Straight White American Jesus
Bradley Onishi + Daniel Miller
An in-depth examination of the culture and politics of Christian Nationalism and Evangelicalism by two ex-evangelical ministers-turned-religion professors. If you have ever wondered what social and historical forces led white evangelicals to usher Donald Trump into the White House this is the show for you. As former insiders and critical scholars of religion, Dan Miller and Bradley Onishi have a unique perspective on the Religious Right. Guests have included Chrissy Stroop, R. Marie Griffith, Janelle Wong, Randall Balmer, Katherine Stewart, and many others.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 16, 2026 • 1h 10min
Faith in the Streets: A Pastor's Firsthand Account of ICE's Terror and the Neighbors Resisting It
A vivid on-the-ground report from Minneapolis about mass ICE deployments and community resistance. They trace how clergy and multifaith networks mobilized, describing frontline tactics, arrests, and rapid national solidarity. The conversation connects local organizing to global lessons and offers practical steps for other cities preparing to defend democracy.
Feb 15, 2026 • 50min
The Sunday Interview: Ableism, WCN, and MAHA
Dr. Andrew Whitehead, sociologist who studies religion and politics. He explores links between Christian nationalism and discrimination against disabled Americans. The conversation covers Project 2025, how prosperity theology and market ideals shape views of worth, and how policy tools like vouchers and rhetoric exclude disabled people. It also highlights theological alternatives that reimagine disability and call for collective responsibility.
27 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 1h 12min
Weekly Roundup: Epstein, ICE & the Super Bowl Culture War: What MAGA Prioritizes
They unpack Pam Bondi’s evasive congressional performance amid the Epstein files and the political theater around protecting children. They cover Twin Cities clergy forming prayer circles and human shields against ICE. They analyze the right’s fury over Bad Bunny’s Spanish Super Bowl set and what cultural backlash reveals about political priorities.
Feb 11, 2026 • 34min
It's in the Code ep 179: “A Father’s Virtues?”
A close reading of Josh Hawley’s claims about fatherhood and the virtues he ties to it. Questions about who counts as a father and whether those traits are uniquely male. Analysis of the cisgender and heteronormative assumptions behind his account. Discussion of how exclusionary rhetoric can push people toward controlling religious communities.
25 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 41min
James Dobson, Jeffrey Epstein, and the Theology of Abuse
They explore why Epstein circulated a James Dobson article to a young woman he was grooming and what that says about teachings that shift blame onto victims. The conversation traces how patriarchal theology normalizes male authority and enables grooming. It also examines how American “family values” rhetoric spread to post‑Soviet Russia and fed authoritarian, gendered power structures.
25 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 1h 16min
The Sunday Interview: How Blood and Soil Nationalism Went Mainstream w/Seth Cotlar
Seth Cotlar, a history professor who studies the American right and extremist movements, walks through the long migration of blood-and-soil nationalism into mainstream politics. Short, clear takes on archival discoveries, Oregon’s political shifts, media’s role in normalizing conspiracies, and the roots of antisemitic and “heritage American” rhetoric. Thought-provoking and historically grounded.
15 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 1h 11min
Weekly Roundup: National Prayer Breakfast, ICE Theology, and the Super Bowl Halftime Debacle
A sharp roundup of how prayer and power collided at the National Prayer Breakfast and what that reveals about religion becoming entwined with state authority. They unpack performative praise, threats to tax-exempt status, and the rise of ethno-nationalist theology used to justify ICE and deportation. The conversation also touches on Super Bowl culture wars and the shift from evangelism to exclusionary parallel Christian culture.
17 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 36min
It's in the Code ep 178: “There’s No Such Thing”
A critique of a political vision that frames patriarchal authority as service and sacrifice. A close look at how soft, inviting language masks high-control religious aims. Stories about what happens when kinder rhetoric collapses and leaders reveal coercive pressures. A personal account of leaving high-control religion for a more affirming path.
Feb 3, 2026 • 44min
Reign of Error 002: Pete Hegseth, Doug Wilson, and the God of War
Julie Ingersoll, professor of Religious Studies and author who studies religion and politics, unpacks Doug Wilson’s Christian Reconstructionism and its reach into Pentagon culture. She outlines how biblical law, patriarchal governance, and a belligerent “God of war” theology shape views on military power, domestic authority, and foreign conquest. The conversation traces the movement’s move from the margins into corridors of power.
12 snips
Feb 1, 2026 • 50min
Purity Culture and the Politics of White Innocence: Renee Good, Patriarchy, and Mar a Lago Face
Sarah Moslener, historian and author of After Purity and creator of the Pure White podcast, explores purity culture as a racialized system. She traces how white womanhood became a national symbol of innocence. They discuss aesthetics of compliance, January 6 performances of innocence, contrasting racialized state violence, and the risks for white women who defect from racial privilege.
