Exvangelical

Blake Chastain

Exploring the world inside and outside the evangelical subculture, one conversation at a time. "Exvangelical" is a shared starting point with many destinations; it acknowledges the impact (predominantly white/white-led) evangelicalism has had on our lives, but does not dictate our current or future beliefs & practices. On this podcast, you'll hear stories of people who've left evangelicalism for other branches of Christianity, for other spiritual traditions, and for none at all. All paths are valid. Wholeness > Holiness. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Support the show at just $5/month or $50/year at postevangelicalpost.com. 25% of net proceeds are donated to the Religious Exemption Accountability Project and White Homework. Find show notes and archives at exvangelicalpodcast.com Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

  1. MAR 20

    Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Returns

    I’ve got a wide-ranging interview with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg to share with you today. It’s been a few years since I spoke with her, and the geopolitical landscape has changed considerably in that time. In the first half of the conversation, we talk about the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza, and broadly about how Jewish communities in the US have responded. We also talk touch on Iran, as well as how the revelations of the Epstein Files and how to ensure that antisemitism doesn’t creep into our reactions to these stories coming to light. We also talk about how certain terms and language may no longer be adequate and the challenges of speaking on these hot-button issues at all, online or elsewhere. In the second half, we talk about Rabbi Danya’s work at her online publication, Life is a Sacred Text, the concept of moral injury, and how she works with people of differing beliefs through her work. Rabbi Danya speaks with compassion, care, nuance, and solidarity and I hope that this conversation is received in that spirit. Note: I made a newbie mistake and my audio recorded from the wrong mic - I did the best I could to clean it up! As always, you can support this show by subscribing across social media & YouTube, and most directly by purchasing my book or a paid subscription at blakechastain.com. I donate 25% of net revenue annually. Buy my book, Exvangelical & Beyond: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 Sign up for all my content at blakechastain.com Visit Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/ "The Antisemitism Post" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/the-antisemitism-post/ "Moral Injury" at Life is a Sacred Text: https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/moral-injury/ Recommended Reading List on Palestine & Israel: https://bookshop.org/lists/palestine-and-israel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

    56 min
  2. FEB 13

    Money, Lies, and God with Katherine Stewart

    This week I'm joined by Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Her book was published in February 2025 and offers incredible insights into the various networks of influence and power that laid the groundwork for a second Trump victory. We discuss how those same networks are still at work in the US today and try to connect it to more recent developments, including the Epstein Files. Katherine had a brief window of availability, so this interview is a bit shorter. Buy Money, Lies, and God here at my bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546 Laura K. Field's book, mentioned by Katherine Stewart is called Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, and can be bought here: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780691255262 See books from other authors on The Good Books: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781635578546 And check out books from other authors who have appeared on my other shows: https://bookshop.org/shop/brchastain Buy my book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 If you want to keep up to date with my work, please be sure to subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and head over to blakechastain.com to see more of what I’m up to. 00:00 Teaser: The Power of Fear and Control 01:11 Guest Introduction: Katherine Stewart 02:09 The Five Groups in Anti-Democratic Movements 02:53 The Role of Funders and Foot Soldiers 05:27 Sergeants, Power Players, and Thinkers 06:46 Changes Since Trump's Election 08:35 Mindsets and Dispositions in Christian Nationalism 11:12 The Persecution Complex and Authoritarian Leadership 13:18 The Role of Elites and Information Bubbles 28:41 Recent Developments and the Epstein Files 31:45 Conclusion: Forward-Looking Strategies for Democracy 36:08 Outro and Call to Action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

    39 min
4.7
out of 5
428 Ratings

About

Exploring the world inside and outside the evangelical subculture, one conversation at a time. "Exvangelical" is a shared starting point with many destinations; it acknowledges the impact (predominantly white/white-led) evangelicalism has had on our lives, but does not dictate our current or future beliefs & practices. On this podcast, you'll hear stories of people who've left evangelicalism for other branches of Christianity, for other spiritual traditions, and for none at all. All paths are valid. Wholeness > Holiness. Exvangelical is a production of The Post-Evangelical Post, LLC. Support the show at just $5/month or $50/year at postevangelicalpost.com. 25% of net proceeds are donated to the Religious Exemption Accountability Project and White Homework. Find show notes and archives at exvangelicalpodcast.com Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

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