Clergy vs. ICE & Thiel’s Antichrist Lectures (Religion News Roundup) (#357)

It’s a Religion News Roundup with podcaster and theologian Mason Mennenga, where we discuss the latest in religion-related current events.

In this first episode trying out this new format, we explore why young people seem more open to spirituality than millennials were at their age, discuss clergy getting pepper-sprayed while protesting ICE detention centers, and unpack the wild story of gay billionaire Peter Thiel giving ticketed lectures about the Antichrist in San Francisco. We also chuckle at biblical comedy series called The Promised Land and analyze the surprising data showing Gen Z might be flattening the secularization curve. 

Along the way, Mason and I test our friendship with jokes about his far-left politics versus my centrist tendencies, debate whether progressive Christianity is just politics in disguise, and somehow end up discussing why good climate news isn't making headlines. We also discover that Mason's faith actually drives his politics more than I expected, and I admit my own confidence in eschatological hope has diminished over the years. 

It's a wide-ranging conversation that's equal parts serious theological reflection on current events and playful banter between two friends who've finally matured enough to publicly podcast together.

Mason's Website | Masonmennenga.com

Articles Mentioned:

https://religionnews.com/2025/10/21/is-there-religious-revival-among-gen-z/

https://thepromisedlandseries.tv/

https://religionnews.com/2025/10/21/after-clergy-arrests-religious-pushback-to-ice-expands-in-chicago/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/peter-thiel-lectures-antichrist?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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