Episodes

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 "welfare for the rich," while labeling Gov. Abbott "Robinhood in reverse." He went viral for opposing the Ten Commandments bill on religious grounds and is now squaring up against the Christian nationalist billionaire pastors trying to take over Texas - and the United States. ...

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 the case represents a new chapter in the cruel approach to reproductive non-rights and what it means for the state and the nation. They then pivot to Iowa, where a display by the Satanic Temple in the state's capitol has led to a new Satanic panic. Brad reviews the Christian...

“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 society, or about evolution, or vaccines, or any number of other topics. But what, exactly, does this mean? Why will people with a particular view of religious authority make this claim? What attitudes or beliefs encoded within it? These issues are the focus of this week’s epis...

Axis Mundi Media is proud to introduce Pure White - A history podcast series that traces the relationships among sexual purity, White supremacy, and Christian nationalism from the 19th century to the present. What happens when you link national renewal to the sexual lives of teenagers? This is exactly what evangelical purity culture did in the 1990s. In this first episode, host Dr. Sara Moslener recounts the history and details of purity culture's advent, leaving us with an important question: ...

In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life--such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders--can cause psychological, relational, physic...

Brad begins by laying out the current state of conflict in Israel-Palestine: the ceasefire is over; Israel is threatening to displace millions in southern Gaza; 15,000 Palestinians have died; Netanyahu is talking about ending the Palestinian territory . . . Dan then provides three ways that we are duped into thinking and talking about the conflict in reductive and binary frameworks - from zero sum arguments, to either/or thinking, to blame roulette. Brad provides examples of each of these - th...

Why don’t conservative Protestants who oppose Christian nationalism, but who choose to remain in MAGA-affirming churches, seem to say anything in opposition to Christian nationalism? Do the theological beliefs underlying their Christian identity prevent them from doing so? Is it an issue of how groups regulate individual identity? Dan explores these questions in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc ...

The Business of Bible Benevolence

Brad and Dan begin by gauging the right-wing reactions to the death of Henry Kissinger. They then compare these, and the hallmarks of Kissinger's life, to those of Rosalynn Carter, who was buried this week in Plains, Ga. In the second segment, Dan unpacks a knot of issues related to no-fault divorce, abortion, and the ways that the GOP continues to try to control women's bodies. In the final segment, the hosts look to Ga, where local election officials refused to certify results for spurious r...

“Why be so hard on conservative Christianity, to the point of dismissing it entirely? Why not fix it?” This is a real question we receive, and it’s a fair question. Can conservative Christianity be “fixed”? Or are the problems with it too deep for that? In this episode, Dan answers these questions, arguing that because the problematic elements of conservative American Christianity are “in its code,” the code needs to be rewritten entirely. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi....

From the 1960s to Moms for Liberty

This week Dan talks about the popular praise and worship song, “Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart.” What is the message of this song? Written as a song of solace and hope, how does it also express an attitude that denies the reality of the things about this world and our places in it that should change? And what is the significance of expressing this attitude in the form of a song? Take a listen and find out. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate:...

How Reagan's Evangelical Vision Saved His Presidency - And Destroyed So Much Else

Brad begins by discussing the history of Murfreesboro, TN, where a city ordinance banned homosexuality in public. As Brad recounts, this isn't the first time the city has been in the news. A decade ago, citizens tried to prevent the construction of a mosque on the grounds that Islam isn't a religion. Brad draws on scholarship to outline how Christian nationalists employ a framework wherein the USA should be a place of limitless freedom for them, and limited life for everyone else. In the second...

We’ve all had the experience of sitting around a Thanksgiving table sharing what we’re grateful or thankful for. But why do some people seem to demand that we feel grateful? Why do they demand that we express gratitude? And what role to these demands play in high-control religious contexts? What is harbored within these demands that can make us so uncomfortable? Dan dives into these issues in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Don...

The massive bronze sculpture of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, in uniform, astride his horse Traveller, stood in a downtown Charlottesville park for nearly a century. It was at the center of a deadly white nationalist rally in 2017, when Neo-Nazis and white supremacists tried to stop the city's plans to remove the statue. It came down to cheers in July of 2021. Dr. Jalane Schmidt has been part of the group of activists, scholars, and historians fighting not only to have the statue removed, ...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the porn-accountability app that Speaker Mike Johnson uses with his son. They explain how apps like these are a feature in evangelical circles and how they are a part of the purity culture landscape. Dan then zooms out to explain why he doesn't buy the idea that contemporary Christian nationalism, as it embodied in Johnson, is not a divergence from American history. Neither host agrees that this is just a matter of normal patriotic Americans being corrupted, but ...

“Evangelicalism isn’t just Christian nationalism. There are also a lot of great individuals who are evangelicals but not Christian nationalists.” We hear that a lot. But is it as plausible a concern as it sounds? And why do people say this? Are they really just concerned about “great individuals” who are portrayed badly? What is there to decode in this sentiment? How might we respond to it? In this episode, Dan takes a closer look at this response and the issues it raises. Subscribe now to Amer...

Has fascism arrived in America? In this pioneering book, Gavriel D. Rosenfeld and Janet Ward have gathered experts to survey the history of fascism in the United States. Although the US established a staunch anti-fascist reputation by defeating the Axis powers in World War II, the unsettling truth is that fascist ideas have long been present within American society. Since the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016, scholars have debated whether Trumpism should be seen as an outgrowth of A...

Dan and Brad begin by recounting the melting of the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville - and the right-wing reactions to it. This leads to a lengthy discussion of the efforts to keep Trump off the ballot in CO and MN via the 14th amendment. In the conclusion, the hosts discuss how the Lost Cause and MAGA Myths have real-world effects on our public square - and the potential dangers ahead. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straig...

Brad speaks to two survivors of IHOP-KC about the abuse they endured there, the dynamics of the community, and healing with others. This week allegations emerged about Mike Bickle, founder of IHOP-KC, a central hub in charismatic Christianity located in Kansas City. Bob Smietana at RNS describes Bickle this way: "Bickle is one of the most influential charismatic Christians in the United States and a leading figure in the so-called New Apostolic Reformation, which seeks to make prophecy and the...

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” So reads the King James Bible. What does this verse mean? And why does this translation of the verse still circulate within Christian culture, despite being an archaic translation? And most importantly, what are some of the social effects of this verse? Dan explores these topics in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/...

Colonizer Theology in the House of Representatives

Brad and Dan use the bulk of this episode to introduce listeners to the Christian nationalism of new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They go over his right-wing record on abortion (near abolitionist), on LBGTQ rights (as homophobic as they come), on separation of church and state (doesn't believe in it), and his understanding of where your rights come from (his God). They also discuss updates on SCOTUS and Clarence Thomas, as well as Trump's week in court - and the lawyers and allies who hav...