Episodes

The Entangled Histories of Christianity, Atheism, and Racism
April 1, 2020

The Entangled Histories of Christianity, Atheism, and Racism

Brad speaks to Dr. Nathan Alexander about his new book on the entangled histories of Christianity, atheism, and racism in the 19th and 20th centuries. They try to answer some compelling questions: Are non-religious people more or less susceptible than Christians to supporting racism and racist poli…
Weekly Roundup: Trump, Evangelicals, and Covid-19
March 27, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Trump, Evangelicals, and Covid-19

Religion was in full view this week as it relates to COVID-19. Brad and Dan discuss evangelical leaders and politicians resisting shelter in place directives, the Trump Bible study leader blaming LGBT+ people for the pandemic, Hobby Lobby and visions from God, Liberty University going back to schoo…
From Evangelical Leader to Feminist Superhero
March 24, 2020

From Evangelical Leader to Feminist Superhero

Asha Dahya was a happy evangelical when she moved to LA from Australia. But the politics of the Religious Right led her out of the faith. Indian by ethnicity, British-born, Australian raised, and living in the USA since 2008,...
SWAJ Daily: All the Made-Up Things
March 24, 2020

SWAJ Daily: All the Made-Up Things

" . . only the invented part of life was satisfying." -Gerald Murphy to F. Scott Fitzgerald. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straig…
Weekly Roundup: Bernie Sanders and American Civil (Non) Religion
March 20, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Bernie Sanders and American Civil (Non) Religion

Brad and Dan discuss why in this sort of crisis everyone's a socialist (2:55), the fallout from the Burr/Loeffler revelations (7:35), and then spend the bulk of the episode discussing why Bernie Sanders would be a revolutionary candidate in religious terms--the first None President in our country's…
SWAJ Daily: Burr Should Resign, Fact-Checking Cornyn, How to Avoid Turning Anxiety to Racism
March 20, 2020

SWAJ Daily: Burr Should Resign, Fact-Checking Cornyn, How to Avoid Turning Anxiety to Racism

Brad discusses the moral failing of Senator Richard Burr and calls on him to resign, fact checks Sen. Cornyn on China, viruses, and more, and challenges us not to allow our fear to transform into racism and xenophobia. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/mess…
A White Southern Pentecostal Bernie Voter
March 18, 2020

A White Southern Pentecostal Bernie Voter

Aaron Simmons has been asked to leave numerous churches over the last decade. Not over theology or the Bible. But because he votes the wrong way and wants to have open discussions about abortion, race, justice, and other issu...
SWAJ Daily: Trump's COVID Dog-Whistle and Christian Nationalism, Elections in Ohio, and Space Force!
March 17, 2020

SWAJ Daily: Trump's COVID Dog-Whistle and Christian Nationalism, Elections in Ohio, and Space Force!

On today's daily dispatch, Brad discusses why Trump labeling COVID-19 the "Chinese virus" is part of a long lineage of anti-Asian xenophobia and part of the Christian nationalism held by his supporters (4:00). He discusses a new piece on Christian nationalism and anti-immigrant ideology by Samuel P…
Weekly Roundup: Conspiracy and Corona Virus, Title IX and Discrimination, and the Appeal of Biden
March 14, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Conspiracy and Corona Virus, Title IX and Discrimination, and the Appeal of Biden

Brad and Dan discuss the conspiracy theories Evangelicals and the President are pushing about Corona Virus (0:30), Title IX exemptions for universities that discriminate against LGBT+ people (17:50), the surprising surge of Biden and his popularity with African American religious voters (27:05), wh…
Weekly Roundup: Corona Virus Conspiracies, the Constitutional Right to Discriminate, and AOC's Sermon
Feb. 28, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Corona Virus Conspiracies, the Constitutional Right to Discriminate, and AOC's Sermon

On the Weekly Roundup, Brad and Dan discuss the Corona virus conspiracies coming from MAGA land (2:45), AOC's sermon in Congress (9:30), the Supreme Court's hearing of Fulton vs. Philadelphia (17:00), which could give religious people the right to discriminate in a myriad of ways, "Progressive" Eva…
Debunking Myths About Religion, Race, and the 2020 Election
Feb. 26, 2020

Debunking Myths About Religion, Race, and the 2020 Election

Are Evangelicals still in love with Trump? Do white "liberal" Protestants vote progressively? Is it fair to say that the Republican party is basically the party of white folks? Who are the religious nones and what role will t...
Weekly Roundup: "God is a White Man" Theology
Feb. 22, 2020

Weekly Roundup: "God is a White Man" Theology

Brad is joined by guest co-host Blake Chastain, who is host of the Exvangelical Podcast and the Post Evangelical Post newsletter. They discuss a surprising LGBTQ-affirming church in Texas (5:30), the way some white Mainline a...
The Missionary-Spies Who Helped to Form the CIA
Feb. 19, 2020

The Missionary-Spies Who Helped to Form the CIA

Brad talks with Dr. Matthew Avery Sutton, author of the new book "Double-Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War". They discuss how missionaries became undercover agents during WW...
The Christians Who Want to Rule the World -with André Gagné
Feb. 12, 2020

The Christians Who Want to Rule the World -with André Gagné

Dominionists are shaping your life: from your kid's sex-ed program, to local gun laws, and national elections. They see themselves as called to rule the world as proxies for God. Dominionists strategize as to how to infiltrat...
Weekly Roundup: Romney vs Trump, Evangelicals vs. LDS, the National Prayer Breakfast, and More
Feb. 8, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Romney vs Trump, Evangelicals vs. LDS, the National Prayer Breakfast, and More

Brad and Dan discuss how we should interpret Mitt Romney's vote to convict Trump as an expression of how the Latter Day Saints view the president, and why they are less likely to be Christian nationalists. They also dig into the National Prayer Breakfast, the Southern Baptist Convention's views on …
The Super Bowl Halftime Show and Purity Culture
Feb. 5, 2020

The Super Bowl Halftime Show and Purity Culture

Brad dissects the evangelical scrutiny of the halftime show, demonstrating how Franklin Graham's (et al) criticism comes from the misogyny of purity culture, a history of othering people of color through a sexual lens, and wi...
Her Name Was Hisao: On Love, Loss, and the Lakers
Feb. 1, 2020

Her Name Was Hisao: On Love, Loss, and the Lakers

Brad's audio essay on his great grandmother, Hisao, a picture-bride who couldn't speak English, but who became an American, a Californian, and an Angelino through the Lakers; the woman who began four generations of his family's love of basketball. In the wake of Kobe Bryant's death, it's a reflecti…
Weekly Roundup: Paula White, Satanic Pregnancies, and the Prosperity Gospel
Jan. 31, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Paula White, Satanic Pregnancies, and the Prosperity Gospel

Brad and Dan talk about Jerry Falwell's call for secession, harmful transgender treatment bills, and Paula White, Trump's spiritual advisor, the woman who called for the miscarriage of satanic pregnancies, and a prosperity preacher. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteame…
Weekly Roundup: Funding Anti-LGBT Schools with Tax $, the Radical MLK, and the March for "Life"
Jan. 24, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Funding Anti-LGBT Schools with Tax $, the Radical MLK, and the March for "Life"

On the Weekly Roundup Brad and Dan discuss Espinoza vs. Montana, a supreme court case that will determine if states must fund private schools. They discuss how currently millions of dollars in tax money is being sent to anti-LGBT institutions. They also discuss the whitewashed radicalism of MLK JR.…
Escaping Abuse at a Fundamentalist Boot Camp
Jan. 23, 2020

Escaping Abuse at a Fundamentalist Boot Camp

Brad talks with Deirdre Sugiuchi about her story of leaving a fundamentalist boot camp in the Dominican Republic. Deirdre, a writer whose work has been featured at Electric Literature, Guernica, and who contributed an essay to EMPTY THE PEWS, speaks of the emotional and sexual abuse at Escuela Cari…
Weekly Roundup: Catholic Trumpism, Brave Heart Christianity, and the Two Popes
Jan. 17, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Catholic Trumpism, Brave Heart Christianity, and the Two Popes

On the weekly roundup, Dan and Brad focus on a Politico story about the Trump campaign reaching out to Catholic voters. They explain how a sizable number of Catholics fall into the Christian Nationalist category, what it means for 2020, and how we should expand our vision of Trump's religious suppo…
Weekly Roundup: Praying for War (video available on Youtube)
Jan. 11, 2020

Weekly Roundup: Praying for War (video available on Youtube)

Brad and Dan discuss how Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo brought their end-times theology to bear on American foreign policy through the assassination of Quassem Soleimani. They explain how evangelical approaches to the end of the world are informing our nation's decision-making at the highest levels. P…
Shrinking Numbers, Holding Power: Iran, the UMC Schism,and More with Robert P. Jones
Jan. 7, 2020

Shrinking Numbers, Holding Power: Iran, the UMC Schism,and More with Robert P. Jones

Brad speaks with PRRI CEO and author of "The End of White Christian America" Robert P. Jones. They discuss the ongoing developments with Iran, the United Methodist Church's split over LGBT issues, and how evangelicals are a shrinking demographic that somehow continues to hold enormous power in Amer…
Apocalypse Now: Iran and Evangelicals
Jan. 3, 2020

Apocalypse Now: Iran and Evangelicals

Brad talks with Prof André Gagné about evangelical visions of the apocalypse and how they are directly related to Iran (and the assassination of Quassem Soleimani).--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: