In this episode, because Jan. 6th marked one year since the violent insurrection at the Capitol building, we discuss the systems of oppression that were on full display at the event, as well as other parts of history where that same “Christian” violence, white supremacy, and nationalism were in full force, and how these systems are embedded into every aspect of our society. We talk about the Puritans and the myth that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation,” the real origins of the “pro-life” movement (really, it was a cover for opposition to racial integration in schools), and the various groups of people involved in the Jan. 6th insurrection, the religious symbols they donned and the prayers they prayed. We also discuss the ways that we can resist these unjust systems, starting with our interpersonal relationships and our vote. There are a loooot of resources we mention in this episode (and some we found in our research that we forgot to mention!), so be sure to check out the links below to learn more!
Resources:
Book: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
Christian fascism wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_fascism
https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/opinion/christian-nationalists-capitol-attack.html
Post by Lisa Sharon Harper on Rachel Held Evans' blog: https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/the-other-lie-lisa-sharon-harper-ferguson#
https://uncivilreligion.org/home/index
https://religionnews.com/2022/01/05/violence-isnt-the-only-way-christian-nationalism-endangers-democracy/
Literally any episode of the Straight White American Jesus podcast–look for episode titles that mention Christian Nationalism or the series this month, Jan. 6th One Year Later
The Exvangelical Podcast interview with Anthea Butler, author of “White Evangelical Racism” (https://bookshop.org/books/white-evangelical-racism-the-politics-of-morality-in-america/9781469661179), would also recommend his interview with Pastor Lenny Duncan. Interview with Anthea Butler here: https://www.exvangelicalpodcast.com/white-evangelical-racism-with-dr-anthea-butler/
https://religionnews.com/2022/01/06/jan-6-a-timeline-in-prayers/
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/
https://religionnews.com/2021/09/16/survey-white-evangelicals-to-falsely-blame-left-wing-activists-for-insurrection/
https://religionnews.com/2021/02/25/the-insurrectionists-senate-floor-prayer-highlights-a-curious-trumpian-ecumenism/
https://religionnews.com/2021/01/12/the-faith-of-the-insurrectionists/
https://time.com/6132591/january-6th-christian-nationalism/
Book: Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith by Troy Jackson, Lisa Sharon Harper, Mae Elise Cannon, Soong-Chan Rah. https://bookshop.org/books/forgive-us-confessions-of-a-compromised-faith/9780310515968
Jo Luehmann on social media @JoLuehmann
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Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, @RtGardenPodcast on Twitter, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd, @April_TheWriter (April is on Twitter and Insta). Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!
