The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast

Thy Kingdom Come: Exploring Christian Internationalism (with Dr Melani McAlister)

While most of us may be familiar with the concept of Christian nationalism in the United States among evangelicals, what about the idea of Christian internationalism? That's the topic that this week's guest, Dr Melani McAlister of George Washington University, happens to be an expert on.
We begin by discussing the war in Ukraine and how it shone a spotlight on the widespread American evangelical support for Vladimir Putin--a development that shocked many, given that the Soviet Union was seen by many Christians as the biggest threat to Christianity during the Cold War. What has changed? She maintains it's Christian internationalism.
As she argues in her 2018 book, The Kingdom of God Has no Borders: A Global History of American Evangelicals, one cannot truly understand evangelicalism as a phenomenon unless looked at globally. Far from an American export, evangelicalism is not a monolith and must be examined in terms of its reach and impact nation by nation, people group by people group.
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The Brainwashing of My Dad: The Corrosive Effects of Far-Right Media (with Jen Senko)

This week's guest is documentary filmmaker and author, Jen Senko, whose brilliant work The Brainwashing of My Dad tells the story of not just how her father Frank literally became a different person due to the effects of far-right media, it also tells the story of how conservative media became such a powerhouse.
More than likely, you have friends, family, friends or other acquaintances who have been sucked into the cult-like vortex of far-right conservative media, imbibing from a constant drip-tap of propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, outrage politics, and conspiracy theories.
If you despair that they will ever return to their pre-cult like state of normalcy ever again, Jen's  work offers up hope that a person who falls down that rabbit hole can actually regain their authentic self once again.
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Power That Leads to Dominion: The Drive to Overturn Roe v Wade (with Peter Montgomery)

In light of the recent "leak" of the Supreme Court's apparent ruling to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade case, I reached out to former guest Peter Montgomery of the Right Wing Watch to bring us up to speed on what's happening.
Aside from the leak itself, which is unprecedented to say the least, the much larger concern of American citizens should be the slow erosion of progressive, democratic rights that have been so hard-won over the last several decades. In addition to that, as we have seen, the dominionist aim of much of the Christian Right doesn't just stop with American politics--they are working hard to infiltrate the corridors of power in many other countries as well, pushing a far-right conservative agenda.
This long-term agenda of the Christian Right, now allied with the Republican Party in so many ways, is not to stop at merely overturning Roe--it's to strip away a variety of rights that most of us simply take for granted.
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So You Wanna Live in a Theocracy: Utopia or Dystopia?

This week's episode is one I've wanted to do a long time--it's based on a section of a book I'm working on about Christian Reconstructionism and the roots of dominion theology.
But the recent news about the Supreme Court's "leak" on the upcoming reversal of Roe v Wade got me to thinking that it's time to take a look at historical examples of theocratic kingdoms on earth. Were they more of a utopian existence, or a dystopian nightmare akin to Margaret Atwood's fictional Gilead?
I hope you enjoy this overview of multiple examples of theocracies that have been attempted on earth--and I'll leave it to you decide whether or not you want to live in one.
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Picking up the Threads of Who We Are: Life after the Jehovah’s Witnesses (with Stephen and Celine Mather)

This week's guest features a father-and-daughter combination, Stephen Mather and his daughter Celine, who are co-hosts of the "What Should I Think About...?" podcast.
As an ex-JW, Stephen is uniquely qualified to shed light on this cult--and although his daughter Celine was never a part of it, as a non-JW with many family members still involved in the religion, she has a fascinating perspective to offer also. 
Enjoy this thought-provoking chat with Stephen and Celine!
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Inside RFR: Recovering From Religion (with Rachel Hunt)

This week's guest is Rachel Hunt, who is an ambassador for the RFR: the Recovering From Religion organization founded by our good friend (and former guest) Dr Darrel Ray.
Not only does Rachel share her own story of escaping from religion, she provides excellent information on what the RFR does, how you can be a part of it, and how you can support this tremendous work that is helping so many people literally worldwide.
Recovering From Religion website 
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The Shock Troops of the Christian Right (with Katherine Stewart)

This week's episode features an alarming conversation with returning guest Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshipers and The Good News Club, as well as numerous articles in a variety of online sources.
In this chat, we discussed a January 2022 article Katherine wrote in The New Republic in which she not only identified some of the funding behind several Christian Right organizations in America, but also a more alarming trend: the support for Trump's "Big Lie" by these same outfits. 
Not only are they pushing it, they are weaponizing this conspiracy theory to motivate both pastors and evangelicals alike to get out and vote in 2022 and 2024 in an effort to "reclaim America for God"--as in the allegedly Christian nation that America both was, and should be again.
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Follow Katherine on Twitter @kathsstewart
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Escaping Utopia: Rebuilding Your Life After Growing up in a Cult (with Dr Janja Lalich)

This week's returning guest is ex-cult member, now sociologist and cult expert--Dr Janja Lalich, co-author along with fellow cult survivor Kala McLaren of the excellent book Escaping Utopia: Growing up in a Cult, Getting  Out, and Starting Over.
In this episode, Dr Lalich and I take a deep dive into not just what makes a cult a cult, but more specifically her "bounded choice" model of cults, with its four major components. If you've come out of a cult, fundamentalist religion, or any other sort of high-demand group with undue influence, then you will benefit from this episode!
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Bonus Episode - CORT2022: The Conference on Religious Trauma (with Janice Selbie)

We've got the first bonus episode of 2022!
I'm happy to welcome back returning guest, good friend Janice Selbie, to talk about the upcoming CORT2022--the Conference on Religious Trauma. We not only delve into which great presenters she has lined up for this important conference, we discuss the many and varied aspects of religious trauma. What is it, who is affected by it, and what can you do about it if you suffer from it?
Also listen in for an important code that will get you a discount to this event!
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No Longer a Professional Christian (with Dr David D’Andre)

This week's conversation is a fascinating one with American expat Dr David D'Andre, currently residing in Canada but who's lived in such places as Kiev and Brussels. Originally from the United States, David has a fascinating story of deconstruction of his former Christian beliefs from academic, theological and personal points of view combined.
David's story is a fascinating one--and one that you'll hopefully resonate with too. As a thoughtful person who takes an academic approach to the subject, David blends both the theoretical and the practical in his approach to the idea of deconverting from one's former religious belief system. 
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