Pod Only Knows
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.
1
#047 – Rethinking "Lord of the Flies" in the ag...
Kelly and John discuss why people maybe get "Lord of the Flies" all wrong, and why what it's REALLY about matters a great deal right now.
61 min
2
#046 – The MAGA Attack on Higher Education
Kelly and John discuss the attack on higher education, the cynical manipulation of antisemitism, and the complicated role religion is playing
57 min
3
#045 – Roko's Basilisk, Pope Watch 2025, and Pa...
Kelly and John Roko’s Basilisk, the techbro thought experiment underlying Elon Musk’s zealous insanity, plus Pope news and Paula White
56 min
4
(Edited Reissue) #024 - Simulation Theory, or Y...
47 min
5
Chris Kluwe - (Republished from "Hard to Believ...
Christ Kluwe talks being banned from the NFL on account of being a decent person, his love of books. his writing process, and his sci-fi novel "Otaku"
61 min
6
#044 – The Lord of the Right: Tolkien, Fascism,...
Scholar Marika Rose joins Kelly and John to talk about why the far-right and religious zealots love Tolkien, and whether that's justified.
70 min
7
#043 – The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover with Leron...
Scholar and author Lerone A. Martin joins Kelly and John to discuss his acclaimed book "The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover"
61 min
8
#042 – Jason Kirk on "Hell Is A World Without You"
Jason Kirk joins Kelly and John to talk about his evangelical youth coming-of-age novel "Hell Is A World Without You"
70 min
9
#041 – A Load of Comstock - The life and times ...
John tells Kelly all about Anthony Comstock, the Christian zealot and giant weirdo whose ghost is about to haunt your life
82 min
10
#040 – Did Dickens "Invent" Christmas? - with K...
Victorianist Kristen Hanley Cardozo shares some of her expertise as we talk about spirits, Scrooges, and the real reasons for the season.
67 min
11
RERELEASE (12/19/23) Ghosts of Christmas Past -...
In a rerelease from last Christmas season, Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman join Kelly and John to talk about the ghosts that haunted the Victorian Christmas.0
55 min
12
RERELEASE (11/21/23) - Unraveling the Thanksgiv...
Dr. David J. Silverman helps us unpack the (nonsense, ahistorical) myth that lies at the heart of Thanksgiving.
85 min
13
#039 – Breath of Fire: Conspirituality, Fraud, ...
Kelly and John discuss the HBO documentary series "Breath of Fire" about the fraud and abuse that underpinned the Kundalini Yoga movement.
68 min
14
#038 – Welp...what now? - with Andrew Tobolowsky
Andrew Tobolowsky joins us to talk through our thoughts, hopes, and fears following the election.
70 min
15
#037 – What really happened at Salem - with Kat...
Historian Kathleen M. Brown joins Kelly and John to shine a light on the facts and fictions of the Salem Witch Trials
66 min
16
#036 – HELL HOUSE (2001) - with Jason Bivins
Jason Bivins returns to the show to talk trauma, fear, and horror in George Ratliff's 2001 documentary "Hell House".
72 min
17
#035 – Sarah Posner - Humor vs. Rage and The Oh...
Journalist Sarah Posner returns to the show to talk about "They're Eating the Dogs", Blood Libel, and the role mockery has to play in combatting fascism.
65 min
18
#034 – Thomas Lecaque - Why the right can't sto...
Kelly and John welcome historian Thomas Lecaque to talk about the religious right's unending obsession with the Crusades and other disastrous, losing enterprises.
67 min
19
#033 – “Jesus Camp” (2006) with Megan Goodwin
Megan Goodwin returns to discuss Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's 2006 Academy Award-nominated documentary "Jesus Camp"
76 min
20
#032 - Stockholm Syndrome: The Story of a Dumb ...
John and Kelly take a look at the event that gave us Stockholm syndrome and discuss why it probably doesn't exist (and what that tells us)
50 min
21
#031 - Project 2025 (and why you should really,...
John and Kelly look behind the curtain of Project 2025, including a look at the key players both in its creation and of the organization that produced it, the Heritage Foundation.
64 min
22
#030 - "Marjoe" (1972) with Megan Goodwin
Dr. Megan Goodwin rejoins Kelly and John to discuss the 1972 documentary "Marjoe"
60 min
23
#029 - Thou Shalt Not Violate the 1st Amendment
Kelly and John take a look at two different attempts to put Christian indoctrination in public classrooms in Louisiana and Oklahoma
55 min
24
#028 - Dr. Matthew Taylor on An Appeal to Heave...
Dr. Matthew Taylor joins Kelly and John to talk about Samuel Alito's new favorite flag and the threat to democracy it represents.
72 min
25
#027 - DeSantis v Satan
Kelly and John discuss the Florida school chaplain bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and its arbitrary banning of Satanists
61 min