Exvangelical

By Blake ChastainSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Christianity

Exvangelical episodes

September 16 Katy Scoggin, director of Flood
We're back with an interview featuring Katy Scoggin, director of the documentary Flood. The documentary is available on the PBS YouTube channel until 10/13/26 at this link: https://youtu.be/Zm8AhHLTbuI?is=qoqQSvDA_KJ2zAgx
Learn more at floodmovie.com or by visiting the linktree: https://linktr.ee/floodmovie
Support my work directly at blakechastain.com.
Buy Exvangelical & Beyond: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073
Buy books from other authors who have appeared on the show: https://bookshop.org/shop/brchastain
00:00 Meet Katy Scoggin
00:56 Growing Up Cru
02:30 Church Hopping Teens
03:33 Creationism In School
04:49 Media Rules At Home
08:31 Family Videos And Photos
09:50 Private Faith And Doubt
12:56 Art As An Outlet
14:50 Human Evolution Breakthrough
20:53 Why Make Flood
23:07 Calling Dad On Tape
27:15 Filming Choices And Distance
31:44 Adult Child Dynamics
33:22 Filming Dad in the Car
35:42 The Hike
40:50 Truth and Rigid Belief
47:59 Dad as Family Nexus
54:43 No Contact and Boundaries
58:06 Next Projects and Change
01:01:59 Where to Watch Flood

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1 hr 7 min
April 17 Becoming Neighbors with Amar D. Peterman
In this episode, I speak with Amar D. Peterman, author of the new book Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local.
Follow Amar online:
https://amardpeterman.substack.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@amarpeterman
https://www.instagram.com/amarpeterman/
Affiliate links, which support the show:
Buy the book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780802884121
Buy Exvangelical & Beyond by Blake Chastain: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073
Amar's book rec: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body by Rubem Alves (poetry): https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592443314
Support this channel directly by subscribing at blakechastain.com.
Follow Blake on social:
https://www.tiktok.com/@brchastain_
https://www.instagram.com/brchastain_/
https://bsky.app/profile/brchastain.social
00:00 Meet Amar Peterman
01:05 Growing Up Between Traditions
02:22 Megachurch Formation And Tensions
04:36 Moody Bible Institute Culture Shock
07:35 Finding A Mentor At Moody
11:19 Princeton Seminary New Frameworks
18:17 Evangelical History And PhD Questions
22:54 Stumbling Into Interfaith Work
32:58 Turning To Becoming Neighbors
34:29 The Table And Local Common Good
36:46 Take a Seat at the Table
37:42 Desire and Non-Utilitarian Love
39:08 Pluralism Without Debate
40:10 Common Good Beyond Majority Rule
40:35 From Politics to Knowing Neighbors
43:14 Serve and Decenter Yourself
46:05 Practices for Long Haul Love
48:31 Learning From Deconstruction
49:44 Prophetic Voices Outside Church
54:23 Navigating Evangelical Pushback
57:49 Pronouns and Staying Open
01:01:13 Lightning Round for Authors
01:08:34 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

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1 hr 12 min
April 10 The Good Books: BK O'Connor, author of Eve: A Novel
This week I'm talking to B.K. O'Connor, author of Eve: A Novel.
Buy Eve: A Novel on bookshop.org to support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592116690
Follow BK O'Connor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkivoconnor/
She and I appeared together on a panel in Brooklyn last month, which you can read about here: https://www.blakechastain.com/at-the-urbane-arts-club/
00:00 Housekeeping Updates
01:00 Show Expansion Plans
02:19 Meet BK O'Connor
03:09 Growing Up Multi Faith
04:58 Losing Faith Through Milton
06:00 Eve Across Traditions
09:44 Quest for Truth
10:42 Why Write Eve
15:04 Eve as Divine Feminine
20:00 Chalice Versus Blade
24:46 Gods Beyond Eden
28:37 Rewriting Sacred Stories
34:02 Reclaiming Sacred Texts
36:02 Mary Magdalene and Asherah
39:24 Eve Against Patriarchy
41:27 Motherhood and Monogamy
43:43 Rip Up the Script
47:06 Lilith Versus Eve
51:37 Next Myth Retellings
55:25 Lightning Round Books
59:55 Teaching Lifelong Reading
01:02:17 Final Plugs and Farewell

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1 hr 5 min
March 20 Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Returns
I’ve got a wide-ranging interview with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg to share with you today. It’s been a few years since I spoke with her, and the geopolitical landscape has changed considerably in that time. In the first half of the conversation, we talk about the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza, and broadly about how Jewish communities in the US have responded. We also talk touch on Iran, as well as how the revelations of the Epstein Files and how to ensure that antisemitism doesn’t creep into our reactions to these stories coming to light. We also talk about how certain terms and language may no longer be adequate and the challenges of speaking on these hot-button issues at all, online or elsewhere.
In the second half, we talk about Rabbi Danya’s work at her online publication, Life is a Sacred Text, the concept of moral injury, and how she works with people of differing beliefs through her work. Rabbi Danya speaks with compassion, care, nuance, and solidarity and I hope that this conversation is received in that spirit.
Note: I made a newbie mistake and my audio recorded from the wrong mic - I did the best I could to clean it up!
As always, you can support this show by subscribing across social media & YouTube, and most directly by purchasing my book or a paid subscription at blakechastain.com. I donate 25% of net revenue annually.
Buy my book, Exvangelical & Beyond: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073
Sign up for all my content at blakechastain.com
Visit Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/
"The Antisemitism Post" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/the-antisemitism-post/
"Moral Injury" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/moral-injury/
Recommended Reading List on Palestine & Israel: https://bookshop.org/lists/palestine-and-israel

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57 min
February 27 What's Still Happening in Minneapolis-St. Paul Right Now with Jenny Booth Potter
Today I'm chatting with Jenny Booth Potter, a return guest and resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.Jenny had a video go viral back on 2/9/26, and I wanted to hear from her about how things are still going. That video is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjp59AjLlb/?hl=enThis interview was recorded & published on 2/27/26, and lightly edited in Descript.
MN Mutual Aid: https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidBuy Jenny's book [bookshop.org affiliate link]: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781514000007
00:00 Intro and Guest Return
01:06 Setting the Minneapolis Context
02:23 Living on Edge in Twin Cities
04:44 Community Watch and Solidarity
09:53 2020 Uprising to Today
12:40 Why the Footage Disappeared
16:37 Covert Tactics and Deception
19:49 Ongoing Trauma and Material Needs
25:20 What Viewers Can Do
38:22 Proactive Care Over Reaction
42:12 Wrap Up and Resources
44:04 Final Reflections and Hope

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48 min
February 13 Money, Lies, and God with Katherine Stewart
This week I'm joined by Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Her book was published in February 2025 and offers incredible insights into the various networks of influence and power that laid the groundwork for a second Trump victory. We discuss how those same networks are still at work in the US today and try to connect it to more recent developments, including the Epstein Files. Katherine had a brief window of availability, so this interview is a bit shorter.
Buy Money, Lies, and God here at my bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546
Laura K. Field's book, mentioned by Katherine Stewart is called Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, and can be bought here: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780691255262
See books from other authors on The Good Books: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546
And check out books from other authors who have appeared on my other shows: https://bookshop.org/shop/brchastain
Buy my book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073
If you want to keep up to date with my work, please be sure to subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and head over to blakechastain.com to see more of what I’m up to.
00:00 Teaser: The Power of Fear and Control
01:11 Guest Introduction: Katherine Stewart
02:09 The Five Groups in Anti-Democratic Movements
02:53 The Role of Funders and Foot Soldiers
05:27 Sergeants, Power Players, and Thinkers
06:46 Changes Since Trump's Election
08:35 Mindsets and Dispositions in Christian Nationalism
11:12 The Persecution Complex and Authoritarian Leadership
13:18 The Role of Elites and Information Bubbles
28:41 Recent Developments and the Epstein Files
31:45 Conclusion: Forward-Looking Strategies for Democracy
36:08 Outro and Call to Action

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40 min
February 06 On Fire for God with Josiah Hesse
This week I'm happy to share my interview with Josiah Hesse, author of the new book On Fire for God: Fear, Shame, Poverty, and the Making of the Christian Right.
Josiah was a guest on Exvangelical back in 2018, and we met up in Chicago last week to discuss his new book.
I'm also going to be appearing alongside Josiah in just over a month in Brooklyn for an event at Urbane Arts Club. That event, called From Pews to Prose, will also feature Mattie Jo Cowsert & B.K. O'Connor and is happening on Sunday March 8th.
Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post, at blakechastain.com to keep up with all my work. 25% of net proceeds from direct support are donated each year.

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Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about
54 min
January 30 Podcast Spotlight: Reign of Error with Sarah Posner
This week I’m happy to share with you the pilot episode of the new show, Reign of Error with Sarah Posner (Apple Podcasts link), produced by our friends over at Axis Mundi Media. Longtime listeners will know Sara Posner from her 2020 appearance in my series, Powers & Principalities, where she discussed her book Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind.
The state of play in the United States is in constant flux. This conversation between Sarah and Brad Onishi covers a lot of what happened in the fall and winter in places like Chicago, prior to all that is now unfolding as ICE attempts to occupy Minneapolis.

Sarah is a longtime observer and journalist and I’m glad that she is now producing a weekly show to provide context and commentary for what is happening in America. I hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about
51 min
January 30 Podcast Spotlight: Reign of Error with Sarah Posner
This week I’m happy to share with you the pilot episode of the new show, Reign of Error with Sarah Posner (Apple Podcasts link), produced by our friends over at Axis Mundi Media. Longtime listeners will know Sara Posner from her 2020 appearance in my series, Powers & Principalities, where she discussed her book Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind.
The state of play in the United States is in constant flux. This conversation between Sarah and Brad Onishi covers a lot of what happened in the fall and winter in places like Chicago, prior to all that is now unfolding as ICE attempts to occupy Minneapolis.

Sarah is a longtime observer and journalist and I’m glad that she is now producing a weekly show to provide context and commentary for what is happening in America. I hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about
51 min
January 23 The Good Books: After Purity with Sara Moslener
In the first interview of 2026, I talk to Sara Moslener about her latest book, After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America. (Buy the book from bookshop.org here & support the show)
Learn more about Sara's work at https://saramoslener.com/
Support this channel at https://www.blakechastain.com; 25% of net proceeds from direct support are donated.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:00 Sarah's Religious Upbringing
04:53 The Influence of Pro-Life Movement
07:16 College and Theater: A Path to Self-Discovery
16:25 Pursuing Academia and Feminist Theology
21:10 The Concept of Purity and Its Implications
26:24 Racial Dynamics in Purity Culture
35:50 Connecting Sexual Purity to Racial Identity
37:28 The Importance of Historical Context
38:17 Teaching Religion, Race, and Discrimination
39:53 How to Support the Show
41:18 The Process of Academic Research
45:09 Challenges and Ethics in Purity Culture Research
49:39 The Intersection of Academia and Therapy
54:44 Lightning Round: Author's Preferences and Insights
01:04:54 The Value of Education and Final Thoughts

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1 hr 9 min