This episode explores gender diversity in present-day Islam and in Jewish history. We chat with Dr. Katrina Thompson to learn how transgender and nonbinary Muslims are transforming Islam and creating spaces specifically for trans and queer Muslims. And we chat with Dr. Max Strassfeld to learn about the eight gender categories the rabbis of the Talmud devised during the first six centuries of the common era, and what their awareness of bodily gendered diversity can tell us about transgender...

What is religious cultural appropriation, and how might many of us be engaged in it right now? Dr. Liz Bucar, author of the forthcoming book Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation, joins us to discuss why religious appropriation is so common. We explore prominent examples of religious borrowing, from non-Muslim women wearing a “solidarity hijab” to white Americans teaching yoga. And we discuss how one can respectfully borrow from religious communities in responsible ways.

What connections can be made between horror films and novels where Catholicism is prominent to actual horrors committed by the Catholic Church? Three experts of American Catholicism – Drs. Jack Downey, Matthew Cressler, and Kathleen Holscher – join us to discuss Catholic horror, both fictional and real. We explore why Catholicism has been such a popular source of inspiration for horror filmmakers and writers, what horror can reveal about contemporary society, and why examining horror can help...

Why are various religious communities, as well as some non-religious Americans, deeply concerned about the place of pornography in the United States? Dr. Kelsy Burke, author of The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future, of America’s Obscene Obsession, joins us to discuss longstanding battles over pornography. We explore why various religious communities oppose pornography, why evangelical Protestants in particular are anxious about masturbation and sex addiction, and what disputes...

What happens when people go to Christian organizations that promise to help them change their sexuality or gender identity? Kristine Stolakis, director of Netflix’s acclaimed documentary Pray Away, and Lynne Gerber, author of Seeking the Straight and Narrow, join us to discuss conversion therapy and ex-LGBTQ ministries. We explore the beliefs these organizations promote about gender and sexuality, why such groups remain prominent today, and how to end conversion therapy for good.

How are Black Buddhists using Buddhism to heal from the traumas of racism? Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad, author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition, joins us to discuss why Black Americans have been turning to Buddhist teachings and practices to deal with living in a white supremacist society. We also explore how Buddhism has helped Black Americans confront misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, and how Black Buddhists have found a sense of stability within a deeply racist world.

Why are Americans with no ethnic ties to Russia converting to the Russian Orthodox Church? Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, author of Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia, joins us to discuss why people who are displeased with American culture are converting to Russian Orthodoxy. We explore their political views, their frustrations with democracy and the separation of church and state, their love of Vladimir Putin, and what all of this means for...

How has hip hop transformed Black Christianity? Dr. Erika Gault, author of the book Networking the Black Church: Digital Black Christians and Hip Hop, joins us to discuss the role hip hop plays among Black Christians. We explore how hip hop and social media have helped people who feel ostracized by traditional Black churches, connections between Christian hip hop and racial justice activism, and what the prevalence of Christian hip hop tells us about the future of Black Christianity in America.

American Jews have contributed significantly to the movie industry. But has Hollywood sufficiently depicted American Jewish life? Dr. Helene Meyers, author of the book Movie-Made Jews: An American Tradition, joins us to discuss the place of Jews on screen and how movies have contributed to shaping American Jewish identities. We explore the role antisemitism has played in the portrayal of Jews on film, if non-Jewish actors should play Jewish parts, why Barbra Streisand has been a cinematic...

Why is Islamophobia so common in the United States? Dr. Caleb Elfenbein, author of the book Fear in Our Hearts: What Islamophobia Tells Us about America, joins us to discuss what Islamophobia reveals about life in America today. We explore why anti-Muslim fear persists throughout the country, how Muslim communities have responded to Islamophobia, and how everyone can combat Islamophobia so that Muslims thrive in the United States.

What role has religion played in the CIA’s missions around the world? Dr. Michael Graziano, author of Errand into the Wilderness of Mirrors: Religion and the History of the CIA, joins us to share captivating stories about religion in America’s Central Intelligence Agency. We explore how the CIA set out to understand religious traditions across the globe in their fight against Soviet communism, what happened when the CIA profoundly misunderstood how religion functions throughout the world, and...

This episode features conversations with three experts on religion and climate change who have investigated how different religious communities have responded to the climate crisis. Our discussion begins with Dr. Amanda Baugh. She has been exploring Latinx Catholics’ conservation actions and examining how environmental activism can become less centered on white Americans. Next, Dr. Adrienne Krone discusses the Jewish farming movement and how Jewish farming organizations are combatting climate...

What role has religion played in shaping sex education in America’s public schools? Dr. Kristy Slominski, author of Teaching Moral Sex: A History of Religion and Sex Education in the United States, joins us to discuss why liberal Protestant leaders wanted sex education in America’s schools. We explore what teachings sex educators promoted about gender and monogamy, how they responded to the visible rise of LGBTQ people, and why abstinence-only education became a mainstay of American sex...

What are evangelical men taught about gender and their place in the world? Dr. Bradley Onishi, a scholar of religion and host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, joins us to discuss why evangelical men valorize aggressive masculinity. We also explore what evangelical men are taught about their sexual desires, how evangelical conceptions of masculinity contribute to cultures of violence, and what evangelical ideas about masculinity have to do with America’s current political climate....

As travel reopens throughout the world, we are taking a look at the popularity of “Holocaust tourism.” Dr. Daniel Reynolds, author of Postcards from Auschwitz: Holocaust Tourism and the Meaning of Remembrance, joins us to discuss why millions of people travel to Nazi concentration camps and other sites of Holocaust memorialization each year, what messages Holocaust memorial sites typically promote, and how Holocaust memorial sites try to address present-day issues of antisemitism, nativism,...

June 2021 marks forty years since the first identified cases of what came to be known as HIV/AIDS. In this episode we chat with Dr. Lynne Gerber about a predominantly gay church in San Francisco and how it responded to the AIDS epidemic. We discuss how that church and its minister helped a gay community devastated by sickness, death and constant funerals, and why knowing this history about the AIDS epidemic matters today.

What are faith-based prisons and why are they legal in the United States? Dr. Brad Stoddard, author of Spiritual Entrepreneurs: Florida’s Faith-Based Prisons and the American Carceral State, joins us to discuss why several states operate “faith and character-based correctional facilities.” We explore who goes to these prisons, how faith-based prisons theoretically promote religious pluralism, and how these institutions promote conservative Christian teachings—especially about gender and...

This episode explores the surging popularity of Prosperity Gospel Pentecostalism among Latino Americans. Dr. Tony Tian-Ren Lin, author Prosperity Gospel Latinos and Their American Dream, joins us to explain what the Prosperity Gospel entails and why it has been so appealing to Latino Americans, especially to new immigrants. We discuss how the Prosperity Gospel gives people a feeling of control over their lives, particularly in the face of profound structural inequalities. And we explore how...

This episode explores issues of gender and sexuality in Mormon communities. Dr. Taylor Petrey, author of Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism, joins us to discuss the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints’ current positions on gender and the place of LGBTQ Mormons. We explore tensions within Mormon communities around these issues, how Mormon leaders tried to teach children how to become gender normative heterosexuals, and Mormon ideas about womanly perfection...

In our first episode of 2021, journalist Olga Segura, author of Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church, joins us to discuss the place of religion in the Black Lives Matter movement. We explore why Church leaders need to partner with Black Lives Matter, how the Catholic Church upholds white supremacy, and how Black Lives Matter is a model for Catholic social justice endeavors.

In our last episode of 2020, we examine the role of crafting within American Judaism. Dr. Jodi Eichler-Levine, author of Painted Pomegranates and Needlepoint Rabbis: How Jews Craft Resilience and Create Community, joins us to discuss why focusing on crafting can give us a fuller understanding of American Judaism, how thinking about crafting can transform stereotypes about Jewish women, and the connections between crafting, Jewish identity, and social justice activism.

This episode features conversations with four people from four different religious traditions. Each is also an expert in religion. They discuss why they are voting for Biden and Harris, how their expertise guides what they would say to others who are wavering on their vote, and what they hope for the country if Biden and Harris win the 2020 election.

Investigative journalist Katherine Stewart, author of the acclaimed book The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, joins us to discuss what Christian nationalists want if Trump stays in office, why many of them are comfortable with the erosion of democracy, and what people can do who oppose Christian nationalism and want a greater separation of church and state.

Dr. Kayla Wheeler joins us for a conversation about why fashion is an important thing to consider when trying to understand religion. The conversation focuses on Black Muslim men’s fashion and explores how some Black Muslim men’s styles have influenced their religious beliefs and the broader culture. The episode also considers the recent corporate retail attention on Muslims by multinational corporations like H&M, if that attention has been a good thing, or if there are better alternatives.

The Museum of the Bible has attracted much scrutiny since it opened in 2017. In this episode, Dr. Jill Hicks-Keeton joins us to discuss the museum’s evangelical endeavors. We also explore why the museum has been embroiled in so many scandals, what role the Green family of Hobby Lobby plays in shaping the museum’s evangelical mission, and what the Museum of the Bible’s prominence in the nation’s capital reveals about conservative Christianity in America today. Supplemental reading: “On Good...