We’ve all heard of Jonestown. But do we all know what actually happened? Do we know the story behind the massacre? And perhaps more importantly, do we know the story about after the massacre? Jodie and Matthew discuss the history behind Jonestown and the events leading up to its infamous last moments, followed by a conversation on how Jonestown has been framed by the media and others, and pontificate on potential ways it may be useful to look at Jonestown and “cults” in general.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Moore, R. (2018). Jonestown, Forty Years On. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 22(2), 3–14. ⁠https://www.jstor.org/stable/26537917⁠

TV Show: “Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown” directed by Marian Mohamed, 2024

Movie: “Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre” directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, 2018

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Everybody cut Footloose! Jodie and Matthew examine the hit classic Footloose (1984) and how it relates to religion. In a small town dominated by a local pastor, Jodie and Matthew examine how the small town politics related to overbearing religious authority and how religious authority is based on tradition and changes with times and culture. But this was overall a fun and great movie full of great music and fun dancing. Let us know your thoughts!

Matthew Rating: 3.5/5

Jodie Rating: 4/5

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Grubiak, M. m. (2025). Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes! The Material Religion of Footloose. Material Religion, 1–32.

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We’re back and discussing Chapter 6 of Mark Jurgensmeyer’s Terror in the Mind of God where we discuss Buddhist extremism and violence. How can a religion so stereotypically known for peace and nonviolence commit horrible acts of violence? Jodie and Matthew look at a few Buddhist outliers such as the Aum Shinrikyo movement to analyze what happens when Buddhism goes wrong

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.

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com