Episodes

Dan begins this episode with by discussing new polling that reveals how GOP voters see Trump as person of faith. This leads to an investigation into the endlessly growing web of new conspiracies that are now part of conservative religious identity on the American Right. This leads to a discussion of anti-vaxxing getting real funding in government programs, it's role in GOP primary. Dan then touches briefly on the AL and FL redistricting fights. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axism...

What’s going on when someone tells us they need to “speak the truth in love”? How is this similar to someone who assures us they’re being critical because “they’re our friend,” or “because they care for us”? How is the intention of these phrases changed when they take on a religious sense? Dan looks at these issues in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols, On God's Campus, and Inform Your Resistance: https://www.axismundi.us To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://...

Brad is attending to the birth of his second child. So, enjoy the first episode of the new Axis Mundi series by Andrew Whitehead. In the opening episode, Andrew defines Christian nationalism, and uses his personal journey as a Christian to understand how it works on the ground in the religious lives of Americans, church spaces, and the public square. Transcript here. Order American Idolatry here: https://bookshop.org/lists/swaj-recommends-october-2023 Subscribe to Andrew's substack. Subscribe ...

On the first segment Dan and Brad begrudgingly discuss Lauren Boebrert's Beetlejuice scandal - and what it reveals about the Christian nationalist persona she's cultivated. In the second segment, they discuss a myriad of issues - from the firing of a teacher for teaching the Diary of Anne Frank to supposed discrimination against Whites at West Point to the charge that Merrick Garland thinks all Catholics are religious extremists. In the final segment they discuss the Alabama redistricting case...

“There’s no morality without God.” That is a claim made by many Christians. But it’s also a claim with a cultural hold that extends beyond card-carrying Christians. What does it mean? Why do people make this claim? Should we believe it? And why do people make this claim? Is it just a philosophical or theological claim? Or are their bigger issues at work? Dan tackles these questions in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: ven...

A special presentation of Inform Your Resistance: Abortion abolitionists: who are they, what drives them, and how do their tactics overlap with those of other far-right movements? Join host, Koki Mendis, and PRA Senior Research Analyst, Cloee Cooper, as we reveal the chilling facts about this nationwide syndicate of militant anti-abortion Christians. We unravel the differences between the broader pro-life movement and the abortion abolitionist movement and observe how the latter attempts to impo...

Brad begins by tracing the extreme Christian nationalism of the 2020s to the years following 9/11. The thesis: the ways that Republican politicians and conservative pastors responded to 9/11 led to a new chapter of American Christian nationalism. Dan then picks up the thread to discuss how Black churches and other groups are teaching Black history in Florida given the fact that it is being left out of school curricula in the state. The episode finishes with an extended discussion of the lapsed...

“Let Go and Let God” Maybe you’ve heard the admonition to “let go and let God.” Maybe it provides some comfort. Maybe it’s frustrating. Maybe it makes you angry. What does it mean, and why can it provoke such a range of responses? Why do people say this? How does it relate to a culture of self-help consumerism? Dan explores these issues in this week’s episode. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.pay...

Ahead of the premier of American Idols next week, Brad talks with Dr. Andrew Whitehead about the podcast series, his new book, and why Christian nationalism is such a threat to our democracy. He shares insight from his own life as a kid who grew up in church, only to see many of his fellow Christians succumb to the temptations of Christian nationalism's idols: fear, power, and violence. Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhite...

In her new book, 24/7 News: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America From Watergate to Fox News, Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell, Associate Professor of History at Purdue University, shows how cable became an unstoppable medium for political communication that prioritized cult followings and loyalty to individual brands, fundamentally reshaped party politics, and, in the process, sowed the seeds of democratic upheaval. In her conversation with Brad, Dr. Brownell reveals how cable TV created ...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the fact that Trump may be kept off the ballot in some states. The 14th amendment prohibits those who have "engaged in insurrection" from holding office. Dan breaks down the case and what may happen going forward. In the second segment Brad analyzes Project 2025, a program from the Heritage Foundation that lays out a frightening totalitarian vision for a 2nd Trump Term. He also outlines why he won't support a third party candidate this election. In the final se...

“It’s In the Code.” But in what sense is a code something public and shared? And in what sense is a code something secret, communicated only the select few “in the know?” Dan explores these issues in this episode, arguing that secret codes that operate below the surface are dependent on public codes we all share and can understand. He also suggests that this interplay is vital in our current context defined by endless culture war. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal...

Brad talks to Rev. Nathan Empsall, the Executive Director of Faithful America. They discuss the Reawaken America Tour, which just relaunched in Las Vegas a week ago. As Rev. Nathan says, the tour platforms speakers who are anti-Semitic, anti-democratic, and openly violent. It is a dangerous movement that is, unfortunately, tying together explicit Christian practice - like baptism on stage - with insidious American nationalism. The result? Maybe the most potent magnet for Christian nationalism al...

How does a racially fueled tragedy tie into the policies of a state governor? And what sinister patterns can we uncover when we trace the origins of the 'lone gunman' phenomenon? Brad and Dan investigate the chilling Jacksonville shootings, the disturbing racial motivations behind the crime, and the ways these events echo the policies of Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis. . We then shift our focus to the Christian homeschooling movement, helmed by Michael Farris, and its possible impact on publi...

“You Have to Get ‘Em Lost to Get ‘Em Saved” What can it possibly mean when some Christians say that you “have to get people lost before you can get them saved?” What does it mean to be “lost”? What does it mean to be “saved”? And what are some of the effects of this language? Is it just a way of summarizing basic Christian teachings, or does it have further-reaching, possibly significant, negative effects? Dan tackles these issues in this week’s episode. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Pay...

Brad speaks with Dr. Robert P. Jones, President of PRRI and author of the new book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future. Beginning with contemporary efforts to reckon with the legacy of white supremacy in America, Jones returns to the fateful year when a little-known church doctrine emerged that shaped the way five centuries of European Christians would understand the “discovered” world and the people who populated it. Along the way, he shows us the conn...

Brad and Dan discuss three main stories from the week: The GOP debate, where Trump was somehow both absent and present. The killing of a shop owner in CA over her display of the Pride flag. The appearannce of Spokane mayor Nadine Woodward at a Christian nationalist rally with Sean Feucht and Matth Shea To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhi...

We say someone is “speaking in code,” or talk about “codes,” or discuss things that are “in the code?” But what do we mean by “code?” And when someone uses coded language, do they know they’re doing that? When we talk about people or communities using codes to manipulate or control others, are they doing it on purpose? And do we all use codes, or is it always something “they” (whoever they are) do? Dan tackles those questions in this week’s episode. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal:...

Brad speaks to Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. They discuss AU's lawsuit with the ACLU and FFRF in the case of the state of Oklahoma agreeing to send taxpayer funds to a Catholic school. This is, in essence, an attempt to make Christian schools into public schools. From AU: And public schools must be secular and open to all students. They are not allowed to discriminate against students or indoctrinate children into one religion. But that...

On a solo Friday, Dan begins by discussing the sprawling indictment of Trump and his co-conspirators in Fulton County, Georgia. This indictment includes lawyers, pastors, and others who allegedly helped Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Dan then turns his attention to the ruling on the abortion pills out of the 5th Circuit. It's a monumental story that, while unfinished, will have dramatic impacts on reproductive rights all over the country. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhite...

What does it mean when a church is “non-denominational”? What is the relation between non-denominational churches and established denominations? In what ways does the designation of being non-denominational encode information about a church’s values and beliefs, its demographics, or its position on hot-button cultural issues? Dan tackles these questions in this week’s episode. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: https://www.patre...

Brad analyzes the new hit song, "The Rich Men North of Richmond," which has become an anthem for right-wing populism. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 For access to the full Orange Wave series, click here: https://irreverent.supp...

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the latest news from SCOTUS - Clarence Thomas's many vacations with right-wing billionaires - by framing the entire GOP's approach to politics as a will to power. Dan draws on a piece by a retired conservative judge in order to demonstrate that the American right has become the party of power and negativity. Brad then goes through a litany of issues related to sex and gender: from reactions to the World Cup loss of the US women's team to Matt Walsh's comments on...

Within a certain part of the American Christian subculture, it’s common to speak of people who are “baby Christians.” But what does that mean? Is it just silly? Is it just an effect of biblical understandings of the Christian faith? Or does it have more significant religious, social, and political consequences? In this episode, Dan argues that it does have these consequences, and explains why. To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Patreon: ...