Saved by the City

It's toxic. It's sinful. It's compassion corrupted. It's ruining the world and is definitely at the root of all the bad things. What is this fresh evil? Empathy, of course! Or so says a growing faction of Christians with very loud voices. On this first episode of a brand new season, Katelyn and Roxy try to trace this argument back to its roots and figure out how a trait that seems so virtuous — so Christian — became the bogeyman for a new movement of conservative evangelicals.Plus: a sickness story swap and the punishing timeline nobody asked for.

Core memory: flipping the Bible open to a random page, pointing with eyes closed to a verse, and "claiming" that verse as God's answer to the particular problem of that day. Whew. Where did we get that idea? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy dig into those formative experiences with the Bible, many of them shaped by an evangelical approach to Bible reading and interpretation. We reflect on why Bible reading has become so complicated (even triggering?) as adults. What would it take to approach the Bible afresh — or, at least, with curiosity? We are joined by author and theologian Kaitlyn Schiess who offers some perspective on the use and abuse of the Bible in the public square, as well as some wisdom for when you want to pick the Good Book up again. Plus, listener Rachel shares her own grown up journey of learning to love the Bible.GUEST: Kaitlyn Schiess is a doctoral student at Duke Divinity School studying political theology, ethics, and biblical interpretation. She is most recently the author of "The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here." She is a frequent co-host at the Holy Post podcast and host of Curiously Kaitlyn. Rachel! A listener of SBTC who emailed us to share her own story! We love it - we want more of it!

Gather 'round with your marshmallows and cups of cheer, it's that time of year to send good tidings and spiced takes. No, that's not a typo, though maybe you can have your cake and eat it too with this year's roasts and toasts. Did you embrace the barrel leg and the ballet flat? Are you pro-pigmy hippo or did you mute baby Moo Deng? And what about the end of Bennifer (again)? Katelyn and Roxy are joined by their first ever co-host, the extra zingy Tiffany Bluhm, as we up vote and down vote our way through the most important cultural phenomena of the year of our Lord, two thousand and twenty four.GUEST: Tiffany Bluhm is an author, speaker, and podcaster with two books under her belt: “The Women We’ve Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing", and "Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up." Tiffany also serves as executive director of PAX, which provides mentoring and vocational development for Christians of color.

The days are getting short. The nights are getting long. Christ has come but he'll also come again. We're in the now and the not yet. We're waiting, preparing, standing guard. Y'all it's Advent. And this year, we are living that limbo life. Katelyn and Roxy explore the lessons of Advent for those in between seasons and how to live with intentionality when you're not sure what's next. Stephanie Duncan Smith joins the show to share some of her reflections on life through the lens of the liturgical calendar.Plus: Is there an enneagram type for every liturgical season?GUEST: Stephanie Duncan Smith  is a senior editor for HarperOne and the author of "Even After Everything: The Spiritual Practice of Knowing the Risks and Loving Anyway." She is also the creator of Slant Letter, a Substack for writers who want to deepen their craft and do it in style.

Picture this: a knock on the apartment door, in sweeps Jonathan Woodward, straight off a flight from Maine, grocery bags in hand. A few hours later, the apartment is heavy with the rich smells of simmering onions, sizzling beef and a stewing redwine sauce. A few more hours later, a few more knocks on the door and a party of four are seated at a table laden with food, wine and .... mics. It's our Thanksgiving special and we invite you to come, enjoy a meal with Katelyn, Roxy and special guests John Schmidt (Roxy's boo) and Jonathan (SBTC beloved producer). We laugh, we cry, we make fart jokes — and we are definitely filled with gratitude (and beef bourguignon, however you say that).GUESTS: The Rev. John Schmidt is the associate rector at The Church of the Epiphany in New York City. He has a Masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and is an avid oil painter. Oh yeah, and he's married to Roxy. Jonathan Woodward is the producer of Saved by the City and the director of the RNS Audio podcast network. Oh yeah, and he also had roles on such TV series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, among others.

Were you surprised by this year's presidential election results? On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy examine some of the major stories — religion and otherwise — to come out of exit polls. Hello rightward drifting young men. We are joined by award-winning journalist and political observer, Tim Alberta, who offers us both retrospective and prospective, forensics and forecast. We ask what to expect in a second Trump administration — and where might evangelicals fit in. GUEST:Tim Alberta is a staff writer at The Atlantic and is the author of "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism."

And yet, there are so many of us who have gone through a divorce and found love again. This week, Roxy talks about the many jagged edges of divorce and the long healing process. Katelyn asks: How can you be a good friend supporting someone facing a divorce? And we are joined by Melissa Moore who shares her own story of divorce recovery and how being divorced has affected her remarriage — for better and worse.GUEST: Melissa Moore  is a writer and leader with Living Proof Ministries. She is the co-author, with her mom Beth Moore, of "Now That Faith Has Come," a study on Galatians.

Life is no straight and narrow path and we've taken a few ill-advised turns. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy reflect on our smallest and biggest whoopsie daisies. Well, not all of them. We have a few categories to guide us. For example: what’s your “I shouldn’t have said that regret," and “biggest regret from 1998-2002” and “a memorable fashion regret.” But also, it won’t be that bad, because of course, everyone has regrets. Even Katelyn's 5-year-old nephew — who you will hear from and who has some sage wisdom for what to do when you make a boo boo. And that's the question really — how do you move on and make the most from your mistakes?

What's spookier than a coffee hour full of strangers? Katelyn is on the road toward the midwest and a new city means a new church. But how to find the perfect match? It's no easy task and Roxy is here to help — with a super clarifying set of potential church scenarios. Red light: flee and don't look back. Yellow light: take a beat. Green light: go forth in peace. But, for real, what is it people look for when they look for a church? What makes a church good? We are joined this week by veteran religion reporter Adelle M. Banks who shares insights she's gleaned from congregations around the country who are trying to answer those questions — for today and tomorrow.GUEST: Adelle M. Banks is the projects editor and a national reporter for RNS. An award-winning journalist, Adelle is the co-author of “Becoming a Future-Ready Church: 8 Shifts to Encourage and Empower the Next Generation of Leaders.”

If you've "deconstructed" from evangelicalism — or any faith tradition — you know that as your faith has evolved your practices have shifted too. On this episode, Katelyn and Roxy explore what it means to find ways to engage with God, with church and with spiritual practices that feel honest and life giving in this, ahem, season (you can take the girl out of evangelicalism but ...). We are joined by musician — and friend! — Jayne Sugg, whose new album "Belief Is Hard" is a beautiful exploration of her own "faith renaissance."GUEST: Jayne Sugg is a New Mexico transplant in New York City. She is a singer and songwriter and a teacher by day. She leads worship and is a member of The Good Shepherd Collective, "a diaspora of musicians who are committed to writing and making music about peace, love, and acceptance." Check out her debut album, Belief Is Hard, wherever you listen to your music!Songs from Jayne's album are used on this episode with her permission.