Over at The Post-Evangelical Post (https://www.postevangelicalpost.com) , I've been writing about fictional religions for subscribers. As I wrote on 1/3/23 (https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/p/the-comfort-of-fictional-religions) : "When your faith of origin is also the origin of a grievous wound, there’s an odd solace to be found in knowingly made up things. Fiction, the old…
Happy new year, everyone - the first guest of 2023 is a return guest, Bradley Onishi. Brad is co-host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast and author of the new book: Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next. Our conversation starts discussing just…
This is an audio version of my latest essay published at The Post-Evangelical Post: The Vibe Shift That Was Foretold Came, & Twitter Did Not Survive It (https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/p/the-vibe-shift-that-was-foretold) . Back in February, a time that feels much farther away than a mere 10 months ago, The Cut published an essay…
This week's guest is Jenny Booth Potter, author of the book Doing Nothing Is No Longer An Option: One Woman's Journey Into Everyday Antiracism (https://bookshop.org/p/books/doing-nothing-is-no-longer-an-option-one-woman-s-journey-into-everyday-antiracism-jenny-booth-potter/18264588?ean=9781514000007) . Jenny is also the co-host of the web series The Next Question with Austin Channing Brown and Chi Chi Okwu. In this book, Jenny…
Today I'm happy to share with you an episode from a fellow Irreverent Media Group podcast called Speaking In Church. If you're not aware, Exvangelical is part of the Irreverent Media Group (https://irreverent.fm) podcast collective, and so is Speaking In Church. I thought it would be great to share with…
Angela Denker, pastor and author of the book Red State Christians (which was re-released this year with updated material), joins the show to discuss the 2022 midterms and how the political landscape continues to change. In particular she draws on her role serving a rural parish while living in an…
Powers & Principalities is a show about the systems and institutions of white evangelical influence in America and the world. Season 1, published in the fall of 2020, was all about white evangelicalism and Christian nationalism. Season 2 focuses on white evangelicalism & media. This is episode one. Dating all…
This week's guest is Jeanna Kadlec, author of the new book Heretic: A Memoir, out this week. Her book is a deeply intimate memoir of her life growing up in and leaving evangelicalism, discovering her queerness, and much more. We talk about the midwest, about developing spiritual practices after religion,…
My guest today is Becca Andrews. Becca is a journalist at Reckon News, and author of the new book No Choice: The Destruction of Roe v. Wade and the Fight to Protect a Fundamental American Right (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781541768390) . She has been reporting on reproductive rights and justice, as well as…
In this interview, I speak to Kristin Peterson, media studies professor at Boston College, about her book Unruly Souls: The Digital Activism of Muslim and Christian Feminists (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781978822665) . We discuss the role social media has had in creating a counterpublic that challenges the dominant cultural narratives established by white…
This week, I'm joined by Sarah Heath & Justin Gentry from the REVcovery podcast to talk about burnout. This is a long conversation, and it starts by talking about religious burnout for pastors and other highly-involved volunteers. We later transition into talking about post-religious burnout. Like any conversation, it's just…
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author of the new book On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780807010518) . This show is not typically interfaith, but when the opportunity to read Rabbi Ruttenberg’s latest arose, I leapt at the chance. I’ve followed her on Twitter for years and admire…
Another archival episode, in light of the news from The Village Church. Matt Chandler went on indefinite leave (https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/august/matt-chandler-village-church-online-inappropriate-leave.html) from TVC this weekend after inappropriate messaging on Instagram, just a couple weeks after they settled with an abuse victim (https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/august/village-church-matt-chandler-baptist-abuse-settlement.html) while acknowledging no wrongdoing. These are longstanding issues in evangelicalism…
While I continue to work on my manuscript, here is another archival episode for you. This is from my series, Powers & Principalities. Season 1 was published in 2020 and focused on Christian nationalism, which remains painfully relevant. This episode features a conversation with Sam Perry and Andrew Whitehead, co-authors…
It's been a minute. While I'm working on my manuscript, please enjoy this 2017 interview I recorded with David Bazan from Pedro the Lion (https://davidbazan.com/) . We recorded this interview in Bazan's car, between Living Room shows. It was incredible. The original introduction of this conversation was kept for nostalgia,…
In this episode, I adapt a couple of recent essays from The Post-Evangelical Post to discuss Christian nationalism. As white evangelical hegemony ended, white Christian nationalist minority rule began (https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/p/as-white-evangelical-hegemony-ended) . Recommended Reading: Christian Nationalism on TikTok; Evangelical Lobbyists Praying with SCOTUS Justices, More (https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/p/recommended-reading-christian-nationalism) Exvangelical is a production of…
Today’s guest is Jo Luehmann. Jo and I spoke back in March this year, after arranging to chat in late January, early February, so this episode has been a long time coming. In this conversation, you’ll hear Jo talk about growing up in Colombia, her experience within evangelical circles in…
Hello, and welcome to Exvangelical. I’m your host, Blake Chastain. I know there’s a lot going on. I know that the recent Supreme Court rulings are beyond discouraging - they are harmful for so many people, and a decision that could lead to the downfall of Roe is expected as…
My guest today is Dr. Ryan Haupt. Ryan is a scientist and podcaster on the show Science...Sort of (https://open.spotify.com/show/3PIBhD7ayvqgI5jauiaLT6?si=9b3c72c63d9740ac) , and a frequent guest host on the comic book podcast iFanboy (https://open.spotify.com/show/0g9Jjqao0U4fELXEaPCfY0?si=e8501b9e5c5a415d) . iFanboy was one of the very first podcasts I ever listened to and after a couple of…
This week’s guest is Rohadi Nagassar, host of the Faith in a Fresh Vibe podcast and author of the new book When We Belong: Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781513810355) . We talk about identity, the differences and similarities between Canadian and American churches, and much more! This interview was…
Note: there is a leveling discrepancy between the intro comments and the interview, which begins around the 10:30 mark. There's been two major shootings in the last two weeks. I try to piece together some thoughts, and combine a couple things from recent essays, in the intro to this re-released…
My guest today is Nick Ripatrizone. Nick is a writer for The Millions (https://themillions.com/) , culture editor for Image Journal and author of the new book Digital Communion: Marshall McLuhan’s Vision for a Virtual Age (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781506471143) . Marshall McLuhan was a "prophet of the digital age," whose prescient writings about…
I'm honored to share this conversation with Andre Henry with you today. Andre Henry is an author, musician, and activist, and author of the book All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep: Hope--and Hard Pills to Swallow--About Fighting for Black Lives (https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593239889) (affiliate link to Bookshop.org). We talk about Andre's…
