Due to the rapidly-unfolding series of scandals surrounding Jerry Falwell Jr--and his wife Becki--I turned to one of the most qualified people out there who could knowledgeably discuss this story: Kristin Kobes Du Mez, recent guest and author of the recent book Jesus and John Wayne.   Kristin and I try to make sense of the narratives swirling around the many scandals that have not only dogged Falwell Jr for years now, we want to know: why has it take this long for him to be removed as the president of Liberty University? And how does it fit into the larger picture of evangelical toxic masculinity and biblical patriarchy, of which Falwell Jr may have indeed served as a poster boy for years now.   Help Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon!   Contact Information   Follow Kristin on Twitter @kkdumez Follow me @MindShift2018

This week's episode features a conversation with Dr Michael McVicar, assistant professor of religion at Florida State University and author of the 2015 book, Christian Reconstruction: RJ Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism. Dr McVicar's book is incredibly helpful in developing the historical and cultural context that both explains who Rushdoony was, but also why his legacy is so significant in so many ways. Not only was he "the father of Christian Reconstructionism," Rushdoony also had a massive impact on Christian education and homeschooling, the early formation of the Christian Right and evangelical involvement in politics, and also on some of the more far-right, fringe Christian political movements today. Understanding Rushdoony and his life's work is key to being able to grasp what is going on in the intersection of evangelicalism and politics today. Help Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Email Dr McVicar: mmcvicar@fsu.edu Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

My study and research of Christian nationalism has led me both to David Barton, who runs the organization WallBuilders out of Aledo, Texas, and to another figure--Dr Warren Throckmorton of Grove College, a professor of psychology. What do these two people have in common? Barton is a revisionist "historian" who has made a career out of promoting the myth that America not only was founded as a Christian nation, it should return to that status today. Dr Throckmorton has spent many years researching and writing on Barton's often spurious historical claims and dubious historical methods. He co-wrote a book together with Michael Coulter called Getting Jefferson Right that took Barton to task for the many glaring mistakes and fraudulent claims in his book The Jefferson Lies. Find out more in this episode! Help Support Independent Media like MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Dr Throckmorton's Blog On Twitter @wthrockmorton Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

This special bonus episode features journalist Sarah Posner, as we discuss her latest book Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump. So why exactly do they worship at the Trump altar? Turns out that the answer to that question is more complex than it may seem...because as Sarah lays out in the book, it's not just white evangelicals--it's also the alt-right that forms Trump's loyal base. Join us for this discussion of Unholy as we unpack the layers! Help Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow Sarah Posner on Twitter @SarahPosner Follow Me on Twitter @MindShift2018

In this special bonus episode, returning guest David Hayward ("The Naked Pastor") drops back in for a discussion of his new book Til Doubt Do Us Part: When Changing Beliefs Changes Your Marriage.   We discuss what happens when married couples experience the reality of one person who is deconstructing his or her religious beliefs. What happens when the other person isn't on the same page? What about if they have children who still want to go to church? Or, what about atheist couples? One person may start to embrace spirituality, whereas their partner isn't.   All these scenarios and more are covered by David in his excellent book, which serves as a resource for those in relationships who are attempting to work their way through this very difficult issue.   Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon!   Contact Information Follow David on Twitter @nakedpastor Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

This week's show features returning guest: journalist and author Katherine Stewart, who wrote the recent book The Power Worshippers. In this episode, we'll be talking about Katherine's 2012 book, The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children. She uncovers  not only the agenda behind the sectarian, fundamentalist organization known as "The Good News Club"--which targets kids with their gospel message as young as 4 years old and uses public schools to do it--she also demonstrates how a crucial 2001 Supreme Court ruling has literally kicked the doors open for a whole host of other "missional" ministries to make use of public school buildings. Ultimately, not only is the Christian Right targeting vulnerable schoolchildren in the "4-14 window," they are essentially declaring war on public schools, viewing them as "mission fields" filled with students to be proselytized. Help Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow Katherine on Twitter @kathsstewart Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

This week's guest is Julie Anne Smith, known primarily for her blogging and activism through the Spiritual Sounding Board blog.  Julie Anne not only works hard to expose church abuses of all kinds--sexual as well as spiritual--she is herself a survivor, having come through the ranks as a former Christian homeschooling mom. She subsequently began to deconstruct and question a lot of the indoctrination she received through Christian homeschooling curriculum and conferences. In this wide-ranging and informative chat, we cover everything from Bill Gothard, RJ Rushdoony, Michael Farris of the HSLDA, and how the whole movement somehow...is all linked together under the concept of "Christian dominionism." Help Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Details Follow Julie Anne on Twitter @DefendTheSheep Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

This special bonus episode features a conversation with journalist and author Angela Denker, whose recent book Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters who Elected Donald Trump takes a much more personal look at Trump Christian voters in America. Beyond being a journalist and author, Angela is also a Lutheran pastor--and after seeing the disruptive effect of the Trump vote in 2016 on her own church members, and watching it nationwide for the last 3+ years, she's concerned for the future of Christianity in light of the widespread evangelical Trump support.  Thus her book seeks to understand what motivated many Trump-supporting Christians in America who often don't receive a lot of media coverage. While you may not entirely share her concern, perhaps her book will open up dialogue between Trump-supporting Christians and those who don't--which can only be a good thing, given the incredibly polarized state of America today. Help Support MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow Angela on Twitter @Angela_Denker Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

This week's guest is Rob Boston, senior editor of Church and State and long-time prolific writer for the organization Americans United for the Separation of Church & State. Rob has been with AU for more than 30 years, and in that time he's written extensively on not only church and state, but on exposing--and debunking, in some cases--many of the key leaders of the Christian Right and Christian nationalist movements. In this episode, Rob and I cover a wide range of topics related to the importance of maintaining the separation of church and state, which a great number of Christian nationalists have been working to batter down for decades now. Why should you be concerned, or for that matter, care about this topic? I think you will after listening in! Support Independent Media like MindShift Podcast on Patreon Contact Information Follow Rob on Twitter @RobBoston1 Find his articles on the AU Website Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018

In this special bonus episode, I'm happy to share my interview of Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of an outstanding book released on Tuesday, the 23rd of June 2020, and timed to coincide with its release. Titled Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, the book explores the legacy of "evangelical masculinity"--and chronicles how, in the last century or so, white evangelicals have been on a quest to "reclaim their lost manhood." We'll cover not only how this movement came about and how it developed most clearly over the last 40 years, but also discuss the legacy of this movement--biblical patriarchy, along with its numerous abuses and scandals. This is also the legacy that led to that infamous 81% of white evangelicals voting for Trump in 2016. Find out more about the book on Amazon Follow Kristin on Twitter @kkdumez Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Support Independent Media Like MindShift Podcast on Patreon