Podcast
Straight White American Jesus
Hosted by Bradley Onishi + Daniel Miller · EN
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.
114episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Weekly Roundup: We May Never Vote Again + JD Vance Runs for President
Oct 3101:10:23Tap to summarizeDan’s “demon” costume sets the stage for a serious warning: Americans may not be able to vote freely in 2026. Brad argues that authoritarian tactics and election interference are accelerating, pointing to SNAP benefit cuts, ACA premium hikes, and the creation of a National Guard “quick reaction force” as tools of social control. The hosts connect these developments to historical examples of militarized regimes and discuss how Trump loyalists embedding on military bases signal deeper threats to democracy. They also turn their attention to JD Vance’s recent appearances at Ole Miss and Turning Point USA, where his rhetoric blends Christian nationalism, white supremacy, and populist theater. From his calls to teach Christianity in schools to his public remarks about his Hindu wife, Vance uses religion as a political weapon while appealing to the MAGA base. Yet amid the darkness, Brad and Dan highlight reasons for hope, including legal and judicial pushback against extreme policies and bipartisan resistance in the Senate. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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It's in the Code ep 168: “Man’s (Empty) Purpose”
Oct 2900:37:54Tap to summarizeJosh Hawley devotes the second chapter of his book to outlining what he sees as “man’s purpose.” He promises to answer the question of why men are here, and what they are supposed to do. What does he see as this purpose? And why does his claim to uncover man’s purpose ultimately amount to nothing? Why does Dan describe it as an “empty” account of purpose? And how does this undermine Hawley’s claim that the Bible’s story of man is the only story that can provide meaning and purpose? Check out this week’s episode to find out! Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Beyond Thoughts and Prayers: The Rituals of Freedom
Oct 2700:44:03Tap to summarizeBrad welcomes Liz Theoharis and Charon Hribar, editors of We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from The Freedom Church of the Poor. Both guests are key leaders in the faith-based anti-poverty movement and longtime organizers with the Poor People’s Campaign. Together, they discuss how liturgy and ritual can be reclaimed as acts of collective resistance, solidarity, and hope among the poor and dispossessed. The conversation weaves through Liz and Charon’s personal journeys—Liz’s formation in faith-driven social justice work and Charon’s discovery of liberation theology growing up in a steel town—and traces how decades of grassroots organizing through the Kairos Center inspired this new book. They explore how faith traditions, particularly Christianity, can serve as public, justice-oriented practice rather than private belief, what it means to “pray with your feet,” and how ritual itself can be political. Drawing from We Pray Freedom, the guests share powerful examples: a memorial liturgy for unhoused people at New York’s Potter’s Field, a reimagined Las Posadas led by migrant communities, and multi-faith celebrations like Diwali and Passover that embody joy, resilience, and defiance. They also address the current “war on the poor” in the U.S.—from healthcare cuts to attacks on education—and highlight how communities continue to organize, resist, and find joy together. This episode is both a spiritual and practical conversation about how worship, art, and music can sustain movements for justice. Resources Mentioned: We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from The Freedom Church of the Poor – available via Bookshop.org and major retailers Companion site: weprayfreedom.org (includes songs, liturgies, and other materials) The Kairos Center: kairoscenter.org | @kairoscenternyc Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Weekly Roundup: “No Kings" vs Christ the King Who Condones Slavery + Trump Destroys the White House
Oct 2401:03:34Tap to summarizeBrad and Dan unpack the symbolism and substance behind the demolition of the East Wing of the White House to make way for a privately funded ballroom. They reflect on what presidential construction projects reveal about power, legacy, and the messages leaders send through what they build...and destroy. The conversation broadens into current policies on immigration and detention centers, the expansion of ICE, and the moral failures in training and accountability. The hosts also examine the “No Kings” protests and the growing Christian nationalist backlash that frames dissent as rebellion against “Jesus as King.” They connect this rhetoric to broader themes of exclusion, such as dismissive comments about non-Christian holidays like Diwali, and to the resurgence of biblical literalism—including a far-right pastor’s defense of slavery. Brad and Dan trace the dangerous evolution from persuasion to colonization within evangelical and nationalist movements, while highlighting protest and public dissent as vital signs of democratic resistance and hope. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Special Episode: Is Pope Leo Really Dissolving Opus Dei?
Oct 2300:40:51Tap to summarizeThis episode delves into the recent controversies surrounding Opus Dei, a secretive and influential organization within the Catholic Church. According to a report from Infovaticana, Opus Dei faces a significant internal rupture that could see it fragmented into three distinct bodies, effectively dissolving its current structure. Annika Brockschmidt guest hosts in conversation with journalist Gareth Gore, author of 'Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.' Gareth elaborates on the historical context and modern operations of Opus Dei, including its recruitment and coercive practices. He also highlights the organization's conflicts with the Vatican and ongoing abuse allegations. Opus by Gareth Gore: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Opus/Gareth-Gore/9781668016152 Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad’s book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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It's in the Code ep 167: "Manhood Pt. 2"
Oct 2200:38:28Tap to summarizeThis episode continues the exploration of how masculinity and the category of "man" function within the contemporary right, using Senator Josh Hawley’s book "Manhood" as a guide. Dan reads and reflects on Hawley’s arguments, focusing on the biblical foundations Hawley claims for his views on masculinity. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bonus Episode: Empathy, Sin, and Al Mohler Comes for SWAJ
Apr 17, 2025Tap to summarizeSubscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 800-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJCOrder Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163Check out BetterHelp and use my code SWA for a great deal: www.betterhelp.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Surviving IHOP-KC
Nov 2, 2023Tap to summarizeBrad speaks to two survivors of IHOP-KC about the abuse they endured there, the dynamics of the community, and healing with others.This week allegations emerged about Mike Bickle, founder of IHOP-KC, a central hub in charismatic Christianity located in Kansas City. Bob Smietana at RNS describes Bickle this way:"Bickle is one of the most influential charismatic Christians in the United States and a leading figure in the so-called New Apostolic Reformation, which seeks to make prophecy and the leadership of apostles a major part of modern evangelical practice.A former pastor in the Vineyard church movement, Bickle led his Kansas City-based congregation to break away from that denomination in the 1990s after conflicts with other leaders."Jo and Gracia tell their stories and give insight about IHOP-KC then and now.Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/Subscribe now to American Idols: https://www.axismundi.us/american-idols/ To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJCSWAJ Book Recommendations - September 2023: https://bookshop.org/lists/swaj-recommends-september-2023/editOrder Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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An Asian American Apostate Tells All
May 8, 2023Tap to summarizeBrad interviews writer Scott Okamoto, author of Asian American Apostate, his wry and ironic story of leaving religion while teaching at an evangelical university. Okamoto’s often-chilling accounts reveal that such schools, where prayer and trite theological debate erupt in any lecture, demonstrate anything but higher education. Stories range from a classroom declaration against interracial marriage because it causes painful pregnancies, to grading a paper entitled, “Why Obama Is a Nazi,” and to the times Okamoto, a popular teacher, was disciplined by school officials for keeping standards for writing. Okamoto’s personal reporting gives you the inside story of how America’s evangelical schools encourage not a life of the mind but White cultural power. More than that, you’ll see how Okamoto found clarity about who he was not, and who he was coming to be.Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/Asian American Apostate: https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/asian-american-apostate/Merch: BUY OUR NEW Come and Take It and Election Affirmer ! https://straight-white-american-jesus.creator-spring.com/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJCOrder Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 To Donate: venmo - @straightwhitejc https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Catholic Confederates
Feb 20, 2023Tap to summarizeBrad speaks with Rebbecca Bratten Weiss, a reporter for US Catholic magazine and a contributor to the National Catholic Reporter. They revisit the issue of Trad Catholics. The discussion focuses on a number of troubling themes found in trad Catholic communities: Anti-semitism Militant patriarchy A longing for the Confederacy Xenophobia One of the biggest takeaways from the interivew is that the longing for "traditional" worship services is often a repository for retrograde approaches to family, gender, sex, and social order. The problem isn't the Latin, but it's a good host for other troubling phenomena.Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/Venmo @straightwhitejcLinktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJCOrder Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163 To Donate: Venmo: @straightwhitejc https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi SWAJ Apparel is here! https://straight-white-american-jesus.creator-spring.com/listing/not-today-uncle-ron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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