Axis Daily Brief

I’m glad to be sharing my first edition of The Daily Brief. This is kind of a doozy because it’s a personal story. At first glance, it might seem like a niche story, something of limited interest outside the ELCA, but as we get into it, I think you’ll see why this story has ramifications for how we understand what’s happening in America with the rise of Christian nationalism and the real stranglehold that ra...

I’m glad to be sharing my first edition of The Daily Brief. This is kind of a doozy because it’s a personal story. At first glance, it might seem like a niche story, something of limited interest outside the ELCA, but as we get into it, I think you’ll see why this story has ramifications for how we understand what’s happening in America with the rise of Christian nationalism and the real stranglehold that ra...

A Christian nationalist conference in Utah is making headlines after a neo-Nazi publishing company appeared as a sponsor and vendor. While many observers have treated the incident as an embarrassing mistake, Brad argues that the story runs much deeper.

In this episode of the Axis Mundi Daily Brief, Brad examines the conference known as The War for Normal, featuring Doug Wilson, Stephen Wolfe, Brian Suave, Eric Conn, Andrew Isker, an...

What happens when an apocalyptic enemy becomes a negotiating partner?

The Trump administration's new memorandum of understanding with Iran may ease immediate geopolitical tensions, but it raises deeper questions for the religious and political movements that helped justify confrontation in the first place.

For decades, Christian nationalists and conservative evangelicals have interpreted conflicts in the Middle East through the lens ...

What happens when a movement dedicated to women’s leadership embraces ideas that would limit women’s power?

In this Daily Brief, Matthew Taylor examines the 2026 Turning Point USA Women’s Leadership Summit, where anti-feminist rhetoric, Christian nationalist themes, and even discussions about repealing women’s suffrage collided with efforts to recruit and empower the next generation of conservative women.

Tayl...

In this episode of the Axis Mundi Daily Brief, Brad Onishi examines the viral comments made by UFC fighter Josh Hokit after his victory at the White House and asks what they reveal about the state of MAGA Christianity and Christian Trumpism.

From Hokit’s walkout song—”I’m a Real American”—to his comments about Michelle Obama and his public declarations of faith, Brad explores how themes of masculi...