エピソード

  • BONUS: Amanda Knox on the Satanic Panic and Wrongful Convictions

    BONUS: Amanda Knox on the Satanic Panic and Wrongful Convictions
    2025/12/11
    In our final bonus episode, Mike Cosper and Rebekah Sebastian talk with exoneree, producer, author, podcaster, and advocate Amanda Knox. Amanda was a 20-year-old American student in Perugia in 2007 when her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was murdered in the apartment they shared. Italian prosecutors quickly zeroed in on Amanda, casting her as the instigator of a lurid, senseless crime and claiming she pulled her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, into it. She and Raffaele were convicted in 2009, and she spent nearly four years in prison before a 2011 appeals court overturned the verdict. In 2015, Italy’s highest court fully exonerated them both. By then, another man , Rudy Guede, whose DNA and fingerprints were all over the scene, had been prosecuted and convicted. In this conversation, Amanda reflects on how elements of the satanic panic and conspiratorial thinking shaped her case and how she understands that period of her life now. She offers candid insight into the themes we’ve explored throughout the series and the complicated dynamics in real stories often framed as “good vs. evil.” She also discusses the challenges of portraying victims in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, the new Hulu scripted series she executive produced. Learn more about Amanda’s work on her website: https://www.amandaknox.com/ We’re grateful for her time, insight, and generosity. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today. Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts Matt Stevens is our senior producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 2 分
  • Survivors & Abuse Continued: Rachel Denhollander on Faith and Accountability

    Survivors & Abuse Continued: Rachel Denhollander on Faith and Accountability
    2025/11/13
    In this bonus episode, Mike Cosper sits down with attorney and advocate Rachel Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. Together, they discuss what it really costs to tell the truth, the devastating realities survivors face, and how the church can either protect the vulnerable, or fail them completely. Denhollander offers a powerful perspective on justice, accountability, and the Christian community’s responsibility to confront both false narratives and the real evil within its walls. We are grateful for Rachel Denhollander’s time, expertise, and contribution to this episode. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today. Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間
  • BONUS: : Chris Lane and Matt Martens on the WM3 & Criminal Justice System

    BONUS: : Chris Lane and Matt Martens on the WM3 & Criminal Justice System
    2025/08/27
    Mike Cosper and Rebekah Sebastian sit down with Chris Lane, District Attorney of Floyd County, Indiana, and Matt Martens, a Washington, D.C. defense attorney and author of Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal. Together, they unpack the tensions between prosecution and defense, the challenges created by systemic limitations, and the unique factors in the West Memphis 3 case that frustrated and bewildered so many of us. We’re grateful to Chris Lane and Matt Martens for joining us for this illuminating and generous conversation. Please consider liking the DDBS Facebook page to keep up on all show news, livestreams and for conversations with other listeners. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 6 分
  • BONUS: Adam Kinzinger on January 6 & Conspiracy Thinking

    BONUS: Adam Kinzinger on January 6 & Conspiracy Thinking
    2025/07/29
    In this bonus episode of The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Mike Cosper sits down with former Congressman Adam Kinzinger for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation about January 6th, conspiracy thinking in the church and in congress, and the price he paid for speaking truth to power. Kinzinger shares what it was like to be inside the Capitol as the insurrection unfolded, and the spiritual deconstruction and political reckoning that followed. This conversation is a powerful reminder of how easily truth can be distorted when we mistake political victory for divine mandate. We close with an excerpt from Kinzinger’s 2022 farewell address on the House floor. The full speech is linked below and well worth your time. Mike’s substack is also linked below. Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s Farewell Speech to Congress https://www.c-span.org/program/us-house-of-representatives/representative-adam-kinzinger-farewell-speech/621823 Amor Dei, Amor Mundo, Mike Cosper’s Substack https://substack.com/@mikecosper Please consider liking the DDBS Facebook page to keep up on all show news, livestreams and for conversations with other listeners. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    46 分
  • BONUS: What Does It Mean to Believe Survivors? In Conversation with Mary DeMuth and Colleen Ramser

    BONUS: What Does It Mean to Believe Survivors? In Conversation with Mary DeMuth and Colleen Ramser
    2025/07/14
    In this bonus episode of Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, we explore one of the most difficult and essential topics raised in season 1: abuse. Joined by guests Colleen Ramser and Mary DeMuth, we discuss the complexities of trauma, memory, and belief, especially when it comes to hearing and honoring the stories of survivors. From systemic failures in churches to the personal weight of silence and shame, this conversation is both heavy and hopeful. You’ll also find links below to the important work and resources offered by our guests. Mary DeMuth https://www.marydemuth.com/ wetoo.org Colleen Ramser https://colleenramser.com/ Please consider liking the DDBS Facebook page to keep up on all show news, livestreams, and conversations with other listeners. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    42 分
  • BONUS: Livestream Q&A with Mike Cosper, Matthew D. Taylor, and Robert Downen

    BONUS: Livestream Q&A with Mike Cosper, Matthew D. Taylor, and Robert Downen
    2025/06/09
    Season One may be wrapped—but the story isn’t over. In this bonus episode of The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, we bring you a dynamic conversation between two returning guests—Matthew D. Taylor and Robert Downen—who unpack the lingering impact of the Satanic Panic and the modern evangelical movement, including the events of January 6, 2021. You’ll also hear from a DDBS from a listener in Australia, who recounts the chilling true story of a fatal exorcism that took place in rural Australia in 1993. And finally, we take a moment to honor the life and legacy of Duane Rollins, a pivotal voice in exposing abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention. Join the DDBS Facebook group to be part of the group and catch our next livestream. We will be back in one week with an all-new episode. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join host Mike Cosper for a livestream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    54 分
  • Forgetting What Happened

    Forgetting What Happened
    2025/05/21
    Stay tuned to the end for news from Mike Cosper and Rebekah Sebastian on upcoming Bonus episodes! In the finale of Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, we try to do the impossible: tie the threads together. From criminal cases to political crusades, we retrace the lines between fear, faith, and power that shaped the Satanic Panic—and continue influencing our world today. Mike Cosper and Rebekah Sebastian open with a game that highlights just how absurd things got, then dive into the deeper questions: Why did the Satanic Panic take hold? And how does it compare to modern conspiracies like Pizzagate, QAnon, and the January 6 insurrection? Spoiler: The panic didn’t entirely vanish—it morphed into a tool for grievance, repurposed by conspiracy theorists to target their perceived enemies. Bonus episodes are still to come, so stay subscribed. And if this series made you think, feel, or question, share it with a friend. Resources: The Roys Report: “James Robison Under Fire for Discrepancies Regarding Involvement with Robert Morris in 1980s” by Julie Roys Mike Rothschild, author, Jewish Space Lasers Matthew D. Taylor, senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies Mike Warnke Tribunal Board hearing West Memphis Three case Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join host Mike Cosper for a livestream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 54 分
  • The Spell Breaks

    The Spell Breaks
    2025/05/05
    As we approach the end of the series, we learn that the Satanic Panic didn’t end with a bang. It was more of a slow fade-out. The Religious Right had secured major political and cultural victories. Evangelicals no longer needed Satan to galvanize their movement—their influence was cemented. Fear of the Devil simply became less useful. Today’s episode marks a turning point in the series. Join us as we revisit the concept of memory—this time with two experts who spent their careers trying to properly understand it. Retired FBI agent Kenneth Lanning, one of the earliest skeptics inside law enforcement during the Satanic Panic, reveals how disturbing allegations collapsed under the weight of their own implausibility. Elizabeth Loftus, renowned cognitive psychologist and professor, has shown how easily false memories can be implanted, reshaped, and believed with unwavering conviction. Together, these two experts help us begin to answer a central question of this season: How did the Satanic Panic end? And what are the consequences of believing, prosecuting, and punishing based on memory alone? Resources: Kenneth Lanning, retired FBI agent Elizabeth Loftus, PhD, psychologist and educator Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join host Mike Cosper for a livestream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    58 分