Dr. Bradley Onishi

Brad Onishi received graduate degrees from UCSB, Oxford University, and L’institut catholique de Paris. After growing up in a non-religious home in Southern California, Brad converted to evangelicalism at a megachurch in his hometown at age fourteen. His conversion was extreme. By twenty, he was married and a full time minister. In his early 20s, Brad deconstructed his faith and began to study religion historically and philosophically.

Brad’s 2023 book, Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—And What Comes Next, uses vignettes from his own life as a Christian nationalist to unpack the religious history that led us to the January 6 Insurrection—and charts a map of what will come next from the marriage of Christian nationalism and MAGA Nation.

Brad is also the co-host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) podcast, the most listened-to religion & politics show today.