Gravity Commons Podcast

Religious trauma is something that happens far more often than most people realize. In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand what religious trauma is and isn't, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life--such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders--can cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage.Dr. Laura Anderson is a psychotherapist, trauma resolution coach and consultant, writer and educator specializing in complex and developmental trauma, dynamics of power and control and religious trauma based out of Nashville, TN.You can connect with her work on her website drlauraeanderson.com.Connect with Gravity:Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does it look like to live a flourishing, messy, wonderful life together with our kids? As parents, we’re tasked with nurturing and guiding our children, even as we navigate our own wonderings about faith. In the overwhelm and constant demands of life, is it possible to tend to our own souls and to our family’s flourishing?Kayla Craig's book Every Season Sacred is a weekly invitation to grow spiritually alongside our children. Blending thoughtful musings and practical resources, author Kayla Craig meets parents right where they are.Kayla Craig is a former journalist who brings deep curiosity and care to her writing. She's the author of Every Season Sacred and To Light Their Way. With a poetic, prophetic voice, she created the popular Liturgies for Parents Instagram account, which Christianity Today named an "essential parenting resource." She also hosts the Liturgies for Parents podcast. Kayla's nuanced and accessible reflections, essays, and prayers are featured in various books, devotionals, and Bible studies. Kayla lives in a 115-year-old former convent in her Iowa hometown, where she hopes to create spaces of welcome alongside her four children, two dogs, and pastor-husband, Jonny.Connect with Kayla:Visit Kayla Craig's websiteKayla on SubstackKayla on AmazonLiturgies for Parents PodcastFind Kayla Craig on FacebookFollow Kayla Craig on TwitterFollow Kayla Craig on InstagramFollow Kayla Craig and Liturgies for Parents on InstagramFollow Kayla Craig and the Upside Down Podcast on InstagramConnect with Gravity:Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

E. K. Strawser, a pastor and community leader in Hawaii, shares her insights on redefining discipleship in church settings. She emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships and community support, particularly in light of recent challenges like the Maui wildfires. E. K. discusses the transformative power of imitation over mere information in discipleship, advocating for interactive small groups. Her practical guidebook aims to help leaders reimagine their approach and foster missional communities committed to spiritual growth.

We talked with Rev. Fran Tilton Shelton about the complex nature of grief, and what it looks like to walk through grief with God. Fran expounds on these themes in her book The Spirituality of Grief: Ten Practices for Those Who Remain.Fran is a founder of Faith & Grief Ministries, and leads bereavement workshops and spiritual retreats. She is a preacher and a keynote speaker at conferences.​For twenty years, Fran served PC(USA) congregations in Texas, primarily in pastoral care and was affectionately called “Funeral Fran” by the love of her life and last husband, Bob. She has the courage to take deep finesses in duplicate bridge, stamina to be a member of four book clubs and a spirit for life that sparks contagious laughter.You can reach out to Fran and find out more about her work on her website frantiltonshelton.com.Show notes:Here's Ryan Flanigan's poem that he read in the introduction to this episode:Taking Sides or “On the Side of Good”Too long have I had to live;among the enemies of peace.I am on the side of peace,  but when I speak of it, they are for war.- Psalm 120:6-7Moderacy says don’t take a side—Neither side is good in everything—But the thing I’ve noticed in these timesIs, more times than not, one side is vile.Now, the vile are clear to those who knowPeace, which no one sees with violent heart,But the heart that seeks to bless insteadIs the steady one who stands with God.One with God can love an enemy;As for me, my gut goes after war,‘Til my warring spirit finds that IAm the iron-fisted one again.Then, to gain the favor of the world—Yea, the world that God the Good so loved—My belov’d, self-seeking, vengeful handMust unhand the weapon that I bear.For to bear the burden of a friendPuts a friendly spin on what they see,But to see a foe through God’s own eyesRealizes them as one of us.Furious as I am at your sin,On my sin I heap much more contempt.When I’m tempted to abandon love,Still God’s love demands that I forgive.So, I give my life to follow ChristIn the Christian act of making peace.If two pieces cannot reconcile,May I silo on the side of Good.Connect with Gravity:Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The hosts discuss Christian nationalism, its impact on the Christian faith, and ways to counteract it. They emphasize solidarity and embodying a different way of living. They explore building proximity and challenging false narratives. They delve into the idol of violent power and propose love as an antidote. They discuss power imbalances and the need for real-world justice. They end by joking and thanking listeners for joining the episode.

Leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America, Andrew Whitehead, discusses how Christian nationalism betrays the gospel. Topics include the idols of power, fear, and violence, racism and xenophobia as violations of core Christian beliefs, confronting Christian nationalism, engaging power as Christians and Americans, and exploring a discipleship program focused on self-emptying love.

Immersed in his physics studies at Cornell, Tom Rudelius never thought much about God until his brother, a new convert to Christianity, challenged him to explore faith. To placate his twin, he reluctantly began exploring the Bible and the life of Jesus. Seeking proof of God's existence, he found himself in a world of uncertainty, faced with plenty of reasons for both faith and doubt.In Chasing Proof, Finding Faith, Tom, now a rising young theoretical physicist, traces his journey to unexpected faith, through subsequent doubt and anxiety, and ultimately to a firmer, life-transforming allegiance to Jesus.Tom Rudelius completed his undergraduate work at Cornell, earned a doctorate in physics at Harvard, and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Currently a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical physics at the University of California, Berkeley, Tom will begin a faculty position at Durham University (UK) in the fall of 2023. His research focuses on string theory, quantum field theory, and early universe cosmology. A man of faith and an avid sports fan, he is frequently requested to speak on topics related to science and faith. He is also on the board of the Mamelodi Initiative, a tutoring organization based in Mamelodi, South Africa.Connect with Gravity LeadershipLeave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 4, where we talk we talk about why this all matters for the church.Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, a student group working to enhance Christian unity and celebrate Latina/o cultures. Connect with Dr. Cartagena at his website or on Twitter.More info on critical race theory:Sojo article: Why Nathan Cartagena Teaches Critical Race Theory to EvangelicalsWhat is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 1What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 2What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 3What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 4Connect with Gravity LeadershipLeave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this podcast, Dr. Nathan Cartagena, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, discusses the history of white supremacy in the United States. He covers topics such as the impact of white supremacy on indigenous peoples and Africans, the role of white supremacy in US expansion, and the historical context of white supremacy and racial identity. This eye-opening conversation sheds light on the complexities and contradictions within federal Indian law and the systemic injustice experienced by marginalized groups.

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 2, where Dr. Cartagena outlines a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources). It's REALLY eye-opening (and will be continued in the next part).Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, a student group working to enhance Christian unity and celebrate Latina/o cultures. Connect with Dr. Cartagena at his website or on Twitter.More info on critical race theory:Sojo article: Why Nathan Cartagena Teaches Critical Race Theory to EvangelicalsWhat is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 1What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 2What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 3What is Critical Race Theory? by Nathan Cartagena Part 4Connect with Gravity LeadershipLeave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy