Sacred Tension

Find the full transcript of this mini episode here.

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In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to my longtime friend Kodiak about his journey into Odin worship. Along the way, we talk about the significance of ritual, blood sacrifice, and the rise of white nationalism in some pagan circles.

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Other Rock Candy Shows: Bible Bash, Eleventylife. 

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In this episode of Sacred Tension I sit down with author and logic professor Ben Burgis to discuss his latest book, Give Them an Argument, and what figures on the right like Peterson, Harris, and Shapiro get wrong.

Other Rock Candy Shows: Bible Bash, Eleventylife. 

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In this episode of Sacred Tension, Jack Matirko joins me to talk atheism, nontheistic religion, and Satanism.  We discuss the rise of the Satanic Temple, what his own personal Satanism looks like, why religion does not mean supernaturalism, and much more. 

Jack Matirko is a Satanist, activist, and creative professional in Arizona. As a member of The Satanic Temple, he tries to champion ideals of rational inquiry, personal sovereignty, separation of church and state, and individual freedom. Since 2012 he has co-hosted and produced podcasts including Left Hemispheres and his current show, Naked Diner. He is also the author of the Patheos Satanic blog For Infernal Use Only.

Other Rock Candy Shows: Eleventylife, Bible Bash

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You can also read my articles, comment on this show, or send me hate mail at stephenbradfordlong.com 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

Chris Kratzer wants you to know that conservative evangelicalism is destroying the world. In this episode of Sacred Tension, he tells us why.

Chris Kratzer is a husband, father, pastor, author, and speaker. Captured by the pure Gospel of God’s Grace, his focus is communicating the message of wholeness, equality, affirmation, and the beauty of Jesus particularly as it relates to life, culture, and church.

As a pastor of 22 years, he enjoys being a husband, father of four children, writer, and spiritual encourager. Find his work here.

I'd love to here back from you! Go to stephenbradfordlong.com to read my dozens of articles and give feedback on this episode. 

Other Rock Candy Podcasts: Eleventylife

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The excellent film Hail, Satan? released to select theaters over the weekend (Easter weekend, no less) and to celebrate I had director Penny Lane  come onto Sacred Tension to talk atheism, religion, and Satanism.

Hail, Satan?is a marvel of a film: funny, provocative, beautifully shot, and unexpectedly moving. It chronicles the rise of The Satanic Temple (of which I am a member) and it was everything I hoped it would be. In this episode, Penny Lane talks about what led to her interest it the Satanic Temple and how the process of making the film challenged her atheist preconceptions about religion. 

Other Rock Candy Podcasts: Eleventylife

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to Corey Pigg, producer and host of the excellent Failed Missionary podcast. We discuss our post-Christian journeys, Buddhist spirituality, and his harrowing experience as a missionary in Youth With a Mission.

Other Rock Candy Podcasts: Eleventylife

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stephenbradfordlong.com 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension I talk to multi-faith activist Tahil Sharma about white supremacy, violence, and overcoming oppression. 

Tahil Sharma is a Southern California native born to a Hindu and Sikh Indian family. He is a nationally recognized leader promoting religious and secular pluralism, human rights, social justice. Tahil works as the Faith Outreach Manager for Brave New Films, an organization that champions social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation. Tahil also serves as an Interfaith Minister in Residence for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the LA Coordinator for Sadhana: A Coalition of Progressive Hindus, and as a Religious Director for the Office of Religious Life at the University of Southern California.

Other Rock Candy shows:

Eleventylife

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J Mase III is a Black/trans/queer poet & educator based in Seattle, by way of Philly. He is the author of “If I Should Die Under the Knife, Tell my Kidney I was the Fiercest Poet Around”, as well as “And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment, and Inappropriate Jokes about Death”. 

As an educator, J Mase has worked with thousands of community members in the US, the UK, and Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA youth and adults in spaces such as K-12 schools, universities, faith communities, and restricted care facilities among others. 

He is the founder of awQward, the first ever trans and queer people of color specific talent agency. Currently, he is co-editing The #BlackTransPrayerBook with awQward artist Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi. 

As a performer, he has shared stages with world renowned artists like Chuck D and the Indigo Girls. His work and musings have been featured on MSNBC, NBC OUT, Essence Live, Atlanta Black Star, GO Magazine, Believe Out Loud, Everyday Feminism, Black Girl Dangerous, Upworthy, the New York Times, Buzzfeed, the Root, the Huffington Post and more.  

Find J Mase III here. Support the Black Trans Prayer Book here. 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I talk to Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, PhD about the process of dismantling toxic power within our culture. We talk about my gradual journey of understanding what, exactly, racism and sexism are, and the process of overcoming them. Robyn ultimately advocates for radical courage and imagination, and I found this conversation deeply moving.

Knowing intimately that the borderlands are a place of learning and growth, Dr. Robyn draws on their identity and heritage as a queer Latinx in everything that they do. From doubt to divine and everywhere in between, their call as an activist-theologian demands the vision to disrupt hegemony and colonialist structures of multi-layered oppression.

As an anti-oppression, anti-racist, non-binary Trans*gressive Latinx, Robyn takes seriously their call as an activist theologian and ethicist to bridge together theories and practices that result in communities responding to pressing social concerns. Robyn sees this work as a life-orienting vocation, deeply committed to translating theory to practice, and embedded in re-imagining our moral horizon to one which privileges a politics of radical difference.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredtension.substack.com/subscribe