Beste Aynrand podcaster (2024)

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120 THE DECHURCHING (the stunning story of why people have left church) 30:22

11M ago30:22

30:22

One of the biggest religious storylines of 2023 has been: the huge number of people leaving their faith communities. Because Christianity is the #1 by volume religion in America, the loss has been felt heaviest there. Why has this been happening? And how many have left? A new book shares the latest research, and the data may shock you (= clickbait)…

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119 THE FIRSTSTONE (news roundup: Bible quoting courtroom antics and living forever) 30:24

11M ago30:24

30:24

Beware, lest ye try to convict others in court, that ye have never sinned! We review some recent weird religious news with an eye toward non-obvious stories. From dreams of living forever to Taylor Swift promoting witchcraft: while away this thirty minutes with us. Lori Vallow statement, opens with “he who is without sin throw the first stone”: htt…

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118 THE COTTON (academic conference attire, Cotton Mather, and the Bible in America) 29:53

12M ago29:53

29:53

We prepare to engage in the yearly ritual of scholars in our field: the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), abbreviated AAR-SBL…or is it SBL-AAR? The order makes all the difference. Quality tips are shared to survive an academic conference of this type. Brian shares the tale of his firs…

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117 THE BOOKS (live episode! books that have changed our lives) 30:10

12M ago30:10

30:10

Gather ‘round for an episode recorded in front of a LIVE AUDIENCE in Portland, Oregon! We take a piece of listener (e)mail and answer the call: to talk about books that have been deeply impactful for our lives and research—books that anyone could read and learn a lot. From classics in the early history of sociology to ritual to women in the church …

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116 THE MH370 (this year's weirdest airplane-UFO conspiracy so far) 30:07

1y ago30:07

30:07

The aftermath of the July 2023 Congressional UFO hearing has been fascinating, infuriating, mysterious, and ominous. We get you caught up, and present a chilling conspiracy theory about what has become already one of the most famous airplane disappearances of the past several decades—Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in 2014. The Congressional UFO hear…

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115 THE SCARIES (movies we’re watching and NOT WATCHING this Halloween) 22:04

1y ago22:04

22:04

Let Halloween feelings shower over you as you listen to this, our Halloween episode. One of us loves the horror genre on TV and movies, and the other absolutely does not. One of us can barely handle even watching the trailer for one of these films. Children of the Corn (1984): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050/ The Satanic double scene in The Pa…

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114 THE AYNRAND (what is it like to grow up in an Objectivist household?) 30:23

1y ago30:23

30:23

What would it be like to grow up in a household guided by the principles of Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy? We talk to Things Not Seen radio host Dr. David Dault, of Loyola University Chicago, about being expoed to the ideology of Ayn Rand at a young age. If you’ve ever wanted to know about Rand’s “Objectivist” idea but were too afraid to ask, w…

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085 THE DEMONTIME (Kathryn Krick, your local exorcist in the park; guest Sam Kestenbaum) [April 2022] 34:15

1y ago34:15

34:15

As longtime Weirdo Listeners know, we don’t always have guests—but when we do, they win awards. Or they should. New York Times contributor Sam Kestenbaum won a 2023 Wilbur Award this past spring and now an AAR Journalism Award for a captivating article on Kathryn Krick—a Christian social media celebrity and charismatic preacher who frequents parks …

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038 THE TRUTH (Ancient Aliens, the History Channel, and all of the possibilities) [September 2019] 31:24

1y ago31:24

31:24

Rebroadcasting a popular season finale from several years ago. Aliens are the quintessential sci-fi topic. Leah admits she used to watch Alf. Brian watched Alf too! We all did. Was The History Channel ever really respectable? The true utopian technology prophets will tell us when everything has been illuminated at the same time. Is it possible that…

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113 THE X (why are the clothes on floor and Real Talk Kim) 26:58

1y ago26:58

26:58

To celebrate what appears to be a departure of people of some amount from “Twitter” (now “X”?!), we run to the new “Threads” app and find dueling weird religious stories to share: (1) Leah finds a joke that leads to rumination on “premillennial dispensationalism” (2) and Brian offers an engaging TikTok sermon by “Real Talk Kim.” Threads has lost 80…

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033 THE NOSTALGIA (Stranger Things, Cold War, child abductions) [AUGUST 2019] 33:37

1y ago33:37

33:37

Rebroadcasting because we are jonesing for a new season of Stranger Things. Monsters, the 1980s, neon clothes, loaded memories of teenage drama, and a time when malls ruled supreme over the lives of adolescents. We talk about the Cold War and the child abduction fear craze in the 1980s and wonder: Why are we looking back on this era with fondness, …

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PLEASANT SUMMER INTERLUDE (everything is permissible, a note on episode rhythm, and mustache musings) 8:55

1+ y ago8:55

8:55

HEY. Tune in for musings on the definition of a mustache, a profound application of 1 Corinthians 6:12, and a note on our episode rhythm during what’s left of July and on into August and September. In short: we’ve worked to create content this summer around travel and so on, and we’ll continue to be a little every-other-week-ish until maybe Septemb…

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112 THE GOLD (news roundup: miracle gold dust, huge UFOs, Aspen woo, Seven Mountains theology) 30:48

1+ y ago30:48

30:48

This week we’re reviewing recent religion news in order to: explore the location of falling gold dust of God’s presence…discuss the latest UFO surprises…get specific how about AI will kill us…be shocked that Silicon Valley is trying to build God and control humanity…and understand “Seven Mountains Theology.” Read these stories along with us, or lis…

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081 THE WILEYMAN (The Late Great Planet Earth and Vladimir Putin's spirituality) [March 2022] 29:58

1+ y ago29:58

29:58

This rebroadcast revisits an unfortunately still-timely topic. We begin with a throwback to the Cold War of the 1970s and quickly arrive at the current war instigated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What are the demographics of religion in Russia today? What is the relationship between Church and State in Russia? How does Ukraine function as “spir…

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111 THE PARENTS (what does sociology tell us about whether kids carry on with the faith of parents?) 30:35

1+ y ago30:35

30:35

What do we know, based on social scientific data, about what it takes for children to carry on with the faith of their parents? We dive into a new book by two noted authors on the topic. The results are strange, shocking, exciting, depressing, and intriguing. Worth thinking about as a bigger story of what religion has become for us in the 21st cent…

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110 THE ENNEAGRAM (we confront the personality mob and take a Bible character Enneagram test) 30:18

1+ y ago30:18

30:18

Has the rise of the personality test replaced traditional faith narratives as a way to explain our own lives? How does one pronounce the word “Enneagram”? We investigate. With a powerful excursus into the purpose of work meetings (= to control people). Origins and history of the Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3qLGpK3 Jackie Hill Perry warns Christians a…

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109 THE EXPERIENCERS (shocking developments in the UFO community) 33:22

1+ y ago33:22

33:22

We’re here this week to discuss potentially shocking revelations in the UFO “disclosure” community, and get you fully caught up on what has been said recently about aliens and such things. Brian went to a UFO festival and heard a specialist talk about “UFO Experiencers” for MUFON (yes, the same MUFON as referenced on the X Files!). Leah attended th…

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108 THE SÉANCE (News Roundup: bringing back the dead; Rainn Wilson is Bahai; Pope's exorcist) 30:21

1+ y ago30:21

30:21

The News Roundup is back: bringing back the dead, briefly; robbing a piece of hair from your fav celeb to have a baby with them; Elizabeth Holmes is finally in jail; Silicon Valley woo; and the Pope’s exorcist. A brief interaction with your deceased loved one: https://futurism.com/ai-seance Tag-on story: Having a designer baby with a celebrity??!! …

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034 THE CONGREGATION (Ultra Star Wars Fandom and Authorial Intent) [August 2019] 31:58

1+ y ago31:58

31:58

We’re rebroadcasting an early episode this week—to us, a classic, and perhaps as good as new to newer listeners. What happens when a movie series becomes not just your favorite or your religion, but literally forms the basis for all of your thinking and imagination and everything for your entire life? Such is the power of the Star Wars franchise. W…

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107 THE LANADELREY (an annotated commentary on the track "Judah Smith Interlude") 30:33

1+ y ago30:33

30:33

We give in-the-moment commentary on a surprising spoken word track on Lana del Rey’s new album. The material is delivered by the famous and hip Churchome pastor Judah Smith. With Lana del Rey cooing in the background. Some deep moments, some weird moments. Roomful of Teeth, “Pasacaglia”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LlE41gvNcw&list=PLEwLYWjsY88…

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106 THE HIGHLIGHTER (on reading and erasing the Bible) 30:19

1+ y ago30:19

30:19

It’s the end of the semester, which means it’s time for a chance hallway encounter that leads to a strange memory and then to reflections on the theological meaning of the proliferation of the codex (i.e., our modern physical book form). Matchbox Twenty, “Downfall” (2002): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aQWA_fAu8M Walmart, “Bible Highlighters and…

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105 THE PAPERCLIPALYPSE (pre-existent AI spirituality and doom scenarios) 29:52

1+ y ago29:52

29:52

The paperclipsalypse has arrived, as AI comes to destroy or save the world. Was AI there all along and we just now “discovered” its weird and eternal life? The “paperclip maximizer” thought experiment: https://nickbostrom.com/ethics/ai Eliezar Yudkowsky in TIME magazine, “Shut it Down”: https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-…

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057 THE QISAPPOINTMENT (failed QAnon prophecies, prediction disappointment) [January 2021] 27:41

1+ y ago27:41

27:41

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News. To solemnly mark the end of this reporting dynasty, we rebroadcast one of our TOP 10 most popular Weird Religion episodes of all time: The 2020 election and inauguration came and went, leaving the predictions of the QAnon prophets…hanging in the air. What happens to a religious movement when its key prophecies fai…

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104 THE CALLMEMAYBE (Third Eagle of the Apocalypse rises with Carly Rae Jepson analysis) 28:53

1+ y ago28:53

28:53

Leah and Brian try the no-dunking challenge to talk about some weirdly religious videos by William Tapley, AKA “The Third Eagle of the Apocalypse.” First up: The Eagle uncovers Satanic messages in Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” Then, other things are REVEALED. William Tapley, AKA “The Third Eagle of the Apocalypse” in YouTube: https://www.yout…

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032 THE CREATOR (Elizabeth Holmes gender smackdown) [August 2019] 31:55

1+ y ago31:55

31:55

A rebroadcast of one of the top five most popular Weird Religion episodes of all time: on the embattled former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and her attempt to create—or rather, fake having created—a futuristic blood-testing system. We end up having a gender smackdown conversation about women-on-women violence in the workplace, discussing ancient f…

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103 THE INDIANA (...Jones, that is!!) 29:53

1+ y ago29:53

29:53

You’re flipping through the channels. On your old cable TV. You see Raiders of the Lost Ark or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade playing on a random channel. It’s in the middle of the movie. Do you select and watch? You do and you know it. Here we invoke a major debate over Dr. Elsa Schneider’s motives in the climactic grail-choosing scene, and da…

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102 THE CONSULTANT (does Jesus look at you with compassion...or anger!) 30:30

1+ y ago30:30

30:30

When you put religion on TV, you have to get religion consultants. Why even bother being accurate? Does Jesus look at someone to be healed with compassion—or anger? We end with a conversation about the term “minoritized” (vs. “minority”). Review of Brian’s appearance on a Travel Channel show debunking a Phoenician inscription: https://www.jasoncola…

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101 THE DECAPITATED (the Wind tells me I'm a ghost; Tucker says Trump is “demonic”) 28:58

1+ y ago28:58

28:58

This is possibly the weirdest religious moment of the year so far: Buried within a legal brief about an election fraud scandal are the contents of an email someone sent to Sidney Powell, one of Trump’s lawyers, in 2020. The email makes claims about how someone might receive information about a stolen election. Those claims are surprising. The Domin…

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100 THE NATIONALISTS (Deuteronomy ch. 32, Moses sings, and Republicans want a Christian nation) 31:02

1+ y ago31:02

31:02

Moses sings a song that takes us…deep into the problem of Christian nationalism. Come for the most secretly controversial passage in the Bible; stay for Leah trying to be a therapist for Brian on the problem of hating Christian nationalism but fearing that we need it for social cohesion. And a scholarly theory on the evolution from polytheism to mo…

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099 THE DOMINION (a new Christian dating site, and the Gospel Coalition sex article scandal) 30:03

1+ y ago30:03

30:03

Here witness the thematic collision between a dustup over a now-deleted Gospel Coalition article about sex and a new Christian dating site for men and women who want to be in what they think are biblically-traditional relationships. The Gospel Coalition’s apology for the article / book excerpt, “Sex Won’t Save You–But it Points to the One Who Will”…

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098 THE BREAKFAST (Brian scores an exclusive and mysterious invitation) 29:40

1+ y ago29:40

29:40

Despite not being known fundamentalist or evangelical influencer royalty, Brian scored an invitation to the 2023 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. We discuss the sights, sounds, beliefs, dress code, costs, content, scandal, and music of the event. Was Brian inducted into The Family? We reveal. Axios article on the new Prayer Breakfast fo…

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097 THE REVIVAL (examining debate about the "revival" at Asbury University) 29:49

1+ y ago29:49

29:49

In February of 2023 students at Asbury University—a Christian college in Kentucky—started a revival, which has gone on for weeks (the “public” phase of the revival ended around Feb. 19th). Professional revival seekers flocked in to participate. We explain what a “revival” is and talk about how observers are thinking about the pros and cons of spiri…

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096 THE SUPERBOWL (wealthy people selling Jesus to Americans during a football game) 30:11

1+ y ago30:11

30:11

An epic thematic bombardment: Living again with Scientology, the fall of man and the curse reversed by avocados, the Black National Anthem, erasing your mistakes on the new Google phone, and Rihanna Live again…with Scientology: https://www.scientology.tv/you-can-live-again/?utm_content=LiveAgain&utm_source=redirect Adam and Eve and the avocado reve…

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095 THE NEPHILIM (who are they, and why did they create the Federal Reserve?) 27:50

2y ago27:50

27:50

Who are “the Nephilim,” you ask, and why did they create the Federal Reserve? We are so glad you asked and we’re going to tell you—by way of reviewing a most ambiguous Bible story and tracing some of the surprising ways this story is being received today. Genesis 6:1–4 (NRSVue): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+6%3A1-4&version=N…

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094 THE GIANT (conspiracies about long-dead giants on YouTube) 29:08

2y ago29:08

29:08

We take a dive into a strange corner of YouTube, featuring videos purporting to show hitherto unknown or under-appreciated evidence that giant humans lived in the past and their bones have been hidden or covered up by the Smithsonian. Pew Research on YouTube: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/ He…

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093 THE MIDTERMS (on voting as a religious act and who loves Israel most) 28:30

2y ago28:30

28:30

Does voting count as a religious act—especially if you go behind a curtain to do it? We discuss a candidate’s wife recently declaring that she and her husband “love Israel more than a lot of Jews do,” and the authoritative, beguiling voice of the possibly-once-Buddhist Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Civil Religion: http://www.robertbell…

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092 THE SKULLS (creepy but maybe comforting neolithic plastered skulls from Jericho) 27:31

2y ago27:31

27:31

Veering wildly between reflections on death and bodies in the contemporary world, jokes about professional wrestling, ambulances passing by, rumination on how ancient people thought about burial and the afterlife, and with a major and free idea for others for a publication (hint: where do people who attend megachurches get buried?)—this is what you…

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PROGRAMMING NOTE (summer break) 3:25

2y ago3:25

3:25

Happy summer to everyone! We’ll be back in the fall of 2022 regularly, and possibly with a one-off here or there before then. Stay cool weirdos. https://www.weirdreligion.com/ https://www.instagram.com/weirdreligionpodcast/ https://twitter.com/weirdreligion https://facebook.com/weirdreligion If you’d be so kind as to leave us a review on Apple podc…

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091 THE MARDEVIL (reviving a soap opera’s weirdly religious moment) 35:22

2+ y ago35:22

35:22

In late 2021, the soap opera Days of Our Lives revived its most iconic and beloved and controversial storyline: the possession of Marlena, aka the Mardevil. We review, with memories of childhood summers, wild Days plotlines, a debate in the comment section, and a sociological theory of possession. Highlights from the 1994–1995 Mardevil plot: https:…

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090 THE PROFESSOR (the sage, the mentor, the crush, the villain) 32:58

2+ y ago32:58

32:58

When you need a compelling authority figure character on TV or movie screen, you get a priest—or a professor. We reveal four of our favorite professors on screen, and chat with a special guest whose scholarly speciality is analyzing the way professors are depicted in movies. Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR…

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089 THE MITHRADITES (news roundup: weird Army video; Mithradites of Fond du Lac; AI goes sentient) 30:00

2+ y ago30:00

30:00

It’s time for a news round up: Come to hear about AI coming to life, as a child; stay to hear about the Army’s new recruitment video with ghost and witch vibes. Stay longer for the Mithradites of Fond du Lac, Disney religion, and the apocalypse happening on TV on the dystopian show “Masked Singer.” Google engineer thinks AI came to life: https://tw…

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088 THE NRSVUE (we review a new Bible translation to fight about) 30:12

2+ y ago30:12

30:12

Few things can rile the Christian faithful like a new Bible translation (see, e.g., John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, etc.). The scholarly and ecumenical translation of choice, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), got a haircut of sorts; it’s called the NRSVue (ue = “updated edition”). We give a review. Resources mentioned in this episode: NRSVue i…

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087 THE HOARD (News Roundup--Brian offers a stunning confession) 46:52

2+ y ago46:52

46:52

Brian has a confession that will shock the world of the News Roundup. Leah offers absolution. Give us a shout on Twitter if you finished this ep and we will celebrate you. STORIES DISCUSSED (yes actually) Mythical root axe: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098545920/kansas-man-finds-ax-tree-root-handle-reddit-thor Far Right American Christians conve…

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086 THE AIGOD (bringing an imaginary friend to life through AI, and playing God) 30:05

2+ y ago30:05

30:05

This week, we tell the strange tale, via Twitter thread, of a man who brings his childhood imaginary friend back to life…through AI. The friend happens to be a microwave, who is also a WWI veteran. What could go wrong? (So many things.) Lucas Rizzotto’s Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/_LucasRizzotto/status/1516205625662836739 The video version:…

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085 THE DEMONTIME (Kathryn Krick, your local TikTok exorcist in the park; guest Sam Kestenbaum) 34:15

2+ y ago34:15

34:15

A news desk special report! We’re talking about Kathryn Krick, a Christian social media celebrity and charismatic preacher who frequents parks in the Los Angeles area to perform healings and exorcisms. We’re joined by award-winning religion journalist and New York Times contributor Sam Kestenbaum—read his new article on Kathryn Krick called “Demont…

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084 THE BSG (Battlestar Galactica and the politics of polytheism) 45:12

2+ y ago45:12

45:12

With Brian having finally finished BSG, it is now time for Leah to guide him through thinking about its meaning and weird religious implications. Along the way, we’re offering a sampler of highlights from the world of religion and pop culture scholarship engaging with the show. We consider the gritty political context of the BSG universe and the sh…

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083 THE SLAP (Denzel advises Will; QAnon growing; world’s most boring person; animal heads) 29:57

2+ y ago29:57

29:57

A recent weird religion news roundup: unfortunately, an ancient killing stone has been cracked open; the Devil has attacked at our highest moments; animal heads in a bag; and the world’s most boring person is revealed at last—and it is all of us. Denzel’s Pentecostal Words to Will: https://www.today.com/popculture/awards/will-smith-appears-wipe-tea…

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082 THE WARGOD (a hair-raising biblical story of war, prompted by Wonder Woman) 29:45

2+ y ago29:45

29:45

Who whispers seductive dreams of warfare into the ears of kings? Ares? A lying spirit? A gang of 400 prophets? Gather ‘round for a reading of an odd biblical tale. SOURCES: Movie clip: https://youtu.be/K8A9UAqA4Ks Politico interview with Fiona Hill: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340 Pascal on how…

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081 THE WILEYMAN (Late Great Planet Earth, Russian religions, Vladimir Putin's spiritual space) 30:02

2+ y ago30:02

30:02

We begin with a throwback to the Cold War of the 1970s and quickly arrive at the war today instigated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What are the demographics of religion in Russia today? What is the relationship between Church and State in Russia? How does Ukraine function as “spiritual space” in the Russian imagination? Is this a “religious war…

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080 THE VOID (News Roundup: God is dope and heckling the pope) 30:10

2+ y ago30:10

30:10

In our first news roundup of 2022, we’re brimming with stories for the weird religious headlines trading game: Marxist hoodies, God being dope on the hoodie, side comments on the Super Bowl halftime show, we’ll get there inshallah, someone is ready to sell your prayers, a somewhat confusing ad about Jesus. And and and. Join us. Is God dope though? …

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