Episodes

Fascism Draped in the Flag
Aug. 29, 2020

Fascism Draped in the Flag

Brad and Dan discuss the vagaries of the new semester and the apocalyptic challenges posed by Zoom and Outlook. They then dissect the events in Kenosha, WI during the last week--from the shooting of Jacob Blake, the vigilantism of Kyle Rittenhouse, and the various political and social responses. Fr…
Dating Jesus: Purity Culture, Male Savagery, and Female Passivity (re-release)
Aug. 26, 2020

Dating Jesus: Purity Culture, Male Savagery, and Female Passivity (re-release)

On this re-released episode, which takes on new significance in light of the Falwell scandal, Brad and Dan discuss how sexuality and gender are viewed in evangelical purity culture, including the notion that men are sexual aggressors and women are passive gatekeepers. They interview Rev. Sarah But…
Weekly Roundup
Aug. 21, 2020

Weekly Roundup" Catholic Convention/ Kamala Criticized/ Corrupt Cronies / QAnon Candidates

Brad and Dan discuss the latest of Falwell's Follies. They then analyze the presence of religion and faith at the Democratic convention, the fallout from the president's affirmation of QAnon, the GOP's problematic future, the arrest of Bannon and the Senate Intelligence Commitee's confirmation of R…
This is How it Ends, The Orange Wave Ep. 8
Aug. 17, 2020

This is How it Ends, The Orange Wave Ep. 8

Some just want to watch the world burn. But for others, the end of the world is an opportunity to rebuild it in their image. On this penultimate episode, Brad explores how global kleptocrats, Donald Trump, and Christian Reconstructionists all view the end of the world as a chance for power and cont…
Weekly Roundup: A Coup in Plain Sight
Aug. 15, 2020

Weekly Roundup: A Coup in Plain Sight

Dan laments the end of our favorite segment, Falwell's Follies. Then he and Brad discuss the interfaith and mixed-race background of Kamal Harris, Birtherism 2.0, the attempt to steal the election at the post office, Kanye West working for the Trump campaign, the illegal appointment of the DHS head…
Falwell's Fall . . . and Redemption with Diana Butler Bass
Aug. 11, 2020

Falwell's Fall . . . and Redemption with Diana Butler Bass

Brad talks to Dr. Diana Butler Bass, distinguished scholar of American Christianity, about Jerry Falwell Jr's. demise. Last week, racy pictures posted by Falwell on social media led to him being put on indefinite leave from the university. Dr. Bass provides insight into why this particular scandal …
Evangelicals, QAnon, and Conspiracy Theories (Re-Issue)
Aug. 4, 2020

Evangelicals, QAnon, and Conspiracy Theories (Re-Issue)

Brad speaks with Marc-André Argentino, a PhD candidate and public scholar at Concordia University in Quebec, and an Associate Fellow with the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) at King's College London. They discuss the origins of QAnon, its deep connections with evangelical Christia…
Weekly Roundup: Suburban Dream Demon Sperm
Aug. 1, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Suburban Dream Demon Sperm

Brad tells a story about a mishap during a colonoscopy. He and Dan then cover the myriad of stories from a crazy news week: -Eric Metaxas thinks Jesus is White -Tom Cotton: slavery was a necessary evil -Herman Cain dies from COVID after Trump rally -Remembering John Lewis -Trump's favorite doc…
Old School-The Orange Wave, Ep. 7
July 28, 2020

Old School-The Orange Wave, Ep. 7

If you want to take the country back for God, if you want to have dominion over every level of society, if you want to ensure a white Christian patriarchy rules over the land--you have to start with the children. Christian school movements are part of the fabric of the Religious Right. On this epis…
Weekly Roundup: I Can't Kneel - I'm a Christian
July 24, 2020

Weekly Roundup: I Can't Kneel - I'm a Christian

Dan talks about his house, or at least television, being struck by lightning. He and Brad then discuss Trump's messaging failures, Biden's candidacy as an appetizing saltine cracker, the scary situation in Portland, a baseball player who can't kneel for Black lives "because he's a Christian," the d…
Sexless Ed: The Orange Wave, Ep. 6
July 20, 2020

Sexless Ed: The Orange Wave, Ep. 6

You might be surprised to learn that the history of sex ed in the USA is a religious history. Christians were not always the enemies of science-based sex education programs. But during the 1960s, the Religious Right began a w...
Weekly Roundup: The Science Shouldn't Get in the Way
July 17, 2020

Weekly Roundup: The Science Shouldn't Get in the Way

Brad tells a story of scowling at a Supreme Court justice at the super market. Dan reveals he worked in Yellowstone National Park with Bill Clinton. They then discuss Trump's abysmal poll numbers and their causes: the anti-science approach to schools re-opening and the CDC; the anti-teacher approac…
Weekly Roundup: We Didn't Start the Ire
July 10, 2020

Weekly Roundup: We Didn't Start the Ire

Dan tell us why he hates the beach. Brad finishes his weeping on election night story. Then, they discuss Trump's Christian nationalist Confederate strategy (5:03), the Ministerial Exception expanded by SCOTUS (20:46), Religious Institutions receiving COVID relief money (29:24), Betsy Devos' attemp…
Non-Biblical Christian Manhood: The Orange Wave, Ep. 5
July 6, 2020

Non-Biblical Christian Manhood: The Orange Wave, Ep. 5

Since the mid-twentieth century, evangelicals and others on the Religious Right have looked to Hollywood, rather than the Bible, to construct their visions of "cowboy masculinity." It started with John Wayne and Ronald Reagan, then moved to Mel Gibson and others. On the political side, tough guys l…
The Orange Wave: Live Q+A Session
July 1, 2020

The Orange Wave: Live Q+A Session

Use JESUS20 for 20% off at Swanson.com! Dan and Brad hosted a live meeting with SWAJ listeners. We had a great discussion of important questions. They are listed below: Questions for SWAJ Q+A, June 30, 2020: Randall Balmer’s three point definition of evangelical does not directly mention a …
Weekly Roundup: The SCOTUS Surprise and the POTUS Demise
June 19, 2020

Weekly Roundup: The SCOTUS Surprise and the POTUS Demise

Brad and Dan discuss the expanded recognition of Juneteenth and its significance for American history, the surprising new from SCOTUS on discrimination against LGBTQ people in the workplace and DACA, Louie Giglio's "White blessings," and the growing perception that white people are discriminated ag…
It's Not Democracy. It's War: The Orange Wave, Ep. 3
June 16, 2020

It's Not Democracy. It's War: The Orange Wave, Ep. 3

In the wake of the 1964 Goldwater campaign, three young men decided to start the Council for National Policy in order to take back the country for God--and themselves. They joined forces with an army of clergy, big donors, and media moguls in order to take back America. This "shadow network," as th…
Weekly Roundup: Trump's Adding Insult to Tear Gas
June 13, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Trump's Adding Insult to Tear Gas

Brad and Dan discuss Trump's decision to hold a rally in Tulsa on June 19. They dig into the historical significance of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and Juneteenth. They also discuss the difference between history and collective memory in the Confederate flag/statue debate. Finally, they touch on Trump'…
The Orange Wave Ep. 2: From the Goldrush to the Tea Party
June 9, 2020

The Orange Wave Ep. 2: From the Goldrush to the Tea Party

In the early 1960s, Orange County became the hub for both white evangelical Christianity and libertarian politics. It was the epicenter of the John Birch Society and the Goldwater campaign. This history is crucial for understanding the rise of the Religious Right throughout the 80s and beyond. It w…
Weekly Roundup: A National Uprising
June 5, 2020

Weekly Roundup: A National Uprising

This episode begins with the conveyance of wisdom from two African American women who are scholars of religion. First, Dr. Anthea Butler on how and why protest works. Then, Dr.Shannen Dee Williams on the history of racism in the Catholic church and the need to listen to black activists. Brad and Da…
What Do Religion Scholars Think of Trump's Violent Bible Photo Op?
June 4, 2020

What Do Religion Scholars Think of Trump's Violent Bible Photo Op?

On this emergency episode, Brad asks religion scholars to weigh in on Trump’s violent Bible photo op. He speaks with first with Dr. Richard Newton, Assistant Professor of Religon at the University of Alabama. They discuss how Christianity often offers a validation to racism and what he means by …
Every End is a Beginning: The Orange Wave Episode 1
June 2, 2020

Every End is a Beginning: The Orange Wave Episode 1

On this installment of the Orange Wave: A History of the Religious Right Since 1960, Brad traces two intertwined histories. First, the Sun Belt Migration, which led to a massive westward population shift in the 1950s and 1960s. The Sunbelt Migration turned Orange County into the nation's hub of def…
Oranges and Peanuts: The Orange Wave: Episode 0
May 26, 2020

Oranges and Peanuts: The Orange Wave: Episode 0

The Religious Right has not always existed. White evangelicals have not always been the guardians of far-right immigration policies and patriarchal models of the family. In the 19th century, they were often progressive activists fighting for labor rights, abolition, and women's suffrage. How did th…
Weekly Roundup: The COVID Info Wars
May 15, 2020

Weekly Roundup: The COVID Info Wars

Brad and Dan discuss recent data that shows White Evangelicals are the only group who believes Trump's response to the pandemic has been appropriate. They connect this to recent studies that show how Trump supporters get their news/information directly from the president through the Trump App. This…