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Weird Religion
Reviews
Psych Podcast Nut
5 out of 5 stars
Finally, I feel seen!
Thanks for this fun pod! I resonate with so many stories and perspectives shared here. Thanks for your thoughtful takes. I appreciate the conversation and the walk down my Pentecostal memory lane!
Mamanp
5 out of 5 stars
You had me at Christian hair metal
I listened to Leah Payne discuss Tammy Faye on the Quick to Listen Podcast. I shared that podcast with my daughter and son-in-law ( both George Fox Alum) who in turned shared this pod cast with me. These are my people. From Cobra Kai, Popeye and Christian Hair Metal to authenticity of ancient writings, I feel understood. Many thanks!
cycles user 17
5 out of 5 stars
Intelligent Conversation
Just stumbled across this podcast after hearing Leah interviewed on Christianity Today’s podcast. Love the intelligent conversation from two deeply thinking Christians who bring their thoughtfulness to current and mundane cultural happenings.
Lofi Digital Monk
5 out of 5 stars
Starting New Season and hoping for more.
A great podcast with two hosts deftly weaving pop culture and religious cultural topics. I love me some off that 666 chat. 🤘
Dr. JC
5 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining
Love this podcast even when I haven’t watched some of the shows they discuss. Just a fun listen!
MrsMadMaddy
1 out of 5 stars
Not for me.
This is done by by ppl who like to take a mocking tone to look at others under the guise of “see what these idiots believe, so quaint.” Their superiority complex and belief that they are right and we the uneducated need their knowledge is too much for my dumb brain to take. I’m an atheist so they did not in any way offend my beliefs . Their self-satisfaction is just too much, the smugness alone is why ppl can’t just have civil discussions and disagree, you talk down to ppl who don’t agree with you. Was really excited for this because I love to learn, but this is just rude. I just find your attitudes so off putting, I can’t listen.
devanjoy
5 out of 5 stars
Best religion and pop culture podcast!
The only thing I don’t like about this podcast is that there isn’t an episode every day! The hosts are really fun and knowledgeable and every episode is a delight. 10 stars!
Gratitudephoto.com
5 out of 5 stars
Simultaneously thought provoking and downright hilarious!
Weird Religion is downright interesting! It is somehow deep and causes me to the laugh out loud at the same time. 🧐🤯🤣.
joelperez2002
5 out of 5 stars
Fun but not a waste of time
My favorite podcasts involve two knowledgeable people chatting about subjects I care about in a way that makes me feel a part of the conversation. The timing couldn't be better for a show that discusses things that matter without feeling heavy and difficult.
pjhampton
4 out of 5 stars
Natural Conversationalists
Hosts Leah and Brian have an easy, natural conversation style as they navigate the crossroads of pop culture and religion. Entertaining, thoughtful, fun!
Guthfana
5 out of 5 stars
Weird Religion, Good Podcast
Lots of podcasts are running pop culture commentary, but I haven't heard anything that brings this level of expertise in ancient religions and religious innovation (!) to the table. Plus it's full of jokes. Good jokes, too. And some bad ones. But you know, good ones. I started with the CULT and AFTERLIFE episodes, which are both fantastic. So get your smarts. Get your giggles. Get some Weird Religion in your ears/brain!
auroravb
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast!
This is currently my favorite podcast! It’s got it all—humor, pop culture, politics, and religion! I recommend it, even if you don’t consider yourself religious. It covers a lot of the weird things that happen in religion and is super refreshing and engaging. The hosts know what they are talking about but make it easy for anyone to understand. I’ve recommended it to several of my friends and they all love it (Christians and non-Christians alike). I can’t wait to get more content!
KendraMagee
5 out of 5 stars
Hooked on Weird Religion
I am not usually a podcast listener because I have a short commute to work, but I have to say that I am hooked on Weird Religion! The conversation is engaging from the moment you hear Leah and Brian’s voice. They seamlessly play off of each other in fun and quirky way, that actually isn’t weird, like the title suggests but fun and smart. This is the perfect mashup for TV lovers who also love biblical theology.
jtnoble
5 out of 5 stars
entertaining and substantive
1) Know what they're talking about; 2) entertaining and fun to listen to; 3) have time to make a podcast. Out of the world of academia, you're lucky to find podcasters who could deliver two of these; Brian and Leah seem to manage all three. The first season makes for fun listening that is guilt-free because of its substance. Hoping for a season two.
paintedwithlove
5 out of 5 stars
Really Great Podcast!
I'm not a major podcast listener, but gosh this is so cool--funny, smart, and engaging in all of the right ways. Love it so much. Give us season two!!!!
6617dkc
5 out of 5 stars
Exactly what I've been looking for!
I love watching TV shows -- Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone -- the list goes on and on. The best part about these amazing shows are the questions that they force their viewers to consider, like "Should morals be dependent on a situation? (i.e. a zombie apocalypse)", "Are people actually bad, or are they just victims of circumstance?", or "What does it really mean to be living/dead?" Problem is, I'm not smart enough (nor do I have the time) to really dig into these questions by myself -- that's where The Weird Religion Podcast absolutely rocks it. The hosts are experts in their academic fields, and provide the perfect combination of really deep, intellectual discussion and light-hearted silliness. They love these shows as much as I do, and that makes it all the more enjoyable to listen them get passionate about the same episode moments. Check this out and become a Weirdo too!
pjchurch
5 out of 5 stars
So fun!!!
Why is it that religion is the thing you aren’t allowed to talk about at a dinner party? There’s nothing more interesting! Plus, it’s inescapable even in modern culture - which is what I love about this podcast - two actually real life super smart people talking about the intersection religion and pop culture (among other things) in a super approachable way... I want to enter the conversation every time I listen... Great work Brian and Leah! I haven’t found anything else like this out there, except for maybe the liturgist podcast or the bad christian podcast, but both of those fail to do what you guys have captured here. Super fun :)
WeareParty
5 out of 5 stars
Interesting takes from experts
Great commentary from two people who actually know what they’re talking about. If you want to learn about religion and be entertained, listen to these two.
jlrichards
5 out of 5 stars
I love it!!
The topics of these episodes are current, compelling, and engaging. Disclaimer: I did some research for the hosts on the episodes. But I love it! Sue me.
Podcast information
- Amount of episodes
- 100
- Subscribers
- 49
- Verified
- No
- Website
- Explicit content
- No
- Episode type
- episodic
- Podcast link
- https://podvine.com/link/..
- Last upload date
- March 29, 2023
- Last fetch date
- March 29, 2023 2:59 PM
- Upload range
- MONTHLY
- Author
- Brian Doak and Leah Payne
- Copyright
- 102 THE CONSULTANT (does Jesus look at you with compassion...or anger!)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.jasoncolavito.com/blog/review-of-america-unearthed-s04e05-phoenicians-in-america “Horror Shows Like Mayfair Witches Hire Occult Consultant”: https://religionnews.com/2023/03/07/horror-shows-like-mayfair-witches-hire-occult-consultants-to-cast-their-spells/ Supernatural S2E18: https://www.netflix.com/watch/70223069 The Chosen : “Jesus Heals at the Pool” (clip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMj1ggINLe4 Jesus’s anger problem in Mark 1:41 (for the opposite argument re: what Brian said): http://bit.ly/3TxyKJE lectio difficilior : https://www.livius.org/articles/theory/lectio-difficilior-potior/ Jesus the Exorcist: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Exorcist-Contribution-Study-Historical/dp/1610970608 “Sister Alice” and Aimee Semple McPherson on HBO’s Perry Mason : https://slate.com/culture/2020/06/perry-mason-sister-alice-aimee-semple-mcpherson.html On the language of “minoritized” vs. “minority”: https://www.jstor.org/stable/268942280 comments0
- 101 THE DECAPITATED (the Wind tells me I'm a ghost; Tucker says Trump is “demonic”)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 Dominion Voting Systems vs. Fox News defamation suit: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/22/1150647042/dominion-voting-systems-1-6-billion-defamation-suit-against-fox-news-goes-to-tri Who is Sidney Powell? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Powell What evidence is now coming out about where Sidney Powell got some of her information: https://www.businessinsider.com/sidney-powell-voter-fraud-claims-headless-time-travel-dominion-fox-2023-2 and https://www.salon.com/2023/02/17/trumpworld-conspiracy-theory-stemmed-from-email-by-internally-decapitated-ghost-filing/ Documents for Dominion Case vs. Fox News (see pp. 37-38 on the email about time travel): https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/redacted-documents-in-dominion-fox-news-case/dca5e3880422426f/full.pdf 056 THE BUFFALO (Jake Angeli, QAnon, apocalypse, epiphany, and the iconography of insurrection): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/056-the-buffalo-jake-angeli-qanon-apocalypse-epiphany/id1428037534?i=1000504839007 Sidney Powell’s website appearance request form: https://www.sidneypowell.com/speaker-invite-form0 comments0
- Weird Religion Mar 15 · 31m 100 THE NATIONALISTS (Deuteronomy ch. 32, Moses sings, and Republicans want a Christian nation)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 monotheism in ancient Israel. Deuteronomy ch. 32: sons of Israel, or sons of GODS?! https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2032&version=NIV The new survey, showing 50% of Republicans like Christian Nationalism: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156642544/more-than-half-of-republicans-support-christian-nationalism-according-to-a-new-s The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover (book): https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691175119/the-gospel-of-j-edgar-hoover Kristen Kobes du Mez: https://kristindumez.com/ A past episode, 018 THE WAR: Professor James Byrd on war and social cohesion: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/018-the-war-ken-burns-vietnam-documentary-professor/id1428037534?i=1000425540100 Psalm 82, many gods? https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+82&version=NIV Mark Smith, Princeton Seminary, on the Origins of Biblical Monotheism : https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Biblical-Monotheism-Polytheistic-Background/dp/01951676860 comments0
- 099 THE DOMINION (a new Christian dating site, and the Gospel Coalition sex article scandal)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”: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sex-wont-save-you/ NT Professor Michael Bird’s response to the “Sex Won’t Save You” article, with many links etc.: https://michaelfbird.substack.com/p/tgc-sex-and-christ NT Professor Esau McCaulley on “Sex Won’t Save You”: https://twitter.com/esaumccaulley/status/1631380537892806669?s=20 On New Christian Dating Apps: https://religionnews.com/2022/09/27/new-dating-apps-and-in-person-mixers-target-religious-and-political-niches/ Dominion Dating member requirements: https://dominiondating.com/member-requirements/ Read the opening three chapters of Genesis, ye heathens: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201-3&version=NIV Trad Wives on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tradwife?lang=en0 comments0
- 098 THE BREAKFAST (Brian scores an exclusive and mysterious invitation)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 format: https://www.axios.com/2023/01/29/national-prayer-breakfast-congress-leadership Slate on the National Prayer Breakfast schism: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/02/national-prayer-breakfast-family-fellowship-gathering.html Netflix documentary: The Family : https://www.netflix.com/title/80063867 Kenyan Civil War avoided through staged hug, facilitated by “The Family”? https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/kenya/b136-after-kenyas-leaders-reconcile-tough-path-ahead Leaked emails on the Family’s continued involvement in the Prayer Breakfast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRrAtS4sjYY Donald Trump’s “non-traditional” prayerful address to the Prayer Breakfast in 2020: https://youtu.be/XuE2Tgg0qFE Ukraine’s Zelenskyy’s live video address to the Prayer Breakfast: https://www.president.gov.ua/en/videos/mayemo-zrobiti-vse-shob-nastupnogo-roku-mi-zmogli-pomolitisy-4129 Cathy McMorris Rodgers: ***CORRECTION: She initially said she would not certify the election, then changed her mind after the January 6th riot and did vote to certify (she did not think the Capitol Riot was “great,” apparently; but she didn’t think Trump was to blame at all; see the following links): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_McMorris_Rodgers#Donald_Trump; https://www.krem.com/article/news/investigations/mcmorris-rodgers-says-trump-didnt-give-rioters-direction-to-storm-the-capitol/293-6052edac-09fc-433f-8694-c4390a265e15; https://www.khq.com/news/mcmorris-rodgers-asks-protesters-to-stop-attacks-on-capitol-police/article_3b5f0246-5058-11eb-9496-4b48f26ee63c.html0 comments0
- 097 THE REVIVAL (examining debate about the "revival" at Asbury University)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 spiritual revival on this particular college campus. Fox News also used one of Leah’s tweets on the topic (!), so we discuss that as well. Basic info on the revival: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/asbury-university-revival-college-kentucky-going-viral-tiktok-rcna70686 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Asbury_revival Leah’s Twitter thread, picked up by Fox News: https://twitter.com/drleahpayne/status/1624507669238419456?s=20 Scenes from the Asbury revival: https://youtube.com/shorts/NNhuxCFjZ00?feature=share Demon at Asbury shrieks out: https://youtube.com/shorts/FQ4qDYfZsdA?feature=share Faith leaders push back (?): https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/church/church-faith-leaders-push-back-on-asbury-revival-criticism/ Medieval dancing craze for hundreds of years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania0 comments0
- 096 THE SUPERBOWL (wealthy people selling Jesus to Americans during a football game)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 reverses the curse: https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/02/12/garden-of-eden-avocados-from-mexico-super-bowl-ad-commercial-anna-faris He Gets Us, part 49: https://hegetsus.com/en/featured-videos Google Pixel 7 and erasing your mistakes: https://www.justjared.com/2023/02/12/google-pixel-7-phone-super-bowl-commercial-2023-amy-schumer-erases-exes-plus-more-celeb-cameos/ Lift Every Voice and Sing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/02/12/super-bowl-sheryl-lee-ralph-abbott-elementary/ Lauren Boebert on how there is only one national anthem: https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1624827803609841666?s=20&t=Wvg37P6aNwsDtxglKYhG9w Rihanna halftime show: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a42843643/watch-rihanna-super-bowl-2023-half-time-show/0 comments0
- 095 THE NEPHILIM (who are they, and why did they create the Federal Reserve?)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=NRSVUE Numbers 13:31–33: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+13%3A31-33&version=NRSVUE 1 Enoch (see esp. ch. 15): https://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/enoch/ENOCH_1.HTM Book: The Roots of the Federal Reserve: Tracing the Nephilim from Noah to the US Dollar : https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Federal-Reserve-Tracing-Nephilim/dp/1942790198 Beautiful Jekyll Island, Georgia, where Nephilim may infect the soil today: https://www.southernliving.com/travel/georgia/jekyll-island Popular book on Amazon in the category “Christian Mystical Spirituality”: Judgment of the Nephilim : https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Nephilim-Ryan-Pitterson/dp/0999208306 Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”: https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/ Gary Wayne, The Genesis 6 Conspiracy: How Secret Societies and the Descendants of Giants Plan to Enslave Humankind : https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Conspiracy-Societies-Descendants-Humankind/dp/16326929020 comments0
- Weird Religion Nov 9 · 29m 094 THE GIANT (conspiracies about long-dead giants on YouTube)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/ Heidi Campbell, researcher on digital religion: https://digitalreligion.tamu.edu/users/heidi-campbell “Giant of Japan military parade”: https://youtu.be/-uigLE6EI1g Big Man Japan (2007): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997147/ “20 Shocking Discoveries of Giants You Won’t Believe Exist”: https://youtu.be/Mf3_PWprFS8 “Giants Emerging Everywhere – They Can’t Hide This”: https://youtu.be/sVmOnwng6gs History Channel’s Search for Lost Giants : https://youtu.be/JzlSWzg-FkY Karen Douglas, on defining conspiracies: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721417718261 1 Enoch online (see ch. 15): https://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/enoch/ENOCH_1.HTM Van Prooijen, et al., “The entertainment value of conspiracy theories”: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12522 Birds Aren’t Real: https://birdsarentreal.com/ Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz%E2%80%93Zodiac_Killer_meme0 comments0
- 093 THE MIDTERMS (on voting as a religious act and who loves Israel most)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.robertbellah.com/articles_5.htm Oregon Mail Voting: https://www.multco.us/elections/brief-history-vote-mail-oregon 054 THE HEX (Anti-Trump Witches vs. Paula White and angels from Africa): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FbVST1Cj30XBxE0Sq3lNJ; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/054-the-curse-witches-hex-trump-paul-white-cain/id1428037534?i=1000498344437 Brazil election as holy war: https://religionnews.com/2022/10/28/presidential-standoff-becomes-a-holy-war-in-brazil/ Doug & Rebbie Mastriano: https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1586520983036481536 Charismatics & the Shofar: https://politicaltheology.com/the-trump-shall-sound-politics-pentecostals-and-the-shofar-at-the-capitol-riots/ Kari Lake was a Buddhist? https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/obama-backing-arizona-news-anchor-became-trumps-pick-governor-rcna38985 Kari Lake disputes that she was ever a Buddhist: https://youtu.be/mmA2mXbkzrs0 comments0
- 092 THE SKULLS (creepy but maybe comforting neolithic plastered skulls from Jericho)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 need for Halloween. Or any time. We’re back for the 8th season and 4th year of new podcast episodes from Weird Religion. The skulls we’re talking about have their own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastered_human_skulls Some more on the skulls: https://www.ashmolean.org/jericho-skull Archaeologist Dr. Karina Croucher: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/kcroucher; https://twitter.com/karinaktc Paul Bearer (WWF/WWE): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bearer Brian’s paper on the buried infant at Ashkelon: https://bit.ly/3DnEiil0 comments0
- PROGRAMMING NOTE (summer break)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 podcasts, we’d love that. Thank you!0 comments0
- 091 THE MARDEVIL (reviving a soap opera’s weirdly religious moment)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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOhSYgDMLmw John Black casts the devil out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sToK0mCv3DU&t=1556s Days bringing back the possession story, with a vibrant user comments section: https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-binging-back-possession-storyline/ The Devil comes back for Marlena after 25 years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F11iqh7_eDc&list=PLNmiY2SJ3AKOFk7ULhfHITURjKNIFsHL5 The second exorcism of Marlena (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9N3m6nSTQ; https://youtu.be/bnIEjymVdUM An update on the recent Mardevil plot revival: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/days-of-our-lives-weekly-recap-mardevil-coming-get-his-due.html/ Further updates on the current Mardevil plot revival: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/days-of-our-lives-sneak-peek-mar-devil-overplays-her-hand-ben-ciara.html/ Deidre Hall brings holy water to set: https://people.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-deidre-hall-uses-holy-water-filming-scenes-where-character-is-possessed/ Marlena Evans on fandom.com: https://daysofourlives.fandom.com/wiki/Marlena_Evans The Deidre Hall website: https://deidrehall.com/ Notorious and ridiculous Days plotlines from which we quote: https://bit.ly/3eGO8jm; https://bit.ly/3zcVJiQ Book review on possession: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0048721X.2021.2024744?needAccess=true0 comments0
- 090 THE PROFESSOR (the sage, the mentor, the crush, the villain)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=CR7Kh77aNnU David Duchovny )as himself) and Ji-Yoon (Sandra Oh) in Netflix’s The Chair : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRBm2tYvr84 Larry Gopnik, A Serious Man : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HJqPZ-KmZs Professor Walsh on Buffy the Vampire Slayer : https://buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Maggie_Walsh Runner up: Professor confrontation in God’s Not Dead : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFcZS8ra6gk John C. Fitch III on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7266946/ Dissertation: “The Cinematic College Professor: Conceptions and Representations”: https://bit.ly/3I7tQxr Article: “Making a College Professor Film: A Case Study”: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0973258619866353 Podcast drama series: “The Lowest Deep”: https://www.buzzsprout.com/19979580 comments0
- Weird Religion Jun 22 · 30m 089 THE MITHRADITES (news roundup: weird Army video; Mithradites of Fond du Lac; AI goes sentient)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://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1535716256585859073?s=21&t=OsDxk60bIKY5XQd_vff-4A; https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/11/google-ai-lamda-blake-lemoine/ The Mithradites of Fond du Lac: https://thebeliever.net/mithradites-of-fond-du-lac/ Fly American for faith accommodations for employees and passengers alike: https://religionnews.com/2022/05/23/american-airlines-dubbed-most-faith-friendly-fortune-500-company/ The Apocalypse will happen and has happened on TV: https://www.theringer.com/tv/2022/6/3/23152399/apocalyptic-reality-tv-masked-singer-circle-floor-is-lava Scripture wheel of emotions: https://twitter.com/rharrisphdmom/status/1530367715415826432?s=21&t=_cThy_0Or0iAgqIksyB88A Weird Army recruitment video with witch vibes: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/unsettling-fort-bragg-recruitment-video-ignites-debate-over-its-mysterious-intent/ar-AAXkQJk; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNPZKJqbE8 Sheltered kid goes to college: https://youtu.be/ckgGbVrW5DE AI writes nine stories about a sister’s death: https://thebeliever.net/ghosts/ Bitcoin like a religion because: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VveLNyHjLqg&t=76s Disney like a religion: https://www.npr.org/2022/06/11/1104056661/disney-adults; https://t.co/tbYvi2RwFt0 comments0
- 088 THE NRSVUE (we review a new Bible translation to fight about)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 in full on Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Revised-Standard-Version-Updated-Edition-NRSVue-Bible List of the major changes: https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue Some people who don’t like it: https://juicyecumenism.com/2022/01/19/liberal-nrsvue-bible-translation-update/ Interview with committee member Dr. Abraham Smith: https://blog.smu.edu/perkins/nrsv-updated-edition/0 comments0
- 087 THE HOARD (News Roundup--Brian offers a stunning confession)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 converting to Orthodoxy: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1096741988/orthodox-christian-churches-are-drawing-in-far-right-american-converts Spilling blood in fake tiger fighting for rain: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220508-mexican-tiger-fight-ritual-draws-blood-to-bring-rain Exorcisms have gone mainstream: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/exorcism-is-something-we-cant-quite-quit/ar-AAX12Wr Quasi-religious ceremonies for crypto creation https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2022/04/27/edward-snowden-revealed-as-key-participant-in-mysterious-ceremony-creating-2-billion-anonymous-cryptocurrency/?sh=3ae4c1803b24 Surprising reason why Christians help migrants: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/church-satan-marjorie-taylor-greene_n_6269c72fe4b04a9ff8974f2d Wine loving nun is the oldest: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/worlds-oldest-person-french-nun-sister-andre Eve Frank, the first female Jewish messiah: https://daily.jstor.org/meet-eva-frank-the-first-jewish-female-messiah/ We’re calling everything a “hellscape” now: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/04/why-were-calling-everything-a-hellscape/629565/ Crucifying Jesus in front of Five Guys: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/u4dpc3/warm_enough_to_crucify_the_bishop_today_in_front/ A theory of why we’re all going nuts online: https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/something-happened-by-us-a-demonology Mercury extra retrograde has people changing their lives: https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrology-fans-feel-the-dread-mercury-is-in-retrograde-an-extra-time-this-year-11650292198 Catholicism declines in Latin America: https://www.axios.com/catholic-decline-latin-america-evangelicals-dd2bab11-6a22-48cc-b65a-554578c7a62e.html Zuck on life’s meaning: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/news/inside-mark-zuckerbergs-plan-cure-26358289 Evangelicals starting to have a political mind of their own: https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/trump-fails-to-turn-evangelicals-against-gop-governor-he-scorns Trapping people in your guitar worship service at 30,000 feet: https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/u4yroc/wanna_get_away/ Near death experiences are not hallucinations: https://www.braintomorrow.com/2022/04/08/near-death-brain-activity/ Pastors flipping properties: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/14/miami-church-real-estate-first-presbyterian Christian sect burning shed and Colorado fire: https://www.thedailybeast.com/christian-sect-burning-shed-focus-of-deadly-colorado-fire-investigation Catholic conspiracy theory: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/pope-francis-consecration-ukraine-russia-fatima-conspiracy-theories.html Not Satanic Chair: https://twitter.com/skestenbaum/status/1507339305911562249?s=20&t=pIGZblxvEPLN0i-BCB7ExA Misunderstanding the book of Job in the face of the apocalypse: https://slate.com/human-interest/2022/03/job-torah-story-despair-alternative-war-democracy-climate-apocalypse.html The last Covid story we’ll ever do pls? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ricky-schroder-mask-meltdown_n_62257790e4b012a2628cb4b5 Poem, “Welcome to the Age of Beautiful Weirdos”: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2022/03/friday-poem-290.html Priest helps families at no cost: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1083451577/philippines-drug-war-victims-burial Really stretching the “religion” angle here but Remember King of Kong? https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/king-kong-monkey-bashed-seagull-26422015 Pat Robertson going strong: https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1495114363648163843?s=20&t=1ad1MdgQeC3wWjUsC6imJQ Pat Robertson says God made Putin do it: https://www.salon.com/2022/03/01/pat-robertson-putin-is-being-compelled-by-god-to-invade-ukraine-and-fulfill-biblical-prophecy_partner/ Doomsday Plane flies yayyy: https://inews.co.uk/news/us-doomsday-plane-boeing-flight-putin-nuclear-weapons-threat-russia-ukraine-1491543 Teaching evals for Professor Jesus Christ: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/selected-negative-teaching-evaluations-of-jesus-christ Celeb couples turning vampiric: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxbna/why-are-celebrities-so-obsessed-with-blood-right-now-machine-gun-kelly-megan-fox Nephilim documentary: https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-696572 A lot of humans wish they were never born (saw in Salem on way to Bend): https://images.app.goo.gl/1d36kqNSW18tseWV6 Astrologers predict new things for America based on 2s: https://nypost.com/2022/02/21/astrologers-explain-power-shift-significance-of-2-22-22/ Clergy shortage forces laypeople into roles: https://www.wsj.com/articles/houses-of-worship-face-clergy-shortage-as-many-resign-during-pandemic-11645452000 Facts and Myths about Being Wrong About Things: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.34.3.220 After school Satanism: https://www.bnd.com/news/nation-world/national/article257283327.html People like lady robots better: https://www.studyfinds.org/humans-female-robots/ Why Churches Should Drop Their Online Services: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/opinion/church-online-services-covid.html?referringSource=articleShare Surge of digital church membership: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/virtual-reality-church-worshipping-in-the-metaverse Canadian doctors can prescribe nature walks: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079356799/a-new-program-in-canada-gives-doctors-the-option-of-prescribing-national-park-vi Worship the beast: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/rare-calf-born-three-eyes-25969723 Sunday lunch crowd meme: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/sfohsc/thee_worst_in_the_rogues_gallery_of_shit_people/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Attempt to kill the Antichrist: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-biden-antichrist-assassination-attempt-secret-service-20220129-q4to7j27v5d6tkye5eeh5kzwfi-story.html Guru: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/13/style/alex-ebert-bad-guru.html The Theologian who warned of American Christian facism in the 1980s: https://mitchellglennfrommichigan.medium.com/this-theologian-warned-of-american-christian-fascism-back-in-the-80s-1a790bff13b3 Zoommunion (?): https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/21-january/news/uk/holy-communion-online-is-valid-and-effective-says-burridge Faith healer nails nail in woman’s head: https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/11/faith-healer-hammered-nail-into-pregnant-womans-head-so-shed-have-baby-boy-16088206/ Non-believer groups in Ohio: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/01/28/8-greater-columbus-groups-atheists-and-nonbelievers/6581283001/ Christian flag reaches the Supreme Court: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2022/01/christian-flag-case-reaches-supreme-court-is-the-nazi-flag-next.html Rise of sneaker-preacher-influencers: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/29/pastor-michael-todd-spit-preacher-influencer Drowning Man Parable and Vaccines: https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/10/christian-drowning-man-parable-covid-vaccine.html QAnon shuts down national butterfly center: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/national-butterfly-center-closed-sex-trafficking-qanon/ JFK disguised as you know who: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/qanon-donald-trump-jfk_n_61e5e64be4b05645a6eb0912 Mystical letters spell the real culprit: https://www.reddit.com/r/terriblefacebookmemes/comments/rxuk74/god_damn_media_spreddin_rona_round/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf QAnon Shaman was trying to calm the crowd: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/qanon-shaman-riot-claim_n_61d68fd2e4b061afe3aedb25 Western Wall future and shaky Israeli government: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-religion-jerusalem-israel-prayer-04a68f9f0baafa813fb0dfab3485e896 New doc puts women at center: https://religionnews.com/2021/12/15/new-documentary-daughters-of-eve-dismantle-christian-patriarchy-zanah-thirus-bible-feminism/ Islamic comic book finds audience: https://religionnews.com/2021/12/29/islamic-friendly-comic-book-content-finds-a-growing-audience/ Noah’s Ark doomsday bunker: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/noahs-ark-underground-doomsday-bunker-25852569 Nonbelief channel at Patheos drama: https://religionnews.com/2022/01/04/what-happened-to-the-nonbelief-channel-at-patheos/0 comments0
- 086 THE AIGOD (bringing an imaginary friend to life through AI, and playing God)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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1G5b_2PYj0 Open AI and GPT-3: https://openai.com/api/ A working class supper from the 1800s reenactment video: https://youtu.be/K3DgRm9N3zU Star Wars talking to your kids PSA: https://youtu.be/pCjMGOvMghY Nazarene congregation vibes: https://bit.ly/39edCVK Vestel Goodman: https://youtu.be/XxlI1ZRunu00 comments0
- 085 THE DEMONTIME (Kathryn Krick, your local TikTok exorcist in the park; guest Sam Kestenbaum)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 “Demontime: How a former actress-turned-Christian EDM singer from small-town New York became a Pentecostal faith healer for the TikTok era”: https://thelandmag.com/krick-ministry-faith-healer/ Kathryn Krick on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_apostlekathrynkrick Sam Kestenbaum on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skestenbaum Kathryn Krick’s church webpage: https://5fchurch.org/leadership Interview with Sam Kestenbaum: https://therevealer.org/insights-from-a-religion-reporter/ Sam’s website: https://samkestenbaum.com/0 comments0
- 084 THE BSG (Battlestar Galactica and the politics of polytheism)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 show’s spiritual messages, and we ponder the fate of polytheism as a concept. SOURCES CITED AND TO ENJOY Professor Juli Gittinger: https://www.gcsu.edu/artsandsciences/philosophy/faculty-staff-department-of-philosophy-religion-and-liberal-studies Dr. Shayna Sheinfeld: https://twitter.com/ShaynaSheinfeld Zuleyha Çetiner-Oktem, “The Eternal Return, Gnosticism and Battlestar Galactica”: https://www.academia.edu/36062177/The_Eternal_Return_Gnosticism_and_Battlestar_Galactica Barry Buzan, “America in Space: The International Relations of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica ”: https://bit.ly/3J9f7Bo Jay Twomey, “The Five That Remain: Versions of the Messianic in Battlestar Galactica”: https://bit.ly/3J9f7Bo Van Leavenworth, “Making Starbuck Monstrous: The Poetics of Othering in Battlestar Galactica”: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpcu.12156 Chris Klassen, “Research Note: Rejecting Monotheism? Polytheism, Pluralism, and Battlestar Galactica”: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/135379008023732050 comments0
- Weird Religion Mar 30 · 29m 083 THE SLAP (Denzel advises Will; QAnon growing; world’s most boring person; animal heads)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-tears-talks-bradley-cooper-denzel-washington-o-rcna21792 Mel Gibson’s sequel to the Passion of the Christ: The Resurrection: https://movieweb.com/the-passion-of-the-christ-resurrection-what-to-expect/ Satanic Essential Oils: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemcneal/young-living-essential-oils-satanic https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1501216568222666756 The world’s most boring person according to research: https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2022/03/18/the-most-boring-person-in-the-world-discovered-by-researchers Mystical Thing with Bad Vegan: https://people.com/food/sarma-melngailis-used-money-from-bad-vegan-to-repay-former-employees-i-did-not-get-paid-otherwise/ QAnon is growing!!?? https://www.vice.com/en/article/93bg5a/qanon-conspiracy-theory-prri-poll Mystical Killing Stone Cracked Open: https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1501216568222666756 A bag of animal sacrifice heads: https://apnews.com/article/religion-rhode-island-animal-welfare-a69457139e63d6140f1757152de9b3d30 comments0
- 082 THE WARGOD (a hair-raising biblical story of war, prompted by Wonder Woman)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 origins reveal lack of justice: https://libquotes.com/blaise-pascal/quote/lbx9o6o Jill Lepore, The Secret History of Wonder Woman : https://www.amazon.com/Secret-History-Wonder-Woman/dp/0804173400 1 Kings 22: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+22&version=NRSV0 comments0
- 081 THE WILEYMAN (Late Great Planet Earth, Russian religions, Vladimir Putin's spiritual space)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”? Check out the sources we’re discussing: The Late Great Planet Earth (Hal Lindsey): https://www.amazon.com/Late-Great-Planet-Earth/dp/B000GT1GUS US State Dept. on Russian religious affiliation (see Section I: Religious Demography): https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/russia/ Putin’s spiritual destiny: https://unherd.com/2022/02/putins-spiritual-destiny/ Between Two Fires (Joshua Yaffa): https://www.amazon.com/Between-Two-Fires-Ambition-Compromise/dp/1524760595 A critique of Levada’s “Soviet Man”: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/rip-soviet-man-scrapping-homo-sovieticus-the-spirit-yuri-levada Understanding Putin’s narrative: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/23/putin-narrative-ukraine-master-key-crisis-nato-expansionism-frozen-conflict?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Put wants religious soul of Ukraine: https://religionnews.com/2022/02/24/putin-is-after-more-than-land-he-wants-the-religious-soul-of-ukraine/0 comments0
- 080 THE VOID (News Roundup: God is dope and heckling the pope)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? https://twitter.com/BryanBanksPhD/status/1489221666702086145 Robert Jones at PRRI: https://www.prri.org/staff/robert-p-jones-ph-d/ He Gets Us Jesus ad: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qW2v/he-gets-us-struggles He Gets Us website: https://hegetsus.com/ Tax info for “The Servant Foundation”: https://www.open990.org/org/431890105/servant-foundation/ Religion in schools on new Serial podcast: https://bit.ly/3JtSurl Inshallah: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/magazine/inshallah.html Let’s collect and sell your prayers: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emilybakerwhite/apps-selling-your-prayers “Call of the Void”: https://www.livescience.com/what-is-call-of-the-void Heckling the Pope: https://bit.ly/3gQKDrq AI Worship Pastor! https://bit.ly/3LFIA7K This person does not exist: https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/ Eric Clapton claims he was mind controlled: https://nypost.com/2022/01/24/eric-clapton-people-vaccinated-against-covid-under-hypnosis/ Neil Young fights covid misinfo: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/30/opinions/neil-young-covid-battle-lines-column-galant/index.html Calvinist obscene professor rant: https://www.rawstory.com/professor-barry-mehler-viral-video/0 comments0
- 079 THE MALLPUNK (Blink-182 and UFOs)Connect the dots: Blink-182; “exotic materials”; Trump vs. Hilary 2016; Abraham and Isaac and the frustration and allure of faith. In this episode we’re talking about some wild claims made by Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge and early research into the brains of those who claim to have seen UFOs. Why does a particular religious idea appeal to some but not others? How might the structure of our bodies condition us for certain beliefs or religious experience? SOURCES FOR YOU “The Vindication of Tom DeLonge”: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a37532754/tom-delonge-interview-2021/ “Inside Tom DeLonge’s UFO Obsession, Blink-182 Turmoil”: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/inside-tom-delonges-ufo-obsession-blink-182-turmoil-50572/ Four-hour Tom DeLonge interview on Coast to Coast AM: https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2014-11-30-show/ Tom DeLonge interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ybsXdWAtxqLBdRByLb2YG To the Stars Academy: https://home.tothestarsacademy.com/ Stanford Professor Garry Nolan is Analyzing Anomalous Materials from UFO Crashes: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7nzkq/stanford-professor-garry-nolan-analyzing-anomalous-materials-from-ufo-crashes?utm_source=reddit.com Garry Nolan video interview on AMERICAN ALCHEMY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzTZbSNsKV8 Ross Coulthart, In Plain Sight (pp. 164–210): https://www.amazon.com/Plain-Sight-investigation-impossible-science-ebook/dp/B08VYR4DZ6 Basic Tom DeLonge facts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeLonge Trump asks Russia on TV to hack Hilary’s emails: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-asked-russia-to-find-clintons-emails-on-or-around-the-same-day-russians-targeted-her-accounts Wikileaks shares DeLonge and Podesta emails: https://bit.ly/3ycKlDi0 comments0
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