Weekly Roundup: Protecting Kids to Death
Ten Commandments in Schools = religious freedom? In this economy? Brad and Dan discuss Tucker Carlson’s ouster at Fox News – and what it means in the short and long terms. Dan takes us through the situation in Montana, where Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the only trans legislator in the state, has been locked out of […]
Special Re-Release: The Great American Pornography Wars
On the day that the Pornography Wars is released, we re-release Brad’s interview with the author Dr. Kelsy Burke, a sociologist from the University of Nebraska. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/pornography-wars-9781635577365/ Burke spent the last five years researching and interviewing internet pornography’s opponents and its sympathizers. She does a deep dive into the long history of pornography in America […]
It’s In the Code Ep. 49: Public Confession
What is “public confession,” and what is its relation to the practice of sharing one’s testimony? When and how does sharing a testimony verge into public confession? Why does public confession have to be “public,” and what concerns does this raise? In this second of a two-part pair of episodes, Dan explores these and other […]
Beyond Whiteness: Conservatism and Fascism in Asian American Evangelical and Catholic Communities
Many are wondering how and why religious minorities in the USA adopt conservative – and even fascist – political identities when it seems that the American Right is anti-immigrant and in many cases explicitly racist. Scholars Dr. Jane Hong (Occidental) and Dr. Adrian de Leon (USC/NYU) argue that Asian American (religious) conservatism should be understood […]
Weekly Roundup: Happiest Place on Earth
Dan and guest co-host Annika Brockschmidt discuss “Stand Your Ground Laws” in the wake of more shootings in the USA. They outline the catch 22 of perpetual fear that people live in as “wrong place, wrong time” murders rise in the country. They then turn their attention to the onslaught of authoritarian legislative violence in […]
It’s In the Code Ep. 48: Testimony
What do Christians mean when they refer to their “personal testimonies”? What do they mean when they refer to “witnessing” to others? Why do some Christians emphasize “testifying”? This language can be confusing to religious outsiders. For “insiders” to this way of speaking, it provokes a wide range of emotional responses, ranging from hope and […]
Resisting American Apartheid
Brad speaks to Dr. Miguel de la Torre about his new book, Resisting American Apartheid. They talk about how “Euro-Christianity” distorts faith. They talk about how becoming “un-American” might be the best way to save democracy. With unflinching analysis, De La Torre takes on authors revered in Christian theology, including Paul, Augustine, and heroes of […]
Weekly Roundup: Red Pilling Abortion
Brad and Dan begin by discussing the utterly confusing rulings from several judges on legality and availability of mifepristone, commonly known as the abortion pill. Dan takes us through the complicated web of rulings and Brad analyzes how creating this mess was an intentional strategy by Christian nationalists to get the case kicked up to […]
It’s In the Code Ep. 47: Staying on Brand
G.R.A.C.E.: “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.” B.I.B.L.E.: “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” Acronyms like these are a common feature within the preaching and practice of a certain kind of popular American Christianity. What do they reveal about that distinctly American expression of religion? How do they relate to the influence of corporate and consumer culture […]
Healing Isn’t Linear with Holly Laurent
Brad speaks with writer, director, and comedian Holly Laurent, creator of the hit podcast MEGA about a satirical megachurch. They talk about her childhood in Haiti as a missionary, her path of deconstruction, and the winding pathways that healing takes us on. It’s a raw interview about caring for family who have fallen into MAGA […]