Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Religion Podcast

What the Heck Was this Podcast?

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we reflect on five years and 100+ episodes, and then we say goodbye.As always, check out keepingit101.com for full show notes, homework, tran...

PENULTIMATE EPISODE: Where Did We Come From? Where Do We Go?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we announce, with sorrow and excitement, that we are wrapping this here pod — and we encourage you to revisit our VERY FIRST EPISODE, to re...

CROSSOVER: Ten on Religion with Dr. Mark Banas

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we chat about the pod and the book with the host of Ten on Religion, Dr. Mark Banas.As always, check out keepingit101.com for full show notes...

Inked Religion

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we (mostly Ilyse) go all in on religion & tattoos. Special interest: ACTIVATE.As always, check out keepingit101.com for full show notes, ...

CROSSOVER: Turn the Page with Jenn Jordan

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we discuss all things RINDWY with the fabulous Jenn Jordan for the Syosset Public Library's official podcast, Turn the Page. The library...

CROSSOVER: Sustainin' Conversation with the Amplify Podcast Network Crew!

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which Megan chats with a handful of folks who are also part of the Amplify Podcast Network's first Sustain stream--Sally Chivers (Wrinkle Ra...

RELIGION & ADOPTION: What Have We Learned?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which we review our very depressing and important miniseries discussion on religion and adoption AND play ridiculous orphan games as a reward for h...

RELIGION & ADOPTION: Reproductive Freedom

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In which Megan tries not to spend the whole hour screaming about Dobbs whilst we discuss what adoption has to do with religious freedom. As always, be...

Monkey Man!

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our very first movie discussion, nerds! In which we chat about the Ramayana with no Ram, why Hanuman is the Best Beast, Hijra superheroes, ...

RINDWY: Writing Together

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In which we reflect on what it was like to find our collective voice. (Spoilers: it was really hard! But also really awesome!) As always, be sure to v...

RELIGION & ADOPTION: ICWA with Dr. Courtney Lewis

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In which Dr. Courtney Lewis shares her expertise and personal experience with the writing of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Dr. Lewis is Crandall Famil...

RINDWY: Choosing Case Studies

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In which we nerd out about how we chose which weirdass historical case studies to support our killjoy theories of religion.As always, be sure to visit...

RINDWY: Book birthday surprise bonus content!

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Because--to borrow from Anne Lamott--one of the two best prayers we know is "thank you, thank you, thank you."____Keeping It 101: A Killjoy&...

RELIGION & ADOPTION: Religious Freedom

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does adoption have to do with religious freedom? Quite a bit, actually.Tune in to learn more about the ways religion--and especially, you guessed...

RINDWY: Why Write a Book?

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Because books is what we do, nerds! Tune in to hear us geek out about why we decided to pivot to v̶i̶d̶e̶o̶ text in our almost-here new title, Re...

RELIGION & ADOPTION: Overview & Primary Sources

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first of our four episode miniseries on religion and adoption, which actually turned out to have five episodes because, well, there wer...

BOOK CLUB: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our first ever book club episode, nerds! This one has it all: misandry, murder, and...martial religions? Join us for a very wide-ranging ch...

We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you miss us? We missed you! Life, as y'all know, uh... finds a way. But we have beaten life back long enough to bring you this update on the ...

LIVE! Time Bandits: How Religion and Race Are Taking Your Time (and How to Take It Back)

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In which we are delighted to talk to the wonderful humans of Miami University Ohio about the ways calendars smuggle white christian supremacy into our...

Crossover Episode: KI101 on "Amplified," with Stacey Copeland

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In which we chat with our new bestie at the Amplify Podcast Network, Stacey Copeland, about podcasting, public scholarship, and why killing joy is the...

BOOK CLUB: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

WHAT A PREDICAMENT this year has been, nerds! 2023 was in many ways, uh, not our fave.But we thought it would be good to end this chronological roller...

FLASHBACK: You Still Don't Know About Islam

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**THIS IS A RE-RELEASE, NERDS!!!***hat's right -- there's STILL more to know about the world's second largest religion! Dr. Debra Majee...

MEETUP: KI101 Office Hours at AAR!!

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is November, RELI nerds! And too many of you know what that means.That's right: the American Academy of Religion's annual national meetin...

FLASHBACK: Night at the Museum

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**THIS IS A RE-RELEASE, NERDS!!!***Let’s see what the World Religions Paradigm looks like when we talk curating religion with Dr. Andrew Aghapour.As...

FLASHBACK: Early Christianity Is Actually Kind of Interesting

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**THIS IS A RE-RELEASE, NERDS!!!***In which we (mostly Megan) walk you through three things you maybe don't know about early Christianity:Christi...

FLASHBACK: Religious Nationalism

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**THIS IS A RE-RELEASE, NERDS!!!***In which Ilyse yells about nationalism and religion and why religion and politics are never really separate, whilst...

FLASHBACK: Intersectionality

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**THIS IS A RE-RELEASE, NERDS!!!***In which we build upon the work of Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw to think about how race-, gender-, and sexuality-based ...

In which we are BACK

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you miss us? We missed you! Tell us everything you did on your summer vacation, right after we tell you what we're up to this, our SIXTH seas...

What Was This, Then

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After another year-long season, we wrap it up, talk about what’s next, & offer some highlights and reflections. Probably swears, too.As always, ...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED if calendars are neutral

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More nerds than we can count asked why Ilyse is obsessed with calendars, so we distilled that into: are calendars neutral? They aren’t. End of episo...

INTERN TAKE OVER!

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This season, KI101 has had help from three—3!—incredible interns, Juliana Finch (sound design), Evie Wolfe (accessibility) and Rachel Zieff (socia...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about the Easter Bunny

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Strictly speaking, none of you asked about the Easter Bunny. A lot of you did, however, ask how Pagan rituals got appropriated into Christian mainstre...

INCORRECT: Yoga & Appropriation

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked yoga before but since it keeps coming up—on the news, in our classrooms, with our friends—we’re talking about it again. Folks are...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about What We’re Watching

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nerds, you’ve asked what we are consuming and what we are teaching, and we’ve got answers.____Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Introduction to Rel...

INCORRECT: Sports

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people do not care about sports, including Megan. But Ilyse is here to tell Megan that not-caring about sports is INCORRECT, since sports give...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED if religion is dangerous

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So many nerds wanted to know if religion was inherently bad, or inherently good, or the cause of wars, or the cause of abuse, or the cause of violence...

INCORRECT: Hijab

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In which we (mostly Ilyse) yell about how it is possible to be so very INCORRECT about women choosing to get dressed in the morning. As always, be sur...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about Why We Do This

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re SO GLAD YOU ASKED us why we study religion, why we do this podcast, why we care so much, and why we have alienated a good deal of our family, ...

INCORRECT: Star Wars, Fandoms, & Fanatics

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is this an episode that will live in infamy? Perhaps, because in it, Ilyse rails against the notion that fandoms can’t possibly be religious by talk...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about Religion and Disability

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Megan & Ilyse have talked about chronic illness and disability in passing and in the gone-but-always-in-our-hearts Primary Sources segment, and we...

INCORRECT! Jihad

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In which we (mostly Ilyse) yell about how it is possible lo these many years after 9/11/01 to still be so darn INCORRECT about jihad. Head over to ke...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about Monsters

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s spooky season, nerds, and we’re so glad you asked us about supposedly secular monsters, scary stories, ghouls and goblins. Shocking no one, w...

INCORRECT: Drinking the Koolaid

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nerds, nerds, nerds. This is a doozy of an episode, in which we (mostly Megan) tell us why saying “drinking the kool-aid” is so totally not a funn...

SO GLAD YOU ASKED about Food & Religion

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is the first SO GLAD YOU ASKED episode. We got a LOT of requests for this one! So today we can’t cite just one nerd, but we’re here to answer...

Very Special Episode: The Sentimental Education of Hannah McGregor

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In which pod inspiration, icon, and aspirational bestie Dr. Hannah McGregor (that's Associate Professor Dr. Hannah McGregor to you, nerds) chats ...

INCORRECT: Reproductive Healthcare

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is our first INCORRECT episode, where we kindly but firmly insist that religion does more and different work than you might think that it does. I...

What's All This, Please?

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back, dear nerds! New season, new funding, new formats. And we’ve got some explaining—and kicking off—to do.____Keeping It 101: A Killjo...

BONUS: SCOREBOARD

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

100k downloads? what is HAPPENING?!?!!!?You are, nerds, and we appreciate you so much. Thanks for listening. ____Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Int...

Crossover Episode: "Feel Good Academia" with Jessica Albrecht and Leandro Wallace

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In which we chat with the hosts of EnGender Conversations about podcasting, public scholarship, and why academic friendship is magic As always, be sur...

WRP in Review: RELIGIONS IN SPACE

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve been around the world and boy are our arms tired. What did we learn this year, nerds?As always, be sure to visit keepingit101.com for full sho...

Field Trip: Night at the Museum

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s see what the World Religions Paradigm looks like when we talk curating religion with Dr. Andrew Aghapour. As always, be sure to visit keepingi...

Zoroastrianism > Freddie Mercury

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Freddie is our forever champions, but there’s so much more to know about the world’s oldest monotheism. Fulbright scholar and photographer Kainaz ...

Buddha’s Delight, Part 2

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re still working on letting go of desire — and we’ll never stop wanting to learn about Buddhism in Thailand with Dr. Tom Borchert.Keywords: f...

Buddha’s Delight, Part 1

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s talk about the history and reach of one of the world’s largest religions (and why we think about it as a religion at all), featuring the exp...

Making Mel Brooks Proud: Judaism

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All IRMF has ever wanted was to live up to the example set by the inimitable Mr. Melvin James Kaminsky. Now’s her chance. Plus Dr. Shari Rabin share...

Very Special Episode: Re-revisiting La 'Rona

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What else can we say, nerds? As always, be sure to visit keepingit101.com for full show notes, homework, transcripts, & more! ____Keeping It 101:...

Christianity Beyond Whiteness

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There is so, so much more to Christianity beyond the white U.S. mainstream you can’t help but hear about — and Dr. Jorge J. Rodríguez is here to ...

You Still Don't Know about Islam (Part 2)

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

That's right -- there's STILL more to know about the world's second largest religion! Dr. Debra Majeed lends us her insight into Islam,...

You Still Don't Know about Islam (Part 1)

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

And honestly, there's so much to know! Luckily Drs. Hussein Rashid and Kristian Petersen are here to share their expertise with us. Keywords: Su...

LIVE! "Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Approach to Studying Religion" with Dr. Jenny Wiley Legath @ Princeton University

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Keeping It 101: A Killjoy's Approach to Studying Religion" (6 October 2021)Being a live recording of our conversation with Dr. Jenny W...

What a Mess: Religion & Law

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What did you learn this season? Let’s find out as we apply the critique of World Religions to religion and law in the People's Republic of Chin...

What Is Hinduism? Part 2

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How are contemporary Hindus making sense of their history? Drs. Shreena Niketa Gandhi and Dheepa Sundaram walk us through the complicated and multiple...

What Is Hinduism? Part 1

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A lot, is what. So very much. Dr. Arun Brahmbhatt helps us on a quick tour through the history of Hinduism(s). Keywords: Hinduism/Hindu traditions; dh...

Sick of Not Knowing about Sikhi

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We are, too! But Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is going to share his wisdom with us. Keywords: guru, Guru Granth Sahib, gurdwaraAs always, be sure to visit ke...

What Are Indigenous Religions? Part 2

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Learning more about Native religion(s) in what’s now the Americas, with the assistance of Dr. Abel Gomez.Keywords: Indigenous; Mni WiconiAs always, ...

What Are Indigenous Religions? Part 1

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is Shinto an Indigenous religion? Spoilers: it’s complicated. Dr. Jolyon Thomas breaks it down for us.Keywords: Indigenous; appropriation; kamiAs al...

You Don't Know African Diasporic Religions

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, you don’t. But luckily Drs. Fadeke Castor and Akissi Britton do, and they’re here to help us learn more. As always, be sure to visit keepin...

World Religions, But Better

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We hate the “world religions” paradigm but we’re stuck with it. So this season, we’re bringing you this problematic approach to studying relig...

LIVE! "Public Humanities, Public Jokes" with Dr. J. Barton Scott @ the University of Toronto

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Public Humanities, Public Jokes: An Interview with the Killjoys Behind Hit Religion Podcast 'Keeping it 101'” (11 March 2021)Being a li...

Review Session: Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What have we learned this semester? Why did so many smart folks agree to talk to us about so many interesting topics? What happens next? You’ll have...

Twitter, Jinn, and the Great Conjunction with Dr. Ali Olomi

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guest lecture chat with Prof. Ali Olomi, reigning king of Wednesdays, the smart+fun twitter thread, and host of the Head On History Podcast.Keyword: j...

Islam Is More than You Think It Is

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We (mostly Ilyse) show you why there’s way more to know about Islam and Muslims than the life of the Prophet or the latest travel ban.Keywords: Qur&...

Was Jesus a Wizard? with Dr. Shaily Patel

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Neither of us are professionally or confessionally equipped to answer this question, so we’re bringing in Prof. Shaily Patel, Assistant Professor of...

Very Special Episode: 'Rona Revisited

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can you believe it's been a full freaking year of this mess? Ilyse and Megan do a quick round-up of how religious communities are responding to g...

Early Christianity Is Actually Kind of Interesting

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which we (mostly Megan) walk you through three things you maybe don't know about early Christianity:Christianity was kind of a mistakeThe New ...

White Evangelicalism Racism with Dr. Anthea Butler

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guest lecture chat with Prof. Anthea Butler, possibly the public face of why you need to care about religion in the US? Most recently the author of Wh...

White American Evangelicalism + Racism = BFF

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which we (mostly Megan) quickly survey the long and sordid history of white supremacy, American politics, and evangelicalism in what’s now the US...

Simran Jeet Singh Keeps Going

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guest lecture chat with Prof. Simran Jeet Singh, author of oh so many things, but most recently Fauja Singh Keeps Going, which both NPR and the New Yo...

Public Scholarship and Representation

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which we talk about why it's important for minoritized scholars to share what they know with the public, why it can be daunting and exhausting...

Welcome Back, Nerds!

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In which Ilyse and Megan provide a quick refresher on what we covered in seasons 1& 2 and set up the new format for season 3: intros to public sch...

BONUS: Keeping It 101 Course Evals with Prof. Kristian Petersen

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Friend of the pod and OG Religion Nerd podcaster Prof. Kristian Petersen made us this incredibly thoughtful compilation of "course evaluations&qu...

Review Session: What Did We Learn? Where Do We Go From Here?

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we review this season's big take-away lessons, reflect on what's working and how we can improve, and get our collective Grinch on.H...

Extra Credit with Professor Judith Weisenfeld

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Megan and Ilyse fangirl out at Prof. Weisenfeld, who generously shares her 101 on race, religion, and why historians ARE theorists (even when...

Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in what's NOT the United States

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All aboard the Global Religion+Gender+Sexuality Are Complicated and Historically, Geographically, and Culturally Contingent Express! (We leaned hard i...

Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in what's now the U.S.

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we offer you a collage of historical examples about non-men doing religion and insist that all the people who do religion have genderKeywords...

Race and Religion in South Asia &, well, Not-the-US

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Ilyse helps us think about the racialization of Muslims and why racialization of religions in not-the-US is both similar to and different fro...

Race and Religion in what's now the United States

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we shock and/or awe you with the ways Americans built race out of religion (also violence -- you know how we do)Keyword: orientalismStorytime...

Intersectionality

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we build upon the work of Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw to think about how race-, gender-, and sexuality-based oppressions overlap and inform how ...

#ScholarStrike - September 8th & 9th, 2020

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we urge you to join us in using what we have to strike at racism: strike it down, strike at it, strike against it.Join us in a #ScholarStrike...

Race, Gender, and Sexuality: What's Religion Got to Do with 'Em?

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we are BACK, our Chili Babies! And bringing you a whole new season looking at the intersection(s) of religion, race, gender, and sexuality. K...

Smart Grrl Summer: Religion & Pop Culture

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Megan yells about Not Without My Daughter and why we should care about how American pop culture shapes our understanding of religion, whilst ...

Smart Grrl Summer: Religion & Sound with Prof. Vicki Brennan

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Dr. Vicki Brennan blows our tiny little minds by teaching us what we miss when we don't listen hard to religionKeywords: soundscape; aco...

Smart Grrl Summer: Religious Nationalism

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Ilyse yells about nationalism and religion and why religion and politics are never really separate, whilst Megan agrees emphatically and cons...

Smart Grrl Summer: Cults

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which Megan yells about how the word "cult" gets used to discourage and police radical religious innovation while Ilyse tries to get a wo...

Review Session: What Have We Learned and What Happens Next?

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we review what we've learned and what we hope you've learned, dear listeners, in this, our very first season/semester of Keeping It...

Extracurriculars: Ru-ligion Ru-vealed! the T on Religion & Drag Race

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we spill the T on "Drag Race," the prosperity gospel of RuPaul Andre Charles, and why queerness and religion aren't mutually e...

Extra Credit with Professor Omid Safi

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

in which we chat with our dear friend and scholar-goals icon Omid Safi, Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University.Homework: Rad...

You might be done with religion, but religion is not done with you

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we discuss who gets to choose their religious belonging, why "spiritual but not religious" gives us the agita, and how--even if you...

Very Special Episode: Religion in the Time of 'Rona

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we give you a quick (okay, it's not that quick) rundown on where we're at in this challenging time, what religious communities are ...

What does it mean to be "religious?"

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In which we think about how personal religious commitments and practices get mediated by the state, why and how millions of Muslims make pilgrimage to...