Episodes

Weekly Roundup: SCOTUS Anoints a King Above the Law
July 5, 2024

Weekly Roundup: SCOTUS Anoints a King Above the Law

In this episode of 'Straight White American Jesus Weekly Roundup,' host Brad Onishi discusses the significance of the recent SCOTUS ruling on presidential immunity and its implications for American democracy. Brad explains the connections to Christian nationalist movements and the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which seeks to reshape the executive branch under a potential Trump presidency. Co-host Dan Miller shares insights on the ruling's legal complexities and its longer-term implications...
It's in the Code Ep 104: “Bad Theology”
July 3, 2024

It's in the Code Ep 104: “Bad Theology”

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/ What exactly does it mean when someone levels an accusation that an individual, or a church, or even a whole denomination, affirms “bad theology”? Is it intended to start a conversation? To correct that theology? To bring something into view that might not otherwise be apparent? Is it jus...
The Religious Revival Tour That May Swing 2024  w/ Anne Nelson
July 1, 2024

The Religious Revival Tour That May Swing 2024 w/ Anne Nelson

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/ Brad interviews Anne Nelson, author of the Shadow Network, about the modern intersection of religious movements and political campaigns in the U.S. They discuss the 'Courage Tour,' led by Lance Wallnau and Charlie Kirk, which aims to mobilize votes for Donald Trump through religious fervo...
Weekly Roundup: The Debate From Hell
June 28, 2024

Weekly Roundup: The Debate From Hell

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/ We're discussomg the fallout from Thursday's presidential debate, highlighting President Biden's poor performance and its potential impact on his campaign. We also cover significant Supreme Court decisions related to abortion access and gun rights for domestic abusers. Additionally, the e...
It's in the Code Ep 103: “God Needs Demons”
June 26, 2024

It's in the Code Ep 103: “God Needs Demons”

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/ “Why so angry?” That’s the question many people have when confronted by Christian and social conservatives who have different views on politics, religion, or policy than they do. We understand the differences. We understand that in a large, complex society there are bound to be significan...
Bonus Ep. 5: That Time Brad Ugly Cried for Obama
June 25, 2024

Bonus Ep. 5: That Time Brad Ugly Cried for Obama

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/ In this month's bonus episode, Brad and Dan discuss the impact of June's personal happenings and analyze Pew data on religion, gender, and politics. The hosts examine trends in young men veering right, potential influences of Russ Vought in a Trump administrat...
The Inflection Election: Democracy or Fascism in 2024 -  w/ Mark Green
June 24, 2024

The Inflection Election: Democracy or Fascism in 2024 - w/ Mark Green

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/ Brad discusses with author Mark Green about his new book, 'The Inflection Election: Democracy or Fascism in 2024'. They explore the critical choice facing the U.S. in the upcoming election, with paths leading either towards continued democratic freedom or incr...
Weekly Roundup: 10 Commandments in Classrooms, Another Megachurch Sex Abuse Scandal, and the Trump Revenge Train
June 21, 2024

Weekly Roundup: 10 Commandments in Classrooms, Another Megachurch Sex Abuse Scandal, and the Trump Revenge Train

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/ Brad Onishi and Dan Miller delve into several critical issues in this week's Straight White American Jesus Weekly Roundup. They start with a vigorous discussion on the constitutionality of Louisiana's new law mandating the Ten Commandments in classrooms, highl...
It's in the Code Ep 102: “Where the Bible Speaks, We Speak”
June 19, 2024

It's in the Code Ep 102: “Where the Bible Speaks, We Speak”

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/ “Where the Bible speaks, we speak.” Maybe this phrase is coming from your pastor, maybe it’s coming from Uncle Ron at the family cookout, maybe it’s coming from a Christian friend or coworker. No matter who is saying this to you, it almost certainly communicates their defense of the their...
NAR WATCH Episode 2: Charlie Kirk Joins Forces With NAR Leaders, A History of the NAR and Presidents, and Weird Reactions to the Appeal to Heaven Flag
June 18, 2024

NAR WATCH Episode 2: Charlie Kirk Joins Forces With NAR Leaders, A History of the NAR and Presidents, and Weird Reactions to the Appeal to Heaven Flag

Brad and Matt Taylor discuss recent flag controversies and the dishonest ways leaders have dismissed the Appeal to Heaven symbol as innocuous. They explore the historical and political influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) in U.S. presidential elections since 2000, detailing their involvement in George W. Bush's and Donald Trump's campaigns. The conversation shifts to the current strategies of the NAR and its coordination with Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk in swing states for the...
Decoding Christo-Authoritarianism, Ideology, and Propaganda w/ Dr. Scott Coley
June 17, 2024

Decoding Christo-Authoritarianism, Ideology, and Propaganda w/ Dr. Scott Coley

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/ Brad Onishi converses with Dr. Scott Coley, author of 'Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right.' Coley discusses the concepts of ideology, propaganda, and legitimizing narratives within conservative evangelical communitie...
Weekly Roundup: More Supreme Court Controversies, SBC Condemns IVF, and Georgia's as a Lab for Stealing 2024
June 14, 2024

Weekly Roundup: More Supreme Court Controversies, SBC Condemns IVF, and Georgia's as a Lab for Stealing 2024

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/ Brad Onishi and Dan Miller examine the shocking comments by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito caught on tape and contrast them with Chief Justice John Roberts' more measured approach. The hosts also delve into the Southern Baptist Convention's recent resoluti...
It's in the Code Ep 101: “Spirit of the Age”
June 12, 2024

It's in the Code Ep 101: “Spirit of the Age”

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 you’ve encountered today’s right-wing culture warriors, you have heard them lambast efforts at LGBTQ+ inclusion, police reform, combatting climate change, and myriad other issues as reflecting the “spirit of the age.” But what do they mean by this? Where does this phrase come from? Is ...
America's Suffering From Social Long Covid w/ Eric Klineberg
June 10, 2024

America's Suffering From Social Long Covid w/ Eric Klineberg

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/ Brad Onishi discusses with Eric Kleinberg the long-lasting social and political effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, framing it as a form of 'social long COVID.' The conversation highlights how the events of 2020 intensified distrust in gover...
Weekly Roundup: Examining the Fallout: Trump's Verdict, SCOTUS Revelations, and Texas Curriculum
June 7, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Examining the Fallout: Trump's Verdict, SCOTUS Revelations, and Texas Curriculum

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/ Brad and Dan discuss the harsh rhetoric from the American right in response to Trump's recent conviction on 34 felonies, including calls for retribution against Democrats. They explore the significant ethical issues surrounding Supreme Court Justices Clarence ...
Between Mother India and Jim Crow with Philip Deslippe
June 5, 2024

Between Mother India and Jim Crow with Philip Deslippe

Brad speaks with journalist and scholar Philip Deslippe about the origins of yoga in the United States as a response to the precarity of South Asian lives in 20th century America. "A century ago, students of yoga in the United States, like many practitioners today, believed that they were engaging in something pure, ancient, and Indian. In reality, the yoga they were doing was a bricolage of the metaphysical and mundane presented to them in an exotic, Orientalized package by largely educated and...
The War for America's Classrooms - From Texas to You
June 3, 2024

The War for America's Classrooms - From Texas to You

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/ Mike Hixenbaugh is a Pulitzer finalist, Peabody award winner, and the author of They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms. In the book, Hixenbaugh delivers an immersive and eye-opening story of...
Weekly Roundup: Donald Trump Convicted of 34 Felonies
May 31, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Donald Trump Convicted of 34 Felonies

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/ Last night we learned that Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 accounts of falsifying business records. Brad and Dan ask what this means for the coming months, how it will affect the election, and why the GOP refuses to abandon a man who has been impeached tw...
The Allure of Horror, Misinformation, and Joy
May 30, 2024

The Allure of Horror, Misinformation, and Joy

Dan had a family emergency this week, so instead of It's In the Code we have a special episode. In the first part, Brad speaks to Dr. Jeffery Stoyanoff and Dr. Brian Onishi about their new podcast Horror Joy - a deep dive into horror in hopes of finding joy lurking in the shadows. They talk about the allure of horror films and books, the ways horror provides a window into our contemporary hopes and fears, and why Jaws is actually reallly good f*cking movie. In the second part, Brad speaks to Dr....
Miss Information Episode 1 - Holiday Special Episode
May 27, 2024

Miss Information Episode 1 - Holiday Special Episode

On this Memorial Day, we are proud to introduce the newest limited series from the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement and Axis Mundi Media. Miss Information is a podcast about how conspiracies and misinformation infiltrate wellness communities and religious spaces. Subscribe here: https://redcircle.com/shows/21b4b512-ceef-4289-b9fc-76f302f5bd22/episodes/3532f1b2-5f15-4302-82f6-8a281d676871 Misinformation is big news, but what does it mean and why does it matter? If misinformatio...
Weekly Roundup: Trump Wants a "Unified Reich" and Alito Appeals to Heaven
May 24, 2024

Weekly Roundup: Trump Wants a "Unified Reich" and Alito Appeals to Heaven

Brad and Dan discuss the Alito Appeal to Heaven flag controversy, Trump's "Unified Reich" video, and the affirmation of Palestinian statehood by US allies. 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SPECIAL EPISODE: Justice Alito Let's His Appeal to Heaven Flag Fly
May 23, 2024

SPECIAL EPISODE: Justice Alito Let's His Appeal to Heaven Flag Fly

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

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

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

They're Creating A Theocracy in Oklahoma Right Now

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...