Rethinking Faith

We’ve caused a turning point in the Earth’s natural history. Everybody Now is a podcast about what it means to be human on the threshold of a global climate emergency, in a time of systemic injustice and runaway pandemics. Scientists, activists, farmers, poets, and theologians talk bravely and frankly about how our biosphere is changing, about grief and hope in an age of social collapse and mass extinction, and about taking action against all the odds. During the week of October 19th 2020, Everybody Now is being released by podcasters all over the world as a collective call for awareness, grief and loving action. With contributions from: Dr. Gail Bradbrook - scientist and co-founder of Extinction Rebellion Prof. Kevin Anderson - Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester Dámaris Albuquerque - works with agricultural communities in Nicaragua Dr. Rowan Williams - theologian and poet, and a former Archbishop of Canterbury Pádraig Ó Tuama - poet, theologian and conflict mediator Rachel Mander - environmental activist with Hope for the Future John Swales - priest and activist, and part of a community for marginalised people Zena Kazeme - Persian-Iraqi poet who draws on her experiences as a former refugee to create poetry that explores themes of exile, home, war and heritage Flo Brady - singer and theatre maker Hannah Malcolm - Anglican ordinand, climate writer and organiser Alastair McIntosh - writer, academic and land rights activist David Benjamin Blower - musician, poet and podcaster   Funding and Production: This podcast was crowdfunded by a handful of good souls, and produced by Tim Nash and David Benjamin Blower   Permissions: The song Happily by Flo Brady is used with permission. The song The Soil, from We Really Existed and We Really Did This by David Benjamin Blower, used with permission. The Poem The Tree of Knowledge by Pádraig Ó Tuama used with permission. The Poem Atlas by Zena Kazeme used with permission. The Poem What is Man? by Rowan Williams from the book The Other Mountain, used with permission from Carcanet Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does our theology of salvation focus on forgiving sinners, but not on healing those wounded by sin? Much of Western Christianity has subdued the narrative of Jesus as a Palestinian Jewish healer and liberator who served the sick and oppressed. But the Jesus of the Gospels is a revolutionary who stands with the sinned against, the wounded, and the marginalized. This week we are joined by Phuc Luu who re-narrates the life of Jesus to show how he made it his work to topple systems that privileged the few and disregarded the many, especially the poor and lowest. Luu offers a counter-narrative to Western Christianity, which for centuries has legitimized colonization and violence to prop up the powerful at the expense of the masses. Pulling from the tradition of the early Eastern church, the present work of theologians of the oppressed, and his own experiences as a Vietnamese immigrant, Luu offers a transformative vision of healing for the world. For those living in the land between pain and hope, Luu's prophetic words will renew our imaginations and draw us closer to the heart of God. RESOURCES: Jesus of the East: Reclaiming the Gospel for the Wounded (Book) PhucLuu.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dr. Drew Hart joins us once again to discuss his latest book 'Who Will Be A Witness'. Who Will Be a Witness offers a vision for communities of faith to organize for deliverance and justice in their neighborhoods, states, and nation as an essential part of living out the call of Jesus. Drew provides incisive insights into Scripture and history, along with illuminating personal stories, to help us identify how the witness of the church has become mangled by Christendom, white supremacy, and religious nationalism. Hart provides a wide range of options for congregations seeking to give witness to Jesus' ethic of love for and solidarity with the vulnerable. At a time when many feel disillusioned and distressed, Hart calls the church to action, offering a way forward that is deeply rooted in the life and witness of Jesus. Dr. Hart's testimony is powerful, personal, and profound, serving as a compass that points the church to the future and offers us a path toward meaningful social change and a more faithful witness to the way of Jesus. RESOURCES: Who Will Be A Witness (Book) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Bonnie Lewis joins us once again to take a deep dive into her Idiomatic translation of the Bible, 'Timshel'. Bonnie was on the show over a year ago when this project was still underway. Now, you can get a soft or hardback copy to hold in your hands and enjoy. This was a fun and informative conversation. If you find yourself having a hard time reading the Bible because it has been weaponized against you in the past, give Timeshel a try. Enjoy. RESOURCES: TimshelTranslation.com The Timshel Cast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Rob Bell joins the conversation to help us awaken to the reality that everything is spiritual... Josh tried to write an outline for the interview but quickly realized how silly of a thing that was to do. Outline an interview with Rob Bell? Yeah right! Enjoy.  RESOURCES:  Everything is Spiritual (Book)  RobBell.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'm just speaking the truth in love..." How many times have you head that common refrain? For years, Christians have argued, debated, and fought one another while "speaking the truth in love," yet we are no closer to the grace-filled life Jesus modeled. This week, Biblical scholar and popular podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, Jared Byas joins us and casts a new vision for the Christian life that's built not on certainty, but on the risk of love.   Jared contends that a biblically-based Christian life is not grounded in having all the answers but in a living relationship. This ultimately shifts our focus from collecting the "right" answers to loving others deeply and authentically. Jared calls us back to the heart of the Bible: that truth is only true when it's lived out in love.  He makes a compelling case for how what we believe is less important than how we believe it and that, more than anything else, telling the truth in love is about following Jesus. Enjoy!   RESOURCES:  Love Matters More (Book) JaredByas.com The Bible For Normal People Podcast   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, our good friend Dr. Thomas Jay Oord returns to the show once again. Previously he has been on to 'The Uncontrolling Love of God' and 'God Can't'. Tom is an open and relational theologian, and his work has helped so many. As he returns this week, he fields some questions about his 'God Can't' thesis. If you have not listened to the previous two episodes with Tom, we would highly recommend that you do that. If God can't control, why pray? If God's love is uncontrolling, how do we explain miracles? How does Jesus fit into a theology of uncontrolling love? What hope do we have if God's love is noncontrolling? Enjoy!   RESOURCES:  Questions and Answers for God Can't ThomasJayOord.com Center for Open & Relational Theology   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dr. Dennis R. Edwards joins the conversation making the powerful claim that the power of the Gospel is often most visible among those who are on the margins. God has empowered marginalized Christians to transform the church. The power of the gospel is often most visible among those who have been the least respected, including racial or ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, and people who have been displaced from their homeland. Yet in many faith communities, these are the same people whose leadership gifts are least likely to be recognized. Edwards brings forth a strong affirmation of the power already present among marginalized Christians and a call to recognize and embrace this power for the sake of helping the church become more like Christ. Marginalized Christians are already changing the face of the church. Will we embrace their power to change the church's heart?   RESOURCES: Might From the Margins: The Gospel's Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice  1 Peter (The Story of God Bible Commentary)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is caring for the environment just a liberal, political concern? Dr. Sandra Richter says that environmental care is actually a Biblical mandate.  Dr. Richter is an expert in ancient Israelite society and economy as well as biblical theology. She walks us through various passages, showing how significant environmental theology is to the Bible's witness. She then helps us to apply that message to today's environmental concerns. Well informed on present-day environmental challenges, Richter shares case studies that connect the biblical mandates to current issues. Though modern political alliances may tempt readers to sever Christian faith from environmental stewardship, Richter helps us to rethink our environmental concerns and be driven by God's values instead.  RESOURCES:  Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why it Matters (Book)  The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament (Book) Dr. Sandra Richter Westmont College Seedbed Epic of Eden Series   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States has more people locked up in Jails, Prisons, and Detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. This week we are joined by Dominique DuBois Gilliard to help us rethink incarceration.  Mass incarceration has become a lucrative industry, and the criminal justice system is plagued with bias and unjust practices. And the church has unwittingly contributed to the problem. Dominique helps us explore the history and foundation of mass incarceration, examining Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion. The church has the power to help transform our criminal justice system and Dominique helped us to discover how we can participate in the restorative justice needed to bring authentic rehabilitation, lasting transformation, and healthy reintegration to this broken system. Enjoy!   RESOURCES: Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores (Book) DominiqueGilliard.com  Rethinking Incarceration Video Curriculum  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices