Flux Podcasts (Formerly Theory of Change)
263 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 38 ratingsFlux is a media platform for change, with smart and fun podcasts like Theory of Change, Doomscroll, and So This Just Happened.
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Episodes
Kevin McCarthy succumbs to the inevitable
October 06, 2023 13:21 - 36 minutes - 27.9 MBThanks for listening and please support the show by giving us a good review on Apple Podcasts! Timecodes 01:48 Kevin McCarthy is ousted as Republicans are in disarray 08:00 Most mainstream media reporters still won't tell the truth about Republican extremism 11:04 Elon Musk's ideological goals for Twitter further revealed 14:46 Pre-Musk Twitter wasn't perfect, but he had to destroy it because it allowed the left to organize organically 24:04 Rapper Sexyy Red says she "loves" Donald Tru...
So This Just Happened #007: Republicans in disarray
October 06, 2023 13:14 - 36 minutes - 27.9 MBThanks for listening and please support the show by giving us a good review on Apple Podcasts! Timecodes 01:48 Kevin McCarthy is ousted as Republicans are in disarray 08:00 Most mainstream media reporters still won't tell the truth about Republican extremism 11:04 Elon Musk's ideological goals for Twitter further revealed 14:46 Pre-Musk Twitter wasn't perfect, but he had to destroy it because it allowed the left to organize organically 24:04 Rapper Sexyy Red says she "loves" Donald Tru...
Doomscroll #012: Kevin McCarthy's pathetic last stand
October 04, 2023 11:49 - 30 minutes - 22.6 MBEpisode Summary Matt and Lisa are joined by standup comedian and sex-worker advocate Kaytlin Bailey for a hilarious and not-safe-for-work discussion about Kevin McCarthy’s last stand as Speaker of the House, Republicans saying Donald Trump is religiously devout, and much more. Recorded Monday, October 2, 2023 Doomscroll is a Flux Community podcast. We’ve got lots more great articles and podcasts on politics, culture, media, and religion. Join us! Timecodes 00:19 — House Republicans laun...
Theory of Change #089: Lauren Lassabe Shepherd on how reactionary college students invented 'cancel culture' and political consulting
October 02, 2023 08:10 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBEpisode Summary While it’s easy to believe that Donald Trump unleashed the radical forces that threaten American democracy today, the truth is that they have been present within our system for more than 50 years. And in many cases, some of the same people like Roger Stone or Karl Rove who were active on the student right in the 1960s and 1970s are still active today. Although the mid-20th century is known as a time of left-wing activism and political change, the time period was also when t...
The forgotten history of how right-wing college students invented 'cancel culture'
October 02, 2023 08:10 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBEpisode Summary While it’s easy to believe that Donald Trump unleashed the radical forces that threaten American democracy today, the truth is that they have been present within our system for more than 50 years. And in many cases, some of the same people like Roger Stone or Karl Rove who were active on the student right in the 1960s and 1970s are still active today. Although the mid-20th century is known as a time of left-wing activism and political change, the time period was also when t...
Is the Fox RFK Jr. hype going to boomerang?
September 29, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 26.8 MBEpisode Summary For months, Fox and other right-wing media outlets told their audiences how great Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the deranged anti-vaccine activist was. Now, some of them are starting to fear that Kennedy might take Trump votes away as a Libertarian Party candidate. Join Matt and Kali as they discuss. Thanks for listening and please support the show by giving us a good review on Apple Podcasts! Timecodes 00:00 — Fox News's Kennedy hype just might backfire 07:56 — While RFK Jr. c...
So This Just Happened #006: Is the Fox RFK Jr. hype going to boomerang?
September 29, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 26.8 MBEpisode Summary For months, Fox and other right-wing media outlets told their audiences how great Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the deranged anti-vaccine activist was. Now, some of them are starting to fear that Kennedy might take Trump votes away as a Libertarian Party candidate. Join Matt and Kali as they discuss. Thanks for listening and please support the show by giving us a good review on Apple Podcasts! Timecodes 00:00 — Fox News's Kennedy hype just might backfire 07:56 — While RFK Jr. c...
Doomscroll #011: Trump's fake union show
September 27, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 23.5 MBLisa and Matt are joined in this episode by Sarah Rumpf, a contributing editor at Mediaite to talk about all the latest news, including Donald Trump pretending to support striking auto workers and a lot more. Timecodes 00:25 — Joe Biden pickets with auto worker union while Trump pretends he likes workers 06:24 — Democrats' calls for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign while Republicans embrace criminal party members 13:27 — Former Trump secretary says he wrote to-do notes for her on classified d...
Theory of Change #088: Rich Logis on waking up from MAGA
September 25, 2023 16:27 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBSummary Donald Trump has been the dominant figure in Republican politics for nearly 8 years now, and yet if you read the opinion columns in the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Atlantic, the disgraced ex-president is on the verge of being shoved out of the Republican Party. None of this is true, however. Despite constant hype from anti-Trump supporters of Ron DeSantis, the Florida Governor’s presidential campaign has completely failed to launch. No matter what Washington-based R...
So This Just Happened #005: Country music and Confederate Christianity
September 22, 2023 15:00 - 38 minutes - 29.2 MBSummary Country music star Maren Morris announced that she's going to leave the industry after realizing that genre fans were too reactionary for her, in part by many people playing and purchasing songs meant to be perceived as threats to Black Lives Matter protesters and anti-fascist activists. Because it originated as a musical form from the former confederacy, country music has many vestiges of that racist and theocratic tradition, but nonetheless, it is also true that country, and the ...
Doomscroll #010: Did Trump 'break' political comedy?
September 20, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 26.1 MBMatt and Lisa are joined in this episode by Doug J. Balloon, the creator of the New York Times Pitchbot parody Twitter account for a definitely not-safe-for-work discussion about all the news of the week, including Conan O’Brien’s assertion that Donald Trump made comedy monologues a lot harder, very serious allegations being lobbed at Russell Brand, and Trump’s totally bizarre cult musical performance at his latest speech. Timecodes 00:22 — Conan O'Brien says Trump broke comedy 04:10 — Ru...
Did Trump 'break' political comedy?
September 18, 2023 23:19 - 36 minutes - 26.1 MBSummary Matt and Lisa are joined in this episode by Doug J. Balloon, the creator of the New York Times Pitchbot parody Twitter account for a definitely not-safe-for-work discussion about all the news of the week, including Conan O’Brien’s assertion that Donald Trump made comedy monologues a lot harder, very serious allegations being lobbed at Russell Brand, and Trump’s totally bizarre cult musical performance at his latest speech. Timecodes 00:22 — Conan O'Brien says Trump broke comedy 0...
Theory of Change #087: Natalia Mehlman Petrzela on fitness and fascism
September 18, 2023 07:00 - 47 minutes - 32.3 MBEpisode Summary As American conservatism is rotting out from the inside, it is slowly being replaced by both reactionism and fascism. It is a horrifying story to see, but there are also a lot of interesting things to notice as conservatism is decaying. One of those things that fascism is just as much an aesthetic as it is an ideology. While it's become much more radical and obsessed with imaginary stories of national doom, the American far right has also become dramatically more interested...
Why Republicans can't get a date
September 15, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 30.4 MBSummary A new poll from Change Research for Teen Vogue of young adults finds that being MAGA is absolutely loathed by a majority of people between the ages of 18 and 34. According to the survey, 76 percent of women in the age group say that discovering their date is a MAGA Republican is a “red flag” for them; 59 percent of men in the age group agreed. The survey, which is definitely worth checking out, also found that being a fan of Joe Rogan is a red flag for 55 percent of young women. An...
So This Just Happened #004: Republicans can't get a date and they can't understand why
September 15, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 30.4 MBSummary A new poll from Change Research for Teen Vogue of young adults finds that being MAGA is absolutely loathed by a majority of people between the ages of 18 and 34. According to the survey, 76 percent of women in the age group say that discovering their date is a MAGA Republican is a “red flag” for them; 59 percent of men in the age group agreed. The survey, which is definitely worth checking out, also found that being a fan of Joe Rogan is a red flag for 55 percent of young women. An...
Doomscroll #009: Impeachment Groundhog Day
September 14, 2023 21:00 - 37 minutes - 26.7 MBMatt and Lisa are joined in this episode by podcaster and illustrator Eiynah Mohammed-Smith for NSFW takes about all the news of the week, including Republicans moving forward on their interminable impeachment threats, strange religious brainwashing videos from Dennis Prager, and Ashton Kucher and Mila Kunis getting blasted for standing up for Danny Masterson after his conviction. Timecodes 00:39 — House Republicans move forward with impeachment and shutdown threats 03:47 — Christian and ...
Theory of Change #086: Nyomi Banks on sex, intimacy, and self-care
September 11, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit plus.flux.community This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theoryofchange.flux.community We live in a world of unprecedented convenience. Many of us can do our jobs entirely remotely. We use our smartphones to do a million different things. Electric cars are commonplace. And you can pretty much get anything delivered in a matter of days, if not hours. There's no doubt that when it comes to commerce and comm...
Doomscroll #008: Burning Man floods and porta-potty wrastlin'
September 06, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 28.5 MBLisa Curry and Matthew Sheffield are joined in this episode by comedian and television writer Camille Corbett for NSFW takes about all the news of the week, including flooding at the Burning Man festival, nepo babies, and that very strange brawl at a country music concert in Pittsburgh. Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odXGLfSCDg8 Timecodes 00:24 Burning Man attendees finally get their apocalypse lifestyle 05:01 Porta-pottie throwdown in Pittsburgh! 07:54 Marjorie Taylor G...
Adult media has gone mainstream and changed itself for the better, star Tasha Reign says
September 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBSex workers, people who earn a living as escorts or adult entertainers, are some of the most visible people in media nowadays. According to the web traffic stats company SimilarWeb, three of the top 15 websites in the world are pornographic video services. And yet, despite how popular porn has become, a lot of us don't know much about the people who work in the industry. That's unfortunate, because a lot of them have very interesting stories to tell. That's why I was pleased when I learned...
Theory of Change #085: Tasha Reign on sex work, consent, and companionship
September 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theoryofchange.flux.community Sex workers, people who earn a living as escorts or adult entertainers, are some of the most visible people in media nowadays. According to the web traffic stats company SimilarWeb, three of the top 15 websites in the world are pornographic video services. And yet, despite how popular porn has become, a lot of us don't know much about the people who work in the industry. That's unfortunate, because a...
So This Just Happened #003: Oliver Anthony and the coolness gap
September 01, 2023 16:37 - 39 minutes - 30.4 MBSummary Over the past month, you couldn't go anywhere as a political junkie without being force-fed takes from right-wing media figures on the music of Oliver Anthony, who turns out to be someone who isn't particularly a fan of Republicans. In this episode, Kali and Matt talk about why Republicans are so desperate to be cool and how it's also related to their demeaning and often racist attitudes toward Black Americans. Timecodes 02:16 -- Republicans aren't cool, and they know it all too ...
Doomscroll #007: Fox host thinks mugshot Trump is hot??
August 30, 2023 12:42 - 35 minutes - 25.4 MBJoin Matthew Sheffield, Lisa Curry, and Daily Show writer Nicole Conlan as they share NSFW takes about all the news, including Fox News Channel host Jesse Watters's very strange expression of admiration for Donald Trump. Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-E-9OSdf6Q Timecodes 01:18 — Trump finally gets mugshot on 4th arrest 05:20 — Right-wingers think mugshot Trump is hot now? 11:38 — Georgia's Trumper rogues gallery 14:02 — Jordan Peterson shows off newest clown suit 17:...
Doomscroll #007: Fox thinks mugshot Trump is hot??
August 30, 2023 12:35 - 35 minutes - 25.4 MBJoin Matthew Sheffield, Lisa Curry, and guest Nicole Conlan as they share hot takes about all the news of the week, including Fox News Channel host Jesse Watters's very strange expression of admiration for Donald Trump. 01:18 — Trump finally gets mugshot on 4th arrest 05:20 — Right-wingers think mugshot Trump is hot now? 11:38 — Georgia's Trumper rogues gallery 14:02 — Jordan Peterson shows off newest clown suit 17:56 — Far-right women ask: How much subservience to men is enough? 22:02...
Theory of Change #084: Kaytlin Bailey on sex worker rights and changing norms
August 28, 2023 07:39 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBEpisode Summary For thousands of years, humans have been buying and selling sex. The ancient Sumerians in 2400 BCE included female and male prostitutes on a list of known professions, so the term “oldest profession” is actually more than just a cliché. Despite the fact that sex economies have existed for far longer than most civilizations, many people seem uncomfortable with discussing the important roles that sex workers play in our society, economy, and even our politics. In 49 of the 50...
The ‘world’s oldest profession’ is attaining new relevance in the internet age
August 28, 2023 07:39 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBEpisode Summary For thousands of years, humans have been buying and selling sex. The ancient Sumerians in 2400 BCE included female and male prostitutes on a list of known professions, so the term “oldest profession” is actually more than just a cliché. Despite the fact that sex economies have existed for far longer than most civilizations, many people seem uncomfortable with discussing the important roles that sex workers play in our society, economy, and even our politics. In 49 of the 50...
Personal insecurity and political extremism
August 25, 2023 07:24 - 39 minutes - 30.4 MBSo much of the political and religious extremism that is currently plaguing the United States and many other countries likely derives from personal psychological trauma. Matt and Kali kick off a multi-faceted discussion of this topic talking about Lady MAGA, a pro-Trump drag queen who had to abandon her profession after Republicans decided to create a nationwide trans panic. Timecodes 01:51 -- Obergefell v. Hodges and the conservative bifurcation of queer equality movement 06:49 -- Why ...
So This Just Happened #002: Personal insecurity and political extremism
August 25, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 30.4 MBEpisode Summary So much of the political and religious extremism that is currently plaguing the United States and many other countries likely derives from personal psychological trauma. Matt and Kali kick off a multi-faceted discussion of this topic talking about Lady MAGA, a pro-Trump drag queen who had to abandon her profession after Republicans decided to create a nationwide trans panic. Timecodes 01:51 -- Obergefell v. Hodges and the conservative bifurcation of queer equality moveme...
Doomscroll #006: Rudy Giuliani needs your money
August 22, 2023 01:48 - 35 minutes - 25.8 MBMatt, Lisa, and guest Chrissy Stroop discuss: 00:36 — Rudy Giuliani is begging Donald Trump for money for his failed 2020 election lawsuits, but Trump hasn’t paid a cent so far 02:57 — Despite not getting his lawyering payout, Rudy is still making hundreds of thousands a year thanks to the miracle of “wingnut welfare” 05:37 — As Republicans gear up for their first presidential debate, Trump says he’s not going to go to any of them 11:13 — Jordan Peterson busted for turning negative revie...
Theory of Change #083: Marty 'DoktorZoom' Kelley on Idaho #InTheStates
August 21, 2023 07:00 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBEpisode Summary This episode is the first in an occasional Theory of Change series of in-depth discussions about the politics of different states and how, unfortunately, right-wing extremism is becoming more common in many areas. The first state we're going to be discussing is Idaho. It’s one of America's most beautiful states with amazing mountains and lakes, lush forests, and gorgeous fields and plains. Unfortunately, it is also home to many of America's most insane people as well. Our ...
MAGA is rapping about demons in Target now
August 19, 2023 06:01 - 40 minutes - 37 MBWelcome to a new Flux podcast called “So This Just Happened,” a show about culture and politics, with a particular emphasis on gender, race, sex, and religion. We’ll be covering the news, but also what it means to us as individuals in weekly conversations that seek to explore and promote intersectional understanding. Each episode is part of a larger conversation, so you’ll notice that there will never be a formal introduction. Co-host Matthew Sheffield is a writer, podcaster, web developer...
So This Just Happened #001: Demonic tampons
August 18, 2023 22:49 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBHey it’s Matthew Sheffield. As a subscriber to Theory of Change, I wanted to let you know about a new Flux podcast called So This Just Happened. My co-host for this show is Kali Holloway, she’s a very thoughtful journalist who you may have seen writing for The Nation and The Daily Beast. She’s also a singer and musician who’s featured in “The End of Our Deceit,” which is our podcast’s theme song. So This Just Happened is going to focus on the people and personalities behind the news. This ...
Doomscroll #005: We're not getting that billionaire death match
August 17, 2023 05:35 - 36 minutes - 26.1 MBLisa and Matt discuss: 00:08 — Elon Musk chickens out of his fight with Mark Zuckerberg while pretending he didn’t 04:45 — Las Vegas hotels dealing with bed bug infestations 07:38 — Ron DeSantis and allies spent $95k to pay off Iowa Christian Republican group 09:21 — DeSantis shuts down go-karts for a photo-op 13:57 — Donald Trump Junior’s very weird outdoor magazine 20:56 — People are making Donald Trump coloring books 23:16 — Arkansas Republican boasts she’s replacing little librari...
Doomscroll #004: Presidential indictments from outer space
August 12, 2023 05:28 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBMatt, Lisa, and guest host Nick Nuñez talk about: * Why people aren’t taking the congressional space alien hearings seriously * Lisa’s extremely normal high school math teacher who told students about being abducted (4:19) * Green Party presidential candidate Cornel West owes $500k to the IRS and $50k in child support (8:15) * Steve Bannon apparently kept a bathtub filled with formaldehyde or some type of acid in his house (14:47) * Donald Trump gets his third post-presidential indictme...
Theory of Change #082: Julie Millican and Olivia Little on right-wing media's new Satanic Panic
August 07, 2023 09:34 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBEver since the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater, the Republican party has been in a radicalization loop in which successive generations of leaders overthrew their predecessors by claiming they were not reactionary enough. But since Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Republican radicalization has increased at a level never before seen. And there’s a reason for this. Older, white fundamentalist Christians over 50 years old are the overwhelming majority of Republica...
Doomscroll #003: Fox Freakout Factory
July 30, 2023 05:11 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBLisa, Matt, and guest Juliet Jeske of “Decoding Fox News” discuss: * The complete idiocy of “Orange Man Bad” (3:07) * Marjorie Taylor Greene sends nude Hunter Biden photos to constituents (6:20) * The entire right wing declares war on “Barbie” to no avail (8:32) * “The Sound of Freedom” and the strange world of right-wing cinema (18:44) * Why everyone hates Ron DeSantis (25:54) Follow or die Doomscroll https://www.instagram.com/doomscrollshow/ https://twitter.com/doomscrollshow Mat...
Doomscroll #002: Entertainment strikes, AI fails, and Republican voter fraud
July 27, 2023 22:02 - 39 minutes - 28.7 MBMatt, Lisa, and guest Brandie Posey discuss: * Actors and entertainment writers going on strike * Studios want to scan your body and use your image forever for without royalties (03:32) * Why putting an offline stuff on the internet is nothing special (9:18) * Sarah Silverman sues ChatGPT’s creators for copyright infringement (12:55) * Ohio Republican accused of voter fraud says he accidentally voted twice in two different elections (18:05) * Republicans want to ban military for paying...
Doomscroll #002: Hollywood on strike
July 27, 2023 17:01 - 39 minutes - 28.7 MBMatt, Lisa, and guest Brandie Posey discuss: * Actors and entertainment writers going on strike * Studios want to scan your body and use your image forever for without royalties (03:32) * Why putting an offline stuff on the internet is nothing special (9:18) * Sarah Silverman sues ChatGPT’s creators for copyright infringement (12:55) * Ohio Republican accused of voter fraud says he accidentally voted twice in two different elections (18:05) * Republicans want to ban military for payin...
Theory of Change #081: Jonathan Howard on the epic failure of covid contrarianism
July 25, 2023 22:20 - 1 hour - 62 MBThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theoryofchange.flux.community Episode Summary After two years of a global pandemic, most people have no interest whatsoever in COVID-19. And that's completely understandable, given all the hardships and inconveniences that everyone faced as a result of the pandemic. Almost everyone is ready to move on from covid, but there is one subset of people who are obsessed with still talking about it. And that is the same paranoid activis...
Doomscroll #001: The first one
July 22, 2023 21:39 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBLisa and Matt discuss: * Cocaine in the White House * Ray Epps accuses Fox News in court of lying about him (00:05:15) * Why MAGA isn’t rioting for Trump anymore (00:12:05) * Elon Musk and entitled rich people (14:26) * Tom Segura’s very strange conversation with Ted Cruz (20:51) Follow or die Doomscroll: https://www.instagram.com/doomscrollshow/ https://twitter.com/doomscrollshow Lisa: https://www.instagram.com/olympianlisacurry https://twitter.com/lisa_curry Matt: https://twi...
Theory of Change #080: Lance Aksamit on living and leaving far-right evangelical Christianity
July 22, 2023 15:46 - 1 hour - 48 MBEpisode Summary This episode of Theory of Change is the second in our "Why I Left" series featuring Lance Aksamit. He is an associate editor at Flux, and the author of a new autobiography about life in the missionizing evangelical sub-culture called Youth Group: Coming of Age in the Church of Christian Nationalism. Beyond telling his story of being born and raised in a homeschooling evangelical family that preached the gospel in Latin America, Lance also talks about how the beliefs he was...
Doomscroll 001: Cocaine fever
July 20, 2023 15:10 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBHey it's Matthew Sheffield. As a Theory of Change subscriber, I wanted to let you know that we're going to be launching two new podcasts at Flux. The first one that's coming out is called Doomscroll. It's a fast-paced news discussion show hosted by myself and my very hilarious friend, the comedian Lisa Curry, who you might have heard on an earlier episode of Theory of Change. Each Wednesday, Lisa, myself, and one guest will break down the news of the week in a fast-paced manner that's de...
Theory of Change #079: Ty Ross on race, religion, and the Black Republican experience
July 15, 2023 09:19 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBSUMMARY This episode is the first of a new ongoing series called “Why I Left,” which is going to be based on conversations with people who left political or religious movements. And the first are going to be free to everyone, but going forward, most of this series is going to be an extra benefit for paid subscribers. We're going to start the Why I Left series with a conversation with my good friend Ty Ross, she is an author and journalist and podcaster who is the cohost of the “Pardon the ...
CNN and Fox are having very different identity crises
July 08, 2023 22:41 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBEpisode Summary The cable news industry is in crisis. It is part of a larger crisis known as cord cutting, which is a phenomenon of people realizing that they really don't need to pay for 500 channels when they only watch 3 or 4. Across the country, millions of people have decided they don't want to pay for cable or satellite TV. That has made a crisis in the cable news industry as well, where CNN, Fox, and MSNBC have faced a number of years of declining ratings. Even though there have be...
Theory of Change #078: Colby Hall on CNN and Fox's very different identity crises
July 08, 2023 22:41 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBEpisode Summary The cable news industry is in crisis. It is part of a larger crisis known as cord cutting, which is a phenomenon of people realizing that they really don't need to pay for 500 channels when they only watch 3 or 4. Across the country, millions of people have decided they don't want to pay for cable or satellite TV. That has made a crisis in the cable news industry as well, where CNN, Fox, and MSNBC have faced a number of years of declining ratings. Even though there have be...
Theory of Change #077: Richard Bett on skepticism and the Zombie Socratic Method
July 01, 2023 11:34 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theoryofchange.flux.community Episode Summary History, as the old saying goes, repeats itself. There are many reasons why, but one of them is that philosophy is actually far more important than many people may realize. We live during a time in which search engines and AI have made it so that anyone has access to information on any field of human knowledge. But having knowledge available to you does not mean you understand it. W...
An ancient Greek philosophical tradition is surprisingly relevant in today's world of instant information
July 01, 2023 11:34 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBEpisode Summary History, as the old saying goes, repeats itself. There are many reasons why, but one of them is that philosophy is actually far more important than many people may realize. We live during a time in which search engines and AI have made it so that anyone has access to information on any field of human knowledge. But having knowledge available to you does not mean you understand it. Where we think knowledge originates impacts our ability to perceive the world. And we can't m...
Theory of Change #076: Tim Whitaker on 'The New Evangelicals'
June 24, 2023 08:55 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBEpisode Summary Across America, and across the world, radical movements of far-right Christians are trying desperately to seize the levers of political power to force their religious opinions onto everyone else. And in many cases, particularly the 2016 election of Donald Trump, they have succeeded. Seeing the rise of reactionary Christianity has made some non-religious people recoil in horror to the idea that religion itself is the problem. But that’s not going to work, because not only i...
You can’t really understand the Christian right without knowing the history of the religious left
June 17, 2023 09:13 - 1 hour - 66 MBEPISODE SUMMARY The middle part of the twentieth century wasn’t that long ago and yet in some ways, it seems like it was an eternity ago. That’s particularly true in regards to the public branding of American Christianity, which nowadays is often associated with right-wing evangelicalism, including among Christians who disagree. In the Mid-20th century, however, American Christian public discourse was very different, and it was dominated by Protestants who were theologically liberal. Publi...
Theory of Change #075: Gene Zubovich on the forgotten history of liberal Protestantism
June 17, 2023 09:13 - 1 hour - 66 MBEPISODE SUMMARY The middle part of the twentieth century wasn’t that long ago and yet in some ways, it seems like it was an eternity ago. That’s particularly true in regards to the public branding of American Christianity, which nowadays is often associated with right-wing evangelicalism, including among Christians who disagree. In the Mid-20th century, however, American Christian public discourse was very different, and it was dominated by Protestants who were theologically liberal. Publi...
Theory of Change #074: Renée DiResta on the epistemologies of content moderation
June 10, 2023 21:23 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBEPISODE SUMMARY The internet is so commonplace that we rarely step back and think about how completely different today’s information climate is than even 30 years ago. News travels in seconds and oftentimes percolates even beforehand in the millions of tiny online communities that live on their own websites or within larger social media platforms like Facebook. Even elementary school children know how to easily sift through the world’s knowledge. But as much as things have changed, things ...