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Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sarah McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, and that she, too, would go to hell if she did not believe fervently enough, McCammon was a rule-follower and—most of the time—a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she'd been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.

After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right.

Sarah also came to discover that she was not alone: she is among a rising generation of the children of evangelicalism who are growing up and fleeing the fold, who are thinking for themselves and deconstructing what feel like the “alternative facts” of their childhood.

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SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! $50 for the whole year! Subscribe 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/

Our monthly bonus episode begins with a visit from Dr. Leah Payne, author of God Gave you Rock and Roll: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Brad and Dan ask her about the cultural significance of God rock and the ways that it reflects White evangelicalism's ideal family, gender roles, and sexual ethic. They all also tell hilarious stories of their own youthful experiences with Christian music - including the time Dan broke a dude's nose in a mosh pit and then prayed it out with him as a good brother in Christ.

In the second hour, they turn to the Trump immunity trial and the ways it is threatening to tank the Jack Smith case and erode our democracy from within. Dan then does a deep dive into a report about trans care coming out of the UK - something that will make its way across the pond soon to the ears of every Uncle Ron in the country.

The episode finishes with responses to a few very thoughtful AMAs.

Buy Leah's book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/god-gave-rock-and-roll-to-you-9780197555248?cc=us&lang=en&

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SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! $50 for the whole year! Subscribe 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 and Dan begin by discussing the responses to campus protests across the nation, and then zoom into the actions and words of Sean Feucht and Eric Metaxas - two Christian nationalist influencers who led pro-Israel rallies in NYC and LA this week. Brad explains how and why Christian nationalists like them fetishize Israel for what it does for them, not for actual care or solidarity with Jewish People.

In the second segment, Dan breaks down Trump's Time interview - a detailed foreshadowing of what will come in his potential next term: using the National Guard on American citizens, taking any civil rights from immigrants, letting states ban abortion, putting all employees on Schedule F, oh, and not accepting election results if he loses.

In the final segment the hosts discuss the United Methodist Church's new policies on marriage, which are a step forward for gay couples within the nationa's second largest Protestant denomination.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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“In essentials, Unity; in non-essentials, charity.” This is a Christian “slogan” or theological aphorism that dates back almost 2000 years. But we still here it within diverse Christian contexts today. What is the impulse behind it? What does it tell us about Christian identity and “unity”? What are the different uses to which Christians put this aphorism today? How can it signal an inclusive, inviting, and open Christian community? How can it also serve the purposes and aims of high-control Christian communities? Give this week’s episode a listen to find out!

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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Arthur Finkelstein is not a household name. Yet, he may be one of the most consequential political figures of the last century - he volunteered with Goldwater, grew up with Ayn Rand, helped Nixon and Reagan into the White House, and then orchestrated the ascendance of Netanyahu, the comeback of Orban, and the vilification of George Soros. He also had a hand in getting Trump over the finish line, albeit indirectly. Brad does a deep dive into the puppet master who may be the decoder ring for understanding the political nihilism of the GOP and the rise of authoritarianism across the globe.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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This week was the end of the first act. The point in the story when all the players, themes, issues, histories, and institutions that will determine the rest of the season come into focus. It's not the end. It's not even close. But it's the time when we see who and what will guide the journey.

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the weight of the Trump hush money trial on Trump's ability to campaign - and project an image of bravado and control. They then go into the abortion case at SCOTUS, focusing on the grotesque nature of the discussion on women's health and bodies, and how this will weigh on voters in November. Brad hones in on the Ukraine/Israel/Taiwan aid package, commenting on how Biden touted it as a bipartisan win, but observing that the student uprisings at Columbia, Yale, USC, and all over the country portend a hard road ahead for Democrats with Gen Z. He finished by analyzing what the TikTok ban means and why it might be a Trojan Horse in the aid package.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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In Dan's second conversation with Michelle Dowd, author of Forager: Fieldnotes for Surviving a Family Cult, they discuss the ways patriarchy and authoritarianism often mix in high-demand religions, how trauma from these experiences lives in the body, and the lifelong practices of healing from the mistrust of self that they teach.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Buy Forager: https://valsec.barnesandnoble.com/w/forager-michelle-dowd/1141906988?ean=9781643751856

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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Sometimes we have to pivot from analysis to organizing. From study to action. In order to do that, Brad speaks with the Rev. Paul Raushenbush, President of Interfaith Alliance. They discuss ways to organize and mobilize for the 2024 elections in order to build a coalition of non-religious and religious Americans who share a commitment to democracy, inclusiveness, and equality.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! $50 for the whole year! Subscribe 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 and Dan open with a discussion of the J6 cases at SCOTUS - and the fact that Clarence Thomas has not recused himself, despite his wife being involved in J6.

The hosts then move to the details of the Stormy Daniels Hush Money case - going through the actual crimes being charged and explaining why they are indeed related to the election.

In the final segment Dan analyzes an article in the Atlantic on what Americans lost when they stopped participating in organized religion. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/america-religion-decline-non-affiliated/677951/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! Subscribe 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 is joined by his brother, Dr. Brian Onishi, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Penn State Altoona, to breakdown the politics, horror, spectacle, and meanings of "Civil War" - the new film out now.

Weird Wonder by Dr. Brian Onishi: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-48027-0

Eugene Thacker (magic circle): https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/zer0-books/our-books/in-the-dust-of-this-planet

Hollywood Reporter (about 50/50 split between conservative and liberal viewership): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/civil-war-red-states-and-blue-states-1235875216/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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SWAJ Premium IS ON SALE! Subscribe 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/

In this episode, Dan interviews Michelle Down, author of Forager: Fieldnotes for Surviving a Family Cult, about her experiences and insights growing up in an extreme high-control religious community founded by her grandfather. Michelle helps us understand some of the dynamics of high-control religion, considers the role that coded language plays in such religion, and highlights the extreme focus on unity within such communities.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163

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