Saved by the City

Oh baby, baby it's the Queen of Christian pop.Saved By the City returns for season two! So grab your leopard print blazer, roll down your windows and get ready to be all up in your feels. It's been 30 years since Amy Grant released Heart in Motion – the chart-topping album that marked the musician's crossover from contemporary Christian artist to mainstream pop icon. Katelyn and Roxy catch up with the artist at her Nashville farm and talk to their childhood icon about living life in the public eye — through all its ups and downs.The hosts also reflect on the expectations put on women — especially Christian women — who have achieved fame. And how the pressure to live their lives on display places even our most beloved women stars at the mercy of the mob.GUEST: Amy Grant is a singer songwriter and so much more. She is celebrating the 30 year anniversary of her album “Heart in Motion,” which was certified platinum 5 times, making it the best selling Christian album of all time. It spent weeks on the Billboard top 10, as did a number of its songs. Including the classic Baby Baby which reached no 1 on Billboard,Several songs from Amy Grant's Heart in Motion are featured on the episode.

We're back! Hang on to your WWJD bracelets, and strap in for Season Two! We'll be tackling everything from Christian fame, to making friends and fighting loneliness, and an oral history of modern evangelical culture - complete with seashells! Join us every Wednesday as we tromp through the ups and downs of Big City Christianity.

Put on your fancy pants and join us at the Grand Ole Opry! We're headed south to Nashville, Tennessee: country music Mecca and Christian hipster capital of the world.In a bonus summer series, Roxy goes on a journey to see what's what for seekers in other great cities, exploring the spiritual side of four favorite metropolises. Our final city is Nashville and our master of ceremonies is Kat Armas.Kat is a fresh transplant to Nashville and gives us her first impressions of the Music City. We talk about the significance of place and what it takes to put down roots in a new one — from getting to know the literal dirt to intentionally building community. Plus, we are joined by a special guest and host our own neighborly "meet cute."GUESTS: Kat Armas is the author of the new book "Abuelita Faith" and the host of Protagonistas, a podcast highlighting the stories and experiences of Black, Indigenous and other women of color among communities of faith. Tyler Huckabee is the senior editor of Relevant magazine and the co-host of CapeTown, a podcast about superheroes and superhero things.

In a bonus summer series, Roxy goes on a journey to see what's what for seekers in other great cities, exploring the spiritual side of four favorite metropolises. This week we're off to Melbourne with Devi Abraham, who gives us the lowdown on the Land Down Under.Devi takes us on a tour of the oft-voted "most livable city in the world" and its richly diverse population — and food scene. We compare notes on evangelicalism, purity culture and finding community in a new city.And, yeah, we talk Hillsong.GUESTS: Devi Abraham is a writer, thinker and podcaster. She is co-host of "Where Do We Go From Here?," a weekly podcast untangling sexual ethics for a generation of Christians detoxing from purity culture.

Let's head west — on the iconic American road trip over the mountains and through the desert to that magical land of the silver screen and the swaying palms: Los Angeles.In a bonus summer series, Roxy goes on a journey to see what's what for seekers in other great cities, exploring the spiritual side of four favorite metropolises. This week we hit up Hollywood, and the star of our show is Laura Tremaine.Laura takes us behind the scenes of one of America's most storied cities as we explore both the myths and realities that shape her City of Angels. Plus, our hosts switch roles and Laura wastes no time getting to the good stuff.GUESTS: Laura Tremaine is the author of the new book "Share Your Stuff: I'll Go First" and the host of the podcast "10 Things to Tell You."

Take a trip with us across the pond to the Swinging City, the Old Smoke, London Town.In a bonus summer series, Roxy goes on a journey to see what's what for seekers in other great cities, exploring the spiritual side of four favorite metropolises. First up is London, hosted by our top-notch tour guide, Chine McDonald.Chine takes us through some of the twists and turns (and down a few of the dark alleys) of Christianity — and evangelicalism — in England. She gives us a glimpse into navigating race and racism in London as a Black woman and Nigerian immigrant. And we get a front row seat at a poetry reading.Oh, yeah, and naturally we spill some tea on Harry and Meghan.GUESTS: Chine McDonald is the author of the new book "God Is Not a White Man" and is the head of community fundraising and public engagement at Christian Aid. Azariah France-Williams is a priest in the Church of England and is the author of "Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England." He is also a co-host of the podcast "(G)race." The poem below is featured on the show and is written by Azariah France-Williams, who performs and writes under the name BraveSlave.There is an old Jewish tale,Which enriches my own ofHoni the circle maker, who sees,A man who planting the seed of a carob tree.Honi the circle makerasks why, why plant somethingwhich will benefit those who liveafter you have expired?The man replied,I received the fruitfor which my ancestors fought,so for my descendantsthis seed, this thought willfeed them when I am its soil,Hence I plant, I labour, I toil ...The government's racial disparity report,Arrived on April first, but I am not a fool,The African child is divided from the Caribbean, in their school,Just another example, of divide and rule.An separation of an undivided identity ...leads to split personalities ...Altered destinies ... broken harmonies ...Racial crimes of the past are said only to haunt black people,So we should stop reciting,stop inviting ....the ghouls of yesteryear!That’s gaslighting!The problems of racism are still evidently here.The authors argue against terms like white privilege,And white fragility, instead it is simply, a bias ofaffinity.The power imbalance, is hidden from the light,As white dominance and prominence are hidden out of sightIf whiteness becomes an airborne pathogen,black and brown folx gonna need some anti-racist Sanatogen,The report indicates we can see the upside of slavery,Because look at the product, it produced me.The new narrative of how we came overto make Britain Great, the empire!It is that which should inspire, soLet’s air brush, the gold rush,for the sugar rush,Black gold, were the authors of the reportStone cold sober?This was no mere foreign exchange,Transatlantic slavery only one side gained.The report says institutional racism is not a big factor,In the heart of the matter,Geography, religion, socio-economicsis the cause, job done, racism gone, cue the applause,ExceptMy mother could not freely choose the place where she could reside,Her qualifications nullified, so diminished what she could provide,As for the church this is where it hurts, religion simply lied,It said she was welcome, but left her outside,This report leaves black and brown people's deeper needs unattended,The state shield is removed, and we are all left undefended,But my faith is in the ones whose pursuit of justicemay led to their execution, martyrs for the cause,Of a cosmic solution, a pride of lions prepared to roar,exit every tomb, walk through walls and locked doors.The universal energy, love defeats all enemies.Even if they kill you, and you never get to seeHow the seed of your courage becamea Carob tree.—Azariah France-Williams, 2021

Life is long. Spiritual journeys are winding. Sometimes there are mushrooms.Plenty has been written about the rise of the so-called nones, those who are unaffiliated with any faith tradition. Many of them were once Christians. But behind the stats are millions of stories and spiritual journeys. Behind the stats are more than a few of our friends. In this episode, we reflect on those who have left the faith: why they left, how to learn from them and what it takes to stay friends.Audrey Assad joins us to share her own spiritual journey from Plymouth Brethren, to Catholic, to no longer a practicing Christian. GUEST: Audrey Assad is a multiple Dove Award nominee singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her newest album, "Eden," explores "the distance between Audrey’s old ideas about God and her freshly gained perspective." You can find more of her music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify or wherever you listen to music.

We pledged the pledge. We made the promise. Purity culture failed to deliver. What now?Purity culture was at its height while we were growing up — and the teachings made an impact. But what to do now, decades later, when the promises and threats of purity culture no longer hold the same sway? And when the harms appear to so dramatically outweigh any good? In this episode, we wrestle with what a "Christian" sexual ethic really looks like — long after the teenage hormones have abated. Christine Emba joins the episode to unflinchingly look at the impacts of purity culture — but also to imagine where to go from here.Purity culture felt like an end all. So how do we imagine what's beyond?GUESTS: Christine Emba is an editor and columnist for the Washington Post. She is the author of the forthcoming "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation"

How come nobody has a 'meet cute' anymore?Gone it seems are the days of accidentally brushing a stranger's hand while you both reach for the single copy of the same book at the library, only to lock eyes and "just know." Algorithms have replaced butterflies. And swiping right so rarely leads to starry eyes. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy ask: is it even possible to meet someone in real life anymore?Enter: Heather Thompson Day, the "queen of matchmaking," who weighs in with some much needed optimism and more than a few surprising stats. And Katelyn and Roxy play a round of their own matchmaking game.GUESTS: Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication and rhetoric at Colorado Christian University. She is the author of six books, including the forthcoming It's Not Your Turn: What to Do While You're Waiting for Your Breakthrough.

Christians will listen to a woman on TV but not a woman in the pulpit. What's up with that?We grew up seeing plenty of examples of women in power suits — from Hollywood to Wall Street, they were shattering glass ceilings and defying expectations. This new cultural norm fed big dreams and big ambitions for girls coming of age in the 1980s and '90s. But the 2000s have revealed a darker reality — from wage gaps to sexual harassment, the workplace for women is still far from ideal. Beyond that, the myth women can have it all — domestic bliss and career success — has proved as much paralyzing pressure as endless potential. Not to mention the conflicting messages we hear from church and culture. After all, one place many women are still not allowed is the pulpit. What's an ambitious woman to do?In this episode, Fox News host Shannon Bream joins us to talk ambition and devotion — and how the women of the Bible have offered her guidance and inspiration. And The Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Walrond offers a glimpse into her journey from small-town Texas to big-city pastor.GUESTS: Shannon Bream is an American journalist and lawyer. She is the host of FOX News @ Night and author of The Women of the Bible Speak The Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Walrond is president of New York Theological Seminary and the executive pastor and chief of staff at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York