Exvangelical

In this episode, I speak with Amar D. Peterman, author of the new book Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local. Follow Amar online: https://amardpeterman.substack.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@amarpeterman https://www.instagram.com/amarpeterman/ Affiliate links, which support the show: Buy the book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780802884121 Buy Exvangelical & Beyond by Blake Chastain: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 Amar's book rec: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body by Rubem Alves (poetry): https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592443314 Support this channel directly by subscribing at blakechastain.com. Follow Blake on social: https://www.tiktok.com/@brchastain_ https://www.instagram.com/brchastain_/ https://bsky.app/profile/brchastain.social 00:00 Meet Amar Peterman 01:05 Growing Up Between Traditions 02:22 Megachurch Formation And Tensions 04:36 Moody Bible Institute Culture Shock 07:35 Finding A Mentor At Moody 11:19 Princeton Seminary New Frameworks 18:17 Evangelical History And PhD Questions 22:54 Stumbling Into Interfaith Work 32:58 Turning To Becoming Neighbors 34:29 The Table And Local Common Good 36:46 Take a Seat at the Table 37:42 Desire and Non-Utilitarian Love 39:08 Pluralism Without Debate 40:10 Common Good Beyond Majority Rule 40:35 From Politics to Knowing Neighbors 43:14 Serve and Decenter Yourself 46:05 Practices for Long Haul Love 48:31 Learning From Deconstruction 49:44 Prophetic Voices Outside Church 54:23 Navigating Evangelical Pushback 57:49 Pronouns and Staying Open 01:01:13 Lightning Round for Authors 01:08:34 Wrap Up and Where to Follow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm talking to B.K. O'Connor, author of Eve: A Novel. Buy Eve: A Novel on bookshop.org to support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592116690 Follow BK O'Connor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkivoconnor/ She and I appeared together on a panel in Brooklyn last month, which you can read about here: https://www.blakechastain.com/at-the-urbane-arts-club/ 00:00 Housekeeping Updates 01:00 Show Expansion Plans 02:19 Meet BK O'Connor 03:09 Growing Up Multi Faith 04:58 Losing Faith Through Milton 06:00 Eve Across Traditions 09:44 Quest for Truth 10:42 Why Write Eve 15:04 Eve as Divine Feminine 20:00 Chalice Versus Blade 24:46 Gods Beyond Eden 28:37 Rewriting Sacred Stories 34:02 Reclaiming Sacred Texts 36:02 Mary Magdalene and Asherah 39:24 Eve Against Patriarchy 41:27 Motherhood and Monogamy 43:43 Rip Up the Script 47:06 Lilith Versus Eve 51:37 Next Myth Retellings 55:25 Lightning Round Books 59:55 Teaching Lifelong Reading 01:02:17 Final Plugs and Farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

I’ve got a wide-ranging interview with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg to share with you today. It’s been a few years since I spoke with her, and the geopolitical landscape has changed considerably in that time. In the first half of the conversation, we talk about the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza, and broadly about how Jewish communities in the US have responded. We also talk touch on Iran, as well as how the revelations of the Epstein Files and how to ensure that antisemitism doesn’t creep into our reactions to these stories coming to light. We also talk about how certain terms and language may no longer be adequate and the challenges of speaking on these hot-button issues at all, online or elsewhere. In the second half, we talk about Rabbi Danya’s work at her online publication, Life is a Sacred Text, the concept of moral injury, and how she works with people of differing beliefs through her work. Rabbi Danya speaks with compassion, care, nuance, and solidarity and I hope that this conversation is received in that spirit. Note: I made a newbie mistake and my audio recorded from the wrong mic - I did the best I could to clean it up! As always, you can support this show by subscribing across social media & YouTube, and most directly by purchasing my book or a paid subscription at blakechastain.com. I donate 25% of net revenue annually. Buy my book, Exvangelical & Beyond: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 Sign up for all my content at blakechastain.com Visit Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/ "The Antisemitism Post" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/the-antisemitism-post/ "Moral Injury" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/moral-injury/ Recommended Reading List on Palestine & Israel: https://bookshop.org/lists/palestine-and-israel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today I'm chatting with Jenny Booth Potter, a return guest and resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.Jenny had a video go viral back on 2/9/26, and I wanted to hear from her about how things are still going. That video is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjp59AjLlb/?hl=enThis interview was recorded & published on 2/27/26, and lightly edited in Descript. MN Mutual Aid: https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidBuy Jenny's book [bookshop.org affiliate link]: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781514000007 00:00 Intro and Guest Return 01:06 Setting the Minneapolis Context 02:23 Living on Edge in Twin Cities 04:44 Community Watch and Solidarity 09:53 2020 Uprising to Today 12:40 Why the Footage Disappeared 16:37 Covert Tactics and Deception 19:49 Ongoing Trauma and Material Needs 25:20 What Viewers Can Do 38:22 Proactive Care Over Reaction 42:12 Wrap Up and Resources 44:04 Final Reflections and Hope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm joined by Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Her book was published in February 2025 and offers incredible insights into the various networks of influence and power that laid the groundwork for a second Trump victory. We discuss how those same networks are still at work in the US today and try to connect it to more recent developments, including the Epstein Files. Katherine had a brief window of availability, so this interview is a bit shorter. Buy Money, Lies, and God here at my bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546 Laura K. Field's book, mentioned by Katherine Stewart is called Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, and can be bought here: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780691255262 See books from other authors on The Good Books: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546 And check out books from other authors who have appeared on my other shows: https://bookshop.org/shop/brchastain Buy my book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 If you want to keep up to date with my work, please be sure to subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and head over to blakechastain.com to see more of what I’m up to. 00:00 Teaser: The Power of Fear and Control 01:11 Guest Introduction: Katherine Stewart 02:09 The Five Groups in Anti-Democratic Movements 02:53 The Role of Funders and Foot Soldiers 05:27 Sergeants, Power Players, and Thinkers 06:46 Changes Since Trump's Election 08:35 Mindsets and Dispositions in Christian Nationalism 11:12 The Persecution Complex and Authoritarian Leadership 13:18 The Role of Elites and Information Bubbles 28:41 Recent Developments and the Epstein Files 31:45 Conclusion: Forward-Looking Strategies for Democracy 36:08 Outro and Call to Action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm happy to share my interview with Josiah Hesse, author of the new book On Fire for God: Fear, Shame, Poverty, and the Making of the Christian Right. Josiah was a guest on Exvangelical back in 2018, and we met up in Chicago last week to discuss his new book. I'm also going to be appearing alongside Josiah in just over a month in Brooklyn for an event at Urbane Arts Club. That event, called From Pews to Prose, will also feature Mattie Jo Cowsert & B.K. O'Connor and is happening on Sunday March 8th. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post, at blakechastain.com to keep up with all my work. 25% of net proceeds from direct support are donated each year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I’m happy to share with you the pilot episode of the new show, Reign of Error with Sarah Posner (Apple Podcasts link), produced by our friends over at Axis Mundi Media. Longtime listeners will know Sara Posner from her 2020 appearance in my series, Powers & Principalities, where she discussed her book Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind.  The state of play in the United States is in constant flux. This conversation between Sarah and Brad Onishi covers a lot of what happened in the fall and winter in places like Chicago, prior to all that is now unfolding as ICE attempts to occupy Minneapolis.  Sarah is a longtime observer and journalist and I’m glad that she is now producing a weekly show to provide context and commentary for what is happening in America. I hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I’m happy to share with you the pilot episode of the new show, Reign of Error with Sarah Posner (Apple Podcasts link), produced by our friends over at Axis Mundi Media. Longtime listeners will know Sara Posner from her 2020 appearance in my series, Powers & Principalities, where she discussed her book Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind.  The state of play in the United States is in constant flux. This conversation between Sarah and Brad Onishi covers a lot of what happened in the fall and winter in places like Chicago, prior to all that is now unfolding as ICE attempts to occupy Minneapolis.  Sarah is a longtime observer and journalist and I’m glad that she is now producing a weekly show to provide context and commentary for what is happening in America. I hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In the first interview of 2026, I talk to Sara Moslener about her latest book, After Purity: Race, Sex, and Religion in White Christian America. (Buy the book from bookshop.org here 25% of net proceeds from direct support are donated. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:00 Sarah's Religious Upbringing 04:53 The Influence of Pro-Life Movement 07:16 College and Theater: A Path to Self-Discovery 16:25 Pursuing Academia and Feminist Theology 21:10 The Concept of Purity and Its Implications 26:24 Racial Dynamics in Purity Culture 35:50 Connecting Sexual Purity to Racial Identity 37:28 The Importance of Historical Context 38:17 Teaching Religion, Race, and Discrimination 39:53 How to Support the Show 41:18 The Process of Academic Research 45:09 Challenges and Ethics in Purity Culture Research 49:39 The Intersection of Academia and Therapy 54:44 Lightning Round: Author's Preferences and Insights 01:04:54 The Value of Education and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This episode was originally released on The Good Books. In this episode, I chat with author Angela Denker about her latest book, ⁠Disciples of White Jesus⁠. Subscribe to Angela's ⁠newsletter⁠. Support the show via my newsletter: ⁠postevangelicalpost.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this latest interview, I speak with Lucas FW Wilson about the anthology Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors' Stories of Conversion Therapy. The interview starts about 5:00 minutes in after a long intro/update. This episode was originally released last week in the new feed for The Good Books, which you can follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Purchase the book via Bookshop.org [affiliate link]: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781805011323⁠ Follow Lucas on Instagram & Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@lukeslamdunkwilson⁠ Subscribe to my newsletter: ⁠postevangelicalpost.com⁠ Buy my book, Exvangelical & Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Originally published on YouTube on 3/7/2025. I'm between author interviews, and March is traditionally a difficult month for me. Here is a brief minisode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode of The Good Books, I spoke with Dr. Matthew D. Taylor, author of The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy.  We talk about the growth of independent charismatic Christianity, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and its role in J6 and ongoing support for Trump, and what's happened in the first month of Trump 2.0. I am now publishing video to YouTube! Subscribe here.Buy Dr. Taylor's book from my Bookshop.org affiliate shop.Buy my book, Exvangelical + Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back.Support this channel 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this minisode recorded on MLK Day/Inauguration Day 2025, I consider where counterpublics might be able to thrive in today's media landscape.I've written about counterpublics before in my book, and in my newsletter. Programming Note: I have work-related travel over the next two weeks, but will have more interviews and longer episodes to share starting soon.Support my work at $5/month at postevangelicalpost.com; 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode I talk about what's next for this show and for, well, all of us. Some of my comments are from my latest newsletter missives:Well, here we are - Post Ev PostComing Soon: (More of) The Good Books - Post Ev PostExvangelicals, nones, secular Americans are undertapped in fight against Christian nationalism - RNSSubscribe to my newsletter: postevangelicalpost.comBuy my book: Exvangelical & Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting BackExvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC and part of Irreverent Media Group.Email me: [email protected] you looking for an IRL gathering of ex-evangelicals & other like-minded folks? Check out Content Warning, coming to Atlanta, GA in February 2025 - and use promo code EXVIE10 at checkout for $10 off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this quick episode, I talk about the 2024 US Election. Show notes:My latest entry at The Post-Evangelical PostEmily Joy Allison addressing white exvangelicals on Instagram. Kristin Du Mez: Preparing for Tuesday Robert P. Jones: The Survey Findings Keeping Me Up at Night-Buy my book: Exvangelical & Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting BackSubscribe to my newsletter: The Post-Evangelical Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today I'm publishing an archival episode with Reza Aslan, who called my book Exvangelical & Beyond "[a]n insightful exploration of faith, identity, and activism in a nation at the crossroads of religious fervor and social change…At once alarming and hopeful, this is a book that every American must read, regardless of religious affiliation.”Exvangelical & Beyond is available in stores now! Check out my newsletter, which links to all my recent appearances.In the season 1 finale of Powers & Principalities (originally published on 11/30/2020), I spoke with Reza Aslan about what we've learned about the United States during the Trump administration. In particular, we discussed what it means that 70 million Americans voted for Trump to be re-elected, the cult-like characteristics of Trumpism, the 'geography of identity' of Trumpism, the role of the media, and much more.Reza Aslan is author of several books, including God: A Human History, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and Beyond Fundamentalism. He is also Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside and executive producer of Rough Draft with Reza Aslan and the CNN documentary series, Believer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

My book, Exvangelical & Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement That's Fighting Back, is out TODAY, wherever books are sold. Buy here or at your local bookstore.In this short episode, I express my gratitude for this opportunity and share my hopes for this book.Read an excerpt today in TeenVogue, and read my newsletter about my first book event at Anderson's Bookshop as well as other recent podcast appearances.Follow me on Instagram & Threads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this minisode, I talk about the 2023 Census of American Religion published by PRRI. This is an adaptation & expansion of my latest post at The Post-Evangelical Post. Exvangelical & Beyond comes out in under a month! Pre-order now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today's guest is the author Tia Levings, writer of the new book A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. You may also know her from the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People and her newsletter The Anti-Fundamentalist. Her memoir is visceral and powerful, and just joined the bestseller list. Buy it here (this link supports the show).Content warning: Tia's story is a survivor story and includes aspects of trauma and abuse.Please note that Descript (my editing software) was over-zealous in removing "filler words" so while I usually remove my "ums" as much as possible, I had to publish this episode with them intact.Pre-order my book, Exvangelical & Beyond, which hits stores on 9/24/2024!Support the show via my newsletter: postevangelicalpost.comFollow me on Instagram/Threads: @brchastain_Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

My book, Exvangelical new interview episodes are coming soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I talk to Tyler Huckabee from Clusterhuck. We go deep into the X-Men comics, especially the Krakoan Era (the most recent status quo in the X-Men line that ran from 2019-2024. Start with the House of X / Powers of X collected edition.)This is just a fun nerdy time.Subscribe to Tyler's newsletter, Clusterhuck.-Book News: I will be having an event at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL on 9/23/24 at 7:00 p.m.! Register here.Support my work via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post. 25% of net proceeds are donated annually.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I got to speak to Timothy Morton. They are the author of over 20 books, including their most recent, Hell: In Search of A Christian Ecology. Timothy is a recent convert to Christianity after decades exploring Buddhism and other philosophies, and their prior book Hyperobjects was very helpful in the development of my manuscript. We talk about environmentalism, neologisms, hyperobjects, and much more.This is a wide-ranging and lightly-edited interview. Content note: this conversation includes discussion of child abuse, sexual abuse, and complex PTSD. Learn more about Timothy Morton's other books and works here.Pre-order my book, Exvangelical & Beyond, here. Kirkus Reviews has written a starred review of the book, which you can read here.Support my work via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post (free subscriptions are also available). 25% of net proceeds are donated annually.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today I'm sharing my recent conversation with Cait West, author of Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy.This is a great debut memoir from West and a wonderful addition to this growing genre of books. I was very grateful to be able to talk to her. You can buy the book (and support this show) by using this affiliate link.TarcherPerigee & Goodreads are doing an advanced copy giveaway for my book, Exvangelical & Beyond! Enter to win 1 of 25 advance copies today through 6/21/24. Enter here.Keep up with all my activities via my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post. Subscribe for free or upgrade to paid at $5/month or $50/year (25% of net proceeds are donated). Follow Blake on Threads & Instagram @brchastain_Follow Cait West on Threads & Instagram @caitwestwrites Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

May has been busy! Today I'm highlighting a conversation I had last year with Scott Okamoto, author of Asian American Apostate. In an extended intro, I also share the news about the cover reveal of my forthcoming book, Exvangelical & Beyond. You can pre-order it here.Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter: postevangelicalpost.comFollow me on Threads: @brchastain_Message me at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In today's episode I talk to Jason Kirk, author of the novel Hell Is a World Without You. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a hormonal evangelical teenage boy in the late-90s/early oughts (or want to revisit your mindset if you were that teenage boy), this is the book for you.This is a fun conversation. You can purchase the book through your local bookseller, via Post Ev Post's bookshop.org page, or via this Amazon link if you are in the Kindle ecosystem.Subscribe to Jason's newsletter here.Support this show with a paid subscription to Post-Ev Post.Exvangelical is a production of The Post Evangelical Post, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This is a re-release of my October 2022 interview with author Becca Andrews about her book No Choice: The Destruction of Roe v. Wade and the Fight to Protect a Fundamental American Right.I was reminded of the importance of this book and others like it after reading a Wired article titled "‘In 24 Hours, You’ll Have Your Pills’: American Women Are Traveling to Mexico for Abortions." These are the lengths people who need reproductive care must go to in a post-Roe world. Becca's book details the stories of people in need of reproductive care and their allies, both before Roe and in places where abortion and other care was restricted prior to Roe's fall.Content note: I want to note that this episode deals directly with abortion and other aspects of reproductive care. For people in my age cohort—Elder Millennials and younger who grew up in conservative white evangelicalism, abortion was absolutely vilified, as were the people who needed them. This conversation starts there, and then looks at the history of reproductive care in the United States from the 19th century through today.I mention this near the end of my conversation with Becca, but I also want to mention it at the top - her book tells the stories of people in need of reproductive health care—including abortion—with tenderness and compassion. They are told in their contexts within the book; we do not appropriate them for this conversation. I highly recommend that you go out and purchase this book to read them for yourself. Learn more about Becca's work at https://becca-andrews.com/Purchase the book via PEP’s Bookshop.org page or via this Amazon affiliate link to support the show - and subscribe below to keep up to date with my work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today I'm talking to Sarah McCammon, NPR political correspondent and author of The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. We talk about her personal experiences within white evangelicalism as well as how that informed her role as a journalist covering the 2015-2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, as well as how media coverage of religion & social life has changed since then.You can purchase her book, and support this show, by purchasing it from The Post-Evangelical Post's Bookshop.org page here.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post. Support my work via a paid subscription at $5/month or $50/year at postevangelicalpost.com. 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm joined by Matthew Sheffield from Flux. We discuss Mormonism & evangelicalism, his experiences in right-wing media, and the 2024 election. It's a broad-reaching conversation that I hope you enjoy. Follow Matthew's work at Flux, including the podcasts Theory of Change, Doomscroll, and So This Just Happened. Links:I appeared on Theory of Change last October, check it out here.We discuss the findings from this CNN article re: the SC GOP primaries and Matthew's piece about authoritarianism.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Support my work with a paid subscription at $5/month or $50/year at postevangelicalpost.comFollow Blake on Threads @brchastain_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm re-releasing my conversation with Beth Allison Barr, author of the book The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. I'm joined by two guest co-hosts, Emily Autenrieth and Laura Agase.The theology and practice of complementarianism in conservative Christian circles has shaped the lives of millions of women. For over a century, it has oppressed women and become a requirement for involvement and belonging in conservative churches. Dr. Barr's expertise in church history illustrates that - despite the claims of complementarianism's proponents - this is a newer understanding of Christian history and scripture, and not an unchanging, millennia-long orthodox belief.This is a book that has spurred conversation inside and outside the church. You can purchase the book here or from A Seat at the Table Books.Follow Dr. Barr on Threads: @bethallisonbarrOrder books from A Seat at the Table Books.Follow Blake on Threads @brchastain, and follow the podcast on Twitter & Instagram @exvangelicalpod.Exvangelical is part of Irreverent Media Group. Learn more at irreverent.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Today's guest is Lenny Duncan, author of the new book Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop.This is a wide-ranging conversation, and I can't wait for you to listen.This conversation is another entry in my new series, The Good Books. A new feed should be available soon.To support this show, head over to postevangelicalpost.com and subscribe for free or $5/month. The site is currently hosted on Substack, but I am exploring options to move to a new platform.Drop me at line at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Hello, 2024!Today I'm overjoyed to share my conversation with Kevin Garcia about their new book, What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting with Your Divine Self. This book is all about establishing new spiritual practices after leaving rigid fundamentalism, and I hope you check it out after listening to our chat.This episode has a longer intro explaining the multiple hiatuses in 2023, finishing my manuscript, my plans for a new show called The Good Books, and updates about eventually moving from Substack. The interview starts at around the 4:30 mark (dynamic ads may affect that start time).Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week's guest is is Dr. Laura Anderson, author of the book When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. We talk about the definitions of trauma and abuse, what drew her to this work, the importance of embodiment, and more.Find all the ways to follow Laura online at https://drlauraeanderson.com/Support this podcast with a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter. Subscribe for free or upgrade to $5/month or $50/year to get ad-free podcast feeds. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com-As noted in the intro, I want to acknowledge that two days after my last episode was published, the war in Gaza began. I'm not the person to listen to in this moment. Here are some essays that have spoken to me and helped me understand this moment:"a lot of things are true." by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg"Speech and Speechlessness," by Talia Lavin"The Children Are Ours," by Camille HernandezChurches for Middle East Peace, October 12th letter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

It's been a minute--well, more than a minute. Almost 4 months. Glad to be back to share this interview with Matthias Roberts, author of the new book Holy Runaways: Rediscovering Faith After Being Burned by Religion.We talk about Matthias' story, the language we use to describe our experiences, 'progressive fundamentalism,' and the reality of ~ the slippery slope ~.Let me know what you think - email me at [email protected] more about Matthias's work at matthiasroberts.com.You can support my work by subscribing to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post; subscribe for free, or upgrade to a paid subscribscription at $5/month at postevangelicalpost.com/subscribe. Paid subscriptions get ad-free podcast feeds and subscriber-only content.---I did continue to write during my hiatus. Here are some updates:The Extreme SelfThe Impossibility of Fallow Periods OnlineAn update on Exvangelical & BeyondThe Comfort of Fictional Religions: The Spark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Happy Pride, everyone!I'm re-releasing this 2021 interview with Erin Green and Paul Southwick of The Religious Exemption Accountability Project. CW: this conversation includes discussion of sexual and gender discrimination and other forms of abuse.We talk about how LGBTQ+ students are treated by college administrations, how LGBTQ+ students end up at religious colleges, the history of religious colleges resisting civil rights, and why a formal legal challenge is important.In March 2021, REAP filed "a historic, class-action lawsuit representing 33 LGBTQ students and alumni from religious colleges demanding that the U.S. Department of Education to stop granting religious exemptions to taxpayer-funded religious colleges and universities that discriminate against and abuse their LGBTQ students. Learn more about the lawsuit and meet our plaintiffs here." In January 2023, that initial complaint was dismissed, but an appeal has been filed. For the full timeline of their case, visit https://www.thereap.org/lawsuit.REAP is also very active on social media and recently ran a #cantpraythegayaway campaign. Follow them on Instagram.Support the podcast via a subscription to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post. For $5/month or $50/year you'll get ad-free podcast feeds, subscriber only writing, and more. Read my latest essay, "I Still Haven't Socially Recovered from Lockdown," that I mentioned in the intro. You can also subscribe for free. Visit postevangelicalpost.com to subscribe.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I welcome R. Scott Okamato back to the show to discuss his book Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University. We talk about his life as a professor at an evangelical college, the classroom experience, pushing back against Whiteness as an Asian American man, and how he found community on and off campus.Scott is also the host of the Chapel Probation podcast. Blake was a guest! Check out Scott's prior appearance on Exvangelical.Buy Scott's book from Bookshop.org and support this show. Use Kindle? Use this link.Support this show via a paid subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post at $5/month or $50/year. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this short episode, I talk about some of the books I'm reading right now. I wrote about them earlier this week for Post-Ev Post.The books discussed:Asian American Apostate by R. Scott Okamoto.Bookshop | AmazonThe Flowering Wand by Sophie StrandBookshop | AmazonFinding the Fool by Meg Jones WallBookshop | Amazon The Heartland by Kristin L. HogansonBookshop | AmazonExvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC and a member of Irreverent Media Group.Support the show by subscribing to The Post-Evangelical Post for $5/month or $50/year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I catch up with Holly Laurent from MEGA, the satirical improv show about a fictional megachurch. We last spoke in 2019, and a lot has changed since then.We talk about improv, comedy & satire, and the upcoming MEGA spinoff, The Rise and Fall of Twin Hills.Find out more about MEGA at their website.Support this show via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post. Subscribe for free or upgrade to $5/month or $50/year to get ad-free podcast feeds and more.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC, and a member of the Irreverent Media Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

New interviews are recorded and being planned, but not ready to be published. Various other commitments in life have taken precedent. In lieu of an interview, I'm publishing an audio version of an essay I wrote called "On Public & Private Griefs" last fall on The Post-Evangelical Post.Thanks for listening. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. The Post-Evangelical Post is a newsletter about belief, technology, and society--with a focus on US white evangelicalism. Subscribe for free or upgrade at $5/month or $50/year to receive ad-free podcast feeds and more. 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com/support. Exvangelical is a part of Irreverent Media Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I interview Gloria Beth Amodeo, author of the memoir God's Ex-Girlfriend: A Memoir about Loving and Leaving the Evangelical Jesus. We talk about her college-age conversion to evangelicalism through Cru, how purity culture and gender norms are enforced, and much more in this wide-ranging conversation.Support Gloria Beth Amodeo & Exvangelical by buying her book from The Post-Evangelical Posts's bookshop.org page - or if you prefer ebooks, from my Amazon affiliate link.Follow Gloria Beth on Twitter. Support this show and all of Blake's work with a $5/month subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post on Substack. Benefits include ad-free feeds, Discord access, a subscriber-only podcast, and exclusive writing. 25% of net proceeds are donated. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com/support.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week’s guest is Lenny Duncan, author of the new book Dear Revolutionaries: A Field Guide for A World Beyond the Church. In this brief talk, Lenny and I discuss church, the thought leader industrial complex, and more.A couple notes: we had a short window to talk, and I captured as much as I could during that time. You may hear some occasional sounds in the audio including from some bangles Lenny was wearing; I think it adds to the ambience personally, but your mileage may vary. Buy Lenny's book on Bookshop.org to support the show.Follow Lenny's Substack, A Sorcerer's Notebook.You can support my work by using the show notes link to buy Lenny’s book from Bookshop.org above , or by subscribing to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter at $5/month or $50 year at postevangelicalpost.com. I donate 25% of net proceeds; check out the Support page to learn more. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this short episode, I talk about producing 200 episodes of this show: how it started, where it's been, what might be next.A new interview episode will be posted this week.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC.Support this work via a subscription at $5/month or $50/year at postevangelicalpost.com. Benefits include ad-free podcast feeds, supporter-only podcast & writing, and Discord access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode from 2020, I chat with Anne Helen Petersen about her book Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation (Amazon, Bookshop). We discuss her spiritual & religious background, her viral essay on BuzzFeed that led to this book, how the way we use social media contributes to burnout, how our economic systems fail us, and more. You can follow Anne on Twitter @annehelen and subscribe to her newsletter, Culture Study.Follow Blake on Twitter @brchastain, Instagram @brchastain_, and subscribe to his newsletter The Post-Evangelical Post.This episode was produced by Jake Lewis. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

IN this chill conversation with return guest Kevin Garcia, I talk to them about what we should expect from community, how online communities don't reflect the ones we might have left, and how this balances out with our desire for personal autonomy after leaving unhealthy communities. We get into it. It's fun.Follow Kevin on Instagram: @thekevingarcia.Support this show via a $5/month subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Listeners, come see me w/ Brad Onishi of Straight White American Jesus & Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals in Philly on 2/11/23! Get tickets here and use code 50 at checkout to get 50% off!It's an archival episode!In September 2021, I spoke with Meghan O'Gieblyn, author of the new book God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning. We talked about her time at Moody Bible Institute, experiencing 9/11 on a Christian campus, the similarities between Christian prophecy & secular transhumanism, and all sorts of other great things.Buy Meghan's book on Bookshop.org or at your local independent bookstore. (Yes, that is an affiliate link, and it helps the show). Follow Meghan on Twitter.Support the show directly via a subscription to The Post-Evangelical Post newsletter at $5/month or $50/year - 25% of net proceeds are donated to The Religious Exemption Accountability Project and White Homework. Follow Blake on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC and a part of the Irreverent Media Group podcast collective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

In this episode, I speak with Teddy Wilson from Radical Reports about his experience covering the radical right. We talk about how important language is when identifying and discussing various groups, the transnational nature of nationalist movements, what we know about the Brazil insurrection so far—and finally, how “progressive” movements can respond to the rising tide of anti-democratic groups.Follow Teddy on Twitter: @reportbywilsonCome see Blake, Bradley Onishi of Straight White American Jesus, and Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals in Philly on 2/11/23! Tickets here; use code "20" to get 20% off! Support Exvangelical and all of Blake’s work by subscribing to The Post-Evangelical Post for $5/month or $50/year. 25% of net proceeds are donated. Free subscriptions are also available.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Over at The Post-Evangelical Post, I've been writing about fictional religions for subscribers. As I wrote on 1/3/23: "When your faith of origin is also the origin of a grievous wound, there’s an odd solace to be found in knowingly made up things. Fiction, the old adage goes, is a lie that tells the truth—and there’s a lot of truth to be found in fictional religions."This is an audio version of an essay published this week, "The Comfort of Fictional Religions: The Sensayers of Terra Ignota." You can support this podcast & my other work at $5/month or $50/year. 25% of net proceeds are donated to White Homework & The Religious Exemption Accountability Project. Learn more at postevangelicalpost.com/support.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Find links to follow Blake across the web at blakechastain.com-Technical difficulties prevented me from publishing the episode planned for this week. Please let me know what you think of this shorter episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

Happy new year, everyone - the first guest of 2023 is a return guest, Bradley Onishi.Brad is co-host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast and author of the new book: Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next.Our conversation starts discussing just 10 words, just 2 sentences, from the first chapter of Brad's book: "I should have known better," and "I could have been there." "There," in this context, is the Capitol Riot.This is a good one. Buckle in.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post. You can support this podcast and all my other work for just $5/month or $50/year - this is now the new ongoing price, not just a promotion. You'll get ad-free podcast feeds, bonus writing, and more. Subscribe at postevangelicalpost.comThis episode is also brought to you by DECON23, an upcoming virtual conference happening Jan 21-22, 2023. Tickets are just $25 and feature a diverse slate of speakers - J Crum, Rev Karla, April Ajoy, Jegaysus, and more. Visit decon2023.com to register.This episode was edited by Podcat Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This is an audio version of my latest essay published at The Post-Evangelical Post: The Vibe Shift That Was Foretold Came, & Twitter Did Not Survive It.Back in February, a time that feels much farther away than a mere 10 months ago, The Cut published an essay called “A Vibe Shift is Coming. Will any of us survive it?” It was a piece meant to get people talking, and it did. It featured a lot of coast-centric media bubble trendspotting talk mingled with pandemic lockdown introspection. But some of it resonated further—that something was in the air, ready to change the zeitgeist. I’ll contend that the shift was about social media itself.Check out the whole essay, with links, at The Post-Evangelical Post. Subscribe for free or at $5/month and help support this show.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week's guest is Jenny Booth Potter, author of the book Doing Nothing Is No Longer An Option: One Woman's Journey Into Everyday Antiracism. Jenny is also the co-host of the web series The Next Question with Austin Channing Brown and Chi Chi Okwu. In this book, Jenny shares her own story of committing long-term to antiracism, challenging both herself and society to keep pressing forward. It's a great conversation and her book is a welcome starting point for any White person looking to unlearn racism and embrace antiracism.You can follow Jenny on Instagram and visit her website here.Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. This episode was edited by Podcat Audio. Support the show at just $5/month and get ad-free podcasts and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about