Episodes

It's In the Code Ep. 91: "So Much for the Holy Spirit"
March 20, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 91: "So Much for the Holy Spirit"

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/ High control Christian communities often claim that the Bible is without error, that its teachings are absolute, and that if we read our Bibles we can learn about God for ourselves. But is that how it really works? What if, instead, claims that the Bible speaks with “inerrant” authority are actually mechanisms of religious cont...
The Wannabe Warlord Leading the US Into Christendom + Bonus Content
March 19, 2024

The Wannabe Warlord Leading the US Into Christendom + Bonus Content

Bonus Content: The Society for American Civic Renewal x John Birch Society
It's in the Code Ep. 90: "Direct Relationship with God"
March 13, 2024

It's in the Code Ep. 90: "Direct Relationship with God"

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/ One of the effects and purposes of the doctrine that the Bible is “without error” is to provide assurance that when we read it, we have unmediated access to divine teachings. But do we? Can the Bible provide the kind of “immediate” access to God this doctrine promises? In this week’s episode, Dan talks about why this isn’t poss...
The Age of Insurrection w/ David Neiwert
March 11, 2024

The Age of Insurrection w/ David Neiwert

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/ From a smattering of ominous right-wing compounds in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, to the shocking January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, America has seen the culmination of a long-building war on democracy being waged by a fundamentally violent and antidemocratic far-right movement that unironically calls itse...
Weekly Roundup: State of Disunion - Contraceptive Nationalism and the Innocent White Christian Woman
March 9, 2024

Weekly Roundup: State of Disunion - Contraceptive Nationalism and the Innocent White Christian Woman

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/ Brad and Dan begin by discussing the State of the Union speech by Pres. Joe Biden and the GOP response by Sen. Katie Britt (AL). They analyze the theatrics of the civic ritual - and how the chamber has turned into something more like the comments section on a YouTube video than a stately affair where all three of our branches o...
It's In the Code Ep. 89: "Believe It Or Not"
March 7, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 89: "Believe It Or Not"

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/ When someone says they “believe” that the Bible is “inerrant” (without error), what do they mean? What does it mean to “believe” something in this way? Is believing the Bible is without error the same thing as “believing” that there are 24 hours in the day or that we perceive the sun to rise in the east? Are there different way...
Bonus Ep. 2: That Time Brad Told You About Eternal Torment at Lunch
March 5, 2024

Bonus Ep. 2: That Time Brad Told You About Eternal Torment at Lunch

Brad tells cringy stories from his teenage years in order to make a point: Christian conservatives often start arguments by saying that everyone has a worldview, so everyone is religious. If you don't worship God, they say, then you worship yourself or something else. Brad and Dan decode and refute this argument, while telling hilarious stories from the past. They also answer a ton of AMA questions. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-ep...
Brynn Tannehill on Civil War, Trump, and the Violence Ahead in 2024
March 4, 2024

Brynn Tannehill on Civil War, Trump, and the Violence Ahead in 2024

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/ What happens if Trump wins? If he goes to jail before the election? If Biden wins, but the House GOP won't certify the election? Brad goes through all these scenarios with Brynn Tannehill, author of American Fascism: How the GOP is subverting democracy. Brynn Tannehill is a Naval Academy graduate, former naval aviator, author, ...
It's In the Code Ep. 88: "The Bible is Historically Flawless"
Feb. 29, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 88: "The Bible is Historically Flawless"

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/ Christian inerrantists, those who claim that the Bible is literally “without error,” often present this as a “historical” doctrine. That is, they often claim that the view that the Bible is without error is the result of historical investigation, that the historical claims of the Bible have been tested against real history and ...
Talking to Red-Pilled Friends and Loved Ones with Dr. Steven Hassan
Feb. 26, 2024

Talking to Red-Pilled Friends and Loved Ones with Dr. Steven Hassan

Brad welcomes Dr. Steven Hassan to discuss strategies for talking to red-pilled relatives who have gone down the rabbit holes of MAGA-ism, Q-Anon, and other forms of high-control religion and conspiracy. The author of the Cult of Trump and Combating Cult Mind Control, Dr. Hassan was member of the notorious Unification Church in the 1970s. Dr. Hassan experienced firsthand the devastating effects of undue influence and coercion. His escape from the church and subsequent recovery process inspired h...
Weekly Roundup: Embryos are People Now?
Feb. 24, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Embryos are People Now?

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the shocking decision from the Alabama Supreme Court proclaiming embryos to be human beings. They dissect the legal, philosophical, theological, and political dynamics of the ruling - and breakdown the Christian nationalism baked into the opinion written by Chief Justice Tom Parker. They then turn their attention to Oklahoma, where a non-binary teen died days after being attacked by a group of classmates in a school bathroom. Finally, they look to Tennessee where...
It's In the Code Ep. 87: "With All Apologies"
Feb. 21, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 87: "With All Apologies"

The doctrine of inerrancy isn’t convincing philosophically, theologically, or factually. Yet it remains a cornerstone of belief within a conservative Christian circles. What explains its persistence? In this episode, Dan begins exploring this issue by suggesting that the doctrine of inerrancy, despite all of its intellectual failings, speaks to a deeply felt need within a particular kind of religious adherent, and that this is one significant reason it persists. Check this week’s episode to hear...
Dan Partland - Director of God and Country + (Bonus Content)
Feb. 19, 2024

Dan Partland - Director of God and Country + (Bonus Content)

Brad's interview with Dan Partland, director of God and Country, a new documentary that examines Christian nationalism in the United States. Based partly on Katherine Stewart's The Power Worshippers, it includes many prominent voices speaking out against Christian nationalism - Andrew Whitehead, Jemar Tisby, Andrew Seidel, Anthea Butler, and many more. Brad speaks with Dan about what drew him to this project, what he learned about the threats Christian nationalism poses to democracy, and why it ...
Moscow Mules: Trump. Nato. Putin. MAGA Mike. Tucker Gets Tuckered.
Feb. 16, 2024

Moscow Mules: Trump. Nato. Putin. MAGA Mike. Tucker Gets Tuckered.

Brad and Dan begin by discussing Trump's comments on NATO and how they reflect eight years of Putin transforming the American Right's view of America's role in the world. This leads to an extended discussion of Mike Johnson and his reticence to send support to Ukraine without a border deal, even though that is what the Senate sent him. Democrats turned the table, perhaps, on the immigration issue - but at a cost. Then there is Tucker Carlson, parading around Moscow . . . Subscribe for $5.99 a mo...
It's In the Code Ep. 86: "The Last Line of Defense"
Feb. 14, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 86: "The Last Line of Defense"

What do those who insist that the Bible is inerrant, literally “without error,” do if they’re finally confronted with contradictions or errors in the biblical text that no one can plausibly explain? Does this lead them to abandon the doctrine? Do they finally have to give in to the evidence of the text they themselves claim as an authority? No! Instead, they marshal one, final, ultimate defense of an inerrant Bible. What is it? Check out this week’s episode and Dan will tell you! Subscribe for $...
Weekly Roundup: Walk by Faith, Not by Impeachment Votes (or Immunity Claims)
Feb. 10, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Walk by Faith, Not by Impeachment Votes (or Immunity Claims)

Brad and Dan take a winding tour through a bundle of issues: the GOP's failed impeachment vote; the lampooning of their own bill in the Senate; Red Shirts beating a Latino man live on Fox News; Elise Stefanik saying she wouldn't have certified the election if she was VP; book burning political candidates; a woman who has faith that God has chosen Trump for the presidency. The common thread: Democracy requires faith; authoritarianism only requires fear and anger. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to ge...
It's In the Code Ep. 85: "I Know What the Bible Says"
Feb. 7, 2024

It's In the Code Ep. 85: "I Know What the Bible Says"

Inerrantists who claim that the Bible is “without error,” right down to the individual words of the text, also recognize that the Bible is full of factual inaccuracies. How do they reconcile these two positions? How can they acknowledge factually inaccurate claims and still insist that the Bible is “without error”? One theological strategy is to insist that the Bible is without error only in what it “affirms.” What do they mean by this? And does this slick theological trick work? Unsurprisingly,...
We Are Living in the Klan's America Part I + Bonus Content
Feb. 5, 2024

We Are Living in the Klan's America Part I + Bonus Content

Brad speaks with Dr. Kelly J. Baker, author of Gospel of the Klan. In the first segment, Brad outlines how TPUSA is akin to the 1920s Klan. Then he speaks with Dr. Baker, who outlines how the Klan was seen as a patriotic Christian organization that put God and country first. Sound familiar? In its time, the Klan was not considered a beyond the pale White supremacist group. It was part of mainstream society. Part of churches. Part of the American way of life. And, as they discuss, we are repeatin...
Bonus Ep. 1: That Time God Wanted Dan to Get Arrested
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 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nat...
Weekly Roundup: Taylor Swift Plays Fool's Ball + Trucker Convoy and Satanists in Idaho
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 the second segment, Brad analyzes the trucker convoy headed the Border - centering on how its participants are using J6 as its inspiration to be warriors for God. In the final segment Dan takes us through how satanists are warding of Christian nationalism in Idaho by using the...
It's In the Code Ep. 84: The Original Manuscripts
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 Bible is “inerrant”? And even if we did have those originals, most of us can’t read the Bible its original languages. Can a translated Bible still be inerrant? In this episode Dan shows why the lack of manuscripts is a HUGE problem for claims to inerrancy, and argues that i...