In our tangentially sixth episode, I respond to Capturing Christianity's defense of the Vice President's weird ordering of love.

Reading List:

Capturing's Video: https://youtu.be/S9vQjNNxlYE?si=69oTzjdPi6Czj67N

In our apparent quest to keep stretching our runtime, our seriously fifth episode follows the self-reflection of two cis het Christian boys on their sexual experiences. Content warning: There are brief and irreverent discussions of suicidality (15:30, 41:16, 57:23) and sexual assault (01:06:30 - 01:07:50)

Time Codes

(0:00) Content Warning

(0:19) Cold Open

(0:34) Introduction to the Episode

(01:00) Connor’s Porn Printing Industry

(04:18) Embarrassment to Shame Pipeline

(08:40) The inception of Jonathan’s masturbatory career

(11:00) But why though? For him and for him

(17:32) The Don Juan/Jon Tangent

(19:25) Porn vs Sex

(22:45) Jonathan doing his own thing

(26:35) The The Road Tangent

(28:20) Defense of masturbation

(30:00) Jonathan’s fumble

(35:00) The need for intimacy and the trouble of getting it

(37:18) The Purity of Connor

(39:10) The Impurity of Jonathan

(41:41) Connor’s sexual conversion into purity

(43:40) The culture of purity

(51:35) The counterculture to purity

(58:40) The goodness of sex

(01:01:10) Jonathan’s social ineptness and the inaccessibility of purity culture

(01:06:30) SA story

(01:07:50) Other barriers to purity culture

(01:11:28) Is sex even worth it?

(01:15:34) Christian sexual ethic?

(01:19:33) Connor’s sexual conversion out of purity

(01:31:50) The reasons for purity

(01:37:07) Sex as mutual masturbation

(01:38:50) Parameters for the sex trilogy

(01:39:58) Recap and Preview

(01:44:50) Outro?

[Recorded on June 25, 2024]

Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

On our most fourth episode we continue our conversation on Christian Nationalism, exploring the theological claims this -ism makes.

You can also listen on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon

Time Codes

(0:00) Introduction

(0:32) Recap

(02:06) Roadmap for the Episode

(02:55) Defensive Rhetoric of Christian Nationalism

(04:18) “Lefties won’t engage (so I won’t either)”

(10:04) “I dOn’T wAnT tO… buuut”

(13:07) “Mea”culpa

(15:21) “Behind the scenes though”

(17:30) Why can’t I love my “religion”?

(22:00) The Claim of Efficacy

(33:30) Is Militance a Christian Virtue?

(42:45) What even is a Christian Nation?

(54:10) Christians should be Non-Nationalistic

(01:07:38) Wesley’s Hermeneutics

(01:15:40) Preferential Option for the Poor

(01:24:04) Conclusion

(01:28:04) Benediction

Reading List

Anderson, Braden P., 2010, Chosen Nation: Biblical Theopolitics and the Problem of American Christian Nationalism. Dissertations.

DeYoung, Kevin, 2022, “The Rise of Right-Wing Wokeism,” Christian Living

Dussel, Enrique, 1979, “The Kingdom of God and the Poor,” International Review of Mission, 220, p 115-130

Gutiérrez, Gustavo, 1973, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation

Haxel, Chris, and Lisa Hagan, 2020, “Episode 4: Building the Kingdom of God Podcast,” NPR, No Compromise Podcast.

Hickel, Jason, 2018, The Divide: Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets

Maggie Mae Fish, 2023, “Clint Eastwood's Twisted Fantasy of American Masculinity,” YouTube

Mounk, Yascha, 2018, “The Rise of McPolitics,” The New Yorker

Miller, Paul D., 2021. “What is Christian Nationalism?” Christianity Today.

Moore, Russell, 2015, “Is Christianity Dying?” Russell Moore’s Personal Website

Nicholas, Tom, “How Countries Were INVENTED,” YouTube.

On the Media, 2024, “Christian Nationalism is Reshaping Fertility Rights, and Books Dominate at the Oscars,” NPR

Perry, Samuel L. and Andrew L. Whitehead., Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

Richter, Sandra L, 2008, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament.

Sanneh, Kelefa, 2023, “How Christian is Christian Nationalism?” The New Yorker: Annals of Religion

[Recorded March 28, 2024]

[Recorded March 7, 2024]

In our incredibly third episode, we discuss the secular aspects of Christian Nationalism.

Time Codes:

(0:00) Introduction

(0:20) Disclaimer

(01:04) Building the Definition

(05:10) Christian Nationalism as Culture

(13:48) The Belief Clusters

(39:30) Christian Nationalism's Assumptions

(58:52) Christian Nationalism's Function

(01:17:46) Conclusion& Benediction

Reading List

Anderson, Braden P., 2010, Chosen Nation: Biblical Theopolitics and the Problem of American Christian Nationalism. Dissertations.

DeYoung, Kevin, 2022, “The Rise of Right-Wing Wokeism,” Christian Living

Dussel, Enrique, 1979, “The Kingdom of God and the Poor,” International Review of Mission, 220, p 115-130

Gutiérrez, Gustavo, 1973, A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation

Haxel, Chris, and Lisa Hagan, 2020,“Episode 4: Building the Kingdom of God Podcast,” NPR, No Compromise Podcast.

Hickel, Jason, 2018, The Divide: Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets

Maggie Mae Fish, 2023, “Clint Eastwood's Twisted Fantasy of American Masculinity,” YouTube

McNaughton, Jon, 2009, One Nation Under God, Painting

Mounk, Yascha, 2018, “The Rise of McPolitics,” The New Yorker

Miller, Paul D., 2021. “What is Christian Nationalism?” Christianity Today.

Moore, Russell, 2015, “Is Christianity Dying?” Russell Moore’s Personal Website

Nicholas, Tom, “How Countries Were INVENTED,” YouTube.

On the Media, 2024, “Christian Nationalism is Reshaping Fertility Rights, and Books Dominate at the Oscars,” NPR

Perry, Samuel L. and Andrew L. Whitehead., Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

Richter, Sandra L, 2008, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament.

Sanneh, Kelefa, 2023, “How Christian is Christian Nationalism?” The New Yorker: Annals of Religion

In our very second episode, we look at the pressure to meet the standards of the middle-class measuring rod and what happens to our faith when we achieve those comforts.

Reading List

Big Brains, 2019, “Why Chasing the Good Life is Holding Us Back with Lauren Berlant,” The University of Chicago [YouTube video]

Dussel, Enrique, 1979. “The Kingdom of God and the Poor,” International Review of Mission, 220, p 115-130

Gruber, June, Iris B. Mauss, and Maya Tamir, 2011, “A Dark Side of Happiness? How, When, and Why Happiness is Not Always Good,” Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6:222

Guignion, David, 2021, “What is Cruel Optimism? | Lauren Berlant | Keyword,” Theory & Philosophy [YouTube video]

Lloyd, Vincent, 2011, The Problem with Grace: Reconfiguring Political Theology

Mauss, Iris B., Maya Tamir, Craig L. Anderson, and Nicole S. Savino, 2011, “Can Seeking Happiness Make People Unhappy? Paradoxical Effects Valuing Happiness,” American Psychological Association

Shorter, Rosie, C., 2019, “Cruel Christianity: Joshua Harris and the Promise of Evangelical Purity Culture,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Tobore, Tobore Onojighofia, 2023, “On the Beauty of Sadness: It’s Okay to Say I am Sad, Thank You,” Communicative & Integrative Biology, 16(1).

Waters, Sonia, E, 2014, “I Surrender All: Subverting the Cruelty of Capitalist Optimism with Affective Expressions of Worship,” Pastoral Psychology

In our inaugural episode, we ask the unfortunately pertinent question: Is God a White Racist?

Reading List:

> Berton, Pierre. The Comfortable Pew. Hodder, 1966.

> Cone, James Hal. Black theology and Black Power. Alexandria, VA: Alexander Street Press, 1969.

> Cone, James H. 2000. Black Liberation Theology and Black Catholics: A Critical Conversation. Theological Studies, 61(4), 731-747.

> Das, Rupen. “Ancient Israel.” Compassion and the Mission of God: Revealing the Invisible Kingdom. Langham Creative Projects, 2016,

> Jantzen, Matt R. 2020 “Neither Ally, Nor Accomplice: James Cone and the Theological Ethics of White Conversion.” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 40, (2): 273–90.

> Jones, William R. Is God a White Racist?: A Preamble to Black Theology. Beacon Press, 1973.

> Lloyd, Vincent. 2016. “For What Are Whites to Hope?” Political Theology 17 (2): 168–81.

> Norris, Kristopher. 2020. “James Cone’s Legacy for White Christians.” Political Theology 21 (3): 207–24.

> Rowe, William L. 1979. “The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism.” American Philosophical Quarterly, 16 (4): 335–41.