Religion Unplugged

It has been 30 years since the Chinese government kidnapped a major Tibetan Buddhist leader. The victim, a six year-old boy, has not been seen since. Matthew Peterson investigates the disappearance and its ongoing ramifications for Tibetan autonomy.

On this week’s episode, we interview Religion Unplugged Executive Editor Clemente Lisi about the death of Pope Francis, his legacy and what happens next with the upcoming conclave to elect a new pontiff. 

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews Scott LeRette, author of the beloved memoir "The Unbreakable Boy" and executive producer of the film adaptation of the same name. Scott talks about overcoming addiction, raising a child with special challenges, and how one finds God after walking away from Him.

The Media Project board member Jody Hassett Sanchez interviews journalist Sabrina Ferrisi to learn about Carlo Acutis, who will be canonized as the first millennial saint in April 2025.

"The Chosen," "House of David" and "King of Kings" are just a few of the faith-based movies and TV shows out this Easter which are garnering major publicity in mainstream trades and publications. Have faith-based films finally become mainstream? What is the future of the industry? Religion Unplugged Culture Critic Joseph Holmes, Religion Unplugged Culture Editor Jillian Cheny and The Collision Editor-in-Chief Daniel Blackaby discuss the past and future of the exciting and controversial industry.

How did the Qing dynasty's treatment of Muslims and Christians shape modern Chinese political practice? Matthew Peterson speaks with Hung Tak Wai about his recent book, "Redefining Heresy and Tolerance," to explore the historical struggles of Muslims and Christians in China.

Angela Youngman is a regular contributor to Religion Unplugged, covering everything from animals in churches to religious cyclists. Matthew Peterson sat down with Angela to learn how she finds her unique story ideas, why she likes to focus on the positive, and what she's working on next.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews actor Luke Dimyan about why he relates to his role as Judas Iscariot in "The Chosen," the smash-hit TV show about the life of Jesus. 

Is religion allowed at public schools? This is one of many questions created by the simultaneous American commitments to refrain from establishing a national religion while also protecting freedom of religious expression. Matthew Peterson speaks with June Everett of After School Satan Club/HAIL and Joel Penton of LifeWise Academy to better understand how and why they have brought their religious beliefs to public school children across the nation.

With "Walden," Henry David Thoreau presented fresh viewpoints about materialism, independence and community which have challenged readers for well over a century. But what did the famed American writer believe about religion? Matthew Peterson speaks with Richard Higgins about his recent book, "Thoreau's God," to find out.

Religion Unplugged's Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes, interviews Kevin Downes, CEO of Kingdom Story Company, to learn about the company's new film, "The Unbreakable Boy," starring Zachary Levi and directed by Jon Gunn.

Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds speaks about his new book, "Before You Climb Any Higher." Jonathan tells Matthew Peterson what he has learned about God and success on his journey to becoming a major figure in the gospel music scene.

Culture Critic Joseph Holmes, Culture Editor Jillian Cheney, and "Theme Park Theologian" Houston Coley talk about what this year's Oscars say about religion in 2025.

Last year, Audrey Jackson travelled to Antakya, Turkey to document the efforts of churches and faith-based relief organisations a year after severe earthquakes shook the region. Matthew Peterson interviewed Audrey to learn more about her reporting process and the vast implications of the disaster.

All over the world and for many years, people have claimed to see objects in the sky, prophesy the future, and speak with mythical beings. Impossible experiences happen all the time, but what do we do with them? To find out, Matthew Peterson speaks with Jeffrey J. Kripal about his recent book How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else.

Film critic Joseph Holmes sits down with Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene from The Chosen) to discuss her career in film, how the faith-based film industry is different, and how her new film Between Borders contributes to the conversation around representation and refugees. 

For decades, New Atheism has been characterized by "the humanistic rejection of religion." But Dr. Brook Ziporyn's new book, Experiments in Mystical Atheism, argues instead for "the religious rejection of God." Matthew Peterson speaks to Dr. Ziporyn in order to understand what this means and how it differs from more dominant atheistic writing.

The new year brings new opportunities and new obligations by the boatload. As calendars fill up and to-do lists get longer, home life can get rocky. Matthew Peterson speaks with Jennifer Pepito about her recent book Habits For a Sacred Home to understand her views on what a healthy home might look like.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director D.J. Caruso about his new Netflix film "Mary." They discuss what inspired Caruso to make a story about the mother of Jesus, why Mary is so inspirational, how one balances quality with faithfulness to the source material, and the future of faith-based films.

The Christmas season is often packed to the brim with parties, concerts, gift-buying, and general holiday busyness. But does it have to be that way? Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson interviews AJ Sherril about his recent book Rediscovering Christmas to understand his perspective on how Christians can more thoughtfully engage with the season.

Newsletter and Culture Editor Jillian Cheney and Film Critic Joseph Holmes discuss why there hasn't been a Christmas classic in 20 years, the rise of Christmas action movies, and if "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" signals the start of a faith-based renaissance in the Christmas movie genre.

After centuries of oppression and mistreatment by the American government, Native Americans have had enough. In recent years the Land Back Movement has gained popularity. Land Back presents the idea that returning U.S. land to indigenous communities would be a just action. In order to understand how Christians should approach Land Back, Matthew Peterson spoke with three Native Christian leaders about their views on the topic.

The Christian life is so often a busy one. Work, family, and even church commitments can often leave believers completely burnt out. Matthew Peterson speaks with Jenn Tucker about her new book Present in Prayer to learn about Biblical meditation practices meant to bring peace and stillness to the distracted Christian.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews faith-based filmmaker and Kingdom Story Company founder Andrew Erwin (I Can Only Imagine) about his company's new Christmas film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the past 20 years of faith-based filmmaking, and what comes next. 

Joseph Smith is one of the most controversial religious figures in American History. In an attempt to understand who he was, Matthew Peterson interviews author and illustrator Noah Van Sciver about his recent biographical graphic novel: Joseph Smith and The Mormons.

Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviews renowned painter and filmmaker Titus Kaphar about his new film Exhibiting Forgiveness and how one balances Biblical commands of forgiveness while avoiding repeated abuse.

Despite being a cornerstone of the American establishment in the minds of many westerners, Christianity was once very much against the grain. In order to understand the complexities of Christianity in the ancient world, Religion Unplugged’s Matthew Peterson speaks with Nijay K. Gupta about his recent book, Strange Religion.

Exorcisms and those who perform them have become a familiar theme of numerous horror films and stories. But, what does exorcism actually look like? To find out, Religion Unplugged’s Matthew Peterson interviews Exorcist Dan Todd to learn about his experiences with demons, ghosts and even a homicidal doll.

A year after the October 7 attack, the war rages on in the middle east and tensions have persisted on American college campuses. In response to recent Jewish harassment at Baruch College, Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson speaks with Ilya Bratman of Baruch's Hillel and Ben Ginsburg and Tasneem Noor From NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.

AI tells us what to write in our emails, shows us what we want to watch, and fills our social media feeds. In an increasingly computer-run world, how can society maintain its integrity and its humanity? To find out, Matthew Peterson interviews Loyola philosophy professor Dr. Joseph Vukov about his recent book Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence.

Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson interviews writer and church planter Bill Tenny-Brittian about the principles found in his recent book entitled 101 Things You Can Do To Help Grow Your Church. Bill speaks on how different generations view church, problems with how churches reach out, and what individual congregation members can do to make a difference. 

Brian and Kelly Estes, creators of the new documentary God Bless Bitcoin, sit down with culture critic Joseph Holmes to discuss their view that believers of all faiths need to get behind cryptocurrency to make the world a better place.

There have been some major celebrity pastors who have been canceled. Yet, some of these men turned right around and started a new church after their scandal. In addition, many evangelicals personally know a pastor who has disqualified himself for ministry. These pastors, too, often find new jobs leading churches. But, what does the Biblical process of restoration look like, and should disqualified pastors return to ministry at all? Matthew Peterson talked to two pastors to find out.

Matthew Peterson speaks with Dr. Kelly James Clark about his recent book, Raging Fire of Love: What I Learned From Jesus, The Jews, and The Prophet, which explores the ideas that unify the Abrahamic religions.

The Media Project's Jody Hassett Sanchez speaks with author and journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty about her new book, Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice.

The Media Project's Melissa Harrison sits down with attorney, Center for Public Justice fellow, and Fetzer Institute Program Officer Chelsea Langston Bombino to discuss how recent Supreme Court decisions could impact religious freedom.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews the makers of the new film Sing Sing, including Director Greg Kwedar, star Colman Domingo, and the real-life inspiration for the film, "Divine G." They discuss the making of the film, and the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program in American prisons that the film portrays.

Kathie Lee Gifford speaks with Religion Unplugged's Matthew Peterson about her new book Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior. They cover how the book was written, why it was written, and Kathie Lee's goal to inspire hope in all of its readers.

Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham on her new book Shepherds for Sale. They discuss whether secular progressive politics have taken over Evangelical institutions, whether there's a difference between conservative and progressive politics in Evangelicalism, and how Christians should navigate them.

Joseph Holmes interviews the founder of new faith-based streaming service "Loor" on what makes his platform different and how he's hoping to shake up the faith-based media industry.