Shows / Straight White American Jesus
Straight White American Jesus
An in-depth examination of the culture and politics of Christian Nationalism and Evangelicalism 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…
Episodes
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 20: Freedom in Christ
“Freedom in Christ” What do Christians mean when they appeal to “freedom in Christ”? Where does this phrase come from? How is it understood differently by…
Straight White American JesusRabbi Danya Ruttenberg On Repentance - And Why Forgiveness Is Overrated
American culture focuses on letting go of grudges and redemption narratives instead of the perpetrator’s obligations or recompense for harmed parties. As…
Straight White American JesusSpecial Episode: Christian Nationalists Denigrate 9/11 to Celebrate Trump
Christian musician and political activist Sean Feucht wants people to join him on Sept. 11 for a time of worship at the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool. It’s not…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Racism from Middle America to Middle Earth
Brad and Dan begin by discussing the recent "controversy" over the casting of BIPOC actors in a new Lord of the Rings series. Dan lays out the reactions from…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 19: God's Will
“God’s Will” What does it mean when religious people appeal to “God’s will”? What kind of work does this do? Does it always provide the guidance and comfort…
Straight White American JesusHitler, Trump, and Fascism
Brad gives a preview of his new book by discussing how some of Trump's tactics and myths are comparable to what Hitler used to gain power in Germany. Brad is…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Biden Uses the F Word
Brad and Dan begin by discussing the growing case against Trump, whose seems to have clearly obstructed the retrieval of classified documents from his home…
Straight White American JesusIt's in the Code, Ep. 18: Pronouns
“Pronouns” What’s up with Christian nationalists and religious communities that are so angry when people talk about their pronouns? How does pronoun use relate…
Straight White American JesusJemar Tisby on Paternalism, Prejudice, and Power
Brad is joined by the one and only Dr. Jemar Tisby. They discuss a range of issues related to paternalism, prejudice, and power. One of the first things Dr…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Jesus Died to Forgive Your Loans
Brad and Dan begin the episode by discussing the student loan forgiveness announcement the Biden administration made this week. They ask whether it went far…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 17: Spiritual Warfare 2.0
“Spiritual Warfare 2.0” How do appeals to “spiritual warfare” relate to the social and political struggles of the flesh-and-blood world? How do different kinds…
Straight White American JesusEvangelicals, Trump, and Civil War (Re-release)
From the archives, an episode from 2019 centered on how fundamentalist religions are prone to violence. This episode has renewed relevance given the recent…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Rad Trad Catholics, SBC Investigations, and the Party of Trump
Brad and. Dan begin by discussing the week's GOP primary results, nothing that the GOP remains the Party of Trump. They juxtapose these results with the FBI…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 16: Spiritual Warfare
“Spiritual Warfare 1.0” What is “spiritual warfare”? Why do some Christians understand their faith and practice in terms of spiritual warfare? And what are…
Straight White American JesusTalking to Red State Christians
Brad speaks with journalist and pastor Angela Denker about the updated version of her book, Red State Christians. Red State Christians…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Infrastructure Week at Mar-a-Lago
Brad and Dan begin by going through the nuts and bolts related to the FBI's search of Trump's residence--what it requires to get a warrant, who had to sign off…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 16: Being Biblical 2.0
In this episode, Dan revisits the claim or aspiration to be “biblical.” If such claims or aspirations involve efforts to control religious adherents, what are…
Straight White American JesusLatinx Evangelicals and Christian Nationalism
Brad speaks with Dr. Arlene Sanchez-Walsh, author of Latino Pentecostal Identity, about how and why many Latinx Evangelicals have signed on to Trump's brand of…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Are We In Kansas Anymore?
Brad and Dan begin by discussing takeaways from Kansas, where voters soundly rejected a state amendment proposal to ban abortion. In one sense, it offers hope…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 15: Being Biblical
What does it mean when a Christian says something is “biblical?” Why do some Christians talk this way, while others don’t? What do “biblicist” claims tell us…
Straight White American JesusMagical Thinking Is Going to Kill Us All
What is power? How can power be yielded in helpful and harmful ways? Brad is joined by Dr. Stephen Backhouse, an international scholar, speaker, and podcaster…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Christian Nationalism is Not Imposter Christianity
Dan is joined by guest co-host Dr. Sara Moslener. They begin by the calls by Mike Pence and others for a national abortion ban. Dan puts this in the context of…
Straight White American JesusSpecial Episode: Is Trump Going to Be Indicted?
On a special episode, Brad is joined by Dr. Thomas Lecaque to discuss the likelihood that Trump will face criminal charges for his role in the Insurrection…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 14: God Hates Divorce
In this episode, Dan takes his lead from listeners who’ve written in about hearing that “God hates divorce,” that “the family that prays together, stays…
Straight White American JesusWhat Counts as Religion According to SCOTUS? Whose Religion is Protected? Whose Isn't?
Brad is joined by Dr. Charlie McCrary, postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University and author of the new book, Sincerely Held: American Secularism and…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: 187 Minutes
Brad and Dan begin by discussing last night's J6 hearing, focusing on the 187 minutes between when violence erupted at the Capitol and when Trump finally…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 13: Church Family
“Church Family” What does it mean when a church or spiritual community refers to itself as a “family”? If this is intended as a statement of support and…
Straight White American JesusImmigrants, Refugees, and White Evangelicals (re-release)
Brad and Dan discuss immigration, refugees, and White evangelicals with Dr. Janelle Wong, Core Faculty in Asian American Studies and Professor of American…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Woke Thomas Jefferson
This week’s episode focuses on the intersections of cultural and political debates about race, history, sexual violence, and abortion. Dan and guest co-host…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 12: Culture of Life
What does it mean when cultural and religious conservatives proclaim that they affirm a “culture of life?” We know it means that they oppose abortion and…
Straight White American JesusHeathen: Christianity, Colonialism, and the Other
Brad speaks with Stanford scholar of religion Dr. Kathryn Gin Lum about her new book Heathen. They discuss how White American Christians have used the label…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Is this Freedom?
Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing how many White Americans - especially White Christian nationalists - view the national…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 11: We Live in a Fallen World
What does it mean when Christians say that we “live in a fallen world”? Where does that language come from? Most importantly, what to different kinds of…
Straight White American JesusThe Great American Pornography Wars
Brad speaks with Dr. Kelsy Burke, a sociologist from the University of Nebraska, who discusses her new book The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: SCROTUS
Brad and Dan are back together. They begin by discussing the validity and significance of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony at the J6 hearing this week. Brad…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 10: Love the Sinner Hate the Sin
In this episode, Dan decodes a phrase that A LOT of listeners have contacted him about: the claim that Christians are called to “love the sinner, but hate the…
Straight White American JesusThe Stay at Home Daughter Movement and the SBC
Brad is joined by writer R.L. Stollar who discusses his recent article on Voddie Baucham and the Stay at Home Daughter Movement. Baucham may not be a household…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: The Texas GOP Goes Full Fascist
Brad is joined by guest co-host Annika Brockschmidt, a historian and journalist who has written a wonderful new book about Christian nationalism in the USA…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 9: Remember Who You Are
In this episode, Dan decodes the admonition to “remember who you are,” as well as the related admonition to “remember whose you are” and the question “what…
Straight White American JesusIs It Possible to Be Non-Religious in the United States?
Brad is joined by Dr. Joe Blankholm, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. They discuss his new book, the…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Go East to Get a Pardon, Young Man.
Brad and Dan begin this weekly roundup with takeaways from the J6 hearings. They focus on the ways the committee demonstrated how Trump and Eastman both knew…
Straight White American JesusSpecial Episode: Patriot Front at Pride in Idaho
On June 11, 2022 31 alleged members of Patriot Front were arrested near the Pride celebration in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. Brad speaks with two people who were at…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 8: It's a Relationship, Not a Religion
Building from the previous episode, Dan explores what’s going on when people say that Christianity is “a religion, not a relationship,” when salvation is…
Straight White American JesusChristian Nationalists and the Holy Gun Crusade
In his recent article at Religion Dispatches, historian Thomas Lecaque writes: In the wake of every mass shooting in this country, we have a brief moment where…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: January 6th Goes Primetime
Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. Brad observes that they seemed…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 7: Being Saved
What does it mean when someone asks you if you’re “saved”? If you’re active in the life of a Christian church or tradition (of whatever kind), and someone…
Straight White American JesusPentecostalism is Taking Over the World
Brad speaks with journalist Elle Hardy about her new book, Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity is Taking Over the World. How has a Christian movement…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Schools, Grocery Stores, Hospitals, Funerals, Churches
Brad and Dan begin by discussing the mass shootings that took place this week at a funeral, a hospital, and more. They ask what can be done about gun violence…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 6: Open and Affirming
What does it mean when a church declares itself to be “open and affirming?” How does this relate to churches that claim that “no matter where you are on your…
Straight White American JesusThe Illusion of Religious Equality in the USA
Brad speaks with Dr. Khyati Joshi, author of White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America (NYU 2020)…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: Guns Over People (GOP)
On an emotional weekly roundup, Brad and Dan discuss the timeline, law enforcement failures, and nihilism of the Uvalde Massacre. From the handcuffing of…
Straight White American JesusSpecial Episode: The Southern Baptist Convention's Apocalypse with Robert Downen
This past week a 400-page report outlining the culture of coverup and the widespread abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention was released. The SBC is the…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 5: Wherever You Are on Your Spiritual Journey
“No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you’re welcome here.” This is a slogan we might read on church flyers, websites, or signs. We might here it…
Straight White American JesusA Sex Educator and Abortion Care Provider on Organizing and Fighting Back
Brad speaks with sex educator Erica Smith about her experiences working in abortion care and what the overturning of Roe looks like on the ground for ordinary…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: The Deadliness of Caucasian Replacement Theory (CRT)
Brad and Dan begin by discussing the various dimensions of the Buffalo massacre and the shooter's understanding of Caucasian Replacement Theory (CRT). Dan…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 4: Cool Kid Church
What is “cool kid church?” It’s the gleaming church-that-doesn’t-look-like-a-church in suburbia. It’s the church with the pastor who’s just a “cool guy”…
Straight White American JesusThe Post-Roe Landscape and the Fissures in the Anti-Abortion Movement
Brad speaks with Teddy Wilson of Radical Reports about the trickle down effect of overturning Roe. They discuss how this will lead to an expanded police state…
Straight White American JesusWeekly Roundup: So Pro Life They'll Let You Die
Brad and Dan continue to discuss what the post-Roe landscape looks like. They begin by going through a new article by Katherine Stewart and the New Republic…
Straight White American JesusIt's In the Code, Ep. 3: It's All in God's Plan
“It’s Part of God’s Plan” “God has a plan for your life.” “It’s all part of God’s plan.” How do we decode common religious sentiments like these? Are they…
Straight White American JesusThe Orange Wave, Ep. 4: It's Not Democracy. It's War
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…