Episodes

Feb. 4, 2024

Bonus Ep. 1: That Time God Wanted Dan to Get Arrested

This is a free preview of our monthly 2-hour bonus episode. For access to this episode + ad-free listening, access to our archive, weekly bonus content, and an invitation to our Discord server sign up now! Subscribe for $5.99...
Feb. 2, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Taylor Swift Plays Fool's Ball + Trucker Convoy and Satanists in Idaho

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the right-wing meltdown about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl. They point out the misogyny at the heart of the discourse, as well as the Christian nationalist and patriarchal dimensions. In th...
Jan. 31, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 84: The Original Manuscripts

Those who claim that the Bible is “inerrant” are clear that this applies to the “autographs,” or original manuscripts, of the Bible. But we don’t have ANY of those original manuscripts. What does that mean for claims that the...
Jan. 29, 2024

Ahead in 2024? Abortion, Violence, and the Global Far-Right + Bonus Content

In the first part of this episode, Brad talks with journalist Annika Brockschmidt about what under reported or under the radar things she is watching in 2024. Annika walks through a number of court cases on reproductive right...
Jan. 27, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Ron DeSantis Aborts 8 Months In

Brad and Dan begin by discussing what happened to Ron DeSantis. Taking stock of pundits who blame his failure on policy or lack of people skills, Brad argues that DeSantis lacks the aesthetic and eroticism to be a fascist lea...
Jan. 24, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 83: "The Very Words of Scripture"

When inerrantists say that the Bible is “without error,” one of the things they mean is that the very words of the Bible itself were chosen by God. When they say that the Bible is “God-breathed” or “inspired,” this inspiratio...
Jan. 22, 2024

Congress Learns About Mike Johnson's White Christian Nationalism

Exclusive to SWAJ - the Freethought Caucus in the House of Representatives held a seminar on Mike Johnson's Christian nationalism. Rep. Jared Huffman chaired the panel and heard comments from Dr. Matthew Taylor, Rachel Laser,...
Jan. 19, 2024

Weekly Roundup: "MLK Was a Bad Guy" + Fallout from Iowa

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the ways White evangelicals pushed Trump to victory and Iowa - and then dispel a bunch of myths about why White Christians keep voting for him. They also dig into reactions to a mainstream med...
Jan. 17, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 82: "The Proof of Inerrancy"

The claim that the Bible is inerrant is a claim that it is the sole and absolute authority in matters of religious truth. For millions of American Christians, that also means that it should be the source of social policy and ...
Jan. 15, 2024

Evangelical Trumpism: Then and Now Part II. w/ Tim Alberta

Part II of Brad's interview with journalist Tim Alberta, author of the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Evangelicalism in an Age of Extremism. In his intro, Brad goes through his criticisms of the book. They come down to th...
Jan. 13, 2024

Weekly Roundup: God's Chosen Is Above the Law

On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Brad and Dan first take stock of two wild but related claims by Trump: He is immune from the law and chosen by God to enact it. Sounds more like a medieval monarch than a democratically electe...
Jan. 10, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 81: The Inerrant Bible

“The Bible is without error.” This claim, the claim that the Bible is “inerrant,” is what lies behind most Christians’ claims when they insist they are “preaching the Bible,” that they attend a “Bible church,” that “the Bible...
Jan. 8, 2024

Evangelical Trumpism: Then and Now Part I. w/ Tim Alberta

Part I of Brad's interview with journalist Tim Alberta, author of the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Evangelicalism in an Age of Extremism. In his intro, Brad goes through what he learned from the book - and hints at his ...
Jan. 5, 2024

Weekly Roundup: J6 3 years Later + 14th Amendment Originalism

More Americans think J6 was not big deal than ever. Why? Because the myth of the Big Lie has festered in the three years since the Insurrection, creating an alternate reality in which Donald Trump is not responsible for what ...
Jan. 3, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 80: "I'm a Biblical Literalist"

“I believe the Bible is literally true.” Such is the claim of many self-professed biblical “literalists.” Academics and journalists who study American religion also often describe conservative Christians, in particular, as “l...
Jan. 2, 2024

2024 Will Shape America for the Rest of Our Lives

On the first episode of the year, Brad looks ahead to various scenarios in 2024 and what they might mean for our country. One thing is certain: This year will shape our country for the rest of our lives. It could mean a secon...
Dec. 29, 2023

Weekly Roundup + Festivus (Brad's Version): Slavery, Stolen Elections, Civil War, In n Out, and Cauliflower "Rice"

Brad begins by discussing the news that Trump is off the ballot in Maine and what that means in the wake of the Colorado decisions. He breaks down why the complexity and tumult of these decisions does not warrant objection to...
Dec. 27, 2023

It's In the Code Ep. 79: "Everyone Has An Ultimate Authority II"

“Everyone has an ultimate authority.” Last episode considered the intellectual merits of this claim. In this episode, Dan considers the emotional appeal of this claim and the work that claims like this do within high-control ...
Dec. 26, 2023

In Texas, It All Goes Back to Christian Nationalism

School Vouchers, Abortion, Chaplains, and Bought Elections
Dec. 22, 2023

SWAJ Festivus: Dan's Version

For the end of the year Weekly Roundup, Dan provides his airing of grievances in the great Festivus tradition. Brad's to come soon. Subscribe now to Pure White: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pure-white/id1718974286 T...
Dec. 20, 2023

Trump Off the Ballot in Colorado w/ Andrew Seidel

Brad speaks to constitutional lawyer Andrew Seidel about the Colorado Supreme Court decision barring Trump from the ballot. They discuss whether or not this was the right decision, what will happen if it goes to SCOTUS, the a...
Dec. 18, 2023

The Texas Rep. Fighting Christian Nationalism w/ James Talarico

Rep. James Talarico is a Christian fighting Christian nationalism in the Texas legislature. He's also an 8th generation Texans; a former middle school teacher; and a seminarian. He calls school voucher schemes "scams," and "w...
Dec. 16, 2023

Weekly Roundup: Satan in Iowa, Hell in Texas

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the abortion ruling in Texas, pointing to the ways that the vague wording in the law and the threats from state officials have made abortion effectively banned in the state. They discuss how t...
Dec. 13, 2023

It's In the Code Ep. 78: "Everyone Has an Ultimate Authority"

“Everyone has an ultimate authority.” You might encounter this claim in a discussion about the authority of the Bible, or in religious debates about LGBTQ+ inclusion, or the respective roles of men and women in church and soc...