TRAILER: WEIRD RELIGION IN THE AGE OF THE VIRUS (PASS THE MIC)

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW SEASON OF WEIRD RELIGION. COMING YOUR WAY. TITLE: "WEIRD RELIGION IN THE AGE OF THE VIRUS." Eps rolling out now. They're going to be short. They're going to be frequent and yet also sporadic. They may come in clusters. They're going to be of bootleg quality. And it will be our best season yet. You need this right now and you know it and we know it. So it's happening.

BONUS: ANNA MERLAN ON REPUBLIC OF LIES

In this episode we talk about the religious angle of conspiracy theories with Anna Merlan – journalist and author of Republic of Lies, a fascinating new book on American conspiracies – what they are, where they come from, and what they mean for the religious landscape of the U.S.A. Along the way we talk conspiracy theory cruises, U.F.O.s and much much more… listen in. We know “THEY” already are!!

BONUS EP: THE HERO (Jessica Jones with Special Guest David Dault of Things Not Seen Radio)

BONUS EPISODE!!! Two parents experience their worst nightmare: their daughter is under the control of Kilgrave, a villain who overrides the will of anyone he wishes to control. Who can help them? Enter Jessica Jones, the hard-drinking, soft-hearted, super-powered private eye. Can she defeat Kilgrave? Does she have any choice in the matter? Does anyone in the Jessica Jones universe exercise free will or all they all doomed to their fates? We talk with our good friend David Dault, host of Things Not Seen Radio (one of our fave podcasts!) Calvinism, Sarah Vowell’s The Wordy Shipmates, human agency, physical power, and human desire… AND SO MUCH MORE!

Source: weirdreligion.com

037 THE AUTHORITIES (Blackout podcast, parenting as a dictatorship, churches and technology)

Would churches be better off with no technology? Could Leah be a powerful dictator? Would people return to traditional authoritarian styles of leadership when the grid goes down? WE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE DEFINITIVELY. Charismatic versus inherited authority in congregations. The worship leaders versus the pastor. Weberian analysis of the book of Judges.

035 THE BELIEVERS (McMinnville UFO Festival, Bob Lazar, Roswell)

SPECIAL EPISODE: This week we take you on location to the McMinnville UFO festival to watch the premier of the new documentary about Roswell whistleblower Bob Lazar. We talk about belief, how UFO communities are like churches, and the extent to which each of us believes and/or wants to believe. We meet in a dark back alley within the convention hall like Mulder and Scully, and end the day in a less-than-inspiring food tent.

034 THE CONGREGATION (The People Vs. George Lucas, ultra Star Wars fandom, and authorial intent)

What happens when a movie series becomes not just your favorite or your religion, but literally forms the basis for all of your thinking and imagination and everything for your ENTIRE LIFE! Such is the power of the Star Wars franchise. This week, we dive into the murky depths of Star Wars fandom through the documentary The People Vs. George Lucas to think about authorial intent, the biblical canon, who owns our imaginations, and what it means to truly love fictional characters.

033 THE NOSTALGIA (Stranger Things, the Cold War, and child abductions)

Let’s talk about one of the most popular shows on Netflix: Stranger Things. Monsters, the 1980s, neon clothes, loaded memories of teenage drama, and a time when malls ruled supreme over the lives of adolescents. We talk about the Cold War and the child abduction fear craze in the 1980s and wonder: Why are we looking back on this era with fondness, exactly? Does Stranger Things re-enchant our secular world?

032 THE CREATOR (The Dropout, Elizabeth Holmes, gender smackdown)

This week we sneakily keep the sci-fi theme going with a topic involving science and fiction: the embattled Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and her attempt to create—or rather, fake having created—a futuristic blood-testing system. We end up having a gender smackdown conversation about women-on-women violence in the workplace, discussing ancient female fertility figurines and matriarchal societies, and musing on whether Holmes intentionally tried to dress like a religious leader.

031 THE EVIL (Twin Peaks, good and evil, moral progress, and Lynchian style)

This week we enter the surreal world of David Lynch through Twin Peaks. Brian and Leah enter the Black Lodge. We consider why writers/artists would create obtuse art vs. on-the-nose art. We discuss tulpas. We try to explain Twin Peaks. And we discuss unfortunately timely topics such as: Has the cause of good gone backward or forward in the world? Why does evil always make a comeback, making progress seem impossible?

030 THE ANOINTING (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, school shootings, and being chosen)

This week we’re talking about the #1 most references TV by religious studies academics: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Leah the expert takes first-time-pilot view Brian through the nuances and rituals of the Buffyverse. We reflect on the notion of being chosen, Buffy’s feminist twists, top Buffy moments, and thinking about cosmic violence in high schools during the age of school shootings.

027 THE HEAVENS (The Good Place, the afterlife, and the point system)

Season 3 opens with THE HEAVENS, an exploration of the afterlife with the The Good Place. One woman dies and finds herself in the afterlife wherein “good” people end up in a specially-created place to enjoy with their soulmate. Just one problem. SHE IS TERRIBLE AND SHE KNOWS IT. What should she do? Fortunately, her faux soulmate is a moral philosophy professor and if anyone can make someone good, it should be him. Right? In this episode we talk about heaven, hell, purgatory, and every place in between! JOIN US.