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.
107episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Sunday Interview: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Story of America
Jul 600:48:15Tap to summarizeIn this Sunday interview, Brad Onishi is joined by historian and author Warren Throckmorton to discuss his new book, The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. Together they examine some of the most persistent myths at the heart of Christian nationalism: that America was founded as a covenant nation, that the colonies' state churches prove the United States is inherently Christian, and that the Founders intended to establish a Christian government. Warren explains why these claims collapse under historical scrutiny while revealing how Christian nationalists flatten centuries of history into a single political narrative designed to justify power today. The conversation also explores the outsized influence of pseudo-historian David Barton, whose revisionist accounts of the American founding continue to shape churches, political leaders, and organizations despite repeated factual debunking. Brad and Warren unpack why these myths persist, how they fuel white Christian nationalism and Christian supremacy, and what is at stake as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. This is an essential conversation for anyone seeking to understand the historical foundations of today's Christian nationalist movement—and why telling the truth about America's past matters for the country's future. https://www.christianpast.com The Christian Past That Wasn't: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835820/The-Christian-Past-That-Wasn-t 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
Transcribe →
Weekly Roundup: Trump's America250 Spectacle, the SSPX Schism, and the Rise of Democratic Socialists
Jul 301:01:09Tap to summarizeHere are two concise paragraphs suitable for podcast show notes: As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller examine how Donald Trump has transformed the semiquincentennial celebration into a showcase for political patronage, executive power, and Christian nationalism. They unpack the controversy surrounding the America250 festivities on the National Mall, including allegations of corruption, the role of PragerU and Hillsdale College in shaping historical narratives, and what the celebration reveals about competing visions of American identity and democracy. The conversation then turns to the Vatican's dramatic excommunication of clergy and members associated with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), exploring what the schism says about the growing influence of traditionalist Catholicism in American politics and its connections to the broader Christian nationalist movement. Brad and Dan close by discussing the rise of democratic socialists in Congress, what these electoral victories reveal about generational shifts in American politics, and why the future of democracy may depend on who gets to define the nation's story. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the nation's semiquincentennial should be a moment for civic reflection, shared history, and democratic renewal. Instead, Donald Trump is transforming the celebration into a political spectacle centered on himself, military power, patronage, and Christian nationalism. In this episode, Brad Onishi and co-host Dan Miller examine how the National Mall and America's founding story are being repurposed to advance a vision of the country rooted in executive power, religious nationalism, and loyalty to one political movement. From corporate influence and political corruption to the growing role of Christian nationalist organizations in shaping the celebration, they ask what happens when a national commemoration becomes a vehicle for ideological power. Brad and Dan also discuss a major story from the world of American Catholicism: the excommunication of a priest associated with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). The case offers a window into ongoing tensions over authority, tradition, Catholic identity, and the growing influence of far-right and traditionalist movements within the American Church. The conversation explores how these conflicts intersect with broader political currents, including Christian nationalism and the reshaping of conservative religious activism in the United States. As America approaches its 250th birthday, the stakes are larger than a single event. They concern who gets to tell the nation's story—and what kind of democracy that story will sustain. Subscribe for weekly analysis of Christian nationalism, authoritarianism, religion, democracy, and American politics from the hosts of Straight White American Jesus. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 👍 Like this video if you found it valuable. 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. #Trump #ChristianNationalism #America250 #Semiquincentennial #NationalMall #AmericanCatholicism #SSPX #Catholicism #Authoritarianism #Democracy #Religion #Politics #Project2025 #StraightWhiteAmericanJesus #BradOnishi #DanMiller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
It's In the Code 197: "The Small Miracles"
Jul 100:24:01Tap to summarizeDan Miller continues the Questions You Weren't Supposed to Ask in Church series by tackling one of the most common—and most unsettling—questions many Christians eventually ask: Why doesn't God perform big miracles anymore? From the parting of the Red Sea to raising the dead, the Bible is filled with spectacular divine interventions. But if God is unchanging, why don't we see those kinds of miracles today? Dan examines the most common Christian response—that God still performs miracles every day in small ways—and explores why that answer often fails to satisfy people wrestling with doubt. In this episode, Dan argues that the "small miracles" explanation creates deeper theological problems than it solves. If God chooses to miraculously heal one person while millions continue to suffer, what does that say about God's goodness? And if miracles are reduced to finding a parking spot or arriving at school pickup on time, does that diminish rather than magnify God's power? Drawing on his experience as a former pastor and on questions from listeners, Dan explores how this issue has led many people to rethink their understanding of God, the Bible, and faith itself. https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
Axis Live: Birthright Citizenship Reactions, Texas Bible Reading, NAR Gone Wild
Jul 101:09:34Tap to summarizeThe Supreme Court's narrow birthright citizenship ruling has triggered an extraordinary reaction from influential voices on the American right—and the backlash reveals much more than disagreement over immigration policy. In this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi, Annika Brockschmidt, and Matthew D. Taylor examine the response from figures including Kevin Roberts, Stephen Miller, Matt Walsh, and Joel Webbon, unpacking what their rhetoric tells us about the future of the 14th Amendment, Christian nationalism, and competing visions of American identity. The conversation explores why this legal battle is far from over and how the movement to redefine citizenship fits into a broader authoritarian political project. The hosts also analyze Texas' decision to mandate Bible readings in public schools, discussing the implications for religious liberty, public education, and Christian nationalism. Finally, they turn to a series of remarkable public appearances by New Apostolic Reformation-linked politicians, including Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith's declaration that Christians should "hate" what God hates and his attacks on Islam. Together, these stories reveal how increasingly radical religious and nationalist ideas are moving from the political fringe into mainstream American public life—and why understanding them is more important than ever. https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
The Sunday Interview: Turning Point USA’s “Pink Pill” Pipeline: Inside the Women’s Leadership Summit
Jun 2801:10:20Tap to summarizeIn this Straight White American Jesus Sunday interview, Annika Brockschmidt speaks with journalist and researcher Madeleine Peltz about her years-long reporting on the conservative youth ecosystem and the gendered strategies shaping the modern far right. Peltz, formerly of Media Matters, has spent thousands of hours documenting right-wing media and events like Turning Point USA’s Women’s Leadership Summit—an increasingly influential gathering that blends lifestyle branding, faith language, and political recruitment. Together, they explore how the “pink pill” aesthetic fuses pop culture, wellness, and evangelical-coded messaging to draw in Gen Z women, reframing conservative politics through themes of empowerment, marriage, and “biblical womanhood.” The conversation examines the contradictions at the heart of this movement: conferences that market “women’s leadership” while promoting submission, purity culture, and debates over women’s political participation. Peltz describes the summit as both a recruitment pipeline and a social network, where influencers, field organizers, and Turning Point USA infrastructure work in tandem to shape ideology and identity. From MAHA wellness politics to tradwife influencers and viral culture-war media figures, the episode traces the fracturing and evolution of Gen Z conservatism—and asks what it means when aesthetics, faith, and political strategy become indistinguishable. Good Girls and Alpha Males by Madeline Peltz: https://bookshop.org/p/books/good-girls-and-alpha-males-how-conservative-media-is-targeting-gen-z-madeline-peltz/fe9f4d811b430430 https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
Weekly Roundup: How Protest Became Terrorism in Trump's America
Jun 2600:58:59Tap to summarizeThis week, Brad Onishi argues that a series of seemingly separate headlines point to a single political project: the construction of a white Christian homeland. He examines the unprecedented sentencing of the Prairie Land protesters under domestic terrorism charges, the Trump administration's growing use of "Antifa" as a catch-all label for political dissent, Supreme Court decisions affecting Temporary Protected Status, and the continued targeting of Haitian immigrants. Together, Brad argues, these developments reflect an effort to criminalize protest, narrow who belongs in America, and reshape citizenship around the ideals of white Christian nationalism. Brad also breaks down new efforts to restrict voting through the SAVE Act, analyzes the rhetoric of figures like Stephen Miller, Megyn Kelly, and Rep. Tom Emmer, and reflects on what Zohran Mamdani's growing political influence reveals about the future of the Democratic Party. Wrapping up the week, he shares reasons for hope, updates listeners on the launch of Access Daily, and explains why independent, expert journalism on religion and politics is more essential than ever. https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
It's In the Code 196: "Why Isn't God More Forgiving?"
Jun 2400:24:14Tap to summarizeWhy does God forgive only as much as we forgive? In this episode, Dan Miller explores a listener’s challenging question about the nature of divine forgiveness, justice, and fairness in Christian theology. He examines how high-control religion responds to tough questions and why these core issues matter. How different interpretive frameworks alter understanding of divine forgiveness The relationship between human imperfection and divine perfection The threats and control tactics embedded in religious teachings about justice Why questions of fairness reveal core theological and doctrinal conflicts The broader implications of questioning authority and dogma in faith communities How high-control religion often reacts defensively to challenging questions https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
Axis Live: Christendom Over Christ, Political Violence, and the Myth of Religious Revival
Jun 2401:03:34Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi and Matt Taylor are joined by PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman to unpack Vice President JD Vance’s new book Communion and the theological vision animating it. The conversation focuses on Vance’s turn toward a form of Christianity oriented less around the person and teachings of Christ than toward a broader project of Christendom and civilizational restoration. Rather than centering the lived realities of individuals or communities, Vance’s framework is read as prioritizing the preservation and defense of “Western civilization,” raising questions about how political theology can displace core Christian ethical commitments in favor of cultural and national projects. The episode then turns to the underexplored Christian dimensions of the terror plot targeting the White House UFC event, situating it within broader patterns of religiously inflected political violence. The discussion concludes with Melissa Deckman presenting new PRRI data on American religion, emphasizing that claims of a widespread religious revival in the United States are not supported by current evidence. Instead, the data points to continued complexity, fragmentation, and stability in national religious trends rather than a clear resurgence. https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
The Sunday Interview: America Was Never One Nation Under One God
Jun 2100:46:29Tap to summarizeWhat does American religious history actually tell us about the present moment? In this episode, Brad sits down with historian and author Brook Wilensky-Lanford to discuss her sweeping new book, A God-Shaped Nation: 500 Years of Religion in America. Rather than focusing on famous founders and powerful institutions, Wilensky-Lanford tells the story of America through ordinary people—religious dissenters, immigrants, Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and others whose struggles shaped the nation's understanding of freedom, belonging, and identity. Together, Brad and Brooke explore how figures like Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer, Roger Williams, and members of the Native American Church challenged religious domination and expanded the meaning of religious liberty. The conversation also examines the darker side of America's religious history, from the persecution of Japanese American Buddhists during World War II to Supreme Court battles over patriotism, conscience, and the limits of state power. As Christian nationalism continues to reshape American politics, Wilensky-Lanford argues that understanding the country's religious past is essential for making sense of the present. This wide-ranging discussion offers a powerful reminder that the struggle over whose religion counts—and who counts as a real American—has been at the center of the American experiment from the beginning. Subscribe to Axis Mundi on Substack:Axis Mundi Media Brook Wilenksy-Lanford: A God Shaped Nation? https://groveatlantic.com/book/a-god-shaped-nation/ Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →
Weekly Roundup: Trump's Iran Disaster, JD Vance's Problem, and the Collapse of the Strongman Myth
Jun 1901:03:06Tap to summarizeIn 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. Subscribe to Axis Mundi on Substack:Axis Mundi Media Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4MbwXJvxp6MoDkmtj?si=a758e87169e74ede Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1145852/s/400220.rss Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support independent religion and politics journalism:https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/ Donate today: https://www.axismundi.us/fundraise?hsCtaAttrib=215444059319 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →