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.
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Episodes
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Axis Live: Pete Hegseth’s Testosterone Crusade + Trump's MAGA Iran Disaster
3w ago01:09:10Tap to summarizeTrump’s war with Iran is exposing a growing fracture inside the MAGA coalition. As the conflict continues, young America First voices—including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes—are increasingly at odds with the Christian nationalist and Christian Zionist establishment that continues to support Israel and the war. Brad Onishi, Matthew D. Taylor, and Holly Berkley Fletcher discuss the expanding Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, the threat of a wider regional war, and why the consequences could become increasingly difficult for the Trump administration to contain ahead of the midterm elections. They also examine the generational divide within MAGA, the rise of anti-Semitism and Christian Zionism on the far right, and the growing influence of young online figures who may shape what comes after Trump. The conversation also turns to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s obsession with testosterone, masculinity, and the “warrior” ideal. What does the push to increase testosterone levels in the military reveal about Christian nationalism, the manosphere, evangelical purity culture, gender politics, and the growing ideological influence of the far right inside the U.S. military? This episode explores the intersection of Christian nationalism, MAGA politics, the Iran war, Israel, anti-Semitism, Christian Zionism, masculinity, testosterone, Pete Hegseth, authoritarianism, and the future of the American right. If you value independent reporting and analysis on religion, politics, and democracy, please support the Axis Mundi Network. Subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack:https://axismundinetwork.substack.comBecome a paid subscriber:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Support our work with a tax-deductible donation:https://www.irmce.org/donateVisit the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE):https://www.irmce.org#ChristianNationalism #MAGA #Trump #Iran #PeteHegseth #ChristianZionism #Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Women of the Far Right: Female Influencers, Tradwives, and Online Radicalization w/ Eviane Leidig
3w ago01:05:34Tap to summarizeThis week on the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Annika Brockschmidt sits down with extremism researcher Eviane Leidig, author of The Women of the Far Right: Social Media Influencers and Online Radicalization, for an in-depth conversation about the women reshaping today's far-right movement. Together they explore how female influencers have become some of the movement's most effective communicators, using lifestyle content, tradwife aesthetics, motherhood, religion, and social media to normalize extremist ideas for mainstream audiences. From Lauren Southern and Lana Lokteff to the emerging "womanosphere," Leidig explains how these figures bridge fringe ideologies and conservative politics while building powerful online communities that extend far beyond national borders. Annika and Evian also examine the relationship between gender, Christianity, anti-feminism, transnational organizing, and white nationalism, unpacking the contradictions that allow women to thrive within deeply patriarchal movements. The conversation closes with a look at the international networks connecting the American and European far right, including the role of influencers, social media platforms, and digital propaganda in shaping contemporary extremist politics. If you value conversations grounded in scholarship and historical context, consider supporting Straight White American Jesus and Axis Mundi Media by becoming a member at Axis Mundi Membership. You'll receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our community. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and sign up for the SWAJ newsletter to stay up to date with every new episode. Subscribe to the SWAJ Newsletter Support independent journalism and analysis from Axis Mundi Media by becoming a subscriber: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AxisMundiNetwork Learn more about the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement: https://www.irmce.org Eviane Leidig: The Women of the Far Right: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-women-of-the-far-right/9780231210171/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Myth of One Nation Under God w/ Reza Aslan
4w ago00:56:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi sits down with renowned scholar, author, and television producer Reza Aslan for a wide-ranging conversation about America's religious past—and why that history matters more than ever. Drawing on Aslan's new podcast series, Our Seven Neighbors, they unpack the myths surrounding "one nation under God," the long struggle for genuine religious freedom, and the forgotten stories of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Catholics, Indigenous peoples, and other communities who had to fight for the rights they were promised. Together they explore how Christian nationalism distorts American history, why religious pluralism has always been contested, and what the nation's 250th anniversary should really invite us to remember. The conversation also turns to immigration, Islamophobia, Chinese exclusion, the enduring legacy of empire, and even an extended behind-the-scenes discussion of HBO's The Leftovers, where Aslan served as a producer and helped shape many of the show's religious themes. Whether you're interested in American politics, religion, history, or culture, this episode offers a compelling reminder that democracy has always depended on expanding the circle of belonging—not narrowing it. Support independent journalism and analysis from Axis Mundi Media by becoming a subscriber: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AxisMundiNetwork Learn more about the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement: https://www.irmce.org Our Seven Neighbors: https://www.axismundi.us/podcasts/our-seven-neighbors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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It's In the Code Episode 199: "Is God a Liar?"
4w ago00:29:16Tap to summarizeIn this episode of It's In the Code, host Dan Miller tackles one of the most provocative questions a believer can ask: Did God lie in the Garden of Eden? Beginning with a listener's question about Genesis and God's warning that Adam and Eve would die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Dan takes a close look at the biblical text itself rather than the assumptions many Christians bring to it. Along the way, he explores how later theological traditions—including original sin, spiritual death, and the identification of the serpent with Satan—have shaped the way this familiar story is understood, often in ways that go beyond what the text actually says. Drawing connections to his previous episode on Job, Dan argues that some of the Bible's most challenging passages become even more unsettling when read carefully and without inherited interpretations. He examines the role of the serpent, the meaning of knowledge, and why difficult questions about scripture are so often discouraged in high-control religious communities. Rather than seeing these questions as signs of weak faith, Dan suggests they emerge from taking the Bible seriously enough to wrestle honestly with its complexities. If you've ever been told there are questions you're not supposed to ask in church, this episode invites you to ask them anyway. If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at https://axismundinetwork.substack.com for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at https://www.irmce.org. Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Axis Live: From Lindsey Graham to Charlie Kirk: The Theology of MAGA
4w ago01:05:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor examine the political and religious legacy of Lindsey Graham following his death, asking how a senator once known for challenging Donald Trump ultimately became one of Trump's most loyal defenders. They explore Graham's transformation through the lens of white evangelical politics, Christian nationalism, and the pursuit of political power, while also discussing the contradictions between the Religious Right's "pro-life" identity and its support for war, immigration crackdowns, and other policies that raise difficult moral questions. The conversation also considers what Graham's passing signals about the future of the Republican Party, particularly as younger America First leaders challenge the foreign policy and evangelical consensus that Graham represented for decades. The second half of the show turns to the ongoing pretrial hearings in the Charlie Kirk murder case, where questions about religion, politics, and Christian identity are already shaping legal arguments. Brad and Matt unpack how prosecutors and defense attorneys are framing Kirk's beliefs, the growing effort to portray him as a Christian martyr, and the broader implications for Christian nationalism in American public life. They are joined by Arizona journalist Haley Orion of Left Coast Right Watch, who offers on-the-ground reporting from the Utah courthouse and explains why the trial has become a flashpoint for MAGA factions, conspiracy theories, and the future of Turning Point USA. Together, they separate fact from speculation while exploring how religion continues to shape America's political conflicts. If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at https://axismundinetwork.substack.com for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at https://www.irmce.org. Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Sunday Interview: The Missionary Myth: How Evangelicalism Exported Christian Nationalism
Jul 1200:50:06Tap to summarizeIn this Sunday Interview, Brad Onishi sits down with historian and former CIA Africa analyst Holly Berkley Fletcher, author of The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism. Drawing on her experience growing up as a Southern Baptist missionary kid in Kenya, Fletcher explores how the evangelical missionary movement became intertwined with American exceptionalism, racial hierarchy, patriarchy, and Christian nationalism. Together, they examine why missionary culture often functions as a form of spiritual bypassing—allowing white evangelicals to see themselves as heroes abroad while avoiding difficult conversations about racism, power, and injustice at home. The conversation also explores the hidden costs of missionary life, including abuse, isolation, authoritarianism, and the impossible expectations placed on missionary families. Fletcher explains how the same dynamics that have fueled the Southern Baptist abuse crisis and evangelical support for Donald Trump emerge from a culture rooted in fear, certainty, and hierarchy. It's a wide-ranging discussion about faith, identity, and the future of American evangelicalism—and why understanding the missionary movement helps explain some of the most pressing religious and political conflicts in the United States today. The Missionary Kids: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889832034/The-Missionary-Kids If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at https://axismundinetwork.substack.com for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at https://www.irmce.org. Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Weekly Roundup: Birthright Citizenship, Doug Wilson, and Bryan Johnson
Jul 1001:07:38Tap to summarizeDoug Wilson's recent NPR interview offers a revealing look at how Christian nationalism has moved from the political fringe into the mainstream. In this episode, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller unpack Wilson's arguments about household voting, patriarchy, and the Constitution, showing why his vision represents a fundamental challenge to liberal democracy. They also discuss Ken Paxton's latest controversy, the GOP's continued push to restrict birthright citizenship, and why these stories reveal a broader strategy to reshape American politics around power rather than pluralism. The conversation closes with a surprising discussion of tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson's quest to defeat aging and what Silicon Valley's obsession with optimizing human life says about the limits of technology, the meaning of community, and what it means to be human. If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at https://axismundinetwork.substack.com for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at https://www.irmce.org. Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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It's In the Code 198: The Suffering of Job
Jul 800:29:57Tap to summarizeWhy did God allow Satan to punish the biblical character Job, if he was a faithful and righteous man? This is a question that has been asked by Bible readers for centuries. But it’s a question that biblicists and high-control religionists get defensive about. Why? And why does the biblical Book of Job make this question even harder to answer? What does it show us about the shortcomings of high-control religion? Join Dan for this week’s episode to find out! Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Axis Live: Congressman Exposes Trump's America250 Corruption + Patriot Front's March
Jul 701:09:06Tap to summarizePatriot Front's July 4 march on the National Mall wasn't an isolated stunt—it was part of a long American tradition of extremist groups using patriotic symbolism to claim ownership of the nation's identity. In this episode of Access Live, Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor trace the historical parallels between Patriot Front and the Ku Klux Klan's massive 1925 march in Washington, D.C., explaining how white Christian nationalism has repeatedly cloaked itself in the language of patriotism, religion, and national renewal. They also unpack the critical distinction between theocracy and theonomy and why those concepts matter for understanding today's Christian nationalist movement. The episode also features Congressman Jared Huffman, who discusses his investigation into how the Trump administration reshaped America's 250th anniversary celebration through the creation of Freedom 250, the sidelining of the bipartisan America250 commission, and the promotion of PragerU as part of a broader campaign of historical revisionism and Christian nationalist messaging. Together, the conversation explores the intersection of extremism, religion, corruption, and democracy—and why recognizing these patterns is essential to defending a pluralistic America. Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com Support our work: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Make a tax-deductible donation: https://www.irmce.org/donate Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Axis Daily Brief: Is There a "Christian Genocide" in Nigeria?
Jul 600:17:50Tap to summarizeHere's a concise, two-paragraph set of podcast show notes in the style you've been using for Axis Mundi Daily Brief. Violence in Nigeria is escalating, and Christians are undeniably among its victims. But does that mean Nigeria is experiencing a "Christian genocide"? In this episode of the Axis Mundi Daily Brief, host Holly Berkley Fletcher examines the growing political narrative surrounding the crisis and asks whether it reflects the realities on the ground. Looking beyond headlines, Holly explores the complex interplay of resource competition, climate change, weak governance, criminal violence, and religious extremism that has fueled years of bloodshed across the country. The episode also explores why the "Christian genocide" narrative has become so influential in American politics, particularly among Christian nationalist leaders and the Trump administration. Holly explains how the stories we tell about persecution shape U.S. foreign policy, humanitarian priorities, and public understanding of global conflicts. By separating evidence from ideology, this conversation offers a deeper look at one of the world's most misunderstood humanitarian crises—and why getting the story right matters. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hs... Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M... Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast... Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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