QAnon, Evangelicals, and COVID-19
Brad speaks with Marc-André Argentino, a PhD candidate and public scholar at Concordia University in Quebec, and an Associate Fellow with the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) at King’s College London. They discuss the origins of QAnon, its deep connections with evangelical Christianity, the new Q-Church, and the ways QAnon’s conspiracies are worsening the public health crisis by spreading disinformation.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Weekly Roundup: The COVID Culture Wars
Brad and Dan discuss the COVID culture wars: the armed “protest” at the Michigan capitol, the masculinity of face masks, in-person church meetings, the stunning decline in Trump’s approval ratings, the Bill Gates conspiracy, and Justin Amash’s third-party presidential bid.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Evangelicals, Individualism, and COVID Re-Open Protests
Brad discusses the correspondence between libertarian politics and evangelicalism. He points out that the stay at home orders undercut the central myth of both: working hard leads to God’s favor and economic prosperity. The collective action of staying at home is, in this sense, a blow to core tenets of conservative and evangelical cultures.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Weekly Roundup: President Lysol, Mark of the Beast Conspiracies, and Reporters Kidnapped
Brad tells the story of buying an heiress a crepe in France. Then he and Dan discuss the president’s remarks on using disinfectant to help with COVID, the conspiracy theories about vaccines and the Mark of the Beast, a reporter who was kidnapped at a Re-Open protest rally, and more.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Evangelicals and Inoculation
Brad discusses the “re-open” protests happening at state capitols through the historical episode of the Puritans and their protests to inoculation efforts during a smallpox outbreak in 1721. The historical parallels shed light on why many are motivated to protest in God’s name and reveal how fear and anxiety are at the root of backlash against the medical community, secular authorities, and science.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Weekly Roundup: COVID-19 Protests, Confederate Flags, and Stimulus $ Going to Churches
Brad begins with another story of hijinks and nostalgia from Oxford. Then Brad and and Dan discuss a long list of religion, politics, and COVID-19 stories, including Gov. DeSantis classifying wrestling as essential business, Franklin Graham’s homophobia, Confederate Flag and gun-laden protests at the Michigan capitol, churches receiving stimulus $ from the SBA, and pastors continuing to encourage their people to meet in person.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Weekly Roundup: Is COVID-19 a Punishment from God?
Brad and Dan begin by discussing a the demand for in-person church meetings in Kansas, Liberty University’s attack on the press, and Bill O’Reilly’s comment that most of those who have died from COVID-19 were “on their last legs anyway.” They then examine Franklin Graham’s and Pope Francis’ theologies on why this pandemic is plaguing the globe (14:00).— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Freedom from Religion Enables Freedom of Religion
During the COVID-19 pandemic many are discussing the liberty to hold religious gatherings despite the public health risks. In an interview from 2019, Dan speaks with Andrew Seidel, constitutional lawyer at the freedom from religion foundation, about how freedom from religion guarantees freedom of religion.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
Weekly Roundup: Pastors Endanger Lives by Holding Services: Masculinity, Anti-Intellectualism, and Ecclesiology
Brad and Dan begin by adding some humor to the mix–they tell stories of how they didn’t fit in at Oxford and the hijinks that ensued (00:30). They then discuss the pastors who continue to hold services and how a mix of toxic masculinity, resistance to science, and disdain for the government are factors in this phenomenon They also explain why theologically evangelicals should be the group most willing and able to halt large in-person gatherings (12:40).They finish by discussing how conservative media has covered the pandemic (27:50), Trump blaming states for lack of healthcare equipment (28:40), and the stunning admission of ignorance on the part of GA governor Brian Kemp (39:50).— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support
The Entangled Histories of Christianity, Atheism, and Racism
Brad speaks to Dr. Nathan Alexander about his new book on the entangled histories of Christianity, atheism, and racism in the 19th and 20th centuries. They try to answer some compelling questions: Are non-religious people more or less susceptible than Christians to supporting racism and racist policies? What can history tell us about this subject? They explore Darwin, early irreligious reformers, and 20th/21st century problems.— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/straightwhiteamericanjesu/support