Straight White American Jesus

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the explusion of two members of the Tennessee legislature - Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson - after they led gun violence protests in the state Capitol. It's a case of systemic racism, a desire to keep young Black leaders in line, and an attempt to squash the voices of peaceful protesters. In the second segment they break down the bombshell story that Clarenc...

Almost all of us are likely familiar with calls on the political and religious right to oppose “wokeness” or to be “anti-woke.” We all have a sense that this is a dog whistle. But what, exactly, does it represent? Where has this way of thinking about society, religion, and politics come from? In this episode, Dan explores these issues, decoding appeals to “anti-wokeness” to highlight the Christian...

Brad speaks to Dr. Matthew Boedy, Associate Professor at the University of North Georgia. Dr. Boedy is the go-to source on all things Charlie Kirk and TPUSA. He explains the rhetoric Kirk has used with his various audiences since the Trump indictment: talk of civil war, comparing Trump to Jesus, and calling for protests/rallies outside of SDNY when Trump is arraigned. He and Brad talk about how th...

Brad and Dan begin with first reactions to the late breaking news that Donald Trump will be indicted next week. They discuss the details of the case, the reactions from the GOP, and what the future might hold. They then turn their attention to Nashville, where the community continues to mourn the victims of the mass shooting at a private school. Dan discusses the numbness that lawmakers and everyd...

What do Christians mean when they refer to “the Word of God,” or even just “the word”? What do they mean when they someone has offered a “good word”? This way of speaking is incredibly common within particular Christian communities, but may be mystifying to people who aren’t familiar with those communities or didn’t grow up in them. In this episode, Dan discusses the layers of meaning behind these...

On a day when the USA suffers another mass shooting at a school, Brad talks about the symbolism of the AR 15, the sickness of wanting to provide absolute access to handheld killing machines, and the ways America's children are groomed into a cult of death. 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...

On the Weekly Roundup Brad and Dan begin by going through the litany of Trump's attempts to thwart NY DA Alvin Bragg's case against him and his call for supporters to protest if/when he is arrested. This, in their mind, portends the kind of violence we saw at January 6th. They also note the complicity of GOP leadership in Trump's attacks on the DA and the ways the GOP has tied itself to Trumpism r...

“I have a word on my heart for you,” or “the Lord has laid a word on my heart for you,” is a phrase that is common within conservative American Christian circles. Many people who are familiar with this phrase find that it gets under their skin, that it rubs them the wrong way, while those who are unfamiliar with it find it mystifying. What does it mean when Christians say this? Why does it provoke...

Brad speaks to Dr. Andrew Whitehead (IUPUI) and Dr. Sam Perry (U. of Oklahoma) who discuss their written testimony to the J6 Select Committee on how Christian nationalism was a motivating force behind the J6 insurrection. They discuss the elements that tie J6 and Christian nationalism together - from the Big Lie to authoritarian violence to conspiracies like QAnon. They also discuss the long lasti...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing Mike Pence's homophobic joke about Pete Buttigieg and his openly blaming of Donald Trump for the J6 insurrection. They then break down the GOP's reversal on mail-in voting and debate what effect it will have at the polls. Compromising Positions: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/compromising-positions-9780190924072?cc=us&lang=en& Finally, they check in on cas...

What does it mean when a Christian warns us against being “unequally yoked” with someone else? Where does this language come from? And how has been used to marginalize and exclude others? What are the dangers of this language, which is so common among some Christians? Dan tackles these topics in this week’s episode. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to th...

On this re-released episode from 2019 Brad shares his former apocalypse extremism. Dan draws on his expertise in apocalyptic literature to unpack how evangelicals envision the end of the world and what it means for their relationship with Israel. 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://axismun...

Dan and guest co-host Annika Brockschmidt begin by discussing this Tucker Carlson's handling of 40,000 hours of video from the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Carlson showed clips that he said demonstrated that JS six was peaceful and that the death of Capitol police officer Brian Sickney, uh, was not related to J six. In the second segment they discuss the supposed rift in the GOP in the wake o...

People in our lives often tell us they are “praying for” us, that they are “keeping us in their prayers,” etc. Sometimes these assurances on the part of others bring us comfort, but other times they stir up complex emotions such as anger, or sadness, or confusion. What is going on when people offer to pray for us? And why do these offers stir up such a wide range of emotions and provoke such stron...

Brad speaks with Dr. Lerone Martin, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University and Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Institute at Stanford. They discuss his new book - The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover. "Lerone Martin draws on thousands of newly declassified FBI documents and memos to describe how, under Hoover’s leadership, FBI agents attended spiritual retreats and worship...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing an excerpt from Joshua Butler's new book, which appeared at the Gospel Coalition this week. The excerpt lays out a theology of sex that imagines Christ as the male partner in a heterosexual erotic relationship with the Christian church. This metaphor is extended to the sexual relationships men and women in Christian marriage. Dan analyzes the patriarchal aspects of...

Building on the previous episode, Dan dives deeper into the code of not being a “stumbling block” in this episode. How do admonitions not to be a stumbling block depart from the actual context of that phrase in the Christian New Testament? And what does this tell us about some Christians’ claim to be “biblical literalists?” What does it reveal about the insecurities at the heart of their own spiri...

In a joint episode with the New Evangelicals, Brad hosts a roundtable with Tim Whitaker (New Evangelicals), Dr. Leah Payne, and Dr. Matthew Taylor. The four of them discuss what the revival looked like in person when Tim visited last week, how it matches up to past revivals at Asbury and other institutions, and the confounding ways that figures such as Sean Feucht, Greg Locke, and Shane Claiborne...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the polar opposite speeches given by Biden and Putin on the eve of the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Brad analyzes Putin's culture war rhetoric, showing how and why it mirrors the family values and queerphobic rhetoric of American Christian nationalists. Dan points out the symbolic significance of Biden giving his speech in Warsaw and what i...

One of the most central metaphors for living a life of Christian faith is that of one’s “spiritual walk.” And within this framework, the metaphor of the “stumbling block,” of something that would cause us to “stumble” in that spiritual walk, is also common. But what exactly does this mean? What does it mean when Christians admonish one another not to cause other Christians to “stumble” or “fall”?...

Brad speaks with Rebbecca Bratten Weiss, a reporter for US Catholic magazine and a contributor to the National Catholic Reporter. They revisit the issue of Trad Catholics. The discussion focuses on a number of troubling themes found in trad Catholic communities: Anti-semitism Militant patriarchy A longing for the Confederacy Xenophobia One of the biggest takeaways from the interivew is that the lo...

Brad and Dan begin by talking about Nikki Haley's announcement that she is running for president. While she mentioned being a candidate for a new generation, it seems she is ready to carry on the work of her former boss - Donald Trump. Khyati Joshi on Haley: https://religionnews.com/2023/02/16/nikki-haley-says-shes-christian-but-its-complicated/ They then provide some context and commentary on the...

“Interview with Dr. Laura Anderson: Understanding Trauma” Many of the themes and topics we explore in “It’s In the Code” figure prominently in the experience of those who have been traumatized by participation in high-control religious environments. But what is “trauma”? How is it possible that something as widespread and seemingly mundane as participation in very mainstream American religious com...

Brad speaks with the one and only Dr. Matthew Taylor, creator of Charismatic Revival Fury. They begin by discussing where key NAR prophets and apostles are on the 2024 election and how they are navigating Trump's slide in the GOP. This leads to a discussion of interesting developments surrounding the National Prayer Breakfast and the mainstreaming of NAR leaders in longstanding evangelical institu...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the State of the Union address given by Pres. Biden this past week. Brad touches on Biden's main theme: how he is working to provide support, relief, funding for Americans in the form of infrastructure, healthcare, and price protections. On the other hand, Dan notes, the GOP reacted to the speech with consistent jeering and boos with Marjorie Taylor Green leading t...