Cult Favorite

A new three-episode documentary series from National Geographic and Hulu focuses on the last day of The Peoples Temple. Why are we fascinated with these stories of trauma, violence, and horror? Why can't we look away from Jonestown? Links: You’re Wrong About episode, “The Jonestown Massacre”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jonestown-massacre/id1380008439?i=1000465289969 J.Z. Smith c...

It's part 2 of our discussion of Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults on Hulu. Let's talk about Heaven's Gate and Star Trek! Links: Interview with director Clay Tweel: https://www.increativecompany.com/watch/v/z75zx742kghz982dff7nndjp5435xz The Author Clock https://www.authorclock.com/ Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and X at @cultfavoritepod. Production assistance from the Department...

What if Heaven's Gate wasn't as weird as it appears at first glance? And how do we make the strange more familiar? Links: Mark Muesse "Religious Studies and 'Heaven's Gate'" https://www.chronicle.com/article/religious-studies-andheavens-gate/ Our Cult Favorites: Mike: Druid City Brewing Company https://www.instagram.com/druidcitybrewingco/?hl=en Merinda: Sleater-Kinne...

In June, Netflix released Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult and in this episode Mike and Merinda talk about the role of performance in social media and cult documentaries. What makes something "real" or "genuine"? Why would a cult recruit TikTok dancers? What sort of stories do we tell about families and cult members? Content warning: this episode includes discussions o...

The second half of The Secrets of Hillsong explores the dark past of Hillsong’s early history and the eventual downfall of the global church. It details Frank Houston’s repeated sexual abuse of children and Brian Houston’s sexual harassment allegations and financial abuses. Mike and Merinda discuss these stories but also what these stories tell us about the structures that make a megachurch like H...

In our first episode we discuss the first two episodes of the FX/Hulu docu-series The Secrets of Hillsong about the rise and fall of one of the world's most famous megachurches. What is unique about Hillsong? What makes a celebrity pastor famous? And why can't American evangelicalism understand and deal with desire? Show notes: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Janice Lagata's open letter...