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The midterms are Tuesday. Brad Onishi and Dan Miller give their read on what could happen, then cover the plans being set up for the weeks after. In this episode: 1. The midterm outlook. Where Brad and Dan think things stand, why Trump’s switch to “tele-rallies” may signal worry inside the GOP, and why Brad says the only thing that matters now is getting people to vote. 2. The “non-citizens voted” campaign. Nearly 600 high-profile right-wing accounts, podcasts, and outlets have published more than 7,000 statements questioning the election’s integrity this year, with the focus now on non-citizen voting. Brad and Dan look at how big “alleged” numbers get headlines while the checked numbers, like a claim of about 190,000 in California that shrank to about 28, rarely get repeated. They also discuss why courts may respond faster this time. 3. The plan not to seat Democrats on January 3. Trump, Sen. Bernie Moreno, and Rep. Keith Self have each argued that certain Democrats, including Muslim and DSA-aligned candidates, shouldn’t be sworn in. Brad ties this to the Center for Renewing America and Russ Vought. Dan explains why a religious test for office conflicts with the Constitution. They also play Sen. Chris Murphy’s answer on CNN and discuss whether centrist Democrats could be pulled into the argument. 4. Hegseth’s spiritual advisor. A CNN report on Ryan Higgins, a senior spiritual advisor to Pete Hegseth, who called LGBTQ people a “satanic cult,” said there is no separation of church and state, and called abortion “demonic human sacrifice.” Dan and Brad connect it to Doug Wilson and to how Hegseth has brought religion into the Pentagon. 5. Netanyahu’s claims of election fraud. After a deadlocked election, Likud shared claims of fraud at Arab polling stations with no evidence offered, which Dan describes as exporting Trump’s election-denial playbook. 6. Trump’s fixation on men’s bodies. Dan goes through Trump’s recent comments on Husted, Rick Jackson, and argues that the underlying idea is that for MAGA traditional masculinity qualifies someone for office. 7. Reasons for hope. A Fox News interview clip, and Dan’s read on why the Trump campaign may be running out of energy. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The affirmation that God is eternal, that God exists outside of time and is unaffected by it, has been central to orthodox Christian teaching for centuries. But it brings other questions with it. How can God act in the world, as Christians also teach? How can we possibly avoid the logic of determinism that follows from the claim that God knows all future events, decisions, and actions? What answers have Christians offered in response to these questions? Are they convincing? What if they are not? Join Dan for this week’s episode to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA influencers are calling for a coup in Brazil after Lula's win. Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor explain why that matters for the U.S. midterms, and for the weeks between Nov. 3 and Jan. 3. With the midterms days away, we connect Brazil's election to the rhetoric about "illegitimate" Americans, and to what a contested result could look like here. ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 Midterms, Brazil, and why they're connected 1:35 Brazil's runoff and the MAGA meltdown 6:23 Why Brazil and U.S. politics are intertwined 9:53 Bolsonaro in prison and the rule of law 12:01 From "rigged" to "Maduro treatment": the escalation ladder 16:28 What Brazil's accountability shows, and what it doesn't 24:35 Hungary, Serbia, Israel: are far-right wins slipping? 31:28 Trump on a "rigged" Brazil, and Minnesota 35:56 Vance, El-Sayed, and "remigration" rhetoric 43:16 Greg Abbott and the "Sharia law" attack 47:18 Three ways to delegitimize election winners: communist, false religion, foreign 51:41 Clip of the week: Trump, Christianity, and "saving God" 58:35 Matt's book tour and upcoming events If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. 🔔 Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! #MAGA #Midterms2026 #Brazil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with political scientist Melissa Deckman about 2026 PRRI’s American Values Survey and what it reveals about religion, political power, and American identity. With Americans increasingly pessimistic about the economy and concerned about threats to democracy, Deckman examines whether dissatisfaction is fracturing Trump’s coalition—and whether it will translate into changes at the ballot box. Melissa Deckman is CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and a political scientist who studies how gender, religion, and age shape American public opinion and political behavior. She is the author of The Politics of Gen Z and Tea Party Women. For Subscribers Payne asks Deckman what religious stories she would advise each party to tell. They discuss the appeal of biblical language rooted in compassion, the rise of pastor-candidates, and the opportunities and constraints facing religious messaging across the political spectrum. Find Dr. Melissa Deckman at Melissa Deckman.com, or on Bluesky and find Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) at PRRI.org Find Dr. Leah Payne at drleahpayne.com, subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life and Rock that Doesn’t Roll: The Story of Christian Rock, and read along: God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two weeks before the midterms, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down the GOP's growing desperation as Cook Political shifts 19 House races toward Democrats and James Talarico polls ahead of Ken Paxton in Texas. They cover the DOJ's push to block certification in Alaska, federal agents visiting California residents flagged as non-citizens from an error-filled list, and Todd Blanche's non-answer on whether the DOJ would step into the election. The bulk of the episode digs into Vivek Ramaswamy's ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar, despite Acton's childhood abuse case, and JD Vance's defense of the ad, which they read as a window into a politics of ruling rather than governing. They also look at what Franklin Graham's midterm voting guide and Joel Webbon's "I told my wife how to vote" post reveal about the hollowing out of the religious right, using Sarah Palin in 2008 as a benchmark. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/e... 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/... Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Is God eternal?” The claim that God is eternal is a central feature of orthodox Christian teaching. But what does it mean? And what consequences follow from affirming that God is eternal? And what happens if we suggest that God is not eternal? Join Dan for this week’s episode to find out. Axis Mundi Podcasts Between Qi and Science and Radical Buddhism If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy Teepell asked Abdul El-Sayed about the Muslim Brotherhood, and the clip went viral. But Teepell's ties to Christian nationalist networks run deeper than the reporting so far has shown. Matthew D. Taylor has tracked Teepell and Sean Feucht since 2024, and in this episode he and Brad Onishi lay out what that research shows. Reporting by Marisa Kabas and Jason Wilson broke important news on who is behind the effort to derail El-Sayed. This episode adds the religious and Christian nationalist dimension: Teepell's 2024 podcast appearance with Feucht, Camp Elah on Capitol Hill, "deliverance ministry" for Hill staffers, and what it all means for church-state separation. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro: the viral El-Sayed clip 3:09 Who is Tommy Teepell? 4:51 Camp Elah, Hill staffers, and Jericho marches 11:05 El-Sayed's answer, part one 15:54 Muslim Brotherhood and religious nationalism 22:36 Church and state: two views of the Constitution 28:03 "Do you disavow religious doctrine in law?" 32:37 The Guardian report and America Next 33:30 "At the mercy of a man with an argument" 36:37 Why this kind of religion threatens pluralist democracy 47:25 Chicago temple attack and anti-Hindu, anti-Muslim rhetoric 54:02 Stochastic terrorism 58:19 Why Muslim men in high office provoke anxiety 1:00:06 Books and events If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/e... 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/... Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Sunday Interview, Annika Brockschmidt talks with scholar of religion and theologian Matthew Taylor about his new book, Defying Tyrants, Following Jesus: In a World of Christian Antichrists. Writing as a Christian to other Christians, Taylor argues that the propaganda fueling MAGA and the authoritarian turn in American politics is theological, and that the response must be too. He explains why he sees Christian supremacy, the belief that Christians are better than others and entitled to power, as an older and deeper problem than Christian nationalism, tracing it through Constantine, Christendom, the Crusades, and colonialism. Taylor then offers a close reading of 1 and 2 John, where "antichrist" appears mostly in the plural and refers to people who broke away from the community and abused others in Christ's name, which leads him to argue that Christian antichrists are Christians who abuse power under Jesus's banner. They also discuss how to reckon with Christian awfulness without retreating to the "no true Scotsman" defense, what kind of king Jesus actually is, and the personal cost of the book: Taylor lost his job at an interfaith institute because of it. He explains why he refused to withdraw it, and what ordinary Christians can do to resist Christian supremacy in their everyday lives. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Straight White American Jesus Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller dig into new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, who is not a licensed attorney and has deep ties to the Southern California Christian nationalist network around Rob McCoy, Charlie Kirk’s pastor, and a past advisory role with White Rose Resistance, a group calling for women who have abortions to be executed in public. They then break down a published plan from Russ Vought’s Center for Renewing America to challenge and block incoming Democrats, especially Muslim and Marxist-identified members-elect, from being sworn in on January 3rd, and why Dan sees it as a strategy to sow doubt about election legitimacy even if it would fail in court. They also cover Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, what it means for Ukraine and sanctions, and close with reasons for hope, including court rulings on ICC sanctions and press access and the called-off live stream of the Fort Hood shooter’s execution.If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.comBooks mentioned:📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-TyrantsFull tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour🔗 axismundi.uswww.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 monthswww.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Thank you Thomas J, Jane Stevenor, Laura Nelson, Beth Strand, Brady Fern, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do all religions lead to God? It's the kind of question that can get you in trouble in strict religious communities, so we look at why. Then we explore who has asked it over the years, from scholars and philosophers to Hindu, Sikh, and mystical traditions, and why many religion scholars today aren't convinced by it. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi is joined by Matthew D. Taylor, author of Defying Tyrants, to discuss the raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home 22 days before the midterms, which came inside the Justice Department’s usual 60-day window for avoiding overt investigative steps. They weigh the evidence that the raid is politically motivated, including years of debunked conspiracy theories about her immigration story, pressure from right-wing influencers, and Trump’s rhetoric about the Somali community, while also acknowledging that a warrant was issued and that questions about her immigration paperwork remain open. They also consider Andy Craig’s argument that the case threatens Congress’s constitutional power to judge its own members, and what it could signal as a trial balloon for 2028. Max from UNFTR then joins to discuss Russ Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget: his Christian nationalism, his role in Project 2025 and impoundment, and a Center for Renewing America piece outlining how members-elect might be refused the oath of office in the next Congress. The conversation closes with thoughts on how citizens and institutions can prepare, including mass action and what Democrats need to do after the midterms. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/e... 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/... Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Onishi talks with three Wheaton College alumnae about the growing controversy over how the college handled abuse by a former administrator, and why they say the problem is systemic rather than the work of one person. The abuse took place in the 1990s. Alumni say it was covered up for roughly 25 years, leaving students and later victims at risk. The conversation covers the case itself, the calls for President Philip Ryken to resign, the theology of gender and sexuality that shapes how reports are received, and what it’s like to parent students on campus now. Content note: this episode discusses sexual abuse and assault. Guests Andrea Sorensen Hamler: Wheaton class of 2004, writing teacher, scholar of rhetoric, and longtime behind-the-scenes member of the Axis Mundi Media team Christy Hemphill: Wheaton class of ‘99, parent of two current Wheaton students, former international development worker and current public school teacher Erika Roland: Wheaton alum, holds an MBA and CFRE, PhD student in organizational leadership, lives in Minnesota UPCOMING EVENTS (Brad Onishi, American Caesar) Oct 11: Knoxville, TN, Unitarian Church, with the Rationalists of East Tennessee Oct 12: Nashville, TN, downtown library, 6 p.m., with Phil Williams Oct 14: Memphis, TN, Rhodes College MORE FROM STRAIGHT WHITE AMERICAN JESUS Sunday: Interview | Tuesday: Live show with Brad and Matt Taylor, 1:30 ET | Wednesday: In the Code with Dan Miller | Friday: Weekly Roundup If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/e... 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/... Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They want to rule, not govern. This week on the Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down Trump’s “bomb LA” comments, the “enemy combatant” rhetoric aimed at Somalis in Minnesota, Hegseth’s plan to live-stream a firing squad execution, and Tucker Carlson and Curtis Yarvin’s Hitler comments. Then they close with some reasons for hope: Ossoff in the Georgia debate and a Satanic invocation in Ottumwa, Iowa. With the midterms less than a month away, Brad and Dan argue the GOP is ramping up fear-mongering, race-baiting, and empty promises because it has little else left to offer. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro: Iran, LA, Somalis, and the live-streamed execution 03:38 The thesis: ramping up the tactics before the midterms 06:43 Somalis as “the new Haitians” 10:46 JD Vance can’t define socialism 15:26 Ruling vs. governing 17:37 Hegseth’s live-streamed firing squad 27:34 “Pro-life” and “family values”? Bloodlust and the research on televised executions 33:16 Tucker Carlson on why the UK fought WWII 42:38 Curtis Yarvin, JD Vance, and the “engineering” view of society 50:58 Transit funding tied to birth and marriage rates 55:15 Reasons for hope: Ottumwa, Iowa, and Ossoff vs. Collins 1:01:14 Upcoming events and wrap-up UPCOMING EVENTS (Brad Onishi, American Caesar) Oct 11: Knoxville, TN, Unitarian Church, with the Rationalists of East Tennessee Oct 12: Nashville, TN, downtown library, 6 p.m., with Phil Williams Oct 14: Memphis, TN, Rhodes College MORE FROM STRAIGHT WHITE AMERICAN JESUS Sunday: Interview | Tuesday: Live show with Brad and Matt Taylor, 1:30 ET | Wednesday: In the Code with Dan Miller | Friday: Weekly Roundup If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/e... 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/... Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com... 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens to people who have never heard the gospel? It's one of the most common questions people raise in church, and one of the most uncomfortable: how can God be just if he condemns people who never had the chance to respond to the message that could save them? In this episode of It's in the Code, part of the series Questions I Wasn't Supposed to Ask in Church, Dan Miller walks through three broad Christian answers that stretch back nearly to the beginning of the tradition. Exclusivism, the historically dominant view from Augustine and the Protestant Reformers, holds that salvation comes only through explicitly accepting the gospel. Inclusivism, associated with Justin Martyr and more common among Catholics, holds that people can receive Christ's saving work through responding in faith to general revelation. And a third category, miraculous revelation, includes the "harrowing of hell" (Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison), as well as the idea, associated with Thomas Aquinas, that God provides a way for sincere seekers to encounter the gospel. Along the way, Dan explores why this question has troubled believers for centuries, how the answer often depends on the kind of church you grew up in, and how it differs from the separate question of what happens to Jews who lived before Jesus. He also invites listeners to keep sending in the questions they weren't supposed to ask in church. If you enjoy our work, please subscribe.  Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Live events: Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ -  Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months  www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Antichrist is not a scary villain who shows up someday to rule the world. According to the New Testament, there are already many of them, and they look a lot like Christians who abuse power in Jesus' name. On the pub day of Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists, Brad Onishi talks with author and scholar Matthew D. Taylor about what the Bible actually says about the Antichrist, why Christian supremacy is a deeper problem than Christian nationalism, and how the history of Christendom, from Constantine to the Crusades, connects to Pete Hegseth, Doug Wilson, and the American right today. Matthew also talks about losing his job over this book, and why he believes Christians have an obligation to confront other Christians right now. Chapters 0:00 The Antichrist is with us now 2:52 Book tour events 4:48 Christian supremacy vs. Christian nationalism 8:05 What the New Testament says about the Antichrist 13:31 The incarnation and what Jesus taught 17:19 Faith and democracy in the midterms 25:25 Nicaea, the Crusades, and the birth of Christendom 30:34 Christendom's return today 36:39 Hegseth clip and the "enemy within, enemy without" 42:32 Matthew's firing over the book 50:41 Is polarization the disease or the immune response? 55:18 Could the worst chapters of Christian history return? 1:00:32 Closing and where to find Matthew Get the book and follow Matthew Matthew D. Taylor's Substack, Reckonings: https://matthewdtaylor.substack.com/ Defying Tyrants: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Upcoming events Sunday: Knoxville, TN, Unitarian Church Mon, Oct 12: Nashville, TN, conversation with Phil Williams at the downtown library Wed, Oct 14: Memphis, TN, Rhodes College Fri, Nov 20, 7 p.m.: Denver, CO, free midterms event at the convention center with Matthew Taylor, Robert P. Jones, Alba Onofrio, Brooke Wilensky-Lanford, and Dan Miller moderating If you enjoy our work, please subscribe. Paid subscribers get bonus content, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1k episode archive, an invite to our Discord community, and access to the Axis Daily Brief. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axis-daily-brief/id1896931494 🔔Subscribe - Substack: www.axismundi.substack.com Books mentioned: 📕 American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy by Brad Onishi — out September 15: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ 📗 Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists by Matthew D. Taylor — out October 6: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798341900370/Defying-Tyrants Live events: Full tour dates: https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/the-american-caesar-book-tour 🔗 axismundi.us www.quo.com/SWAJ - Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months www.groundnews.com/SWAJ 40% off the Vantage Subscription! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices