Know Your Enemy

TEASER: Sin and Salvation in the Righteous Gemstones (w/ Jesse Brenneman)

Jul 21, 2023

02:20

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Guest: Jesse Brenneman, talks about the culture of American megachurch, evangelical Christianity, cheap grace vs. real grace, the pathologies of evangelical purity culture, and more. They also discuss the character of Eli and his beliefs in The Righteous Gemstones.

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Quick takeaways

Eli's beliefs and relationship with truth are complex, raising questions about genuine faith and adherence to narratives.

Eli exhibits moments of shame, introspection, and growth, setting him apart from his hustle-oriented children.

Deep dives

Eli's Complex Beliefs and Ambiguity

The podcast explores the intriguing character of Eli and his complex beliefs. While it remains uncertain what Eli truly believes, there are moments where he displays a sense of propriety and discipline, implying he may believe more than his children. The host ponders similar questions about public figures like Pat Robertson, questioning if their beliefs are genuine or if they simply adhere to the narrative of their respective shows. Eli does not come across as cynical, but rather the question of belief seems off the table, focusing more on the functionality of his relationship with truth. Despite his flaws, Eli exhibits moments of remorse and wistfulness, along with a capability for shame.

Exploring the Character of Eli and his Beliefs

2min

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Matt and Sam welcome their intrepid producer and great friend Jesse Brenneman back to the third mic to talk about HBO's The Righteous Gemstones. In addition to being a wildly entertaining entry to the Danny McBride cinematic and television universe, the show perceptively explores the culture of American megachurch, evangelical Christianity—and offers your hosts plenty of fodder to discuss where faith ends and cynicism begins, the relationship between evangelicalism and consumer capitalism, cheap grace vs. real grace, whether or not people can change, the pathologies of evangelical purity culture, and much more. Plus: Jesse takes us behind the scenes of his brilliant, very funny podcast Tech Talk and its surprising connections to Elon Musk, Eli Gemstone, and others.

Sources:

John Jeremiah Sullivan, "Upon This Rock," GQ, January 24, 2004

Austin Considine, "Danny McBride Keeps It Righteous," New York Times, June 14, 2023

Doreen St. Félix, "The Lost Sheep of Danny McBride's The Righteous Gemstones," New Yorker, January 17, 2022

Matthew Sitman, "Speaking of New York: An Interview with Fran Lebowitz," Commonweal, February 7, 2019