In this week's Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller unpack the fallout from the Trump administration's Iran deal, the growing fractures within the MAGA coalition, and why Vice President JD Vance appears to be carrying the political burden for a foreign policy debacle.

They examine the deal's similarities to the Obama-era agreement Republicans once condemned, the tensions between America First isolationists and pro-Israel conservatives, and what Vance's comments reveal about the future of the Republican Party. Along the way, they explore how ideas about masculinity, leadership, power, and political performance shape Trump's approach to governing—and why those approaches are increasingly running into reality.

Brad and Dan also discuss the symbolism of Trump's algae-filled Reflecting Pool, the contrast between spectacle and civic leadership, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, and Zohran Mamdani's appearance at the Knicks championship celebration. What do these competing public rituals tell us about the kind of country Americans want to build?

Plus: updates on the launch of Axis Mundi's new daily analysis platform, the Axis Daily Brief, and how you can support independent journalism and public scholarship at the intersection of religion and politics.

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What are the questions you aren’t supposed to ask in church—the ones that earn you a sit-down with the pastor, worry your parents, and might even make you leave your faith entirely? In this episode, Dan kicks off a brand-new series, "Questions I Wasn't Supposed to Ask in Church," by revisiting a question that got him into trouble during his own time as a pastor: does it really look like human beings were "intelligently designed" by a maximally perfect, omnipotent Creator? While a hypothesis of superhuman design made sense for most of human history, Dan calls bullshit on modern creationist claims by looking at the glaring engineering flaws of the human body—from the staggering statistical inefficiency of human reproduction and dangerous choking hazards to the evolutionary mismatch of our metabolic health in modern society. Why does asking whether a supreme designer could have done a better job elicit such vitriolic pushback from theological traditionalists, and how does confronting the sheer implausibility of intelligent design expose the limits of high-control religion? Join Dan to find out.

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This week, Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor break down three major stories shaping the American political and religious landscape: 🔹 The Southern Baptist Convention’s hard-right turn The SBC elected a new president, Willie Rice, and moved to further restrict women in church leadership. What do these developments reveal about the growing influence of Christian nationalist and reconstructionist movements within America’s largest Protestant denomination? 🔹 Trump’s little-known domestic terrorism framework (NSPM-7) A largely overlooked presidential memorandum could dramatically expand the government’s ability to target protesters, activists, and political opponents. Brad and Matt explain what NSPM-7 is, why civil liberties advocates are alarmed, and how it could reshape political dissent in America. 🔹 Exclusive: Gareth Gore on Opus Dei and Pope Leo Investigative journalist Gareth Gore, author of Opus, joins the show to discuss his extraordinary private meeting with Pope Leo, the future of Opus Dei, and what may be a major turning point in the Catholic Church’s relationship with one of its most controversial organizations. 📚 Gareth Gore's book: Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church 📖 Subscribe to the Axis Daily Brief: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ 🎙️ Support Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... ❤️ Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate

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In this episode of the Axis Mundi Daily Brief, Brad Onishi examines the viral comments made by UFC fighter Josh Hokit after his victory at the White House and asks what they reveal about the state of MAGA Christianity and Christian Trumpism.

From Hokit's walkout song—"I'm a Real American"—to his comments about Michelle Obama and his public declarations of faith, Brad explores how themes of masculinity, power, conspiracy, transphobia, and Christian nationalism converged in a single moment. Set against the backdrop of Donald Trump hosting a UFC event on White House grounds, the spectacle raises larger questions about the relationship between religion, politics, and the performance of American identity.

Brad also considers the symbolism of a president watching fighters compete while international crises unfold, and what this moment says about the political culture that has emerged around Trumpism. Is this simply entertainment, or does it represent something deeper about power, submission, and the future of American democracy?

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What if one of the most important political symbols in American evangelicalism isn't a campaign slogan, a policy platform, or a charismatic preacher, but a worship song?

In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with Religion News Service journalist Bob Smietana about his reporting on the unexpected political life of Chris Tomlin's worship anthem "How Great Is Our God." Over the past several years, the song has appeared everywhere from the Capitol Riots to ReAwaken America rallies and Sean Feucht events, to the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. Yet unlike overtly political songs such as "God Bless the USA," "How Great Is Our God" contains no explicit political message at all.

So why has it become such a powerful soundtrack for conservative Christian activism?

Drawing on his reporting for NPR’s All Things Considered, and Payne’s God Gave Rock and Roll to You: a History of Contemporary Christian Music, Smietana and Payne discuss the rise of “Christian Nashville-ism," the fusion of the worship music industry, suburban evangelical culture, celebrity influence, and political identity. Nashville's Christian music machine has produced a soundtrack so ubiquitous that it now functions as a kind of sacred common language across American Christianity. In an era of political polarization, worship songs provide emotional resonance, spiritual legitimacy, and a sense of collective identity that can easily travel into political spaces.

Together, Payne and Smietana explore how contemporary worship music became one of the most influential forms of religious formation in American life. They discuss the rise of Chris Tomlin and the Passion movement, the mainstreaming of charismatic worship practices, the growing overlap between worship culture and conservative politics, and the role of suburban megachurches in shaping modern evangelical identity.

The conversation also examines how Christian nationalism often operates less through overt ideology than through atmosphere, familiarity, nostalgia, and music. Why do songs matter so much in political movements? What happens when worship becomes a form of cultural power? And why has a seemingly apolitical worship song become one of the defining sounds of conservative evangelical America?

In this episode:

• Why "How Great Is Our God" has become a fixture at conservative political events

• The relationship between worship music and conservative activism

• Nashville's role as a center of evangelical cultural power

• Chris Tomlin, the Passion movement, and the mainstreaming of charismatic worship

• How worship music became the dominant language of American Protestantism

• Charlie Kirk, Sean Feucht, and the politics of sacred music

• The rise of suburban megachurch culture and its political influence

• Why contemporary worship songs often succeed where political slogans fail

• "Comfort food Christian nationalism" and the power of familiarity

• The overlap between MAGA politics, evangelical identity, and worship culture

Links:

Bob Smietana's NPR article: “Why an Apolitical Worship Song Has Become Popular With Conservative Activists”

Adam Perez: ““It’s Your Breath in Our Lungs”: Sean Feucht’s Praise and Worship Music Protests and the Theological Problem of Pandemic Response in the U.S.”

Worship Leader Research

Leah Payne’s God Gave Rock and Roll to You: a History of Contemporary Christian Music

Bob Smietana Official Website

Bob Smietana at Religion News Service

Bob Smietana's book, Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why It Matters:

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 This week on Straight White American Jesus, Brad and Dan unpack the GOP’s latest claims of voter fraud in California and show how conspiracy thinking, Christian nationalist spiritual warfare, and anti-democratic rhetoric continue to undermine public trust in elections. Focusing on comments from Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, they explore how evidence-free allegations of fraud function politically, why California has become a symbolic target, and how narratives of hidden, “unprovable” corruption mirror the logic of both conspiracism and charismatic Christian nationalism. The episode examines what happens when feelings and intuition replace facts, and why attacks on election integrity remain central to the MAGA movement’s political strategy. The conversation then turns to the Trump administration’s unprecedented UFC event at the White House and Pete Hegseth’s controversial D-Day remarks in Normandy. Brad and Dan analyze the UFC spectacle as a symbol of a broader political vision rooted in domination, submission, and conflict rather than democratic deliberation and compromise. They also discuss Hegseth’s embrace of Western civilizational rhetoric and anti-immigrant messaging during a commemoration of the Allied fight against fascism, situating his comments within a larger framework of Christian nationalism, Western chauvinism, and the growing influence of the postliberal right. Along the way, they reflect on America’s declining international standing, the politics of spectacle, and reasons for hope as public resistance to authoritarianism continues to grow.

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What are the broader takeaways from Josh Hawley’s presentation on “manhood?” How does Hawley’s vision of “masculine America” illuminate the dynamics of high-control Christianity, Christian nationalism, and the broader MAGA movement in America today? What lessons can we learn through engaging Hawley’s vision of masculinity? Join Dan to find out, as we conclude our look at Hawley’s vision of manhood.

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In this episode, Brad Onishi sits down with Rev. Alba Onofrio, the Executive Director of Soulforce and author of Spiritual Violence: Religious Phenomena That Defile the Faith. Rev. Alba brings nearly two decades of global activism across four continents to a critical conversation about the exact mechanisms religious systems use to inflict deep psychological and physical harm. Moving past vague concepts of religious trauma, she provides a clear framework that categorizes spiritual harm along a spectrum—ranging from everyday theological microaggressions to full-scale "spiritual terrorism." By defining spiritual terrorism as a sustained, systemic deployment of fear designed to subjugate entire communities, Rev. Alba exposes how weaponized theology acts as an active tool of control rather than an accidental byproduct of faith.

The discussion dives into how traditional religious imagery—such as framing God exclusively as a punishing "Father," "King," or "Judge"—subtly normalizes abusive and hierarchical dynamics in families, intimate relationships, and broader civic life. Rev. Alba and Brad unpack how white Christian supremacy shapes what the American context recognizes as violence, using the deployment of Romans 13 during the separation of immigrant families at the U.S. border as a chilling case study in theological terrorism. Crucially, the episode addresses Christianity's historical condemnation of "the flesh," explaining how policing the body strips individuals of their bodily autonomy and self-trust. Ultimately, Rev. Alba shares why she fiercely maintains her faith, arguing that naming these systemic abuses is not a rejection of spirituality, but the vital first step toward true healing, resistance, and collective liberation.

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 This week on Straight White American Jesus, Brad and Dan trace the connections between Trump-era immigration policy, rising far-right extremism, and a growing international movement built around the idea of “remigration.” Beginning with unrest at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall detention center, they examine former ICE official Greg Bovino’s appearance at a European far-right conference and discuss how anti-immigrant rhetoric, Christian nationalism, and white identity politics are increasingly intertwined on both sides of the Atlantic. The conversation explores how language, policy, and political movements reinforce one another—and what it means when American officials and European extremists are drawing inspiration from the same playbook. The episode also dives into new Gallup polling showing declining support for LGBTQ+ rights after decades of gains, particularly among Republicans, and considers how coordinated religious and political campaigns have reshaped public opinion. Brad and Dan connect these trends to battles over schools, charter education, and public funding, while also unpacking Pete Hegseth’s efforts to narrow religious representation in the military chaplaincy. They close with a discussion of free speech, the courts’ response to the “8647” controversy, and several signs of hope—including a federal court ruling protecting transgender service members and the ongoing celebration of Pride Month. Along the way, they share exciting news about the next chapter of Axis Mundi Media, including new live programming, The Daily Brief, and plans to expand independent coverage of religion, democracy, and power.

Axis Mundi is becoming more than a podcast network.

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Josh Hawley is a dyed-in-the-wool, self-described Christian nationalist. But he’s careful not to make this too obvious in discussion of Christian masculinity and masculine virtue. But if we look past his smoke and mirrors, if look behind the curtain, his Christian nationalism comes through when he talks about role of men as “kings.” Check out this week’s episode as Dan walks us through Hawley’s Christian nationalist vision of America.

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In this episode, hosts Annika Brockschmidt and Roland Meyer sit down with media scholar Roland Meyer to dissect the unsettling intersection of generative AI, right-wing extremism, and the emerging aesthetics of digital fascism. Meyer, a professor at the University of Zurich, breaks down why AI-generated visual culture is uniquely suited for far-right propaganda. Rather than acting as a neutral mirror of reality, these algorithms are structurally nostalgic—relying on past training data to build idealized, hyper-masculine mythologies, clean ethnic landscapes, and weaponized "slopaganda." From American frontier myths to European Islamophobic imagery, Meyer explains how mass-produced, engagement-optimized AI content is being actively weaponized to construct collective, racist fantasy worlds at an unprecedented scale.

The conversation pushes past simple deepfakes to examine the darker political economy and Silicon Valley ideologies underlying the modern tech ecosystem. Meyer and the hosts unpack the rise of "slop"—voted Merriam-Webster’s word of the year—and how algorithmic distribution networks reward dehumanizing depictions of marginalized groups while turning tech leaders into gladiatorial icons. By exploring how figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel's Alex Karp, and Charlie Kirk use these tools, the episode exposes a shared tech-authoritarian vision. This ideology frames AI not as a tool for public good, but as an unregulated, masculine force engineered for white, Western dominance, proving that the struggle over generative AI is fundamentally a battle over who controls the future of reality.

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