Straight White American Jesus

It's in the Code ep 169: “It’s the Same Story”

Josh Hawley argues that American “liberals” (anyone who isn’t a conservative Christian) don’t have a story to tell about men’s purpose in the world. But it turns out things are a lot more complicated than he lets on. It turns out that those “liberals” just might have a story worth telling after all. And, even worse for him, it turns out that his story actually isn’t so different from theirs after all. What is this story? How is it similar to and different from the story Hawley wants to tell? And what will that mean for Hawley’s ongoing exploration of manhood? Take a listen to this week’s episode to find out! Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ [https://axismundi.supercast.com/] Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC [https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC] Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 [https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163] Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza [https://redcircle.com/shows/bb8f7ce2-d8f0-4859-bbac-c33c48e3ccb6] Subscribe to American Exceptionalism [https://redcircle.com/shows/b92b742b-b515-4bde-8f34-7d8e312edf82] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Intellectual Forces Behind JD Vance + Vance Divorce Rumors

Brad Onishi is joined by Dr. Laura Field, author of Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right [Dr.%20Laura%20Field,%20author%20of%20Furious%20Minds:%20The%20Making%20of%20the%20MAGA%20New%20Right], for a fascinating look into the intellectual roots of the MAGA movement and its rising political stars, including JD Vance. Together they trace the philosophical and theological threads that tie together the Claremont Institute, National Conservatives, and Postliberal Catholics—three camps shaping the hard right’s challenge to American liberalism. From Patrick Deneen’s critique of modernity to Adrian Vermeule’s “common good constitutionalism,” the discussion unpacks how these thinkers frame a moral and political alternative to liberal democracy, and how their ideas inform Vance’s worldview and public persona. The conversation also explores what’s at stake when intellectuals try to fuse religion, nationalism, and governance into a single moral vision for America. Brad and Laura discuss the deep cultural anxiety driving this movement, the narratives of victimhood that sustain it, and the potential consequences of replacing pluralism with authoritarian moral certainty. They close with reflections on how to counter these ideas with honest, accessible scholarship and renewed democratic imagination. Get Dr. Laura Field's book Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right⁠ [Dr.%20Laura%20Field,%20author%20of%20Furious%20Minds:%20The%20Making%20of%20the%20MAGA%20New%20Right] HERE [https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691255262/furious-minds?srsltid=AfmBOoqssEPJ32UI-Hj-o83mh71w6A3Bsc9Xlh5LuiaW3XC26rTdwC0z] Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ [https://axismundi.supercast.com/] Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC [https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC] Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 [https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163] Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza [https://redcircle.com/shows/bb8f7ce2-d8f0-4859-bbac-c33c48e3ccb6] Subscribe to American Exceptionalism [https://redcircle.com/shows/b92b742b-b515-4bde-8f34-7d8e312edf82] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Weekly Roundup: We May Never Vote Again + JD Vance Runs for President

Dan’s “demon” costume sets the stage for a serious warning: Americans may not be able to vote freely in 2026. Brad argues that authoritarian tactics and election interference are accelerating, pointing to SNAP benefit cuts, ACA premium hikes, and the creation of a National Guard “quick reaction force” as tools of social control. The hosts connect these developments to historical examples of militarized regimes and discuss how Trump loyalists embedding on military bases signal deeper threats to democracy. They also turn their attention to JD Vance’s recent appearances at Ole Miss and Turning Point USA, where his rhetoric blends Christian nationalism, white supremacy, and populist theater. From his calls to teach Christianity in schools to his public remarks about his Hindu wife, Vance uses religion as a political weapon while appealing to the MAGA base. Yet amid the darkness, Brad and Dan highlight reasons for hope, including legal and judicial pushback against extreme policies and bipartisan resistance in the Senate. Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ [https://axismundi.supercast.com/] Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC [https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC] Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 [https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163] Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza [https://redcircle.com/shows/bb8f7ce2-d8f0-4859-bbac-c33c48e3ccb6] Subscribe to American Exceptionalism [https://redcircle.com/shows/b92b742b-b515-4bde-8f34-7d8e312edf82] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

It's in the Code ep 168: “Man’s (Empty) Purpose”

Josh Hawley devotes the second chapter of his book to outlining what he sees as “man’s purpose.” He promises to answer the question of why men are here, and what they are supposed to do. What does he see as this purpose? And why does his claim to uncover man’s purpose ultimately amount to nothing? Why does Dan describe it as an “empty” account of purpose? And how does this undermine Hawley’s claim that the Bible’s story of man is the only story that can provide meaning and purpose? Check out this week’s episode to find out! Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ [https://axismundi.supercast.com/] Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC [https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC] Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 [https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163] Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza [https://redcircle.com/shows/bb8f7ce2-d8f0-4859-bbac-c33c48e3ccb6] Subscribe to American Exceptionalism [https://redcircle.com/shows/b92b742b-b515-4bde-8f34-7d8e312edf82] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Beyond Thoughts and Prayers: The Rituals of Freedom

Brad welcomes Liz Theoharis and Charon Hribar, editors of We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from The Freedom Church of the Poor. Both guests are key leaders in the faith-based anti-poverty movement and longtime organizers with the Poor People’s Campaign. Together, they discuss how liturgy and ritual can be reclaimed as acts of collective resistance, solidarity, and hope among the poor and dispossessed. The conversation weaves through Liz and Charon’s personal journeys—Liz’s formation in faith-driven social justice work and Charon’s discovery of liberation theology growing up in a steel town—and traces how decades of grassroots organizing through the Kairos Center inspired this new book. They explore how faith traditions, particularly Christianity, can serve as public, justice-oriented practice rather than private belief, what it means to “pray with your feet,” and how ritual itself can be political. Drawing from We Pray Freedom, the guests share powerful examples: a memorial liturgy for unhoused people at New York’s Potter’s Field, a reimagined Las Posadas led by migrant communities, and multi-faith celebrations like Diwali and Passover that embody joy, resilience, and defiance. They also address the current “war on the poor” in the U.S.—from healthcare cuts to attacks on education—and highlight how communities continue to organize, resist, and find joy together. This episode is both a spiritual and practical conversation about how worship, art, and music can sustain movements for justice. Resources Mentioned: * We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from The Freedom Church of the Poor – available via Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org] and major retailers * Companion site: weprayfreedom.org [https://weprayfreedom.org] (includes songs, liturgies, and other materials) * The Kairos Center: kairoscenter.org | @kairoscenternyc [https://instagram.com/kairoscenternyc] Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 850-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ [https://axismundi.supercast.com/] Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC [https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC] Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 [https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163] Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza [https://redcircle.com/shows/bb8f7ce2-d8f0-4859-bbac-c33c48e3ccb6] Subscribe to American Exceptionalism [https://redcircle.com/shows/b92b742b-b515-4bde-8f34-7d8e312edf82] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]