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
023 THE BIBLE (Bible Quiz, Eve Feinstein on Jewish interpretation, and Biblezines)
January 28, 2019 22:50 - 1 hour - 143 MBThis week we’re talking about the Bible, and interacting with the 2013 documentary Bible Quiz. Leah takes us back into the world of Bible culture among the Puritans and others in the history of Scripture reading, and Brian gets long-winded about hypocrisy, his feelings about VeggieTales (warning: it’s not positive), and brand dilution among evangelical Bible readers. We invite Dr. Eve Levavi Feinstein in as our guest, author of Sexual Pollution in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press, 2...
022 THE BACHELOR (TV romance, Bach Nation fan fav Tenley Molzahn, and Christian dating games)
January 22, 2019 04:51 - 1 hour - 133 MBThis week our topic is the hit ABC TV “reality” show The Bachelor. Leah attempts to convert Brian to the philosophical and cultural merits of the show, and we unpack Bachelor memes and cliches. Our guest is none other than Bachelor Nation fan-favorite Tenley Molzahn, who was a runner-up contestant on the Bachelor, Bachelor Pad, and Bachelor in Paradise, not to mention appearances on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and The Ellen DeGeneres show (and also not to mention her work as a blogger and ...
THE BACHELOR (TV romance, Bach Nation fan fav Tenley Molzahn, and Christian dating games)
January 22, 2019 04:51 - 1 hour - 133 MBThis week our topic is the hit ABC TV “reality” show The Bachelor. Leah attempts to convert Brian to the philosophical and cultural merits of the show, and we unpack Bachelor memes and cliches. Our guest is none other than Bachelor Nation fan-favorite Tenley Molzahn, who was a runner-up contestant on the Bachelor, Bachelor Pad, and Bachelor in Paradise, not to mention appearances on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and The Ellen DeGeneres show (and also not to mention her work as a blogger and ...
021 THE FOOD (Ugly Delicious, Food, Identity, and Community with Roger Nam)
January 15, 2019 03:37 - 1 hour - 145 MBThis week we’re all about food, the thing we need to live and be happy. We engage with the Netflix series Ugly Delicious, and talk about how food is a site for cultural exchange and religious ritual (and shame, and conflict). We interview Roger Nam, Dean of Portland Seminary, about his food adventures and his experience growing up eating Korean food in an immigrant family. Brian spuriously claims to have invented things; Leah breaks her foot running after a bag of Cheetos. In the Kitsch Corn...
THE FOOD (Ugly Delicious, Food, Identity, and Community with Roger Nam)
January 15, 2019 03:37 - 1 hour - 145 MBThis week we’re all about food, the thing we need to live and be happy. We engage with the Netflix series Ugly Delicious, and talk about how food is a site for cultural exchange and religious ritual (and shame, and conflict). We interview Roger Nam, Dean of Portland Seminary, about his food adventures and his experience growing up eating Korean food in an immigrant family. Brian spuriously claims to have invented things; Leah breaks her foot running after a bag of Cheetos. In the Kitsch Corn...
THE TEACHER (Dangerous Minds, Teaching Fails, artist Tim Timmerman, Gurus)
January 07, 2019 22:24 - 1 hour - 156 MBWe’re talking about teaching—the movies, the cliches, the fails, Dangerous Minds and Dead Poets Society. Leah and Brian share their classroom fails (and joys), and discuss the role of education in religious settings. In the studio, we welcome a university “Teacher of the Year,” art professor Tim Timmerman, to talk about creativity, learning to handle criticism, technology, and lapsing into an Irish accent during lectures. The Kitsch Corner features a look at contemporary guru culture…thanks,...
020 THE TEACHER (Dangerous Minds, Teaching Fails, artist Tim Timmerman, Gurus)
January 07, 2019 22:24 - 1 hour - 156 MBWe’re talking about teaching—the movies, the cliches, the fails, Dangerous Minds and Dead Poets Society. Leah and Brian share their classroom fails (and joys), and discuss the role of education in religious settings. In the studio, we welcome a university “Teacher of the Year,” art professor Tim Timmerman, to talk about creativity, learning to handle criticism, technology, and lapsing into an Irish accent during lectures. The Kitsch Corner features a look at contemporary guru culture…thanks,...
019 THE HALLMARK (Hallmark Christmas romance, marriage, dating a ghost, and kissing dating goodbye)
December 17, 2018 19:21 - 1 hour - 142 MBWe’ve chosen two of the wildly popular Hallmark Channel Christmas romance movies and watched them with a keen eye for messages about the holidays and love. Spoiler alert: ladies, quit your jobs—and start dating a ghost. Leah and Brian divulge shocking details about meeting and courting their spouses. We then invite two extremely special surprise guests (!!) into the studio to talk about dual career marriages, Christmas, and romantic comedies. In the Kitsch Corner, we take a look back at the n...
THE HALLMARK (Hallmark Christmas romance, marriage, dating a ghost, and kissing dating goodbye)
December 17, 2018 19:21 - 1 hour - 142 MBWe’ve chosen two of the wildly popular Hallmark Channel Christmas romance movies and watched them with a keen eye for messages about the holidays and love. Spoiler alert: ladies, quit your jobs—and start dating a ghost. Leah and Brian divulge shocking details about meeting and courting their spouses. We then invite two extremely special surprise guests (!!) into the studio to talk about dual career marriages, Christmas, and romantic comedies. In the Kitsch Corner, we take a look back at the n...
THE WAR (Ken Burns' Vietnam Documentary; professor James Byrd; rapture paintball)
December 10, 2018 22:23 - 1 hour - 138 MBThis week we attempt to watch Ken Burns’ epic ten-part Vietnam documentary, and allow ourselves to get extremely depressed at the futility of war while asking: Is there some sense in which we need war? Are Americans, in particular, fond of the notion of “holy war”? Can there ever be a purely “secular war”? Is America headed for another Civil War? We interview Dr. James Byrd, professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt Divinity School, on the religious imagery of battle and America’s...
018 THE WAR (Ken Burns' Vietnam Documentary; professor James Byrd; rapture paintball)
December 10, 2018 22:23 - 1 hour - 138 MBThis week we attempt to watch Ken Burns’ epic ten-part Vietnam documentary, and allow ourselves to get extremely depressed at the futility of war while asking: Is there some sense in which we need war? Are Americans, in particular, fond of the notion of “holy war”? Can there ever be a purely “secular war”? Is America headed for another Civil War? We interview Dr. James Byrd, professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt Divinity School, on the religious imagery of battle and America’s...
017 THE CONSPIRACY (Trump Prophecies, QAnon, Revelation, psychology of conspiracy theories)
December 04, 2018 03:13 - 57 minutes - 132 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 beneath it all, behind the scenes? Are Americans particularly into conspiracy theories, or do we just think we’re the best at everything? We talk about the documentary “The Trump Prophecy,” as well as ancient conspiracies, the book of Revelation, QAnon, Plato, aliens, and whether toucans, as a species, are a hoax. Is there something at the heart of rel...
THE CONSPIRACY (Trump Prophecies, QAnon, Revelation, psychology of conspiracy theories)
December 04, 2018 03:13 - 57 minutes - 132 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 beneath it all, behind the scenes? Are Americans particularly into conspiracy theories, or do we just think we’re the best at everything? We talk about the documentary “The Trump Prophecy,” as well as ancient conspiracies, the book of Revelation, QAnon, Plato, aliens, and whether toucans, as a species, are a hoax. Is there something at the heart of rel...
THE HOUSE (Home Mythologies and Rituals: HGTV, House Hunters, Property Brothers, Fixer Upper)
November 26, 2018 21:42 - 56 minutes - 129 MBWe're back with the first of the Season Two episodes! Why are all of those HGTV shows so alluring? What do they communicate about the mythology of home buying, the ritual of TV watching, and our deepest desires about fertility and space? Can attractive people be funny? Is anything really real? We're talking about all of this, somehow. And interviewing a home-buyer featured on a real House Hunters episode. And introducing a new segment we're calling "The Kitsch Corner."
016 THE HOUSE (Home Mythologies and Rituals: HGTV, House Hunters, Property Brothers, Fixer Upper)
November 26, 2018 21:42 - 56 minutes - 129 MBWe're back with the first of the Season Two episodes! Why are all of those HGTV shows so alluring? What do they communicate about the mythology of home buying, the ritual of TV watching, and our deepest desires about fertility and space? Can attractive people be funny? Is anything really real? We're talking about all of this, somehow. And interviewing a home-buyer featured on a real House Hunters episode. And introducing a new segment we're calling "The Kitsch Corner."
WEIRD RELIGION SEASON TWO TRAILER
November 20, 2018 20:27 - 2 minutes - 5.82 MBWe're back! With an episode per week through Christmas...
BONUS MATERIAL: RAPTURE PAINTBALL
November 13, 2018 19:17 - 8 minutes - 18.8 MBBehold: 8 minutes of material that didn't quite rise to the level of an episode! We talk about a very weird religious artifact: a flyer advertising a themed paintball contest, based on the idea of the rapture...
015 BONUS MATERIAL: RAPTURE PAINTBALL
November 13, 2018 19:17 - 8 minutes - 18.8 MBWe talk about a very weird religious artifact: a flyer advertising a themed paintball contest, based on the idea of the rapture...
014 BONUS MATERIAL: CHRISTIAN BUMPER STICKERS
November 13, 2018 19:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBBehold: 44 minutes of Brian and Leah making each other cringe and laugh while assessing very weird religious artifacts: Christian bumper stickers.
BONUS MATERIAL: CHRISTIAN BUMPER STICKERS
November 13, 2018 19:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBBehold: 44 minutes of Brian and Leah making each other cringe and laugh while assessing very weird religious artifacts: Christian bumper stickers.
EXTRA: ROSE CITY COMIC CON
November 06, 2018 20:46 - 32 minutes - 62.5 MBA special extra shot of Weird Religion as an add-on to Season One: Brian & Leah take on the Rose City Comic Con, reflecting on the victory of geek culture, interviewing artists like Midnight Furies author Jessica Herron, Junior Braves of the Apocalypse authors Greg Smith and Michael Tanner, and more. We also seek out the dark underbelly of the comic-con circuit—WILL WE FIND IT?!
013 EXTRA: ROSE CITY COMIC CON
November 06, 2018 20:46 - 32 minutes - 62.5 MBA special extra shot of Weird Religion as an add-on to Season One: Brian & Leah take on the Rose City Comic Con, reflecting on the victory of geek culture, interviewing artists like Midnight Furies author Jessica Herron, Junior Braves of the Apocalypse authors Greg Smith and Michael Tanner, and more. We also seek out the dark underbelly of the comic-con circuit—WILL WE FIND IT?!
012 BONUS MATERIAL: BRIDE OF CHRIST
November 06, 2018 19:29 - 43 minutes - 99 MBBehold: 43 minutes of meandering material that didn't quite rise to the level of a coherent episode! Classic Brian and Leah! LARPing! Why Leah doesn't LARP! Hidden Satanic symbols in your everyday life! "It's a relationship not a religion!"
BONUS MATERIAL: BRIDE OF CHRIST
November 06, 2018 19:29 - 43 minutes - 99 MBBehold: 43 minutes of meandering material that didn't quite rise to the level of a coherent episode! Classic Brian and Leah! LARPing! Why Leah doesn't LARP! Hidden Satanic symbols in your everyday life! "It's a relationship not a religion!"
BONUS MATERIAL: IHOB
October 30, 2018 19:18 - 37 minutes - 86.1 MBBehold: 37 minutes of meandering material that didn't quite rise to the level of a coherent episode! Classic Brian and Leah! The joke of avocado toast! Brian and Leah disagree! Mormons and Bob Jones University and change and revelation! Ridiculing the state of Wisconsin and the IHOP>IHOB name change and Gwyneth Paltrow!
011 BONUS MATERIAL: IHOB
October 30, 2018 19:18 - 37 minutes - 86.1 MBBehold: 37 minutes of meandering material that didn't quite rise to the level of a coherent episode! Classic Brian and Leah! The joke of avocado toast! Brian and Leah disagree! Mormons and Bob Jones University and change and revelation! Ridiculing the state of Wisconsin and the IHOP>IHOB name change and Gwyneth Paltrow!
010 THE REVELATION (Come Sunday)
October 23, 2018 13:52 - 46 minutes - 106 MBThis episode considers the life and spiritual vision of the Rev. Carlton Pearson, subject of a popular This American Life episode as well as the recent Netflix bio-pic Come Sunday. When Rev. Pearson hears God reveal to him a potentially heretical view by way of a special revelation—universal salvation (everyone goes to heaven, and there is no hell)—he risks losing his congregation and jeopardizing his spot as a rising Christian star. How would people know whether God revealed new information ...
THE REVELATION (Come Sunday)
October 23, 2018 13:52 - 46 minutes - 106 MBThis episode considers the life and spiritual vision of the Rev. Carlton Pearson, subject of a popular This American Life episode as well as the recent Netflix bio-pic Come Sunday. When Rev. Pearson hears God reveal to him a potentially heretical view by way of a special revelation—universal salvation (everyone goes to heaven, and there is no hell)—he risks losing his congregation and jeopardizing his spot as a rising Christian star. How would people know whether God revealed new information ...
009 THE MOUNTAIN (Meru)
October 23, 2018 08:01 - 42 minutes - 96.5 MBWe’re climbing the mountain in this final episode for season one of the podcast! Why do people climb mountains? What do mountains mean, spiritually? We explore aspects of these questions through the film Meru, documenting three adventurers who attempt to climb a never-before-summited peak in the Himalayas. Brian reveals deep emotional problems, and Leah doubles down on her reluctance to ever climb a mountain while yet promising on tape to climb Mount St. Helens. We’ll glance at some research ...
THE MOUNTAIN (Meru)
October 23, 2018 08:01 - 42 minutes - 96.5 MBWe’re climbing the mountain in this final episode for season one of the podcast! Why do people climb mountains? What do mountains mean, spiritually? We explore aspects of these questions through the film Meru, documenting three adventurers who attempt to climb a never-before-summited peak in the Himalayas. Brian reveals deep emotional problems, and Leah doubles down on her reluctance to ever climb a mountain while yet promising on tape to climb Mount St. Helens. We’ll glance at some research ...
008 THE AUDIENCE (Audience of One)
October 16, 2018 14:25 - 44 minutes - 101 MBThis episode introduces listeners to the little-known documentary Audience of One. We hear the story of Richard Gazowsky, Pentecostal pastor and amateur filmmaker, who, after watching his first movie at the age of 40, believes God has given him a vision to create the biggest and best film ever made (!?). Along the way we talk about aesthetics in American Pentecostal-Charismatic movements, Christian appropriations of the Shofar, finger streamers and tambourines, Charles Finney and the New Meas...
THE AUDIENCE (Audience of One)
October 16, 2018 14:25 - 44 minutes - 101 MBThis episode introduces listeners to the little-known documentary Audience of One. We hear the story of Richard Gazowsky, Pentecostal pastor and amateur filmmaker, who, after watching his first movie at the age of 40, believes God has given him a vision to create the biggest and best film ever made (!?). Along the way we talk about aesthetics in American Pentecostal-Charismatic movements, Christian appropriations of the Shofar, finger streamers and tambourines, Charles Finney and the New Meas...
007 THE GAMERS (King of Kong)
October 09, 2018 15:00 - 45 minutes - 105 MBIn this episode, we watch King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters, a film documenting the surprisingly engrossing contest over who will be the reigning champion of the 80s classic video game, Donkey Kong. Will it be the self-aggrandizing favorite, restaurateur and hot sauce salesman Billy Mitchell? Or down-on-his luck, everyman challenger Steve Weibe? Come for the epic sports drama. Stay for discussions of David & Goliath and other ancient epics, cheating, virtuosity, masculinity and gender const...
THE GAMERS (King of Kong)
October 09, 2018 15:00 - 45 minutes - 105 MBIn this episode, we watch King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters, a film documenting the surprisingly engrossing contest over who will be the reigning champion of the 80s classic video game, Donkey Kong. Will it be the self-aggrandizing favorite, restaurateur and hot sauce salesman Billy Mitchell? Or down-on-his luck, everyman challenger Steve Weibe? Come for the epic sports drama. Stay for discussions of David & Goliath and other ancient epics, cheating, virtuosity, masculinity and gender const...
THE HERETIC (The Heretic)
October 02, 2018 15:30 - 47 minutes - 110 MBIn this episode, we discuss The Heretic, a documentary about the life and ministry of former megachurch evangelical pastor Rob Bell. We introduce listeners to the (often misunderstood!) subcultures of conservative and progressive American evangelicalism. Along the way, we talk about American revivalism, evangelicalism, the liberal-fundamentalist controversy and its fallout, epic culture wars (and Twitter battles) within middle-class white evangelicalism (from Harry Fosdick vs. Billy Sunday to...
006 THE HERETIC (The Heretic)
October 02, 2018 15:30 - 47 minutes - 110 MBIn this episode, we discuss The Heretic, a documentary about the life and ministry of former megachurch evangelical pastor Rob Bell. We introduce listeners to the (often misunderstood!) subcultures of conservative and progressive American evangelicalism. Along the way, we talk about American revivalism, evangelicalism, the liberal-fundamentalist controversy and its fallout, epic culture wars (and Twitter battles) within middle-class white evangelicalism (from Harry Fosdick vs. Billy Sunday to...
005 THE WOMEN (Handmaid's Tale)
September 26, 2018 04:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBIn this episode we consider the women in the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s stunning dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale (season one only!). Does The Handmaid’s Tale TV series present, religion, race, and gender cynically, or help us understand anything about our lives today? Leah and Brian imagine life in the other gender role; Leah wonders what it would be like to have a traditional wife, and Brian regales the audience with stories of being a stay-at-home dad while writing his disser...
THE WOMEN (Handmaid's Tale)
September 26, 2018 04:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBIn this episode we consider the women in the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s stunning dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale (season one only!). Does The Handmaid’s Tale TV series present, religion, race, and gender cynically, or help us understand anything about our lives today? Leah and Brian imagine life in the other gender role; Leah wonders what it would be like to have a traditional wife, and Brian regales the audience with stories of being a stay-at-home dad while writing his disser...
THE KINDNESS (Won't You Be My Neighbor)
September 26, 2018 03:43 - 54 minutes - 126 MBIn this episode, we talk about Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the new documentary about the legendary creator and star of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Rev. Fred Rogers. Along the way, we talk about Mr. Rogers’ vision of neighborly love, character formation, and TV ethics (for adults as well as kids!), catharsis in ancient theater and 21st century film, screen time (and parenting guilt!!), William Penn, Quentin Tarantino, Phineas & Ferb, Peep and the Big Wide World, and how Mr. Rogers inspires us to...
004 THE KINDNESS (Won't You Be My Neighbor)
September 26, 2018 03:43 - 54 minutes - 126 MBIn this episode, we talk about Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the new documentary about the legendary creator and star of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Rev. Fred Rogers. Along the way, we talk about Mr. Rogers’ vision of neighborly love, character formation, and TV ethics (for adults as well as kids!), catharsis in ancient theater and 21st century film, screen time (and parenting guilt!!), William Penn, Quentin Tarantino, Phineas & Ferb, Peep and the Big Wide World, and how Mr. Rogers inspires us to...
003 THE CULT (Wild Wild Country)
September 18, 2018 16:18 - 46 minutes - 106 MBIn this episode, we talk about Wild Wild Country, the new documentary from Netflix about enthusiastic enlightenment-seekers who built a commune called Rajneeshpuram in the rugged Central Oregon desert and, during their brief time there, clashed with the residents of the rural town of Antelope. We also explore American religious innovations, the problem with the label of “cult,” “deprivation theory” in apocalyptic biblical communities and in the U.S.A., how racism shapes public understandings ...
THE CULT (Wild Wild Country)
September 18, 2018 16:18 - 46 minutes - 106 MBIn this episode, we talk about Wild Wild Country, the new documentary from Netflix about enthusiastic enlightenment-seekers who built a commune called Rajneeshpuram in the rugged Central Oregon desert and, during their brief time there, clashed with the residents of the rural town of Antelope. We also explore American religious innovations, the problem with the label of “cult,” “deprivation theory” in apocalyptic biblical communities and in the U.S.A., how racism shapes public understandings ...
002 THE MONSTER (The Walking Dead)
September 11, 2018 16:33 - 43 minutes - 100 MBThis episode takes us into the frightening realm of the monster—embodied by the zombies (and some people) in the TV series The Walking Dead (through season three only!). In particular, we examine two episodes concerning the arc of Lori’s pregnancy, “Secrets” (S02E6) and “The Killer Within” (S03E4), and discuss the ethics of childbearing in an ugly world, pop culture’s obsession with monsters and their many symbolic meanings, and how we would fare, personally, in an apocalypse. Prepper communi...
THE MONSTER (The Walking Dead)
September 11, 2018 16:33 - 43 minutes - 100 MBThis episode takes us into the frightening realm of the monster—embodied by the zombies (and some people) in the TV series The Walking Dead (through season three only!). In particular, we examine two episodes concerning the arc of Lori’s pregnancy, “Secrets” (S02E6) and “The Killer Within” (S03E4), and discuss the ethics of childbearing in an ugly world, pop culture’s obsession with monsters and their many symbolic meanings, and how we would fare, personally, in an apocalypse. Prepper communi...
001 THE AFTERLIFE (Black Mirror)
September 04, 2018 17:22 - 44 minutes - 101 MBIn this episode, we tackle life, love, death, and technology in two episodes of the creepy and thought-provoking series Black Mirror: “Be Right Back” (S02E1) and “San Junipero” (S03E4). Is it possible for humans to prevent death with technology? Should humans do such a thing? Other light and cheery and way-too-big-for-one-podcast topics include male and female death rates, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, transhumanism, Wendell Berry, Radiohead, Thomas Hobbes, theodicy, Perpetua & Feli...
THE AFTERLIFE (Black Mirror)
September 04, 2018 17:22 - 44 minutes - 101 MBIn this episode, we tackle life, love, death, and technology in two episodes of the creepy and thought-provoking series Black Mirror: “Be Right Back” (S02E1) and “San Junipero” (S03E4). Is it possible for humans to prevent death with technology? Should humans do such a thing? Other light and cheery and way-too-big-for-one-podcast topics include male and female death rates, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, transhumanism, Wendell Berry, Radiohead, Thomas Hobbes, theodicy, Perpetua & Feli...
INTRODUCING WEIRD RELIGION
August 28, 2018 14:00 - 2 minutes - 5.38 MBThe Season One trailer. Weird Religion. Join us.