Religion Unplugged

"The Chosen," "House of David" and "King of Kings" are just a few of the faith-based movies and TV shows out this Easter which are garnering major publicity in mainstream trades and publications. Have faith-based films finally become mainstream? What is the future of the industry? Religion Unplugged Culture Critic Joseph Holmes, Religion Unplugged Culture Editor Jillian Che...

How did the Qing dynasty's treatment of Muslims and Christians shape modern Chinese political practice? Matthew Peterson speaks with Hung Tak Wai about his recent book, "Redefining Heresy and Tolerance," to explore the historical struggles of Muslims and Christians in China.

Angela Youngman is a regular contributor to Religion Unplugged, covering everything from animals in churches to religious cyclists. Matthew Peterson sat down with Angela to learn how she finds her unique story ideas, why she likes to focus on the positive, and what she's working on next.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews actor Luke Dimyan about why he relates to his role as Judas Iscariot in "The Chosen," the smash-hit TV show about the life of Jesus. 

Is religion allowed at public schools? This is one of many questions created by the simultaneous American commitments to refrain from establishing a national religion while also protecting freedom of religious expression. Matthew Peterson speaks with June Everett of After School Satan Club/HAIL and Joel Penton of LifeWise Academy to better understand how and why they have brought their religious b...

With "Walden," Henry David Thoreau presented fresh viewpoints about materialism, independence and community which have challenged readers for well over a century. But what did the famed American writer believe about religion? Matthew Peterson speaks with Richard Higgins about his recent book, "Thoreau's God," to find out.

Religion Unplugged's Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes, interviews Kevin Downes, CEO of Kingdom Story Company, to learn about the company's new film, "The Unbreakable Boy," starring Zachary Levi and directed by Jon Gunn.

Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds speaks about his new book, "Before You Climb Any Higher." Jonathan tells Matthew Peterson what he has learned about God and success on his journey to becoming a major figure in the gospel music scene.

Culture Critic Joseph Holmes, Culture Editor Jillian Cheney, and "Theme Park Theologian" Houston Coley talk about what this year's Oscars say about religion in 2025.

Last year, Audrey Jackson travelled to Antakya, Turkey to document the efforts of churches and faith-based relief organisations a year after severe earthquakes shook the region. Matthew Peterson interviewed Audrey to learn more about her reporting process and the vast implications of the disaster.

All over the world and for many years, people have claimed to see objects in the sky, prophesy the future, and speak with mythical beings. Impossible experiences happen all the time, but what do we do with them? To find out, Matthew Peterson speaks with Jeffrey J. Kripal about his recent book How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else.

Film critic Joseph Holmes sits down with Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene from  The Chosen ) to discuss her career in film, how the faith-based film industry is different, and how her new film  Between Borders  contributes to the conversation around representation and refugees. 

For decades, New Atheism has been characterized by "the humanistic rejection of religion." But Dr. Brook Ziporyn's new book, Experiments in Mystical Atheism, argues instead for "the religious rejection of God." Matthew Peterson speaks to Dr. Ziporyn in order to understand what this means and how it differs from more dominant atheistic writing.

The new year brings new opportunities and new obligations by the boatload. As calendars fill up and to-do lists get longer, home life can get rocky. Matthew Peterson speaks with Jennifer Pepito about her recent book  Habits For a Sacred Home  to understand her views on what a healthy home might look like.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director D.J. Caruso  about his new Netflix film "Mary." They discuss what inspired Caruso to make a story about the mother of Jesus, why Mary is so inspirational, how one balances quality with faithfulness to the source material, and the future of faith-based films.

The Christmas season is often packed to the brim with parties, concerts, gift-buying, and general holiday busyness. But does it have to be that way? Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson interviews AJ Sherril about his recent book  Rediscovering Christmas  to understand his perspective on how Christians can more thoughtfully engage with the season.

Newsletter and Culture Editor Jillian Cheney and Film Critic Joseph Holmes discuss why there hasn't been a Christmas classic in 20 years, the rise of Christmas action movies, and if "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" signals the start of a faith-based renaissance in the Christmas movie genre.

After centuries of oppression and mistreatment by the American government, Native Americans have had enough. In recent years the Land Back Movement has gained popularity. Land Back presents the idea that returning U.S. land to indigenous communities would be a just action. In order to understand how Christians should approach Land Back, Matthew Peterson spoke with three Native Christian leaders ab...

The Christian life is so often a busy one. Work, family, and even church commitments can often leave believers completely burnt out. Matthew Peterson speaks with Jenn Tucker about her new book  Present in Prayer  to learn about Biblical meditation practices meant to bring peace and stillness to the distracted Christian.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews faith-based filmmaker and Kingdom Story Company founder Andrew Erwin ( I Can Only Imagine ) about his company's new Christmas film  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,  the past 20 years of faith-based filmmaking, and what comes next. 

Joseph Smith is one of the most controversial religious figures in American History. In an attempt to understand who he was, Matthew Peterson interviews author and illustrator Noah Van Sciver about his recent biographical graphic novel: Joseph Smith and The Mormons.

Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviews renowned painter and filmmaker Titus Kaphar about his new film Exhibiting Forgiveness and how one balances Biblical commands of forgiveness while avoiding repeated abuse.

Despite being a cornerstone of the American establishment in the minds of many westerners, Christianity was once very much against the grain. In order to understand the complexities of Christianity in the ancient world, Religion Unplugged’s Matthew Peterson speaks with Nijay K. Gupta about his recent book,  Strange Religion .

Exorcisms and those who perform them have become a familiar theme of numerous horror films and stories. But, what does exorcism actually look like? To find out, Religion Unplugged’s Matthew Peterson interviews Exorcist Dan Todd to learn about his experiences with demons, ghosts and even a homicidal doll.

A year after the October 7 attack, the war rages on in the middle east and tensions have persisted on American college campuses. In response to recent Jewish harassment at Baruch College, Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson speaks with Ilya Bratman of Baruch's Hillel and Ben Ginsburg and Tasneem Noor From NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.