dive headfirst into another week of breaking news, broken theology, and the ongoing collision between faith and public life.  First, we'll tackle the headlines dominating the news cycle, Then we'll turn our attention to one of the biggest stories in American Christianity this week. At its annual meeting in Orlando, the Southern Baptist Convention vot...

What happens when the faith you've inherited no longer fits the questions you're asking? Join us this week as we welcome award-winning author and essayist Liz Charlotte Grant, author of Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible. Together we'll explore the intersections of faith, doubt, Scripture, deconstruction, reconstruction, and what it means to keep seeking God w...