Exvangelical

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

This week I'm happy to share my interview with Josiah Hesse, author of the new book On Fire for God: Fear, Shame, Poverty, and the Making of the Christian Right.

Josiah was a guest on Exvangelical back in 2018, and we met up in Chicago last week to discuss his new book.

I'm also going to be appearing alongside Josiah in just over a month in Brooklyn for an event at Urbane Arts Club. That event, called From Pews to Prose, will also feature Mattie Jo Cowsert & B.K. O'Connor and is happening on Sunday March 8th.

Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, The Post-Evangelical Post, at blakechastain.com to keep up with all my work. 25% of net proceeds from direct support are donated each year.
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 happy to share with you the pilot episode of the new show, Reign of Error with Sarah Posner (Apple Podcasts link), produced by our friends over at Axis Mundi Media. Longtime listeners will know Sara Posner from her 2020 appearance in my series, Powers & Principalities, where she discussed her book Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind. 

The state of play in the United States is in constant flux. This conversation between Sarah and Brad Onishi covers a lot of what happened in the fall and winter in places like Chicago, prior to all that is now unfolding as ICE attempts to occupy Minneapolis. 

Sarah is a longtime observer and journalist and I’m glad that she is now producing a weekly show to provide context and commentary for what is happening in America. I hope you enjoy this conversation and be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://www.postevangelicalpost.com/about