Joe Rogan is not a pastor. “The Joe Rogan Experience” is not Christian media. And yet, when Rogan recently sat down with Andrew Wilson, host of “The Crucible” and an Eastern Orthodox Christian, the conversation repeatedly returned to Christianity, church, forgiveness, and the moral framework faith provides.
Editor’s note: This conversation has language some might find offensive.
Wilson is a controversial figure associated with red-pill on gender roles and for his aggressive debate style. Rogan himself has attracted controversy for at times platforming conspiracy theorists and polarizing political commentators. Rogan has, however, appeared to be spiritually seeking in some of his recent conversations.
For church leaders and engaged believers, the episode was striking, not because it was polished or reverent, but because it was unexpectedly affirming of Christianity in a cultural space that does not often treat it seriously.
‘You Go to Church. It’s Not for You’
At one point, Wilson contrasted entertainment culture with churchgoing and drew a sharp distinction between the two. “I’m going there because I want to be entertained,” he said, referring to going to a concert. “That’s for me. You go to church, it’s not for you.”
Wilson framed church not as a consumer experience but as something fundamentally outward-facing. In a media environment driven by personalization, preference, and comfort, his comment positioned church as a place shaped by responsibility, restraint, and concern for others.
It was a subtle but pointed critique of how easily faith communities drift into selling experiences rather than forming people.
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Christianity as a Check on Radical Individualism
Wilson also pushed back against what he described as a purely materialistic worldview, arguing that when reality is reduced to individual desire, it eventually collapses into meaninglessness.
“The materialistic view of pure materialism reduces always to me, me, me, me…there’s nothing outside of that,” he said.
Wilson contrasted that perspective with religious communities that emphasize obligation, shared moral boundaries, and care for others. “Imagine a world where people think about somebody besides themselves,” he said.
Rogan agreed, adding, “And they think about everybody as a part of a community and a collective community that you care about.”
Wilson connected this point of view to mental health and social stability, noting that religious communities often demonstrate stronger bonds and healthier outcomes precisely because they resist radical individualism.
