Straight White American Jesus - podcast cover

Straight White American Jesus

Bradley Onishi + Daniel Miller
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, Janelle Wong, Randall Balmer, Katherine Stewart, and many others.
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Episodes

Greenland, Nato, and Repealing the 20th Century

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad discusses the implications of Donald Trump's rhetoric on Greenland, NATO, and the potential repeal of 20th-century policies. He dissects the historical significance of NATO, its formation, and the threat posed by Trump's remarks and also revisits his previous conversation on RFK's co...

Jan 13, 202538 min

Weekly Roundup: The LA Fires, DEI, and the Right's New Slur

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ In this weekly roundup, Brad and Dan discuss the politicized reactions to recent California wildfires, and critique the rhetoric blaming DEI initiatives and ignoring climate change. They analyze Trump's comments on annexing territories like Greenland, Panama, and Canada, relating his rhet...

Jan 10, 20251 hr 5 min

It's in the Code Ep 128: “The Porn Fixation”

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Why are conservative, high-control Christians in America so fixated on pornography? Why do they think it represents an apocalyptic menace, threating to destroy the institution of the family, the church, and society itself? What is it about the subculture of high-control religion that expl...

Jan 08, 202538 min

RFK and the Fight to Repeal the 20th Century

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad critiques the notion of finding common ground with RFK Jr. regarding public health and vaccines. He discusses RFK Jr.'s controversial views and their potential negative impact on American public health. Onishi examines past and present complexities surrounding U.S. public health poli...

Jan 06, 202534 min

Weekly Roundup: Jimmy Carter vs Elon Musk

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad and Dan reflect on the political legacy of the late Jimmy Carter, examining his commitment to the separation of church and state, his dedication to social justice, and his consistent evangelical values. They contrast Carter’s humble i...

Jan 03, 20251 hr 10 min

SWAJ Rewind: The Great American Pornography Wars

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ 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 of America's Obscene Obsession. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/pornography-wars-9781635577365/ Burke spent the last five years res...

Jan 01, 202543 min

Elon is Finding Out + Charlie Kirk Says Jesus Was Not a Refugee

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! In this episode, Brad discusses the recent social media clash involving Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Laura Loomer, shedding light on tensions within the MAGA community. He examines the implications of Musk's influence, Trump's ...

Dec 30, 202435 min

SWAJ Rewind: The Evangelical Anti-Vaccine Movement 50 Years in the Making

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! Brad speaks with scholar Mark Fugitt whose recent work explores the various sources and factors in evangelical opposition to the COVID vaccine. He provides the historical context for this movement, showing that it is half a centur...

Dec 27, 202440 min

SWAJ Rewind: It's In the Code, Ep 30: Who Owns Christmas?

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! Who “owns” Christmas? When Christians tell non-Christians that they need to “remember the reason for the season,” or accuse them of engaging in a “war on Christmas,” do they have a right to do so? Is Christmas “theirs” just becaus...

Dec 25, 202425 min

Bonus Episode: Listener Q+A and The Home Alone Analysis You Didn't Know You Needed

Subscribe for $40 for the Entire Year! www.axismundi.us Brad and Dan engage with listener questions from Discord and live events, diving into topics ranging from gender dynamics in conservative Christianity to the cultural normalization of male sexual predation. Later, Brad and his brother Brian Onishi discuss holiday movies, focusing on 'Home Alone' and its deeper themes of capitalism and family values as portrayed in the John Hughes classic. They also touch on 'Christmas Vacation' and how thes...

Dec 23, 202412 min

Weekly Roundup: Elon Isn't King and So Many Other Reasons for Hope

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! In the final SWAJ weekly roundup of the year, Brad and Dan discuss the motivations behind Donald Trump's actions and the shadow influence of Elon Musk. They highlight the ongoing struggle against the emerging oligarchy and emphasi...

Dec 20, 20241 hr 10 min

It's in the Code Ep 127: “The Purpose of Sex (Part 3)?”

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! In this episode, Dan takes on the “design argument” that the purpose of human sex is procreation. Here’s how the argument goes: If God created human beings, and therefore human sexuality, this means that the purpose of sex is proc...

Dec 18, 202435 min

Crusades, Christendom, and Pete Hegseth’s Tattoos - A Deep Dive

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! Brad discusses the controversial tattoos of Pete Hegseth and their implications with Spencer Kunz, a PhD student at Florida State University. The conversation covers the history and modern context of Crusader symbols, their usage ...

Dec 16, 202444 min

Weekly Roundup: Luigi Mangione and the End of Civilization

Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad and Dan critique Donald Trump's grocery store anecdotes and his failed claims on food prices. They then explore the concept of coalition-building to counter Trump's administration, touching upon current events including Luigi...

Dec 14, 20241 hr 10 min

It's in the Code Ep 126: “The Purpose of Sex (Part 2)?”

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! If we accept that the human species is the end result of a long process of evolution, rather than the result of a unique act of divine creation, does it make sense to claim that the “purpose” of human sex is procreation? In this w...

Dec 11, 202426 min

The Christians Who Want to Scrap the Constitution to Crown a King

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ American Heretics: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300241303/american-heretics/ Brad is joined by Dr. Jerome Copulsky, author of American Heretics, to discuss radical Catholic and Protestant movements that challenge democracy. The conversation spans from the colonial era to today’s po...

Dec 09, 202451 min

Weekly Roundup: The Qanon FBI Director and the Would Be King

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! This episode of the Straight White American Jesus weekly roundup, sponsored by the American Humanist Association, tackles critical issues including the nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director, SCOTUS hearings on trans discriminat...

Dec 06, 20241 hr 10 min

It's in the Code Ep 125: “The Purpose of Sex (Part 1)?”

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! “The purpose of sex is procreation.” This assertion has been a dominant Christian position for centuries, and plays a central role in the ideologies of sex, sexuality, and gender within contemporary high-control American religion....

Dec 04, 202430 min

Is Trump's Authoritarianism Apocalyptic? w/ Matt Taylor

Enter code “SWAJ40” for $40 for an entire year of premium! Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Matt Taylor, an expert on the New Apostolic Reformation and author of 'The Violent Took It By Force,' joins this episode of SWAJ. Speaking at an event in San Diego, Taylor discusses the implications of MAGA—a populist authoritaria...

Dec 02, 202437 min

SWAJ Rewind: Hitler, Trump, and Fascism

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ 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 careful to point out that his comparison is just that - a comparison. He is not arguing that Trump and Hitler are identical. Rather...

Nov 29, 202429 min

It's in the Code Ep 124: "Religion as Make Believe"

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ What does it mean to “believe” something? What is distinctive about religious belief? Is it different from other kinds of belief? In this episode, Dan interviews philosopher Neil Van Leeuwen to discuss his book, Religion as Make Believe: A Theory of Belief, Imagination, and Group Identity...

Nov 27, 20241 hr 8 min

Strategies for Combating Christian Nationalism w/ Amanda Tyler

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad speaks with Amanda Tyler, head of the Baptist Joint Committee and organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. They discuss Amanda's new book, 'How to End Christian Nationalism,' and explore effective strategies for fighting Christian nationalism, focusing on local involvem...

Nov 25, 202437 min

Weekly Roundup: President Elon Musk, “Freedom Cities,” and the End of Expertise

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad goes solo this week to discuss the overlap between tech elites like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Christian nationalists, examining their shared vision and the implications for American society. The episode also explores Elon Musk's involvement with Donald Trump's inner circle, includi...

Nov 22, 202451 min

It's in the Code Ep 123: “Sexual Immorality”

Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ The concept of “sexual immorality” plays a HUGE role within the world of high-control American Christianity. But if we take a close...

Nov 20, 202436 min

How the Book of Revelation Shapes US Immigration Policy

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator Resource: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300253184/immigration-and-apocalypse/ In this episode, Brad interviews Dr. Yii-Jan Li...

Nov 18, 202443 min

Weekly Roundup: Trump's Cabinet Picks Are Dangerous Christian Nationalists

Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad and Dan discuss Trump's controversial cabinet nominations, focusing on Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense and Mike Huckabee...

Nov 15, 20241 hr 7 min

It's in the Code Ep 122: “Guarding Virtue: Female Sexuality”

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator This episode continues our deep dive into understanding sex and sexuality within conservative, high control American Christianity. ...

Nov 13, 202432 min

The #MenToo Election: Catholics, Latinos, and the Manosphere

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator Brad reflects on the significance of Trump's return to the White House and its implications. He recounts the 2017 Women's March and...

Nov 11, 202444 min

Weekly Roundup: It Happened Here. Again.

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad and Dan dive deep into the ramifications of the 2024 elections. They explore...

Nov 08, 20241 hr 17 min

Spirit & Power Episode 7: Post-Election Insights

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 700-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Los Angeles Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027970416187?aff=oddtdtcreator San Diego Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1030505227877?aff=oddtdtcreator In this episode of Spirit & Power: “Post Election Insights: What We Know One Day Later” Dr. Leah Payne is joined by returning a...

Nov 07, 202457 min
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