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Liminal Living

76 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratings

Welcome to the Liminal Living Podcast, where we dive deep into the realm of liminal spaces—those transitional phases where uncertainty is our companion. I'm your host and curator of conversations, Dr. Tom Rundel, and it's my pleasure to serve as your guide through these uncharted territories. With a doctoral background in spirituality and leadership from Portland Seminary, my research has centered on the spirituality found in the narratives of liminality in the Bible, but I have expanded my research to include other faith traditions and cognitive science. Since our launch in 2023, we've been dedicated to exploring the nuances of dark nights and deconstructions, but our journey expanded to include insights from a diverse array of modern-day thinkers and artists. Through a blend of stories, practices, and perspectives, we provide valuable guidance for fellow travelers navigating their own liminal spaces. So, join us as we embark on this journey and embrace the uncertainty in order to uncover the hidden wisdom that lies within the liminal spaces of life.

Christianity Religion & Spirituality church reconstruction christianity contemplation art mysticism religion science spirituality leadership
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Episodes

S3 E17: Tom Rundel: 95% Arriving at 95% Certainty is Good Enough

April 24, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MB

"Have you ever wondered how much of what you believe to be true is actually influenced by the quirks of your own mind? In this solo episode of the Liminal Living podcast, we delve into the fascinating realm of cognitive biases and their impact on our perception of reality. We use Brian McLaren’s list of 13 cognitive biases that cloud our judgment, revealing how they shape our understanding of truth and certainty. Through a philosophical lens, we examine the notion of absolute certainty, sugg...

S3 E17: Tom Rundel: Arriving at 95% Certainty is Good Enough

April 24, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MB

"Have you ever wondered how much of what you believe to be true is actually influenced by the quirks of your own mind? In this solo episode of the Liminal Living podcast, we delve into the fascinating realm of cognitive biases and their impact on our perception of reality. We use Brian McLaren’s list of 13 cognitive biases that cloud our judgment, revealing how they shape our understanding of truth and certainty. Through a philosophical lens, we examine the notion of absolute certainty, sugg...

S3 E16: Chad Bahl: To Hell with Eternal Conscious Torment

April 17, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.4 MB

"Have you ever always hated the doctrine of eternal conscious torment but felt like it was too central to the faith to discard? Chad is the guy to talk to. Today we deconstruct the theology of ECT, discuss its origins, its evolution, and its future home in the proverbial lake of fire. We also discuss open and relational theology, evangelicalism, liminality, contemplation, and more views of the afterlife. It was an invigorating conversation that let me see that my academic mind can still come...

S3 E15: Ally Henny: I Won't Shut Up

April 11, 2024 15:04 - 1 hour - 91.9 MB

"Have you ever wondered how one finds their voice in a world that often seeks to silence them? Today, we're diving deep into that question with author and advocate-minister Ally Henny, as we explore her journey of resilience, faith, and empowerment. Ally is the brilliant mind behind "I Won't Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You," a wonderful work that delves into the complexities of navigating societal pressures and finding one's voice amidst adversity. As the Vice...

S3 E14: Justin Lee: Coming out as Gay in the Southern Baptist Church

April 03, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.9 MB

Have you ever been made the “prayer request” of a community because your story didn’t match the triumphal testimony narrative? Justin grew up in the Southern Baptist Church as a conservative labeled by his high school peers as “God boy.” He was handing out tracts, evangelizing, and really good at obeying purity culture rules when it came to women. Then he realized that he was gay. He went on a long journey of wrestling with faith and identity, and we talk about his story today. For over 25 ...

S2 E13: Amy Fritz: Untangling Faith from the Evangelical Industrial Complex

March 27, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MB

Has your faith community become a breeding ground for spiritual abuse? Today I talk to Amy Fritz, host of the podcast "Untangled Faith," and we delve into the complexities of spiritual abuse within faith communities, drawing from her personal experiences and her husband's encounters while working for Dave Ramasey. Through occasional articles, Amy shares insights on faith, parenting, and simplifying life while fostering meaningful connections. In this insightful interview, she discusses pivot...

S3 E12: Matthew Paul Turner: Finding Belonging after deconstruction

March 20, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.3 MB

Have you struggled with finding community and belonging after deconstruction? Many do, because you are in a liminal space of development, unsure of who you are, what you believe, and therefore, who your people are. Matthew Paul Turner, no relation to Tina, has been on a journey of belonging that he illustrates with a new Children’s book, You Will Always Belong. Matthew takes deep spiritual truths around the concept of identity and makes them accessible to children, and therefore, that inner ...

S3 E11: Trey Ferguson: Theologizin Bigger

March 13, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MB

Have you ever felt like your faith tradition put you in a box, stifling your curiosity and ability to ask real questions? If so, then you'll want to hear this interview with author Trey Ferguson. Trey's book "Theologizin Bigger" takes a refreshing look at how to "theologize" - to wrestle with faith and theology in an embodied way that embraces mystery, questioning, and diverse perspectives. In our conversation, Trey unpacked how the Western evangelical desire for a uniform, objective unders...

S3 E10: Josh Patterson: Mysticism, Spiritual Evolution, Merton

March 06, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MB

What happens when you get two deconstructed pastors in a zoom conversation together? A talk that spans from Thomas Merton’s mysticism, faith evolution, open and relational theology, Christian nationalism, and beer. Today’s conversation is the sharing of two deconstruction journeys and the evolution of faith that took place. Today we talk with Josh Patterson, who runs the (Re)thinking Faith Podcast which explores Christianity and spirituality from a progressive, deconstructed perspective. Co...

S3 E9: Dr Andrew M Davis: Philosophy, Theology, and Alien Life

February 28, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 73.3 MB

S3 E9: Dr Andrew M Davis: Philosophy, Theology, and Alien Life If our theological framework was developed in medieval times under an earth centric understanding of the universe, how does that change with the discovery of near infinite galaxies out there? What does a Christian faith look like that is not earth centric or human centric? What does that do to the doctrine of the incarnation; God becoming human? If intelligent alien life made itself known to us, what theologies would go out the ...

S3 E8: Dr David Fitch: Church on the Wrong side of Power

February 21, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MB

S3 E8: Dr David Fitch: Church on the Wrong Side of Power What happens when the church uses the power of the world to accomplish the purposes of God? You get the Church on the wrong side of power, with a reckoning that needs to take place. Today I talk with David Fitch about his new book, Reckoning with Power, Why the Church Fails when it’s on the Wrong Side of Power. In this work he describes three kinds of power the world uses, and contrasts it with the kind of power that God has. Indeed t...

S3 E7: Jason and Lori Adams-Brown: Interpreting Preda-Pastors Controlling Narratives

February 14, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 75 MB

How can you identify the narratives used by high control pastors to maintain control? In this episode of the Liminal Living podcast, we talk with Jason and Lori Adams-Brown. With extensive backgrounds in intercultural studies, trauma care, and missionary work, Jason and Lori offer invaluable insights into the insidious nature of spiritual abuse within religious communities. Drawing from their own experiences of navigating abusive environments, they shed light on the subtle ways in which abus...

S3 E6: Dr Jonathan Foster: Liminal Space of Grief After You Lose a Child

February 07, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MB

9 years ago, Jonathan watched from his picture window as a law enforcement officer drove up his driveway to give him the devastating news that his 20 year old daughter was killed in a car crash. His family has been in the Liminal space of grief ever since. He wrote a book about his grief entitled, indigo, the color of grief. This work guides our discussion today. And yes, I cried. Dr Jonathan Foster is a writer at heart. He writes books, podcasts, and blog posts. He is an author of 5 books,...

S3 E5: Dr Tim Carson: This is Your Brain on Liminality

January 31, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MB

Has deconstruction left you feeling isolated, anxious, and alone? Dr Tim Carson and I talk about the liminality of deconstruction, and how we are in a large collective “we” space of deconstruction, and the desperate need for liminal guides today. We also talk about the neurology of liminality and why it is so transformative. Timothy Carson is the curator of The Liminality Project. And has done Doctoral research and dissertation on Liminality. Tim is also the author of Liminal Reality and Tr...

S3 E4: Tom Rundel: Why I Left Evangelicalism

January 24, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MB

I get personal today on why I left the Evangelical stream of the faith, but also on why I am still a Christian and a pastor. We explore, historically, what an evangelical is, how fundamentalism took over and partnered itself as a political machine. So I share some of my points of departure, and then go on to share some points of consent, on why I am still in the Christian faith. I also share my vision for something different as a pastor and what I am up to in my neigborhood. Time Stamps for...

S3 E3: Jason Raitz: Trying to Stay in Church, Post-pastorate

January 17, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MB

When a pastor has experienced both the beauty of a spiritual community, and the hurt and abuse of demands for excellence for nearly 26 years, it is a confusing place to occupy. Jason Raitz and I have been friends for nearly 30 years, walking with each other through the highs and lows of our lives. We have landed in very different places; geographically, socially, theologically. But our lives continue to intersect and enrich each other. Today we have an honest conversation about the liminal s...

S3 E2: Dr Emily Smith: Your Friendly Neighborhood Epidemiologist

January 10, 2024 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MB

Dr Emily Smith is a PhD epidemiologist whose work has been featured in TIME Magazine, Christianity Today, the Washington Post, and NPR. Dr Emily’s profession as an epidemiologist was a natural way to express her Christian values for loving her neighbor. So when the pandemic hit, she was in a unique spot to rally the church together to love their neighbor as the Good Samaritan taught, or so she thought. Expressing her expertise online made her a target, even from her own church members, whom ...

S3 E1: Alana Levandoski: The Longing is Home

January 03, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 66 MB

S3 E1: Alana Levandoski: The Longing is Home Welcome to season 3 of the Liminal Living podcast. And today we talk with spiritual teacher, artist, and musician, Alana Levandoski. Alana has gone on pilgrimages and come back to alchemize her experiences into music. Her perspective is large and her wisdom is deep. On today’s episode we talk about the importance of longing within the human soul, and how we embody that longing. Our conversation is broad and deep so buckle up. You can connect wit...

S2 E37: SEASON FINALE!!

December 27, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 70.6 MB

We made it to the end of the year! So to celebrate I revisited our top three most downloaded episodes*, as well as read some of your comments on your favorite moments. Thank you for listening and contributing to the conversation. Here is to a great season 3! *after recording this, Dr Chris Green’s episode released and became the #1 downloaded episode of the season. Time Stamps for the episode: 00:00 Intro 07:55 #3 most downloaded: Kenneth Tanner 14:40 #2 most downloaded: Rob Bell 21...

S2 E36: Dr Chris Green: Dead Answers vs Living Questions

December 20, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

S2 E35: Dr Chris Green: Dead Answers vs Living Questions Too often theology becomes more about trophy hunting for the “right” answers in order to impress and display. But trophies are dead things. Dr. Chris Green and I talk about the role of art and imagination in the theological process of finding living questions, which are small answers that lead to more questions and explorations. Dr. Chris Green is Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University, the Bishop of the Diocese of S...

S2 E35: Kenneth Tanner: God Becomes Human in Christ... for real.

December 13, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 67.3 MB

God became a human being, the incarnation, a central dogma of the Christian tradition that I was not taught in my Evangelical tradition. Well it was a messy necessity for Chgrist to be human so that the “real” dogma of substitutionary atonement was valid. Father Kenny and I dive into this concept in all its beauty today on what it means that God became human. Father Kenneth Tanner is pastor of Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills Michigan, writer at Sojourners, Patheos, and Substack, author of ...

S2 E34: Dr Thomas Jay Oord: God is not Omnipotent, and that's good news

December 06, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MB

S2 E34: Dr Thomas Jay Oord: God is not Omnipotent, and that is Good news. “Can God microwave a burrito so hot that even he can’t eat it?” -Homer Simpson. All joking aside, today I talk to Dr Thomas Jay Oord about his new book, the Death of Omnipotence, the Birth of Amipotence. This book provides a critique of the classic doctrine of Omnipotence, and why it is good news that God is NOT all powerful. Dr Oord is an award-winning author, and he has written or edited more than thirty books. Oo...

S2 E33: Tom Rundel: Holding Conviction Confidently and Non-violently

November 29, 2023 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MB

Have you ever learned a new perspective, started a new diet, or become really religious, and then get on a mission to convert everyone in your path to this new thing… only to leave it behind at some point and wonder what’s real? Me too. It leaves you feeling guilty for being “wrong” or feeling shamed for convincing so many people of something you are not so sure of anymore. What do we do with this part of our history, and how can we hold our current convictions with both confidence and humil...

S2 E32: Scot McKnight: Revelation, End Times, and Christian Nationalism

November 22, 2023 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MB

S2 E32: Scot McKnight: Revelation, End Times, and Christian Nationalism Today I talk with Scot McKnight, he's the professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, a history buff of early Christianity, a theology nerd, and a prolific author of almost 40 published books and academic articles. He's delved deep into topics like the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and how to live the Christian life. McKnight is ordained in the Anglican tradition and is theological advisor to Todd Hunter. ...

S2 E31: Rob Bell: Life, Death, and a Little Bit of Everything

November 15, 2023 13:06 - 1 hour - 72.2 MB

Today on the podcast I have the wonderful privilege of talking with Rob Bell about his new book, Where'd You Park Your Spaceship? We meander in conversation from topics like grief, surfing, death, life, resurrection, hope, dreams, and as the title suggests, a little bit of everything. You can find Rob's work here: www.Robbell.com Time Stamps for this episode: 1:58 Introductions 5:38 Graduating into new seasons of life 10:08 Saying "yes" to life and befriending death 16:23 Intellectual ...

S2 E30: Kieth Giles: Deconstruction is the revival you prayed for

November 08, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 130 MB

S2 E30: Kieth Giles: Deconstruction is the revival you prayed for by Dr. Thomas J Rundel

S2 E30: Keith Giles: Deconstruction is the Revival you Prayed For

November 08, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 63.8 MB

Today on the podcast I talk with prolific author and chief boat rocker, Keith Giles. We talk about his upbringing in the a fundamentalist Baptist Church, and his journey through deconstruction. You can find Keith's writings here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/ and here: https://www.bk2sq1.com/ and here: https://rb.gy/9yjeod all music in this episode provided by axeltree https://liminalliving.simplecast.com/  

S2 E29: Deb Gregory: Ignatian Spirituality, Disability in the Church, Living Liminally

November 01, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.4 MB

What happens when the church space you helped create and cultivate is not hospitable and inclusive of those in your own family with neurodivergent minds? Deb Gregory shares her story of traversing liminal spaces from her childhood into her professional career and how Ignatian spiritual practices have helped “moor” her to her faith and family. Deb is a spiritual director, former documentary filmmaker and church planter, and the founder of Flourish Contemplative Center. She is also the produc...

S2 E28: Kate: When a Pastor/Husband is a Predator: Trauma, abuse, and Healing

October 25, 2023 11:34 - 1 hour - 63.5 MB

A pastor who had 12 victims over the course of 20 years is found out. The patriarchal leadership of the church wants to sweep it all under the rug quickly. But *Kate, who happens to be married to this pastor, says “No!” She is not allowed to lead in this culture in spite of being the greatest leader in the room with the best plan, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. This is her story of trauma, tragedy, reconciliation, and healing. *Kate is not her real name, but a pseudonym ...

S2 E27: Tom Rundel: The Bible Says... Why I don't say that anymore

October 17, 2023 22:56 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

Have you ever had someone use the phrase, “Well, the Bible says…” to correct you? But then they dismiss other things the Bible says with a “yeah, but…” Who we offer our “yeah but” comments to and who we hard line with “the Bible says” reveals more about the one using the phrase than it does the Bible. Today I talk about why I no longer use the phrase, “The Bible says…” and how it is often a signal of a theology that is static, exclusive, elitist, or abusive. This summarizes some of the thin...

S2 E26: Kathy Khang: Finding a Home: Hospitality, Immigration, and Power in the Church

October 11, 2023 10:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB

Who gets to decide the modern dogmas of who is in and who is out? Probably not the people Jesus would hang around with, marginalized communities. I have an honest and beautiful conversation with author Kathy Khang today about her experience as a Christian in America who immigrated from Korea. And she highlights things from that perspective that I had a hard time seeing from my perspective. Our guest today is Kathy Khang, a mother of three, wife of one, and a passionate advocate for embracin...

S2 E25: Tom Rundel: Does God have a Gender, Karma, and more Science talk

October 03, 2023 13:08 - 1 hour - 65.2 MB

Does God have a Gender? Is Karma real? What did the Bible say about Dinosaurs? And other fun questions in this ask me anything episode where I take on your theological questions: Scott: According to Christianity, the only way is through Jesus. According to another religion, the only way is through their belief system. How can we all be right? Does God give many paths that lead to him? Lance: How do we know which religion is right? And if Christianity is it, how do we know which version/int...

S2 E24: Matt Tebbe: Money, Power, and Abuse in the Church

September 27, 2023 17:22 - 1 hour - 75.4 MB

Why have we spiritualized so much of Jesus’ teaching on poverty, money, and forgiveness? It is the only way we could make sense of his teachings while wearing the insulation that power provides us. But what does Christ say about money and power? How have we harnessed what Jesus calls the god of mammon into our methodologies of modern church growth tactics? Today I talk with Matt Tebbe, an expert voice in the areas concerning mammon, which is the Bible’s word for the worship of the economy, ...

S2 E23: Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley, Indigenous Spirituality and De-Colonizing Christianity

September 20, 2023 21:09 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MB

What if the severe dogmatic cruelty of our modern expression of faith is an add on of Western Colonialism? What would happen if you started to pull on the thread of colonialism in your faith. What would come out? What would remain? Today I talk with Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley, an expert voice in the areas concerning spirituality, earth-care, racial and ethnic identity, diversity, peace, social justice, eco-justice, interreligious dialogue, Indigenous studies, agriculture, and spirituality. Randy...

S2 E22: Anthony Smith: Faith, Race, and Politics

September 14, 2023 01:57 - 1 hour - 69.1 MB

Today I talk with Faith rooted organizer, Anthony Smith. Anthony headed up the removal and relocation of a Confederate Statue in his city of Salisbury, North Carolina. We talk about his faith, his work, for the poor and marginalized of his city from his position as a pastor and city council member. He is a man rooted in place and dedicated to seeing the Kingdom of God come about in his neighborhood. Time Stamps for the episode: 00:49 Introductions 02:39 Faith Rooted Organizer 07:04 An...

S2 E21: Tom Rundel: Ask Me Anything Bible Deconstruction

September 06, 2023 18:23 - 1 hour - 55.3 MB

S2 E21: Tom Rundel: Ask Me Anything: Bible Deconstruction I solo riff on today’s pod and take on some more of the questions that y’all sent in as we talk about our approach to the Bible, how it has caused harm, and how we can change it going forward. The questions I take on are… Erica: Is the Bible meant to be read as a set-in-stone manual to be taken literally? Is it multiple genres, full of allegory? If literal, how are readers meant to adapt it to modern life? Jason: “If the Bible says...

S2 E20: Karl Forehand: From Fundie Baptist to Spiritual without Labels

August 30, 2023 11:31 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MB

S2 E20: Karl Forehand: From Fundie Baptist to Spiritual without Labels Often, church can become more about keeping the systems running smoothly, the people happily entertained, and money flowing into the plates. But what happens when you have to grieve or enter a season of suffering or become disabled? Karl Forehand is a former Southern Baptist Pastor and Church planter and revitalizer who went through a season of deconstruction shortly after the 2015 election cycle. He could no longer asso...

S2 E19: Tom Rundel: Don't Spiritualize Your Problems

August 20, 2023 14:58 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MB

S2 E19: Tom Rundel: Don’t spiritualize your problems, claim your confidence Have you ever felt like God abandoned you and left you in the midst of a storm that you could not overcome? In this episode, I solo riff on Matthew 14’s account of Christ walking on the water and calming the storm. I take note of the parabolic writing style and use that knowledge to explore the meaning behind some of the imagery in this parable. Christ dismisses the disciples and they are battered by some wind and w...

S2 E18: Dan White Jr: Burnout, Ego, Inner Journey to Healing

August 13, 2023 17:21 - 1 hour - 55.8 MB

Have you ever been burned out, had PTSD, had an existential crisis? So has our guest for tToday. I talked with Dan White Jr. a church planting strategist with the V3 Movement, co-founder of the Praxis Gathering, author of 4 books, pastor and Church planter for the last 20+ years, as well as co-founding and building The Kineo Renewal and Retreat Center in Puerto Rico from the ground up with his wife Tonya. Dan has a gentle soul with the gift of healing, which I experienced first hand at a r...

S2 E17: Tom Rundel: Hell, Judgement, and Universal Reconciliation

August 06, 2023 11:47 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MB

Does hell exist? Who goes there? Does Matthew 13’s furnace reference talk about it? Today, I spout off about my views of hell, judgment, and justice. I share my thoughts around the passage from Matthew 13, commonly called the parable of the wheat and tares, where the wheat and tares are allowed to grow together until the end of the age when the wheat is harvested and put into a barn and the tares are gathered and burned in a furnace. Does this passage talk about hell? If yes, what does it m...

S2 E16: Lance Hough: The Abuse of Commodifying Creativity in Church

July 30, 2023 12:39 - 1 hour - 65.5 MB

S2 E16: Lance Hough, The Abuse of Commodifying Creativity What happens when a church continually commodifies creativity for a Sunday morning experience? Today, I talked with a friend and former church creative director, Lance Hough. Lance experienced leadership abuse under a few different pastors that led to an existential crisis concerning his faith and how we experience it in a modern western church experience, and the eventual leaving of ministry and healing of trauma it caused. Lance is...

S2 E15: Caleb Jacobson: A Journey to Agnosticism

July 23, 2023 15:50 - 1 hour - 58.3 MB

What happens when a pastor’s kid and a worship leader from a Marshill satellite in Seattle becomes an Agnostic? Today on the podcast I talk with long time friend, Caleb Jacobson. Caleb comes from a conservative evangelical background, is a pastor's kid in a family with a heritage of pastoral vocation. Caleb had an existential crisis with his faith, hit a reset button on belief, and reconstructed what he could. He left the pastorate and left the faith and became an Agnostic. I think that it i...

S2: E14: Mental Health and Meditation Edition

July 16, 2023 15:41 - 1 hour - 118 MB

Today I asked many of you to submit your questions to me for an Ask Me Anything episode, and I was absolutely shocked at the amount of questions I received. I have four pages of your questions, and today I take on just one, but I do a deep dive into the world of mental health. While I am not a mental health expert, I have much work on the intersection of spirituality and mental health. So today we get very practical about how much of the Western Evangelical tradition does not equip us to hand...

S2: E14: Tom Rundel: Mental Health and Meditation Edition

July 16, 2023 15:41 - 1 hour - 57.9 MB

Today I asked many of you to submit your questions to me for an Ask Me Anything episode, and I was absolutely shocked at the amount of questions I received. I have four pages of your questions, and today I take on just one, but I do a deep dive into the world of mental health. While I am not a mental health expert, I have much work on the intersection of spirituality and mental health. So today we get very practical about how much of the Western Evangelical tradition does not equip us to han...

S2: E13: Ask Me Anything: Spiritual Practice Edition

July 09, 2023 19:06 - 1 hour - 63.8 MB

Today I asked many of you to submit your questions to me for an Ask Me Anything episode, and I was absolutely shocked at the amount of questions I received. I have four pages of your questions, and today I took on four of them. #1 from Joseph: Do I have to love myself in order to have a relationship with God or to love God? #2 from Jason: How does one "grow in their faith?" #3 from Jacki: What is the point of praying on behalf of someone? Does a person/s praying for someone bring them to ...

S2 E12: Ask Me Anything Pt 1: Suffering Edition

July 02, 2023 18:03 - 1 hour - 58.9 MB

Today I asked many of you to submit your questions to me for an Ask Me Anything episode, and I was absolutely shocked at the amount of questions I received. I have four pages of your questions, and today I took on four of them. #1 from Paul: How do you recognize God during deconstruction when God seems to have completely disappeared? #2 from Scott: When there are tragedies in people's lives, what other things can we genuinely say to them other than “we are praying for you”, or “it’s all in...

S2 E11: Kevin Sweeney: The Joy of Letting Go

June 25, 2023 11:50 - 1 hour - 66.5 MB

Today I talked to Kevin Sweeney about his newest book “The Joy of Letting Go…,” eventually we got there, at least. First we talk about a lot of amazing things, his journey as a teenager using psychedelic mushrooms and meeting God, his journey into Bible College, his deconstruction from that understanding and into Black Womanist Liberation Theology. Kevin is a wise man with a unique journey, and that makes it hard to sum up our conversation in a paragraph. Kevin was co-founder and lead pasto...

S2 E10: Rohadi Nagassar: Race and Deconstructing Whiteness

June 18, 2023 13:07 - 1 hour - 71.4 MB

Today I talk to Rohadi Nagassar about his newest book “When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins.” from Herald Press. Rohadi writes and speaks on the topics of decolonizing, liberation, and deconstructing western Christianity. And today we talk about just that, focusing in on talking about Deconstructing white supremacy and whiteness from our faith. He has planted two churches including an inner-city multi-ethnic expression called Cypher Church. He has also written extensively i...

S2 E9: Dr Dave Beach: Deconstructing from Suffering

June 11, 2023 12:19 - 1 hour - 81.4 MB

Dr Dave Beach lost his wife to cancer, and it triggered a deconstruction of his assumptions about the world. He found out that the propositions he claimed were not embedded deep in his own soul. He went on a journey to make sense of this event in light of his faith and eventually wrote a dissertation on the topic of Christianity and suffering with the hopes of meeting people at the intersection of their faith and suffering with hospitality and care. Dave is a retired counselor, college teach...

S2 E8: Jacci Turner: Deconstruction as an Essential Stage of Faith Formation

June 04, 2023 11:42 - 1 hour - 60.6 MB

What if deconstruction is not always losing faith? What if it can be a natural part of the faith journey that modern churches merely don’t have space for? Today, I talked with Therapist, Counselor, Campus minister, and Author, Jacci Turner about her new book: Tumbled People: Deconstructing and Reconstructing your faith. This book promises that you will find hope and encouragement for the spiritual changes you are going through, for they are a normal part of the stages of spiritual growth and...