Christian Underhistory

In August of 2017 the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia said that he would rather go to jail than report sexual abuse against a child. Join us today as we explore the archbishop's statements and the context in which those statements were made.

In 2014 Uganda's legislature passed a law further criminalizing homosexuality. LGBTQ people in Uganda saw a 1000% increase in violence against their communities after the law passed. Join us today for the story of how American Christians and their money were behind Uganda's anti-gay laws.

Mark Driscoll was a hotshot fundamentalist Southern Baptist megachurch pastor with thousands of congregants and some harsh things to say about gay and lesbian people and women. Join us today for the story of how his first megachurch Mars Hill fell from grace.

On Easter Day in 1960 Texas school teacher Irene Garza was murdered. Join us today for the story of how her murderer got away with it for almost sixty years.

Rev Danny Ray Johnson was an independent minister elected to the Kentucky legislature in 2017. He sometimes referred to himself as Pope. Join us for the story of his life.

The Holy Roman Empire was undoing monumental religious and spiritual shifts in the early 1500s. Join us today for the story of a prophetic religious movement that took a German city by force.

Daisy Douglas Barr was one of the first ordained woman ministers in the USA. Join us for the story of how she went from advocating for women's suffrage, prohibition of alcohol, and the ability of women to have careers outside of the home to being an Imperial Empress of the Klu Klux Klan

This week we explore the story of Australia's most famous cult leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus and who stole and abused numerous children.

Join us for the story of trans girl Roman Elegabalus who claimed the throne at 14 and used the power of being emperor to come out as a woman. She was also the first monotheist Roman Emperor, and may have engaged in human sacrifice.

In late 1100s southern France a man named Peter Waldo had a religious experience in which he came to believe that G-d wanted people to live simply, help the poor, swear no oaths, that all people should preach the Gospel, and that neither the Church nor the State should have the power execute people. Because of these beliefs he and his followers the Waldensians were declared heretics. After Waldo's death, one of his disciples Durand of Huesca would try to escape the oppression by joining in the oppressors. Hear the story.