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Radical Love Live


Jon Carl Lewis: the Gospel of Erotic Love | Radical Love Live 124 EPISODE 124

What are churches saying about robust, spirit-led erotic love and sexual flourishing? (If they talk about it at all.) Beyond talk of sexual purity versus fornication or enforcing heteronormativity versus embracing queerness, Queer/Liberative theologian Jon Carl Lewis opens the door to grander conversations to be had about the complexity of human sexualityincluding what a Christ-centered sexual ethic looks like, how the integration of the spirit AND the body can lead to a more fully realized divine connection, and why these concepts matter not only to queer Christians but to all Christians who desire to live a life more aligned with the divine. John Carl Lewis describes himself as your average queer, liberative theologian and spiritual guide. His work invites individuals and communities into conversation around how integration of the spiritual and the sexual/erotic can enliven and reconcile people of faith to themselves, the sacred, their communities, and all of creation. His Substack is called Ramblings (of a Queer, Christian Contemplative) (queerchristianramblings.substack.com). Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD

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PREMIERE EVENT of Live Series: "Crisis/Change" feat. Maria French, John Thatamanil, & the Brilliance
PREMIERE EVENT of Live Series: "Crisis/Change" feat. Maria French, John Thatamanil, & the Brilliance
The first event in our live series, featuring conversations about the changing spiritual landscape with faith futurist Maria French of H&Co and author and theologian John Thatamanil of Union Theological Seminary, as well as music that inspires empathy from the band The Brilliance. This unique and dynamic "spiritual variety show" mixes speaker talks, dialogue, music, and spiritual practice to kick off our ongoing discussion about the future of spirituality. For a continuation of this discussion, also listen to our "Day After" podcast with these guests in the podcast studio! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Introducing Radical Love Live
Episode 1
Introducing Radical Love Live
Today's religious and spiritual institutions are in crisis, with declining attendance and the challenge to stay relevant, welcoming, and inclusive, and many spiritual seekers and refugees who have left or never felt welcome to explore at all. Co-creators Mark Dilcom and Kelly Wilson talk about the Radical Love Live series of events at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in NYC and the reasons why we see an urgent need for authentic, honest discussions about the future of spirituality. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
4-3-2-1-0: On our 4th Anniversary, kicking off Season 3 with 2 guys having 1 wild conversation about "Nones"--& then we go on from there!
Episode 1
4-3-2-1-0: On our 4th Anniversary, kicking off Season 3 with 2 guys having 1 wild conversation about "Nones"--& then we go on from there!
On the 4th anniversary of the first Radical Love Live live event back in 2020, Mark and Kelly reflect on the state of Christianity and religion in general in America, and on the trends that moved us in 2020 that are still impacting American spirituality now. In light of the recent Pew Research study about people with "No religious affiliation" (AKA "Nones") being now the largest single "religious" group in America, we talk about a host of issues that could be driving people away from religious institutions, including differing views on heaven/hell, sexuality, inclusion, politics, money, abuse, and trauma. We also talk about the surprising number of religiously unaffiliated who still believe in a higher power, and what that suggests for where spirituality in America is going. This episode is kind of a wild ride, as we riff on this and that, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and take some time to enjoy! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you?ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it?s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you?ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Meet the hosts of Radical Love Live
Episode 2
Meet the hosts of Radical Love Live
Stories are important to our spiritual identity. Co-creators Mark and Kelly take time to talk about their own very different backgrounds: their earliest spiritual experiences, the crises that sent them onto their separate journeys in the wilderness, the events that led them back to their personal spiritual moments of awareness, and the passions that led to the development of Radical Love Live. Perhaps some of our experiences will resonate with yours! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What is the future of spirituality? A focus group discussion
Episode 3
What is the future of spirituality? A focus group discussion
What is the future of spirituality? We gathered a group of friends, family, neighbors and others with a range of spiritual beliefs and experiences--including those without belief in a spiritual or religious system--to talk about what spirituality is, the current challenges of engaging with spirituality, and what the future of spirituality looks like. Mark and Kelly also share their own unique definitions of spirituality. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
On Dualism: The good, the bad, and the other
Episode 4
On Dualism: The good, the bad, and the other
What is Dualism? The idea of either/or has crept into many parts of our lives, including spirituality, and continues to drive theology, policies of exclusion and inclusion, and has a tremendous impact on how our spirituality is lived out in the world. In this episode, we talk about spirituality in terms of dualism and what an alternative way of looking at things might be. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Crisis, Change, and Today's Religious Landscape
Episode 5
Crisis, Change, and Today's Religious Landscape
In the last decade, several studies, including the 2014 Pew Research Religious Landscape Survey and subsequent follow-up studies have shown church attendance numbers to be declining across denominations, and for the first time reported that the religiously unaffiliated were the largest "religious" group in the country. In this episode we discuss these data and the reasons why there are a growing number of people struggling with religious institutions. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The concept of "Interspirituality"
Episode 6
The concept of "Interspirituality"
In a world with many different belief systems, Kelly talks about some of the reasons that some religiously unaffiliated give for why they aren't part of a religion or institution and talks about the challenges that people in religion systems with exclusive claims face when engaging with other faiths, and Mark describes the concept of "interspirituality" as a way to look at faith traditions and as a possible approach to coexistence. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
"Unchurched": Hurt, Honesty, and Finding Home
Episode 7
"Unchurched": Hurt, Honesty, and Finding Home
A discussion about recent data on people who are "Unchurched" (that is, who haven't been in regular church services in the last 6 months), leads to a conversation about the things that can keep people out of spiritual institutions, including hurtful experiences, not being able to be honest and authentic, or being otherwise marginalized. We talk about what happens to wanderers in the spiritual wilderness, how like minded spiritual people find community, and what spiritual "home" looks like in the 21st century. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Transgender Legislation and Faith
Episode 7
Transgender Legislation and Faith
Going solo in the studio this week while Mark is out of town, Kelly takes a look at recent legislation about trangender rights, how different religious voices are reacting to them, and if there is a better, kinder way for the opposing sides to approach these issues Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
"The Day After": A spirited follow up discussion with David Gungor, Maria French, and John Thatamanil
Episode 8
"The Day After": A spirited follow up discussion with David Gungor, Maria French, and John Thatamanil
A rousing conversation the day after our Premiere Live Event at NYC's Cathedral of St John the Divine, we bring our guests into the studio: David Gungor of the Brilliance, faith futurist Maria French of H&Co, and author and theologian John Thatamanil of Union Theological Seminary. Beginning with our reflections on the previous night's event, the group launches into a wide-ranging conversation about spirituality, the state of the church in America, politics, capitalism, technology, and some deep theology about the relationship between our desires and our spirituality, and the powerful mythic language that can help us orient those desires toward the good. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What I've been reading
Episode 8
What I've been reading
Kelly talks about a couple of books on religious topics he’s been reading lately, Sober Spirituality by Erin Jean Warde and Godbreathed by Zack Hunt. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Alicia T Crosby: Marginalization, Curating Spaces, and Asking Good Questions
Episode 9
Alicia T Crosby: Marginalization, Curating Spaces, and Asking Good Questions
On February 23, 2020, Radical Love Live hosted our 2nd live event on the theme of Marginalization/Wilderness, and were honored to have activist and educator Alicia T. Crosby as one of our featured speaking guests. The night before the event, she talked openly with us about her background in and outside of congregational church spaces, curating spaces built around inclusivity and equity, how wildly different experiences impact conversation between white people and people of color, about the future of spirituality, and more. Join in this lively conversation, and then follow up with our forthcoming audio podcast of the live event (you can also watch video of the even at radicallove.live or on our FB page. To learn more about Alicia Crosby, visit her website at aliciatcrosby.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jennifer Allen: Talking about her work restoring the land and restoring people in the process
Episode 10
Jennifer Allen: Talking about her work restoring the land and restoring people in the process
Jennifer Allen is a seminarian at General Theological Seminary who is looking forward to her work in the Bethany House and Garden Project in Topeka KS. This project will bring together diverse groups in the area, including those victimized by poverty, trauma, and trafficking, and create a space that ministers to the soul while restoring the land. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Live Event #2: "Marginalization/Wilderness" w' Alicia Crosby, Jonathan Merritt, Tash Neal, Jamet Pittman
Episode 11
Live Event #2: "Marginalization/Wilderness" w' Alicia Crosby, Jonathan Merritt, Tash Neal, Jamet Pittman
The 2nd event in our live series featured discussion, music, and spiritual practice around the theme of "Marginalization and Wilderness." Our guests included educator and activist Alicia T Crosby, author and journalist Jonathan Merritt, soprano Jamet Pittman, and guitarist/singer/songwriter Tash Neal, as well as co-creators Mark Dilcom and Kelly Wilson. For more information on Radical Love Live, visit our website at www.radicallove.live Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Paul Vasile: Making Music and Meaning in a Time of Separation
Episode 11
Paul Vasile: Making Music and Meaning in a Time of Separation
Paul Vasile is a church musician, composer, consultant, and is the director of the organization Music that Makes Community. Paul also serves as Director of Music at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. In this conversation, he talks about the many transformations of his spiritual background, keeping those disparate elements connected, and using music to help heal communities and invite people into a deeper spirituality and humanity. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Aaron Niequist: Liturgy, Spiritual Practice, and an Uncertain World
Episode 12
Aaron Niequist: Liturgy, Spiritual Practice, and an Uncertain World
Aaron Niequist is a liturgist (creator of the New Liturgy series) and author (The Eternal Current). We had the opportunity to talk with Aaron online about the everyday liturgies that form us, the spiritual practices that help us connect with one another and others, the ways that the world is forcing us to make terrible binary choices about what we believe, and what the future of spirituality looks like. Find out more about Aaron at www.aaronniequist.com and look for his Eternal Current podcast on this and other platforms Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jonathan Merritt: Speaking the language of spirituality in and outside of religious spaces
Episode 13
Jonathan Merritt: Speaking the language of spirituality in and outside of religious spaces
Jonathan Merritt is an award-winning writer on religion, culture, and politics. He serves as a contributing writer for The Atlantic , a contributing editor for The Week , and is author of several critically-acclaimed books including Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing - and How We Can Revive Them. We were pleased to welcome Jonathan as one of the speakers for our recent live event on " Marginalization and Wilderness." [Apologies for the variations in the sound quality--this was our first Skype interview! But we still had some great conversation!] Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jay Bakker: Authenticity, Openness, and the Cost of Love
Episode 14
Jay Bakker: Authenticity, Openness, and the Cost of Love
A conversation with punk-rock pastor Jay Bakker of Revolution Church (and son of TV icons Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker) about the innovative work that he is doing with Revolution Church, including a largely online congregation and an invitation for listeners to comment and dispute the sermon afterward; pastoring a church through pain, doubt, and uncertainty; how study and theology led him to affirm LGBTQIA people even if it meant losing everything; re-learning ways to have meaningful relationships with those we disagree with--including those closest to us; and standing steadfast under public scrutiny as the child of a controversial celebrity family. This is absolutely one of our hottest conversations so far! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dr Thema: Finding spiritual healing in time of collective trauma
Episode 15
Dr Thema: Finding spiritual healing in time of collective trauma
Talking with Dr Thema about finding healing-and maybe even joy-amid religious abuse, racism, inequality, and pandemic. Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis is a licensed psychologist, ordained minister, and sacred artist who has worked nationally and globally to provide relief and empowerment to marginalized persons. Dr. Thema, a professor at Pepperdine University, is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women. Her contributions to psychological research, policy, and practice have been honored by national and regional psychological associations. You can hear more from Dr Thema on her "Homecoming" podcast, found on most podcast platforms. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Homecoming
Episode 16
Homecoming
Mark and Kelly are back, and talk about what has been going on with their faith, growth, and evolution over the last 3 years. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Breaking points: with Maria Francesca French
Episode 17
Breaking points: with Maria Francesca French
The first of three parts. Mark and Kelly talk with Maria Francesca French, author of Safer Than the Known Way: A Post-Christian Journey. In this episode, we talk about what are the breaking points that changed our direction from the belief systems of our youth. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Interspirituality embodied: following up with Johari Mayfield, Sam Shonkoff, & Devin Zuber
Episode 18
Interspirituality embodied: following up with Johari Mayfield, Sam Shonkoff, & Devin Zuber
A lively conversation about how we are coping spiritually with the rapidly changing news about our world, and where we are finding hope. Johari Mayfield is a dancer, teacher, and healer based in NYC. Dr Sam Berrin Shonkoff is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkely, California. Dr Devin Zuber is Associate Professor of American Studies, Religion, and Literature at the Graduate Theological Union. Find out more about Johari's work at http://www.johari-fitness.com/. Find out more about Sam and Devin's work, as well as the unique interreligious and interdisciplinary programs offered by the GTU at https://www.gtu.edu/. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Influences and Inspiration: with Maria Francesca French
Episode 18
Influences and Inspiration: with Maria Francesca French
The second of three parts. Mark and Kelly talk with Maria Francesca French, author of Safer Than the Known Way: A Post-Christian Journey. In this episode, we talk about figures who have influenced and inspired the direction of our faith journeys. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Brother Timothy Jolley: A Monk’s Devotion to Love and Action
Episode 19
Brother Timothy Jolley: A Monk’s Devotion to Love and Action
Mark talks with Brother Timothy Jolley, a life professed monk of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican Benedictine monastic community of men, associated with The Episcopal Church, located in West Park, New York. Br. Timothy joined the monastery over 50 years ago with a calling to serve a vocation dedicated to children’s education, spiritual evolution, and spiritual direction. Our conversation covers how Br. Timothy was called to become an Anglican monastic, his work with the formation of the Holy Cross School in Grahamstown, South Africa, what can happen when we show radical welcoming to a guest, and how he lives out the founder’s mission statement: “Love must act as light must shine forth and fire must burn.” Find out more about Holy Cross, their beautiful campus on the banks of the Hudson River offering many types of retreats, and the monastic life at www.holycrossmonastery.com. Please support the Love Must Act and the Holy Cross School by visiting www.lovemustact.org. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you’ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it’s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you’ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What's Next?: with Maria Francesca French
Episode 19
What's Next?: with Maria Francesca French
The third of three parts. Mark and Kelly talk with Maria Francesca French, author of Safer Than the Known Way: A Post-Christian Journey. In this episode, we talk about what happens after the deconstruction, evolution, and rebirth of faith. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Let's talk about sex
Episode 20
Let's talk about sex
Mark and Kelly talk about sexuality in the church and different perspectives on what we can and can't talk about. We use Joshua Butler's Beautiful Union and Nadia Bolz-Weber's Shameless as launching-off points. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Psychedelics, Proselytizing, and more
Episode 21
Psychedelics, Proselytizing, and more
Mark and Kelly talk about items in the recent religious news, including psychedelics and faith, as well as playing religious programming to a captive audience Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Is the Bible perfect? Conversation with Zack Hunt pt 1
Episode 22
Is the Bible perfect? Conversation with Zack Hunt pt 1
Is the Bible perfect? Would it be OK if it weren't? Mark and Kelly talk with theologian Zack Hunt, the author of Godbreathed: What It Really Means for the Bible to Be Divinely Inspired Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
How should we read the Bible? Conversation with Zack Hunt pt 2
Episode 23
How should we read the Bible? Conversation with Zack Hunt pt 2
If the Bible isn't "perfect," how should we read it? How do we know what's true? The 2nd part of our conversation with Zack Hunt, author of Godbreathed: What it Really Means for the Bible to be Divinely Inspired. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Boundaries of Our Faith
Episode 24
Boundaries of Our Faith
We often talk about what we don't believe or agree with. In this episode, Mark and Kelly talk about what we DO believe, and where the boundaries of our faith are. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Should women be in ministry?
Episode 25
Should women be in ministry?
Mark and Kelly respond to a recent decision in the Southern Baptist Convention maintaining a ban on women in ministry [Cover photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash] Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Are Christians persecuted in the US?
Episode 26
Are Christians persecuted in the US?
Kelly and Mark examine the statistics and realities around Christianity in America and claims that Christians are being persecuted in our culture. [Cover photo by Ben White on Unsplash] Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Reconfiguring: A conversation with Maria Francesca French
Episode 27
Reconfiguring: A conversation with Maria Francesca French
We talk with Maria Francesca French about her new book Reconfiguring: A Collection of Post-Christian Thoughts and Theologies Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Do We Need to be Saved?
Episode 28
Do We Need to be Saved?
Mark and Kelly answer the question "Do You Need to be Saved?- and what are we being saved from? They cover Justification, sanctification, original sin, and more. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Butterfly Angels: A Conversation with Margaret Ann Lourdes
Episode 29
Butterfly Angels: A Conversation with Margaret Ann Lourdes
This week we get to talk with Maggie Lourdes, the author of Butterfly Angels, about faith, the supernatural, conscience and love vs the "canons of the church", and much more. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jerusalem Greer: Evangelism and the Future of the Church
Episode 30
Jerusalem Greer: Evangelism and the Future of the Church
We get to talk with Jerusalem Greer, who is the Manager of Evangelism and Discipleship for the Episcopal Church, about the evangelism, the recent "All About Love" Festival, and the future of the church Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Does Evil Actually Exist?
Episode 31
Does Evil Actually Exist?
Mark and Kelly talk about evil, whether it is real or just an old label for other mental and social phenomena, and what it means for morality today. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Austen Hartke: Transforming the Christian Idea of Transgender
Episode 32
Austen Hartke: Transforming the Christian Idea of Transgender
We talk with Austen Hartke, the author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, and the founder and Executive Director of Transmission Ministry Collective, an online community dedicated to the spiritual care, faith formation, and leadership potential of transgender and gender-expansive Christians. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jeff Key: A warrior of faith, activism, and authenticity - Part 1
Episode 33
Jeff Key: A warrior of faith, activism, and authenticity - Part 1
Mark and Kelly have the honor of talking with the amazing Jeff Key, who seems to contain multitudes. Jeff Key is anAmerican actor, playwright, veterans advocate and activistHe is also an honorably discharged Marine and Iraq veteran. His one-man performance piece, The Eyes of Babylon, is based on journal entries he wrote while at war. We engage in a powerful conversation about faith, sexuality, politics, and a whole lot more. Part 1 of 2. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jeff Key: A warrior of faith, activism, and authenticity Part 2
Episode 34
Jeff Key: A warrior of faith, activism, and authenticity Part 2
Mark and Kelly have the honor of talking with the amazing Jeff Key, who seems to contain multitudes. Jeff Key is an American actor, playwright, veterans advocate and activist He is also an honorably discharged Marine and Iraq veteran. His one-man performance piece, The Eyes of Babylon, is based on journal entries he wrote while at war. Part 2 of 2. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
DECONSTRUCTION
Episode 35
DECONSTRUCTION
What is deconstruction? Is it dangerous to faith? Or can it make faith more authentic? Mark and Kelly talk about deconstruction and their own experiences with examining the inner workings of their faith. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
RECONSTRUCTION
Episode 36
RECONSTRUCTION
What happens after deconstruction? We've examined, evaluated, and picked apart our faith, and it is laying in pieces around us on the floor. In this episode, Mark and Kelly talk about putting it all back together. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Matthew LaBanca: Spiritual Trauma, Hope, and "Communion"
Episode 37
Matthew LaBanca: Spiritual Trauma, Hope, and "Communion"
This week we talk with Matthew LaBanca, writer, actor, teacher, and creator of :"Communion," a one man show about a gay Catholic school teacher who is fired when the church discovers that he married a man. Much like the play, our conversation covers topics of spiritual trauma and hope, and a range of of topics in between. We left really inspired by this one! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Kimberly Stover: Question Everything, or the Work of Deconstruction
Episode 38
Kimberly Stover: Question Everything, or the Work of Deconstruction
This week we talk with Kimberly Stover, writer, blogger, podcaster, and deconstruction advocate. We talk about how questioning everything has fueled her journey, and the freedom and individuality she found on the other side. A really refreshing view of life in the midst of, and beyond, deconstruction. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
When the War is Religious
Episode 39
When the War is Religious
In the midst of current wars, particularly in the Middle East, is religion the problem? Using the Israel/Gaza conflict as a starting off point, we talk about what to do when religion seems to be driving individuals and nations apart--and whether religion can still serve a role in finding peace. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Ashleigh Nelson: Embodying an Evolving Faith
Episode 40
Ashleigh Nelson: Embodying an Evolving Faith
This week we talk with Ashleigh Nelson, the Executive Director of Evolving Faith, an annual conference and year-round resource that "exists to cultivate love and hope in the wilderness, pointing fellow wanderers and misfits to God as we embody resurrection for the sake of the world." We reflect on this year's conference and where the "Evolving Faith" movement is going in the future. #religion #evolvingfaith #evolvingfaith2023 #deconstruction Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
American Idolatry: Talking About Christian Nationalism with Andrew Whitehead
Episode 41
American Idolatry: Talking About Christian Nationalism with Andrew Whitehead
Christian Nationalism has been coming up a lot in our national dialogue, along with the fear, violence, and power struggles that come with it. This week, we talk with Andrew Whitehead, who a leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America and speaks widely on its effects within Christian communities. In this book "American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church," he shares his journey and reveals how Christian nationalism threatens the spiritual lives of American Christians and the church. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Rev. Dr. Robert R.A.Turner: Racial Healing and Creating a Culture of Repair
Episode 42
Rev. Dr. Robert R.A.Turner: Racial Healing and Creating a Culture of Repair
Many people are aware of the injustices Black Americans have suffered over the centuries but feel powerless when it comes to repairing the harm done. This week, Mark talks with Rev. Dr. Robert Turner about his personal journey and experiences; racial healing through peaceful means; his upcoming Book, Creating A Culture of Repair - Taking Action on the Road to Reparations; and how all souls need to come together if we are going to heal from our collective trauma caused by racial injustice. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Deconstructing the Straight White Male: A Conversation with Chris Furr
Episode 43
Deconstructing the Straight White Male: A Conversation with Chris Furr
Is it OK to be a Straight White Male today? What does it mean for a straight White male to look critically at his identity while still being true to himself? Does he have something to lose, or something to gain? This week we talk with Chris Furr, the author of Straight White Male: A faith-based guide to deconstructing your privilege and living with integrity. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Camille Hernandez: A Trauma-Informed Faith
Episode 44
Camille Hernandez: A Trauma-Informed Faith
This week we talk with Camille Hernandez, author of The Hero and the Whore: Reclaiming Healing and Liberation through the Stories of Sexual Exploitation in the Bible. In her book, trauma-informed educator and minister Camille Hernandez dives deep into the Bibles stories of exploitation and abuse to name the difficult truths buried in Scripture, address the forms such violence takes in modern society, and illuminate a path of healing and hope. We talk with her about her background, her current faith practice, and the modern resonance of these ancient stories of survival. https://www.facebook.com/camillethewriter https://www.instagram.com/writercamille/ https://www.threads.net/@writercamille https://www.facebook.com/wjkbooks/ https://www.instagram.com/wjkbooks/ https://twitter.com/wjkbooks Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Barry Taylor: Technology, Radical Theology, and the Future of Belief
Episode 45
Barry Taylor: Technology, Radical Theology, and the Future of Belief
We talk with our friend Barry Taylor, an artist, rock & roll theologian, pop philosopher, and futurist thinker, about the future of faith, the impact of technology on what we believe (and vice versa), and other provocative notions about the everyday expressions of our biggest questions. https://www.instagram.com/ukbloke https://patreon.com/barrytaylor http://ertn.eu/ https://www.instagram.com/h_andco_ https://www.handcompany.org/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Love Without Shame: Amber Cantorna-Wyldes liberating work for LGBTQ+ folx and other spiritual nomads
Episode 46
Love Without Shame: Amber Cantorna-Wyldes liberating work for LGBTQ+ folx and other spiritual nomads
This week we talk with Amber Cantorna-Wylde, author of three books, including Unashamed (the first coming-out guide for LGBTQ people of faith). Her newest book is Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism. She is also the creator and host of the Unashamed Love Collective~a beautifully diverse and inclusive online community for LGBTQ+ people and allies. Find Amber at AmberCantornaWylde.com and on social media @AmberCantornaWylde Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Unclobber: Rethinking the Bible and LGBTQ+ Folx with Colby Martin
Episode 47
Unclobber: Rethinking the Bible and LGBTQ+ Folx with Colby Martin
We are talking with Colby Martin, digital pastor, spiritual coach, and author of "Unclobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality" and "The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity." We jump right into the ways that the church's interpretation of scripture and treatment of LGBTQ+ people have led to religious abuse and trauma, and we explore ways to think about a more loving and inclusive approach. Find Colby at LinkTr.ee/ColbyMartin Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Thomas Jay Oord: Does God have to be all-powerful...or is all-loving enough?
Episode 48
Thomas Jay Oord: Does God have to be all-powerful...or is all-loving enough?
We had a mind-blowing conversation with Thomas Jay Oord--theologian, best-selling author of "God Can't" and others, and director of the doctoral program at Northwind Seminary and the Center for Open and Relational Theology. We talk about God's power (or relative lack thereof), about the future of the Church and some of the reasons it doesn't fit any more for many people, about God's love and the inclusiveness for LGBTQ+ folx and others, and more. To hear more from Thomas Jay Oord, join Mark and Kelly on February 9-10 at God After Deconstruction at Drew University in Madison, NJ. More information on our website! Find Tom at ThomasJayOord.com , on social media at Thomas Jay Oord, Center for Open and Relational Theology - c4ort.com , Northwind Seminary - NorthwindSeminary.org , God After Deconstruction Live Event Series - homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/god-after-deconstruction-info-page/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
When Narcissism Comes to Church: With Chuck DeGroat
Episode 49
When Narcissism Comes to Church: With Chuck DeGroat
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of discussion about narcissism and the destruction it can do: in politics, in organizations, and unfortunately, in churches. Is narcissism self-love or does it disguise something deeper? Why are the qualities of a narcissist often praised in leaders? How can we encourage cultures of humility, vulnerability, and curiosity instead of narcissism? We talk with Chuck DeGroat, author of "When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse" Chuck DeGroat (LPC, PhD) is professor of pastoral care and Christian spirituality at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and senior fellow at Newbigin House of Studies in San Francisco. He served as a pastor at churches in Orlando and San Francisco and founded two church-based counseling centers. He is a licensed therapist, spiritual director, and the author of Toughest People to Love and Wholeheartedness. Find Chuck at ChuckDeGroat.net and social media @ChuckDeGroat Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
John Thatamanil: Home is Where Your Desires Are
Episode 50
John Thatamanil: Home is Where Your Desires Are
We talk with theologian, professor, and writer John Thatamanil, in a conversation that covers the depth and breadth of religious diversity, how our desires shape and are shaped by what we worship, and how modern spirituality may be expanding beyond the walls of the institutions in which we have tried to contain it. John Thatamanil is a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and is the author of Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity and the forthcoming book Desiring Truth: Comparative Theology and the Quest for Interreligious Wisdom. He will also be one of the featured speakers at the upcoming God After Deconstrucion live event at Drew University in Madison NJ on Feb 9-10. See our website www.radicallovelive.com for more details! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The "Nones" Take the Lead: (4th Anniversary special)
Episode 51
The "Nones" Take the Lead: (4th Anniversary special)
On the 4th anniversary of the first Radical Love Live live event back in 2020, Mark and Kelly reflect on the state of Christianity and religion in general in America, and on the trends that moved us in 2020 that are still impacting American spirituality now. In light of the recent Pew Research study about people with "No religious affiliation" (AKA "Nones") being now the largest single "religious" group in America, we talk about a host of issues that could be driving people away from religious institutions, including differing views on heaven/hell, sexuality, inclusion, politics, money, abuse, and trauma. We also talk about the surprising number of religiously unaffiliated who still believe in a higher power, and what that suggests for where spirituality in America is going. This episode is kind of a wild ride, as we riff on this and that, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and take some time to enjoy! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Finding God after Deconstruction
Episode 52
Finding God after Deconstruction
We have talked a lot about deconstruction and the reasons that people question, test, and sometimes leave their faith. Inspired by this weekend's God After Deconstruction event, Mark and Kelly and special guest Josh Patterson (from the (Re) Thinking Faith podcast) talk about what our individual journeys looked like after deconstruction, and the windows--intellectual, mystical, experiential--through which we caught the first glimpses of our authentic faith. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Podcasting and Deconstruction: Are Podcasts the New Spiritual Communities? (A panel discussion)
Episode 53
Podcasting and Deconstruction: Are Podcasts the New Spiritual Communities? (A panel discussion)
At last week's God After Deconstruction event at Drew University, Mark and Kelly had the opportunity to join podcasters Tripp Fuller (Homebrewed Christianity), Josh Patterson (ReThinking Faith), and Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) for a moving (and sometimes salty) panel discussion about the inspiration and drivers--personally, spiritually, theologically, and politically--for our podcasts and the communities they support. A really important conversation for our times! https://rethinkingfaith.podbean.com/ https://trippfuller.com/ https://www.thenewevangelicals.com/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Shift from Clobbering to Compassion with Colby Martin
Episode 54
The Shift from Clobbering to Compassion with Colby Martin
We welcome the return of our friend Colby Martin, pastor, writer, coach, and LGBTQ+ advocate. This conversation leads off with a heartfelt and personal one-on-one conversation with Mark and Colby about the latter's work in fighting for LGBTQ+ inclusion and greater compassion within religious spaces, then once Kelly gets out of traffic, all 3 of us jump into the fray in a conversation that looks head-on at topics such as "Hate the Sin/Love the Sinner" and what it Really Means to LOVE your ENEMIES (yes, even that ONE guy.) Join us for a funny, authentic, real exploration of the spiritual issues that impact our everyday lives. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Action, Not Just Words
Episode 55
Action, Not Just Words
Mark and Kelly challenge one another to talk about how we put our beliefs into action. Is it with our time? Our money? What organizations we support? Is it one-on-one, or community-based? Does talking, writing, or teaching count? (One thing we KNOW it is not is yelling at other people on Facebook and X-Twitter). We've talked a lot over the last couple of years about the state of the church and spirituality and society and where the needs are. This week we talk about how to move beyond words into action. #religion #christianity #society #justice #activism #deconstruction #exvangelical #politics Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Who Would Jesus Include?: Testimony from the front lines of DEI
Episode 56
Who Would Jesus Include?: Testimony from the front lines of DEI
We talk with a dear friend Melanie Hood-Wilson, longtime educator and advocate on the front lines of the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In a political and religious environment that wants to brand efforts at inclusivity as "too woke," we continue our "Words into Action" series and dive right in on who benefits from the status quo, who would benefit from change, and examples of what Jesus said--and did--on the matter. Melanie is is the leader and Executive Consultant at Melanie Hood Wilson and Associates, an organization involved in education, advocacy, and hands-on solutions to help organizations and individuals in areas of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), disability advocacy and access, job training for neurodiverse individuals, and more, all with an eye to achieving equity for all people. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Unity through Diversity: Jay Bakker on Peacemaking in an Angry World
Episode 57
Unity through Diversity: Jay Bakker on Peacemaking in an Angry World
The return of Jay Bakker, punk-rock pastor of Revolution Church, author, speaker, and son of famed televangelists Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner. Jay blasts open the idea of a right/wrong side of the partisan divide, arguing for a radical and very literal acceptance of "Love your Enemy." It's an energetic adventure through the Book of Galatians, and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, John Hume, Gahndi, Paul Tillich, and other thinkers and philosophers as we discuss how those on the right AND the left turn their beliefs into law for the others to follow, instead of trusting Grace and finding common ground. A fantastic and much-needed talk for our times! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
DIVINE All Along: Fighting to End Religious Abuse of our Queer Family
Episode 58
DIVINE All Along: Fighting to End Religious Abuse of our Queer Family
We talk with our own Mark Dilcom about the new non-profit human rights organization that he founded and is Executive Director of, DIVINE All Along. DIVINE All Along was founded based on the premise that everyone is part of the divine--no matter where they are in life's journey or their personal development--but that flawed theology has separated people from the divine in themselves, and has yielded prejudice, persecution, and exclusion of people who don't fit the church's definition of right sexuality or gender identity. DIVINE All Along is dedicated to opposing religious abuse and trauma against LGBTQ+ wherever it appears, fostering peer support groups and sponsoring public advocacy for Queer Folx everywhere. Listen to find out the what inspired Mark to found this organization, what steps have been taken so far, how to get more information, and how to get involved! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Meg Calvin: The Spirituality of Telling Your Story
Episode 59
Meg Calvin: The Spirituality of Telling Your Story
We had an energetic and inspiring conversation with Meg Calvin, author, speaker, and coach who works with "Spiritually Attuned Go-getters" to write, publish, and market best-selling books on Amazon and Audible. We talk about her spiritual background, her life in ministry and why she moved on to do this work, her 5 RULES of writing (VERY deep stuff in a simple format!), the spirituality of the writing process, and more reasons why if you are feeling the call to write that book, you should WRITE THAT BOOK! Meg Calvin https://www.megcalvin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/heymegcalvin/ linktr.ee/meg.calvin https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B074L9XZ4B Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Getting Schooled by the Internets Youth Pastor
Episode 60
Getting Schooled by the Internets Youth Pastor
Mark and Kelly talk with Mason Mennenga, the Internets Youth Pastor, about his journey from Evangelical purity culture through his seminary and theological training that brought him to some radical new understandings of Christianityand we talk about all the work he does on social media and his podcasts to share his studied theologyin an often hilarious and irreverent way. Mason Mennenga On X: @masonmennenga Podcasts: @peoplestheology & @blacksheeppod YouTube.com/masonmennenga Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Keith Giles: Taking a Quantum Leap with the Sayings of Jesus
Episode 61
Keith Giles: Taking a Quantum Leap with the Sayings of Jesus
We talk with Keith Giles, a former pastor who "left the church to follow Jesus," and author of "The Quantum Sayings of Jesus" and several other books that challenge our understanding of the gospels. Keith talks with us about his journey into faithful uncertainty, the scholarship that helped him open up a new window into some of the otherwise mysterious sayings of Jesus, and how his discoveries have helped him understand what Jesus was telling us to do. In addition to being an author, Keith is also editor at Quoir publishing and host of Heretic Happy hour and other podcasts. Keith Giles www.keithgiles.com https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063595719168 https://www.instagram.com/keithagiles/ https://twitter.com/keithgiles https://quoir.com/ https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/heretic-happy-hour Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Gospel of Not being an A-Hole
Episode 62
The Gospel of Not being an A-Hole
This week we talk with none other than Rhett Wilson: layman, craftsman, family man, and the inheritor of a rich religious legacy of "the Donalds," a family of ministers, missionaries, and devout believers (all of whom in this case share a name)--and the expectations that come from a family heritage of deep devotion. (Side note: Rhett is also Kelly's nephew). Rhett gives an unvarnished look at his spiritual background, what aspects of it he ran away from, and what drew him back in. He also talks about what faith and ministry look like to him now, and how one can be a light to people without a ministry or theology degree, or even necessarily agreeing with them (hint: it may involve beers in the garage.) Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dr. Thema: Mental Health, Faith, and Reclaiming Yourself
Episode 63
Dr. Thema: Mental Health, Faith, and Reclaiming Yourself
We are so blessed to talk with Dr. Thema Bryant, psychologist, minister, and sacred artist, about the connections between mental health and faith, and how both can work together to help us reclaim our authentic selves! We cover a LOT of ground, from religious trauma to ADHD to sexual intimacy to the power of prayer and, ultimately what it means to live authentically and JOYFULLY. Dr. Thema is author of Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma and Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self and the forthcoming Reclaiming Yourself, a workbook for those who want to practically apply these principles in their own lives. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Thomas J. Oord: Relating to God Again After Deconstruction
Episode 64
Thomas J. Oord: Relating to God Again After Deconstruction
How do you re-engage with God after deconstruction? How do you get over some of those major hurdles--the violence, exclusion, injustice and other problems that make traditional theology hard to swallow? Thomas Oord--theologian, writer, professor, and director of the Center for Open and Relational Theology--talks with us about the book that he and Tripp Fuller just released, God After Deconstruction. Together, these innovative theological minds systematically address the top problems that people have with modern Christianity, and take on each of them head-on. Oord offers thoughtful responses to many of the burning issues that are driving people away from churches, and presents some of the concepts of Open and Relational Theology, which many are finding as a reasonable yet faithful way of encountering God all over again. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Into the Mystic: How meditation and mysticism inform faith (in ways intellect cant)
Episode 65
Into the Mystic: How meditation and mysticism inform faith (in ways intellect cant)
Using Marks recent retreat at Holy Cross Monastery as a launching off place, we explore how mysticism, meditation, and contemplative traditions like monasticism can help answer questions, inform our beliefs, and offer insights into the divine that are deeper and more profound than those we find everyday churchgoing or scripture study alone. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Drugs, Sex, and...God? A talk with Ryan Joseph Allen about Transformation
Episode 66
Drugs, Sex, and...God? A talk with Ryan Joseph Allen about Transformation
Dr. Ryan Joseph Allen, Author, Speaker, and Transformational Coach, talks with us about his life's journey, which began with depression, addiction, shame, and alienation, and led him through a rollercoaster of ups and downs before he connected with God through the most unlikely of evangelists: His drug dealer. Dr. Allen shares with us how his experiences inspired him to break destructive cycles, embrace his authentic self--including his LGBTQ+ sexual identity, and to work with others to support, motivate, and lead them to love. Allen is the author of "My Drug Dealer Brought Me to God," (available on Amazon and other booksellers) and works extensively in the nonprofit sector to help improve the lives of others. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Lori Adams-Brown: Surviving and Thriving After Church Abuse
Episode 67
Lori Adams-Brown: Surviving and Thriving After Church Abuse
This week Kelly talks with Lori Adams-Brown, who has an amazing story of resilience and healing after religious abuse from her work in a prominent megachurch. As this podcast is launching, the Southern Baptist Convention is having their annual meeting to talk about, among other things, the role of women in the church (and honestly, the role of women in life!) Lori is unique in that she has had a role of "Pastor" in a church that said it was pro-women, but found it was a front for exclusion, aggression, and abuse. In addition to her healing journey, Lori also talks about the work she does now, as a consultant and coach, bringing her spiritual lessons with her as she works for inclusion in that other sacred space--the workplace--and creating safe avenues for whistleblowers to make their voices heard. Lori Adams-Brown is a business and nonprofit executive and inclusivity specialist with 30 years experience of living and working abroad in Central & South America, Asia and the San Francisco Bay Area. Lori is is a combination of international speaker, business executive, podcaster and relief and development expert. She hosts the popular podcast "A World of Difference," celebrating humanitys unique differences and encouraging us all to make a difference around the world. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God
Episode 68
Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God
We talk with the editors of the volume Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God: Sermons, Essays, and Worship Elements from the Perspective of Open, Relational, and Process Theology about what process (or open and relational) theology is, how it answers many questions that modern believers struggle with, and how this rich collection of writings can help introduce people and churches to an innovative way of thinking about God and their own role in Gods work. Featuring Jeffry Wells, Vikki Randall, and Thomas Jay Oord. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: How Affirming Christians Got Here from There (Part 1 of 4)
Episode 69
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: How Affirming Christians Got Here from There (Part 1 of 4)
PART 1 of 4: Many Christians wonder how it is possible to be LGBTQ+ affirming in light of what most people assume to be a clear anti-Gay message in the bible. In this special 4-part series, Kelly examines how affirming Bible scholars view the 6 verses in the Bible that deal with same-sex relationships in the context of their time and place, and ask whether these really are sweeping prohibitions of all same-sex relationships, or are about specific issues in a certain time--including violence, idolatry, and religious difference--that may not apply to modern LGBTQ+ people and relationships. (TW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Incest, Slavery, Infanticide) Many thanks to Justin Lee, Colby Martin, Thomas Oord, and the Q Christian Fellowship, from whose scholarship we borrowed liberally! Justin Lee: https://geekyjustin.com/ Colby Martin: https://www.colbymartinonline.com/ Thomas J. Oord: https://thomasjayoord.com/ Q Christian Fellowship: https://www.qchristian.org/ 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture https://www.1946themovie.com/ Also, remember to find us at Theology Beer Camp https://www.eventbrite.com/e/theology-camp-the-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 And use our discount code RADICALHOBBIT to save $50 on tickets! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Navigating Sodom and the Abominations (Part 2 of 4)
Episode 70
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Navigating Sodom and the Abominations (Part 2 of 4)
PART 2 of 4: Many Christians wonder how it is possible to be LGBTQ+ affirming in light of what most people assume to be a clear anti-Gay message in the bible. This episode continues this exploration by taking on the story of Sodom, and investigating what are the "abominations" in the laws of Leviticus. In this special 4-part series, Kelly examines how affirming Bible scholars view the 6 verses in the Bible that deal with same-sex relationships in the context of their time and place, and ask whether these really are sweeping prohibitions of all same-sex relationships, or are about specific issues in a certain time--including violence, idolatry, and religious difference--that may not apply to modern LGBTQ+ people and relationships. (TW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Incest, Slavery, Infanticide) Many thanks to Justin Lee, Colby Martin, Thomas Oord, and the Q Christian Fellowship, from whose scholarship we borrowed liberally! Justin Lee: https://geekyjustin.com/ Colby Martin: https://www.colbymartinonline.com/ Thomas J. Oord: https://thomasjayoord.com/ Q Christian Fellowship: https://www.qchristian.org/ 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture https://www.1946themovie.com/ Also, remember to find us at Theology Beer Camp https://www.eventbrite.com/e/theology-camp-the-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 And use our discount code RADICALHOBBIT to save $50 on tickets! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: The Idolatry of Romans and The Vice Lists (Part 3 of 4)
Episode 71
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: The Idolatry of Romans and The Vice Lists (Part 3 of 4)
PART 3 of 4: Many Christians wonder how it is possible to be LGBTQ+ affirming in light of what most people assume to be a clear anti-Gay message in the bible. This episode wrestles with ROMANS 1, and the VICE LISTS in 1 Corinthians and 1 TIMOTHY. In this special 4-part series, Kelly examines how affirming Bible scholars view the 6 verses in the Bible that deal with same-sex relationships in the context of their time and place, and ask whether these really are sweeping prohibitions of all same-sex relationships, or are about specific issues in a certain time--including violence, idolatry, and religious difference--that may not apply to modern LGBTQ+ people and relationships. (TW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Incest, Slavery, Infanticide) Many thanks to Justin Lee, Colby Martin, Thomas Oord, and the Q Christian Fellowship, from whose scholarship we borrowed liberally! Justin Lee: https://geekyjustin.com/ Colby Martin: https://www.colbymartinonline.com/ Thomas J. Oord: https://thomasjayoord.com/ Q Christian Fellowship: https://www.qchristian.org/ 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture https://www.1946themovie.com/ Also, remember to find us at Theology Beer Camp https://www.eventbrite.com/e/theology-camp-the-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 And use our discount code RADICALHOBBIT to save $50 on tickets! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Love as the Interpretive Lens
Episode 72
The BIBLE and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Love as the Interpretive Lens
PART 4 of 4: Many Christians wonder how it is possible to be LGBTQ+ affirming in light of what most people assume to be a clear anti-Gay message in the bible. This episode summarizes all the verses we've studied so far, and weighs them against the larger backdrop of the Biblical principles of Love, Grace, and how we are called to treat others. Love doesn't necessarily mean accepting everything others do, and all though under the law of love, everything is permitted, not everything is beneficial--but love also desires more than just compelling others to do good. It desires their THRIVING. In this special 4-part series, Kelly examines how affirming Bible scholars view the 6 verses in the Bible that deal with same-sex relationships in the context of their time and place, and ask whether these really are sweeping prohibitions of all same-sex relationships, or are about specific issues in a certain time--including violence, idolatry, and religious difference--that may not apply to modern LGBTQ+ people and relationships. (TW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Incest, Slavery, Infanticide) Many thanks to Justin Lee, Colby Martin, Thomas Oord, and the Q Christian Fellowship, from whose scholarship we borrowed liberally! Justin Lee: https://geekyjustin.com/ Colby Martin: https://www.colbymartinonline.com/ Thomas J. Oord: https://thomasjayoord.com/ Q Christian Fellowship: https://www.qchristian.org/ 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture https://www.1946themovie.com/ Also, remember to find us at Theology Beer Camp https://www.eventbrite.com/e/theology-camp-the-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 And use our discount code RADICALHOBBIT to save $50 on tickets! Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Truth about Mary Magdalene--and why it matters! With Rita L. Houlihan
Episode 73
The Truth about Mary Magdalene--and why it matters! With Rita L. Houlihan
We are honored to have a visit from Rita L. Houlihan, who is a passionate advocate for telling the true story about the life and ministry of the "mysterious" Mary Magdalene--and why it matters for the modern church's understanding of the Gospels. She is also on the Board of Directors of FutureChurch, an organization dedicated to seeking "changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life, ministry, and governance," including, among other reforms, "a return to the Churchs earliest tradition, modeled on the inclusive practice of Jesus, of recognizing both female and male leaders of faith communities" Rita is committed to restoring our historical memory of early Christian women leaders with a special focus on Mary Magdalene and the women omitted from our Sunday Lectionary readings. She is also a patron of the arts, carrying through her mission by commissioning new artworks which "counter centuries of negative images of Mary Magdalene." A fascinating look at a much-misunderstood but very important figure in Christian history. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Pierce Marks and the Modern Meaning of Life
Episode 74
Pierce Marks and the Modern Meaning of Life
We are thinking big thoughts with author and philosopher Pierce Marks, as we talk about the modern crisis of meaning, how the concept of a moral paradigm can re-establish a sense of meaning, and how a few of the deep, elemental visions of Christianity, including love of being and the intrinsic value of creation, led Marks to see life in a new and meaningful way. Marks is the author of the recently released "A New Way Of Seeing: Meaning in Life and the Christian Vision of Nature," published by Quoir and available wherever books are sold. Pierce Alexander Marks is an Eastern Orthodox philosopher and photographer out of Washington. He holds an MA in Philosophy. His main research interests are in Existential-Metaethics, Philosophy of religion, and confirmation theory. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Faith, Politics, and the Christian Nationalist "Project": An Update with Keith Giles
Episode 75
Faith, Politics, and the Christian Nationalist "Project": An Update with Keith Giles
Christian Nationalism is all over the news today, from revelations about Project 2025 to recent SCOTUS rulings to mandating the 10 Commandments on the schoolroom walls. We are pleased to talk with author/publisher/commenter Keith Giles, who has been using the platform of his God Squad podcast (and others--he's a busy man!) to examine the history, accomplishments so far, and future goals of the decades-long movement to re-shape our country as a theocracy. Keith Giles is co-publisher at Quoir Publishing, author of numerous books including the recent "Quantum Sayings of Jesus," and is one of the hosts of the God Squad Podcast, the Heretic Happy Hour, and others. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Crisis, Control, and Christian Nationalism: Tim Whitaker on How We Got Here
Episode 76
Crisis, Control, and Christian Nationalism: Tim Whitaker on How We Got Here
We're excited to welcome Tim Whitaker (founder of The New Evangelicals) to share his expertise on Christian Nationalism--how it started, how it is growing, and what those who are driving this movement are saying behind closed doors. Tim is a podcaster and frequent commentator on the state of evangelicalism and the intersection of politics and religion in the United States. Tim is host of "The New Evangelicals" podcast and is co-host and frequent guest on a number others, and has a significant presence on other social media. Tim will also be appearing with us October 17-19 in Denver at Theology Beer Camp (where there are still tickets available--search for it at Eventbrite, and save $50 with our code, RADICALHOBBIT.) About Tim Whitaker, from The New Evangelicals Website: Growing up, Tim always felt at home in evangelical spaces until years later, when his studying and questions caused him to no longer be welcomed at in his church community. Brokenhearted, but undeterred, Tim continued to pursue a deeper understanding of faith, history, theology and the evangelical church. The more he uncovers, the more he realizes the importance of advocating for the marginalized in the church, exploring the full depth and breadth of Christian faith traditions, and holding toxic churches and leaders accountable.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What the Jewish Jesus can teach all of us, with Amy-Jill Levine
Episode 77
What the Jewish Jesus can teach all of us, with Amy-Jill Levine
This week we have a lively conversation with Amy-Jill Levine, who is a distinguished scholar of the New Testament and Jewish Studies (and who is Jewish herself), about Jesus and the New Testament in the light of how he would be understood in the Jewish context of the first century--as well as what Jesus has to offer to the world now, even to people who are not Christian (or even religious at all). This conversation offers some eye-opening perspectives on the deeper meanings of the parables of Jesus, how the teachings of Jesus are based in the Torah rather than diverging from it, and how misreadings of the Bible have led to historic antisemitism--but that a closer reading of the Bible can lead to dialogue and even coexistence of different faiths. Amy-Jill Levine is the author of countless books, including the upcoming "Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians." She is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, at Vanderbilt. Find out more about her at her FB page (link below) and find her books wherever books are sold. #christianity #judaism #jesus #deconstruction #interreligious #spirituality Amy-Jill Levine https://www.facebook.com/AmyJillLevine https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Atheists-Still-Matters-Secular/dp/0062216724 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces)Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Raceless Gospel": A Call to New Baptism with Rev Starlette Thomas
Episode 78
The Raceless Gospel": A Call to New Baptism with Rev Starlette Thomas
This week we have a prophet in the house! Mark and Kelly have an eye opening conversation with Rev Starlette Thomas--author, artist, race abolitionist--that we hope will stir you to action as much as it did for us. The topic of conversation is "The Raceless Gospel," the concept that the church in North America is built on a caste system called race, and needs a new baptism to wash away the sin of segregation. Not colorblindness, not post-racialism, but dying to ourselves and our relationship to race. Star Thomas challenges us look at ourselves honestly, release the sins of the past, and dive into our Christian values to continue to strive for justice and equality in this world--otherwise, she asks, what are we here for? Starlette Thomas is an author, activist, visual artist and race abolitionist. She is an associate editor and the director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative at Good Faith Media, which was inspired by her work and witness and is dedicated to leading didactic dialogues on race and its progeny. The Raceless Gospel aims to empower Christians to speak about the sociopolitical construct of race and the myriad injustices that intersect in their churches, communities and country. She is also the author of "Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church," and is host of The Raceless Gospel PodcastFind your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Brother Timothy Jolley: A Monks Devotion to Love and Action | Radical Love Live S3E19
Episode 79
Brother Timothy Jolley: A Monks Devotion to Love and Action | Radical Love Live S3E19
Mark talks with Brother Timothy Jolley, a life professed monk of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican Benedictine monastic community of men, associated with The Episcopal Church, located in West Park, New York. Br. Timothy joined the monastery over 50 years ago with a calling to serve a vocation dedicated to childrens education, spiritual evolution, and spiritual direction. Our conversation covers how Br. Timohty was called to become an Anglican monastic, his work with the formation of the Holy Cross School in Grahamstown, South Africa, what can happen when we show radical welcoming to a guest, and how he lives out the founders mission statement: Love must act as light must shine forth and fire must burn. Find out more about Holy Cross, their beautiful campus on the banks of the Hudson River offering many types of retreats, and the monastic life at www.holycrossmonastery.com. Please support the Love Must Act and the Holy Cross School by visiting www.lovemustact.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces)Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Many Lives of Dina Nina: A Journey of Faith, Courage, Resilience, and Joy
Episode 80
The Many Lives of Dina Nina: A Journey of Faith, Courage, Resilience, and Joy
(Part 1 of 2) Oh my gosh, what can we say about Dina Nina? This was an incredible conversation, so jam-packed we made it a two-part episode, with the fabulous Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, whose bio includes Performer, Speaker, Politician, Queer Clergy, and "a little woo woo." We cover a wide range of topics from her conservative upbringing to her journey to finding herself to entering ministry: jumping into politics: being the FIRST transgender woman elected to office in Madison, WI: her passion for comedy and performing; her faith and spirituality; mystical experiences and past lives; healing trauma, and so much more. There is so much joy and feeling in these episodes, we are moved and blessed to have Dina Nina as a guest, and to call her a friend! In addition to her life as a speaker, comedian, counselor, minister, and civic leader, Dina Nina also leads Light of Love Fellowship, an inclusive and affirming faith community, an organization which aims "to encourage connection with the divine, provide a safe space for those who have faced adversity within faith communities, and promote love as our guiding principle." Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford: https://dinanina.com/ Light of Love Fellowship: https://lightoflovefellowship.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinaninaxo/Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The Many Lives of Dina Nina Part 2 | Radical Love Live S3E28
Episode 81
The Many Lives of Dina Nina Part 2 | Radical Love Live S3E28
(Part 2 of 2) More more more! What can we say about Dina Nina? This was an incredible conversation, so jam-packed we made it a two-part episode, with the fabulous Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, whose bio includes Performer, Speaker, Politician, Queer Clergy, and "a little woo woo." We cover a wide range of topics from her conservative upbringing to her journey to finding herself to entering ministry: jumping into politics: being the FIRST transgender woman elected to office in Madison, WI: her passion for comedy and performing; her faith and spirituality; mystical experiences and past lives; healing trauma, and so much more. There is so much joy and feeling in these episodes, we are moved and blessed to have Dina Nina as a guest, and to call her a friend! In addition to her life as a speaker, comedian, counselor, minister, and civic leader, Dina Nina also leads Light of Love Fellowship, an inclusive and affirming faith community, an organization which aims "to encourage connection with the divine, provide a safe space for those who have faced adversity within faith communities, and promote love as our guiding principle." Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford: https://dinanina.com/ Light of Love Fellowship: https://lightoflovefellowship.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinaninaxo/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces) Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Can Mysticism Save America? with Dr. Bruce Epperly
Episode 82
Can Mysticism Save America? with Dr. Bruce Epperly
This week we talk with Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly, the multi-talented theologian, minister, professor, author, and pioneer in process/relational theology about one of his latest books, "Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America's Visionaries." We talk about what mysticism is, what it means to be a mystic in the Christian tradition (and others), key mystics in American history, and how Dr. Epperly's experiences with mysticism deepened his faith while also expanding his horizons. We also talk about how narrow and restrictive some traditional strains of Christianity can be, and how connecting with the Spirit can transform people and society as a whole. A great listen, as we cover a wide range of topics, history, and traditions. Epperly's bio, in his own words, from his website www.drbruceepperly.com: "I am a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, professor, and author of over sixty books. I regularly speak in person and on Zoom at conferences, seminars, churches and classes studying my books. I believe that we are all mystics, and that there is a mystic in you. Each of us, whether we are spiritual, religious, agnostic, seeking, struggling with belief, is on a holy adventure.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Tattoos, taboos, and theology with Justin Scoggins, author of Inking Christ
Episode 83
Tattoos, taboos, and theology with Justin Scoggins, author of Inking Christ
Justin Scoggins has a passion for tattoos, and a passion for an authentic Christian faith, and finds an intersection of the two in his new book "Inking Christ: A Theological Approach to Faith." In a discussion that goes way beyond the surface discussion of ink and skin, we talk about what it means to be a true Christian witness, the status of our bodies as "temples," and what the Bible passages about "marking ourselves" are really about. This was a fascinating exploration for all of us. Dr. Justin Scoggins has is currently Associate Director of Homeless Outreach in Winter Haven, Florida and holds a Doctorate in Theology. From Quoir Publishing: Inking Christ is a celebration of art, faith, and the myriad ways they intertwine. It is an invitation to view tattoos not as marks of rebellion or mere decoration, but as sacred symbols that narrate the story of one's walk with Jesus. Through this book, Dr. Scoggins aims to inspire believers to embrace the artistry of tattoos as a legitimate and meaningful form of worship, reflecting the beauty and love of Christ in a unique and personal manner.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Showing White People the Pathway to Anti-Racism (and Other Spiritual Journeys)
Episode 84
Showing White People the Pathway to Anti-Racism (and Other Spiritual Journeys)
Daniel Henderson, the author of "The Spiritual Journey to Anti-Racism: A Travel Guide for White People" (Quoir Press) embodies the idea that solving racism is a White People problem, not a People Of Color problem. While many well-meaning White liberals have relied on People of Color for racial education and pathways to reconciliation, Henderson has been inspired by his beliefs to pro-actively use his platform to guide White people on dismantling the systems that continue to perpetuate racial inequality OURSELVES. Our conversation covers Henderson's background in education and religion, his transition from Evangelical to a system of belief that more authentically fit his conscience (chronicled in his earlier book "Confessions of a Recovering Evangelical,"), and how that transformation led to his mission to do the work of dismantling racism. Henderson's story of belief goes back as far as the moment in 1966, when he "went forward" at a Billy Graham Crusade to give his life to Christ, up through the moment 40 years later, in 2005, he walked away from the traditional Evangelical church for a more authentic faith. With a 40-year career as an educator, speaker, writer and historian, Henderson continues today to encourage others to find their faith, embrace doubt, ask hard questions, and find their own spiritual path.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What the Bible REALLY Says about Marriage...and More Surprises! with Dr. Jennifer Bird
Episode 85
What the Bible REALLY Says about Marriage...and More Surprises! with Dr. Jennifer Bird
Jennifer Bird,PhD, knows a lot about the Christian Bible--including what's in it and also what isn't in it. This eye-opening conversation covers both ends of that spectrum, using Bird's book "Permission Granted: Take the Bible Into Your Own Hands" as a launching off point about what she discovered about the Bible, how our reading of the Bible impacts so many aspects of our culture, and why Biblical literacy is so important. We also dig in deeper on the subjects of "Biblical marriage" and women in Christianity, two subjects about which she is passionate, which she addresses head-on in her most recent book, "Marriage in the Bible: What DO the Texts Say?" From her bio at JenniferGraceBird.com: Her background within the United Methodist Church, education in a Presbyterian affiliated institution, more than a decade spent in several ministerial contexts, six years of graduate work in biblical studies, and more than 25 years of teaching in classrooms of all kinds all inform her approach to having quite honest, and sometimes difficult, conversations about what is actually to be found in the scriptures of the Christian Bible. You can also hear Jennifer regularly on the Wild Olive podcast (with Jeanne Petrolle,) as well as many other podcasts, lectures, videos, and more! Find Jennifer at: https://www.jennifergracebird.com/ https://www.instagram.com/moxieprof/ https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.grace.bird https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferBirdPhD https://www.tiktok.com/@jbird.moxieprof Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Talking Across the Cultural Divide (And how to do it better) with Justin Lee
Episode 86
Talking Across the Cultural Divide (And how to do it better) with Justin Lee
How do we talk with the people with whom we disagree the most? Especially in today's toxic social, religious, and political environment, where disagreement is seen as treason and we're all on the edge of being canceled? This week, we had our eyes opened when Justin Lee gave us some practical advice for how to communicate with those across the aisle--and why our old arguments have always failed so miserably. Justin first appeared on our radar in the early 2000s, when the "Great Debate" on his blog about LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church broke new ground in showing that there is such a thing as a committed, faithful, gay Christian, and arguing that the Bible may not say exactly what we think it does about all queer relationships through all time and circumstances. That conversation turned into the popular book "Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate," which was recently updated in a 2024 edition. Justin has now turned his attention to an even bigger picture, focusing on the many ways that we disagree across different aspects of our society, and dives deep into the causes of our disagreements, why our old ways of arguing with one another often backfire and make the divine even wider, and practical tools and methods of having productive conversations with the people who disagree with us the most. His essential book on this topic is called "Talking Across the Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree with and Maybe Even Change the World" Bio: Justin Lee has been successfully bridging cultural divides for 25 years. He first developed his strategic dialogue techniques while working at the difficult intersection of faith and LGBTQ issues, where he became internationally known for helping heal family and community rifts. His book on that subject, Torn, is now one of the most widely read in the field. Justins latest book, Talking Across the Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree Withand Maybe Even Change the World, draws on scientific research and real-world examples to apply these same techniques to todays political and social conflicts. Follow Justins work at GeekyJustin.com. Justin Lee Website: https://geekyjustin.com/ Facebook: @geekyjustin Instagram: @geekyjustinlee Twitter/X: @geekyjustinlee Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The devoted atheist who wants us see each other's (God-given) humanity
Episode 87
The devoted atheist who wants us see each other's (God-given) humanity
What is the connection between religion and radicalization? When either one turns into dehumanizing others, there is quite an overlap between the two. This week we talk with online personality The Fallen Ape-Theist (formerly known as the Faithiest Atheist) about his spiritual journey that led him to a kind of faith-friendly-atheism that frustrates believers and non-believers alike (albeit with a great sense of humor), and more seriously, how his military and counter-terrorism experience taught him about the dehumanizing power of radicalization--whether through religion, politics, or any movement that goes to the extremes. We talk about how our polarized society contributes to extreme views, how social media pours fuel on the fire, the first-hand experiences that he has had facing and disrupting radicalization, and the kind of community he maintains online, where people with differing views can talk with one another without thinking of others as less than human just because they disagree. Find the Fallen Ape Theist at: Twitter @TheApe_Theist Threads @thefallenape_theist Instagram @thefallenape_theist TikTok @thefallenape.theist YouTube https://youtube.com/@thefallenape-theist?si=9WkQRfmG47pbU6za Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Honoring the Journey from "Sister Christian" to Authenticity
Episode 88
Honoring the Journey from "Sister Christian" to Authenticity
Leslie Nease, author of "Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian," has been on an amazing journey, and we were blessed to be able to talk with her about it. Former Christian Radio Personality? Survivor Contestant? Publicly Celebrating People's Deconstruction Journeys? Life & Faith Transitions Coach? Yep, she is all of those and more. In Leslie's words: "I was very active in Christian Media and Ministry for about 16 years. I was a Christian Radio Host, Podcaster, Writer, Speaker and I was also a contestant on Survivor China, where I was dubbed Sister Christian by my fellow tribe-mates. My journey on Survivor was probably the catalyst that made me begin to question some of my beliefs and theology, but it took awhile for me to fully jump into deconstruction. For the past 7 years, though, I have been deconstructing my beliefs ). Now, Im speaking out publicly on my podcast, sharing stories of faith and faith transitions, hoping to get people to listen and learn from my guests and encouraging people to share their life and faith journeys. Website: www.leslieneasecoaching.com Podcast: https://honoring-the-journey.simplecast.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/leslieann.nease Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslienease X: https://x.com/leslienease Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Discovering Fire: Spiritual Practices that Spark Souls with Roger Wolsey
Episode 89
Discovering Fire: Spiritual Practices that Spark Souls with Roger Wolsey
Roger Wolsey wants to set your soul on fire! We've been huge fans of Wolsey's "Kissing Fish Book" Facebook fan page for years, (inspired by his book "Kissing Fish: Christianity for People who Don't Like Christianity") where he curates a Progressive Christian forum that challenges fixed ideas about Christianity, so we were so grateful go get to talk with him about his current burning passions. His latest book, "Discovering Fire: Spiritual Practices that Transform Lives" carries on his iconoclastic work and explores a more expansive view of love, society, and our possibilities to connect with the divine on a soul level. Wolsey describes himself as a "Progressive Pastor, Spiritual Director, Speaker, Writer, Soul Friend, & Coach." From his website: "I have been a speaker at The Wild Goose Festival (4 times), The Embrace Festival, The Lion and The Lamb Festival, and Christianity 21. Ive blogged for Elephant Journal, Huffington Post, and now primarily for Patheos as The Holy Kiss. Im the author of Discovering Fire, and Kissing Fish, and am the administrator of the Kissing Fish Facebook fan-page. I am also a contributing writer for the John Shelby Spong weekly newsletter Progressing Spirit, and serve on the Board of Directors of ProgressiveChristianity.org Roger Wolsey https://www.rogerwolsey.com/ https://www.facebook.com/RogerWolseySoulCoach https://www.facebook.com/KissingFishBook https://www.instagram.com/rogerwolsey/Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Luke Healy - From Conservative Roots to a New Era of Mystical Christianity
Episode 90
Luke Healy - From Conservative Roots to a New Era of Mystical Christianity
In this episode, Mark sits down with Luke Healy, cofounder of the Integral Christian Network (ICN), to explore Luke's journey from a conservative Christian background to becoming a pioneer in mystical, integral Christianity. Luke shares how his evolving faith led him to connect with Paul Smith, a significant figure in progressive Christianity, and how their shared vision sparked the creation of ICN. Together, Luke and Mark reflect on the soul enriching We Spaces, the small online gatherings that bring people together from across the globe, and the large Sunday gatherings designed to foster deep, spiritual connections among participants. They also dive into the reasons why ICN has seen substantial growth as people are drawn to its one-of-a-kind mystical Christian experience. Mark also reflects on a specific We Space group exclusively for queer men he co-created with Paul. Find out more about ICN at IntegralChristianNetwork.orgFind your guides at Quoir Academy! If you've ever deconstructed your faith you know it's not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you'll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Luke Healy From Conservative Roots to a New Era of Mystical Christianity
Episode 90
Luke Healy From Conservative Roots to a New Era of Mystical Christianity
In this episode, Mark sits down with Luke Healy, cofounder of the Integral Christian Network (ICN), to explore Lukes journey from a conservative Christian background to becoming a pioneer in mystical, integral Christianity. Luke shares how his evolving faith led him to connect with Paul Smith, a significant figure in progressive Christianity, and how their shared vision sparked the creation of ICN. Together, Luke and Mark reflect on the soul enriching We Spaces, the small online gatherings that bring people together from across the globe, and the large Sunday gatherings designed to foster deep, spiritual connections among participants. They also dive into the reasons why ICN has seen substantial growth as people are drawn to its one-of-a-kind mystical Christian experience. Mark also reflects on a specific We Space group exclusively for queer men he co-created with Paul. Find out more about ICN at IntegralChristianNetwork.orgFind your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Tahtianna Fermin: Fostering hope for gender-nonconforming community and beyond
Episode 91
Tahtianna Fermin: Fostering hope for gender-nonconforming community and beyond
Tahtianna Fermin (she/her) has many roles, including being an ordained minister, community activist, and founder of Bridges4Life, an organization that helps the Transgender Non-Conforming (TGNC) communitywork that is so essential in this current political climate that seeks to restrict care and protections for transgender/non-conforming people. In this refreshingly sunny conversation. Tahtianna talks with Kelly about her spiritual journey from conservative religious patriarchy to radical inclusion and outreach. We also talk about the need for the work that she and the Bridges4Life community is doing now, and look for some hope for the future. In addition to the qualifications listed above, Tahtianna Fermin is also a public speaker, writer, a member of The National LGBTW Workers Centers NYC chapter and other community organizations, a practitioner of spiritual healing, and an International Business and Marketing Student. Find out more about Tahtianna at https://bridges4life.org/our-founder/ and at https://tahtiannasministry.wixsite.com/transgender. Bridges4Life is an organization built on helping the TGNC community and serves the northern New Jersey and New York City metro areas. Bridges4Life provides services for a range of people in need, including children in the foster care system, young adults, and surviving sex workers. The organization is committed to helping teens and young adults on the street and in foster care become responsible, self-sufficient, confident and educated adults. Learn more about Bridges4Life at https://bridges4life.org/. Tahtianna Fermin Facebook: @tahttiana.infiniti Instagram: @tahtianna_fermin_ Bridges4Life Facebook: @Bridges4Life Twitter: @bridges4_life Instagram: @bridges4life_ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
God, Sex, & Rich People: Confessions of an Ex-Evangelical
Episode 92
God, Sex, & Rich People: Confessions of an Ex-Evangelical
An eye-opening (and VERY candid) conversation about one womans discovery that not everything she learned about God and Sex growing up was necessarily what Jesus said, OR how things are done in the big city. We are grateful to Mattie Jo Cowsert, author of the new book God, Sex, and Rich People (Quoir Publishing), for taking the time to share her story with us, shamelessly oversharing about how she kept laughing and learning (even through some of the worst times) as her purity culture faade came undone and she found her authentic self underneath. Mattie Jo was a pastors kid and proud purity ring wearer before she moved to New York City and experienced an unexpected worldview and identity implosion. Her popular blog God, Sex, and Rich People exposed the sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious realities of a young female EXvangelical navigating the diversity of the Big Apple, working for the 1%, and trying to have good sex without hating herself in the city that never sleeps (and never stops sleeping around). Mattie Jo has appeared on The New Evangelicals Podcast, IndoctriNation, and Talkin Politics and Religion without Killin Each Other, among many others. She was invited by author Linda Kay Klein to join the Voices and Faces + Breakfree Together collaboration writing cohort on Religious Trauma, one of only ten individuals across the US to be selected.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
M.E. Young: Let Your Silenced Voice Grow Wild
Episode 93
M.E. Young: Let Your Silenced Voice Grow Wild
[Part 1 of 2] M.E. Young has led a varied and abundant life, with so much wildness and experience we needed two episodes to even begin to scratch the surface. Through this lively conversation we cover a range of lessons she has learned through her spiritual journey, including her vocation as a Catholic Missionary Sister and Music Minister who challenged traditional conventions, her controversial service as a Family Planning Clinic Administrator, her awakening to her true sexuality that transformed her idea of sacred desires, and her creative and healing work as a writer, visual artist, shaman, and integrative massage therapist. M.E. Young is the author of the newly released book, Naked Seeds: One Womans Journey to Unearth What Was Silenced, which contains her seventy-plus year curation of songs, poems, sermons, and stories that she has collected along the way. As she describes her mission as helping women and men give voice to personal truths that the religious patriarchy has silenced in the past. She enjoys encouraging others on their healing journey and would enjoy connecting with you on her website at www.MeYoungCreator.com.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
M.E. Young: Let Your Silenced Voice Grow Wild PART 2
Episode 94
M.E. Young: Let Your Silenced Voice Grow Wild PART 2
[Part 2 of 2] M.E. Young has led a varied and abundant life, with so much wildness and experience we needed two episodes to even begin to scratch the surface. Through this lively conversation we cover a range of lessons she has learned through her spiritual journey, including her vocation as a Catholic Missionary Sister and Music Minister who challenged traditional conventions, her controversial service as a Family Planning Clinic Administrator, her awakening to her true sexuality that transformed her idea of sacred desires, and her creative and healing work as a writer, visual artist, shaman, and integrative massage therapist. M.E. Young is the author of the newly released book, Naked Seeds: One Womans Journey to Unearth What Was Silenced, which contains her seventy-plus year curation of songs, poems, sermons, and stories that she has collected along the way. As she describes her mission as helping women and men give voice to personal truths that the religious patriarchy has silenced in the past. She enjoys encouraging others on their healing journey and would enjoy connecting with you on her website at www.MeYoungCreator.com. M.E. Young https://www.meyoungcreator.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get Information and Tickets for Theology Beer Camp October 17-19 Denver, CO https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tRADICALHOBBITthe-return-of-the-god-pods-tickets-824208298207 Promo Code for our listeners: RADICALHOBBIT (all caps, no spaces) Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Can Reviving Progressive Christianity Save the World?
Episode 95
Can Reviving Progressive Christianity Save the World?
Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly believes it can! Join us for this groundbreaking discussion about doubling down on the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as forces for good in our nation and the world. In the dark aftermath of the January 2020 storming of the US Capitol, Epperly was inspired to fly to his writing desk to lay out a sweeping vision for healing the American spirit. Far from shying away from Christian teaching as the source of revival in the US, he dives in deep into the prophetic iconoclasm and system-shaking theology of progressive Christianity, and makes the case for reclaiming our relationship with Jesus as a mystic, healer, and prophet. Rev. Bruce Epperly PhD, is a multi-talented theologian, minister, professor, and author of over 80 books, including his latest, "Saving Progressive Christianity to Save the Planet." He is a pioneer in progressive Christianity and process/open and relational theology. He regularly speaks in person and on Zoom at conferences, seminars, churches and classes studying his books, and urgent topics of society, culture, politics, and faith. He also continues to teach as Adjunct Faculty at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. From his website: "I believe that we are all mystics, and that there is a mystic in you. Each of us, whether we are spiritual, religious, agnostic, seeking, struggling with belief, is on a holy adventure. Find out more about Bruce at https://www.drbruceepperly.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Gender, Madness, and Theology: A Conversation with Charlotte Dalwood
Episode 96
Gender, Madness, and Theology: A Conversation with Charlotte Dalwood
Charlotte Dalwood has written a fantastic new book, Until at Dawn We Wake, (Now Available from Quoir publishing) which takes us on a revealing, bold, raw journey through the experience of psychosis, gender dysphoria, and Christian faith. In this bold, honest conversation, Charlotte shares her journey with us and how it has urged her to reexamine creation, sin, and redemption. We cover a wide range of territory, including disability theory, anti-carceral politics, feminism, and how our theology might be shaped by the ongoing abuse crisis plaguing American churches. Charlotte Dalwood a commentator on Canadian constitutional law, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and religion. Her monthly column for Rabble.ca appears on the third Monday of each month. She also regularly writes for Xtra Magazine, and her work has appeared in in CBC News, Religion Dispatches, and Sojourners. Until At Dawn We Wake is her first book. Charlottes scholarly research spans the fields of law, religion, and contemporary critical theory. She also blogs at The Ends of Justice about administrative and constitutional law.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Breaking Free: Paul Darminio on Radical Love, Queer Inclusion, and Leaving the Nazarene Church
Episode 97
Breaking Free: Paul Darminio on Radical Love, Queer Inclusion, and Leaving the Nazarene Church
In this powerful episode of Radical Love Live, we sit down with Paul Darminio, an ordained minister (for now) in the Church of the Nazarene, chaplain at an inpatient behavioral health center in New Jersey, and PhD candidate at Northwind Theological Seminary. As a cisgender hetero man, married with two teenagers, Paul shares his evolving faith journey and deep commitment to a religious worldview that embraces all people as God's beloveds, including queer individuals often excluded by traditional church doctrines. Paul opens up about his own struggles with depression and the experience of being an outsider, offering a raw and empathetic perspective that informs his ministry today. He discusses the mounting tension between his inclusive beliefs and the anti-queer stances of the Nazarene Churcha conflict that ultimately become one of his reasons to resign. The breaking point was a shocking scandal where church leadership chose to cover up a case of sexual abuse instead of reporting it to authorities. Now, Paul focuses his energy as a chaplain, where he provides spiritual care with a special tenderness for queer patients. He also reflects on the work of the Open Table Network and his vision for a future where radical love and justice replace exclusion and silence. Join us for an honest and hopeful conversation about faith, accountability, and what it means to truly embody Gods radical love. Dont forget to like, share, and subscribe to Radical Love Live, a member of the QuoirCast network. www.RadicalLoveLive.com and www.Quoir.com Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
What About the Children: Nicole Doyley on Growing Up Biracial and the Courage to Talk About Race
Episode 98
What About the Children: Nicole Doyley on Growing Up Biracial and the Courage to Talk About Race
In this compelling episode of Radical Love Live, hosts Mark Dilcom and Kelly Wilson sit down with Nicole Doyley, author of What About the Children, to discuss her powerful journey as a biracial child of a Black father and a White mother during a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in parts of the United States. Nicole shares intimate reflections on how her family's silence around race shaped her experience and why its vital for familiesand society as a wholeto embrace honest, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations about race. Today, Nicole is a mother of two teenagers, and navigating this conversation within her own family. Together, we explore the emotional impact of being biracial, the challenges of navigating identity, and the importance of dismantling silence that perpetuates racial harm. Nicole also delves into how these conversations align with the Christian faith tradition, reminding us that avoiding hard truths is contrary to the radical love and justice we are called to embody. This episode is a heartfelt invitation to confront racial dynamics with courage, vulnerability, and a commitment to transformative dialogue. Tune in for a conversation that challenges us all to step into the messy, beautiful work of reconciliation and justice. You can find Nicole and her books at www.NicoleDoyley.com. Nicole also hosts a podcast, Lets Talk: Conversations on Race, which can be found on Apple and Spotify. Dont forget to like, share, and subscribe to Radical Love Live, a member of the QuoirCast network. www.RadicalLoveLive.com and www.Quoir.com Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: Square 2: Next Steps Into Reconstruction: Self-Paced Reconstruction Course Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Faith, Deconstruction, and Redemption: Blair Coyles Journey | Radical Love Live
Episode 99
Faith, Deconstruction, and Redemption: Blair Coyles Journey | Radical Love Live
Welcome to Radical Love Live with Kelly Wilson and Mark Dilcom! In this episode, we sit down with indie-folk musician Blair Coyle, whose deep baritone voice and poetic storytelling reflect a profound journey of faith, deconstruction, and redemption. Highlights: Kelly and Mark share their hopes and reflections for the new year. Blair opens up about his spiritual background, his time as a missionary, and the personal struggles that led him to question his faith. A candid discussion on the impacts of purity culture, evangelical traditions, and the freedom found in redefining belief systems. Blair's music and how it bridges his journey from faith to doubt and ultimately, self-acceptance. Featured Tracks: Carousel and Winds of October. Don't miss our upcoming 100th Episode Celebration, featuring special guests and surprises! Join the conversation: What are your thoughts on navigating faith and spirituality in today's world? Drop a comment below and let us know! Connect with Blair Coyle: Blair's Official Website | Instagram Subscribe for more stories that inspire radical love and change.Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
The State of Faith Today (& Imagining the Faith of Tomorrow): A 100th Episode Special
Episode 100
The State of Faith Today (& Imagining the Faith of Tomorrow): A 100th Episode Special
Its our 100th episode! We celebrate this milestone with a lively conversation with our first guest speakers, two innovative spiritual thinkers who helped us launch the first Radical Love Live event 5 years ago. We welcome back author, minister, and post-Christian thinker Maria Francesca French and scholar, author, theologian, and minister John Thatamanil to revisit the first topics we took on at the beginning of this projectCrisis and Changeand to check in on how our world and the state of faith has changed since we first spoke. In this episode we delve into such topics as how we continue to search for meaning and purpose in a post-truth world, how humans often find something to worship even in the absence of God, and how the power of imagination and story can help us find that which is true as we face each new day. Maria Francesca French is the author of Safer than the Known Way: A Post-Christian Journey and Reconfiguring: A Collection of Post-Christian and Theologies (Quoir Publishing). She has spent her career in theological education as both professor and administrator, holding two MAs and a DMin. Maria has worked in innovative church contexts, planting, and denominational leadership focused on the intersections of faith and culture. Offering new forums for faith engagement and theological imagination that are viable and sustainable for an uncertain future, exploring Radical Theology and post-theist thought for the present and future of faith. Dr John Thatamanil is Associate Professor of Theology and World Religions at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is the author of Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity (Fordham University Press) and The Immanent Divine: God, Creation, and the Human Predicament; An EastWest Conversation (Fortress). He teaches a wide variety of courses in the areas of comparative theology, theologies of religious diversity, Hindu-Christian dialogue, the theology of Paul Tillich, theory of religion, and process theology. He is committed to the work of comparative theologytheology that learns from and with a variety of traditions. A central question that drives his work is How can Christian communities come to see religious diversity as a promise rather than as a problem? Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
PART 2 The State of Faith Today (& Imagining the Faith of Tomorrow): A 100th Episode Special
Episode 101
PART 2 The State of Faith Today (& Imagining the Faith of Tomorrow): A 100th Episode Special
In this episode we delve into such topics as how we continue to search for meaning and purpose in a post-truth world, how humans often find something to worship even in the absence of God, and how the power of imagination and story can help us find that which is true as we face each new day. Maria Francesca French is the author of Safer than the Known Way: A Post-Christian Journey and Reconfiguring: A Collection of Post-Christian and Theologies (Quoir Publishing). She has spent her career in theological education as both professor and administrator, holding two MAs and a DMin. Maria has worked in innovative church contexts, planting, and denominational leadership focused on the intersections of faith and culture. Offering new forums for faith engagement and theological imagination that are viable and sustainable for an uncertain future, exploring Radical Theology and post-theist thought for the present and future of faith. Dr John Thatamanil is Associate Professor of Theology and World Religions at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is the author of Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity (Fordham University Press) and The Immanent Divine: God, Creation, and the Human Predicament; An EastWest Conversation (Fortress). He teaches a wide variety of courses in the areas of comparative theology, theologies of religious diversity, Hindu-Christian dialogue, the theology of Paul Tillich, theory of religion, and process theology. He is committed to the work of comparative theologytheology that learns from and with a variety of traditions. A central question that drives his work is How can Christian communities come to see religious diversity as a promise rather than as a problem?Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dana Hicks: Connecting with the Divine After Deconstruction
Episode 102
Dana Hicks: Connecting with the Divine After Deconstruction
Is there spirituality after deconstruction? Public theologian and ecclesiastical disrupter Dana Hicks shares the story of his exploration of the ways in which the post-deconstruction or post-Christian soul can find those thin placesareas in our lives where we can connect with the divine without dogma or fundamentalismwhere practices such as meditation, service, and (perhaps) the occasional mushroom can dissolve the ego and help one remember ones place as part of the larger creation. (And that creation also includes Mark's new puppy, who, if you listen closely, you may hear squeaking a tennis ball in the background.) Dana Robert Hicks the Amazon best-selling author of The Quest for Thin Places: How to Find Spirituality after Deconstruction (SacraSage Press). His writings revolve around the themes of culture, change, and spirituality. For over 30 years, he served as a church planter, pastor, university professor, and leadership developer. He is the President of The Open Table Network - a progressive network that ordains faith leaders so they can be people of love within communities of love. He is also the Chief Operating Officer for Azura - a social services agency that exists to alleviate poverty in the State of Arizona. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Liz Charlotte Grant: Losing Faith in the Bible (But Learning to Love it Again)
Episode 103
Liz Charlotte Grant: Losing Faith in the Bible (But Learning to Love it Again)
How does one learn to love the Bible again? For Liz Charlotte Grant, it is almost like a story from a movie: girl meets Bible, falls in love, discovers Bibles secret past, falls out of love with Bible, but eventually realizes she was really in love the whole time, once she learned how to look at the Bible in a new way. This is an eye-opening conversation about how the tools that scholars have used throughout the history of scripture, with names like Hermeneutic and Midrash and Eisegesis, helped bring the Bible back to life after deconstruction, and reconnect Grant with the essence of what she loved most about scripture. Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning nonfiction writer based in Colorado, USA. Her debut nonfiction book, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible, was released by Eerdmans Publishing Co. on January 7, 2025. In 2024, she wrote a viral article chronicling the disturbing third marriage of an icon of white American evangelical purity culture, "Elisabeth Elliot, Flawed Queen of Purity Culture, and Her Disturbing Third Marriage," the Revealer Magazine, a publication of the Center for Religion and Media at New York University. Grants Substack newsletter, the Empathy List, has received recognition from the Webby Awards and the Best of the Church Press Awards. Her work has also appeared in outlets such as the Huffington Post, Religion News Service, Hippocampus Magazine, Brevity, Sojourners, the Christian Century, Christianity Today, US Catholic, National Catholic Reporter. Find more of Liz Charlotte's work at: https://lizcharlotte.com/ https://www.threads.net/@lizcharlottegrant https://www.instagram.com/lizcharlottegrant https://www.facebook.com/lizcharlottegrant Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jon Turney: When grace is too big for the church to hold
Episode 104
Jon Turney: When grace is too big for the church to hold
(Part 1 of 2) Sometimes faith just doesnt fit within the church wallsor it even breaks those walls down. This week we talk with Jon Turney, co-host of the popular THIS IS NOT CHURCH podcast, which challenges mainstream religious narratives and flips a few tables along the way. We talk about so many things we needed two episodes (!), including deconstruction and reconstruction, the religion wed have if we were lost in space, how empathy changes us when we know people instead of objectifying them, rocking out in the SBC and maintaining friendships with faith leaders we disagree with, the jump from guilt to hyper-grace, and more. Jon Turney, a former worship and associate pastor, and the co-host of the popular This Is Not Church podcast. Nestled in the tranquility of Northern California, Jon resides with his incredible wife, his three adult children, and a lively assortment of grand pets. Beyond his roles in faith and podcasting, Jon finds inspiration on his 23-acre slice of heaven, where he explores the depths of nature, the cosmos, and his own thoughts. Jon is also the author of the thought-provoking science fiction novel RJ the Astronaut (Quoir publishing). Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jon Turney: When grace is too big for the church to hold (PART 2)
Episode 105
Jon Turney: When grace is too big for the church to hold (PART 2)
(Part 2 of 2) Sometimes faith just doesnt fit within the church wallsor it even breaks those walls down. This week we talk with Jon Turney, co-host of the popular THIS IS NOT CHURCH podcast, which challenges mainstream religious narratives and flips a few tables along the way. We talk about so many things we needed two episodes (!), including deconstruction and reconstruction, the religion wed have if we were lost in space, how empathy changes us when we know people instead of objectifying them, rocking out in the SBC and maintaining friendships with faith leaders we disagree with, the jump from guilt to hyper-grace, and more. Jon Turney, a former worship and associate pastor, and the co-host of the popular This Is Not Church podcast. Nestled in the tranquility of Northern California, Jon resides with his incredible wife, his three adult children, and a lively assortment of grand pets. Beyond his roles in faith and podcasting, Jon finds inspiration on his 23-acre slice of heaven, where he explores the depths of nature, the cosmos, and his own thoughts. Jon is also the author of the thought-provoking science fiction novel RJ the Astronaut (Quoir publishing). Jon Turney FB: @jonturney.author Threads: @jon_turney_author IG: @the_unpastor TikTok: @thisisnotchurch X: @jondturney Web: thisisnotchurch.comFind your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Faith Under Fire? The Truth About Christianity in America Today
Episode 106
Faith Under Fire? The Truth About Christianity in America Today
Has the US become a bad place to be a Christian? In a recent NY Times feature, writer Aaron Renn, who has been called the "Malcolm Gladwell of Conservative Christianity," claims that America has shifted into a "negative world" where Christianity is a social liability. In this episode, Mark and Kelly wrestle with this idea that Christianity is losing its cultural dominance in the US. We cover a range of topics such as the prevalence of Christianity (a recent PRRI study asserts that 2/3 of Americans identify as Christian), Christian nationalism, persecution, tolerance, inclusion, privilege and power, the response of Progressive Christians, and what it even means to be a Christian in the first place. For the original article, see https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/aaron-renn-christianity-conservative-negative-world.html For the PRRI research, see: https://www.prri.org/research/census-2023-american-religionFind your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dina Nina Martinez: Can't erase us--Trans people are here & getting stronger
Episode 107
Dina Nina Martinez: Can't erase us--Trans people are here & getting stronger
In the USA right now, every day brings another attack on transgender identities, lives, and existence. We were eager to check in with Dina Nina Martinez--public servant, activist, comedian, queer minster, and so much more--to understand the current crisis from her point of view. Moreso, we wanted to know where she is turning for hope, community, and spiritual nourishment. The lives and safety of people we love are on the line, just to be kicked around as a political football by those who exploit them to spread fear and gain votes. The time to stand up for our trans family is now. Dina Nina serves as the 15th District Alder in Madison, WI (and is the first trans woman ever elected to office there.) She is also a performer, minister, speaker, and so much more. You can find out more about Dina Nina's creative, ministerial, and political work at her website dinanina.com. She also encourages you to check out the services and offerings at Light of Love Fellowship, an inclusive and affirming faith community, an organization which aims "to encourage connection with the divine, provide a safe space for those who have faced adversity within faith communities, and promote love as our guiding principle." Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford Website: https://dinanina.com/ Light of Love Fellowship Website: https://lightoflovefellowship.com/ Dina Nina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinaninaxo/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Matthew Distefano & Keith Giles: Reading Romans Right
Episode 108
Matthew Distefano & Keith Giles: Reading Romans Right
The authors, Matthew Distefano and Keith Giles, are both accomplished writers and teachers in their own right, as well as being the hosts of the popular Heretic Happy Hour podcast. They are also the co-publishers at Quoir Publishing, an author-focused publishing company that publishes work about life, the universe, and everything. They are also the founders of Quoir Academy, an online learning resource where scholars and spiritual guides offer practical expertise. Matthew Distefano: Facebook: @matthew.distefano.7 Instagram: @mj_distefano Website: https://www.allsetfree.com/ Keith Giles: Facebook: @100063595719168 Instagram: @keithagiles Website: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/ Heretic Happy Hour: https://heretichappyhour.podbean.com/ Quoir: https://quoir.com/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dillon Naber Cruz: Speaking truth to "F@$%wittery" for the Kingdom of God
Episode 109
Dillon Naber Cruz: Speaking truth to "F@$%wittery" for the Kingdom of God
The Tattooed Theologian has something to say about all of it: racism, LGBTQIA bigotry, ecology, capitalism, fundamentalism, Christian nationalism, F*CKWITTERY & the questions and revelations that drive his work. This weeks conversation with public theologian Dillon Naber Cruz covers the gamut of his musings about theology through the lens of permaculture(which, defined too simply here, is a kind of eco-theology of partnering with nature achieve sustainable goals). Its a sweeping conversation with immediate impact. Cruz is a public theologian, blogger, podcaster, and author, whose most recent book is Theological Musings Volume 2. He is also the author of Go Golden: Applying a Universal Religious Teaching and the Ethics of Permaculture to Create a Sustainable, Just, Happier World He is also a co-host onThe God Squad Pod, a regular guest on theological podcasts and a panelist on John Fugelsangs show Tell Me Everything on SiriusXM Progress. Dillon Naber Cruz Website: https://tattooed-theologian.com Podcast: https://tattooed-theologian.com/the-god-squad-podcast Instagram: @tattooed_theologian Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Kevin Sweeney: Where Cosmic Christ meets The Concrete Jesus
Episode 110
Kevin Sweeney: Where Cosmic Christ meets The Concrete Jesus
For Kevin Sweeney (author, speaker, spiritual director), Christian faith is all about experiencing God, not in having abstract beliefs about God. And the experiences that have kept him a Christian, even after his first dogmatic teachings about the Bible fell by the wayside, have been at the intersection of the great, transcendent, mystical Cosmic Christ, and the real, authentic, liberating, earthly Concrete Jesus. Kevin talks with us about fading back from a front-and-center role as a pastor to being a servant and part of the whole body of Christ, as a writer and hospice chaplain helping people transition into their next phase. And he also talks with us about how tangible, boots-on-the ground liberation theologyparticularly Black theology taught by James Cone, Kelly Brown Douglas, and othershas kept him grounded in the understanding that love is real, love is now, and love is active in this world. Jesus isnt here just to save our individual souls, he tells us. Without liberation, there is no Jesus. Listen for this great perspective on how the cosmic vision and real world works of faith can be reconciled into a single cohesive Christian faith. Kevin is the author of the new book, Cosmic Christ and Cosmic Jesus, which is available for pre-order and will be released in May 2025. He is also the author of the previous books The Making of a Mystic: My Journey With Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, and Why It's Okay for Everyone to Relax and The Joy of Letting Go: How One Thing Has the Power to Change Everything. He is also the host of The Church Needs Therapy podcast, and co-founder of Imagine Church in Honolulu. To learn more about Kevins work, visit www.kevinsweeneynow.com or follow him on IG: @kevinsweeneynow Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Kevin Sweeney: Where Cosmic Christ meets The Concrete Christ
Episode 110
Kevin Sweeney: Where Cosmic Christ meets The Concrete Christ
For Kevin Sweeney (author, speaker, spiritual director), Christian faith is all about experiencing God, not in having abstract beliefs about God. And the experiences that have kept him a Christian, even after his first dogmatic teachings about the Bible fell by the wayside, have been at the intersection of the great, transcendent, mystical Cosmic Christ, and the real, authentic, liberating, earthly Concrete Jesus.? Kevin talks with us about fading back from a front-and-center role as a pastor to being a servant and part of the whole body of Christ, as a writer and hospice chaplain helping people transition into their next phase. And he also talks with us about how tangible, boots-on-the ground liberation theology?particularly Black theology taught by James Cone, Kelly Brown Douglas, and others?has kept him grounded in the understanding that love is real, love is now, and love is active in this world. Jesus isn?t here just to save our individual souls, he tells us. Without liberation, there is no Jesus. Listen for this great perspective on how the cosmic vision and real world works of faith can be reconciled into a single cohesive Christian faith.? Kevin is the author of the new book, ?Cosmic Christ and Cosmic Jesus,? which is available for pre-order and will be released in May 2025. He is also the author of the previous books ?The Making of a Mystic: My Journey With Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, and Why It's Okay for Everyone to Relax? and ?The Joy of Letting Go: How One Thing Has the Power to Change Everything.? He is also the host of ?The Church Needs Therapy? podcast, and co-founder of Imagine Church in Honolulu. To learn more about Kevin?s work, visit www.kevinsweeneynow.com or follow him on IG: @kevinsweeneynow Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you?ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it?s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you?ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Tamice Spencer-Helms: Experiencing an Unleavened Faith
Episode 111
Tamice Spencer-Helms: Experiencing an Unleavened Faith
Tamice Spencer-Helms (they/she) riffs on wisdom. They take us on a vast, universe-spanning theological journey that is rooted in our bodies, our ancestry, and our feet right here on the ground. In the church and in our culture in America, there is something hidden and pervasive, Tamice says, and it will continue to eat at us until we find it, name it, and respond to it. Efforts to address it through the lens of race or through the lens of economics only scratch the surface. The leaven that contaminates our systems is deeper than that, based we relate to ourselves, to God, and to one another. Its a wild ride! Tamice unleashes some wisdom that will have you thinking long after youve finished listening. Tamice Spencer-Helms (they/she) is a theologian, public speaker, curriculum developer, and consultant based in Richmond, Virginia, with over two decades of experience in young adult leadership, spiritual innovation, and social change. She is the founder of the Soulful Leadership Project , Sub:Culture Inc., and the R.E.S.T. Mixtape. Tamice is also known for their contributions to theoactivism and the philosophy of religion. In February 2021, they published their powerhouse debut, Faith Unleavened: The Wilderness Between Trayvon Martin & George Floyd , andhost the Life After Leaven podcast. Find more of their work at www.tamicenamaespeaks.com. Links: www.tamicenamaespeaks.com IG: @tamicenamaespeaks Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Melanie Hood-Wilson: They're saying the quiet part out loud about DEI
Episode 112
Melanie Hood-Wilson: They're saying the quiet part out loud about DEI
Whats so crazy about diversity, equity, and inclusion? We are so glad to welcome back Melanie Hood-Wilson, DEI consultant and educator, to talk about her work and mission in the midst of the current administrations attacks on programs it calls Radical and Wasteful. Melanie is incisive, bold, and clearly lays out the issues were facing as America says the quiet part out loud, the core issues of identity and belonging that are driving the backlash against DEI programs, and opens up the possibilities for things that all of us can do to help ensure that our companies and organizations include every qualified candidate, without preferencing or shutting out anyone because of their identity. Melanie is the leader of Melanie Hood-Wilson and Associates, a consulting company providing services designed to teach, enlighten, and change lives through teaching, learning, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She and her team are dedicated to helping organizations improve their cultural competency and increase the representation of communities of color, women, individuals with differing abilities, the LGBTQIA community, and those of diverse religious and national backgrounds. Her company also sponsors an innovative range of caucuses, where groups of open-minded people with similar backgrounds can learn more about disrupting biased systems and advocating for themselves. Prior to being a consultant, Melanie gained tremendous experience as a teacher both in middle school and at the Community college of Baltimore County. Learn more about her work at https://www.melaniehood-wilsonandassociates.com/ Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Starlette Thomas: The Apocalypse of White Body Supremacy
Episode 113
Starlette Thomas: The Apocalypse of White Body Supremacy
On March 10, a demolition crew tore up the pavement of Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC, and Reverend Starlette Thomas was there to bear witness. With this moment of government-ordered erasure as our starting point, we talk with Thomas about the protest and community that happened on that very ground after the killing of George Floyd in 2020and why recent history has made many African-American protestors avoid the recent Hands Off rallies across the country. In this fiery and revelatory conversation, Thomas explains how our color-coded society is a facade for a destructive caste system, how those who are racialized with the identity of white body supremacy need to squelch the voices of others to stay in power, and makes the case for finding our holy somebodyness in something other than race. Starlette Thomas is an author, activist, visual artist, and race abolitionist. She is also editor and director of the Raceless Gospel Initiative. She regularly preaches and teaches throughout the country and her sermons have been featured by Sojourners and other publications. Starlette is also a contributing author for the book Faith Forward: A Dialogue on Children, Youth & a New Kind of Christianity and author of the the book, Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church (Nurturing Faith). She is also the host of the Raceless Gospel podcast, now in its fifth season. Find more of her work at racelessgospel.com or on social media at @racelessgospel. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Dr Mark Karris: Healing Religious Trauma and Rediscovering Yourself
Episode 114
Dr Mark Karris: Healing Religious Trauma and Rediscovering Yourself
There is a growing awareness of the impact that religious traumadamaging things weve been told, that have been done to us, and that weve believed in negative religious environmentscan have a lasting affects on our self-esteem, our relationships, and can even get down into our very nervous systems. This is a heartfelt conversation with Dr Mark Karris that focuses on his experiences in helping others heal the trauma of their adverse religious experiences, as well as the story of his own journey to heal his own traumatic experiences in the church. This is an important discussion for anyone who wants to understand religious trauma better, for those who pastor or counsel others who may have religious trauma, or for those who know that something wasnt right in the religious environment they were brought up in, and need to hear it: youre not crazy. Dr Mark G Karris a licensed Marriage and Family therapist who works with youth, families, couples, and individuals. He brings a range of professional, academic, and travel experiences that give him a breadth of knowledge and empathy. In addition to his role as therapist, Karris is also a prolific author. His latest book is Beyond Fairy Tales: A Couples Guide to Finding Clarity, Doing the Work, and Building a Lasting Relationship. He is also the author of Religious Refugees: (De)Constructing Toward Spiritual and Emotional Healing; The Diabolical Trinity:Healing Religious Trauma from a Wrathful God, Tormenting Hell, and a Sinful Self; and Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Uncontrolling Love of God. You can find out more about Dr. Karris and his work at https://markgregorykarris.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Jay Bakker: Fight Better with Each Other (it's the Christian thing to do)
Episode 115
Jay Bakker: Fight Better with Each Other (it's the Christian thing to do)
Bakker is back, and he wants you to argue better! "Can't we all get along?" sounds like one of the most naive questions in the world, but in truth, it's one of the most Christlike things we can do. Our guest Jay Bakker, punk-rock pastor, author, and independent scholar, has long been a champion of arguing well, giving others grace, and also calling out intolerance--both on the right and on the left. In this conversation, we dig into what is going on in our country, the deep and wounding polarization, and the lessons we can learn from how figures ranging from Paul to MLK Jr to John Hume to our beloved Tammy Faye (Jay's mom) found a foundation for dialogue in the midst of the conflicts of their times. Jay Bakker is the pastor and founder of Revolution Gathering (https://revolutionchurch.com/), a radically inclusive online community of believers and seekers who want to do church in a way that fits their values, without the partisanship and division. He's on YouTube with his latest message every week--go watch, like, and subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@revolutionbroadcasting! Jay is also the author of "Son of a Preacher Man", which recounts his experience growing up as the son of famed televangelists Jim and Tammy Bakker, and the more recent books "Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self & Society" and "Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I've Crossed." Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Bruce Epperly: What Would Jesus (not Trump) Do? PART 1
Episode 116
Bruce Epperly: What Would Jesus (not Trump) Do? PART 1
As Bruce Epperly regularly writes to the Speaker Mike Johnson , "Please consider what Jesus, not Trump, would do." Using this petition as a starting point, we talk with Epperly, who is a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, professor, and prolific author, about Christianity and US politics today. Listen as he explains how conservative efforts to hold onto traditional theology & the "greatness" of the 1950s goes against the "divinely creative grain of the universe." Liberals are not spared, (nor are Conservatives written off--we are all still "one Church") in this conversation that seeks Christ in the midst of a binary political divide. Dr. Bruce Epperly is the author of over 60 books, including his latest, "The God of the Growing Edge: Whitehead and Thurman on Theology, Spirituality, and Social Change" & the recent "Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America's Visionaries." In addition to teaching, preaching, and writing, Epperly is also a leading thinker in Process Theology and Christian Mysticism (and as you can hear in the podcast, hundreds of other topics.) You can find out more about Bruce Epperly and his work at www.drbruceepperly.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Bruce Epperly: What Would Jesus (not Trump) Do? Part 2
Episode 117
Bruce Epperly: What Would Jesus (not Trump) Do? Part 2
As Bruce Epperly regularly writes to the Speaker Mike Johnson , "Please consider what Jesus, not Trump, would do." Using this petition as a starting point, we talk with Epperly, who is a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, professor, and prolific author, about Christianity and US politics today. Listen as he explains how conservative efforts to hold onto traditional theology & the "greatness" of the 1950s goes against the "divinely creative grain of the universe." Liberals are not spared, (nor are Conservatives written off--we are all still "one Church") in this conversation that seeks Christ in the midst of a binary political divide. Dr. Bruce Epperly is the author of over 60 books, including his latest, "The God of the Growing Edge: Whitehead and Thurman on Theology, Spirituality, and Social Change" & the recent "Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America's Visionaries." In addition to teaching, preaching, and writing, Epperly is also a leading thinker in Process Theology and Christian Mysticism (and as you can hear in the podcast, hundreds of other topics.) You can find out more about Bruce Epperly and his work at www.drbruceepperly.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Amanda Pence: Understand your hermeneutic (yes, youre using one right now!) Part 1
Episode 118
Amanda Pence: Understand your hermeneutic (yes, youre using one right now!) Part 1
Bible Teacher Amanda Pence wants you to know your hermeneuticthat is, what lens youre looking through when you read the Bible. There is no perfect plain reading of scripture. We all interpret our way through this library, written by many people in various times, places, & situations& bring much of our own context to the page. Amanda tells us her story of how studying the Bible broke her out of what some call the Biblical Worldview & led her to a loving, inclusive, understanding of what Christ & the Holy Spirit are up to. Amanda Pence MA is a Bible scholar who graduated with highest honors from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). She is committed to studying the Bible in context & with a commitment to its inspiration & authority. She is also an Evangelical LGBTQIA+ advocate who affirms the full inclusion of all siblings of faith, in all levels of the church. Find out more about her academic writings and public speaking at https://www.amandapence.org. Subscribe to her Substack at https://open.substack.com/pub/amandapence. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Amanda Pence PART 2: Understand your hermeneutic (yes, youre using one right now!)
Episode 119
Amanda Pence PART 2: Understand your hermeneutic (yes, youre using one right now!)
Bible Teacher Amanda Pence wants you to know your hermeneuticthat is, what lens youre looking through when you read the Bible. There is no perfect plain reading of scripture. We all interpret our way through this library, written by many people in various times, places, & situations& bring much of our own context to the page. Amanda tells us her story of how studying the Bible broke her out of what some call the Biblical Worldview & led her to a loving, inclusive, understanding of what Christ & the Holy Spirit are up to. Amanda Pence MA is a Bible scholar who graduated with highest honors from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). She is committed to studying the Bible in context & with a deep commitment to its inspiration & authority. She is also an Evangelical LGBTQIA+ advocate who affirms the full inclusion of all siblings of faith, in all levels of the church. Find out more about her academic writings and public speaking at https://www.amandapence.org. Subscribe to her Substack at https://open.substack.com/pub/amandapence. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Amanda Pence PART 2 | Radical Love Live S5E18
Episode 119
Amanda Pence PART 2 | Radical Love Live S5E18
Amanda Pence MA is a Bible scholar who graduated with highest honors from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). She is committed to studying the Bible in context & with a deep commitment to its inspiration & authority. She is also an Evangelical LGBTQIA+ advocate who affirms the full inclusion of all siblings of faith, in all levels of the church. Find out more about her academic writings and public speaking at https://www.amandapence.org. Subscribe to her Substack at https://open.substack.com/pub/amandapence. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you?ve ever deconstructed your faith you know it?s not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you?ll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Billie Hoard: Contaminated by Goodness -- PART 1
Episode 120
Billie Hoard: Contaminated by Goodness -- PART 1
Disgust is powerful. If our body believes something we ingest is contaminated, we will throw it up before our mind even knows what happened. But is there a good kind of contamination? Teacher and author Bille Hoard makes the case that disgust can make us reject euconaminants, toothe people and qualities that can infect us with goodness. Billie Hoard is "a trans woman, teacher, author, and something of an Anabaptist radical. Billie and her brother, psychology professor Paul Hoard, are co-authors of the forthcoming book Eucontamination: Disgust Theology and the Christian Life (Cascade Books), a psychological, theological, and sociological exploration of disgust, purity/contamination, and being transformed by whats true Find Billie's work at billieiswriting.substack.com and connect on IG/Threads @billieiswriting Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Billie Hoard: Part 2 Contaminated by Goodness
Episode 121
Billie Hoard: Part 2 Contaminated by Goodness
Is there a good kind of contamination? The energy and emotion get turned up in this 2nd part of our conversation with teacher and author Bille Hoard about disgust and "eucontamination.". This week we also introduce our new "Bible Moment" segment with Bible Teacher Amanda Pence, MA, who provides valuable context, history, and insight into how passages from the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament apply to the episode topic--in this case, disgust (and who are the "real" people of God) Billie Hoard is "a trans woman, teacher, author, and something of an Anabaptist radical. Billie and her brother, psychology professor Paul Hoard, are co-authors of the forthcoming book Eucontamination: Disgust Theology and the Christian Life (Cascade Books), a psychological, theological, and sociological exploration of disgust, purity/contamination, and being transformed by whats trueFind Billie's work at billieiswriting.substack.com and connect on IG/Threads @billieiswriting Amanda Pence MA is a Bible scholar who graduated with highest honors from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). She is committed to studying the Bible in context & with a deep commitment to its inspiration & authority. She is also an Evangelical LGBTQIA+ advocate who affirms the full inclusion of all siblings of faith, in all levels of the church. Find out more about her academic writings and public speaking at https://www.amandapence.org. Subscribe to her Substack at https://open.substack.com/pub/amandapence. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Josh Patterson: Finding common ground, joining our collective becoming
Episode 122
Josh Patterson: Finding common ground, joining our collective becoming
Kelly gets a chance to talk with Josh Patterson, host of the "[Re] Thinking Faith" podcast and scholar of Process/Relational Theology about a whole range of topics about how theology and belief intersect with this current moment. In Part 1, we focus on division--how ideas about theology and politics drive a wedge between us, and ways we can intentionally break out of that binary to connect with others across the divide. In Part 2, we get more philosophical as we delve into Josh's recent work in studying the connections between Process and Radical Theology. It's a fascinating conversation that touches on the many ways our theological thinking shapes our everyday lives. Josh Patterson is a writer, speaker, and thinker whose work includes the [Re]-Thinking Christianity podcast; panelist roles at ORTcon, Theology Beer Camp, and others, and contributions to several books on Process/Open & Relational Theology. Find him and his work at https://www.joshuagpatterson.com and on socials at IG:@rethinking_faith and FB: @josh.patterson.144734. (Note: Also for more info on Theology Beer Camp, visit: https://www.theologybeercamp2025.com -- keep an eye on this space, we'll update it soon with the discount code!) Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
Josh Patterson Part 2
Episode 123
Josh Patterson Part 2
Kelly gets a chance to talk with Josh Patterson, host of the "[Re] Thinking Faith" podcast and scholar of Process/Relational Theology about a whole range of topics about how theology and belief intersect with this current moment. In Part 1, we focus on division--how ideas about theology and politics drive a wedge between us, and ways we can intentionally break out of that binary to connect with others across the divide. In Part 2, we get more philosophical as we delve into Josh's recent work in studying the connections between Process and Radical Theology. It's a fascinating conversation that touches on the many ways our theological thinking shapes our everyday lives. Josh Patterson is a writer, speaker, and thinker whose work includes the [Re]-Thinking Christianity podcast; panelist roles at ORTcon, Theology Beer Camp, and others, and contributions to several books on Process/Open & Relational Theology. Find him and his work at https://www.joshuagpatterson.com and on socials at IG:@rethinking_faith and FB: @josh.patterson.144734. (Note: Also for more info on Theology Beer Camp, visit: https://www.theologybeercamp2025.com -- keep an eye on this space, we'll update it soon with the discount code!) Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If youve ever deconstructed your faith you know its not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young , and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] youll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD
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