Episode 23: Exorcism and religious studies with Joseph Laycock

Joseph Laycock, an associate professor of religious studies in the Department of Philosophy at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss religious freedom, new religious movements and the fascinating, pan-cultural phenomenon of exorcism.

Laycock teaches courses on world religions, religion in America and the intersection of religion and popular culture. He is the author of several books including The Penguin Book of Exorcisms, Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion, Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic Over Role-Playing Games Says About Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds and The Seer of Bayside: Veronica Lueken and the Struggle to Define Catholicism.

Laycock has been interviewed for several documentaries as well as Geraldo at Large, The Colbert Report, Coast to Coast AM, Mysteries Decoded, NPR, The Texas Standard, The Jenny McCarthy Show and Armchair Experts with Dax Shepard.

Further reading:

Joseph P. Laycock website

Joseph Laycock on Twitter

Religious studies professor explores exorcisms in new book from Penguin Classics

‘Speak of the Devil’ by Philosophy professor Joseph Laycock looks at The Satanic Temple and religion in America

How the Satanic Temple is using ‘abortion rituals’ to claim religious liberty against the Texas’ ‘heartbeat bill’