Broken to Beloved Podcast

TW/CW: references to sexual assaultHave you ever had Matthew 18 used against you?Far too often, the forgiveness passage in Matthew 18:15–17 is weaponized against those who experience hurt and harm. Victims are forced to face their abusers, and there is no real reconciliation. The abuser walks away “forgiven” and restored, and the abused walks away humiliated and put in their place.Yes, forgiveness is important. And, forgiveness cannot be forced. It must be a freely made choice on our part.This conversation isn’t about holding on to our offenses, grudges, or dismissing what happened to us. It’s not about releasing our abusers from accountability or letting go of our desire for justice.It is about the ways forgiveness has been weaponized and abused in the church. It’s about having a truly biblical and scholarly understanding of how those passages are meant to be understood. It’s about protecting ourselves from future manipulation and further abuse.Join me and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight as we dive deep into the original language and nuance of this passage. Discover what it really says about interpersonal conflict and its role in cases of abuse or an imbalance of power. Learn about the role of repentance as implied in the original Greek, even when it doesn’t show up in our English Bibles.Get the full show notes here.—————Episode Resources and LinksThat Sounds Fun podcast Episode 494: Dr. Scot McKnight on When You Feel Like Your Church Is Falling ApartThat Sounds Fun podcast Episode 879: The Gospel of Matthew with Dr. Scot McKnight—————Guest SpotlightWebsite  |  Instagram  |  TwitterThe Second Testament: A New Testament Translation at Bookshop.org | on AmazonPIVOT at Bookshop.org | on Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Episode 5: Finding Liberation and Reclaiming Agency Through a New Story with Cait West"By giving voice to the cognitive dissonance required to be a woman under the patriarchy, you robbed it of its power." — BarbieWhat does it take to break free from a life controlled by religious patriarchy? Cait shares her journey of awakening to the abuse and control she experienced growing up, and the long and courageous process of reclaiming her agency and voice.Throughout the conversation, Cait discusses the challenges of writing about trauma, the importance of therapy in her healing journey, and her approach to portraying complex family dynamics with grace. She also reflects on the nature of liberation, both personal and collective, and how she maintains boundaries to avoid falling back into harmful patterns. If you’re looking for insights into the power of storytelling, the ongoing work of healing, and the pursuit of freedom from oppressive systems, this one’s for you.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Guest SpotlightCait  is a writer and editor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her work has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre and Hawai`i Pacific Review, among others. As an advocate and a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse, and co-hosts the Survivors Discuss podcast.Website | Substack | Instagram | TikTokGet RIFT: Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy at Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, Chuck DeGroat and many others.Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

CW/TW: depression, suicidal ideationAccording to chaplain J.S. Park, people are ready for the conversation around grief and loss. Since you're here, I'm going to assume you're one of them.I feel like I’ve been swimming in the waters of grief, loss, and lament for years now, and this conversation was a breath of fresh air after feeling like I was drowning in denial and dismissal.We talk about what it’s like swimming in those deep waters for extended periods of time, the effect it can have on us and those around us, and how to keep going when things can seem hopeless.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and Links:The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon—————Guest Spotlight:Website  |  Instagram  |  TwitterGet As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve at Bookshop.org  |  on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, and many others.Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Have you ever felt pushed to the margins of a community? Made to feel like you don’t quite belong? Whether it’s for your politics, sexual identity, faith (or lack of it), or for naming bad behavior, we are made to feel “othered” for a wide variety of reasons.In this week’s episode, artist and author Jenai Auman talks about her experience of being othered, and how she chose to name her experience and find a way forward. We talk about her new book, why and how it was written, and about reclaiming spaces for ourselves.Learn how to reclaim your autonomy and agency. Hear the ways creating and fostering beauty help to mend our fractures. Make space to welcome yourself and the othered.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Guest SpotlightWebsite  |  InstagramOthered at Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like JS Park, Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Chuck DeGroat and many others. Is there a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know!Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Episode 2: Embracing Death and the Hope of Wholeness with Lore WilbertDeath is not always the end. In fact, it’s often a beginning and the doorway to a resurrection. Brian and Lore share the importance of embracing both death and life, the connection to nature, finding peace in the present moment, and navigating change and transformation. They also touch on the significance of liminal spaces and the process of shedding old layers to make way for new growth and discuss themes of grief, healing, and finding beauty in brokenness.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and Links:"Centering Prayer" by Andrew Peterson on Sanctuary Songs by Porter’s GateHow to Walk Into A Room by Emily P. Freeman"To Think of the Life of a Man" by Wendell Berry"Heavy" by Mary Oliver—————Guest Spotlight:Website (Substack) | InstagramGet The Understory  on Amazon | at Bookshop.org—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Jenai Auman, Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, and many others.Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Have you ever wondered how to find your way back into healthy relationships after abuse and trauma? By providing clear steps to Name, Frame, and Brave our experiences, Dr. Alison Cook offers practical wisdom to move toward healing and wholeness.We talk about the unique challenges of leaving toxic spaces and environments when they involve family or our livelihood, ways to set boundaries, and to remain curious to our internal world.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and LinksHow to Walk Into A Room by Emily P. Freeman on Bookshop.org | on Amazon Grieve, Breathe, Receive by Steve Carter on Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Guest SpotlightWebsite  |  The Best of You Podcast  |  Instagram  |  FacebookGet I Shouldn’t Feel this Way at Bookshop.org | on AmazonGet The Best of You at Bookshop.org | on AmazonGet Boundaries For Your Soul at Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, Chuck DeGroat and many others. Is there a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know!Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Broken to Beloved Podcast officially launches NEXT WEEK!Join us this season for weekly episodes each Tuesday, starting July 2. Our first guests include Lore Wilbert, JS Park, Jenai Auman, Tim Whitaker, Cait West, and many more. My hope for this podcast is to provide practical resources through compassionate conversations to grow in trauma awareness, set up safeguarding practices to prevent or avoid future trauma, and move toward healing and wholeness.We’ll be kicking things off with episode one with the one and only Dr. Alison Cook, therapist, host of the top-ranked The Best of You podcast, and author of several books, including her latest, I Shouldn’t Feel This Way.Subscribe and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. Join us as we move toward healing and wholeness. Together. I’ll see you soon.Support the show————— We need your help. Your gift of just $25 will make a big difference and help us continue this work. Donate today. ————— Sign up to receive our weekly Podcast Newsletter with new episodes, updates, exclusive discounts, and more! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. This all helps us to grow and continue providing quality content for you and our community of listeners. —————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.