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Pod Only Knows

Pod Only Knows

By: Kelly J. Baker and John Brooks
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 Hosted by Dr. Kelly J. Baker and John Brooks. Kelly and John invite other people from the wide and wild world of religious studies to talk to them about why and how they do what they do and why their work matters to us all. They also talk to each other about the ideas, stories, and histories that fascinate them and that they think you should know about, too.℗ & © 2020 The CageClub Podcast Network Social Sciences Spirituality World
Episodes
  • #052 – At Last, A Woke Superman!

    #052 – At Last, A Woke Superman!
    Aug 5 2025
    We're back, and we're catching up on the things we missed this summer: Woke Superman, Ryan Walters' porn crisis, the DHS's weird fascism Twitter posts, and more! Kelly tells us about her surgery and recovery. John talks about his trip and getting a ridiculous amount of poison ivy on him. And they both talk about how Ryan Walters, the notorious Christian Nationalist in charge of Oklahoma schools, got caught with porn. Also, there's a new Woke Superman! James Gunn pisses off the right by deciding to make a Superman movie where Superman in an immigrant who cares about non-white people! It's very radical and disturbing! Plus: Epstein, and how it's now cool for you to convert the person in the next cubicle to Christianity if you work for the government. Links to the pieces discussed in this episode: Siri Dahl vs. Christian Nationalism With its ‘Homeland Heritage’ Campaign Trump’s DHS is Leaning Sharply into ‘Blood and Soil’ Ideology DHS’s ‘Homeland Heritage’ Campaign Highlights Danger of Innocence Myths of a White Christian America
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • #051 – Acute Religious Experiences - with Richard Saville-Smith

    #051 – Acute Religious Experiences - with Richard Saville-Smith
    Jun 10 2025
    This week, Richard Saville-Smith joins Kelly and John to talk about his book Acute Religious Experiences – Madness, Psychosis, and Religious Studies, which was published by Bloomsbury in 2023. Saville-Smith is an independent researcher who focuses on the intersection of madness, mental disorders, and acute religious experiences, from a mad studies perspective. He earned his PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 2020. They discuss the relatively little-known academic field of mad studies - which seeks to destigmatize and depathologize the concept of madness - and how the fields of psychiatry and religious studies, often operating in conflict with one another, have distorted our understanding of the authenticity of acute religious experiences like the ones described in the lives of Joan of Arc or Jesus. Richard is on Bluesky @dranamorphosis
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    59 mins
  • #050 - Severance - The Church of Keir

    #050 - Severance - The Church of Keir
    May 28 2025
    Apple TV's Severance wrapped its long-awaited 2nd season recently and left us with more answers than questions. But some answers! We (sorta) know what Severance is really all about, and we (sorta, maybe) know what Lumon is up to now! So while we wait the ungodly eternity for Severance to return, John and Kelly invited scholar Niki Dolfi on to talk about the cults, religious allusions, identity, and goats. Niki Dolfi researches Christian Nationalism and white supremacy (among other things) and explores the intersection of religion and popular entertainment. She enjoys British television and is longtime Whovian Niki is on Bluesky @profdolfi
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    1 hr and 14 mins
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