Noelle Cook on The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism, and the Lure of Belonging

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] this deeply human and revealing episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Noelle Cook, ethnographer, filmmaker, and author of The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging. Cook’s award-winning documentary and forthcoming book explore how ordinary women become entangled in conspiracy movements—from QAnon to spiritualized extremism—while searching for meaning, identity, and community.Cook recounts how the January 6th insurrection inspired her to study women drawn into these spaces and what she discovered: that many were mothers, caregivers, and former churchgoers who turned to online conspiracies to fill the void of belonging. Through intimate storytelling, she shares her road trip with two women convicted for their roles in January 6th, revealing how trauma, faith, and hope intertwine in the psychology of belief.Together, the hosts and Cook unpack questions of empathy, extremism, and how conspiratorial thinking becomes a kind of spiritual coping mechanism in a fractured America. The conversation explores what churches, communities, and even families can learn from these stories about the human desire for connection—and the danger of mistaking belonging for truth.Learn more: https://www.noellecook.com/aboutGuest Bio:Noelle Cook is an ethnographer and filmmaker whose work examines the intersections of gender, conspiracy, and extremism. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging and associate producer of the award-winning documentary The Conspiracists, which won Best Feature Documentary at the Miami Women’s Film Festival and an Exceptional Merit Award at Documentaries Without Borders. Her research focuses on how digital spaces, spirituality, and trauma intersect to shape modern extremist movements. Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/Support the showKeep the conversation going.Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?Visit our website:faithfulpoliticspodcast.comBrowse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstoreSupport the show and help us keep these conversations going:patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPoliticsSubscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:faithfulpolitics.substack.comContact the hosts:Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected] Wright, Political Host: [email protected] Faithful Politics:Instagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast