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Weird Religion
Brian Doak and Leah Payne
100 episodes
5 months ago
Let us discuss a DANGEROUS TV SHOW. And of course, we’re talking about a very family friendly Jesus TV show—The Chosen. What is the state of the evangelical search for validation, for legitimacy, in the American religious landscape today? Has Christian TV arrived? Can we tell who is an “evangelical” by what they purchase, what they consume? The Last Temptation of Christ (1988 film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095497/  Artifact: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-chosen-dallas-jenkins-interview-season-4-1235909988/ Dallas Jenkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Jenkins Ronald Numbers, The Creationists: https://books.google.com/books?id=GQ3TI5njXfIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false “Name it and Frame It” Phony Doctorates in the Church: https://www.apologeticsindex.org/2794-name-it-and-frame-it-phony-doctorates-in-the-church The National Association of Evangelicals: https://www.nae.org/  The “Bebbington Quadrilateral”: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481314435/the-evangelical-quadrilateral/  Leah Payne, “‘Sound of Freedom’ and the Media Fueling Belief in America’s ‘Special Role’ in Human History”: https://www.prri.org/spotlight/sound-of-freedom-and-the-media-fueling-belief-in-americas-special-role-in-human-history/ The “Holiness Movement”: https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=13 Randall J. Stephens, The Fire Spreads: Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674046856
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Christianity
TV & Film,
Religion & Spirituality
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All content for Weird Religion is the property of Brian Doak and Leah Payne and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Let us discuss a DANGEROUS TV SHOW. And of course, we’re talking about a very family friendly Jesus TV show—The Chosen. What is the state of the evangelical search for validation, for legitimacy, in the American religious landscape today? Has Christian TV arrived? Can we tell who is an “evangelical” by what they purchase, what they consume? The Last Temptation of Christ (1988 film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095497/  Artifact: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-chosen-dallas-jenkins-interview-season-4-1235909988/ Dallas Jenkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Jenkins Ronald Numbers, The Creationists: https://books.google.com/books?id=GQ3TI5njXfIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false “Name it and Frame It” Phony Doctorates in the Church: https://www.apologeticsindex.org/2794-name-it-and-frame-it-phony-doctorates-in-the-church The National Association of Evangelicals: https://www.nae.org/  The “Bebbington Quadrilateral”: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481314435/the-evangelical-quadrilateral/  Leah Payne, “‘Sound of Freedom’ and the Media Fueling Belief in America’s ‘Special Role’ in Human History”: https://www.prri.org/spotlight/sound-of-freedom-and-the-media-fueling-belief-in-americas-special-role-in-human-history/ The “Holiness Movement”: https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=13 Randall J. Stephens, The Fire Spreads: Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674046856
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Christianity
TV & Film,
Religion & Spirituality
Episodes (20/100)
Weird Religion
126 THE LEGITIMACY (has Christian television finally arrived)
Let us discuss a DANGEROUS TV SHOW. And of course, we’re talking about a very family friendly Jesus TV show—The Chosen. What is the state of the evangelical search for validation, for legitimacy, in the American religious landscape today? Has Christian TV arrived? Can we tell who is an “evangelical” by what they purchase, what they consume? The Last Temptation of Christ (1988 film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095497/  Artifact: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-chosen-dallas-jenkins-interview-season-4-1235909988/ Dallas Jenkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Jenkins Ronald Numbers, The Creationists: https://books.google.com/books?id=GQ3TI5njXfIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false “Name it and Frame It” Phony Doctorates in the Church: https://www.apologeticsindex.org/2794-name-it-and-frame-it-phony-doctorates-in-the-church The National Association of Evangelicals: https://www.nae.org/  The “Bebbington Quadrilateral”: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481314435/the-evangelical-quadrilateral/  Leah Payne, “‘Sound of Freedom’ and the Media Fueling Belief in America’s ‘Special Role’ in Human History”: https://www.prri.org/spotlight/sound-of-freedom-and-the-media-fueling-belief-in-americas-special-role-in-human-history/ The “Holiness Movement”: https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=13 Randall J. Stephens, The Fire Spreads: Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674046856
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10 months ago
30 minutes 27 seconds

Weird Religion
125 THE MUTATIONS (battle on: Precious Moments vs. Precious Mutations)
We celebrate the religious aesthetic—and mourn the loss—of Precious Moments creator Sam Butcher. A pastel-colored, Christian-infused aesthetic embodied by Precious Moments may of course prompt a reaction: like the “Precious Mutation” of Keith Busher. Did evangelical art (and theology) ever grow up? How can this couple have been married 25 years when they are children: https://www.preciousmoments.com/twenty-five-happy-years-together-figurine Jesus said: “wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove”: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Matthew%2010%3A16 Daniel Silliman obituary of Sam Butcher: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/05/sam-butcher-precious-moments-art-artist-chapel-obit/ The Sam Butcher story on the Precious Moments website: https://www.preciousmoments.com/butcher-story/ Keith Busher, the “Precious Mutator” (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/preciousmutator/?hl=en; (Etsy): https://www.etsy.com/shop/PreciousMutations Precious Mutations story: https://www.today.com/home/precious-mutants-are-terrifying-version-precious-moments-figurines-t161577  Thomas Kincaid, “The Painter of Light”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kinkade The “Precious Moments Chapel” mural: https://www.preciousmoments.com/blog/history-of-precious-moments-chapel-hallelujah-square Later Sam Butcher paintings of nude bodies: https://x.com/danielsilliman/status/1795890318853767351 Garbage Pail Kids example: https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/120329100954-garbage-pail-kids-leaky-lindsay.jpg?q=w_1248,h_1732,x_0,y_0,c_fill
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10 months ago
29 minutes 59 seconds

Weird Religion
124 THE IMPOSSIBLE (is it OK now to believe in every miracle?)
10 months ago
30 minutes 34 seconds

Weird Religion
123 THE MICROFEMINISTS (you are not alone at the end of the year)
Feeling spiritually vulnerable while you are in an airport? You are not alone. Looking for a Popeye horror film? You are not alone. Naming your child Muhammed in the UK this year? You are not alone. Flocking to Orthodoxy as a young man? You are not alone. Committing acts of microfeminism? You are not alone. Portland airport Beni the Therapy Llama: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/03/nx-s1-5173755/therapy-animals-portland-airport-llama-alpaca The new most popular baby name in the UK: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/most-popular-100-baby-names-34251941  The Late Great Hal Lindsey: https://religionnews.com/2024/12/05/the-late-great-hal-lindsey/ Young men flock to Orthodoxy: https://nypost.com/2024/12/03/us-news/young-men-are-converting-to-orthodox-christianity-in-droves/ The two heads of St. Thomas: https://religionnews.com/2024/12/05/when-it-comes-to-venerating-st-thomas-aquinas-are-two-heads-better-than-one/  Are you a microfeminist: https://www.npr.org/2024/12/04/g-s1-36686/microfeminism-ashley-chaney-sexism  12 acts of microfeminism (image on cover) from: https://www.instagram.com/micahlarsen_/ Book mentioned, We Have Never Been Woke: https://www.city-journal.org/article/review-of-we-have-never-been-woke-by-musa-al-gharbi  Popeye horror film: https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/gruesome-popeye-horror-film-trailer-sees-classic-character-brutally-murder-helpless-victims/ar-AA1uO0tq 
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10 months ago
26 minutes 14 seconds

Weird Religion
122 THE SPIRIT (why is that man running and yelling)
When, and why, did Catholics stop saying “and also with you” in response to “The Lord be with you,” and instead start saying, “and with your spirit”? And how would you respond to the ecstatic worship practice of “running the aisles”? We discuss the aesthetic we’d want—in heaven. Brian gaslights himself and all academics about “change.” Leah sings several times and claims to be a “pilgrim.” Some very serious talk about the communion ritual. And craniosacral therapy. And with you vs. And with your spirit: https://www.npr.org/2008/08/11/93419478/catholics-will-no-longer-recite-and-also-with-you  Let Google google for you!! https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/ Matthew 8:8: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208%3A8&version=NIV “Running the Aisles” as an ecstatic worship practice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_the_aisles Cy Twombly, Leaving Paphos: https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2009/cy-twombly-leaving-paphos-ringed-with-waves/ Craniosacral therapy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosacral_therapy
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10 months ago
30 minutes 4 seconds

Weird Religion
121 THE OLIGARCHS (the Swiss create a new way to confess sins)
The Swiss have created a new way to confess sins. Brian does something he vowed he would never do. Digital oligarchs will rule our future. A mysterious man passes by outside dressed like a priest of the Pacific Northwest. The Film Her (2013): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/ “Hey Alexa, Are You Sexist?”: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/alexa-bots-female-voice.html Oligarch for Sort Of Post-Evangelicals Peter Enns: https://www.eastern.edu/peter-enns AI Jesus hears confessions (Vice article): https://www.vice.com/en/article/ai-jesus-is-now-taking-confessions-at-a-church-in-switzerland/  AI Jesus hears confessions in Switzerland (video we played): https://www.dw.com/en/switzerlands-ai-jesus-answers-questions-of-faith/video-70737962  Checking on the term “double dog dare”: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-origins-of-the-term-double-dog-dare
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11 months ago
29 minutes 38 seconds

Weird Religion
120 THE DECHURCHING (the stunning story of why people have left church)
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)!!! We review and comment and teach.  The Great Dechurching (new book): https://www.amazon.com/Great-Dechurching-Leaving-Going-Bring/dp/0310147433  Ryan Burge, PhD: http://ryanburge.net/  Ryan Burge substack, “Graphs About Religion”: https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/  “Good Faith” podcast interview with Great Dechurching author Michael Graham: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-dechurching-with-david-french-and-michael-graham/id1594454747?i=1000631285992 Peter’s Choi’s book on George Whitefield: https://www.amazon.com/George-Whitefield-Evangelist-Religious-Biography/dp/0802875491  Buck Williams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Williams
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1 year ago
30 minutes 22 seconds

Weird Religion
119 THE FIRSTSTONE (news roundup: Bible quoting courtroom antics and living forever)
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”: https://youtu.be/uJ4nFtSsa3U On the woman caught in adultery story: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/passages/main-articles/the-woman-caught-in-adultery-john-81-11/ Bonus story: Natalee Hollaway’s murderer claims to have changed his ways, to born again Christianity: https://www.christianpost.com/news/joran-van-der-sloot-claims-hes-now-born-again-christian.html  The man who thinks he can live forever: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11679715/Tech-tycoon-45-spends-2-million-year-team-doctors-regain-teenage-body.html The longevity industrial complex: https://www.axios.com/2023/09/24/longevity-podcasts-huberman-rogan-science Pastor locks himself into cage with lions to show divine protection: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/pastor-goes-cage-full-lions-31066685  Historian Mary Beard on men getting obsessed with the Roman Empire: https://time.com/6317735/men-roman-empire-mary-beard-history/  Church buildings going empty: https://slate.com/business/2023/07/church-real-estate-development-west-park-presbyterian.html  Taylor Swift promotes witchcraft: https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/taylor-swift-promotes-witchcraft-on-tour-in-willow-performance.html  Religious Group Shinzo Abe assassination: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/10/shinzo-abe-assassination-japan-unification-church-moonies/675114/
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1 year ago
30 minutes 24 seconds

Weird Religion
118 THE COTTON (academic conference attire, Cotton Mather, and the Bible in America)
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 first panic attack, and leaks crucial details from one of his conference presentations—about the Puritan leader Cotton Mather and his belief that the bones of biblical giants had been uncovered in America.  The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL): https://www.sbl-site.org/  The American Academy of Religion (AAR): https://aarweb.org/ The annual meeting online program book (you can search presentations by last name and keyword): https://sbl-site.org/meetings/Congresses_ProgramBook.aspx?MeetingId=43  Cotton Mather: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Mather  Bozeman, To Live Ancient Lives: https://uncpress.org/book/9780807896273/to-live-ancient-lives  Bryce Traister: https://fccs.ok.ubc.ca/about/contact/bryce-traister/  The text of Cotton Mather’s first letter to the Royal Society about the giant bones: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2936986?origin=crossref&seq=1 
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1 year ago
29 minutes 53 seconds

Weird Religion
117 THE BOOKS (live episode! books that have changed our lives)
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 to child sacrifice, it’s a magic carpet ride of books. Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protestant_Ethic_and_the_Spirit_of_Capitalism Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elementary_Forms_of_the_Religious_Life Gianni Vattimo, ideas in this book about the incarnation Brian mentioned: http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-future-of-religion/9780231134941 On the “deep incarnation” idea: https://inters.org/gregersen-incarnation Catherine Bell, Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/ritual-theory-ritual-practice-9780199733620 Jon Levenson, The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300065114/the-death-and-resurrection-of-the-beloved-son Anthea Butler, Women in the Church of God in Christ: https://uncpress.org/book/9780807858080/women-in-the-church-of-god-in-christ/ Brian’s third book that we didn’t have time to talk about! Mark Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-origins-of-biblical-monotheism-9780195134803
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1 year ago
30 minutes 10 seconds

Weird Religion
116 THE MH370 (this year's weirdest airplane-UFO conspiracy so far)
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 hearing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/KQ7Dw-739VY?si=7iKLViEo9ZS-iy8_  Wikipedia page for the whistleblower (David Grusch) claims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Grusch_UFO_whistleblower_claims NPR summary of the UFO hearing: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190390376/ufo-hearing-non-human-biologics-uaps  The Hill article puts the situation accurately in Brian’s opinion: https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4134891-a-monumental-ufo-scandal-is-looming/  Jesse Michels interview with David Grusch: https://youtu.be/kRO5jOa06Qw?si=lu69_M0SlBdCh9qE Joe Rogan interview with Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp: https://open.spotify.com/episode/04gQ8km0XhEitU1Vz4lA3j Malaysian Air (MH370) mystery on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370  Netflix show about MH370: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDg0m2Q3H8c The orbs video where the orbs take the plane: https://youtu.be/iZPHGJHXNXg?si=45OdsZWDvCA0_Q81  Reddit threads on the orbs video are wild: https://reddit.com/r/UFOs/s/drEbOTTmDD  Some have compared this conspiracy to the Netflix show “Manifest”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8421350/ Seems maybe the orbs video has been debunked…but you can always go double conspiracy on it! ​​https://twitter.com/528vibes/status/1693008013278302498?s=20 Article Leah mentioned: “Prophetic Failure and Chiliastic Identity: The Case of Jehovah's Witnesses”: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2776152
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2 years ago
30 minutes 7 seconds

Weird Religion
115 THE SCARIES (movies we’re watching and NOT WATCHING this Halloween)
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 Passion of the Christ: https://youtu.be/YgwXF60RTik?si=vEv3anusf4rTpoI7  The TV version of Stephen King’s IT: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099864/  The original Scream, 1996 (opening scene clip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5SkCvPEYo  Signs (2002): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286106/ The Village, 2004 (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTGyhwvdY6k  Arrival, 2016 (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g Smile (2022 film) (the trailer we played part of): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcDK7lkzzsU  The Black Phone: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7144666/  Brandon Grafius, Reading the Bible with Horror: https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Bible-Horror-Scripture/dp/1978701683  NOPE (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In8fuzj3gck The Haunting of Hill House (TV): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6763664/  Midnight Mass (TV trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89UV8vmWXlY  The Cabin in the Woods (2011): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/  Using liking scary movies romantic compatibility: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2582872/Do-like-horror-movies-surprising-questions-tell-relationship-likely-last.html
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2 years ago
22 minutes 4 seconds

Weird Religion
114 THE AYNRAND (what is it like to grow up in an Objectivist household?)
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, we’ll take you there. Along the way, Brian mispronounces Ayn’s name, David shares several fascinating and vulnerable personal stories, and we review the dystopian novella Anthem, ending with the hard question: Are these principles of radical self-interest compatible with Christianity? David Dault: https://www.luc.edu/ips/about/faculty/daviddaultphd.shtml Things Not Seen Radio: https://www.thingsnotseenradio.com/ Ayn Rand on the pronunciation of her first name: https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2011/1015/Six-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-Ayn-Rand/The-name-s-not-Ann The Ayn Rand Institute: https://aynrand.org/ Max Stirner: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/max-stirner/ Ayn Rand’s Anthem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthem_(novella) “Paul Ryan and Ayn Rand” (Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/what-ayn-rand-says-about-paul-ryan/2012/08/13/fd40d574-e56d-11e1-8741-940e3f6dbf48_blog.html Matthew Sitman, Know Your Enemy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-your-enemy/id1462703434 Jordan Peterson on Ayn Rand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9aHYj93xJY
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2 years ago
30 minutes 23 seconds

Weird Religion
085 THE DEMONTIME (Kathryn Krick, your local exorcist in the park; guest Sam Kestenbaum) [April 2022]
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 in the Los Angeles area to perform healings and exorcisms. The article is 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/. —> In honor of the awards, we’re rebroadcasting this, one of our most popular eps from 2022! In which we talk with Sam about the article and the person behind it.  Updated Notes: Kathryn is still going strong… Kathryn Krick on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ApostleKathrynKrick [[where the majority of her activity seems to be now?]]Kathryn Krick on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_apostlekathrynkrick [[she seems to have stopped posting new material here??]]Sam Kestenbaum on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skestenbaum Kathryn Krick’s church webpage: https://5fchurch.org/leadershipInterview with Sam Kestenbaum: https://therevealer.org/insights-from-a-religion-reporter/ Sam’s website: https://samkestenbaum.com/ Sam’s Wilbur Award: https://religionnews.com/2023/03/28/religion-communicators-council-names-2023-wilbur-awardees/ Sam’s AAR award: https://aarweb.org/AARMBR/Publications-and-News-/Newsroom-/News-/2023/2023-Journalism-Awards.aspx
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2 years ago
34 minutes 15 seconds

Weird Religion
038 THE TRUTH (Ancient Aliens, the History Channel, and all of the possibilities) [September 2019]
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… UPDATED SHOW NOTES Ancient Aliens is doing live shows now, on tour: https://bit.ly/46rjfsE Ancient Aliens on the History Channel: https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens
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2 years ago
31 minutes 24 seconds

Weird Religion
113 THE X (why are the clothes on floor and Real Talk Kim)
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% of its daily users: https://gizmodo.com/threads-has-lost-more-than-80-of-daily-active-users-1850707329 Musk erodes Twitter’s brand with X thing: https://time.com/6297303/twitter-x-rebrand-cost/ Leah’s rapture joke Thread: https://www.threads.net/@drleahpayne/post/Cvca3OrACHj/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D One third of pastors share end-times theology of “Left Behind” (in 2016): https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2016/april/sorry-left-behind-pastors-end-times-rapture-antichrist.html  Premillennial dispensationalism: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003463730910600105  Brian’s Real Talk Kim Thread: https://www.threads.net/@realtalkkim/post/CvFP7Vuv_5m?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D; if the Thread link doesn’t work, it’s here on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realtalkkim/video/7257640531201625390?lang=en  Real Talk Kim: https://realtalkkim.com/ Real Talk Kim talking about her life: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=309314860357378
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2 years ago
26 minutes 58 seconds

Weird Religion
033 THE NOSTALGIA (Stranger Things, Cold War, child abductions) [AUGUST 2019]
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, exactly? UPDATED SHOW NOTE Stranger Things Season 5 (the final season) updates: https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/stranger-things/season-5-release-date-cast-plot-trailer/ (Terminator legend Linda Hamilton joins the cast in an undisclosed role; production suspended currently due to strike; was scheduled to begin filming in June 2023; S5E1 titled “The Crawl”; S5 storyline will take place entirely in Hawkins, with Will Byers as the main focus…)
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2 years ago
33 minutes 37 seconds

Weird Religion
PLEASANT SUMMER INTERLUDE (everything is permissible, a note on episode rhythm, and mustache musings)
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 September, when we’ll get back into an every-week-new-content rhythm for the school year. And we’ll rebroadcast some “classics” in the gaps. We love you. 1 Corinthians ch. 6: http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/1COR+6.html Does a beard include a mustache? https://www.quora.com/Does-the-word-beard-include-moustache-too
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2 years ago
8 minutes 55 seconds

Weird Religion
112 THE GOLD (news roundup: miracle gold dust, huge UFOs, Aspen woo, Seven Mountains theology)
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 listen to us tell you about them: Aspen Ideas Festival spirituality: https://www.axios.com/2023/07/01/aspen-ideas-festival-2023-postcard UFO under a building? https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/ufo-hunter-claims-spaceship-too-30477150  Government to make UFOs public? https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4097653-senators-to-offer-amendment-to-require-government-to-make-ufo-records-public/ 7 AI human extinction scenarios: https://inews.co.uk/news/science/ai-humans-extinct-seven-deadly-scenarios-how-likely-2376633?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  Restaurant hires fake priest to spy on employees: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254594/california-restaurant-had-a-fake-priest-hear-workers-confessions-labor-department-says  Bethel Church tries to take over California town: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/how-bethel-megachurch-conquered-redding-18170873.php “The Woman Who Bought a Mountain for God” (Atlantic), Seven Mountains theology: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/christian-movement-new-apostolic-reformation-politics-trump/674320/  Leah Payne with PRRI on popularity of charismatics: https://www.prri.org/spotlight/the-future-of-born-again-evangelicalism-is-charismatic-and-pentecostal/ “Silicon Valley’s Quest to Build God and Control Humanity”: https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/silicon-valley-artificial-intelligence/  Mysterious creature in Illinois: https://www.theintelligencer.com/opinion/article/mysterious-creature-reported-downtown-alton-18167740.php  Mormons try to save Great Salt Lake from drying up: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/its-promised-land-drying-mormon-church-works-to-save-the-great-salt-lake/ar-AA1d0p0G 
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2 years ago
30 minutes 48 seconds

Weird Religion
081 THE WILEYMAN (The Late Great Planet Earth and Vladimir Putin's spirituality) [March 2022]
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 “spiritual space” in the Russian imagination? Is this a “religious war”? Check out the sources we’re discussing: UPDATED LINKS The Guardian’s Ukraine news page (updated): https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine The so-called “Wagner Uprising” in Russia (attempted coup?): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/25/prigozhins-march-on-moscow-chronology-of-an-attempted-coup 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  Putin wants religious soul of Ukraine: https://religionnews.com/2022/02/24/putin-is-after-more-than-land-he-wants-the-religious-soul-of-ukraine/ 
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2 years ago
29 minutes 58 seconds

Weird Religion
Let us discuss a DANGEROUS TV SHOW. And of course, we’re talking about a very family friendly Jesus TV show—The Chosen. What is the state of the evangelical search for validation, for legitimacy, in the American religious landscape today? Has Christian TV arrived? Can we tell who is an “evangelical” by what they purchase, what they consume? The Last Temptation of Christ (1988 film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095497/  Artifact: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-chosen-dallas-jenkins-interview-season-4-1235909988/ Dallas Jenkins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Jenkins Ronald Numbers, The Creationists: https://books.google.com/books?id=GQ3TI5njXfIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false “Name it and Frame It” Phony Doctorates in the Church: https://www.apologeticsindex.org/2794-name-it-and-frame-it-phony-doctorates-in-the-church The National Association of Evangelicals: https://www.nae.org/  The “Bebbington Quadrilateral”: https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481314435/the-evangelical-quadrilateral/  Leah Payne, “‘Sound of Freedom’ and the Media Fueling Belief in America’s ‘Special Role’ in Human History”: https://www.prri.org/spotlight/sound-of-freedom-and-the-media-fueling-belief-in-americas-special-role-in-human-history/ The “Holiness Movement”: https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=13 Randall J. Stephens, The Fire Spreads: Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674046856