Religion Unplugged

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.

AI tells us what to write in our emails, shows us what we want to watch, and fills our social media feeds. In an increasingly computer-run world, how can society maintain its integrity and its humanity? To find out, Matthew Peterson interviews Loyola philosophy professor Dr. Joseph Vukov about his recent book  Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence .

Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson interviews writer and church planter Bill Tenny-Brittian about the principles found in his recent book entitled  101 Things You Can Do To Help Grow Your Church . Bill speaks on how different generations view church, problems with how churches reach out, and what individual congregation members can do to make a difference. 

Brian and Kelly Estes, creators of the new documentary  God Bless Bitcoin,  sit down with culture critic Joseph Holmes to discuss their view that believers of all faiths need to get behind cryptocurrency to make the world a better place.

There have been some major celebrity pastors who have been canceled. Yet, some of these men turned right around and started a new church after their scandal. In addition, many evangelicals personally know a pastor who has disqualified himself for ministry. These pastors, too, often find new jobs leading churches. But, what does the Biblical process of restoration look like, and should disqualified...

Matthew Peterson speaks with Dr. Kelly James Clark about his recent book,  Raging Fire of Love: What I Learned From Jesus, The Jews, and The Prophet , which explores the ideas that unify the Abrahamic religions.

The Media Project's Jody Hassett Sanchez speaks with author and journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty about her new book,  Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice .

The Media Project's Melissa Harrison sits down with attorney, Center for Public Justice fellow, and Fetzer Institute Program Officer Chelsea Langston Bombino to discuss how recent Supreme Court decisions could impact religious freedom.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews the makers of the new film Sing Sing, including Director Greg Kwedar, star Colman Domingo, and the real-life inspiration for the film, "Divine G." They discuss the making of the film, and the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program in American prisons that the film portrays.

Kathie Lee Gifford speaks with Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson about her new book  Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior . They cover how the book was written, why it was written, and Kathie Lee's goal to inspire hope in all of its readers.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham on her new book  Shepherds for Sale.  They discuss whether secular progressive politics have taken over Evangelical institutions, whether there's a difference between conservative and progressive politics in Evangelicalism, and how Christians should navigate them.

Joseph Holmes interviews the founder of new faith-based streaming service "Loor" on what makes his platform different and how he's hoping to shake up the faith-based media industry.

 Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson investigates the history of Christian graffiti and speaks with members of Gospel Graffiti Crew, a community of artists seeking to spread the gospel through urban graffiti. 

Joseph Holmes interviews programmer, writer, and animator of the new faith-based TV show "Fleur de Lis". The two talk about how to make authentic Christian art, and the ethics of using AI for making art.

 Matthew Peterson speaks with Emory Professor Jacob L. Wright about peoplehood, the role of women in the Bible, and more subjects covered in his recent book  Why The Bible Began.