Sacred Tension

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with sex worker, disability activist, and Minister of Satan Azura Rose about the encroaching threat of theocratic censorship against sex work and pornography.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by gay activist, author, and Brookings Institute scholar Jonathan Rauch to discuss his recent article Uncanceling Ourselves. We discuss how a minority of activists have an outsized chilling effect on necessary discourse, and steps we can take to free ourselves from a fearful mindset. Read his article here: https://sapirjournal.org/cancellation/2022/10/...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by Brookings Institute scholar Richard Reeves to discuss his new book Of Boys and Men. We discuss the unique challenges facing boys and men, how intersectionality is a valuable tool, the crisis of meaning among some men, the effects of porn on society, and much more.  Find Reeves' book here: https://www.brookings.edu/book/of-boys-and-men/ Become a patr...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by podcaster David Rutledge of ABC's The Philosopher's Zone to talk about his religious upbringing, his interest in Satanism, his loss of religious faith, and his objections to public intellectuals who take an over-simplified and divisive approach to "postmodernism." Listen to The Philosopher's Zone here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/p...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by Dr. Zoe Alderton to explore the Snapewives: a short-lived new religious movement that declared Professor Snape from the Harry Potter books their master and husband. Zoe Alderton is a trans-disciplinary researcher specialising in academic communications and the promotion of scholarly excellence. She has a passion for helping students achieve transfo...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined once more by gun advocate, youtuber, Minister of Satan, and good friend Karl Kasarda to have a raw conversation about the ethics of gun rights. We discuss the high rates of suicide by gun, the prevalence of gun violence in the United States, and why minorities need the right to bear arms. Find Kasarda's youtube channel InRangeTV here:  https://www.yout...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by Satanic minister and expert in ritual Shiva Honey to discuss her new book The Devil's Death: Your Satanic Companion for Grief and Dying. We discuss the utility of ritual, our cultural aversion to discussing death and dying, the dangers of the medical field, protecting your bodily autonomy in death, and much more.  Find Shiva Honey's new book here: h...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by Lucien Greaves to discuss The Satanic Temple's legal battle against religious discrimination in Boston. Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Join my Discord server:  https://discord.gg/PrDU4zx Read my work:  https://stephenbradfordlong.com/ My work is sponsored by The...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by author, activist, and storyteller Gareth Higgins to talk about his new book How Not To Be Afraid. We discuss the challenges some modern men face, how growing up during the Troubles in northern Ireland informs his storytelling, how to tell stories that are both true and empowering, and much more.  Gareth Higgins was born in Belfast in 1975, grew up d...

In this episode in Sacred Tension, I am joined by my friend Matt Langston of the formerly Christian punk-pop band Eleventyseven to explore the finer points of Satanic religious blasphemy.  You can read the companion article to this episode here: https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2022/09/08/varieties-of-satanic-blasphemy/ Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  htt...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by dandy and Minister of Satan Vyvyan des Esseintes to discuss the restorative power of enjoying things in times of crisis. We discuss fandoms, music, wrestling, Magic: The Gathering, and much more.  Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Join my Discord server:  https://...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with La Carmina about her new book The Little Book of Satanism. We discuss the deep roots of Satanic thought, key historic moments that shaped modern Satanism, the Satanic subculture in Japan, and much more.  Find La Carmina here: https://www.lacarmina.com Learn more about The Little Book of Satanism here: https://www.lacarmina.com/blog/2022/07/satanism-b...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Lucien Greaves and I talk about the attempted assassination of free speech hero Salman Rushdie, the Fourth Tenet of the Satanic Temple, the importance of offense in a pluralistic democracy, how Surveillance Capitalism destroys the marketplace of ideas, and much more.  Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon....

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with hacker, privacy expert, Minister of Satan, and Youtuber Karl Kasarda about how to protect our privacy online as religious minorities.  Find Kasarda's youtube channel InRangeTV here: https://www.youtube.com/c/InrangeTvShow Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Join my Di...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with Buddhist Minister Levi Walbert about his recent thesis on the theology of The Satanic Temple. We discuss the similarities between Buddhism and Satanism; Satanic aesthetic, practice, and philosophy as a vehicle for transcendence; the nature of religion, and much more Levi Walbert is a Minister with the Bright Dawn practicing Jodo Shinshu.  Become a pa...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, Lucien Greaves and I discuss the recent arson attack on The Satanic Temple headquarters, the overturning of Roe V Wade, and the purity of spirals of the left. Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Join my Discord server:  https://discord.gg/PrDU4zx My work is sponsored by The Satani...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with author, journalist, and gay activist Jonathan Rauch about his brilliant new book The Constitution of Knowledge. We discuss free speech, minority identity, cancel culture, the existential threat from the far right, and much more. Buy Jonathan Rauch's book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CNN94G8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1   Become...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by Chalice Blythe for a follow-up episode about the demise of Roe V Wade. Chalice and I discuss strategies and principles for long-term resistance against theocracy.  Find my previous conversation with Chalice here: https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2022/06/04/sacred-tension-the-struggle-for-justice-is-ongoing-chalice-blythe/ Become a patron so I can co...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by Satanic columnist Jack Matirko to discuss his new book Needs Must: Life and Times in Satanic America 2017-2021. We discuss the highlights of recent Satanic history, his religious upbringing, and his investigations into Christian theocrats. Buy his book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2KNRDS6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Resources:...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with Brad Galloway about his journey out of white supremacy and his current work to deradicalize white supremacists. Resources:  https://www.lifeafterhate.org/ https://socialscienceandhumanities.ontariotechu.ca/centre-on-hate-bias-and-extremism/index.php https://preventviolence.ca/ Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with Minister James Payne about The Satanic Temple's Uniformed Coalition Campaign. We also discuss his activism for religious minorities within the military, his journey to Satanism, and the tensions within our religious community regarding military and police. Find Uniformed Coalition here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tstuniformedcoaltion Become a pa...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with writer, hobbit, and kiwi Tony Wolf about nontheistic religion, mythmaking, and merging ritual and enchantment with skepticism.  Find Tony's article about Oscar Wilde's materialist spirituality here: https://onlysky.media/twolf/oscar-wildes-confraternity-of-the-faithless/ Find Tony's work on death and ritual here: http://alt-death.com/ Become a patron...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by my friend and Satanic Temple colleague Chalice Blythe to discuss the likely demise of Roe V Wade and bodily autonomy. Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Join my Discord server:  https://discord.gg/PrDU4zx My work is sponsored by The Satanic Temple TV: a streaming p...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by Seth Moskowitz to discuss his recent article The Reactionary Trap in Persuasion Magazine, which describes how progressive people can fall down a reactionary, extremist rabbit hole. Read the Reactionary Trap here: https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-reactionary-trap?s=r Follow Seth Moskowitz on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/skmoskowitz?lang=e...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I am joined by philosopher Keith Frankish to discuss the ways in which our intuitions about consciousness might be completely wrong, the fundamental magic of the physical world, and how his philosophy and my Satanism might intersect. Find Keith Frankish here: https://www.keithfrankish.com/ And follow Keith Frankish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/keithfrankish Be...