Brad and Dan begin by discussing what's behind the anti-vax attitudes of many Americans, especially White Christians. After reviewing the staggering and heartbreaking numbers, they draw on scholarship related to wraparound media and conspiracy theories to examine what resisting vaccines does for people--especially as it relates to themes of power, belonging, and authority. They then discuss the 1/6 Select Committee debacle and how the GOP can't decide if we need to investigate or not, why it's not okay to allow Jim Jordan to investigate himself, and the potential fracturing in the Republican caucus in the wake of recent events. Brad and Dan finish by discussing the decision in Texas to stop requiring teachers to teach that the KKK was morally wrong, stop teaching about MLK Jr. life and legacy, and many other issues, because they are not supposed to give "deference" to one perspective. For two lifelong educators, this is reprehensible and undermines the very nature of teaching and pedagogy. On the extended segment they discuss the sex abuse scandal at Liberty University and why White Evangelical spaces are unsafe for young women, girls, and members of the LGTBQ+ community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Straight White American Jesus

Weekly Roundup: COVID, Conspiracies, and Anti-Vaxxers

Last weekend theologian and former head of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Owen Strachan tweeted that taking away even one comma from the Bible would demean it. This let to a Twitter storm and many folks pointed out the misguidedness of attributing things like commas to the original composition of the biblical texts. Brad digs deeper into this controversy to show how Strachan's approach to the biblical textual body lines up with his complementarian theology and his White Christian nationalist approach to social justice and history. Strachan's comments on 'biblical commas' are easily debunked. There is no historical case for them. The deeper question is what such rhetoric does for him and other biblical literalists. Strachan is clearly someone who wants to control borders and bodies. His theology of gender, marriage, and family is based on a strict patriarchal order. His new book resists any examination of the American social body's structuring, labeling "Whiteness" an imaginary category. Read in this context, the "biblical comma" tweets reflect a desire to put clear borders and boundaries around the biblical text just as he has sought to do with marriage, family, and the nation. For him, the Bible is scary if it offers permeable categories and ambiguity; complex texts and difficult histories. Instead, a fortified virginal text protected from any intrusion. A wall built around Scripture in order to make it--or keep--it sacred. This, as a whole, is a theology of fear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biblical Commas? On Controlling Textual, National, and Physical Bodies

Dr. Megan Goodwin is the author of Abusing Religion, which explores how White Christians and their influence in our "secular" institutions have constructed religious outsiders as sexual predators as a pretext for persecution and othering. The American body politic is envisioned as a White Christian woman in need of protection from religious (and racial) foreigners who seek to infiltrate and contaminate her. According to Goodwin, this is mobilized through the "catholicization of public morality" as it comes to sex, contraception, and the body--what she calls a "contraceptive nationalism." It also rests on latent White supremacy, which is manifest in both Protestant and Catholic institutions, communities, texts, and so on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White Feminine Innocence, the Body Politic, and Contraceptive Nationalism

Brad and Dan begin with a discussion of the revelations from the new book, "I Alone Can Fix It," including General Mark Milley's preparing for Trump's Reichstag Moment, Pence's belief that his Secret Service detail was part of a Trumpian conspiracy, and the ways our democracy have been pushed to the limits before, during, and after 1/6. They then discuss what the Texas Dems self-exile to DC means for saving voting rights and how democracies often undergo autoimmune moments wherein democratic processes are used to end democracy. They finish by discussing the child tax credits and how they reflect good policy that can counteract the Right Wing Media Machine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weekly Roundup: The Country is at Stake

Brad discusses a new article at WaPo on the Trumpism and Christian nationalism of non-denominational churches. He points out that this is not a new phenomenon to anyone who has been paying attention He points out that the identity of non-denominational Christian might replace the Evangelical identity for some people--which helps make sense of recent data on a decline in Evangelical numbers across the country He spends the bulk of the episode explaining how non-denominational churches are ripe for political mobilization because they have removed all guard rails. As independent churches with no larger affiliations, they open an authority vacuum for toxic political personalities and movements to take hold of their community. Thus, it's no coincidence that Trump spent significant time courting non-denominational Christians and why these churches are at the heart of MAGA Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Non-Denominational Churches Scare Me

Brad speaks with Dr. Lucas Kwong of CUNY about the far-reaching implications of Christian xenophobia. They discuss the explicit White nationalism of AZ Representative Paul Gosar and far-right commentator Nick Fuentes (who was just banned from Twitter for his hateful content). They also touch on the more cunning versions of Christian xenophobia in pastors such as Tim Keller and Ralph Drollinger, the latter of whom taught a weekly Bible study at the White House throughout the Trump presidency, who use the buzz words of "racial reconciliation" to smuggle in a more subtle xenophobic message. For Kwong, this topic is personal. As an Asian American Christian, he has experienced being a "stranger" and "outsider" in a number of ways. During the COVID pandemic he witnessed his community ravaged by hate and violence due to the racialized slurs leaders used to describe the virus and the blame they placed on China for its spread. In the wake of the Atlanta massacre he wondered how faith, race, and sex played into the unspeakable tragedy of that day. So, he formed the "Open Letter Against Christian Xenophobia" and is now working to bring awareness to this issue. His scholarship, personal history, and Asian American Christian identity come together in his activism against Christian xenophobia and White nationalism. Find the Open Letter Against Christian Xenophobia here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Maliciousness of Christian Xenophobia

"Whatever natural good was present in the piety and community of the pagan past is an infinitesimal fraction of the grace rendered unto those pagans’ descendants who have been received into the Church of Christ. Whatever sacrifices were exacted in pursuit of that grace—the suffocation of a noble pagan culture; an increase in disease and bodily death due to government negligence; even the sundering of natural families—is worth it." Declan Leary writing at the American Conservative Brad responds to this article and similar comments by Jesse Waters, Dave Rubin, and Matt Walsh, all of whom have taken the stance that "this land was conquered just like all populated land on Earth. And thank God that it was. Our civilization is far superior to what came before it." He also discusses the explosive new data from PRRI on the decline of White Evangelcalism and the rise of the Nones--the USA's biggest religious group to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weekly Roundup: Genocide is Not Good Actually

Brad begins by responding to Pennsylvania Senate candidate Josh Mandel who claimed last week that the Bible and the Constitution were "not supposed to be separate." He then spends the bulk of this response episode dissecting the comments of conservative "theocratic fascist" Matt Walsh, who spent last week whining that the House voted to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol. Brad uses the metaphor of family and representation to demonstrate how bogus it is to maintain that any Confederates should be represented in the legislative and symbolic epicenter of our nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bible, the Constitution, and the Confederacy: A Response to Josh Mandel and Matt Walsh

Dr. Benjamin E. Park is a historian who has become a national voice on issues related to religion and politics, particularly as they relate to the Church of Latter Day Saints. His work has appeared at the Washington Post, Newsweek, Houston Chronicle, Religion & Politics, Talking Points Memo, Religion Dispatches, Dallas Morning News, Salt Lake Tribune, Religion News Service, and Patheos.  He speaks to Brad about the hidden histories of Christian nationalism and triumphalism in the LDS Church and how they are manifest in the politics of current Utah senator Mike Lee. This history is contrasted to the more moderate wing of Mormon politics as represented by Mitt Romney--the other senator from Utah--and his dad, George, before him. Using Lee and Romney as a means to understanding LDS politics illuminates how and why so many members of the LDS church have become part of MAGA Nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mormon MAGA Nation

Brad and Dan begin this 4th of July weekend episode with thoughts from James Baldwin, who discussed his love for America as a "lover's quarrel." They then lay out the evidence for the fact that the Cold Civil War is escalating--from Trump's Revenge Tour, to new data on how White Evangelicals voted in 2020, to Governor Kristi Noem turning the South Dakota National Guard into soldiers-for-hire, to the Oath Keepers admitting the armed conspiracy to prevent Biden from becoming president on 1/6. They finish by examining what the Supreme Court's decision on voting rights means moving forward, and how bipartisanship with a toxic party is not a virtue to pursue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weekly Roundup: The Cold Civil War Heats Up

Brad speaks with author and pastor Ruth Everhart about her new book, "The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church's Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct." They discuss the connections between rape culture and purity culture, how patriarchal theology contributes to toxic church environments. Link to Ruth Everhart The #MeToo Reckoning: https://www.ivpress.com/the-metoo-reckoning "The #MeToo movement has revealed sexual abuse and assault in every sphere of society, including the church. But victims are routinely ignored by fellow Christians who deny their accounts and fail to bring accountability to the perpetrators. All too often, churches have been complicit in protecting abusers, reinforcing patriarchal power dynamics, and creating cultures of secrecy, shame, and silence. Pastor and survivor Ruth Everhart shines a light on the prevalence of sexual abuse and misconduct within faith communities. She candidly discloses stories of how she and others have experienced assault in church settings, highlighting the damage done to individuals, families, and communities." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modest is Hottest is Rape Culture

The Catholic Church is officially against abortion. But there are millions of Catholics around the world--including President Joe Biden--who are pro-choice politically. Only the 2nd Catholic president in our history, one would think that the Church, especially the Conference of Bishops, would be ecstatic to have Biden in the White House. But in a vote that portends an escalating culture war, recently the American Bishops took a vote that many saw as the first step in denying Biden and other pro-choice Catholics communion. Many see this as a fool's errand that could end up alienating even more young people, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community than before. A group of pro-choice Catholic members of congress has already signed a letter warning against the escalation of this issue within the American Church. The question is why this move and why now? Why attack the first Catholic President since JFK? Why alienate so many American Catholics who hold complex political and social identities while remaining faithful to the Church? In order to figure out why the US Conference of Bishops decided to make this move now and what it means for the Biden administration and American politics going forward, Brad spoke with Dr. Annie Selak, Associate Director of the Women's Center at Georgetown University. Dr. Selak is an ecclesiologist by training whose work focuses on power relations within the Catholic Church. Her work has appeared at the Washington Post, America Magazine, Commonweal, and in several edited volumes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Catholic Bishops vs. Joe Biden

Brad and Dan do close readings of statements made by Insurrectionist Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Matt Gaetz in order to deconstruct the logic of their attacks on CRT, their resistance to facing the inconvenient truths of American history, and their rage against investigating the 1/6 Coup. Both of them use binary thinking, false dilemmas, and straw man arguments to mount attacks that amount to nothing more than what Dan calls "toddler epistemology." They then turn to the remarks made by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley who provides a counter to the close-minded, fabricated war on CRT by stating clearly that he wants to understand white rage and why white people attempted to overthrow the US Constitution. The last major segment examines the Christian nationalist origins of the new law in Florida, just signed by "Uncle Ron" Desantis, requiring university employees and students to register their political views with the state. It is straight out of an authoritarian regime, and backed by Christian nationalist lobbyists who want to "preserve" the Christian heritage of the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weekly Roundup: The Witch Hunt Begins

We are thrilled to announce Straight White American Jesus's first affiliate podcast: Out of the Closet and Into the Pews, a show by Rachael Borthwick that asks what it means for religion to be a vehicle for liberation and freedom for queer people. Rachael is a burgeoning scholar of religion at the University of Pennsylvania who has written on queer communities of faith in the USA and beyond, served as a research assistant to our show, and worked as a campus activist. Out of the Closet and Into the Pews includes interviews with leading scholars in queer studies, religious studies, and gender studies, along with conversations with activists and practitioners. Brad and Rachael discuss it all in this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out of the Closet . . . and Into the Pews

Brad speaks with Kyle J. Howard, a theologian and counselor trained at a Southern Baptist Seminary. He discusses his conversion at 18 at a Black Church in Georgia, his journey to ministry as a counselor of racial and spiritual trauma, and his insider perspective of the calculation made by leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. It goes like this: Demonize Critical Race Theory in order to divert attention from the sexual abuse scandal. Anticipate losing a number of Black pastors and churches, along with other POC. Retain political influence and the majority of White pastors and churches. Overall, stoke fear in order to shape the denomination into a certain mold. Steady the losses the denomination has experienced in recent years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trying to Save a Sinking Ship: Race, Power, and White American Christianity

An in-depth examination of the culture and politics of white Evangelical Christians by two ex-evangelical ministers-turned-religion professors. If you have ever wondered what social and historical forces led white evangelicals to usher Donald Trump into the White House this is the show for you. As former insiders and critical scholars of religion, Dan Miller and Bradley Onishi have a unique perspective on the Religious Right. Guests have included Chrissy Stroop, R. Marie Griffith, Janelle Wong, Randall Balmer, Katherine Stewart, and many others.

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Straight White American Jesus

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