Exvangelical

In this episode, I speak with Amar D. Peterman, author of the new book Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local. Follow Amar online: https://amardpeterman.substack.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@amarpeterman https://www.instagram.com/amarpeterman/ Affiliate links, which support the show: Buy the book: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780802884121 Buy Exvangelical & Beyond by Blake Chastain: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9780593717073 Amar's book rec: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body by Rubem Alves (poetry): https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592443314 Support this channel directly by subscribing at blakechastain.com. Follow Blake on social: https://www.tiktok.com/@brchastain_ https://www.instagram.com/brchastain_/ https://bsky.app/profile/brchastain.social 00:00 Meet Amar Peterman 01:05 Growing Up Between Traditions 02:22 Megachurch Formation And Tensions 04:36 Moody Bible Institute Culture Shock 07:35 Finding A Mentor At Moody 11:19 Princeton Seminary New Frameworks 18:17 Evangelical History And PhD Questions 22:54 Stumbling Into Interfaith Work 32:58 Turning To Becoming Neighbors 34:29 The Table And Local Common Good 36:46 Take a Seat at the Table 37:42 Desire and Non-Utilitarian Love 39:08 Pluralism Without Debate 40:10 Common Good Beyond Majority Rule 40:35 From Politics to Knowing Neighbors 43:14 Serve and Decenter Yourself 46:05 Practices for Long Haul Love 48:31 Learning From Deconstruction 49:44 Prophetic Voices Outside Church 54:23 Navigating Evangelical Pushback 57:49 Pronouns and Staying Open 01:01:13 Lightning Round for Authors 01:08:34 Wrap Up and Where to Follow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

This week I'm talking to B.K. O'Connor, author of Eve: A Novel. Buy Eve: A Novel on bookshop.org to support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781592116690 Follow BK O'Connor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkivoconnor/ She and I appeared together on a panel in Brooklyn last month, which you can read about here: https://www.blakechastain.com/at-the-urbane-arts-club/ 00:00 Housekeeping Updates 01:00 Show Expansion Plans 02:19 Meet BK O'Connor 03:09 Growing Up Multi Faith 04:58 Losing Faith Through Milton 06:00 Eve Across Traditions 09:44 Quest for Truth 10:42 Why Write Eve 15:04 Eve as Divine Feminine 20:00 Chalice Versus Blade 24:46 Gods Beyond Eden 28:37 Rewriting Sacred Stories 34:02 Reclaiming Sacred Texts 36:02 Mary Magdalene and Asherah 39:24 Eve Against Patriarchy 41:27 Motherhood and Monogamy 43:43 Rip Up the Script 47:06 Lilith Versus Eve 51:37 Next Myth Retellings 55:25 Lightning Round Books 59:55 Teaching Lifelong Reading 01:02:17 Final Plugs and Farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

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

Today I'm chatting with Jenny Booth Potter, a return guest and resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.Jenny had a video go viral back on 2/9/26, and I wanted to hear from her about how things are still going. That video is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjp59AjLlb/?hl=enThis interview was recorded & published on 2/27/26, and lightly edited in Descript. MN Mutual Aid: https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaidBuy Jenny's book [bookshop.org affiliate link]: https://bookshop.org/a/11130/9781514000007 00:00 Intro and Guest Return 01:06 Setting the Minneapolis Context 02:23 Living on Edge in Twin Cities 04:44 Community Watch and Solidarity 09:53 2020 Uprising to Today 12:40 Why the Footage Disappeared 16:37 Covert Tactics and Deception 19:49 Ongoing Trauma and Material Needs 25:20 What Viewers Can Do 38:22 Proactive Care Over Reaction 42:12 Wrap Up and Resources 44:04 Final Reflections and Hope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about

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