Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion Podcast · Profs. Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst and Megan Goodwin

What the Heck Was this Podcast?

·57 min·4 clips

Elise Morgenstein First says, “The answer is always imperialism,” linking religion, borders, bodies, and white Christian supremacy.

1. Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion ends with Megan Goodwin and Elise Morgenstein First reviewing the podcast’s six-year project. 2. Megan Goodwin identifies herself as a scholar of American religions, race, gender, and politics, while Elise Morgenstein First identifies herself as a historian of religion, Islam, race, racialization, and South Asia. 3. The episode asks what the hosts and listeners should retain from seasons on critical religion, race, gender, sexuality, world religions, misconceptions, and adoption. 4. Goodwin and Morgenstein First report producing about 104 episodes and more than 87 hours of listening. 5. Each episode also generated transcripts, show notes, bibliographies, homework, and approximately 5,000 words of writing. 6. The hosts describe the podcast as roughly six or seven introductory collegiate courses made free for “nerds with cursing.” 7. Their top-ten list includes the claim that public expertise, accessible formats, and comprehensive information create public scholarship. 8. The list calls the world religions category “white Christian imperialist nonsense” and connects adoption to Christian imperialism. 9. Other listed takeaways state that religion is what people do, “borders are lies,” and religion may remain socially relevant after someone leaves it. 10. Goodwin and Morgenstein First revisit episodes about religious nationalism, cult terminology, race, religion, and white Christian supremacy. 11. Goodwin explains that religion is not inherently dangerous because it has no independent body, bank account, or agency. 12. She instead asks who performs religious work, who benefits, and what the question means when it labels religion dangerous. 13. Morgenstein First argues that religion must be analyzed alongside power and describes white Christian supremacy as a continuing global order. 14. Morgenstein First links that order to European identity, Christian identity, language, borders, bombs, and control over bodies. 15. The hosts identify centering theorists of color and creating conversations across disciplinary lines as major achievements. 16. They also describe four grants, five paid internship opportunities, one award, and roughly five additional nominations as evidence of the project’s reach. 17. The episode uses a conversational format with jokes, a David Letterman-style top-ten countdown, and a “roses, buds, and thorns” reflection exercise. 18. Goodwin and Morgenstein First balance pride in the archive with candid discussion of burnout, election-day book publication, and limited production support. 19. Religion students, public-scholarship readers, and critical theory listeners. 20. Listeners seeking a short, nonacademic entertainment episode.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion Podcast