Saved by the City

Mary did you know we'd soften all your hard edges? Temper your anger? Moderate your radicalism?To be a woman has always meant being caught between expectation and reality — between all that society says you should be and all that you believe you are not. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy ask themselves what they like about being women — and how embracing those qualities can be revolutionary. They are joined by author Kaya Oakes to talk about how women — past and present — are so often being shaped into the image men want. Including the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. GUEST: Kaya Oakes is an award-winning journalist and the author of several books, including her newest: The Defiant Middle: How Women Claim Life's In-Betweens to Remake the World. She teaches writing at UC Berkeley and speaks regularly on topics related to religion, writing and feminism.

Seven is a holy number, after all. Growing up evangelical in the 1990s meant purity rings and teen study Bibles and focusing on the family. But it also meant participating in activities and events that were part of larger cultural forces we were very unaware of at the time. Katelyn and Roxy reflect back on the seminal moments of their own evangelical journeys in the late 20th and early 21st century — and examine how those events not only shaped them, but evangelicalism writ large.GUESTS:A whole lotta nostalgia. 

Let's rewind.Thanksgiving may still be a favorite holiday, but its origin myths have long since been revealed to be just that: myths. But those myths are more than just cute children's stories, they are dangerous erasures of people groups, cultures and the violent atrocities committed against them. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy reflect on what they did — and did not — learn about the Indigenous people groups who have populated the places they've called home. Terry Wildman joins the episode to share his process for creating an Indigenous translation of the New Testament — following a storytelling tradition of oral cultures — and why that work is valuable for all Bible readers. Plus, a field trip! Katelyn and Roxy head to the National Museum of the American Indian to learn more about the stories and history of the Native groups who lived on the lands of New York long before it became New York. GUEST: Terry Wildman, born and raised in Michigan, is of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry. He is the lead translator and project manager for the First Nations Version New Testament (IVP, 2021), and is an author, recording artist, songwriter, storyteller, and public speaker.

"Every day someone asks me for money. And I never know what to do."Living in a big city offers daily encounters with those who are experiencing homelessness. Seeing neighbors who are sleeping on the streets, pleading for something to eat and taking refuge on subway trains is an ever-present heartbreak — and one that can lead to despair as the situation feels so beyond our ability to help. Homelessness is on the rise around the country, and in this episode, Katelyn and Roxy ask: What can we actually do to help? How should we respond when someone asks for money? What are the implicit biases and misunderstandings we have toward those living on the streets? And, yeah, what would Jesus do?Katelyn and Roxy are joined by homeless advocate Kevin Nye to discuss the systemic issues that contribute to homelessness and keep people on the streets. We also hear from Shams DaBaron, "da homeless hero," who experienced homelessness in New York City and has become an unexpected activist in the space.GUESTS: Kevin Nye is an advocate for the homeless in Los Angeles. His book "Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness” is forthcoming in fall 2022. Read his work and learn about his trainings at kevinmnye.com. Shams DaBaron, "da homeless hero," is a hip-hop artist, filmmaker and activist. Read more about his story and his advocacy.

There's an art to being alone in a crowd — that doesn't mean it's always pretty.New York City may be jam packed with people, but it's also been referred to as "The Lonely City." In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy talk about living alone — the good, the bad and the ugly cries. But loneliness isn't just for the single folks out there — survey after survey has observed an uptick in people describing themselves as lonely. Ekemini Uwan joins to discuss the difference between solitude and loneliness — how we can lean into being alone and also seek meaningful connection.And a fan favorite returns to the show to PREACH!GUESTS: Ekemini Uwan is a public theologian and co-host of the award-winning podcast, Truth's Table. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Huffington Post Black Voices, Christianity Today, and The Witness: A Black Christian Collective. She is a contributor to the forthcoming Truth's Table book.  The Rev. Ben DeHart, vicar of The Parish of Calvary-St.George’s and co-host of the podcast “Our Triune Pod."

Pick up the phone. Scroll, scroll, scroll. Angry tweet. Delete. Repeat.The name of the game in public discourse these days seems to be "outrage." The polarized language from pulpit to podium to facebook post underlines just how divided our society has become. Is it possible to stay centered in an age of extremes?On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy are joined by political analyst Kirsten Powers. No stranger to conflict and not one to shy away from a debate, Kirsten began to wonder if constant immersion in what was becoming an increasingly toxic discourse was maybe beginning to poison her soul. She talks about the steps she's taken to form healthy habits, while still engaging in the issues that matter.Plus, a pop quiz straight out of high school debate team.GUEST: Kirsten Powers is a senior political analyst for CNN and a USA Today columnist. She is a New York Times bestseller and the author of the new book Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts

Don't panic ... but it's Satan's holiday!A parade of ghouls, ghosts and ghastly horrors, Halloween is viewed as more trick than treat by many evangelicals. It's the devil's play day, after all, and the demonic is no joke.Katelyn and Roxy take a spin down memory lane, recalling childhood fall festivals, teenage Hell Houses and the ever present threat of The Rapture. Oh, and what was up with that whole Satanic Panic thing? Tyler Huckabee joins in on the nostalgia, dredging up a few of his own ghosts of evangelical Halloween's past. And we wonder: maybe seeing demons around every corner isn't a super healthy way to live?GUEST: Tyler Huckabee is the senior editor of Relevant magazine and co-host of “Cape Town,” a podcast about superheroes and superhero things.

What is it about church wounds that hit so hard?Toxic church cultures. Spiritual abuse. #ChurchToo. Religious trauma. The last few decades have given us a new language and a new awareness for an ancient sin — wielding the power of religion for unholy ends. Over a lifetime spent in the church, Katelyn and Roxy have experienced and witnessed their share of unhealthy spiritual cultures. And as religion journalists, they've heard countless stories of spiritual abuse, toxic leadership, racism in the pews and more.On this episode, the two explore why church wounds and spiritual abuse inflict such lasting damage in people's lives. They are joined by Kyle J. Howard, a trauma-informed soul care provider, who offers insight into the nature of religious trauma and how to heal, without losing your faith.GUEST: Kyle J. Howard is a Christian theologian and soul care provider specializing in racial and religious trauma. Through donor support, he provides free soul care to Christians of color who lack the resources to pay. He also hosts the "Coram Deo" podcast. Find out more and support his work.

I finished a book! Where's my personal pan pizza?Katelyn and Roxy are certified bookworms — and that particular inclination goes back a long ways. In this episode, the two hosts talk about the books that shaped them as children. How reading turned into a lifelong love affair. And why reading is more than a hobby; it's a powerful worldview-shaping exercise. You are what you read, after all.Voracious reader Danté Stewart explains how reading widely — and far outside his own perspective and experience — has shaped him as a writer and human. He also drops a list of book recommendations worthy of several shelves in your bookcase.Plus, the hosts head out into the field to interview two childhood learning experts (Karen & Sharon!).GUESTS: Danté Stewart is the author of the new book "Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle," a book exploring Black joy in an anti-Black world. He is a speaker and a writer whose work in the areas of race, religion and politics has been featured in Religion News Service, CNN, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners and The Witness. E. Karen Beaty is a retired children's librarian and early childhood education director. (She is also Katelyn's mom.) Sharon Stone is a pre-K and kindergarten teacher with more than 50 years' experience. (And she's Roxy's mom.)

"That's what she prayed."Who doesn't love a good inside joke? Even better when a couple hundred, or a couple thousand, people are in on it. Welcome to Weird Christian Twitter: a group of evangelical and exvangelical misfits who share a lifetime of common memories and cultural touchpoints — from sword drills, to youth group lock-ins, to CCM crushes and True Love Waits pledges.On this episode, we do a deep dive into #WCT and the online community that's formed via a collective, albeit mostly good natured, side-eyeing of evangelicalism. We are joined by Matthew Pierce, "The King of Weird Christian Twitter" (so says Christianity Today) and #WCT's resident awkward, hormonal boy from youth group. Or, at least, that's his online persona, even though he swears he lives a normal, boring, adult life irl.And Kate Shellnutt, senior news editor for Christianity Today magazine and self-described "lurker" on Weird Christian Twitter, gives us some backstory on this oddball Twitter subculture and "the movement" it's formed. GUESTS: Matthew Pierce is co-host of the Fun Sexy Bible Time podcast and the author of the new book "Evangelical Thought Leader: The Liturgy of Radically Engaging the Culture of Paradigm Shifts." Kate Shellnutt is senior news editor for Christianity Today magazine.