Straight White American Jesus

Constitutional Originalism is the idea that one should read the Constitution, not interpret it. It endeavors to implement the "original" intent of the Founders. The goal is to limit renovation and innovation in order to stick with the "fundamentals" of the United States. Sound familiar? It should. The origins of this strategy are found in biblical inerrancy--the idea that the Bible should be read, not interpreted. That it is the errorless Word of God. That it is 100% accurate in terms of history, archaeology, and everything else.

What if I told you that both of these movements have their foundation in White Supremacy and the Lost Cause?

Austin Steelman, PhD candidate at Stanford University, unpacks the story.

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Brad and Dan begin by discussing Trump and why exploring the ongoing revelations of the January 6th is more than just archival mining.

The second major topic is the reclaiming of abortion as a religious right. Brad draws upon the United Church of Christ fight for queer marriage where religious leaders stated that a ban on queer marriage violated the religious liberty and leaders of their church. In this Brad and Dan ask what it means to frame abortion as a religious freedom - a narrative that Evangelicals have used for far too long.

They finish by discussing the raising of the debit limit, Mitch McConnell, COVID-19 variants and reasons for hope. 

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Brad discusses the strange contradiction at the heart of purity culture's vision of masculinity: You are a sexual savage that has a near uncontrollable libido and that is just how God made you. And you, the uncontrollable animal, should be the leader of church, family, and society. This, among other things, is a form of rape culture. It's also an infantilizing view of masculinity and sexuality that hurts men . . . and women.

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Brad speaks to his co-host Dan Miller about Miller's new book, Queer Democracy: Desire, Dysphoria, and the Body Politic. Dan explains why the metaphor of the social body is helpful for understanding Christian nationalism as a visceral reaction to the expansion freedoms and rights to marginalized groups within the American body politic. In essence, Miller explains, Christian nationalism holds a myopic vision of what the American body should look like. When it morphs not only to include, but to foreground those who are not straight, White, native born, and/or Christian, it feels to the Christian nationalist as if something is wrong, even if they don't have good arguments to explain why.

Miller finishes the conversation by arguing for the promise and potential of a queer democracy.

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Dan and special guest Blake begin by discussing the Babylon Bee, and the anti-censorship bill in Florida. They explore how misinformation is disseminated disguised as free speech.

The second major topic is the planned "Justice for J6" rally planned at the Capitol on September 18. This is, in their view, a ritual enactment of the myth of the Big Lie--a return to the site of violence to commemorate battle heroes and martyrs - the creation of myth in real time. 

They finish by discussing moral responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicki Minaj, the recasting of white evangelicalism, and christian identity as political conservatism. Dan leads by asking what will the effect of 2016 be on American Evangelicals?

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Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

On this first installment of Mild at Heart, Brad shares some of his experience with purity culture. He focuses on how it taught him to hate his mind for the way it led him into continual sexual sin, and to hate his body for the way it stood in the way of his walk with God.

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Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163

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"In the 1980s and early 1990s, psychologists, law enforcement officials, nationally syndicated talk show hosts, and at least one sitting U.S. senator believed Satanists were corrupting our nation’s youth through predatory childcare centers, encrypted rock music, and tabletop gaming systems that could serve as literal gateways to hell." -Megan Goodwin, PhD

Brad welcomes Dr. Megan Goodwin back to the show to talk about the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Dr. Goodwin explains how individual reports of abuse at the hands of supposed Satanists led to a national movement to root out the hidden cabals of demonic forces in American society. The problem? They didn't exist. But that didn't stop the FBI from spending millions to investigate, local law enforcement from arresting dozens of innocent people, and talk show hosts and politicians discussing the phenomenon on television and on the Senate floor.

For Goodwin the Satanic Panic is a direct precursor to QAnon. Both movements conjure a sexual abuse ring as their enemy while overlooking the sources and perpetrators of abuse at work in the fabric of everyday American life. They are scapegoat movements created to distract from the startling truth that the abuse in most cases is coming from within trusted sources of the community, rather than from demonic outside forces.

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Brad and Dan begin by discussing Biden's sweeping new vaccine mandates and measures. They explore the right-wing response to the measures in comparison with right-wing responses to the Patriot Act and other policies in the wake of 9/11.

They then dissect Ben Shapiro's statements about vaccines and COVID using the standard of a freshman logic course.

The second major topic is the planned "Justice for J6" rally planned at the Capitol on September 18. This is, in their view, a ritual enactment of the myth of the Big Lie--a return to the site of violence to commemorate battle heroes and martyrs.

They finish by discussing the alliance among the Proud Boys, the Anti-Vaxx crowd, and Christian nationalists like Tony Perkins and Charlie Kirk formed in opposition to public schools. Why are Christian nationalists always on the same side as the White Supremacists?

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163

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Brad refutes the idea that mandating vaccines is un-American and anti-Christian.

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163

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Brad speak with Ryan Stollar, expert on child protection and a Christian homeschooling survivor. Ryan shares his research on the evangelical and ex-evangelical components of Britney's story--from her childhood in church, to her experiences in purity culture, to the powerful evangelical business manager who convinced her dad to put Britney under conservatorship.

It is a story of sexualizing young women, toxic sexual standards, overwhelming patriarchy, and a shocking loophole in our legal system. Stollar makes a compelling case that #FreeBritney is an exvangelical cause, and that Spears's conservatorship represents the culmination of many evangelical beliefs and practices concerning wayward, apostate children

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, access to the entire 500-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC

Order Brad's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-War-Extremist-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1506482163

SWAJ Apparel is here! https://straight-white-american-jesus.creator-spring.com/listing/not-today-uncle-ron

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