Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Do you hear what I hear? Backmasking. From the Beatles to Led Zeppelin, rumors of hidden, subversive messages in popular music sent Christians into a frenzy. Backmasking wasn’t just a recording trick—it was seen as proof that rock musicians weren’t just after album sales but after the very souls of our children. Today, we’re unpacking the hysteria around backmasking, but first let’s explore the conservative resurgence and the world events that set the stage for a full-blown moral panic. We’ll begin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where megachurches mobilized thousands of evangelists to the spiritual frontlines of the world games, then we’ll head south to the buried secrets within the Southern Baptist Convention. At the center of this resurgence were two men with unchecked power—Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson. Their legacy was once seen as the North Star of conservative values but would later be tainted by allegations of abuse and cover-ups that exposed the very evil they claimed to stand against. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind-the-scenes content. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join host Mike Cosper for a livestream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page. Resources: Matthew D. Taylor, scholar and author, The Violent Take it By Force Robert Downen, reporter, The Texas Tribune Sarah Pulliam Bailey, religion reporter Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

August 8, 1974—Richard Nixon resigns. The country watches as the law-and-order president falls under the weight of his own corruption, leaving behind a legacy of paranoia, scandal, and a crisis of trust in American institutions. But as one political era collapsed, another movement began to take shape. In this episode, we track the shifting tides of the 1970s—from Watergate’s unraveling to the unlikely rise of Jimmy Carter, a Southern Baptist reformer who captured the White House and disrupted the evangelical vote. But not everyone in the church was ready to embrace Carter’s vision. While the culture wars simmered, a new battle was brewing. Jerry Falwell and his allies were setting the stage for a moral revolution—one that would define the next era of American politics. And as they sharpened their message, they found inspiration in some unlikely places: a doomsday preacher from San Francisco, an infamous diary that would stoke America’s growing fears about Satanism, and a Christian comedian with a dark secret and an unforgettable mode of transportation. Resources: Rick Emerson, Unmask Alice Nixon library Jonestown Institute, SDSU Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join Host Mike Cosper for a live stream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea Facebook Page. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations, behind-the-scenes content, and the chance to submit your questions ahead of our live stream! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the face of it, TLC’s show about the Duggar family and Damien Echols, one of the infamous West Memphis Three, seem to have little in common. But what if we told you that both stories, which begin and end in Arkansas, are the perfect launching points for our new limited series on the Satanic Panic? Welcome to Season 1 of Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, where we explore the strange and troubling era of the 1980s and ’90s when America—especially the evangelical church—became convinced that satanic ritual abuse and occult activity hid around every corner. From local news reports warning of dark rituals to churches hosting “record burnings” to purge secular music, fear of a hidden, demonic conspiracy dominated the cultural landscape. If you grew up during this era, you might even remember being warned by Sunday school teachers to avoid Halloween because of its “satanic” roots. Maybe you were forbidden from playing Dungeons & Dragons or using an Ouija board at sleepovers because they were considered direct portals to Satan. But beyond these odd and, at times, laughable memories lie a darker reality—with real-world consequences. False accusations, wrongful imprisonments, and abuse of power by religious and political leaders left lasting scars and a wake of destruction. The Satanic Panic is a cautionary tale about how fear and misinformation can spiral into real danger—something still relevant today, as conspiracy theories continue to shape our world in new and troubling ways. In today’s pilot episode, we begin in Arkansas, examining two stories that seem worlds apart—the Duggar family, a symbol of conservative Christian values, and The West Memphis Three, a tragic case driven by hysteria and misinformation. Join as we ask; How did this wave of panic devastate innocent lives and divert the church’s attention from the evil lurking in its own pews? Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben-Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the Executive Producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our Senior Producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations and behind the scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices