Ghost Church by Jamie Loftus
5.0/5
Critic Rating
In this limited series, Jamie Loftus investigates and interrogates American spiritualism, a century-old tradition of communing with the dead that takes place in camps full of mediums across the country. Who is drawn to these camps, how did the religion come together, and why are the tarot card readers and the seance-havers fighting? Ghost Church is a look at grief, religion, and loneliness, with on-site reporting and interviews with everyone from spiritualist psychics to Protestant pastors to a very lonely carnival employee.
Critic Reviews
Score: 4.8
PodcAsteroid • Podcasteroid • Jun 10, 2022
"There is a more thoughtful approach here than the usual frantic comedic stylings Loftus uses in her other work. Don’t worry, there are still jokes, and this series is worth the listen for her uncle from Boston who is a medium, and extremely BAH-STIN about it. It’s a journey, and much like religion, one that you should take yourself and draw your own conclusions."
Score: 5
Andy Dehnart • Reality Blurred • May 30, 2022
"While Ghost Church deals with, well, the idea of ghosts and life after death, Loftus treats that seriously and skeptically. This is not Travel Channel nonsense about ghosts, but a really spellbinding podcast. …"
Score: 5
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • May 5, 2022
"A new Jamie Loftus has dropped, and it couldn’t possibly be more my shit. I’m interested in her interest, though I suppose Loftus makes her way to Cassadaga with an open mind...I’m predisposed to being so, both as a fan of Loftus’s style and as someone from a part of the world that never completely adhered to the whole “industrialized society naturally becomes more secular” thesis."
Score: 5
Alexi Duggins • The Guardian • May 5, 2022
"Loftus is a charming, open-minded and funny guide, travelling not just to a Florida camp full of mediums, but also into her own past and beliefs."
