Best Abuseofpower Podcasts (2025)

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Tim Squirrell - Incels, Redpill, and the Manosphere 1:11:14

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1d ago1:11:14

1:11:14

This week, researcher Tim Squirrel joins Lola & Meagan to break down the manosphere: incels, redpill, MGTOW, and the differences between some of the misogynistic subcultures in the online world of men. They discuss how isolation can leave boys vulnerable to harmful internet communities, and how the algorithm can radicalize young people looking for …

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Sarma Melngailis - Part 2: Isolation, Deeper into the Scam, & Getting Arrested 1:04:34

8d ago1:04:34

1:04:34

In part 2, Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, tells Lola & Meagan how Mr. Fox consumed her time, overwhelmed her with information, and dangled promises of financial freedom that was always JUST around the corner as a way to get her to send him more and more money. She’ll share about th…

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Sarma Melngailis - Part 1: Bad Vegan, Meeting Mr. Fox, and Early Red Flags 1:01:58

15d ago1:01:58

1:01:58

In part 1 with guest Sarma Melngailis, subject of the docuseries Bad Vegan and author of The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, Sarma shares about her life as the owner of a successful vegan restaurant in New York, how she met the man who called himself Mr. Fox on Twitter when he seemed to know her friend Alec Baldwin, her first impressions of Mr. Fox, and…

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Arabelle Sicardi - Plastic Surgery in Mormonism, Biohacking, and the Beauty Industry 1:06:25

22d ago1:06:25

1:06:25

This week, the girls are joined by Arabelle Sicardi, writer, image theorist, and author of The House of Beauty: Lessons from the Image Industry. Lola and Meagan confess the cosmetic procedures they've each had, and Arabelle explores how the beauty industry preys on our deepest fears, giving us a false sense of control and training us to worship ide…

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Anthony Cesar Duncan - ChatGPT Psychosis and the Dangers of AI 1:03:43

29d ago1:03:43

1:03:43

By Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

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Aaron Goldenberg - Homeschool, Conversion Therapy, and Finally Coming Out 1:17:18

1M ago1:17:18

1:17:18

Aaron Goldenberg, actor, comedian, and (hilarious) content creator, joins Lola and Meagan to talk about being gay as a Christian child, what it was like learning Bill Gothard’s IBLP homeschool curriculum as a boy, and how his parents discovered his queerness and sent him to conversion therapy. He talks about Exodus International, a now-disbanded “e…

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Sarah Stankorb - Quiverfull, Christian Nationalism, and Why Evangelical Women Are Leaving 1:13:38

1M ago1:13:38

1:13:38

Journalist Sarah Stankorb comes on the show to talk about her book, Disobedient Women, and the deep dive she did on why a series of evangelical women in America began to leave their communities as the internet came into prominence. They discuss patriarchal teachings within cultures like the Quiverfull movement, including stories like Vyckie Garriso…

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Erika Lantz & Elin Lantz Lesser - Book Burnings, Rapture Drills, & the River Road Fellowship 1:22:30

2M ago1:22:30

1:22:30

Guests Erika Lantz and Elin Lantz Lesser join to discuss season 3 of their investigative podcast The Turning, which follows the journey of a young woman named Lindsay, a former member of a Christian group in Minnesota called River Road Fellowship. They talk about the background of the leader Victor Bernard, how Lindsay’s parents moved the family to…

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Jane Borden - Cults Like Us: Puritans, Demagogues, and America’s Doomsday Obsession 1:01:56

2M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Journalist Jane Borden joins the girls to discuss her book Cults Like Us, a gripping investigation into how cultic thinking is woven into the fabric of American life. Jane delves into the radical roots of early Protestant settlers, how the deep-rooted American mythology of a strong rebel cowboy who can save us from the bad guys makes us more suscep…

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Megan Elizabeth Cox - The Remnant Fellowship, Gwen Shamblin, and the Worship of Skinny 1:17:13

2M ago1:17:13

1:17:13

Megan Elizabeth Cox–not to be confused with our Meagan Elizabeth–shares how she first started Gwen Shamblin’s weight loss program as a child, when her mom began listening to the cassette tapes in the 90s. She opens up about what it was like growing up in a family that was fixated on weight loss, how it felt meeting Shamblin, the high-haired woman b…

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Claire Hoffman - The Rise and Vanishing of Evangelist Megastar Aimee Semple McPherson 54:23

2M ago54:23

54:23

Journalist Claire Hoffman joins us again, this time to discuss her new book Sister, Sinner: the unbelievable true story of Aimee Semple McPherson, a glamorous Pentecostal preacher who pioneered entertainment evangelism. McPherson was so famous in the 1920s she could have been a Kardashian. Claire talks about how the early televangelist used theatri…

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Claire Hoffman - Levitation, Meditation, and a Childhood in a Transcendental Meditation Trailer Park 39:56

3M ago39:56

39:56

In Part 1 of our interview with journalist Claire Hoffman, Claire shares what it was like growing up in an Iowa trailer park community built around the Transcendental Meditation (or TM) movement and its charismatic leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi–whose followers included The Beatles. Claire shares what the daily routine was like in the TM community, …

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Carol Merchasin - The Cult Assassin: Suing High-Control Groups 1:11:50

3M ago1:11:50

1:11:50

Attorney Carol Merchasin didn’t set out to expose cults, but after investigating allegations about a high-control Buddhist organization and discovering that the abuse had run more rampant than she’d imagined, she became a lawyer and focused her practice on getting justice for survivors of cults and abusive groups. Carol discusses the legal ins and …

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Akina Cox - Part 2: The Moonies, ICE, and the Cult Tactics of Trump 53:11

3M ago53:11

53:11

Artist and writer Akina Cox returns to share more about her experience growing up in the Unification Church (also known as the Moonies), its physical punishment rituals, and where the church stands now. The girls then transition from the topic of her particular cult to a discussion on the cult-like patterns of the current American political landsca…

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Akina Cox - Part 1: Unification Church, Mass Weddings, and Unpaid Labor 1:03:31

3M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Artist and writer Akina Cox shares about her childhood growing up in the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. They discuss the background of the church and its late leader Reverend Moon, how her parents both joined after hitchhiking in the 70s, and what it was like growing up in the group. She shares how it felt participating in a mass we…

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Introducing Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation 1:24

4M ago1:24

1:24

Trust Me is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on cults, high-control groups and the psychology of belief. Hosted by cult survivors Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features raw, first-hand accounts from people who’ve been manipulated, love-bombed and pulled into systems of control—and lived to tell the tale. Each week, Lola and Meaga…

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REWIND: Dianne Lake - The Manson Family, Part 1: Meeting Charlie 1:06:36

4M ago1:06:36

1:06:36

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. You’re a teenage girl in the late 60s, bouncing between communes, when a charismatic man and his group of young women welcome you with open arms. You were looking for a family, and now you’ve found one. In part one of…

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REWIND: Glynn Washington - The Worldwide Church of God 57:59

4M ago57:59

57:59

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. End time prophecies? Memorizing the bible? Required church vacations your family can't afford? Snap Judgment host and creator Glynn Washington shares his experiences growing up in the apocalyptic religion the Worldwid…

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REWIND: Hoyt Richards - From Supermodel to Cult Member 1:19:50

4M ago1:19:50

1:19:50

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. What do you model your life after? For producer, actor, and former supermodel Hoyt Richards, it was the teachings of a charming man from Nantucket who spoke about the impending apocalypse and a distant star named Arct…

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REWIND: Lola's Mom - Mormon-Offshoot Cult 1:13:39

5M ago1:13:39

1:13:39

Trust Me has joined Exactly Right Media. Hosts Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth will be back with new episodes on Wednesday, July 30th. In their first ever episode, Lola and Meagan interviewed Christine Marie, Lola's mom, about her and Lola's experiences believing in a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet. They discuss how they came to believe in him, their…

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An Exciting Update from Lola and Meagan! 0:35

5M ago0:35

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The rumors are true—Trust Me is coming back this summer on the Exactly Right podcast network! This teaser has everything you need to know about our next chapter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

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Amanda Rae - The Kingston Clan and Escaping Polygamy 1:19:13

8M ago1:19:13

1:19:13

Today our guest is Amanda Rae, host of YouTube channel by the same name and former member of the Kingston Clan, or the Order, a polygamist group in Utah, not to be confused with the FLDS. Some of you may remember our previous guest Priscilla from the same group - both of these gals were on Escaping Polygamy. Amanda’s going to tell us who the Kingst…

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Maggie Rowe - Sinning Bravely and Moral Scrupulosity 1:20:12

8M ago1:20:12

1:20:12

Today our guest is Maggie Rowe, former writer on Arrested Development and author of Sin Bravely, a book about her experiences with moral scrupulosity, or sin-focused OCD. We talk a lot about OCD on this show, so here’s a guest who wrote an entire book about growing up with religious obsessions! She’ll tell us about her first obsessions about what w…

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Caleb Ward, Part 2 - Disneyland for Christians and Exiting the Church 54:14

8M ago54:14

54:14

Former evangelical Christian and pastor's son Caleb Ward continues his story of growing up in evangelical culture in the early 2000s. We discuss some of the touchstones of his youth including Heritage USA (Disneyland for Christians) and Christian rock event Creation Festival, as well as his fear of losing his virginity before marriage, what hell to…

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Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture 57:07

9M ago57:07

57:07

Former pastor's son Caleb Ward joins Lola and Meagan to share his experience about the height of evangelical culture in the early 2000s in a church called Kingdom Life Ministries. Caleb discusses growing up in an environment where everyone was speaking in tongues and having loud prophecies in the middle of church, the pressures that come with being…

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Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society) 1:05:00

9M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

Today is part 2 with Uriah Wesman, former member of THREE different cults. This week he’ll talk to us more about cult #2, the Hearts Center (which was an offshoot of cult #1 from last week), what it was like being a rebellious emo kid slowly starting to realize inconsistencies in the church, and how his dad discovered cult #3 in Canada, the Ideal S…

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Uriah Wesman, Part 1 - The First Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant 53:05

9M ago53:05

53:05

Creator of the one man show 3 Cults Walk Into a Bar, Uriah Wesman, shares about his FIRST cult experience in Church Universal and Triumphant, how they combined Christianity and New Age ideas, the paranoia that was created by beliefs surrounding demons, his mom's mental deterioration that led her to accuse his father of being a demon, and his parent…

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Philip Deslippe & Stacie Stukin - 3HO,Kundalini yoga, & Yogi Bhajan 1:33:07

10M ago1:33:07

1:33:07

Today our guests are historian Philip Deslippe and writer Stacie Sutkin, who together have done investigative reporting on 3HO (“happy, healthy, holy organization”), Kundalini yoga, and Yogi Bhajan. They’re going to tell us how they got started writing about 3HO, both interacting with Kundalini yoga in different ways, who Yogi Bhajan was and whethe…

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REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 2: Breaking Away 34:45

10M ago34:45

34:45

Episode 23: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth continue to interview Frank Lyford, former member of Heaven's Gate. In part 2, they discuss the growing number of red flags he began to notice after one of the leaders died, including talk of castration, and what led to his decision to finally, after 18 years, break away. He also tells the girls what it was…

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REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 1: The Nomadic Lifestyle 43:37

10M ago43:37

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Episode 22: Lola & Meagan interview Frank Lyford, survivor of Heaven's Gate who left after 18 years--just a few years before discovering his friends and loved ones in the group had died by suicide. In part 1, he tells the girls how he began following the leaders Ti and Do, what it was like living a nomadic lifestyle with his "check partner," and wh…

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Ashlen Hilliard - The Evolution of Cult Intervention Practices 1:21:28

10M ago1:21:28

1:21:28

Cult interventionist and founder of People Leave Cults, Ashlen Hilliard, talks about her path to working in cult intervention and recovery, her personal religious experience that led her to this work, how interactions with Mormons in Utah affected her worldview, how she defines what a cult is, why accusing a group of being a cult isn't always helpf…

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REWIND: Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian 1:03:09

11M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

You're a child living on a remote compound in West Texas. One day authorities show up at your front door and an exchange of gunfire breaks out. Just as you expected would happen. Survivor of the Branch Davidians and the Waco massacre, Joann Vaega, discusses her earliest memories of living on the compound, what cult leader David Koresh was like in p…

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Carolyn Costin - The Link Between Cults and Eating Disorders 1:19:17

11M ago1:19:17

1:19:17

FOR OUR 200th EPISODE, we are joined by eating disorder therapist, author, and expert Carolyn Costin to discuss her own experiences that led to her starting her practice, why so many cults control the eating habits of their members, why having an eating disorder is like having a little cult leader in your brain, and how Carolyn helped Meagan with h…

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Yoni Shrira, Part 2 - Hard Labor, Isolation, Running Away, and a Dark Legacy 55:38

11M ago55:38

55:38

Today is part 2 of our interview with Yoni Shrira, former student at the Family Foundation School, also known as Allynwood, the remote troubled teen program known for a series of lawsuits brought against it as well as over a hundred deaths from overdose or suicide by its former attendees. Last week, we talked about how and why Yoni ended up in the …

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Yoni Shrira, Part 1 - The Family Foundation School, Troubled Teens, and Snitching Culture 46:35

11M ago46:35

46:35

Today our guest is Yoni Shrira, friend of the show and survivor of the Family Foundation School, a troubled teen sobriety school that became notorious for how many of its former students died after going through the program. In part one today, he’s going to talk about what he was like as a teenager, how he was genuinely out of control when it came …

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Tory Hess - From Second Life to Wilderness Commune 1:20:48

12M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

Today our guest is Tory Hess, former member of a small rural group in upstate New York she calls Crazyland. She tells us about how she always loved reading and fantasy growing up, never went to public school, and didn’t connect easily with folks in real life when she was young, and how she found connection in the online gaming community Second Life…

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REWIND: Jay Van Bavel - Groupthink, Social Identity, and Cult Psychology 1:03:07

12M ago1:03:07

1:03:07

Groups!... I did it again. Jay Van Bavel, NYU Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science, Director of the Social Identity and Morality Lab, and co-author of The Power Of Us, discusses how our social identities change depending on our environment and context, how the groups we identify with affect our decisions and perception, and the impo…

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Bethany Joy Lenz - One Tree Hill, a Secret Cult, and Living a Double Life 1:15:16

1y ago1:15:16

1:15:16

Today our guest is actor, musician, and now author Bethany Joy Lenz, whom we will just call Joy. Joy was the star of hit TV show One Tree Hill, and today she’s going to talk to us about how she was in a Christian cult the whole time she was filming the show. She’ll tell us about her upbringing and her career as a young actor, living in LA on her ow…

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Anne - Psychosis, Delusions, & the Cult of Your Own Mind 54:36

1y ago54:36

54:36

Today, our guest is a friend who we'll call Anne. We discuss the connection between psychosis and cults, the mental changes Anne experienced when her episode started, the delusions that grew stronger, how she felt like she was communicating with spirits, the paranoia that grew inside her, and how a psychiatric mental health professional helped pull…

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REWIND: Jitarth Jadeja - Former QAnon Believer 1:16:48

1y ago1:16:48

1:16:48

Episode 15: Lola and Meagan interview Jitarth Jadeja, former QAnon believer. He tells the girls about how, despite being Australian, he first was a Bernie supporter, then shifted his support to Trump before becoming obsessed with conspiracy theories. They discuss the two years of his life in which he believed in Q, the moment he realized it was all…

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Gareth Gore - Opus Dei, Human Trafficking, & Project 2025 1:08:28

1y ago1:08:28

1:08:28

Today our guest is Gareth Gore, journalist and author whose new book Opus is about Opus Dei, an ultra-conservative Catholic sect, its harmful practices, its history of dark money, and its connections to modern day right-wing American politics. Gareth shares how he came to this story while investigating the shady practices at a bank in Spain, the hi…

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Norah - Girls Night In: L.A. Facebook Group Gone Culty 1:28:21

1y ago1:28:21

1:28:21

Today our guest is a woman whom we’ll call Norah. She tells us about a Facebook group for women in Los Angeles that ended up getting very culty. We’ll talk about why it was exciting in the beginning to connect with other women in a new way, how other subgroups began to form (including one secret, exclusive one) and how the admin, who we’ll call Viv…

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Demetria, Part 2 - Twin Ray Mysticism, Spiritual Retreats, and the Necessity of Rage 1:06:55

1y ago1:06:55

1:06:55

Today is part two with Demetria, survivor of the Oregon new age cult, Twin Ray. This week she shares more about the wild claims that the leaders made about their mystical backgrounds, how deeply rooted the culture of self blame was (including blaming one woman for her own cancer), and the massive property they purchased in Oregon which was financed…

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Demetria, Part 1 - Online Gurus, Mysterious Elixirs, and Joining the Twin Ray Cult 1:03:51

1y ago1:03:51

1:03:51

Today we're joined by Demetria, survivor of an Oregon new age group called Twin Ray (not to be confused with Twin Flames). She describes the beginning of her spiritual journey including reading the works of Eckhart Tolle, how one specific online guru captured her imagination, and how this guru's partner made the claim that they were Twin Rays with …

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Joelle Tamraz, Part 2 - Meeting The Elders, Emotional Manipulation, and Moving On 1:09:26

1y ago1:09:26

1:09:26

This week is part two of a fascinating discussion with Joelle Tamraz, author of The Secret Practice: 18 Years on the Dark Side of Yoga. The story gets more wild! Joelle shares how her spiritual partner, Arun, became her husband, and how he brought her deeper into his world, including the strange visions he revealed to her. PLUS, the financial abuse…

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Joelle Tamraz, Part 1 - Traveling to India, Meeting a Swami, and "Past Lives" 1:03:52

1y ago1:03:52

1:03:52

Today is part one of our interview with Joelle Tamraz, author of the book The Secret Practice: 18 Years on the Dark Side of Yoga. She will tell us about her introduction to different yoga practices at a young age including TM, or transcendental meditation, the hunger she felt for a deeper spirituality that landed her in India when she was fresh out…

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Sara Teitelman - The Culty Elements of Technology 1:11:13

1y ago1:11:13

1:11:13

Today’s guest is Sara Teitelman, tech consultant and author of a forthcoming book about tech who’s going to talk to us about the culty elements of technology. While Sara’s specialty lies more in optimization of the nonprofit workplace, we’re going to have more of a philosophical discussion about how we’re expected to just trust in our tech overlord…

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Min Zhou, Part 2 - Labor Camps, Persecution, and Mass Killings in the Cultural Revolution 48:50

1y ago48:50

48:50

In part 2 of our interview with Min Zhou, survivor of the Cultural Revolution and Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA, we’re going to talk more about Professor Zhou’s personal experience. We’ll discuss why her dad was a target of the Red Guards, what it felt like knowing her family was in danger at such a young a…

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Min Zhou, Part 1 - The Cult of Mao Zedong, and Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution 52:53

1y ago52:53

52:53

Today is part one with Min Zhou, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA, who also grew up during the Cultural Revolution: a decade of social chaos in China in the 1960s and 1970s where intellectuals, artists, and anyone perceived as representing capitalism or the "old ways" were persecuted and murdered in the hundre…

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Tia Levings, Part 2 - Questioning Fundamentalism, Motherhood, and the Dangers of Christian Nationalism 48:16

1y ago48:16

48:16

In part 2 with Tia Levings, author of A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy, Tia she discusses how, in the midst of a church-sanctioned abusive relationship, motherhood began to change her beliefs - at first making her more zealous. She’ll talk about how her time trying to save her baby in the children’s hospital, plus working wi…