Impolite Conversation: Religion and Politics
73 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsAn scholarly-but-informal monthly chat at the intersection of religion and politics.
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Episodes
#70: What Six Years of Imp Convo Has Meant
June 01, 2021 06:58 - 51 minutes - 43.5 MBOn this our final episode, we talk to a few of the people that made this venture possible, and then we chat with each other about what the experience has meant to us. And in One Last Thing (a segment whose name has never been so apt), we reach for bits of culture that help us come to terms with what we're losing. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: In our conversation with our repeat guests, we referenced Newdow v. US and Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health. In our conversation w...
#69: Religio-Political Prophecy
May 04, 2021 07:20 - 35 minutes - 29.8 MBThis month, we start the show with a special announcement. Then we talk with James Beverley, author of God's Man in the White House, about the world of religio-political prophecy. And in One Last Thing, Dan is taking advantage of his free trial of HBO Max and Tim is taking advantage of the public library. Some of the things we talked about on this show: Dr. Beverley mentioned the Vineyard Movement and the Kansas City Prophets, as well as the prophecy ministries of a number of individuals...
#68: The “Love Jihad”
April 06, 2021 06:45 - 48 minutes - 40 MBThis month, we talk to Laura Dudley Jenkins, author of Religious Freedom and Mass Conversion in India, about the Indian conspiracy theory known as the "love jihad." And in One Last Thing, Dan splits theological hairs in discussing an animated Star Wars series, while Tim is feeling (ahem) somewhat more expansive. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: Dan mentioned the Deepa Mehta film Fire and the resulting riots. Dr. Jenkins mentioned this story of a boy whose clock was mistaken...
#67: Rural Conservatism and Dan’s New Book!
March 02, 2021 07:04 - 40 minutes - 38.8 MBThis month we talk to Ross Benes, a native son of Brainerd, Nebraska who has written a book about his hometown and his journey away from it and its conservative values. And then Dan tells us all about his new book, The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and American Popular Culture. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been visiting Northern Ireland and Tim has been visiting eastern Tennessee. Some of the things we talked about on this show: Mr. Benes mentioned What's the Matter with Kansas? and Dinesh...
#66: Religious Clothing Norms and the Biden Inauguration
February 02, 2021 08:48 - 46 minutes - 36.3 MBThis month, we talk to a researcher at the Pew Research Center about her work on the harassment women face around the globe when their clothing is deemed either too secular or too religious. And then we have a chat about the Trump years just ended and our expectations for the newly-installed Biden Administration. And in One Last Thing, Dan is engaging his "lizard brain," while Tim is worrying about those who spread rumors of lizard people. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: ...
#65: What Is Religion, Anyway? What Is Politics?
January 05, 2021 07:09 - 51 minutes - 43.3 MBAfter five-plus years of talking about the intersection of religion and politics, this month we step back and actually try to define our terms, with the help of our old friend Courtney Bruntz. And in our year-ending One Last Thing, Dan reaches for a hopeful note and Tim gives up on humanity. Some of the things we talked about this month: Dan and Courtney discussed definitions of religion by Schliermacher, Durkheim, Freud, Ninian Smart, and Stephen Prothero. Dan mentioned this article by Ka...
#64 1/2: The Orange Wave, Episode 0
December 01, 2020 06:44 - 41 minutes - 34.4 MBWe're taking a month off to lick our psychic wounds, so this month friend of the show Bradley Onishi has graciously agreed to allow us to share Episode 0 of his Orange Wave project, which we discussed on our last episode. If you like what you hear, you can find all ten episodes at their web site, along with transcripts and suggested readings. Happy listening!
Episode 64 1/2: The Orange Wave, Episode 0
December 01, 2020 06:44 - 41 minutes - 34.4 MBWe're taking a month off to lick our psychic wounds, so this month friend of the show Bradley Onishi has graciously agreed to allow us to share Episode 0 of his Orange Wave project, which we discussed on our last episode. If you like what you hear, you can find all ten episodes at their web site, along with transcripts and suggested readings. Happy listening!
#64: The Orange Wave
November 03, 2020 06:56 - 41 minutes - 35.6 MBThis month we talk to friend-of-the-show Bradley Onishi from the podcast Straight White American Jesus about his extraordinary podcast miniseries The Orange Wave. And in One Last Thing, Dan goes highbrow and Tim does...not. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: Brad mentioned several books: The End of Empathy by John Compton, The Shadow Network by Anne Nelson, Unholy by Sara Posner, and The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart. (And here's last month's show, featuring Ms. St...
#63: The Power Worshippers
October 06, 2020 06:38 - 44 minutes - 36.1 MBIn this episode, we talk to Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers, about her deep dive into the world of Christian nationalism. And in One Last Thing, we're both seeking solace and a sense of normalcy in the midst of these weird and turbulent times. NOTE: This interview was conducted before Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Some of the things we talked about on this show: Ms. Stewart mentioned the work of Kristen Kobes Du Mez, author of, among other things, Jesus and John Wa...
IC Supplemental: RBG
September 21, 2020 23:15 - 29 minutes - 29.6 MBAmerica lost an icon on Friday, so we called our friend Ann Duncan to help us process the news. We talked about why Ruth Bader Ginsburg meant so much to so many, about what her legacy might be, and about what's likely to happen now that she's gone.
#62: The Politics and Religion of QAnon
September 01, 2020 06:52 - 46 minutes - 43.9 MBThis month we talk to Marc-André Argentino about where QAnon came from, where it might be going, and how it's starting to look more like a religion than a simple belief or set of beliefs. And in One Last Thing, Dan is relaxing with a cartoon, and Tim is grumbling about a cartoonish theological argument. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: Mr. Argentino made reference to theodicy, Dominionism, and "red pilling." He also mentioned Pizzagate, the Wayfair conspiracy theory, the "S...
#61: Supreme Court Wrap-Up 2020
August 04, 2020 08:41 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBThis month we continue our annual tradition of trying to ask questions about the Supreme Court term gone by that are intelligent enough to be worthy of the answers we get from friend-of-the-show Ann Duncan. And in One Last Thing, Dan is watching the story progress in a show that he loves and Tim is watching a movie in which no one makes any progress at all. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: The cases from this term were Bostock v. Clayton County, June Medical Services v. R...
#60: Nones in the US and Canada
July 07, 2020 06:16 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBThis month we talk to sociologists Joel Thiessen and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme about their new book None of the Above: Nonreligious Identity in the US and Canada. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been contemplating the apocalypse while Tim just wants to annoy the villagers. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: Dr. Wilkins-Laflamme mentioned the work of Phil Zuckerman, The Disappearing God Gap?, and this open access article written by our guests. Dan's OLT was Justice League Dark:...
IC Supplemental: Trump Vs. Democracy
June 06, 2020 19:14 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MBOn our first supplemental episode in almost three years, we talk about the president's decision to assault peaceful protesters in order to walk to a church and hold up a Bible. Here are the books and articles we referenced along the way: How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt "The Christians Who Loved Trump's Stunt," by McKay Coppins "Trump's Brandishing of the Bible Plays Into a Cultural Legacy of Racism and Colonialism," by Katie Edwards and Helen Paynter "Trump's Ch...
#59: Christian Nationalism & COVID and AKA Jane Roe
June 02, 2020 06:41 - 44 minutes - 42.1 MBOn this episode of Impolite Conversation, we invited Andrew Whitehead, co-author of Taking America Back for God, back on the show to explain to us how Christian nationalism complicates life in a pandemic. Then we chatted about the new FX documentary AKA Jane Roe. And in One Last Thing, Dan is glad he gave a show another chance, and Tim has branched out into a new form of comfort viewing. Some of the things we talked about on this show: Dan mentioned Bruce Lincoln's book Holy Terrors. Andre...
#58: The American Church’s Complicity With Racism
May 05, 2020 08:35 - 44 minutes - 42.7 MBOn this month's episode, we talk to Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise, about the shameful history of the American church's complicity with racism and racial oppression. And in One Last Thing, Dan and Tim switch personalities: Dan has been listening to a podcast, while Tim has been listening to an audiobook. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: Mr. Tisby mentioned the books The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, by Mark Noll and White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo. M...
#57: Robb Ryerse Is Running For Our Lives
April 06, 2020 06:36 - 33 minutes - 33.2 MBThis month on Impolite Conversation, Tim talks to Robb Ryerse of Brand New Congress and Vote Common Good about his work with those organizations, as well as his own run for Congress in 2018, which he chronicled in his memoir Running For Our Lives: A Story of Faith, Politics, and the Common Good. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been watching gritty adaptations of lighthearted comics and Tim just wants to hold at bay the anxieties of our current moment. Some of the things we talked about in thi...
#56: Nerd Podcasting Supergroup!
March 03, 2020 06:18 - 48 minutes - 52 MBThis month on Impolite Conversation, we join forces with the guys at Straight White American Jesus (you should really go subscribe) to form a nerd podcasting supergroup! Then...the four of us just sit around and talk about evangelicals in America and Brazil. And in One Last Thing, Dan and Tim have both been watching Amazon Prime, but for very different reasons. Some of the things we talked about on this show: Tim went back to his high school days reminiscing about The Arsenio Hall Show, but...
#55: The Politics of Chosen-ness and Trump on Religious Liberty
February 04, 2020 06:48 - 40 minutes - 42.2 MBFor February, we talk to Michael Coogan about his book God's Favorites: Judaism, Christianity, and the Myth of Divine Chosenness. Then Dan and Tim about the new rules announced by the Trump Administration last month regarding religious liberty. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been staying in to watch TV, and Tim has been going out to the movies. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: Dan mentioned the book I Still Believe and the classic article "Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians...
#54: Uighur Erasure in China
January 07, 2020 06:33 - 44 minutes - 45 MBThis month, we get our good friend Courtney back in front of the microphone to discuss the "cultural genocide" occurring in Xinjiang province in northwest China. And in our year-reviewing One Last Thing, we're both thinking about Netflix original series as ways to encapsulate 2019. There isn't a lot of stray talk in this episode, but you can learn more about the oppression of the Uighurs here, here, here, and here. And here is the UN definition of genocide. Dan's OLT was about season 3 of N...
#53: The Meaning of Dec. 25 and Anti-Semitic Violence
December 03, 2019 06:29 - 57 minutes - 57.6 MBFor the holidays, we're digging into why Christmas is celebrated on December 25--and no, it's not just because of Saturnalia. And then we chat about the sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence the past few years and whether or not there's any reason for hope. And in One Last Thing, Dan read another audiobook this month and Tim has been flipping through the scholarly journals. Some of the things we talked about this month: Our guest, Dr. McGowan, brought up mariology. Here are discussions of th...
#52: Christian Right in the States and Faith in the 2020 Democratic Nomination Fight
November 05, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 49.7 MBThis month, we talk to Tim's longtime friend Kimberly Horn Conger about her work documenting the Christian Right at the state level. Then she sticks around to help us break down how the 2020 Democratic hopefuls are using faith, and whose rhetoric might be most effective. And in One Last Thing, both Dan and Tim are reflecting on bad behavior. Some of the things we discuss in this episode: Dr. Conger referenced several Supreme Court cases, including Obergefell v. Hodges, Planned Parenthood v....
#51: Holy Disunity and Trump as Messiah
October 01, 2019 01:44 - 52 minutes - 54.9 MBThis month we talk to Presbyterian minister Layton Williams about her new book Holy Disunity and her thesis that authenticity is more important than unity. Then the two of us settle in to chat about the "quasi-messianic" language that's come out of the White House recently. (Note: we knew when we recorded this episode that the events we discussed in our B-segment would have been overtaken by other scandals many times over by the time it came out, but we had no way of knowing there would be an...
#50: Teaching the Teachers and What We’ve Learned
September 03, 2019 15:32 - 36 minutes - 38.5 MBIt's our 50th episode! This month we talk to Christopher Murray, a DC-area high school teacher who started a program to teach his colleagues about the religious diversity they might find among their students. And then we spend a few minutes chatting about what we've learned in our first 50 episodes. Finally, in One Last Thing, Dan is going on vicarious coffee dates and Tim is revising the history of early 90s TV. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: Here is the article that insp...
#49: Supreme Court Wrap-Up 2019
August 06, 2019 04:44 - 46 minutes - 47.7 MBThis month we return to our August tradition of discussing the 2018-19 Supreme Court term with friend-of-the-show Ann Duncan. And in One Last Thing, both Dan and Tim have been watching TV of a supernatural variety. *** We burned through a lot of Supreme Court cases in this episode. If you want to read the decisions for yourself, the cases are American Legion v. American Humanist Association (Establishment clause), Box v. Planned Parenthood (abortion), Bucklew v. Precythe (death penalty), Ma...
Episode #48: Toddie Peters on Reproductive Justice
July 02, 2019 10:04 - 40 minutes - 41.6 MBThis month: with abortion restrictions making headlines across the South and Midwest, it's a good time to talk to Rebecca Todd Peters about her new book Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice. And in One Last Thing, both Dan and Tim have been watching movies about unsavory characters, but those movies were...not the same. UC Berkeley Law School published this primer on reproductive justice. And this Vox article discusses the data Dr. Peters referenced about de...
#47: Israeli Democratic Erosion and the Museum of the Bible
June 04, 2019 10:50 - 53 minutes - 51.6 MBTo start off the summer, we talk this month about the erosion of democracy in Israel and Dan's recent trip to the Museum of the Bible. NOTE: we recorded this show prior to last week's announcement that Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for new elections in Israel. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: There are lots of good resources on the question of whether Israel is in a democratic backslide, including this Brookings Institute briefing paper and this Vox article. If you don't kn...
#46: Crisis in the UMC
May 07, 2019 10:47 - 47 minutes - 47.5 MBOn this month’s Impolite Conversation, we talk to a scholar and a bishop about the continuing crisis regarding the status of LGBTQ people in the United Methodist Church. First, Iliff School of Theology president Thomas Wolfe shares his thoughts with us. Then Karen Oliveto, the first LGBT bishop in UMC history, spares some moments to consider what the situation means for her and her flock. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been watching TV (again) and Tim has been reading News of the Gross (again...
#45: Immigration and Christian Theology
April 02, 2019 19:31 - 34 minutes - 35.2 MBOn this month's Imp Convo, Oxford Pastorate associate pastor Robert Heimburger joins us via Skype to talk about his new book God and the Illegal Alien: United States Immigration Law and a Theology of Politics. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been watching TV again and Tim is taking music advice from an old friend. Warning: there is a brief moment of explicit language in this episode. No links from the main show this month, but Dan's OLT is The Umbrella Academy, and Tim's is The Dip Delivers....
#44: The Trump Prophecy
March 05, 2019 15:35 - 55 minutes - 54.9 MBThis month, Impolite Conversation goes to the movies to discuss the Liberty University-produced film The Trump Prophecy and what it tells us about evangelical culture and the connection between the religious right and Donald Trump. And then Dan and Tim chat some more about the film and What It All Means. (Spoiler: we didn't like it.) And in One Last Thing, Dan is tracking a serial killer, and Tim is watching a woman be killed serially. Some of the things we discussed in this episode: The Tr...
#43: The Faith Profile of the 116th Congress
February 05, 2019 11:00 - 39 minutes - 41.6 MBThere's a new Congress in Washington, DC, so we're spending this month talking about the growing diversity of the faiths it represents, the ongoing "theistic bias" in representation, and the consequences for American governance. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: Here is the Pew report we based our conversation on. Dan referenced videos reducing the world's population to 100 representative people. Here's one. Tim referenced this graph of the nations of the world by GDP an...
#42: Don’t Ask Muslims to Condemn Terrorism
January 01, 2019 07:54 - 48 minutes - 49.6 MBOn this the first Imp Convo of 2019, friend of the show Todd Green talks to us about his new book Presumed Guilty: Why We Shouldn't Ask Muslims to Condemn Terrorism. And in a 2018 retrospective edition of One Last Thing, Dan gets meta about the year gone by and Tim muses on scandals past and present. Some of the things we discussed on this episode: Todd referenced this Google Doc which documents thousands of instances of Muslims condemning terrorism. Tim really, really likes the podcast Sl...
#41: “God’s Politics” and The Hollywood Connection
December 04, 2018 13:09 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBThis month on Impolite Conversation we chat with the Very Reverend (and longtime Dan-friend) Barkley Thompson about trying to approach the political realm as a Christian rather than a partisan. His new book is In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God's Politics. And then we break format to shamelessly promote Tim's new book with Heather Yates of the University of Central Arkansas, The Hollywood Connection: The Influence of Fictional Media and Celebrity Politics on American Public Opinion....
#40: Politics’ Impact on Religion
November 06, 2018 15:17 - 46 minutes - 47.7 MBThis month on Impolite Conversation: we reconsider the causal arrow between religious attendance and political beliefs as we welcome Michele Margolis to talk to us about her book From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity. And in One Last Thing, Dan wants to talk about Fear, while Tim wants to talk about inspiration. Some of the things we talked about this month: Dan mentioned Tradition in a Rootless World, by Lynn Davidman. Dan's OLT...
#39: Christian Nationalism and Gun Control
October 02, 2018 13:59 - 36 minutes - 37.5 MBOn this month's episode, Andrew Whitehead talks to us about his recent article which links Christian nationalism with opposition to gun control. He explains what scholars mean by "Christian nationalism" and how a religion founded long before the invention of either guns or America is used to justify an absolutist reading of the Second Amendment. And in One Last Thing, Tim has been prepping for Halloween and Jack Ryan has been disappointing Dan. Some of the links for this episode: Dr. Whiteh...
#38: Religious Freedom, the Sessions DOJ, and “Satanists” in Arkansas
September 04, 2018 14:34 - 53 minutes - 52.8 MBThis month on Impolite Conversation, we dive into the recent headlines to talk about religious freedom and what Jeff Sessions' Department of Justice really means when it uses that term. Then we turn our attention to Arkansas, where Satanists--or really, "Satanists"--erected a goat-headed idol on the statehouse grounds in Little Rock. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been reading a book-length history of Batman and Tim has been reading stories so short, they fit into a single tweet. Some of the...
Episode #37: Supreme Court Wrap-Up 2018
August 08, 2018 22:23 - 56 minutes - 54.8 MBThis month, we welcome back friend-of-the-show Ann Duncan to talk about the 2017-18 Supreme Court season, including Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, NIFLA v. Becerra, and Trump v. Hawaii. She helps us understand why this was such a good year for conservatives in terms of the Court's religion cases, and scopes out what soon-to-be Justice Kavanaugh portends for the terms to come. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been spending his summer at the movie house, while Tim has ...
#36: Sex in the Roman Empire and the Bible as a Political Weapon
July 02, 2018 20:46 - 52 minutes - 54.4 MBIn this month's Impolite Conversation, we talk to David Wheeler-Reed about his new book, Regulating Sex in the Roman Empire: Ideology, the Bible, and the Early Christians. And then Dan and Tim chat about what it means when politicians quote Scripture to make a political point. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been doing some reading of his own about the ancient world, but Tim just wants to strut his summer away. Some of the things we talked about on this episode: This was an unusually Bible-h...
#35: Talking Same-Sex Marriage Opposition With College Sophomores
June 05, 2018 15:26 - 45 minutes - 43.7 MBIn this episode, we go into Dan's class on "Gender, Sex, Race, and the Bible" to discuss Ludger Viefhues-Bailey's book Between a Man and a Woman? Why Conservatives Oppose Same-Sex Marriage. And in One Last Thing, Dan has been watching the Marvel apocalypse, Courtney has been thinking about graduations as endings, and Tim just wants to gross you out. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: If you want some summer reading, you can email Dan for his syllabus. In his book, Viefhues...
#34: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Part III (AUDIO FIXED)
May 01, 2018 16:34 - 47 minutes - 46.6 MBOn this episode of Impolite Conversation, our friend Kimberly Jarvis joins us as we wrap up our three-month exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a roundtable discussion of what the future of the conflict might look like. And in One Last Thing, Kim has more thoughts on the Middle East, Courtney has thoughts on being an A’s fan, Dan has thoughts on Jessica Jones, and Tim has thoughts on the recent Simpsons dust-up. Note: there was a small problem with the audio in the first rel...
#34: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Part III
May 01, 2018 15:24 - 47 minutes - 46.4 MBOn this episode of Impolite Conversation, our friend Kimberly Jarvis joins us as we wrap up our three-month exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a roundtable discussion of what the future of the conflict might look like. And in One Last Thing, Kim has more thoughts on the Middle East, Courtney has thoughts on being an A's fan, Dan has thoughts on Jessica Jones, and Tim has thoughts on the recent Simpsons dust-up. Some of the things we discussed in this show: This map shows t...
#33: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Part II
April 03, 2018 14:16 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBThis month, we continue our exploration of the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict with a discussion about the history of the region since Israel's founding since 1948. And in One Last Thing, Dan gets reflective about Black Panther and Tim gets excited about a TV show that wants to ruin everything. Some things we discussed in this month's show: Our guest Vaughn Shannon wrote a book about Israel, Palestine, and the United States. Dan's OLT was about Black Panther, but more about the...
#32: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Part I
March 05, 2018 20:09 - 41 minutes - 51.6 MBFor March, we begin a three-month conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by chatting with the eminent Middle East historian James Gelvin about the roots of the dispute. And in One Last Thing, we've all been watching television that we don't really have time for. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: -Dr. Gelvin's book The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War is an excellent primer on the issue, and is available in four different languages. -Dan's O...
#31: Our American Decalogue
February 05, 2018 21:24 - 39 minutes - 42.4 MBIn this episode of Impolite Conversation, Jenna Weissman Joselit discusses her new book Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments. And in One Last Thing, we all riff on Oprah 2020 after Courtney's date with the Golden Globes. Plus, Dan has things to say about Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Tim has been streaming some TV shows. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: Dr. Weissman Joselit prefers the 1929 version of Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments to the 1956 v...
#30: Roe v. Wade: Past, Present, and Future
January 02, 2018 16:06 - 39 minutes - 43.5 MBOn this month's show, we commemorate the 45th anniversary of the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade by talking to a scholar about how that case changed abortion politics, what the issue looks like today, and what we might expect going forward. And in One Last Thing, we take a final look back at 2017 to judge what best encapsulates the year we all just survived. Some things we talked about in this show: Our guest is Dr. Joshua Wilson. His book is The New States of Abortion Politics. Dr. Wil...
IC Supplemental: Roy Moore Loses and Trump’s Move on Jerusalem
December 14, 2017 12:48 - 20 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this supplemental episode of Impolite Conversation, we talk to Nick Davis of Texas A&M about why white evangelicals were so loyal to Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, and then try to hash out what it means that President Trump has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
#29: Hindu Nationalism and the Role of International Yoga Day
December 04, 2017 22:16 - 42 minutes - 46.4 MBThis month, Tim, Dan, and Courtney discuss Hindu nationalism in India, and particularly the role played by International Yoga Day, a holiday you maybe didn't even know existed. Then in One Last Thing, Courtney has been watching Trump in China, and Dan and Tim have been watching television. Some of the things we talked about in this episode: The United Nations has information about International Yoga Day. The New York Times has a nice interactive timeline about the 2002 Gujarat riots, which...
#28: The Civil Rights Movement and Taking a Knee
November 07, 2017 01:55 - 40 minutes - 47.6 MBOn this episode of Impolite Conversation, we talk to Paul Harvey of the University of Colorado--Colorado Springs about the role religion played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and how that role has changed in 2017. Then we have a chat about Colin Kaepernick, Donald Trump, and the symbols of civil religion. And in One Last Thing, Dan is hunting serial killers, Courtney is keeping an eye on the halls of power in Beijing, and Tim goes intergalactic. Some things we talk about in this e...
#27: Rohingya Genocide and Philippine Crucifixion
October 03, 2017 02:40 - 55 minutes - 49.4 MBWe're happy to announce that this month's Imp Convo is the first for our new co-host, Courtney Bruntz! After two years of making the show, we finally have someone involved who knows what she's talking about. And since we have expertise on our panel, we're digging into it this month. First, Courtney walks us through the roots of the genocide currently being perpetrated against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. And then Dan gives us a preview of his latest research into Philippine crucifixion ritua...