Weird Religion
197 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsWeird Religion is a podcast for people who think religion is weird but love it anyway. Your hosts, Leah Payne and Brian Doak, are both professors, authors, and pop culture aficionados, whose interests range from archaeology and history and linguistics to LARPing and The Walking Dead. Episodes tackle some piece of media highlighting the wonderful weirdness of religious experience—a documentary, a television show, a Twitter scandal—and use that as a "thread" on which to hang reflections on a wide variety of topics. Cults. The perils of fame within the evangelical world. Church attendance. Atheism. Gamer communities. Millennials and avocado toast. It's all here.
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Episodes
079 THE MALLPUNK (Blink-182 and UFOs)
February 02, 2022 14:00 - 29 minutes - 27.7 MBConnect the dots: Blink-182; “exotic materials”; Trump vs. Hilary 2016; Abraham and Isaac and the frustration and allure of faith. In this episode we’re talking about some wild claims made by Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge and early research into the brains of those who claim to have seen UFOs. Why does a particular religious idea appeal to some but not others? How might the structure of our bodies condition us for certain beliefs or religious experience? SOURCES FOR YOU “The Vindication ...
Programming Note for a New Season (2022)
January 24, 2022 14:00 - 6 minutes - 5.92 MBWe’re back! Starting next week, on Wednesday February 2nd, we’re releasing new material. Two innovations: (1) We’re going to do a “news roundup” style thing every other episode, and a more classic, scripted-ish, pop-culture artifact commentary sort of thing every other episode. (2) And to make sure we have time to make these and put the requisite effort into it, we’re going to an every-other-week release schedule. Every other Wednesday morning. Right off the bat, we’ll be talking about Blink...
CHRISTMAS NEWS ROUNDUP SPECIAL (Jesus applies for job; feeble green children; $600K in the bathroom; Cheesecake factory)
December 21, 2021 14:00 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBBlessings abound as we round up some of the weirdest and most wonderful and most horrible stories from the end of 2021. Baptist women try to lead, small green children will grow up on Mars and turn feeble, you will find $600,000 in a megachurch bathroom, and you will protest our Nazi government in a Cheesecake Factory. And here are links to the stories, in no particular order: Speaking Babylonian in Marvel: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/whats-the-babylonian-for-thank-you-trinity...
BONUS: Ambush Session on Megachurch Pastor Comparing Jesus to "Old Town Road"
December 07, 2021 14:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBAn age-old historical and theological question: Why was Jesus crucified? We explore a shocking theory, as Leah engages in a rare (for her) ambush session on Brian with an unexpected twist. The 19-second sermon clip: https://youtu.be/0fVt7eR1o_w Steven Furtick’s controversial tweet: https://images.app.goo.gl/rUotpKingcWMtUgw5
BONUS: Checking in on Battlestar, Lost, Leo as Jim Jones, QAnon is back
November 16, 2021 13:25 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWEIRDOS: peeking our heads into your life with a substantive check-in on these things: (1) Brian is still watching Battlestar Galactica, and the last ep (S4E11) was bananas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIV5UqIV0a0&t=248s) (2) Many of us are still wounded by the ending of Lost (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0DigVw1bA) (3) Leo DiCaprio in talks to play Jim Jones (https://ew.com/movies/leonardo-dicaprio-jim-jones-biopic-movie/) (4) QAnon thought JFK Jr. was coming back (https://www.wa...
BONUS: Popeye joke, theory of humor
October 06, 2021 15:13 - 2 minutes - 2.41 MBA quick joke about Popeye and a philosophical theory of humor that couldn’t be included in one of the S6 eps for some reason. The Popeye joke, by Jack Handey: https://bit.ly/3u55ehF
BONUS: Season in Review, Thank Yous, Mini News Roundup
September 29, 2021 14:35 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBAs we finish S6 on the show and approach 70,000 downloads, we take a stroll down memory lane, thanking people in vague ways, singing The Killers and Imagine Dragons, conducting a miniature news roundup on Leah's new article, and strategizing about having the Third Eagle of the Apocalypse on the pod. Tammy Faye, a double whammy of Christian love, wins in the end: https://religionnews.com/2021/09/17/tammy-faye-column/ William Tapley, AKA The Third Eagle of the Apocalypse, "IT'S PROPHESIED (...
078 THE CHRISTIANHAIRMETAL (Chris White, director of the new film Electric Jesus)
September 14, 2021 15:00 - 45 minutes - 40.3 MBWe’re talking with award-winning film writer and director Chris White about his new feature Electric Jesus, chronicling the rise and fall of a Christian heavy metal band in the summer of 1986 and the pastor’s daughter who runs away from home to join them. Adorableness, personal memories, and deep commentary about Christian music then and now ensue. Join us. Chris White, filmmaker: http://chriswhitehq.com/ Electric Jesus on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8666022/ Review of Electric ...
077 THE FACECHURCH (Should anyone be going to church on Facebook?)
September 07, 2021 16:00 - 28 minutes - 22.6 MBFacebook has gathered church leaders for a conference to ask how they can have church on Facebook. It’s all about “connection.” Peanut allergies and Netflix’s new dating show Sexy Beast and Brian not having a son are discussed, as well as theories of brand dilution and holiness. And the revelation: We speculate about how Facebook is promoting a particular version of the internet and its new product idea through this effort. “Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience” (New York Times)...
076 THE NEWS (#6: genocide romance, too cold for jihad, confessions without confessor)
August 31, 2021 15:00 - 18 minutes - 15.4 MBWe’re at our local coffee shop for an all-lightning round version of this week in weird religion news. Advice: If you’re writing a Christian romance novel, steer clear of genocide. Here are the stories we’re tracking: Get your daily prophecy: https://www.elijahlist.com/index.php Biden compares troops to prophets: https://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/nation/in-an-address-to-the-nation-biden-used-the-book-of-isaiah-to-compare-u-s-troops-to-prophets/ What I Learned While Eavesdropping o...
075 THE FORGERIES (Biblical controversy around the Shapira Scroll and Gospel of Jesus' Wife)
August 24, 2021 15:00 - 42 minutes - 34.3 MBBiblical forgery cases get everyone riled up—here are the two hottest controversies of the moment, covering both Old and New Testaments: “The Shapira Scroll” and the “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife.” Brian goes off. Come for the juicy details on both documents, and stay for the hard discussion of “history” and meditation on intellectual humility. The pandemic never ends joke: https://twitter.com/mattbooshell/status/1422589796828987395?s=10 The Rylands Papyrus (which Brian erroneously called the “...
074 THE FLEABAG (transgressive devotion and Fleabag with author Natalie Wigg-Stevenson)
August 17, 2021 15:00 - 33 minutes - 27.6 MBWe’re talking with professor and author Natalie Wigg-Stevenson about transgression and devotion in the award-winning TV series Fleabag. Natalie Wigg-Stevenson profile: https://www.tst.edu/directory/faculty/wigg-stevenson-natalie Transgressive Devotion: Theology as Performance Art (2021), by Natalie Wigg-Stevenson: https://www.amazon.com/Transgressive-Devotion-Theology-Performance-Art/dp/033405947X Fleabag on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Fleabag-Season-1/dp/B0875K9Q4P
073 THE NEWS (#5: Damon-Affleck curse, Britney goes Catholic, beyond yoga)
August 10, 2021 13:18 - 31 minutes - 25.3 MBThe weird religion news is on fire as always. This week: Is there a Matt Damon - Ben Affleck curse? Has Britney Spears become Catholic? Is Amanda Knox a philosopher? Can you go beyond yoga? Britney Spears goes Catholic on Insta, then deletes it: https://www.instagram.com/britneyspears/; https://www.newsweek.com/britney-spears-reveals-shes-now-catholic-she-models-mass-dress-1616859 Britney gets a new ipad (sound clip is from this Insta post, not her post about becoming Catholic): https://ww...
072 THE LAMB (Brian subjects Leah to an intriguing art-horror film trailer)
August 03, 2021 08:00 - 20 minutes - 17 MBYou know how you do that thing where you watch an intriguing trailer for an artsy horror film and then make all your friends watch it? Here we are. In The Lamb, forthcoming this fall, a couple tries to raise a lamb (?) as if it is their own child (?), and the lamb then morphs into something like a human (?), and some difficult things happen when the lamb parents come to reclaim their own (?). With a side discourse on Israel’s experience in the desert with flying snakes. Watch the trailer a...
071 THE XFILES (superfan and radio host David Dault on Mulder and Scully)
July 27, 2021 15:00 - 40 minutes - 35 MBWe’re talking with host of Things Not Seen Radio host and professor David Dault about the X-Files. Enough said. Check out David Dault’s massive and amazing catalogue NOW: https://www.thingsnotseenradio.com/ Dr. David Dault at Loyola Chicago: https://www.luc.edu/ips/about/faculty/daviddaultphd.shtml X-Files on Hulu, S4E14: “Memento Mori”: https://www.hulu.com/watch/f3a2f201-c27e-42bf-a621-45a3a4341f92 New York Times, Meet the Nun who wants you to remember that you will die: https://www...
070 THE NEWS (#4: marrying God, TikTok translators, Instagram SkyMall)
July 20, 2021 15:00 - 40 minutes - 32.3 MBIn this week’s News Roundup, we’re going to marry God, pronounce on Bible translations on Tiktok, and make a very convoluted analogy to the JEDP Pentateuchal source critical scheme!! This week’s stories: A woman marries the Holy Spirit; husband objects: https://religionnews.com/2021/06/04/kenyan-woman-marries-the-holy-spirit-in-anglican-ceremony/ Anthony Bourdain’s voice raised from the dead: https://variety.com/2021/artisans/news/anthony-bourdain-fake-voice-roadrunner-documentary-backla...
069 THE MOTHER! (Darren Aronofsky's 2017 film mother!, Leah not impressed, Joel Mayward enlightens us)
July 13, 2021 15:00 - 42 minutes - 36.6 MBWe take a deep breath and watch Darren Arnofsky’s maybe brilliant maybe dumb yet deeply religiously inspired and definitely provocative 2017 film mother! Film critic Joel Mayward joins us for support. Brian tries to ex(man)splain. Leah is not having it. (Warning: this episode contains some disturbing content, and also a heaping of razor sharp film criticism by Dr. Joel Mayward.) Trailer and other clips from mother!: https://bit.ly/35RV2xE Darren Arnofsky’s mother! and Cinematic Parables, ...
068 THE JAVIER (remembering our friend and colleague Javier Garcia, who died recently)
July 06, 2021 15:00 - 15 minutes - 12.5 MBA very short episode dedicated to our friend Javier Garcia, who died recently. He was 34 years old, a Bonhoeffer scholar, director of an Honors program, a surfer, mountain climber, brother, son, and friend. With the flare-up of a long-brewing and continuing and still bitter disagreement between Brian and Leah about the quality of the show Battlestar Gallactica. Obituary for Javier Garcia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BZo3zlxU7itzSDufQgl3RsjPW6WpWBr4/view?usp=sharing Recovering the Ec...
067 THE KADDISH (the spirituality of the biggest financial scam in history in A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff)
June 29, 2021 15:00 - 53 minutes - 46.1 MBWe’re talking about the spirituality of the biggest financial scam in history—with the star-creator and director of an award winning and genre-bending new film: A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff. Alicia Jo Rabins and Alicia J. Rose join us for a conversation about excommunication, success, failure, the artistic process, “cycles,” and mysticism. And UFOs. A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff: https://www.akaddishforberniemadoff.com/ Film trailer: https://vimeo.com/459483146 “What A Kaddish for Bernie ...
066 THE BAPTISTS (newsdesk deep dive: SBC convention, history, gender, #metoo, voting)
June 22, 2021 15:00 - 37 minutes - 30.4 MBConservatives take on Super-Conservatives. Major drama just went down at the annual convention for the nation’s most prominent Protestant “denomination,” the Southern Baptists. Who are “Baptists”? And how did Joe Baptist create the modern Baptist movement? What is happening with Moore and Moore? Brian interviews Leah and if you listen to this, you will have a decent starter kit to understanding Baptists. Ruth Graham, New York Times, “Southern Baptist Vote Signals Further Fractures in Ameri...
NON-OMINOUS PROGRAMMING NOTE
June 15, 2021 15:00 - 5 minutes - 4.62 MBBack with a full episode next week; for now, we provide a not-ominous-at-all programming note.
065 THE HAPPYCLOUDS (a postmodern capitalist horror show about disrespecting Bob Ross' ghost)
June 08, 2021 15:00 - 36 minutes - 29.5 MBBob Ross: Soothing TV painter, guru to Millennials, and a ghost hawking Mountain Dew. A postmodern capitalism horror show. Purity. Sounds. Avoidance and/or acceptance of darkness. The roaring 20s will lead to a new war. Bob Ross paints and then drinks a bottle of Mountain Dew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrWjdO9NVQ Paula Abdul dances with Gene Kelly for Diet Coke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5O3iXCv88 Alston Ramsay, “Sex, Deceit, and Scandal: The Ugly War Over Bob Ross’ Ghost...
064 THE ERUV (was Mother Theresa a cult leader, and an 18 mile wire above Manhattan)
June 01, 2021 15:00 - 36 minutes - 29.4 MBA religion in the news roundup with some surprising stories. Mother Theresa a cult leader. Interpreting the Torah. Your face will become a skull. Rachel Hollis is out of touch. Zaprudurian. This UFO thing is not going away and Brian is getting excited. A lot going on. Links below to each story. Some covered more in depth, and some in the lightning round. Was Mother Theresa a cult leader? https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2021/5/25/another-trial-by-media-in-defense-of-mother-teresa-wh...
063 THE CONSPIRACY (toucans are fake, interview with psychologist Dr. Michael Wood)
May 25, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBWe’re talking about conspiracies: Is the world only what it seems to be on the surface, or is there some theory about what is really happening behind the scenes? Are Americans particularly into conspiracy theories, or do we just think we’re the best at everything? We interview psychologist Dr. Michael Wood (at the time a lecturer at the University of Winchester in the UK) about who has the best conspiracy theories and why people believe in them at all. And in the Kitsch Corner: We elevate th...
062 THE MARK (Vaccine passports and Marjorie Taylor Greene's Mark of the Beast)
May 18, 2021 15:00 - 25 minutes - 21.3 MBThe Mark of the Beast strikes again. We break down a 53-second Facebook rant by congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in which the claim is made that vaccine passports are Joe Biden’s satanic plot. And we affirm the enduring power of the Book of Revelation. The video: https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1376900032184586245?s=20 The Late Great Planet Earth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late,_Great_Planet_Earth Marjorie Taylor Greene: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Taylor...
061 THE NEWS (Roundup #1: Foxmania, halal tacos, mummified bodies, politics as religion, and emotional men)
May 11, 2021 15:00 - 35 minutes - 28.9 MBA new segment on recent religious-themed stories in the news! Fasting, Foxmania, halal tacos, mummified bodies, Trump worship, exvangelicals, the spiritual weirdness of airports, politics as religion, the Gates divorce, ancient goddesses and emotional men. Links to our stories: Orange County mosques, tacos, and vaccinations: https://religionnews.com/2021/04/28/how-a-halal-taco-truck-is-helping-vaccinate-muslims-in-orange-county/ Mummified body in Colorado home: https://www.cbsnews.com/ne...
060 THE REVIEW (internet review culture invades the classroom)
May 04, 2021 15:00 - 36 minutes - 29.6 MBTo celebrate the end of the academic year in the university calendar, we discuss student evals, internet review culture, negativity bias, the Iran Contra Affair, depression, and religious authority in an age of reviews. Footnotes: (1) Ronald Reagan’s Oval Office address on the Iran Contra Affair: https://youtu.be/rYdvBZxPhLY (2) Gottman research on magic ratio of good vs. bad interactions between partners (5:1): https://bit.ly/3h6l0UO (3) Erik Gilbert articles on assessment on the Chroni...
059 THE LICENSE (X-Files maybe-psychic killer sings a song that is sort of like another song)
April 27, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 24.8 MBA Weird Religion mystery: Why does a particular episode of the X-Files, “Beyond the Sea,” have subtitles for a song playing in the background that are actually from a different but similar song? We investigate. The X-Files, S1E13, “Beyond the Sea”: https://www.hulu.com/watch/17db9bbb-aa0e-4973-8099-b277c2bd1312 Spoiler alert (only read this after listening to our ep!!): Calum Marsh, NYT (23-April-2021), “Why Don’t Some TV Shows Sound the Way They Used To?”: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04...
058 THE CROWN (death of Prince Philip, religious dimensions of monarchies ancient and modern, royal etiquette)
April 20, 2021 15:00 - 33 minutes - 27 MBHere we discuss the Netflix series The Crown (https://www.netflix.com/title/80025678). And: The religious dimensions of monarchy, etiquette rituals, and our social class insecurities. The Crown, Season 3 finale scene (Queen Elizabeth walks to the carriage): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUSil0_0zU Etiquette expert reacts to The Crown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWo6pG9AXQ4 The Kennedys meet Queen Elizabeth (on The Crown): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NWNXZFvs-w
057 THE QISAPPOINTMENT (failed QAnon prophecies, prediction disappointment)
January 23, 2021 17:46 - 27 minutes - 22.7 MBThe 2020 election and the inauguration have come and gone, leaving the predictions of the QAnon prophets…hanging in the air. What happens to a religious movement when its key prophecies fail to come true in real time? Are adherents disappointed? Is/was Q a “religion”? Did they ever care in the first place? And did the biblical prophet Ezekiel make a false prediction, and then try to correct it? Chris Bader, “When Prophecy Passes Unnoticed”: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1387588?seq=1#metadata...
056 THE BUFFALO (Capitol riot, Jake Angeli, QAnon, apocalypse, epiphany, and iconography of the insurrection)
January 09, 2021 22:41 - 20 minutes - 17.1 MBThe spirit of Buffalo Man reveals himself as the leader of America at the dais of power. ”Buffalo Man” Jake Angeli Buffalo Man flexing in the capitol Viral video of Elizabeth who got maced (the opera version)
055 THE SOUND (The Sound of Music is a Christmas movie fight us)
December 17, 2020 14:00 - 28 minutes - 23.4 MBOur 2020 holiday special has arrived. Surprises and revelations abound.
054 THE HEX (witches hex trump, Paula White-Cain summons African angels)
November 13, 2020 03:00 - 22 minutes - 18 MBA hex and a counter-hex. Witches vs. Paula White. A spiritual showdown for the ages.
053 THE UPLOAD (crossover with Bioethics for the People on the Amazon show Upload)
October 29, 2020 14:00 - 45 minutes - 42.3 MBWe have a crossover episode with the good scholars from "Bioethics for the People" to talk about the Amazon show Upload and a host of related religious and bioethical concerns. It's weird.
052 THE RETREAT (the Kitsch Corner is back, with two personal accounts of a men's retreat)
October 15, 2020 15:17 - 24 minutes - 19.6 MBWhat happens behind the scenes at a “men’s retreat”? Sexualized sermons and high-stakes confrontations. Two stories, here at the return of the Kitsch Corner segment. With guest Simon Trautmann. And here is the story about the drug cartel using the men's retreat classic book.
051 THE GRANDPA (Grandpa Kitchen, food memories, death ritual, Orientalism)
October 08, 2020 03:18 - 26 minutes - 22 MBYou should totally watch the YouTube cooking show Grandpa Kitchen. Why? A sweet Indian grandpa cooks huge dishes of food for orphans. And when he dies, they make an episode of his funeral. What about this Western gaze upon the food rituals of others, though?
050 THE FIANCÉ (90 Day Fiance, Biblical marriage patterns, "hot ladies" and "dumpy dudes")
September 30, 2020 23:15 - 33 minutes - 27 MBIn this episode we begin by discussing the hit TLC series 90 Day Fiancé and meander into topics such as Biblical marriage patterns in the book of Genesis, sexist stereotypes about the attractive lady + the less attractive guy, and how women get exoticized on the show and in real life.
049 THE MILITIAS (Rick Joyner's call for new militia-based wars based on a dream)
September 24, 2020 14:30 - 33 minutes - 27.8 MBCharismatic pastor Rick Joyner sees militias sprouting up like mushrooms in a dream and tells us we now need to go to war based on that dream
THE DICTATOR (BRIAN AND LEAH DISCUSS HOT NEW CAREER FIELDS IN THE 2020S)
May 04, 2020 15:27 - 6 minutes - 4.96 MBIn which Brian suggests a rising career field for his daughters to enter, and Leah comments on how Pentecostal and charismatic churches are handling the pandemic
048 THE DICTATOR (BRIAN AND LEAH DISCUSS HOT NEW CAREER FIELDS IN THE 2020S)
May 04, 2020 15:27 - 6 minutes - 4.96 MBIn which Brian suggests a rising career field for his daughters to enter, and Leah comments on how Pentecostal and charismatic churches are handling the pandemic
047 THE COUNTERPART (LEAH SHARES A NEW FAV SHOW)
May 02, 2020 19:36 - 5 minutes - 4.24 MBIn which we discuss the Amazon TV show Counterpart, parallel universes, and so forth
THE COUNTERPART (LEAH SHARES A NEW FAV SHOW)
May 02, 2020 19:36 - 5 minutes - 4.24 MBIn which we discuss the Amazon TV show Counterpart, parallel universes, and so forth
046 THE CARPET (A DREAM INVOLVING HERACLITUS)
May 02, 2020 19:33 - 5 minutes - 4.34 MBIn which Leah takes on the mantle of dream interpretation and Brian recounts a mysterious saying from Heraclitus.
THE CARPET (ANOTHER DREAM, THIS TIME INVOLVING HERACLITUS)
May 02, 2020 19:33 - 5 minutes - 4.34 MBIn which Leah takes on the mantle of dream interpretation and Brian recounts a mysterious saying from Heraclitus.
045 THE CHARACTERS (BRIAN REVEALS THAT HE HATES MOST BATTLESTAR CHARACTERS SO FAR)
May 02, 2020 19:31 - 7 minutes - 5.96 MBIn which Brian checks in on his first viewing of the TV series Battlestar Galactica and reveals views that leave Leah in total horror
THE CHARACTERS (BRIAN REVEALS THAT HE HATES MOST BATTLESTAR CHARACTERS SO FAR)
May 02, 2020 19:31 - 7 minutes - 5.96 MBIn which Brian checks in on his first viewing of the TV series Battlestar Galactica and reveals views that leave Leah in total horror
THE EXCITEMENT (THINGS ARE HAPPENING FILL YOUR LAMP WITH OIL)
March 17, 2020 00:13 - 4 minutes - 3.85 MBIn which we try to talk ourselves into feeling guilty about feeling excited about the apocalypse
044 THE EXCITEMENT (THINGS ARE HAPPENING FILL YOUR LAMP WITH OIL)
March 17, 2020 00:13 - 4 minutes - 3.85 MBIn which we try to talk ourselves into feeling guilty about feeling excited about the apocalypse
THE GROCERIES (RUSH THE STORE SCRATCH YOUR EYE)
March 17, 2020 00:05 - 4 minutes - 4.45 MBIn which we discuss a fateful encounter at the local grocery store
043 THE GROCERIES (RUSH THE STORE SCRATCH YOUR EYE)
March 17, 2020 00:05 - 4 minutes - 4.45 MBIn which we discuss a fateful encounter at the local grocery store