IP0303 "God Told Me To Colonise You": The U.S. Christian Right's New War on Africa (w/ Haley McEwen, PhD)

Content note: This episode discusses misogynistic and queermisic legislation, language, and movements. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.   What do glossy pamphlets, moral panic, and abstinence-only sex ed have in common? They’re all part of the U.S. Christian Right’s campaign to export “pro-family” politics to Africa — and it’s causing real harm. In this episode, we expose how conservative religious groups from the Global North are funding anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, sabotaging reproductive rights, and co-opting decolonial language to disguise a new kind of moral imperialism. Sociology postdoctoral researcher and author Haley McEwen joins us to discuss the USA and African pro-family movements. We dig into who these groups are, how they operate, and what it takes to resist their growing influence — all through a trans-inclusive, African-centred lens. Connect with Haley 🌐 https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-mcewen-73999543/ 🎬 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86BTvFWoDFE Buy Haley's book in print or eBook format 📗 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-46653-3 📕 https://www.takealot.com/the-u-s-christian-right-and-pro-family-politics-in-21st-century-/PLID93983844 Exclusive bonus content 🎁 Patreon - Extended and bonus episodes Stay connected 🔗 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 🌈 Share this episode with someone who loves to learn 📮 Got feedback or questions? Reach out at @IntersectionalPsychology 📄 Download a transcript of this episode. ⏳ Chapter Timestamps 00:00:00 Land acknowledgement 00:00:28 Title credits 00:00:58 Welcome and introduction 00:02:37 About the work of Dr Haley McEwen 00:04:28 Exporting "Eden": God, guns, and glossy pamphlets in Africa 00:16:38 Not your Mama's family values: The dark politics behind the "pro-family" agenda 00:25:36 The Gospel according to Gaslight: How the Christian Right twists decolonial rhetoric 00:46:14 Power, protest, and possibility: Resisting the Christian Right's global agenda 00:58:12 End credits Contribute to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/ 📌 References McEwen, H. (2023) The U.S. Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa. Palgrave Macmillan. Pontsho Pilane, investigative journalist, author, and advocacy manager. https://mg.co.za/author/pontsho-pilane/ Rev. Dr Kapya John Kaoma, theologian and researcher. https://thebtscenter.org/rev-dr-kapya-john-kaoma/ Prof. Jeff Sharlet, author, journalist, and academic. https://english.dartmouth.edu/people/jeff-sharlet See Privacy Policy at https://intersectionalpsychology.com/privacy-policy/