Faith Improvised: Faith, Justice, and the Power Structures We Ignore - w/ Dr. Timothy Gombis

How faith, systemic injustice, and American Christianity collide: In this powerful and raw continuation of the Exile Series, Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and special guests Bonnie Lewis and Dr. Tim Gombis reflect deeply on the ways capitalism, white supremacy, and an individualized gospel have distorted the church's call to justice, community, and spiritual wholeness. Sharing personal stories, announcing new podcast ventures, and diving deep into difficult truths, the team examines why racial reconciliation isn’t a social add-on to the gospel—it’s at its core.

Key Takeaways: • A Gospel Distorted by Individualism – How American evangelicalism has traded the New Testament’s communal call for justice with a privatized salvation that separates personal faith from systemic injustice. • The Economic Roots of Racism – Exploring Coates’ claim that “racism is the child of economic injustice” and examining how capitalism structurally inhibits the church from pursuing racial reconciliation. • Reclaiming the Biblical Vision – From Ephesians 2 to 1 Corinthians 11 and James, how the early church tackled racism, classism, and power—and what the modern church must relearn. • A Call to Repentance and Reconstruction – Why hope for transformation lies in radical honesty, community confession, and long-term, relational commitments between diverse churches. • Learning to be the Church Again – From imagining Exodus through new lenses, to practicing economic generosity and long-haul solidarity, practical ideas for reorienting church life around the lived gospel of Jesus.

Guest Highlights: Bonnie Lewis – Making her bittersweet final appearance as official co-host, Bonnie shares hilarious personal anecdotes and also announces her new podcast, Tim Schell, releasing the same day as this episode! Dr. Tim Gombis – Theologian, political theorist, and longtime Vox guest unveils his upcoming podcast, Faith Improvised, and offers deep insight into biblical justice, systemic racism, and the failures of white evangelicalism.

Resources Mentioned: • Ephesians 2 – Exploring the new humanity formed by the cross • 1 Corinthians 11 & James – Textual examples of church injustice • “Faith Improvised” with Tim Gombis – Launching July 14 • Timshell Podcast with Bonnie Lewis – [Link coming soon] • “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates – [Link]

Be a part of a church that looks, loves, and lives more like Jesus. Subscribe to Faith Improvised and Tim Schell, share this episode with those wrestling with the church's complicity in injustice, and follow Voxology on social to engage more deeply.

We’d love to hear from you—email questions or reflections to hello@voxpodcast.com.

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Music by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy



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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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