PODCAST · society
Religion Unplugged
by The Media Project
Religion explored through candid conversations and original reporting. This podcast is powered by The Media Project, a network of more than 1,000 journalists worldwide. TMP acknowledges that religion is growing and becoming more, not less important in the world.
Episodes
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The American Psychiatrist Who Tried To Prove Reincarnation
How a religion explains death and life after death are often as important to an understanding of the religion as is its explanation of God or morality. The question of how to escape death or how to die well is at the center of nearly all religions. And one of the oldest ideas about how to beat...
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Death of The Pastor’s Wife: How Pastoral Abuse Happens
About a month ago, Netflix released a 3 part documentary series called "Death of The Pastor’s Wife." The series was in Netflix’s top 10 shows for 4 weeks in a row, accumulating 41 million views. The documentary tells the story of a woman named Mica, who, at the age of 13, began attending Solid…
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Is Strangeness Next To Holiness?
A chunk of flesh floating in a glass of water—this was the discovery made by Fr. Alejandro Pezet on August 26, 1996 when he opened the tabernacle at his church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A week earlier, Fr. Pezet had, in this same glass of water, placed a damaged piece of sacramental bread, in...
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From The Archives: The Moral Challenges Posed By AI
AI cannot stay out of the news. Just this month a former researcher at Anthropic, the company behind the chatbot Claude, posted on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” Last week, OpenAI announced 6 new reports of unexpected or...
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Is God Laughing With Us?
Christians, as a faith tradition, are not known for their sense of humor. If anything, they sometimes get a bad wrap as being a bunch of sticks in the mud. The austere Puritans of Hawthorne’s The Maypole of Merrymount come to mind, as does The Simpsons’ Ned Flanders or buzzkill Angela Martin from...
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The Gospel According To Hobby Lobby
Every billionaire eventually takes advantage of their wealth. Even Warren Buffet, famously more frugal and plain in the way he spends his money, eventually bought a private jet. Absurd money continues to enable absurd purchases. Jeff Bezos bought a super Yacht. Elon Musk bought Twitter. Mark...
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Inside The Growing Jewish Movement Shaking Up Tradition
Most practicing Jews in the United States fall into one of three categories. There are the Orthodox Jews--who are committed to following Jewish law to the letter and who uphold all the traditions set by rabbis over the centuries. Then there are the Conservative Jews, who still believe in…
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Is Utopia At All Possible?
As conflicts rage on in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, it seems we are living through a time of war. This reality does not distinguish us all that much from the rest of human history. Our species has always been interested in conquest and defense. But what may make our time a bit more unique...
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How Evangelical Apocalypticism Hurts the Planet
It’s been a hot summer. Heatwaves have persisted across North America, Australia, Asia and most notably, Europe—where an estimated 25,000 people have died as a result of the extreme heat. In fact, heat levels in July of this year tied with the levels of the hottest month in recorded history. As...
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The Quest To Visualize The Bible
The Bible is by no means a picture book. But, for its lack of illustrations, it still presents many powerful images. A burning bush. A giant fish. An angel army. A pillar of fire. A snake. A harp. A wall. A fruit tree. A lamb. A tomb. A fishing net. The Bible seizes the visceral realities of what...
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Does "The Odyssey" Understand Ancient Greek Religion?
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” hit theaters a little over a week ago. The film earned an estimated $124 million on its opening weekend and, at the time of this recording, received a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.4 stars on Letterboxd. While Nolan’s mastery of his craft and a well-loved...
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Investigating Religious Bias in Artificial Intelligence
Back in May, Brigham Young University published the results of a study about AI and religion. The study found that all major AI chatbots would not mention faith in responses to questions in which a well-rounded response probably ought to have included religious or spiritual ideas. Questioning AI...
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The Evolution of Islam and The American Right
Later this year, Americans will recognize September 11, 2026 as the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center back in 2001. The attack was enacted by Al-Qaeda, a radical Islamic organization. And while countless Muslims decried the violence as both a tragedy and as an...
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What Was American Religion Really Like in 1776
Earlier this year, Pew Research published the results of a study on religious diversity around the world. While the U.S. didn’t even break the top 10 for most religiously diverse when all nations studied were taken into account, it ranked #1 in religious diversity out of the most populous...
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Was George Washington A Christian?
George Washington is a man of a mythological stature. A stalwart man of war, 6’2” with animal teeth and a seemingly endless supply of stories where he cheated death, Washington’s role is so much more than just a founding father or first president. From the $1 bill to the capital to the busiest...
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Is America A Christian Nation
In recent years, “Christian Nationalism” has become a ubiquitous term in American political discussion. It is said by many with fear and loathing, and by others with great excitement and conviction. Among the enthusiasts include Doug Wilson, who is the pastor of Pete Hegseth, the United States’...
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Victoria Jackson is Not Dead Yet
Religion and death, for many of us, go hand in hand. It is our faith that often shapes what we believe happens when we die and, perhaps just as importantly, what we ought to do while we still live. In fact, if a belief system does not ask us to consider our death and what it means for us—if it...
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African American Religion Beyond The Black Church
According to Pew Research Center, nearly 75% of Black Americans identify as Christian. It’s well known that many of the first African American Christians were first exposed to Christianity in the midst of enslavement. This exposure could have been used as a tactic for control by enslavers or as a...
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How African Churches Are Using AI
Last week, Pope Leo cautioned developers and political leaders about the potential for exploitation in Artificial Intelligence development by comparing the AI race to the depravity of slavery. His wording was so strong, that he even called for AI to be “disarmed.” In the wake of Leo’s words,...
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What A Bahá'í Romance Can Tell Us About Iran
“If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure.” Those words were penned 200 years ago...
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Why Murder Investigations Can Be Complicated By Ashkenazi Jewish DNA
There are currently 15,000 open cases of unidentified persons in the United States. Bodies are unable to be identified for a variety of reasons including severe mutilation, significant decomposition, no history of medical care or a lack of resources. In the vast majority of situations, DNA…
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Are Big Churches As Healthy As Small Ones?
In C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity he says: “the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time” This idea—that the point of the...
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Pope Leo XIV Before The Papacy
This week marks one year since Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV. The late Cardinal Francis George who once presided over Leo’s hometown of Chicago famously said that there would never be an American Pope until the United States went into political decline. Whether Leo’s election to the...
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Can Virtue Save American Conservatism?
This July, the United States will celebrate its 250th year as an independent nation. The Founding Fathers established the U.S. on the foundation of the ideals they believed in. The Declaration of Independence famously says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,...
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How Both Fantasy and History are balanced in House of David
At Religion Unplugged, we talk a lot about how faith shows up in modern movies and tv shows. And, more and more, we are noticing a positive shift. Movies about religion are getting better funding, booking high profile actors and holding their own at the box office. One of the projects, that fits...
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In God’s Name: Stories Of Faith and Vigilante Justice
Categorizing those who do violence is a messy business. What one writer might call the actions of a terrorist, another might refer to as the work of a freedom fighter. The very individuals who are called heroes, warriors and revolutionaries by some, can be categorized as villains, murderers, and...
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Can Conservative Christians Take Back Mainline Churches?
When you picture an American church building, what do you think of? Is it a gothic, palatial cathedral that dwarfs its neighboring buildings and carries with it an air of ancient mystery? Is it a small, white chapel with a sharp steeple and a quiet humility about its presence? Or does an American...
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Iranians Are Ready To Be Free
It’s been 3 weeks since the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. And, for 3 weeks, rockets have flown across the Middle East in all directions. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq have kept their guard up as different assets are targeted. As these…
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Why You Should Seek Beauty In Ancient Places
Many of the most enduring displays of human artistic greatness have been, in some way, religious. The Egyptian pyramids were constructed to accommodate the needs of a king’s soul after his death. The oldest architectural structures still standing today are almost exclusively temples, and...
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What Do the 2026 Oscars Have to Say About Religion?
2025 was a big year for film. Theaters drew people in for a wide variety of stories. Moviegoers saw thrillers like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme.” They saw the returns of beloved characters with James Gunn’s “Superman” and James Cameron’s...
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What Maduro's Capture Means For Religious Freedom in Venezuela
On January 3rd of this year, in the middle of the night, U.S. special forces broke into the Home of Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, and abducted him and his wife. U.S. military presence in Venezuela had been creeping up for months—with much of it being attributed to cartel suppression.…
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What Changed The Faith-Based Film Industry?
Christian movies have a pretty negative reputation. They are criticized for being cheesy, preachy, poorly acted, poorly written, and generally prioritizing lesson-teaching over entertainment or artistic excellence. But, in recent years, their Rotten Tomatoes scores have been on a steady uptick.…
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Debunking The Myth That Jews Are Bad At Sports
This year’s Winter Olympic Games are filled with Jewish athletes. They can be found in hockey goals, cross country slopes, bobsleds, and skating competitions. But, despite a robust representation in Milan and an even more significant representation in the Paris games of 2024, the stereotype that...
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Why Nathan Clarkson Thinks He's The Worst
In the Apostle Paul’s 1st Biblical letter to Timothy, Paul writes that Christ came into the world to save sinners. He follows that up by stating that he is the foremost sinner. This is sometimes translated as Paul being “chief of sinners” and even as him being, plainly, “the worst.” It’s this…
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Inside South Africa's Pastoral Sex Abuse Crisis
South Africa has a sexual abuse crisis. And while many of these attacks occur on the streets or in the home, every month, several cases of rape take place in churches and are perpetrated by pastors. The assaulted individuals come from every ethnic group, age, social class, and even gender. For…
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25 Years On The Godbeat With Bobby Ross Jr.
In 2025, the whole world watched as Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. Again, everyone watched as Conservative Christian Apologist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. But while religious news events like these were…
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Ryan Burge And The Vanishing Church
Religion sociologist and Religion Unplugged contributor Ryan Burge sits down with culture critic Joseph Holmes to discuss Ryan's book "The Vanishing Church" and why the church has lost its ability to bring Americans together.
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Ministering To Mariners: The Seamen's Church Institute
The cargo shipping industry is vital to the sustenance of the modern world. However, the millions of mariners who make the system possible often go unnoticed by the masses. For nearly 200 years, The Seamen's Church Institute has worked hard to ensure that seafarers do not feel invisible. Matthew...
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Why Make A Movie About The Infancy Gospel?
How does one balance faithfulness to religious tradition with artistic expression? Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director Lotfy Nathan on this very topic. Lotfy was raised in the Coptic Christian tradition and grew up to make a horror film about the childhood of Jesus based on the…
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Understanding The Role of Ancestors In Christianity
Christians have many terms for those who came before them. They are called saints, heroes of the faith, and church fathers. But rarely are they referred to simply as ancestors. William H. Lamar IV pastors one of the oldest black churches in Washington, DC. He speaks with Matthew Peterson about…
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Why Lee Strobel Still Believes in Miracles
Few Christians will deny that Jesus and his disciples did miracles 2000 years ago. But does supernatural healing still occur in 2025? On this issue, there is much more debate. But, for New York Times Bestselling Author Lee Strobel, the answer is clear. Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviews...
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Why Trevin Wax Built a New Catechism
Catechesis is almost as old as Christianity itself. And while many catechisms have evolved over the years, the age of catechisms is rarely seen as a drawback — if anything, knowing that a catechism is tried and true can be what makes people trust it. But Trevin Wax and Thomas West believe it is...
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Inside The “Evangelical Vatican”
American Evangelicalism has major influence over the culture and politics of the U.S. But, where did it all begin? In his recent book, “Jesus Springs,” William Schultz argues that the center of evangelicalism is in Colorado Springs. William and Matthew Peterson talk about how the Western city...
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Who Is The Bible’s Narrator?
Many writers have been credited with the authorship of the Bible. Some Biblical books list their writers explicitly, others are more ambiguous. But is writing the same as narrating? Raffi Magarik’s recent book “Fictions of God” investigates the question of the Bible’s narratology and its effects…
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Will Pope Leo XIV Carry On Francis’ Legacy?
Pope Francis was undeniably controversial in Catholic and non-Catholic circles alike. So far, his predecessor has been less polarizing, but are the two popes really as different as they appear? Joseph Holmes interviews reporter and writer Christopher White about his recent book “Pope Leo XIV:...
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From Dropout to Doctorate: How Education Can Help Fight Poverty
How did a formerly homeless high school dropout end up with a doctorate in public policy and a poverty relief organization? Matthew Peterson interviews Dr. Terence Lester about his recent book “From Dropout to Doctorate.” Lester explains how education changed his life, how he is fighting poverty…
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Christianity’s Evolution From The Gutenberg Bible To Church Live-Streams
“How has christianity changed by the means of transmission?” This is one of the core questions Professor David N. Hempton asks with his book “Christianity at the Crossroads,” in which he recounts the way Christianity has developed from the print revolution to the digital age due to the methods in...
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Religious Horror Movies Are Here To Stay
Is it possible for faith-based film audiences and horror film audiences to converge? Despite the seeming chasm between the two genres, some of 2025’s biggest horror films have much to say about faith. Culture Writers Joseph Holmes and Jillian Cheney discuss the role of religion and spirituality…
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Inside The Writing of ‘Abduh, A Pioneer of Interfaith Dialogue
Over 100 years ago, Muhammad ‘Abduh grappled with the ways in which Islam and Christianity can coexist. He also explored the ways in which the two faiths have either contributed or restricted philosophical and scientific advancement. Now, due to the book’s ongoing cultural relevance, Mohammed…
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Can A Comedy About The Bible Still Be Reverent?
The book of Exodus is full of violence, disease, plagues and power struggle. Can this story be told through the lens of a comedic mockumentary? Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews Mitch Hudson, director of the new faith-based TV show “The Promised Land,” which presents an “Office”-style twist...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Religion explored through candid conversations and original reporting. This podcast is powered by The Media Project, a network of more than 1,000 journalists worldwide. TMP acknowledges that religion is growing and becoming more, not less important in the world.
HOSTED BY
The Media Project
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Religion Unplugged have?
Religion Unplugged currently has 257 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Religion Unplugged about?
Religion explored through candid conversations and original reporting. This podcast is powered by The Media Project, a network of more than 1,000 journalists worldwide. TMP acknowledges that religion is growing and becoming more, not less important in the world.
How often does Religion Unplugged release new episodes?
Religion Unplugged publishes regularly with 257 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Religion Unplugged on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Religion Unplugged?
Religion Unplugged is created and hosted by The Media Project.
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