Is It Possible to Be Non-Religious in the United States?
The Secular Paradox
Weekly Roundup: Go East to Get a Pardon, Young Man.
+ AR-15 Christology
Special Episode: Patriot Front at Pride in Idaho
2 Minutes From a Massacre
It’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 understood as requiring a “personal relationship” with Jesus, and so on. Like so many other uses of popular religious language, this language tells us a great deal about the identity of […]
Christian 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 we talk about the guns used and the need for gun control. And then rapidly, the gun lobby, conservative politicians, Second Amendment absolutists, and the rest find every conceivable other […]
Weekly 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 to have two goals – first to show that Trump and Trump’s team knew that there was no legal basis for contesting the election, whether via voting machines, […]
It’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 says, “that’s fine, but are you saved,” what’s going on? In this first of paired episodes, Dan explores this question, decoding the different ideas of “salvation” and […]
Pentecostalism is Taking Over the World
From Azusa Street to Bethel Redding to Guatemala, Toronto, and Back Again
Weekly 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 in a country where one party has chosen to worship handheld killing machines (and the money it brings their leaders). Should laws be passed that […]
It’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 spiritual journey, you’re welcome here”? In this episode, Dan decodes these phrases to highlight their very different meanings, and suggests that they represent a significant […]