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Gravity Leadership Podcast

317 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★★ - 202 ratings

Conversations to help us orient our lives and our leadership in the love of Christ.

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Episodes

Christy Gunter: What Pastors Need to Know about Healing Trauma

October 10, 2023 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MB

CW: Domestic violence and abuse. On any given Sunday morning, a pastor can look over the 100 members of the congregation and see 25 women and 14 men who have been crippled by domestic violence and trauma--no matter the race or socio-economic group. The church is more than a hospital for sinners, it is also an emergency room for those who have been sinned against. But emergency rooms are not the place for long-term care. More is needed. Dr. Christy Gunter wrote Survivor Care: What Religious...

Thomas Jay Oord & Christy Gunter: Love Does Not Control

October 03, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

That love does not control seems obvious to many people. And yet the temptation to control—often with good motives — is strong. The long-term results of yielding to this temptation damage everyone. Thomas Oord and Christy Gunter join us to talk about uncontrolling love from a theological and therapeutic perspective. They are both contributers to Love Does Not Control: Therapists, Psychologists, and Counselors Explore Uncontrolling Love. Dr. Christy Gunter is the director of Client Services...

Janyne McConnaughey: Becoming Trauma-Informed Spiritual Leaders

September 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MB

We talk with Dr. Janyne McConnaughey about her book Trauma in the Pews: The Impact on Faith and Spiritual Practices, which is a practical and compassionate roadmap for spiritual leaders to effectively minister to those struggling with the effects of trauma. Janyne McConnaughey, PhD is a trauma survivor who draws from her life-long involvement in church ministries to train teachers and ministry workers at colleges and universities and serves on the Board for the Attachment & Trauma Network (...

Laura Anderson: Healing From Religious Trauma & High-Control Faith

September 19, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MB

Religious trauma is something that happens far more often than most people realize. In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life--such as fear of hell, purity culture, cor...

Kayla Craig: Flourishing in the Mess Together With our Kids

September 12, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MB

What does it look like to live a flourishing, messy, wonderful life together with our kids? As parents, we’re tasked with nurturing and guiding our children, even as we navigate our own wonderings about faith. In the overwhelm and constant demands of life, is it possible to tend to our own souls and to our family’s flourishing? Kayla Craig's book Every Season Sacred is a weekly invitation to grow spiritually alongside our children. Blending thoughtful musings and practical resources, author...

E. K. Strawser: Developing a Discipleship Pathway That Works

September 05, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MB

Pastor and discipler E. K. Strawser shows that when discipleship becomes central to your leadership and community, then discipleship becomes central to congregational mission and cultural renewal. Her new book Centering Discipleship is a practice-based guidebook for leaders who are doing the hard work of re-imagining and re-structuring their churches and communities to turn spectators into missional, mature followers of Jesus. Eun K. Strawser (she/her) is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma...

Fran Tilton Shelton: Developing a Spirituality of Grief

August 29, 2023 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MB

We talked with Rev. Fran Tilton Shelton about the complex nature of grief, and what it looks like to walk through grief with God. Fran expounds on these themes in her book The Spirituality of Grief: Ten Practices for Those Who Remain. Fran is a founder of Faith & Grief Ministries, and leads bereavement workshops and spiritual retreats. She is a preacher and a keynote speaker at conferences.​ For twenty years, Fran served PC(USA) congregations in Texas, primarily in pastoral care and was af...

A Gospel Response to Christian Nationalism

August 22, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MB

This is a follow-up to our interview with Andrew Whitehead to chat about what the "kingdom antidotes" are for the fear, self-interested power, and violence that animate Christian Nationalism. Connect with Gravity Leadership Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies. Check out the Gravity C...

Andrew Whitehead: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel

August 15, 2023 18:39 - 1 hour - 69.5 MB

Power. Fear. Violence. These three idols of Christian nationalism are corrupting American Christianity. Andrew Whitehead is a leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America and speaks widely on its effects within Christian communities. In this book, he shares his journey and reveals how Christian nationalism threatens the spiritual lives of American Christians and the church. Whitehead shows how Christians harm their neighbors when they embrace the idols of power, fear, and violence. ...

Tom Rudelius: Chasing Proof and Finding Faith

August 08, 2023 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MB

Immersed in his physics studies at Cornell, Tom Rudelius never thought much about God until his brother, a new convert to Christianity, challenged him to explore faith. To placate his twin, he reluctantly began exploring the Bible and the life of Jesus. Seeking proof of God's existence, he found himself in a world of uncertainty, faced with plenty of reasons for both faith and doubt. In Chasing Proof, Finding Faith, Tom, now a rising young theoretical physicist, traces his journey to unexpe...

Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 4: Why it Matters For the Church

August 01, 2023 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 4, where we talk we talk about why this all matters for the church. Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, a student group working to enhance Christian unity and celebrate Latina/o cultures. Connect...

Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 3: White Supremacy in the US, cont.

July 27, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MB

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 3, where Dr. Cartagena continues to outline a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources). It's REALLY eye-opening. Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, ...

Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 2: White Supremacy in the US

July 22, 2023 10:00 - 57 minutes - 53 MB

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 2, where Dr. Cartagena outlines a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources). It's REALLY eye-opening (and will be continued in the next part). Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty a...

Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 1: What IS it, Anyway?

July 18, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB

Over the next few weeks, we are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. Back in 2021, people were claiming that critical race theory was a grave threat to the gospel. But what in the world IS critical race theory, anyway? In this first episode, Dr. Cartagena helps us understand what we're actually talking about. In Parts 2 and 3, Dr. Cartagena will give us a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lot...

Jonny Morrison: Creative Action in a World of Empty Promises

July 11, 2023 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MB

Light as Air: Practicing Authenticity, Depth, and Purpose in a World of Empty Promises. offers readers freedom from unmet desires, a way to disrupt broken systems, and an invitation into a life of depth and creative action. How? By exploring the story of Jesus and the way his kingdom engages our dissatisfaction and invites us into the life we were made for. Jesus' kingdom is a political reality that overthrows broken systems, cultivates meaningful connection, and empowers us for creative act...

Shiny Happy People Documentary with Laura Robinson & Rebekah Mui

July 04, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.9 MB

Seems like everyone's talking about Amazon's new docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, so we wanted to host a discussion about it, and the issues it brings up. We invited Rebekah Mui and Dr. Laura Robinson to join us for this very wide-ranging, longer-than-usual discussion. Have fun! Rebekah Mui is a PhD Student in political, social, ethical and cultural thought (ASPECT) at Virginia Tech and researches postcolonial political theology, Christian anarcho-pacifism and Anabaptis...

Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer: How to Resist Abuse and Cultivate Tov (Goodness)

June 27, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MB

Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer's book A Church Called Tov, readers wrote in with stories of abuse and practical questions, such as: How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov? I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change? How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry? I’m not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them? These questions are a...

Megan Nilsen: Discerning God's Voice by Getting Real About Your Life

June 20, 2023 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MB

Learning to hear God's voice can be a difficult and confusing experience for many. But if we can start with getting real about what's happening in our hearts, we can begin to untangle the mess of our thoughts and feelings and create a stillness that makes it easier to hear what God is saying to us and sense what God is doing in us. Megan Nilsen wrote Untangled Faith: How Honest Conversations with God Lead to Deeper Connections, Clarity, and Peace and created the "Beautiful Exchange Journali...

Why We're Allergic to Anger and Why That's a Problem (with Jonny Rashid)

June 13, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

A few days ago Gravity Podcast co-host Matt Tebbe wrote an article about 2 kinds of anger: the legitimate anger of the oppressed that tells the truth about injustice, and the illegitimate anger of the powerful who seek to maintain their own privilege at the expense of others. If we can’t discern the difference, we lump all expressions of anger together, and anger itself seems to be our main problem (we often call it “polarization”). We develop an allergy to anger that serves to hide injusti...

Jeff Crosby: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Heart

June 06, 2023 16:30 - 46 minutes - 43 MB

For over fifteen years, writer Jeff Crosby has been searching for a language of the soul--a way to articulate our deepest longings. Through his book The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts, he gifts us with those so-often-untranslatable desires of our hearts, guiding us to finally find the words and luminous insights for our own longings for home, for friendship, for forgiveness, and for transformation--and how God meets us in the midst of these longings. Jeff Cr...

8 Parenting Pro-Tips for Empowering Your Kids

May 30, 2023 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MB

A few weeks ago we talked about 7 common parenting pitfalls and we wanted to follow it up with a list of parenting "pro-tips" (even though none of us are "professional" parents lol), and make a list of 8 (one more than our list of pitfalls): Reparent yourself first. Cultivate natural consequences. Normalize being wrong and apologizing. Delight in the diversity of your kids. Define your family values. Focus on heart transformation, not behavior modification. Spend more time with your k...

Cindy Lee: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation

May 23, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

Christian spiritual formation resources and teachings have primarily come from Western spiritual traditions, which implicitly communicates that the white experience of God is the norm. In Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation, Cindy Lee proposes that, in our increasingly diverse contexts, we need new, non-Western cultural ways of being formed--turning from linear to cyclical, from cerebral to experiential, and from individual to collective. Cindy S. Lee is a spiritual director...

Trauma-Informed Evangelism (Dr. Elaine Heath & Charles Kiser)

May 16, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MB

After listening carefully to stories from people who suffered misogynistic, racist, or homophobic abuse at the hands of the church, Charles Kiser and Dr. Elaine Heath bring those stories into conversation with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and find in the gospel a God who shares the experience of the traumatized. The result is their book Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers, where they propose a new kind of evangelism—one based not on fear and coerci...

5 Signs of a Healthy Leadership Culture

May 09, 2023 10:00 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MB

A few weeks ago we released an episode ("5 Signs of a Toxic Leadership Culture") that garnered more response from listeners than we've ever received! So we wanted to record a follow-up episode reflecting on those responses and offering signs of a healthy, non-toxic leadership culture. Here are the 5 signs, along with their toxic analogues: From power flowing up & in to power flowing down & out. From reality distortion to "reality is complicated." From loyalty culture to love culture. Fr...

7 Prevalent Parenting Pitfalls and What to Do About Them

May 02, 2023 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MB

We chat through 7 common parenting pitfalls that Christy compiled from her experience as a mother and a pastor. Take a deep breath and cultivate some compassion for yourself, and let's go! Here's the list: Talk parenting Bribe parenting Excuse parenting Shame parenting Hover parenting Blind parenting Backwards parenting Show notes: Eric Minton: What our Pain Reveals About the Anxious Pursuit of the Good Life (podcast episode) It's Not You, It's Everything: What Our Pain Reveals abo...

Casey Tygrett: Developing a Spirituality For Unsettled Seasons

April 25, 2023 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

Spiritual director Casey Tygrett joins us to challenge the notion that restlessness is a sign that we must move up, move on, or move out, and instead helps us explore some of our deepest questions: Where do I belong? What am I here for? Is there enough? Casey helps us begin to create a spirituality sturdy enough for our unsettled seasons. Casey's new book is The Gift of Restlessness: A Spirituality For Unsettled Seasons. You can connect with Casey's writing and work at caseytygrett.com. C...

Mass Shootings, the 2nd Amendment, and How to Make Sense of It All

April 22, 2023 01:31 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MB

Rev. Joel Bowman joins Matt to chat about the recent rash of mass shootings and how they are grappling with how to understand and respond. This conversation is more personal and raw than most of our podcasts. Rev. Joel A. Bowman, Sr. is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and has been in ministry for 28 years. He is the founder and senior pastor of the Temple of Faith Baptist Church, in Louisville, Kentucky, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, working with military veterans. Joel is a seminar...

Shelia Gregoire: Raising Girls to Resist the Toxic Teachings of Purity Culture

April 18, 2023 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MB

Sheila Gregoire joins us (again!) to talk about how to raise girls to resist the all-too-prevalent toxic teachings of purity culture. She shares how we can raise girls instead to become strong, resilient young women who know who they are, use their voices, and confidently step into their lives. Sheila's new book is She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self, and Speaking Up. You can connect with all of Sheila's work on her website. Connect with Gravity Leade...

Justin McRoberts: Learning to Live in Belovedness in Work and Rest

April 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MB

Why do we find it difficult to find a healthy rhythm of work and rest? Author, storyteller, and songwriter Justin McRoberts talks about this as a journey from the false self to the true self, discovering that growth and maturity take root in the knowledge of our belovedness in Christ. Justin's new book Sacred Strides: The Journey to Belovedness in Work and Rest helps us learn that we are not tools in God's tool belt, valued only for our gifts and talents. Nor are we ascetics called to aband...

5 Signs of a Toxic Leadership Culture

March 28, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MB

In our experience, leadership cultures that hinder human flourishing have several common overlapping aspects. If we can learn to see these signs of toxic leadership cultures, we can Here are the 5 signs of a toxic leadership culture we talk about in this episode: Reality distortion Loyalty culture Unable to have a Kairos Power flows up/in rather than down/out Conflict is mishandled Connect with Gravity Leadership Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode a...

Marty Solomon: How to Ask Better Questions of the Bible

March 14, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MB

Too often when we come to the Bible, questions make us uncomfortable. But Marty Solomon wants to suggest that when we learn to ask better questions of the Bible, we form a new and deeper way of thinking about Scripture, understanding the Bible, and moving further into the depths of the mystery of God. Marty Solomon is a theologian, the president and director of discipleship for Impact Christian Ministries, and the creator and executive producer of The BEMA Podcast and author of Asking Bette...

5 Major Challenges Facing the Church Today (and How to Address Them)

March 14, 2023 10:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MB

There are several major social issues affecting the church today. Not only are they causing confusion, but they are also often hidden beneath the surface, shaping the life of a congregation in ways that are difficult to recognize. But transformation is possible if we'll face these issues directly, seeking to notice how God is at work in the midst of these issues to renew life. We can face these issues by understanding our local context, listening and learning from a variety of voices, telli...

Melissa Florer-Bixler & Shawn McCain Tirres: Why Christian Centrism Doesn't Work

March 07, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MB

It's common to hear Christians say things like "Christianity is neither right nor left, but a completely different kind of thing," and "Both the far-right and far-left are two sides of the same coin: fundamentalist extremes with different beliefs," and "“The problem is polarization." These phrases are often employed toward a Christian "third way" politics that seeks to affirm the truth that the church is not bound by the left/right binary of US politics, but this way of talking about how th...

Faith and Therapy: How Do They Intersect, Overlap (or Not), and Relate?

February 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MB

We finish (for now) our series on Mental Health and the Church with some reflections and questions we have about how faith and therapy relate: how they overlap and intersect, how they differ, and how to hold onto both. Connect with Gravity Leadership Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodi...

Our Experiences with Therapy and Counseling (Mental Health Series)

February 21, 2023 11:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MB

We continue our series on Mental Health and the Church with our own stories and experiences with therapy and mental health: good, bad and ugly. Connect with Gravity Leadership Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies. Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with other...

How to Be a "Resonating Witness" in Conversations About Mental Health

February 14, 2023 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MB

We continue our series on Mental Health and the Church with a few MORE myths you sent us in response to last week's episode, plus a conversation with some practical tips on how to be a "resonating witness" for others in conversations about mental health. Connect with Gravity Leadership Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each...

5 Christian Myths About Mental Illness

February 07, 2023 11:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MB

Today we start a new series on Mental Health and the Church. Christianity in the US has had an uneasy history with the topic of mental health and illness, and we'd like to learn to integrate our faith with the best of what we're learning about mental health. This first episode deals with 5 common Christian myths about mental illness that need to be exposed and rejected if we're going to make any progress. Here are the myths we talk about: Christians Can’t Be Mentally Ill The Cure for Ment...

Bradley Jersak: Navigating the Perils and Possibilities of Deconstruction

January 31, 2023 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB

Deconstruction: is it just a trendy brand name for falling away from belief in God? Or a process essential to authentic faith? Is it liberation or trauma? Prison break or exile? Well, Bradley Jersak joins us again to say... it's complicated (just like you!). We talk with Bradley about the themes of his latest book Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction, which explores the necessity, perils, and possibilities of "The Great Deconstruction." Bradley Jersak is the Dean of Theol...

Jason Porterfield: How to Fight Like Jesus For Justice and Peace

January 24, 2023 11:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB

Throughout Holy Week, two competing approaches to peacemaking collide: the way of Jesus and the way of the religious and political elite. What if we're investing our lives in the wrong approach? What if—despite clinging to the cross of Christ for our salvation—we’ve actually embraced a different approach to peacemaking? One that justifies killing enemies. One whose methods include nailing criminals to crosses. Jason Porterfield joins us to talk about these questions, which are central to hi...

Kevin Sweeney: The Art and Struggle (and Joy) of Letting Go

January 17, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MB

Father Richard Rohr has said that "all great spirituality is somehow about letting go." But what does that mean, and how does it actually work? How is this "letting go" different from not caring? Kevin Sweeney joins us to talk about this dynamic, which is the theme of his new book The Joy of Letting Go: How One Thing Has the Power to Change Everything. Kevin Sweeney was co-founder and lead pastor of Imagine Church—an urban church in Honolulu—for the past decade. He recently closed down this...

Eric Seibert: Learning to Enjoy the Old Testament

January 13, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.2 MB

Lots of Christians have a complicated relationship with the Old Testament. It can seem arcane and boring, and even offensive in its depictions of God. Eric Seibert joins us to talk about an approach to reading the Old Testament that helps us actually enjoy it. His most recent book is Enjoying the Old Testament: A Creative Guide to Encountering Scripture. Dr. Eric Seibert is a professor of OT at Messiah Univ and has served as the president of the Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society. His mo...

Lisa Weaver Swartz: How Evangelicals Do Gender and Practice Power

January 10, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 72.4 MB

Sociologist Lisa Weaver Swartz joins us to talk how gender and power work in American evangelicalism, beyond the level of policies, theological positions, and aspirations. Her book Stained Glass Ceilings: How Evangelicals Do Gender and Practice Power explores this dynamic by examining the formation of evangelical leaders in two seminary communities, one complementarian (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) and one egalitarian (Asbury Theological Seminary). Lisa Weaver Swartz holds a PhD f...

Bonnie Kristian: How a Knowledge Crisis is Corrupting Christian Community

January 03, 2023 14:43 - 55 minutes - 51 MB

What can we do to combat the misinformation that's impacting the people we care about and dividing our communities? Life and politics in the US are suffering from a raging knowledge crisis, and the church is no exception. Experienced journalist and author Bonnie Kristian helps us unpack this crisis and explore ways to combat it in our own lives, families, and church communities. These are the themes of Bonnie's new book Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our ...

What We Learned This Year: Retrospective and Christmas Spectacular!

December 20, 2022 11:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MB

Christy, Matt, and Ben look back on 2022 and reflect on breakthroughs, challenges, learning, growth, and their favorite podcast episodes, as well as look to what 2023 will bring for their lives and the podcast. Ben and Matt also open a Christmas gift from Christy. Podcast episodes mentioned: David Ford: A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Through John’s Gospel Marc Alan Schelske: Cultivating Spiritual Growth Through Journaling Deconstructing Spiritual Practices, Embracing New Paradigms (Book se...

Karen González: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration

December 13, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 60.8 MB

Many American Christians have good intentions, working hard to welcome immigrants with hospitality and solidarity. But how can we do that in a way that empowers our immigrant neighbors rather than pushing them to the fringes of white-dominant culture and keeping them as outsiders? We talk with Karen González about these questions, which are the themes of her new book Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration. A Guatemalan immigrant, González draws from th...

David Cramer & Myles Werntz: The Many Faces of Christian Nonviolence

December 06, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MB

We talk with Dr. David Cramer and Dr. Myles Werntz about Christian nonviolence, which is not a settled position but rather a vibrant and living tradition. In their book A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence: Key Thinkers, Activists, and Movements for the Gospel of Peace, they offer a concise introduction to diverse approaches to, proponents of, and resources for Christian nonviolence. Dr. David Cramer is managing editor at the Institute of Mennonite Studies, sessional lecturer at Anabaptis...

J. Richard Middleton: How to Talk Back to God

November 29, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MB

Get ready for your understanding of Genesis 22 to be turned upside down by J. Richard Middleton. While we normally think of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God, the exact opposite might be true: Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? That's the theme of Middleton's book Abraham's Silence: The Binding of Isaac, The Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God, which we dis...

Willie Francois: Fighting the "White Noise" That Hinders Racial Justice

November 22, 2022 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MB

Willie Dwayne Francois III joins us to talk about the practicalities of anti-racism. Specifically, we discuss the prevalence in US society of what he calls "white noise": the racist speech, ideas, and policies that lull us into inaction on racial justice, which is the theme of his book Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome Our Inaction on Race. Willie Dwayne Francois III is senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Pleasantville, NJ, and president of the Black Church Center for...

Marc Alan Schelske: Cultivating Spiritual Growth Through Journaling

November 15, 2022 21:25 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB

Marc Alan Schelske join us (again!) to talk about journaling: what it is, why it works, and how to do it. No matter what your history is with journaling, Marc's method (outlined in his new book Journaling for Spiritual Growth: Six Weeks to Build a Habit that Fosters Spiritual and Emotional Maturity) is eminently practical and powerfully effective for fostering spiritual formation.  Marc is a reader, a thinker, a writer, and speaker. He's the teaching elder at Bridge City Community Church in...

Chris Nye: How to Prevent Your Faith Getting Hijacked By Ideology

November 08, 2022 11:00 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

How does the Christian faith relate to a world stuck in ideological captivity? What happens when vast numbers of people abandon faith for pre-packaged sets of ideas they received from podcasts, videos, and online personalities? Those are the themes of Chris Nye's new book A Captive Mind: Christianity, Ideologies, and Staying Sane in a World Gone Mad, and the topic of our conversation in this episode. We talk about how Christianity is not an idea in the first place, and therefore confuses, d...

Guests

Aaron Niequist
1 Episode
Chris Green
1 Episode
Chris Smith
1 Episode
Jared Byas
1 Episode
Kat Armas
1 Episode

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