Straight White American Jesus

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Justice Alito Let's His Appeal to Heaven Flag Fly May 23, 2024

Show notes

In light of the news that Justice Alito flies an Appeal to Heaven flag over his beach house, Brad speaks to four experts on what it means and why it's a truly significant moment in the life of SCOTUS.

Dr. Matthew Taylor, author of the Violent Take It By Force: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497785/The-Violent-Take-It-by-Force

Annika Brockschmidt, journalist, author: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Annika-Brockschmidt/author/B06XH8QPWM?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Andrew Seidel, constitutional lawyer and author of American Crusade: https://www.unionsquareandco.com/9781454943921/american-crusade-by-andrew-l-seidel/

Rev. Angela Denker, writer and pastor - author of Red State Christians: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506482507/Red-State-Christians

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get full access to this episode, bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

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It's In the Code Ep. 100: “If My People Who Are Called By My Name…” May 22, 2024

Show notes

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

“If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If you’ve encountered this invocation, it’s almost certain that you’ve encountered it in the context of American Christian nationalism. You might know it’s a verse from the Bible, but where does it come from? What is its full context? Does it mean what the Christian nationalists seem to think it does? Does it really justify their theocratic vision for America? Dan tackles all these issues in this week’s episode.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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They're Creating A Theocracy in Oklahoma Right Now May 20, 2024

Show notes

In Oklahoma over the past few years, there have been bills put forward:

- Designating the Bible as the Official State Book.
- Establishing the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school.
- Displaying the Ten Commandments at the state capitol.
- Mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom.
- Using Bible verses to justify spanking children with disabilities in school.
- Religious school tax credits.
- Banning the teaching of evolution in public schools.
- The governor claiming the state of Oklahoma for Christ in his inaugural speech.

I spoke with Rep. Mickey Dollens, one of the few Democrats in the Oklahoma legislature, about these bills and how he and others are fighting back.

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Weekly Roundup: Toxic Masculinity Outside a Courtroom and at a Commencement Speech May 17, 2024

Show notes

Brad and Dan take on a series of stories related to hypermasculinity, politics, and religion. They begin with the commencement speech by Harrison Butker, the NFL player who sparked controversy with his rad-trad commencement speech. From there the hosts move to the Trump sycophants visiting his trial each week - breaking down why they are all dressing like Trump and what this says about the toxic masculinity operative on the American Right. They finish with a brief discussion of Texas Governor Greg Abbot's pardon of a man who ran over protesters and shot a person at point blank range.

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It's In the Code Ep. 99: “Why Not Call It A Cult” May 15, 2024

Show notes

While the term “cult” still has a broad popular usage, it’s a term of analysis that has virtually disappeared from the field of Religious Studies. It also isn’t a word that people will hear often when listening to Straight White American Jesus. Instead, they’ll hear a lot about “high control religion.” But what is the relation between these ideas? If “high control religion” names the same things people have in mind when they think of “cults,” why not just call it a “cult?” Why set aside a term that makes so much intuitive sense to so many people? Dan explores these issues in this week’s episode, and explains why the concept of high control religion allows us to examine the American religious landscape with fresh eyes.

Linktree:https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book:https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

Buy Matthew Taylor's book, The Violent Take It By Force: https://icjs.org/the-violent-take-it-by-force/

Subscribe to Miss Information: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miss-information/id1745590655

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NAR WATCH Episode 1: The NAR Is Mainstream, Prophesying a Global Caliphate, and the Apostles "Saving Jews from Themselves" May 14, 2024

Show notes

On the first episode of our new monthly sit-down with Dr. Matthew Taylor, he and Brad discuss startling new findings about the mainstream adoption of NAR ideas. They then get into a prophsesy from a NAR apostle about the creation of a global Muslim caliphate that will threaten all the governments of Europe and the United States - an Islamaphobic revelation they claim is straight from God. Finally, Matt explains how NAR figures like Ché Ahn are attending "Jewish Lives Mattter" rallies in order to save Jews from themselves - not exactly loving your neighbor.

Buy Matthew Taylor's book, The Violent Take It By Force: https://icjs.org/the-violent-take-it-by-force/

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The Bishops, the Billionaires, and the Catholic Far-Right May 13, 2024

Show notes

NAR WATCH: a monthly episode on the New Apostolic Reformation with Dr. Matthew Taylor debuts on the SWAJ feed THIS week. Become a premium member to get full access! https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Brad speaks with Mary Jo McConahay, who tells the story of how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have become one of the most formidable and reactionary forces in America — by campaigning to alter democratic institutions under the guise of religious liberty, and allying with major right-wing contributors such as the Kochs. But as McConahay details, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In an investigation reminiscent of Jane Mayer’s Dark Money, she uncovers an ominous and long-term political strategy of attacking secular, liberal democracy by waging war on democratic norms and institutions. Playing God was chosen by the New Yorker as one of the books helping to make sense of the current political moment.

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Weekly Roundup: Opportunistic Judeo-Christianism + Samson, Delilah, and Hush Money May 10, 2024

Show notes

NAR WATCH: a monthly episode on the New Apostolic Reformation with Dr. Matthew Taylor debuts on the SWAJ feed next week. Become a premium member to get full access! https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the fact that the trial surrounding Trump's payment to Stormy Daniels has buoyed his support among religious conservatives. They break down this confusing phenomenon through the story of Samson and Delilah, and great scholarship on the connections among hyper-masculinism, nationalism, and sex. Drawing on work by Sara Moslener and Leslie Dorrough Smith, the hosts point out how straight White men often receive approval for aggressive sexual behavior because it proves they are up for the job of protecting the nation from outside invaders and internal threats.

In the second segment the hosts turn to what Brad calls opportunistic fights against anti-Semitism on the part of the American Right. While acknowledging repeatedly that anti-Semitism is an ascendant and insidious force in the USA, he argues that the right-wing politicians suddenly interested in defending American Jews are doing so not because of genuine interest in their safety or flourishing, but in order to mobilize against enemies and others they feel will win them political favor.

In the final segment, the hosts discuss Trump's appeals to billionaires - and whether it's healthy for the presidency to be sold to the highest bidder.

Subscribe to Miss Information: https://redcircle.com/shows/21b4b512-ceef-4289-b9fc-76f302f5bd22

Subscribe to Pure White: https://redcircle.com/shows/7ecd7912-5927-4aa2-a2af-6a50982114d2

Buy Compromising Positions by Leslie Dorrough Smith: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/compromising-positions-9780190924072

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It's In the Code Ep. 98: “We’re all Sinners” May 08, 2024

Show notes

“We’re all sinners.” People who’ve spent any time in Christian contexts will have heard this phrase. But what does mean, exactly? And how is it used? Why does it sometimes feel like an affirmation of radical acceptance, while others it feels judgmental and profoundly negative? Dan explores this topics in this week’s episodes, and uncovers some surprising complexity to the phrase in the process. Check it out!

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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The Exvangelicals w/ Sarah McCammon May 06, 2024

Show notes

SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! $50 for the whole year! Subscribe to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sarah McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, and that she, too, would go to hell if she did not believe fervently enough, McCammon was a rule-follower and—most of the time—a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she'd been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.

After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right.

Sarah also came to discover that she was not alone: she is among a rising generation of the children of evangelicalism who are growing up and fleeing the fold, who are thinking for themselves and deconstructing what feel like the “alternative facts” of their childhood.

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