Saved by the City

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.

In this era of political extremes, few of us have gone untouched by polarization. We've had family fights, friendship rifts and, for some, church splits. When did politics become so central, so essential? Is this what idolatry looks like? In these last remaining weeks before America's presidential election, Katelyn and Roxy talk with former Republican darling (turned GOP pariah), Nancy French, about the personal cost of putting politics first. Nancy shares her own story of being disowned by many of her friends after she denounced Trump — and how her faith has sustained her on what's been a lonely journey. GUEST: Nancy French is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and now the author of her personal memoir, “Ghosted: An American Story.”

It's our first live episode, coming to you from Religion News Service's 90th anniversary symposium and gala (90 years!) in the heart of Manhattan. Our live audience has cocktails, so grab a drink and settle in as we test our audience's NYC knowledge, reflect on the past and future of Saved By the City, and quiz our guests to discover just how deep their religion nerdery goes. It's Saved By the City — live from New York!GUESTS: Simran Jeet Singh is is Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories at Union Theological Seminary and Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, an RNS columnist, and author of the book “The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life.” Richa Karmarkar is a RNS national reporter covering all things Hindu. She is a graduate of Columbia University with Master’s degrees in Religion and in Journalism. She also holds three Bachelor’s degrees in Religious Studies, History, and Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nancy French is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and now the author of her personal memoir, "Ghosted: An American Story."

The American Church's relationship with sex has always been a little complicated, but it got a lot more complicated with the explosive popularity of Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker's Every Man's Battle, which trained a generation of Christian men to see themselves as dormant predators and women as their natural enemies. Now, Sheila Wray Gregoire joins Tyler to put Every Man's Battle to the test, and weigh the book's findings against what we actually know about women, sex and purity culture.

We've long admired the kind of radical, intentional community that requires its members to make real commitments and sacrifices — and that holds out a vision of Christian ethics built on Jesus' sermon on the mount. Maybe we've even idealized it. In this episode, Katelyn and Roxy hear from journalist Eliza Griswold about the fate of just such a community and what happened when America's wider societal fractures found them.Plus, we go on an eras tour through our various Christian phases.GUEST:Eliza Griswold is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and poet. She is a contributing writing for The New Yorker and directs the Program in Jouranlism at Princeton University. She is the author of "Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church."

You know that feeling when you have just SO. MUCH. TO. SAY about a particular current event but your podcast is on summer break?? Yeah, it's the worst. Silver lining? We've been saving up that snark for months.So, here goes, why did JD Vance's comments about how childless cat ladies are ruining America hurt our feelings? You could probably guess but wouldn't it be more fun to listen to the episode?Plus, some summer reminiscing. And Katelyn and Roxy ask the church: how are you elevating and including the childless (cat ladies or otherwise)? 

In the '00s, America was introduced to J.D. Vance, who pitched himself as a middle man between coastal elites and the rural white Americans he'd been raised around. Hillbilly Elegy was part memoir/part explainer and, at the time, seemed to establish Vance as a moderate conservative who wanted to bridge the partisa cultural, political and religious divide. In this episode, Tyler and journalist/critic Sam Thielman explore Hillbilly Elegy and chart Vance's strange, subsequent journey to becoming Donald Trump's running mate. 

This week we’re wrapping up the special SBTC summer series, “Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life,” and Katelyn’s going out with a bang by asking the Beaty Brain Trust about the joys and challenges of parenthood.SBTC diehards will likely remember Roxy and Katelyn’s great conversation with Annie Parsons last fall. Annie shared her journey of becoming a single mother by choice. At the time, Roxy and Katelyn agreed they wouldn’t likely go down the path as single people.We reserve the right to change our minds (and marital status!).This week, Katelyn wonders aloud what it might be like to become a mom as a single person. Once again she’s joined by author and podcaster Elizabeth Oldfield, who reminds us all that we’re called to relinquish some control and let life unfold for the mysterious gift it is. (Bonus: We have POETRY.)GUESTS: The Beaty Brain Trust: Richard Clark; Sarah Scherf; Chuck DeGroat; E. Karen and Tim Beaty; Roxy Stone Elizabeth Oldfield is author of the book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times and hosts The Sacred podcast

Meeting a man. Moving apartments. Literally just moving.Maybe it’s a product of living in NYC, but it seems like you can’t walk outside your door these days without dropping mad cash.It has recently occurred to Katelyn that, whatever big life decisions she makes, they will assuredly require some financial investment. Experts say by age 40, you should have an emergency fund, be debt-free, and have a retirement nest egg. Gulp.That’s why episode 3 of the SBTC summer series, “Tell Katelyn What to Do with Her Life,” is about the thing we’re not supposed to talk about (besides religion and politics): money. Thankfully, there’s nothing more Amber Hacker, CFO of Interfaith America and fellow RNS podcast host, likes to discuss. Katelyn also fields financial advice from her 4-year-old nephew and brings back Elizabeth Oldfield for a spiritual slant on the topic the Bible talks about the most.GUESTS: Luther Beaty is unofficial CEO of the Beaty family and is passionate about Legos, fighting baddies, and hanging out with his Aunt Kiki Amber Hacker, aka the “Budget Hacker,” is CFO of Interfaith America and co-hosts the podcast Money, Meet Meaning Elizabeth Oldfield is author of the book Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times and hosts The Sacred podcast