What are evangelical men taught about gender and their place in the world? Dr. Bradley Onishi, a scholar of religion and host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, joins us to discuss why evangelical men valorize aggressive masculinity. We also explore what evangelical men are taught about their sexual desires, how evangelical conceptions of masculinity contribute to cultures of violence, and what evangelical ideas about masculinity have to do with America’s current political climate.

For more, check out Dr. Bradley Onishi’s Revealer article “God is Ultimate Masculinity: Evangelical Visions of Manhood in the Wake of the Atlanta Massacre” at https://therevealer.org/god-is-ultimate-masculinity-evangelical-visions-of-manhood-in-the-wake-of-the-atlanta-massacre/

As travel reopens throughout the world, we are taking a look at the popularity of “Holocaust tourism.” Dr. Daniel Reynolds, author of Postcards from Auschwitz: Holocaust Tourism and the Meaning of Remembrance, joins us to discuss why millions of people travel to Nazi concentration camps and other sites of Holocaust memorialization each year, what messages Holocaust memorial sites typically promote, and how Holocaust memorial sites try to address present-day issues of antisemitism, nativism, and racism.

June 2021 marks forty years since the first identified cases of what came to be known as HIV/AIDS. In this episode we chat with Dr. Lynne Gerber about a predominantly gay church in San Francisco and how it responded to the AIDS epidemic. We discuss how that church and its minister helped a gay community devastated by sickness, death and constant funerals, and why knowing this history about the AIDS epidemic matters today.

What are faith-based prisons and why are they legal in the United States? Dr. Brad Stoddard, author of Spiritual Entrepreneurs: Florida’s Faith-Based Prisons and the American Carceral State, joins us to discuss why several states operate “faith and character-based correctional facilities.” We explore who goes to these prisons, how faith-based prisons theoretically promote religious pluralism, and how these institutions promote conservative Christian teachings—especially about gender and sexuality.

This episode explores the surging popularity of Prosperity Gospel Pentecostalism among Latino Americans. Dr. Tony Tian-Ren Lin, author Prosperity Gospel Latinos and Their American Dream, joins us to explain what the Prosperity Gospel entails and why it has been so appealing to Latino Americans, especially to new immigrants. We discuss how the Prosperity Gospel gives people a feeling of control over their lives, particularly in the face of profound structural inequalities. And we explore how Prosperity Gospel Pentecostalism impacts faithful Latino Americans’ political involvement.

This episode explores issues of gender and sexuality in Mormon communities. Dr. Taylor Petrey, author of Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism, joins us to discuss the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ current positions on gender and the place of LGBTQ Mormons. We explore tensions within Mormon communities around these issues, how Mormon leaders tried to teach children how to become gender normative heterosexuals, and Mormon ideas about womanly perfection as depicted in the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

In our first episode of 2021, journalist Olga Segura, author of Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church, joins us to discuss the place of religion in the Black Lives Matter movement. We explore why Church leaders need to partner with Black Lives Matter, how the Catholic Church upholds white supremacy, and how Black Lives Matter is a model for Catholic social justice endeavors.

In our last episode of 2020, we examine the role of crafting within American Judaism. Dr. Jodi Eichler-Levine, author of Painted Pomegranates and Needlepoint Rabbis: How Jews Craft Resilience and Create Community, joins us to discuss why focusing on crafting can give us a fuller understanding of American Judaism, how thinking about crafting can transform stereotypes about Jewish women, and the connections between crafting, Jewish identity, and social justice activism.

This episode features conversations with four people from four different religious traditions. Each is also an expert in religion. They discuss why they are voting for Biden and Harris, how their expertise guides what they would say to others who are wavering on their vote, and what they hope for the country if Biden and Harris win the 2020 election.

Investigative journalist Katherine Stewart, author of the acclaimed book The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, joins us to discuss what Christian nationalists want if Trump stays in office, why many of them are comfortable with the erosion of democracy, and what people can do who oppose Christian nationalism and want a greater separation of church and state.