The Beached White Male Podcast with Ken Kemp

Send us Fan Mail On this last day of the year, Ken gets sentimental. It's a retrospective of 2022, the political events, the podcast episodes, books, and movies that shaped Ken for good. He starts with a review of stats for The Beached White Male Podcast and gives special thanks to his series co-hosts, Betsey Newenhuyse, Ken Fong, and Osahon Obazuaye. Ken Announces the Table Talk that begins...

Send us Fan Mail As 2022 comes to a close, Ken Fong and Ken Kemp review a powerful new podcast series produced by their mutual friend, Dr. Brad Onishi (Straight White American Jesus) called Charismatic Revival Fury . Written by Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies (ICJS), Dr. Matthew D. Taylor , the series reveals a little-known or understood movement that became a major influence i...

Send us Fan Mail Ken and Betsey close out 2022 and Season 3 with a celebration of the Christmas season. Snow begins to fall in Chicago as the two share their reflections and memories. Betsey calls it the onset of " snowpocalypse ." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to a full session of congress in a rare non-partisan display of support for a nation under seige. The two reflect on comm...

Send us Fan Mail In today's Beach Talk, Betsey reflects on her recent bout with the Covid virus. This week, President Joe Biden signed The Respect for Marriage Act . Betsey and Ken talk about their change in perspective on LGBTQ+ . For Betsey,  that changer of heart accelerated with her support of Secretary Pete Buttigieg , who appeared conspicuously at the signing. The legislation prompted K...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes professor, fellow podcaster, and author Dr. Brad Onishi back to the podcast to talk about his new book - Preparing for War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism and What Comes Next (release date: January 3, 2023) . A long-time friend of the podcast, Brad has been busy after a major event in Denver focussed on Christian Nationalism last month with a la...

Send us Fan Mail December is here! Ken and Betsey reconvene after a great Thanksgiving in anticipation of the Christmas season . After recounting turkey weekend, they dive right into politics and religion. Three appellate judges overturn Trump appointee, Judge Aileen Cannon's appointment of a Special Master. Kanye (Ye) and Nick Fuentes make headlines. The Supreme Court orders the release of t...

Send us Fan Mail Randall Balmer is a scholar, professor, author, documentarian (Emmy nominee), and Episcopalian Priest. Ken and Dr. Balmer talk about his new book, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right . They discuss notable players in the movement like Senator Mark Hatfield, Harold O.J. Brown, W.A. Criswell, Paul Weyrich, Ralph Reed, and Richard Land . In the right's celebratio...

Send us Fan Mail For Thanksgiving week, Ken and Betsey review the documentary, God Forbid , which is much more than an exposé on the Jerry Falwell, Jr . scandal. It's a commentary on the power of the religious right and Liberty University's alliance with Trumpism.  Their Beach Talk covers the mid-Term elections , and reviews Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to end her long and effect...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes his good friend of the podcast, Dr. Theon Hill . Just recently, Christianity Today published Dr. Hill's review of the recent full-length feature film that's getting high marks and a great review: Till (starring Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till and Jalyn Hall as Emmett). Just this fall, Dr. Hill hosted a conversation at Wheaton College featuring author David...

Send us Fan Mail Betsey and Ken review the intense emotional impact of election day on the nation and on themselves personally. Betsey has been invested in the process, volunteering, addressing envelopes, and participating in social media (see her on Twitter @newenhuyse ). "There is so much at stake" - Democracy is on the ballot. The morning after, both were relieved. Both Illinois ( Pri...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Fong and Ken Kemp reconvene for a morning after review of the mid-term elections. The predicted "Red Wave," touted by the former President and his political imitators, failed to materialize - more like a ripple. On his podcast, Asian America the Ken Fong Podcast , Fong interviewed  Christopher Huang , a professional photographer, and Hollywood blogger. Huang has writ...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes David Myles , professor, public speaker, pastor, theologian, author and fellow participant in the Civil Rights Tour of the South this past summer. A state champion javelin thrower in college, David, along with Ken, graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. David's career has taken him to pastorates...

Send us Fan Mail Betsey makes two announcements regarding 1) her complete retirement and 2) a newly calendared trip to Israel , which requires her to secure a U.S Passport. Politics and family gatherings don't always mix - but Betsey's new extended family has opened new doors of understanding and perspective. A great horned owl brings them all together. Ken shares his three visits to Isr...

Send us Fan Mail Last summer, for his Truth Quest series, Ken asked his friend Osahon to read from Dr. Martin Luther King's timeless Letter from a  Birmingham Jail . That reading became one of the most popular features of the entire series. In this episode of their series " Cabana Talks ," Osahon shares what is was like to connect with Dr. King's powerful letter and how it rema...

Send us Fan Mail Betsey celebrated her birthday with a visit to her long time home-town with her daughter and grand-daughter. Sunday's sermon sparked a conversation over the preacher's warning to refuse the " idolatry of political engagement ." Betsey and Ken react to some pastors who either align with Trumpism or others who attempt to find a middle path. They review the final...

Send us Fan Mail REPRISE - Ken welcomes Rev. David Swanson, author of the powerfully provocative book, Redisciplining the White Church from Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity . Once again on the podcast, two white guys talk about race - specifically race in the American white evangelical church. David started a church in the historic Bronzeville district in the South Side of Chicago . David tells...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes back historian and author, Martyn Whittock, from his home outside Bath in England. The two got acquainted when Ken interviewed Martyn (S2E58) about his new book. They discussed the misappropriation of biblical prophesy throughout history, and especially today. Since then, Ken learned that Martyn was a popular television guest in the U.K., offering historical context f...

Send us Fan Mail Ken and Betsey just get the news that New York Attorney General, Latitia James announced a sprawling civil suit against the former President, his companies, and his family. A myriad of details and violations have been made public, adding to the collection of legal actions pending against him that are still in play. As the headlines continue to feature the 45th President, Betsey ex...

Send us Fan Mail After a short break, the TWO KENS are back. Ken welcomes Ken Fong to talk about a sermon he preached recently at the historic First Baptist Church in Pasadena. His subject is The Parable of the Good Samaritan. After listening, Kemp was deeply moved by Fong's creative take on the familiar story. It corresponded powerfully with Kemp's experience on the Civil Rights Tour of...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes Dr. Brian Rush McDonald , former pastor, missionary, musician, author, and now a psychotherapist. Dr. McDonald found Ken's podcast, and the two connected. After Ken read Brian's book, A LONG SURRENDER - A Memoir About Losing My Religion , the two connected. From Alexandria, VA , Brian tells his story of awakenings - from high school " Jesus Freak "...

Send us Fan Mail Ken welcomes first-time guest, author Martyn Whittock to discuss his recent book, The End Times, Again? -2000 Years of the Use & Misuse of Biblical Prophecy. While listening to the BWM podcast at his home near Bath in England (the UK), Martin reached out to Ken to discuss his book's themes and how they play out in the US... and much more.  Ken shares his concern about the...

Send us Fan Mail After a six-week break, Ken welcomes back Betsey Newenhuyse for their regular Beach Talk . Betsey first shares her response to Ken's summer series - TRUTH QUEST . She notes that she felt as though she had been invited into Dr. Martin Luther King's " Beloved Community ." They reflect on the beginnings of their podcast conversations, nearly two years ago. When th...

Send us Fan Mail In this final episode of the summer series TRUTH QUEST , our travelers make their way to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge . In March of 1965, civil rights protesters were met by a lineup of armed police (many on horseback) with attack dogs and billy clubs who ordered them to turn back. When the marchers refused, they were brutally attacked on a day that became known as Bloody Su...

Send us Fan Mail Our exploration of the history of race in America takes us to Montgomery, Alabama . Harvard Attorney Bryan Stevenson opened the offices of the Equal Justice Initiative in the city where Rosa Parks refused to yield her seat on a public bus and where a young Dr. Martin Luther King became pastor of Dexter Street Baptist Church . The best-selling book which became a full-length featur...

Send us Fan Mail Ken invites John Williams back to the podcast, this time to talk about the summer series, TRUTH QUEST . John and Ken review the origins of the Civil Rights (C.R.) Tour of the South , and John's journey from his law practice to his first C.R. Tour. His experience became a catalyst for leaving his law practice behind. A vision was born to introduce others to the history of race...