Straight White American Jesus

Brad begins by tracing the extreme Christian nationalism of the 2020s to the years following 9/11. The thesis: the ways that Republican politicians and conservative pastors responded to 9/11 led to a new chapter of American Christian nationalism. Dan then picks up the thread to discuss how Black churches and other groups are teaching Black history in Florida given the fact that it is being left ou...

“Let Go and Let God” Maybe you’ve heard the admonition to “let go and let God.” Maybe it provides some comfort. Maybe it’s frustrating. Maybe it makes you angry. What does it mean, and why can it provoke such a range of responses? Why do people say this? How does it relate to a culture of self-help consumerism? Dan explores these issues in this week’s episode. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bo...

Ahead of the premier of American Idols next week, Brad talks with Dr. Andrew Whitehead about the podcast series, his new book, and why Christian nationalism is such a threat to our democracy. He shares insight from his own life as a kid who grew up in church, only to see many of his fellow Christians succumb to the temptations of Christian nationalism's idols: fear, power, and violence. Subscribe...

In her new book, 24/7 News: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America From Watergate to Fox News, Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell, Associate Professor of History at Purdue University, shows how cable became an unstoppable medium for political communication that prioritized cult followings and loyalty to individual brands, fundamentally reshaped party politics, and, in the process, sowed the seed...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the fact that Trump may be kept off the ballot in some states. The 14th amendment prohibits those who have "engaged in insurrection" from holding office. Dan breaks down the case and what may happen going forward. In the second segment Brad analyzes Project 2025, a program from the Heritage Foundation that lays out a frightening totalitarian vision for a 2nd Trump...

“It’s In the Code.” But in what sense is a code something public and shared? And in what sense is a code something secret, communicated only the select few “in the know?” Dan explores these issues in this episode, arguing that secret codes that operate below the surface are dependent on public codes we all share and can understand. He also suggests that this interplay is vital in our current conte...

Brad talks to Rev. Nathan Empsall, the Executive Director of Faithful America. They discuss the Reawaken America Tour, which just relaunched in Las Vegas a week ago. As Rev. Nathan says, the tour platforms speakers who are anti-Semitic, anti-democratic, and openly violent. It is a dangerous movement that is, unfortunately, tying together explicit Christian practice - like baptism on stage - with i...

How does a racially fueled tragedy tie into the policies of a state governor? And what sinister patterns can we uncover when we trace the origins of the 'lone gunman' phenomenon? Brad and Dan investigate the chilling Jacksonville shootings, the disturbing racial motivations behind the crime, and the ways these events echo the policies of Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis. . We then shift our focus...

“You Have to Get ‘Em Lost to Get ‘Em Saved” What can it possibly mean when some Christians say that you “have to get people lost before you can get them saved?” What does it mean to be “lost”? What does it mean to be “saved”? And what are some of the effects of this language? Is it just a way of summarizing basic Christian teachings, or does it have further-reaching, possibly significant, negative...

Brad speaks with Dr. Robert P. Jones, President of PRRI and author of the new book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future. Beginning with contemporary efforts to reckon with the legacy of white supremacy in America, Jones returns to the fateful year when a little-known church doctrine emerged that shaped the way five centuries of European Christians would und...

Brad and Dan discuss three main stories from the week: The GOP debate, where Trump was somehow both absent and present. The killing of a shop owner in CA over her display of the Pride flag. The appearannce of Spokane mayor Nadine Woodward at a Christian nationalist rally with Sean Feucht and Matth Shea Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-e...

We say someone is “speaking in code,” or talk about “codes,” or discuss things that are “in the code?” But what do we mean by “code?” And when someone uses coded language, do they know they’re doing that? When we talk about people or communities using codes to manipulate or control others, are they doing it on purpose? And do we all use codes, or is it always something “they” (whoever they are) do...

Brad speaks to Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. They discuss AU's lawsuit with the ACLU and FFRF in the case of the state of Oklahoma agreeing to send taxpayer funds to a Catholic school. This is, in essence, an attempt to make Christian schools into public schools. From AU: And public schools must be secular and open to all students. They are...

On a solo Friday, Dan begins by discussing the sprawling indictment of Trump and his co-conspirators in Fulton County, Georgia. This indictment includes lawyers, pastors, and others who allegedly helped Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Dan then turns his attention to the ruling on the abortion pills out of the 5th Circuit. It's a monumental story that, while unfinished, will ha...

What does it mean when a church is “non-denominational”? What is the relation between non-denominational churches and established denominations? In what ways does the designation of being non-denominational encode information about a church’s values and beliefs, its demographics, or its position on hot-button cultural issues? Dan tackles these questions in this week’s episode. Subscribe for $5.99...

Brad analyzes the new hit song, "The Rich Men North of Richmond," which has become an anthem for right-wing populism. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Linktree: https://lin...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the latest news from SCOTUS - Clarence Thomas's many vacations with right-wing billionaires - by framing the entire GOP's approach to politics as a will to power. Dan draws on a piece by a retired conservative judge in order to demonstrate that the American right has become the party of power and negativity. Brad then goes through a litany of issues related to sex...

Within a certain part of the American Christian subculture, it’s common to speak of people who are “baby Christians.” But what does that mean? Is it just silly? Is it just an effect of biblical understandings of the Christian faith? Or does it have more significant religious, social, and political consequences? In this episode, Dan argues that it does have these consequences, and explains why. Sub...

Capitalizing on current, widespread anti-China sentiment in the United States, lawmakers in nearly 30 states have proposed or have passed legislation banning foreign nationals, governments and companies from purchasing land, particularly farmland or property near military bases. Although they ostensibly aim to protect America’s national security, they have other dangerous consequences – stoking xe...

Brad and Dan discuss the details, reactions, and takeaways to the Trump indictment by Jack Smith. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhite...

“Lots of people miss salvation by 18 inches—the distance between the head and the heart.” This (and statements like it) is a phrase that has long circulated within a particular kind of Christian subculture. But what does it mean? What does it mean to “believe” in God with your heart, instead of your head? And how does this language work as a mechanism of social control, beyond or beneath its surfa...

Brad is joined by Julian Walker and Matthew Remski, two of the hosts of the Conspirituality podcast and co-authors of the new book, Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Public Health Threat. Emma Hulbert provided research assistance for this episode. https://www.powells.com/book/conspirituality-9781541702981/1-2 Each of the three authors has witnessed firsthand the use of fear...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the new Florida school curriculum that forces teachers to tell students that enslaved people received some benefit from their enslaved condition. Dan reports on Gov. Ron DeSantis' claim that enslaved people would have been able to develop trade skills and other "personal benefits." In the second segment Brad outlines the controversy surrounding Jason Aldean's song...

Why do so many on the Christian, cultural, and political right receive such obvious pleasure in enacting policies and legislation that harm others? Don’t they care about the harm they’re doing? And if not, why not? Dan tackles this issue in this week’s episode, taking a look empathy, and its lack, as key concept for answering these questions. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-f...

Brad is scheduled to speak on August 26th at an interfaith event held by the Metropolex Atheists. However, the city of Fort Worth refuses to allow the group to advertise. Brad speaks with Nick Fish, president of the American Atheists, on how the City is creating a false pretext to prevent a group of non-religious Americans from advertising their event in public. "Since at least 1998, Fort Worth ha...