Scott Latta
@scottlatta.bsky.social
Writing from Portland about Christofascism, rivers, etc. My new book, GODS OF THE SMOKE MACHINE, is out now!
“Scott Latta” -The New York Times, 2016
“Scott Latta” -The New York Times, 2016
Pinned
Scott Latta
@scottlatta.bsky.social
· Jul 3
I’ve spent the past 18 months diving into the world of megachurches — meeting those who have been trampled, abused, and left behind. Every story was different, but one dynamic was consistent: power. My book, GODS OF THE SMOKE MACHINE, publishes in October. a.co/d/dqrbS9e
"The Song of the Lark," Jules Breton, 1884
November 22, 2025 at 10:15 PM
"The Song of the Lark," Jules Breton, 1884
"In Lieu of Keen Virtue," Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, 2017
November 21, 2025 at 5:27 PM
"In Lieu of Keen Virtue," Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, 2017
"Self Portrait in Rose," Cuno Amiet, 1907
November 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM
"Self Portrait in Rose," Cuno Amiet, 1907
Oklahoma you were amazing! Thank you so much to Magic City Books, Full Circle Books, and especially the lady who told me she skipped church to come to the event. Happy to oblige! 👍
November 14, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Oklahoma you were amazing! Thank you so much to Magic City Books, Full Circle Books, and especially the lady who told me she skipped church to come to the event. Happy to oblige! 👍
Hey #OKC! Come join me tonight at Full Circle Books to talk about megachurches and Christian nationalism. Hope to see you there! fullcirclebooks.com/event/newsma...
Newsmakers
Every second Thursday, Oklahoma Observer Editor Arnold Hamilton is joined by a public official for a frank and intelligent conversation about the direction of Oklahoma politics and the future of the s...
fullcirclebooks.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Hey #OKC! Come join me tonight at Full Circle Books to talk about megachurches and Christian nationalism. Hope to see you there! fullcirclebooks.com/event/newsma...
Hey #Tulsa, the weather is beautiful so let's celebrate by sitting inside and talking about megachurch trauma! I hope to see you tonight! magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
Scott Latta | Magic City Books
magiccitybooks.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Hey #Tulsa, the weather is beautiful so let's celebrate by sitting inside and talking about megachurch trauma! I hope to see you tonight! magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
Last night was so much fun. Thank you everyone who came out, @elenavox.bsky.social, and especially Up Up Books for giving me a home in PDX!
November 11, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Last night was so much fun. Thank you everyone who came out, @elenavox.bsky.social, and especially Up Up Books for giving me a home in PDX!
Hey #Tulsa! I'm headed your way for an event TOMORROW NIGHT with the amazing people at Magic City Books. Come talk megachurches with us!!
magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
November 11, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Hey #Tulsa! I'm headed your way for an event TOMORROW NIGHT with the amazing people at Magic City Books. Come talk megachurches with us!!
magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
magiccitybooks.com/events/38728...
Hey #Portland! We're launching this weird little book TONIGHT at Up Up Books. Come out!! www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
Look I did the thing
Look I did the thing
November 10, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Hey #Portland! We're launching this weird little book TONIGHT at Up Up Books. Come out!! www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
Look I did the thing
Look I did the thing
"MeGaChUrChEs ArEn'T pOliTiCaL!" he said, paying $100 for the online megachurch course led by the megachurch pastor that trains people to run for office
A local (Christian Nationalist) mega church has its own "campaign university." In 2021, they ran a candidate for mayor and got 9% of the vote, but their efforts have become more active since.
A Texas church’s online class trains Christians to run for office. Now it may go national
Fort Worth’s Mercy Culture Church aims to get more conservative Christians elected through its online Campaign University.
fortworthreport.org
November 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
"MeGaChUrChEs ArEn'T pOliTiCaL!" he said, paying $100 for the online megachurch course led by the megachurch pastor that trains people to run for office
Hey #Portland! I'm hosting a book launch TOMORROW NIGHT at Up Up Books with @elenavox.bsky.social. Come by!! It's the only place in town you can see two Odyssey of the Mind alumni discuss megachurch trauma.
www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
Book Launch: Gods of the Smoke Machine by Scott Latta with Elena Passarello — Up Up Books
Join us for the launch of Gods of the Smoke Machine: Power, Pain, and the Rise of Christian Nationalism in the Megachurch by Scott Latta, who will be in conversation with author and essayist Elena...
www.upupbooks.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Hey #Portland! I'm hosting a book launch TOMORROW NIGHT at Up Up Books with @elenavox.bsky.social. Come by!! It's the only place in town you can see two Odyssey of the Mind alumni discuss megachurch trauma.
www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
www.upupbooks.com/events/bcfcx...
THANK YOU to everyone who came out last night, and especially the amazing folks at @changinghands.bsky.social! It was a real joy. The shirt is headed back to PDX. I'm honored to be among the fraternity of writers who got to pick one off the wall 🏜️
November 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
THANK YOU to everyone who came out last night, and especially the amazing folks at @changinghands.bsky.social! It was a real joy. The shirt is headed back to PDX. I'm honored to be among the fraternity of writers who got to pick one off the wall 🏜️
Hey #Phoenix and #Tempe, come talk about megachurch trauma with me at a really cool bookstore tonight! We'll run the air conditioning in November!!
TONIGHT at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe #Arizona! Don't miss.
Don’t miss! SecularAZ’s Jeanne Casteen in conversation with Scott Latta, author of Gods of the Smoke Machine, about the rise of mega-churches. Join us at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe this Thursday at 7p!
November 6, 2025 at 9:13 PM
If you're in Phoenix, Tempe, Portland, Tulsa, or OKC and want to talk about megachurches, here's the chance you've been waiting for!
scottlatta.substack.com/p/tempe-tuls...
scottlatta.substack.com/p/tempe-tuls...
Tempe, Tulsa, OKC, let's gooo!
A quick event and media roundup before I visit the monument to man's arrogance
scottlatta.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:49 PM
If you're in Phoenix, Tempe, Portland, Tulsa, or OKC and want to talk about megachurches, here's the chance you've been waiting for!
scottlatta.substack.com/p/tempe-tuls...
scottlatta.substack.com/p/tempe-tuls...
Arizona! I'm coming this week for this amazing event at @changinghands.bsky.social in Tempe. I'd love to see you there!
Don’t miss! SecularAZ’s Jeanne Casteen in conversation with Scott Latta, author of Gods of the Smoke Machine, about the rise of mega-churches. Join us at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe this Thursday at 7p!
www.changinghands.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Arizona! I'm coming this week for this amazing event at @changinghands.bsky.social in Tempe. I'd love to see you there!
This was super fun! Amy is an incredibly insightful reader and interviewer. The conversations she has on her show are so valuable and I was honored to go on 💛
I just published a podcast interview with Scott. His book comes out today and it's fantastic. If you are at all interested in this world, you're going to love this book.
I’ve spent the past 18 months diving into the world of megachurches — meeting those who have been trampled, abused, and left behind. Every story was different, but one dynamic was consistent: power. My book, GODS OF THE SMOKE MACHINE, publishes in October. a.co/d/dqrbS9e
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This was super fun! Amy is an incredibly insightful reader and interviewer. The conversations she has on her show are so valuable and I was honored to go on 💛
It's pub day for this book, and there's a lot to say about that, but here's a short little thing about finding the joy in art. Now I'm off to find Ethiopian food.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
On Pub Day
The plane landed.
substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:35 PM
It's pub day for this book, and there's a lot to say about that, but here's a short little thing about finding the joy in art. Now I'm off to find Ethiopian food.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
My weird little megachurch book is out TOMORROW, and some amazing people are joining me to launch it! More info at scottlatta.com/events. See you soon @changinghands.bsky.social @enhbooks.bsky.social @interabangbooks.bsky.social!
October 27, 2025 at 3:52 PM
My weird little megachurch book is out TOMORROW, and some amazing people are joining me to launch it! More info at scottlatta.com/events. See you soon @changinghands.bsky.social @enhbooks.bsky.social @interabangbooks.bsky.social!
Thank you @elenavox.bsky.social and @oregonstate.edu for hosting Mike Chin and me and launching Gods of the Smoke Machine at the Corvallis Museum! That was super fun. (And Mike's great, go buy his book.)
October 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Thank you @elenavox.bsky.social and @oregonstate.edu for hosting Mike Chin and me and launching Gods of the Smoke Machine at the Corvallis Museum! That was super fun. (And Mike's great, go buy his book.)
Reposted by Scott Latta
Corvallis! I'm coming to the Corvallis Museum this Friday night to read from this weird little megachurch book as part of the @oregonstate.edu MFA alumni series. The great Mike Chin will be there, along with Bruce the Moose in the lobby.
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
October 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Corvallis! I'm coming to the Corvallis Museum this Friday night to read from this weird little megachurch book as part of the @oregonstate.edu MFA alumni series. The great Mike Chin will be there, along with Bruce the Moose in the lobby.
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
Corvallis! I'm coming to the Corvallis Museum this Friday night to read from this weird little megachurch book as part of the @oregonstate.edu MFA alumni series. The great Mike Chin will be there, along with Bruce the Moose in the lobby.
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
October 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Corvallis! I'm coming to the Corvallis Museum this Friday night to read from this weird little megachurch book as part of the @oregonstate.edu MFA alumni series. The great Mike Chin will be there, along with Bruce the Moose in the lobby.
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
More info! www.grassrootsbookstore.com/events/36625...
Reposted by Scott Latta
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
October 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
There are many, many, many, many problems with "pastoral restoration," which kept Robert Morris in power for four decades. I unpacked three.
scottlatta.substack.com/p/the-secret...
scottlatta.substack.com/p/the-secret...
The Secretive Practice That Kept Robert Morris in Power
No one knows what pastoral restoration means—especially pastors.
scottlatta.substack.com
October 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
There are many, many, many, many problems with "pastoral restoration," which kept Robert Morris in power for four decades. I unpacked three.
scottlatta.substack.com/p/the-secret...
scottlatta.substack.com/p/the-secret...
A few words on Robert Morris, pastoral power, and the difference between accountability and justice. scottlatta.substack.com/p/robert-mor...
Robert Morris Didn’t Think the Rules Applied to Him. Because They Didn’t.
Justice delayed is still justice denied.
scottlatta.substack.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:26 PM
A few words on Robert Morris, pastoral power, and the difference between accountability and justice. scottlatta.substack.com/p/robert-mor...
Forty-two years, start to finish.
BREAKING: Former Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris pleads guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s and will serve 6 months in prison.
Robert Morris, Texas megachurch pastor, pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child
Under a negotiated plea agreement, he was given a ten year sentence, but he will only serve six months in county jail.
nbcnews.to
October 2, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Forty-two years, start to finish.