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Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus
by 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
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It's in the Code Ep. 208: What Happens to People Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?
What happens to people who have never heard the gospel? It's one of the most common questions people raise in church, and one of the most uncomfortable: how can God be just if he condemns people who never had the chance to respond to the message that could save them? In this episode of It's in…
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Axis Live: The Antichrist is Already Here
The Antichrist is not a scary villain who shows up someday to rule the world. According to the New Testament, there are already many of them, and they look a lot like Christians who abuse power in Jesus' name. On the pub day of Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists,...
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The Sunday Interview: James Talarico and the Christian Left
Brought to you by Homerserve: www.homeserve.com/swaj Can the Christian left challenge the religious right’s claim to moral authority? Leah Payne speaks with journalist and essayist Miguel Petrosky about his article for The Revealer, “James Talarico and the Christian Left,” and what the Texas…
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Weekly Roundup: Hegseth's Christian Crusader Army + Eric Schmitt, Jack Smith, & Crimes
In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down Pete Hegseth's State of the Force speech, which they argue recasts the U.S. military as a Christian crusader army defined by narrow standards of body, gender, and faith. They examine his flattened story of...
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It's In the Code Ep. 207: Was Mary a Virgin?
"Was Mary a virgin?" Dan Miller unpacks the question in layers. First, the textual evidence: the Greek word parthenos and its relationship to the Hebrew alma; plus Mary's line in Luke 1:34, which together explain why the tradition reads her as a virgin. For Dan, the bigger question is why the…
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Axis Live: Peter Thiel Is His Own Antichrist | Plus: Suing Texas Over the Ten Commandments
Peter Thiel says that if you're evil, maybe you're actually good. Brad Onishi (author of American Caesar) and Matthew D. Taylor (author of The Violent Take It by Force) break down the viral clip: what Thiel means by "bad" versus "evil," why he frames progress as an all-or-nothing choice, and how...
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The Sunday Interview: The Myth of the Persecuted Christian and the Inverted Golden Rule
This week on The Sunday Interview, Brad revisits a conversation with sociologist of religion Paul Djupe (Denison University) on two ideas shaping the current political moment: the myth of the persecuted Christian and the inverted golden rule. Djupe unpacks the data behind the persecution…
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It's In the Code Ep. 207: Does God Change His Mind?
Does God change his mind? CAN God change his mind? The traditional theological answer to both of these questions is “no.” But what if the answer is “yes”? Why would this represent such a threat to high-control religion and traditional Christian teaching? Check out this week’s episode to find out!...
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Axis Live: A CIA Insider on Trump, Iran, and the Collapse of American Powe
Matthew Taylor is joined by historian and former CIA Africa analyst Holly Berkley Fletcher (author of The Missionary Kids) to unpack why the religious left — unlike the ideologically cohesive religious right — has long struggled to translate its diverse coalition into electoral power, and why...
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The Sunday Interview: Strange People on the Hill: When White Nationalists Buy a Castle
In this Sunday interview, Annika Brockschmidt talks with journalist and podcaster Michael Edison Hayden about his new book, Strange People on the Hill, which follows what happened when Peter and Lydia Brimelow, the couple behind the white nationalist site VDARE, bought a castle overlooking the…
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Weekly Roundup: Trump Gets SCOTUS Blocked (and the GOP's Nazi Problem)
SCOTUS just blocked Donald Trump's attempt to use the U.S. Postal Service to interfere with mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterms — but is the fight over election integrity really over? Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down the ruling, the dissents from Alito and Thomas, and why Mike Johnson...
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It's In the Code 206: What the Hell? (Part 2)
Can God be perfectly good and perfectly just and still send people to hell? What’s at stake with questions like these? How do adherents of high-control religion respond to questions like these? Check out this week’s episode to hear Dan’s discussion of why the doctrine of hell fundamentally calls...
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Axis Live: The Tech-Monarchist - Christian Civilizationalist Alliance No One is Talking About
Brad Onishi on "American Caesar": Inside the Movement to End American DemocracyToday is release day for Brad Onishi's new book American Caesar, and Matt Taylor sits down with him for a deep dive into the ideas inside it. Together they trace how three seemingly separate strands of the American…
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The Sunday Interview: The Tech-Fascist - Christian Supremacist Alliance
Brad Onishi previews his new book American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy, out this week, and shares its audiobook introduction. He explains the book's central argument: an unlikely alliance has formed between Protestant reconstructionists, radical...
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Weekly Roundup: 9/11, Mamdani, and MAGA's Holy War
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brad breaks down Donald Trump's false claims about his experience that day, Rudy Giuliani's attacks on Mayor Zohran Mamdani for attending the memorial as a Muslim, and newly released documents showing NYC officials knew Ground Zero air was toxic but told the…
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It's In the Code Ep. 205: What the Hell? (Part I)
The idea of “hell” is a central focus within conservative, high-control Christianity (with analogues in some other traditions as well). But what, exactly, is the teaching concerning hell? And where does it come from? Does the Bible actually teach what religious conservatives say it does about…
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Axis Live: Elon Musk, AfD, and the Global Far-Right Network Nobody's Covering
For the first time since 1945, a far-right party bordering on Nazism has won real power in Germany. Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor break down the AfD's stunning election result, Elon Musk and JD Vance's public support for the party, and what this signals about the global retreat from liberal...
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The Sunday Interview: The Christian Turn Against Democracy (PART II)
In PART II A conversation between Robert P. Jones and Brad Onishi, whose books—Backslide and American Caesar—arrive one week apart from the same publisher. Jones traces how "backsliding" carries both theological and political-science meanings, citing survey data showing measurable democratic...
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The Sunday Interview: The Christian Turn Against Democracy w/ Robert P. Jones (PART 1)
In PART I of this conversation, Brad Onishi and Robert P. Jones (author of Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith in a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy) discuss what they call the "war on empathy" within segments of white Christianity in the United States. Robert argues that voices like...
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Weekly Roundup: JD Vance, the End Times, and the Antichrist
Brad and Dan break down JD Vance's wide-ranging interview with Gen Z podcaster Bryce Crawford, unpacking his comments on the end times, the possibility that the Antichrist is "living among us," and his oddly deflated answer about whether he's going to heaven — reading it all as Vance clumsily...
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It's In the Code 205: "What is Baptism?"
Even people have never set foot in a church have probably heard of “baptism” and know that it’s something…well…Christian. But what exactly IS baptism? Why do Christians do it? How do they do it? Who get baptized? And why don’t Christians all think the same thing about baptism? Why has it been so...
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Axis Live: Hegseth Is Firing Generals and Hiring Influencers — Inside the Pentagon's Collapse
Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor break down two major stories reshaping the Trump-era right: the sudden deportation of Milo Yiannopoulos and the escalating chaos inside Pete Hegseth's Pentagon.They dig into how Milo's fast-tracked removal reveals the internal power struggles of MAGA world —...
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The Sunday Interview: Damned If She Does - Why Women Are Leaving the Church
Brad sits down with journalist Sarah Stankorb to discuss her new book, Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, out September 15th. They dig into why women — long the backbone of American congregations — are leaving in unprecedented numbers, from Gen…
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Weekly Roundup: Talarico is "Al-Qaeda" and Kanter's WNBA Stunt
This week on the SWAJ Weekly Roundup, Brad and Dan dig into Lance Wallnau's baseless claim that Texas gubernatorial candidate James Talarico is secretly linked to Al-Qaeda, unpacking how this fits a broader Christian nationalist strategy of tying Democrats to Islamist and Marxist "infiltrators" —...
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It's In the Code Ep 204: "What About Noah's Ark?"
The story of Noah’s ark is one of the most well-known in the Bible, even among those who are not Christian and have never read the Bible. But what questions come up if we really pay attention to the story? Does it make any sense? Could it actually have happened? What does it mean if it didn’t?…
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Axis Live: Trump's Strategy to Rig the Midterms + Jake Lang's Christian Nationalist Spectacle
On this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor examine growing efforts to undermine confidence in the 2026 elections, including claims about foreign interference, voter rolls, mail-in voting, and calls from figures on the American right for a national emergency. They discuss how...
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The Sunday Interview: The Bachelor, Christian Nationalism, and the Politics of Purity w/ Claire Fallon
What can reality TV tell us about Christian nationalism, purity culture, and the politics of gender? Annika Brockschmidt talks with journalist and podcaster Claire Fallon about the surprisingly deep connections between The Bachelor, evangelical Christianity, and the conservative politics shaping...
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Weekly Roundup: "Free Derek Chauvin" + the Anti-Democracy Christian Nationalism Debate
Christian nationalism is not simply a religious movement—it is a political project that challenges the foundations of a pluralist democracy. Brad Onishi and Dan Miller examine the growing Christian nationalist effort to redefine who counts as a “real” American, from arguments about immigration…
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It's In the Code 203: "Who Are God's Chosen People?"
Theologically conservative Christians believe apparently contradictory things about Judaism and Jewish people. On the one hand, they will often describe Jewish people as being “the people of God.” On the other hand, they typically hold that, as non-Christians, Jewish people are condemned to go to...
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ICE Infiltrated Churches: The Secret Operation Targeting Minnesota Protesters
ICE agents infiltrated churches, activist meetings, libraries, and community organizations in Minnesota as part of what has been dubbed Operation Puppet Master. In this episode of Axis Live, Matthew D. Taylor and Rev. Susie Hayward discuss what newly disclosed documents reveal about the...
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The Sunday Interview: Congressman Jared Huffman on the Christian Nationalist Threat to Democracy
In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi sits down with Congressman Jared Huffman to discuss his new book, No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. Huffman shares his journey from growing up in a devout Mormon community to becoming a humanist and…
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Weekly Roundup: “We Need Fascism”: The American Right's Dangerous Turn
Steven Crowder recently released a video titled “We Need Fascism,” making an explicit argument for fascism rather than merely flirting with the idea. In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down Crowder’s argument and ask what it reveals about the...
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SWAJ Rewind: It's In the Code 115: "Strong Handshakes"
With Dan on vacation, we bring you one of the most popular episodes of It's In the Code: "Strong Handshakes" In this episode, Dan continues decoding a card from a church bulletin that outlines the features of a particular church. The focus this time is the promise of “strong handshakes.” There’s…
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Axis Live: A Pastor Takes on the Senate—and the Christian Right + Rubio's Cringe Nationalism
In this week's Axis Live Brad Onishi begins by breaking down a video posted by the US Department of State that showcases Marco Rubio's Christian nationalism and Western civilizationalism. Brad digs below the surface to decode the ways Rubio outlines a common good conservatism that seeks to impose...
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The Sunday Interview: “Is the Religious Left Really Rising? Faith & the Democratic Party”.
What does the emerging religious left look like—and is it becoming a force in Democratic politics? In this Sunday interview, Leah Payne speaks with Associated Press religion and culture reporter Kyrsta Fauria about her reporting on progressive candidates and activists drawing on religious...
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Weekly Roundup: Abdul El-Sayed and the New Red-Green Scare + Project Esther
In the Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi examines how the American Right and MAGA are reacting to Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan by calling him anti-American, communist, socialist, and more. As Brad explains, these rhetorical choices are strategies that correspond to a larger effort by the Trump...
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It's In the Code 202: “Why Do They Quote the Old Testament?”
In this episode of It’s In the Code, Dan Miller tackles a question from a Jewish listener that cuts to the heart of Christian theology: if Jesus established a new covenant that fulfilled the Old Testament law, why do so many conservative Christians continue to rely on Old Testament verses to make...
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Axis Live: Netanyahu Meets with the NAR + Dems do God Talk + Andrew Whitehead
In this livestream of Straight White American Jesus (Axis Live), Matthew Taylor and Brad Onishi analyze three stories: 1. The meeting between Bibi Netanyahu and New Apostolic Reformation Leaders like Lance Wallnau 2. The emerging crop of Democratic candidates who are pastors and/or religious...
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The Sunday Interview: Exvangelicals, Christian Nationalism, and the Novel That Saw It Coming
Brad Onishi interviews TJ Poortinga, author of Electric Orange, a darkly comic novel about memory, media, and the danger of being taken seriously. Part psychological mystery, part alternate history, it’s a portrait of a person—and a nation—that can’t distinguish madness from insight. When Pieter...
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Weekly Roundup: Fauci McCarthyism, Elon's Revenge Porn Lawsuit, Trump Africa AI Scandal
On the Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller breakdown three stories: 1. The GOP pursuit of Anthony Fauci over COVID era decisions and funding. 2. A new poll that shows 66% of MAGA supporters would continue to push for a candidate accused of sexual assault + Elon Musk's lawsuit against a law...
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It's In the Code 201: "Why Take Only Some of the Bible Literally?"
Dan Miller continues his "Questions You Weren't Supposed to Ask in Church" series with a reflection on why only some biblical commands are to be taken literally, but others are not. The episode is based on an email from a listener named Matt, who writes: “If we as Christians are to love as Jesus...
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Axis Live: Elon Musk Thinks Ethnic Cleansing is Normal + The Bible Belongs in Schools?
Elon Musk says he just wants “secure borders.” But is that really what his politics are about? In this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi breaks down Musk’s explosive interview with The Economist, where he accused its editor of being a “traitor to the West.” Brad explains why this language signals...
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The Sunday Interview: Martin Luther King Jr. Wasn’t Born a Hero
In this Sunday interview, Leah Payne speaks with Dr. Lerone Martin, author of Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King Jr., about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. before he became the civil rights icon we know today. They explore King's teenage years as an agnostic, his struggles with…
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Weekly Roundup: The Odyssey, Christian Nationalism, and the Invention of “Western Civilization”
Brad Onishi and Dan Miller explore the American right’s furious reaction to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and what the controversy reveals about race, representation, gender, sexuality, and the politics of “Western civilization.” From outrage over Black actors and queer representation in...
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American Caesar by Brad Onishi (Sneak Peek)
In this special episode, I’m sharing the prologue to my forthcoming book, American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy, which will be published on September 15, 2026. The story begins with my own experience as a teenager in evangelical Christianity—and with…
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It's In the Code 200: “What Do We Love When We Love God?”
How much love is enough? In this episode of It’s In the Code, part of the series “Questions I Wasn’t Supposed to Ask in Church,” we examine one of the most influential teachings in conservative Christianity: that Christians must love God or Jesus more than anyone and anything else. What happens...
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Axis Live: Pete Hegseth’s Testosterone Crusade + Trump's MAGA Iran Disaster
Trump’s war with Iran is exposing a growing fracture inside the MAGA coalition. As the conflict continues, young America First voices—including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes—are increasingly at odds with the Christian nationalist and Christian Zionist establishment that…
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The Women of the Far Right: Female Influencers, Tradwives, and Online Radicalization w/ Eviane Leidig
This week on the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Annika Brockschmidt sits down with extremism researcher Eviane Leidig, author of The Women of the Far Right: Social Media Influencers and Online Radicalization, for an in-depth conversation about the women reshaping today's...
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The Myth of One Nation Under God w/ Reza Aslan
In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi sits down with renowned scholar, author, and television producer Reza Aslan for a wide-ranging conversation about America's religious past—and why that history matters more than ever. Drawing on Aslan's new podcast series, Our Seven...
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It's In the Code Episode 199: "Is God a Liar?"
In this episode of It's In the Code, host Dan Miller tackles one of the most provocative questions a believer can ask: Did God lie in the Garden of Eden? Beginning with a listener's question about Genesis and God's warning that Adam and Eve would die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Bradley Onishi + Daniel Miller
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus have?
Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus about?
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...
How often does Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus release new episodes?
Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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Who hosts Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus?
Premium Ad-Free: Straight White American Jesus is created and hosted by Bradley Onishi + Daniel Miller.
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