Religion Unplugged

The Media Project
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Religion explored through candid conversations and original reporting. This podcast is powered by The Media Project, a network of more than 1,000 journalists worldwide. TMP acknowledges that religion is growing and becoming more, not less important in the world.

  1. 4D AGO

    Why Nathan Clarkson Thinks He's The Worst

    In the Apostle Paul’s 1st Biblical letter to Timothy, Paul writes that Christ came into the world to save sinners. He follows that up by stating that he is the foremost sinner. This is sometimes translated as Paul being “chief of sinners” and even as him being, plainly, “the worst.” It’s this idea that Christian actor, writer, and podcaster Nathan Clarkson uses to justify the title of his new book: “I’m The Worst.” Nathan’s work goes against the cultural current. In an age where many loud voices urge us to put away thoughts of self-criticism and turn instead toward radical self-acceptance, Nathan argues that to truly value ourselves is to understand where we have failed and where we need to grow. Furthermore, Nathan encourages his readers to spend less time bemoaning the people who are making the world worse and more time actively working on what we can do to make the world better. Nathan has acted in The Purge, Silicon Valley, FBI: Most Wanted, Past Lives, and many other movies and TV shows. In addition to acting Nathan has produced multiple feature films through his production company, Clarkson’s Creations. He is also a Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author for his book Finding God in Hollywood, among others. Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes regularly co hosts a podcast with Nathan called The Overthinkers, so this week, the pair sat down on our podcast, to discuss Nathan’s personal cycles of failure and self-improvement, the ways we villainize the people who differ from us, and how a self-critical mindset can still coincide with self-love.

    32 min

  2. FEB 3

    Inside South Africa's Pastoral Sex Abuse Crisis

    South Africa has a sexual abuse crisis. And while many of these attacks occur on the streets or in the home, every month, several cases of rape take place in churches and are perpetrated by pastors. The assaulted individuals come from every ethnic group, age, social class, and even gender. For over a decade, tens of thousands of South Africans have been violated in their communities. To better understand South Africa’s abuse crisis and how faith communities are involved, I sat down with Vicky Abraham. Vicky is an investigative journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition to her work at Religion Unplugged, Vicky’s work has appeared in The Roys Report, the Mail & Guardian, City Press and many other publications. Vicky’s article last week, entitled “South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence Crisis Reaches The Pulpit” details the incredible range of sexual violence that is occurring at the hands of the person who parishioners often trust most, their pastor. Abuse of teenagers is incredibly frequent, with many abusers having been abused in adolescence themselves and then perpetuating the cycle of sexual violence. But Vicky noted that even very elderly people and babies under a year old have fallen victim to abuse.  Vicky walked me through the complex path that victims often have to walk in order to report their abuser. When brought to church authorities, many victims are rebuked and told that what they say is going to harm the church and disrupt the spiritual community. For men, who are also frequently victims, police officers will often mock them for having been sexually assaulted, heaping shame on an already devastating situation. Vicky’s investigation into pastoral sex crimes is ongoing—with new cases appearing all the time. And while she is pleased with the outraged reactions from many healthy churches and even South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, there is still a long way to come. #southafrica #southafrican #churches #pastors #christianity #abuse #awareness #africa

    35 min

  3. JAN 27

    25 Years On The Godbeat With Bobby Ross Jr.

    In 2025, the whole world watched as Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.  Again, everyone watched as Conservative Christian Apologist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. But while religious news events like these were known world round, other important stories are being covered all the time by journalists like Bobby Ross Jr., a veteran religion reporter. In addition to covering Kirk and Leo, Bobby also wrote about Christian parents grieving in the wake of the Central Texas floods, faith’s role in The Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship-winning season, and the possibility of Christian higher education in Europe. So on this week’s episode of the Religion Unplugged Podcast Matthew Peterson sat down with Bobby to discuss not only the news trends he anticipates in the year to come, but also his career of 25 years covering faith through on-the-ground reporting in all 50 states and in 20 different countries. Bobby started his career of reporting on what he calls “the Godbeat” back in 2001, when he was working for the Oklahoman. Today, he is Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Chronicle, which focuses on covering Churches of Christ all over the globe. He also writes his column, the “Weekend Plug-In” every Friday at Religion Unplugged Bobby and Matthew's conversation spanned how his interest in baseball shaped his initial career decision, how he maintains fairness and accuracy when covering difficult subjects within his faith tradition, and even how to discern what is true in the age of social media and AI. #religion #godbeat #religionnews #journalist #journalism #christianchronicle #2026 #bobbyrossjr #interview #podcast

    31 min

  4. JAN 20

    Ryan Burge And The Vanishing Church

    Religion sociologist and Religion Unplugged contributor Ryan Burge sits down with culture critic Joseph Holmes to discuss Ryan's book "The Vanishing Church" and why the church has lost its ability to bring Americans together.

    55 min

  5. JAN 14

    Ministering To Mariners: The Seamen's Church Institute

    The cargo shipping industry is vital to the sustenance of the modern world. However, the millions of mariners who make the system possible often go unnoticed by the masses. For nearly 200 years, The Seamen's Church Institute has worked hard to ensure that seafarers do not feel invisible. Matthew Peterson speaks with members of the organization to understand how they serve mariners and why the work is so important to them.

    46 min

  6. JAN 6

    Why Make A Movie About The Infancy Gospel?

    How does one balance faithfulness to religious tradition with artistic expression? Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director Lotfy Nathan on this very topic. Lotfy was raised in the Coptic Christian tradition and grew up to make a horror film about the childhood of Jesus based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas--starring Nicholas Cage!

    21 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    Understanding The Role of Ancestors In Christianity

    Christians have many terms for those who came before them. They are called saints, heroes of the faith, and church fathers. But rarely are they referred to simply as ancestors. William H. Lamar IV pastors one of the oldest black churches in Washington, DC. He speaks with Matthew Peterson about his recent book, “Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us.” He also talks about why it is important for Christians to be aware of the influence of their ancestors, why naming spaces after ancestors can be dangerous, and how Christians can be co-creators with God. Ancestors: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506482217/Ancestors Donate: https://religionunplugged.com/donate

    30 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    Why Lee Strobel Still Believes in Miracles

    Few Christians will deny that Jesus and his disciples did miracles 2000 years ago. But does supernatural healing still occur in 2025? On this issue, there is much more debate. But, for New York Times Bestselling Author Lee Strobel, the answer is clear. Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviews Strobel about his new documentary, The Case for Miracles. The Case For Miracles: https://thecaseformiracles.movie Donate: religionunplugged.com/donate

    12 min
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About

Religion explored through candid conversations and original reporting. This podcast is powered by The Media Project, a network of more than 1,000 journalists worldwide. TMP acknowledges that religion is growing and becoming more, not less important in the world.

Information

  • Creator
    The Media Project
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    225
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Religion Unplugged