Veterans of Culture Wars

Part 2 of the big annual pre-Oscars dive into our favorite movies of the year and the Oscar nominees. Part 2 covers the top 7 films on each our our top 10 lists, which we'd started going through toward the end of Part 1. Jeffrey Overstreet returns and brings with him new VCW guest Dr Mary McCampbell, an author, professor, and speaker who focuses on the theological significance of popular music...

Our big annual pre-Oscars dive into our favorite movies of the year and the Oscar nominees is back! Jeffrey Overstreet returns and brings with him new VCW guest Dr Mary McCampbell, an author, professor, and speaker who focuses on the theological significance of popular music, film, and literature. Subscribe to Mary's Substack The Empathetic Imagination: https://marymccampbell.substack.com/ Sub...

Warren Throckmorton returns to the VCW hall to talk about his new podcast Telling Jefferson Lies, a companion to the recently released updated version of his 2012 book with Michael Coulter, Getting Jefferson Right. We talk about the conservative pseudo-historian David Barton, and how he distorts history to uphold and further a White Christian Nationalist view of America. Also, Mark Driscoll shares...

Dave reveals that he has moved from "still an evangelical" to "committed Christian", and Mason Mennenga joins the show to talk about process theology, being funny online, heavy Christian music, purity culture, and of course, Veggie Tales. Follow Mason Mennenga and get into his work including podcasts, YouTube videos and more by going to his website: https://masonmennenga.com/ S...

Dr Leah Payne joins the show to talk about the her brand new book God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Also, Zach reveals the results of his research into exactly when and where in Disneyland Carman became a Christian. Buy Leah's book: https://www.amazon.com/God-Gave-Rock-Roll-You/dp/0197555241 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vcwpod Dav...

Niche Christmas music enthusiasts Scott Leopold of the Japanese Christmas music podcast "Holly Jolly X'masu" and Jim Goodwin of the contemporary indie rock Christmas music blog "Christmas Underground" help spread some Christmas cheer around the VCW hall by podcasting loud for all to hear. Scott shares a couple of his favorite songs he's covered on his podcast and we all...

Dr. Marlene Winell is the author of the highly influential book Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion, and originated the term "Religious Trauma Syndrome", which she defined as "the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination". We...

Dave White, co-host of the movie podcast Linoleum Knife, visits the VCW to talk about his background with Evangelical Christianity and coming out. We discuss some of his favoritie movies of the year (so far) and also Christmas. Listen to the Linoleum Knife podcast right here: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/linoleum-knife/id403079737 Linoleum. Knife episode featuring Zach and Dave talking ab...

Advocates for education, Chris and Mendi Tackett join the VCW hall to talk about current attempts to weaken and dismantle the public school system. We discuss "school choice" (moving toward privatizing education) and the ramifications if that type of policy was more widely adopted. David Barton also comes up as we dialogue about his many ways to inject pseudo-history into school textbook...

Podcast performer and producer Virginia Spotts (The Sheridan Tapes) stops by the VCW hall to talk about her Evangelical story, including her time at Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church, and Acts 29 church after that. She talks about realizing she was suffering from religious trauma as well as deep grief and loss (due to extremely painful life experiences) and how she navigated a path forward. Lis...

Rula Khoury, who is Palestinian-American-Christian, stops by the VCW hall to speak boldly about what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank with the current war. She talks about her family's history and we also talk about Christian Zionism (often fueled by forms of dispensational theology in America) which make it far more difficult for people to find pathways to peace for Palestinians and Isr...

Dr. Andrew Whitehead stops by the VCW hall to chat about his new book "American Idolatry" chronicling the current manifestations of Christian Nationalism in our country. He talks about the main pillars of Christian Nationalism: power, fear and violence. He also discusses how Christians can think about the Great Commission minus a colonial mindset or nationalistic aims. Pickup a copy of t...

Erin Green and Paul Carlos Southwick of REAP (The Religious Exemption Accountability Project) visit the VCW hall to talk about their work organizing and fighting for LGBTQ+ equality at overwhelmingly white, taxpayer-supported religious schools and colleges, and their new podcast for the Axis Mundi network, On God's Campus. Learn more about REAP at https://www.thereap.org/ Listen to On God'...

R.L. Stollar joins the show to talk about his new book The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology, the homeschooling movement, and his work as an advocate for homeschool survivors. We discuss Mr Rogers, considering scripture stories involving children through the child's perspective, such as the binding of Isaac, and whether evangelism is an inherently traumatic environment for children. P...

Founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute and author Robert P Jones joins the VCW hall to talk about his New York Times bestselling new book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, which traces the underknown but outsized impact of the Doctrine of Discovery on minority and marginalized groups throughout American history into the present d...

Film critic Josh Larsen (Filmspotting, Think Christian) joins us to discuss his new book Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies . We discuss frightful movies which have left a lasting impression and given him a deeper understanding of spirituality and human nature, covering multiple subgenres of horror, including slashers, psychological horror, found footage and more. Buy the book Fea...

Zach and Dave are changing lightbulbs and deep cleaning the carpets of the VCW Hall, getting it ready for the new season. They talk about trips they took this summer (including Zach's visit to a naked spa and the body positivity/body neutrality/embodiment stuff that involves), while also discussing Zach's recent realization that after 41 years of not liking beer or wine, and only kinda lik...

Podcaster and social media star Tim Whitaker, with The New Evangelicals, expands on his story with Evangelical Christianity including his process of becoming LGBTQIA affirming. He discusses attending the Asbury Revival and also going to Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA conference. We also talk about where we think Evangelicalism is headed in the future. Follow The New Evangelicals on Twitter:...

Religion News Service national reporter Jack Jenkins joins the VCW to talk about his most recent book "American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country". We contrast the religious right and the religious left and discuss progressive political movements of the last 20 years and how they surprisingly were inspired by religious...

DL "DisneyLand" Mayfield (at least for the purposes of this episode) and Krispin "Krispin" Mayfield join the show to talk about Disneyland, which Zach recently visited and is very excited to discuss and use as a jumping off point for talking about embodiment, being present, time and growth, our evangelical childhoods, neurodivergent experiences, fear, high control religion, and...

Author and film lover, Elijah Davidson, joins the VCW hall to share his Evangelical story and also talk about his new book "Come & See: A Christian Guide to the Greatest Films of All Time". We discuss some of these historic films and also chat about the Christian movie industry. Pick up the book right here: https://elijahdavidson.com/books/come-see/ Get portions of the book for free...

Dr. Marcia Pally (author of White Evangelicals and Right-Wing Populism: How Did We Get Here?) returns to the VCW hall with her friend, Dr. Pamela Cooper- White. We discuss Dr. Cooper-White's new book, "The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In And How to Talk Across the Divide". Buy Dr. Pamela Cooper-White's book right here: https://www.fortresspress.com/st...

Writer, advocate and teacher Billie Hoard joins the VCW to share her story within Evangelicalism, her exit from those spaces and finding herself in a Mennonite church as an anarcho-pacifist. She also discusses coming out as trans to her family and school where she teaches. We also talk about how trans people have become targets in the ferocity of the Right's culture war. Follow Billie on Twitt...

Writer and podcaster R. Scott Okamoto returns to the VCW hall to talk about his new memoir Asian-American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University (out on April 18th, 2023). He discusses the process of getting it published, responds to some of the early reviews, and we of course talk about the book itself, which chronicles his experiences and observations from a go...

Former pastor for 15 years and former employee at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission (UGM), Kyle Reynolds comes by the VCW hall to share his Evangelical story and faith journey. We discuss how he became LGBTQ affirming as a straight pastor then talk about his work at UGM as well as the work that UGM does in Seattle. Within that work at UGM, we discuss Seattle's homelessness crisis. Check out Z...