A new episode of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast is now available, and features an interview with Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Here’s a portion of the synopsis of the book: Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism, showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of… Read more
December 8, 2020
New HERETIC HAPPY HOUR Featuring Kristin Kobes Du Mez
December 8, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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December 7, 2020
New PODCAST Interview w/ Patheos’ Very Own, Jason Elam
December 7, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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The other day, I had one of the best conversations I’ve ever had on my podcast, Apostates Anonymous. That’s not to say my past guests were a bunch of chumps; it just means Jason Elam knocked it outta the park. If you don’t know who Jason is, then you are missing out. He is the host of Messy Spirituality, a podcast that has featured some of the best theological minds out there. He is also a fellow Patheos contributor, so… Read more
December 7, 2020
The Conundrum of LGBTQ-Affirmation
December 7, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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As I said in a recent article, I don’t know if I’m a Christian. But I am LGBTQ-affirming. I wasn’t always, but that’s because I was given a conservative Evangelical worldview before the time I could develop any semblance of rational thought. When I could actually think for myself, it was pretty damn obvious that LGBTQ-affirmation was the only sensible, and loving, thing to do. The only issue that stood in my way? The Bible. Easy fix: Chuck it out!… Read more
December 4, 2020
My Christmas Gifts To You: Books!
December 4, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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I don’t know most of you. And I’m not wealthy enough to get y’all gifts. But I can offer you something, now through the end of 2020. BOOKS!!! On the cheap, too!!! If you have Kindle, here’s your chance to get 5 publications for $3.99 or less. Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Heretic!: An LGBTQ-Affirming, Divine Violence-Denying, Christian Universalist’s Responses to Some of Evangelical Christianity’s Most Pressing Concerns Price: $3.99 Contrary to what some may say, this book, rather… Read more
December 4, 2020
A Love Story For The Ages
December 4, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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Middle America—1959. The unemployment rate had recently eased a bit, so things were looking up. But none of that ever really effected Bill. His skills as a mechanic had kept him gainfully employed for the past thirty some odd years. Anyone in town who wanted their pick-up truck fixed knew Bill on a first-named basis. On more than one occasion, Bill even got a truck running when he had no business doing so. Simply put: He was the best in… Read more
December 2, 2020
Friendship Without Agenda
December 2, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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Back in 2014, my now best friend Michael Machuga told me that he was no longer a Christian, but a Buddhist. It was during what would become our favorite hike – down the Feather River Canyon, across what is known as Head Dam, up to the top of Sawmill Peak, and then back down, across, and up the canyon again. All in all, I’d have to say it’s roughly 5 miles, but it feels more like 10. It’s steep. There… Read more
December 1, 2020
I May Not Be A Christian, But I May Not NOT Be One Either
December 1, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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“Matt, are you even a Christian any longer?” To be honest, I’m not really sure how to answer that. For the first 25 years of my life, I would have said, “Absolutely! What else would I be?” Around age 28, I would have said, “No. Nor do I even believe in a God of any sort.” But now, I think I’ve deconstructed things so much that the only response I can give is, “What do you mean by ‘Christian?'” Look,… Read more
November 30, 2020
Love Thy Neighbor…Wear Thy Mask (I’m Talking to You, Bethel Redding!!!)
November 30, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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I live an hour and a half south of Redding, California, an economically depressed city of roughly 92,000, 10% of which attend the megachurch Bethel Redding. If you aren’t familiar with this lovely little place, allow me to enlighten you. First off, it has a “school” called Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, or BSSM (not to be confused with BDSM). I put “school” in scare quotes because it is unaccredited, meaning that your degree doesn’t really count. After all, it’s… Read more
November 26, 2020
Without Women, We Miss the Gospel
November 26, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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As a content creator, I don’t typically consume my own stuff for the sake of enjoyment. I’m not that narcissistic. Instead, what generally happens is that I read or listen back because I’m trying to improve my game. When I read my books, it’s not for pleasure; it’s to try to pick out all the inevitable typos that come with book-authoring. However, yesterday was a different story. On Tuesday, November 24, a new episode of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast… Read more
November 23, 2020
10 Things About Me and This Blog That You Will Want to Keep in Mind
November 23, 2020 By Matthew Distefano
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I’ve been back for just over a week now. If you’ve been reading along, or have followed me for any length of time now, you probably know some stuff about me and what I’m all about. But for those who are new, I wanted to take some time, back up a bit, and tell you some stuff about me so that you kinda know where I’m coming from. That way, y’all will have a bit of a context, which is… Read more
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