Christian Right

Identifying and Healing Religious Trauma, with Darren M. Slade, Ph.D. 

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On the Influence Continuum podcast, I cover all kinds of cults: from family units to political movements, toxic workplaces to Scientologist compounds. Today, I returned to the basics of Christian fundamentalism used by cultic groups. As I discuss in my book, The Cult of Trump, many groups are deeply involved in politics and influence believers to vote according to the leader’s direction of who is “godly.” Here to discuss his experiences with this and his evolution away from religion is Dr. Darren M. Slade, a graduate of the controversial Liberty University’s seminary and apologetics program. Darren is a professor of history and comparative religion in Denver, Colorado. He specializes in the socio-political development of religious belief systems and also serves as the Director of the North American Committee on Religious Trauma Research. He is the President of the Global Center for Religious Research (GCRR.org) and Founding Editor of the peer-reviewed academic journal Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERMjournal.org).  

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Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult with Michelle Dowd  

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In the modern era, many of us spend most of our time at home, subsisting on what we can get through tech and grocery chains. But in her new book, Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult, Michelle Dowd proposes that we are all still foraging internally. Instead of gathering food, we gather what we need emotionally and intellectually. Following our dual appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, she joined me on the Influence Continuum podcast to discuss how she reframed her harsh experiences to find joy and fulfillment.  

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QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories with Dr. Michael Austin and Dr. Gregory Bock 

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In today’s digital age, disinformation, and propaganda can spread at alarming speeds, often inciting fear and confusion and causing instability within social, political, and religious circles. Suppose individuals are unaware of undue influence and the tactics used in information warfare, intentionally devised to instill distrust in our institutions. In that case, they can easily become entangled in harmful conspiracy theories. 

QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories with Dr. Michael Austin and Dr. Gregory Bock  Read More

Seventh-day Adventism, Adventist

Concerns with The Seventh Day Adventist Church with Dr. Steve Daily 

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The Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) is a widely recognized Christian organization with around 20 million members worldwide. However, many of its beliefs and practices align with my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control, which causes great concern. To gain more insight into this organization, I invited Dr. Steve Daily, a former pastor of the SDA, to share his valuable personal and professional experiences.

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Religious Freedom vs. Christian Dominionism

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The topic of religious freedom has been in the news lately, as several states have passed, or are attempting to pass, regressive educational bills under the guise of religious freedom. For example, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill recently passed in the Florida Senate, which would ban curricula related to LGBTQ issues in Florida public schools. Supporters of the Florida bill have cited “religious freedom” as a reason why discussions…

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The Cult of Trump Book 2020

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The Democratic and Republican conventions have now ended. The differences between the two events were so clear for anyone watching them both. By looking at the Influence Continuum, one party was emphasizing love, compassion, science, diversity and coming together as Americans.  The other was about Donald Trump and how great, kind, empathetic, and compassionate he is, along with how wonderful the economy is doing. Plus, they talked about how the other side is going to ruin the country with their radical socialist agenda. Information is coming out daily about how the Russians are actively interfering and creating chaos, conflict and doing what they can to stoke up 4th Generation Warfare.

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Evangelical Support of Trump, Authoritarian Politics, and Transitioning: A Discussion With Chrissy Stroop, Ph.D.

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Russian history expert Dr. Chrissy Stroop is back with a follow-up interview. She is an author, editor, and Stanford Ph.D., not only an activist. One of the reasons I wished to have her on was to discuss and promote the book she helped to edit, along with Lauren O’Neal, Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church. There is an exodus of people leaving authoritarian Christian organizations that use BITE model influence methods characteristic of destructive cults. Today’s religious media conglomerate which includes talk radio, television, and internet channels are a vast source of influence throughout the world. These are run by religious figures who have amassed huge fortunes from donations by true believers. Many of these pastors, preachers, apostles, and prophets preach a form of prosperity theology- give your money to the leader at their “church” and donors will be blessed and receive great wealth in return. Supposedly. But usually, they do not but they are told that they did not pray hard enough or that they had “sin” they need to confess. Faith must be total with no room for doubt.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic, the Religious Right, and the Threat to Our Government and World Health: A Discussion With Anne Nelson

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As we continue into uncharted times with the COVID-19 pandemic, we must change our focus to how we can combat this virus and support one another during this crisis. This global pandemic affects each and every one of us. Unfortunately, not everyone believes in science and nor is taking it seriously. Too many people are going against the suggestions of medical professionals and scientists, putting all of us at risk. Estimates now are that due to a lack of proper preparation to accept tests offered by WHO, as well as masks, alcohol wipes, and ventilators from suppliers, 100,000 – 240,000 Americans might die due to this virus, potentially millions. There is currently NO national shelter in place order with specific guidelines for essential people and services, which must continue. Things are being organized state by state. Epidemiologists state the virus does not respect artificial boundaries.

Until recently, President Trump downplayed the seriousness of this virus, even calling it a hoax. CNN Politics fact-checked how Trump tried to erase the memory of him downplaying the coronavirus and shared his actual quotes:

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The Cult of Trump Book is Published!

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My fourth book, The Cult of Trump, is finally out and on bookstore shelves everywhere. I have been receiving selfies from friends all over. If you are at a bookstore with the book, snap a selfie and share it! For those who prefer to listen to books, please be aware that I was able to read the audiobook. People who have been listening to the book say I did a really good job. After all this effort, it is truly gratifying to hear from people how important they think the book truly is. Many have told me that they never understood with so much clarity how much cult leader personality as well as cult psychology was at work in the Administration. They told me the book has really offered them a handle on not only understanding what is happening politically but they also learned specific strategies for how to make things better. The book has the potential to not only to help heal our country but also other nations around the world.

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Christian Nationalism, Dominionism, the New Apostolic Reformation; A Discussion with Dr. André Gagné

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This week, I have the pleasure of sharing an interview with Dr. André Gagné. We discuss his journey as a former evangelical pastor, his academic journey becoming a tenured professor and his work involving the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). 

André Gagné, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Theological Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He works on the Christian Right, fundamentalism, religious violence and the interpretation and reception of the Bible. In his public scholarship, Dr. Gagné seeks to explain how sacred texts and traditions are used by fundamentalist groups and individuals to cultivate violent ideas and/or incite politico-religious violence. He also has a marked interest in studying the beliefs, practices and political inclinations of dominionist movements such as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Christian Reconstructionism. He is also a Digital Fellow of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) as well as a research associate with the Centre d’expertise de formation sur les intégrismes religieux et la radicalisation (CEFIR).

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The Attempt to Redefine Religious Freedom – with Frederick Clarkson

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This week’s blog is an effort to make people aware of a concerted effort to move the United States away from the Founding Fathers’ plan in the Constitution. They wanted a solid foundational commitment for a clear separation of Church and State. However, we are currently seeing a trend towards giving rights to religious corporations that may impinge on the rights of others. Meanwhile, some powerful elements of the Christian Right are engaged in a well-funded effort to move us away from a democracy to a theocracy.

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