We’re back and discussing Chapter 5: The Spear of Shiva, the Sword of Sikhism of Mark Jurgensmeyer’s Terror in the Mind of God. We’re not sure if Matthew made this clear in the episode, but this is so very far away from his area of expertise, so please let us know anything that was wrong. Pay attention to common themes that have been recurring throughout these episodes on religious violence and let us know what you see!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Matthew and Jodie summon their inner Beniot Blanc’s to investigate the religious imagery found in the newest Knives Out installment, “Wake Up Dead Man,” which is a fantastic movie that uses the intrigue of a murder-mystery to comment on the opposing Christian factions that see the Church’s job to either fight the world or care for the world. Sure the murder plot, and the lighting, and the visuals, and the writing, and everything is great, but we really care about how this movie comments on religion, and more specifically, Catholicism.

Matthew Rating: 4.5/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew begin their discussion on religious violence and extremism by offering a brief introduction to religious violence. Following Mark Jurgensmeyer’s book: Terror in the Mind of God, Jodie and Matthew will explore various care studies of religious extremism before delving into the logic and justification of these horrific acts of violence.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Happy Hannukah! Jodie and Matthew try to bring in the Hanukkah cheer by discussing Adam Sandler’s 2002 movie, Eight Crazy Nights. Too bad it was an awful movie. Even so, Jodie and Matthew professionally press on and discuss some of the things the movie did wrong and try to find what the movie may have done well, like perhaps showcasing itself as an example of the increase in popularity of Hanukkah in the past century. Perhaps it can help illuminate why that may be. Let us know your thoughts on the movie, too!

Matthew Rating: 1/5

Jodie Rating: 0.5/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew are back again to ruin Christmas (sorry) by looking at Mary, mother of Jesus, from a historical-critical perspective to figure out if Mary was likely a virgin or not when conceiving Jesus. With Mary's virginity only mentioned in Matthew and Luke, the podcast explores why those authors would have included the virginal conception of Jesus, what other biblical authors included (or didn’t include) regarding the birth of Jesus, and some competing theories about the truth behind Jesus’ father.

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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#57 A Charlie Brown Christmas: A TRT Movie Review

Christmastime is here! So Jodie and Matthew are looking at one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time, and one of the most explicitly Christian scenes in all of Christmas media. But is that enough to make this a religious movie? And does this movie, whose central message is anticonsumerism succeed in its goal? See what we have to say about these things, and we'd also love to hear your thoughts!!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Lind, S. J. (2014). Christmas in the 1960s: a Charlie Brown Christmas, religion, and the conventions of the television genre. Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 26(1), 1.

Matthew Rating: 4/5

Jodie Rating: 4/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Jodie and Matthew continue the series going through Mark Juergensmeyer’s book “Terror in the Mind of God” as they discuss Islamic extremism. By looking at case studies of Extremist and Terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Hamas, and those that support them, Jodie and Matthew try to follow the logic on why these organizations create terror and why the vast majority of Muslims across the world condemn these organizations. Like other extremists mentioned, common themes in Islamic extremism include a sense of marginalization, interpretations of being in a cosmic war, and a political identity tied to the religion.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Who doesn’t love Jim Carey?! This week, Jodie and Matthew look at the 2003 film, Bruce Almighty, and analyze how it presented an American view of religion that parallels Christianity without ever actually using explicitly religious terminology. How does Bruce Almighty depict religion and western depictions of a deity in a way that is appealing to the religious and non-religious alike? Let us know your thoughts on this and how this movie tackles ideas of free will, American religion, and comedy, and whether or not you agree with our hot takes!

Matthew Rating: 3/5

Jodie Rating: 4/5

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com