Sacred Tension

In this episode of Sacred Tension I speak with podcaster and youtuber Benjamin Boyce about "wokeness" and the events that took place at Evergreen State College in 2017. He is part of a growing movement of centrists and liberals who object to the current woke movement, and are worried about its implications for the future.  You can find Benjamin's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/Ben...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I speak with Christian author, professor, and theologian David Dark. We discuss Satanism, our interactions with the Bible, how we engage with the cultural religious lore we are given, and David's never ending fight against Christian theocracy. Find David Dark on twitter here: https://twitter.com/DavidDark Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content crea...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by Carrie Poppy. Carrie Poppy is a journalist, host, podcaster, and speaker who examines everything at the corner of belief and behavior. Her investigative journalism podcast, “Oh No, Ross and Carrie” was the first podcast ever nominated for a journalism award by the L.A. Press Club, and her dark Disney fancast, “Hidden Mickeys” was featured as a show t...

Matt, Rebecca, and I wrap up our book discussion of The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart.  The Power Worshippers is a terrifying, necessary book about the rise of Christian nationalism in United States and abroad. Buy it here:  https://bookshop.org/books/the-power-worshippers-inside-the-dangerous-rise-of-religious-nationalism/9781635573435?aid=7340&listref=nonfiction-78b57745-c2a5-4bbf-80c0-...

In this first ever Book Club episode, I'm joined by Matt Langston of Eleventyseven and Rock Candy Recordings manager Rebecca Shaw to discuss The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart.  The Power Worshippers is a terrifying, necessary book about the rise of Christian nationalism in United States and abroad. Buy it here: https://bookshop.org/books/the-power-worshippers-inside-the-dangerous-rise-of-...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by my good friend Brother Castello to have a friendly conversation about the Pope, the presidential election, and rituals that keep us centered through tumultuous times. If you'd like to contact Brother Castello, email him at castellonsolidarity@gmail.com Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined once again by the incredible Shiva Honey to talk ritual, nontheistic mysticism, and Satanic Tarot. Find Shiva Honey at https://www.serpentinae.com/ Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addiction:  https://www.patreon.com/StephenBradfordLong Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or writing an email. If your feedback is...

In this Episode of Sacred Tension I’m joined by Satanic horror poet Simon Widdop to celebrate October and talk about our mutual obsession with horror. We discuss the psychological underpinnings of enjoying horror, how horror makes us think deeply about ethics, the Christian propaganda of supernatural horror, his latest book The Poet From the Black Lagoon, and more.  Find Simon Widdop here: https:/...

This is the first ever solo Ask Me Anything episode of Sacred Tension. In this episode I take questions from my audience about my personal journey from Christianity to Satanism, how to handle an aversion to Christians, my take on protests and riots, my favorite pop culture representations of Satan,  my thoughts on Satanists using Tarot, and much more. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment...

I continue my conversation with Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple. We talk about Black Lives Matter, effective protest, LGBT rights, and we take questions from my audience. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or writing an email. If your feedback is excellent, I might feature it in my monthly Best Comments series.  https://stephenbradfordlong.com/contact/ My work is sponsored by  The...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple. We discuss conspiracy theories, Qanon, the destructive nature social media platforms, and why we must all be ardent defenders of free speech. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or writing an email. If your feedback is excellent...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I talk to William Morrison -- longtime Satanic Temple leader and member of legendary industrial band Skinny Puppy -- about the "deviant psychotherapy cult" Process Church of the Final Judgement, and how it laid the philosophical groundwork for The Satanic Temple. Watch Sympathy for the Devil -- the documentary about The Process -- here: https://thesatanictemple.tv...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I speak with defacto Satanist and sex researcher Dr. Eric Sprankle about sexual shame, overcoming oppressive Christian sexual norms, and his research on Satanists.  Dr. Eric Sprankle is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Co-Director of the Sexuality Studies program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and an...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I talk to controversial journalist and podcaster Katie Herzog about online cancel culture. We discuss online queer communities, the helpfulness of the term "cancel culture," resiliency, how big social media companies are destroying local news outlets, and the article that got her canceled in the first place. Find Katie Herzog on twitter: https://twitter.com/kittyp...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by Jane Essex, spokesperson for the Reproductive Rights Campaign of The Satanic Temple, to discuss TST's controversial new abortion ritual. Learn more about the abortion ritual at https://announcement.thesatanictemple.com/rrr-campaign41280784 Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or writing an email:  https://stephenbradfordlong.com/contact/ Be...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I talk to philosopher Philip Goff about Panpsychism, which posits that consciousness is a fundamental feature of the universe. Find Philip Goff at https://www.philipgoffphilosophy.com/ Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or writing an email:  https://stephenbradfordlong.com/contact/ Become a patron so I can continue my crippling content creation addicti...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined once again by my favorite Evangelical John Morehead to discuss the psychology of evangelicals and why they do what they do. John details his research into the emotions that drive toxic evangelical behavior.   Pew Research Center - "How Americans Feel About Religious Groups," July 16, 201 https://www.pewforum.org/2014/07/16/how-americans-feel-about-relig...

In this episode of Sacred Tension Ally Henny gives an intro on how to be good allies to the black community. She defines basic terms and gives white people some hard, probing questions. If you are new to conversations about race, this episode is for you.   Ally has been writing about race, identity, culture, and racial conciliation on Twitter, her personal Facebook profile, and on her blog, The Ar...

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by religious studies professor Megan Goodwin to discuss abuse within religious communities, Satanic Panic, New Religious Movements, QAnon, her new book Abusing Religion, and more. Find Professor Goodwin here .  My work is sponsored by  The Satanic Temple TV : a streaming platform featuring documentaries, livestreams, conversation, rituals, and more. Us...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by actor, quaker, and LGBTQ/climate activist Peterson Toscano to discuss his show Bubble&Squeak. We talk about formative queer experiences, the importance of storytelling, our awkward gay sex experiences, and more. Listen to Bubble&Squeak here . My work is sponsored by  The Satanic Temple TV : a streaming platform featuring documentaries, livestreams, c...

In this episode of Sacred Tension I'm joined by the hosts of Black Mass Appeal -- the largest Satanic podcast on the planet -- to discuss Satanism, cats, conspiracy theories, theism, and so much more. Find Black Mass Appeal at blackmassappeal.com . Note: this episode was recorded prior to the BLM protests. Let me know your thoughts on this episode by  writing me an email. Become a patron so I can...

This episode of Sacred Tension is from my patrons-only podcast House of Heretics. My cohost Timothy and I discuss the recent protests, misguided liberal narratives about "violence," how we as white people can elevate black voices, the Satanic Temple's response to the protests, and much more. Let me know your thoughts on this episode by  writing me an email. Visit my bookshop  here. Become a patron...

In this cross-over episode I'm joined by Will and Joe from the Common Creatives podcast to discuss the brilliant horror movie House of the Devil. We talk about religious horror, Satanism, The Satanic Panic, growing up Evangelical, and much more. If you love this show, please go check out their other episodes and subscribe to them on your favorite podcast app. Find Common Creatives here. Let me kno...

In this unedited, stripped episode of Sacred Tension I talk to Shiva Honey, author of The Devil's Tome: A Book of Modern Satanic Ritual. We discuss her liberation from an abusive religious setting, the fusion of nontheism and ritual, how ritual can bring empowerment and catharsis into an individual's life, and much more. Find Shiva Honey here.  Let me know your thoughts on this episode by writing...

In this stripped-down, unedited episode of Sacred Tension, I'm joined by my friend Priest Penemue for a long conversation about leftist politics, how we are practicing self care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his insider perspective on digital privacy and big data. you can watch the video version of this conversation on Penemue's patreon  Here. Become a patron so I can continue my crippling con...