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
#058 – THE EXORCIST EFFECT with Joseph Laycock
Scholar and author Joseph Laycock joins us to talk about his book "The Exorcist Effect" and how movies influence what and how we believe.
66 min
2
#057 – THE EXORCIST with Matthew J. Cressler
Our friend and Catholic horror expert joins us for Halloween to talk about his favorite movie, 1973's The Exorcist!
76 min
3
#056 – Paranormal America with Darryl Caterine
Darryl Caterine joins Kelly and John to talk about the religious dimensions of America's obsession with the paranormal
63 min
4
RERELEASE: #037 – What really happened at Salem...
58 min
5
#055 – Taylor Swift: Christian TradWife Extraor...
Kelly and John talk about the right's obsession with the idea that Taylor Swift is secretly, deep down one of them!
53 min
6
RERELEASE, from 2/25 - #043 – The Gospel of J. ...
61 min
7
#054 - James Dobson (1936-2025) with Hilde Lovd...
Kelly and John talk to Hilde Løvdal Stephens, author of "Family Matters: James Dobson and Focus on the Family’s Crusade for the Christian Home"
64 min
8
#053 – Heretic (2024) - with Shaily Patel
Shaily Patel, one of our earliest guests, rejoins us to talk about 2024's "Heretic"
82 min
9
#052 – At Last, A Woke Superman!
We're back from break with Woke Superman, the DHS, Ryan Walters, poison ivy, and surgery!
64 min
10
#051 – Acute Religious Experiences - with Richa...
Richard Saville-Smith joins Kelly and John to discuss his book "Acute Religious Experiences – Madness, Psychosis, and Religious Studies"
59 min
11
#050 - Severance - The Church of Keir
Kelly and John are joined by Niki Dolfi to discuss identity, capitalism, and cultish devotion (and goats) in "Severance"
74 min
12
#049 – Our Pope Watch Has Ended
Kelly and John talk all the Pope news, including the MAGA freakout over Leo XIV, and what this all means for the future of the Catholic Church
66 min
13
#048 – Annika Brockschmidt
John talks about the perception of the American Christian Right in Europe and Pete Hegseth's tattoos with historian Annika Brockschmidt
61 min
14
#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
15
#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
16
#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
17
(Edited Reissue) #024 - Simulation Theory, or Y...
47 min
18
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
19
#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
20
#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
21
#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
22
#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
23
#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
24
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
25
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