Front Row (Faith And Reason®)

In the fourth episode of the Born Black Faith & Reason series, Debo and Catherine Young chat with Normella Walker, Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Brigham Health hospital. Walker talks about diversity in the workplace, as well as the importance of organizations’ roles in civic responsibility and social justice issues. If we’re going to see change, we need to have leaders in place who value diversity and who will work to create change. How does white privilege apply to organizations when we talk about diversity and inclusion?

They discuss how the movement for change has taken to social media and amplified the voices of many people, especially the younger generation, who yearn for change, as well as how to keep the dialogue and energy for progress going. Walker explores the care of black patients in hospitals and how organizations can work to make people of color, both employees and customers, feel more included by having things like leadership development training sessions and inclusion and equity teams in-house.

Walker has actively managed, facilitated, and advised diverse groups for over 20 years. She has a BA in organizational performance and leadership and a MA in psychology with a specialization in diversity management, and has completed diversity coursework at the Cornell University School of International Labor Relations.

Dr. Joerg Rieger joins Debo, David, and Ann unpack the distinction between religion and politics. When Jesus says “Give to God what is God’s, and give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” what is he really saying?

Rieger brings up a startling parallel between our current situation and that of ancient Rome: in Rome, the assumption was that if Caesar was in control, peace for everyone would be maintained. In today’s economic system, the assumption is that if the top 1% remains in control, they’re the job creators and everyone will benefit.

How is God manifesting when communities start reclaiming grassroots power for themselves?

David, Debo, and Catherine Young talk with Rev. Peter Laarman about structural racism in America and how that racism plays into religion.

Biblical tradition describes two very different Gods: a jealous God and a God of boundless love and kindness. Over the last 50 years, white American Christianity has been further degraded by the idea that God prospers people individually -- that it’s a transactional kind of religion. If you’re already at the point where you think of some human beings as less than, then you can easily find a way to make your God also think of some people as less than. This idea utterly contradicts the idea that God is supremely loving. You can’t have a God who consigns people to damnation on a count no fault of their own and a God who calls us by name.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister who served as senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church and then as executive director of LA's Progressive Christians Uniting before retiring in 2014. He remains deeply involved in national and regional social justice projects touching on race, class, and religion.

In the third episode of the Born Black Faith & Reason series, Debo and Catherine Young talk with Dr. Alice Graham, the executive director of Back Bay Mission in Biloxi. Dr. Graham recounts her own experience growing up, as well as how she found herself living in Mississippi. Dr. Graham goes into detail about how there are racial inequities evident in things like education, lack of funding for transportation, and red lining of properties.

Dr. Graham describes her work with Back Bay Mission, strengthening neighborhoods with services like education and empowerment programs, food pantries, and their Bridges Out of Poverty program. Back Bay Mission’s work in communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast creates a road map for tackling systemic racism in communities across the country.

As a reverend from Chicago, Dr. Graham has served as the executive director and co-founder of Pastoral Ministries Institute in Virginia and as a professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Hood Theological Seminary. Dr. Graham received her BA from Spelman College, her Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and her PhD from Northwestern University in pastoral care and counseling.

Buy "The Role of the Public Intellectual in a Just Society" Session 4: https://www.faithandreason.org/product/public-intellectual4/

Dr. Joerg Rieger sits with Debo, David and Ann to delve into the differences between "malignant religion" and "life-giving religion." Religion that is malignant does not care about others, justifies oppression, and creates negative outcomes for people. Religion that is life-giving brings real good news to the poor, embraces everyone, and creates real love for our neighbor.

Debo brings up the rapture in relation to malignant and life-giving religions, and Reiger makes the point that the rapture is often used as a diversion tactic and is used without much substance. What difference is rapture theology making, and who is it serving?

In a broader sense, how is your spirituality functioning, and how can we speak back to the malignant religion that is encroaching in our own lives?

The Book Of Revelation is said to be the strangest, most controversial book in the Bible. Some love it, and some hate it. Some Christians never talk about it; some never stop talking about it. And, some people use it as a predictor of current events, as part of their impetus for violence and fervor for hatred and political gain. Others apply Revelation as evidence of a war between good and evil to almost any situation.

Elaine Pagels, Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University, refers to The Book of Revelation as “war literature.” Pagels explains that John of Patmos, a war refugee, wrote Revelation sixty years after the death of Jesus, and twenty years after 60,000 Roman troops crushed the Jewish rebellion in Judea and destroyed Jerusalem and its Great Temple. Pagels persuasively interprets Revelation as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome.

This FRONT ROW podcast features special guests Charlene Sinclair and Peter Laarman.

Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. Strongly influenced by the pathbreaking thought of the late James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology, Dr. Sinclair is committed to fashioning strategies that embrace a liberationist approach to faith and spirituality in the context of popular struggles for racial, economic, and gender justice. 

Peter Laarman is a retired United Church of Christ minister and activist who led Judson Memorial Church in New York and Progressive Christians Uniting in California. He is currently involved with the King & Breaking Silence webinar project of the National Council of Elders and with the development of a new formation called Social Ethics Energizing Democracy. Charlene and Peter approach Revelation from very different positions.

Debo and Catherine Young sit down with Dr. Wilma E. Mosely Clopton, a writer, producer, director, and author. In this episode, Dr. Clopton talks about her experience growing up with her parents, and how she didn’t experience the direct impact of racism until her junior year of college, when she was away from the insulated world outside of her home. Dr. Clopton believes that those experiences gave her strength, and she uses that strength to make change.

Dr. Clopton goes into detail about several NMHS Unlimited documentaries, like “Did Johnny Come Marching Home” and “Elport Chess and the Lanier High School Bus Boycott of 1947.” Dr. Clopton references these films in regard to the miseducation of people, specifically when it comes to African Americans’ role in history and how systematic misinformation has been put into place to divide people.

Dr. Clopton is a graduate of St. Louis University, and she is the owner of the NMHS (The Negro in Mississippi Historical Society) Unlimited Film Productions that was originally founded by her mother in the 1940s. She is dedicated to highlighting the significant untold stories of Mississippi. She has written 4 books, 14 short films, 1 play, and a children’s coloring book. Visit the NMHS Unlimited website https://blackhistoryplus.com for more information and to buy their products.

Church leaders will gain valuable insight into how younger generations are perceiving the church, how gospel and positive church communities are influencing activism, and how to navigate the future of Christianity.

Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson is a University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Chaplains and Religious Life and Faculty Member at Brown University. Janet leads a multi-faith team of associate chaplains and oversees the university’s broad circle of religious life affiliates who advise student religious organizations. Together they ensure that a diversity of belief has voice and vitality throughout the university’s community and that Brown’s largest educational program is infused with opportunity to enrich religious literacy and experience with a practice in religion.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister who served as senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church and then as executive director of LA's Progressive Christians Uniting before retiring in 2014. He remains deeply involved in national and regional social justice projects touching on race, class, and religion.

Faith And Reason affirms the preservation of justice, autonomy, and opportunity for women in the United States and across the world. A woman's lifelong well-being is directly intertwined with the preservation of her reproductive choice. Today, it seems like issues of women's health and autonomy are more precarious than they have ever been.

January 22, 2017 is the 44th anniversary for Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that protected a woman's right to privacy in her reproductive choices. The Roe v. Wade case was argued by a young attorney named Sarah Weddington. Sarah went on to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, the first female General Counsel to the US Dept. of Agriculture, and as an Assistant to President Jimmy Carter.

Sarah Weddington shares the inside story of her experiences arguing the case and what's changed for women's rights since the 1973 decision. She is joined by a panel of women sharing their own unique perspectives: Melissa Weininger, Claire Villareal, Amy Harris, and Muffie Moroney.

Listen now to hear from this lifelong advocate for women's rights!

David and Debo sit down with Daniel Ball, incoming Chief of Staff for Freedom For All Americans located in Washington, D.C. Daniel was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, grew up in Jackson, and graduated at Ole Miss before returning to Jackson. Before becoming Chief of Staff at Freedom For All Americans, he worked with the Human Rights Campaign.

In this episode, Daniel talks about his passion for social justice and human rights, especially LGBTQ and civil rights issues, as well as his own experience growing up in the church as a gay, black man and adopting and raising his nephew Terrance. David and Debo chat with Daniel about the lack of protection for LGBTQ individuals in states like Mississippi and how religion has come to be seen as a tool that is used to weaponize and divide people. Daniel also goes into detail about alternative forms of spiritual healing and the importance of interfaith.

Buy "The Role of the Public Intellectual in a Just Society" Session 3: https://www.faithandreason.org/product/public-intellectual3/

In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Debo and David sit down with Reverend Dr. Jason Coker to talk about mental health. Dr. Coker recently released a new book, Faded Flowers: Preaching in the Aftermath of Suicide, about suicide and responding to pain as a church and as individuals. People deal with loss and pain in different ways, and Dr. Coker describes his own experience preaching in the aftermath of suicide.

The rate of depression is much larger in youth and minorities than a lot of people realize. In the south, the layers of poverty and racism are very deep. Children that grow up in these spaces of pressure create many stories of resilience and strength, but at the same time it can also be difficult, especially with the added intensity of a pandemic, poverty, and systemic racism. If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health and suicide, call the Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more information and resources. There is no shame in seeking help.

Dr. Coker is the coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi and the National Director of Together for Hope. He is also the founder of Delta Hands for Hope, an award winning nonprofit that provides meals around Mississippi in an effort to combat hunger, poverty, and injustice. Dr. Coker received a masters of divinity from Yale Divinity School and a PhD from Drew University. Faded Flowers: Preaching in the Aftermath of Suicide is available on Amazon.

In the development of our existence, we search to transcend basic levels of consciousness. We can experience a reality beyond our own body and self image. Fear about how we are perceived can cause us to hide parts of ourselves, and to project them onto those who belong to other groups.

In Part 2 of our series featuring audio from Father Richard Rohr’s lecture “The Human Spirit,” Ann and Debo discuss moving beyond fear, projection versus authenticity, and self-examination as the work of responsible humans.

Hear more from Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister by purchasing “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource.

The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

Our scholars and audiences seek understanding about the history and faith of religious people and culture—but not just for the sake of knowledge. Faith And Reason challenges faith to confront injustice in our world. Today, that means taking a critical look at the injustice right in our own backyard. In celebration of Black History Month in the United States, we are doing a series of podcasts featuring a few exceptional individuals who are devoting their lives to making a difference for black people in Mississippi.

Every February since 1976, the United States has celebrated the achievements of African-Americans during Black History Month. The month-long celebration puts those accomplishments and milestones into focus through social media and in classrooms across the country. Most people are aware of the atrocities that have taken place in Mississippi over the past 250 years. This savagery and wickedness towards black Americans in Mississippi continue to this day.

This episode features Catherine C. Young, Sr. Vice President of the Memphis Mid-South Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. Catherine, a native of Crystal Springs, MS, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, a Master of Science in Business Management, and a Masters of Arts in Education from Belhaven University.

Catherine shares a heart-wrenching story of what it was like as a little black girl growing up in Mississippi. Her assiduous courage was modeled by her mother, her hero, who emboldened Catherine with the resolve and endurance to become an accomplished professional black woman in Mississippi today.

Buy "The Role of the Public Intellectual in a Just Society" Session 2: https://www.faithandreason.org/product/public-intellectual2/.

As fires rage in California and hurricanes menace the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, hosts Ann Phelps and Debo Dykes talk with guest Frederica Helmiere about the environment and what lessons Christians can learn from their interaction with the natural world.

Helmiere challenges Christians to examine their ideas about consumption, and the direct and indirect impact of that consumption on the global environment. She discusses the way race, class, gender and capitalism intersect with faith and the conservation of the environment. Helmiere pushes us to reflect always on the way that intersectionality is critical to understanding the management of the environment while taking into consideration justice for marginalized people.

Frederica Helmiere has spent the last fifteen years working at the intersection of religion, social justice and ecology in the United States and abroad. She is currently a multiregion coordinator at the United Religions Initiative, and has taught related undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Washington and Seattle University. Helmiere has two masters via a joint Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School, and gained her BA from Dartmouth in Religion and Environmental Studies.

Learn more about the United Religions Initiative: http://www.uri.org/

Rob Hill's journey has taken him from the pulpit as a United Methodist Church pastor to a position as director of the Human Rights Campaign Mississippi.

Through the organization's One America project, Rob and his team lead the effort to bring equality to LGBTQ people throughout Mississippi. Using the resources of HRC and collaborating with local organizations, he works each day to help change hearts and minds, advance enduring legal protections and build more inclusive institutions in the Magnolia State.

For those who are not LGBTQ but want to put compassion into action, Rob suggests speaking out when you hear unacceptable language, and showing up to rallies and policy discussions.

Learn more:

HRC "Love Your Neighbor" video campaign: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLstyCKmnMAyYHdPYAeMYVPl7DH2T_JetR

HRC "Religion & Faith" topic http://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/religion-faith

Debo and Ann talk to the Rev. Dr. Jason Coker, field coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi (CBF MS) in light of recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Jason, who is white, grew up poor in a predominantly black public school in the Mississippi Delta, and talks about how his early life formed his views on race and justice. Jason went on to study at Yale Divinity and Drew which included work in ancient biblical languages and modern postcolonial theory.

These experiences shaped Jason's outlook and informs his current work with CBF MS to tackle rural poverty. In keeping with the ethics of the historical Jesus, Jason's work is geared towards the liberation of the oppressed.

Read more from Rev. Dr. Jason Coker on the CBF website: http://www.cbfms.org/drjasonblog/

Religious scholars and church leaders will learn more about how younger generations are perceiving the church, how the gospel may be interpreted by younger church members, and how the future of Christianity is changing.

Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson is a University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Chaplains and Religious Life and Faculty Member at Brown University. Janet leads a multi-faith team of associate chaplains and oversees the university’s broad circle of religious life affiliates who advise student religious organizations. Together they ensure that a diversity of belief has voice and vitality throughout the university’s community and that Brown’s largest educational program is infused with opportunity to enrich religious literacy and experience with a practice in religion.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister who served as senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church and then as executive director of LA's Progressive Christians Uniting before retiring in 2014. He remains deeply involved in national and regional social justice projects touching on race, class, and religion. A lifelong activist, Peter focuses on the intersection of religion, race, and class and on how centuries of white supremacy shape the multiple crises we face today.

“What characterizes a spiritually mature person?”

Part one of our four-part series features audio from Father Richard Rohr in his lecture “The Human Spirit,” available from Faith And Reason as a two-disc set also featuring Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB.

Ann and Debo discuss insights from Father Richard Rohr’s lecture on faith and self-awareness, aptly titled “The Human Spirit.” Join Ann and Debo for commentary on clips form Rohr on rejecting dualism, the narcissism of certainty, and faith as an act of making peace with life’s mysteries.

The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

Grab “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource featuring contemplatives Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, and Father Richard Rohr.

For the fifth episode of Faith & Reason’s Born Black series, Debo and Catherine Young chat with Dr. Corey Wiggins, the Executive Director of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference. Dr. Wiggins goes into detail about growing up and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, as well as how all that led to his position at the NAACP.

They touch on the importance of the vote to remove confederate emblems from the Mississippi state flag, and how that vote was followed with debates about issues like funding for public schools and universities. Since Mississippi has voted to remove the flag, the policies and decisions that have come after are reflective of the same ideals that the previous flag stood for. We must change the hearts and minds of our community and leadership in order to make real change happen. So, what happens next? What does change look like, and what can we do?

Originally from Hazlehurst, Mississippi, Dr. Wiggins has a Bachelor of Science from Alcorn State University, and a Masters of Science of Public Health with an emphasis in Health Policy and a PhD in Health Promotion from the University of Alabama Birmingham.

Debo and David sit down with Catherine C. Young, Sr. Vice President of the Memphis Mid-South Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, to talk about systemic racism and the murder of George Floyd. Catherine starts off the conversation by highlighting the first time she experienced racism, as well as how she has faced discrimination in her life since then. Catherine goes into detail about how people of color view white privilege. She defines it as a recycling of wealth within the white community that results in white people being at the top, because they are given privileges that others do not have access to.

Catherine also talks about what it’s like to have to teach your children and grandchildren about safety, ranging from what to do when you encounter the police to being extra precautious in stores, and how black mothers are so fearful any time their child leaves the house, wondering if their child will make it back home.

This episode features Catherine Young, Executive Director and Sr. Vice President of the Memphis Mid-South Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. Catherine, a native of Crystal Springs, MS, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, a Master of Science in Business Management, and a Masters of Arts in Education from Belhaven University.

Debo and Catherine Young sit down with Dr. Kristin Black to talk about the realities of black Americans' access to healthcare. There’s a widespread misconception that faith is not interested in fact and scientific research. Faith is always concerned with reality and truth. For faith to be active, faith has to know what the facts are. Science explores the natural world that God created.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, and black women are significantly more likely to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage. Dr. Black talks about implicit bias in the healthcare system, as well as how the church plays a role in advocating for black women as it relates to breast cancer awareness.

Dr. Black is an assistant professor in the department of health education and promotion at East Carolina University. She received her Masters of Public Health in 2011 and her PhD in 2016 in maternal and child health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a member of the Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative, board member of the Sister’s Network of Greensboro, NC, and board member of the Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues. She is also the lead author in a chapter of Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional, available on the American Public Health Association website.

Theologian Joerg Rieger talks about why oppressed people have been hit hardest with COVID-19 and why people of faith and theologians should care. Joerg’s theory of the logic of downturn in regard to the broken system in the United States asks, "What if we thought about God from this perspective from the bottom up, or the perspective of an essential worker? How are we going to get out of this?"

This situation becomes an opportunity to improve how we think about who has the power, and we’re realizing there’s a lot more power at the bottom with essential workers. If we think about God as a working person, then we give working class people more power and find hope.

Joerg Rieger is a distinguished professor of Theology, Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair in Wesleyan Studies, and Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice at Vanderbilt University.

The Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice engages religion and matters of economic and ecological justice. As part of theological and religious reflection, its fellows study and support matters of economic and ecological justice and its implications for religious communities and the wider public.

Debo and David sit down with Dr. Keri Day, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religion at Princeton Theological Seminary.

COVID-19 in Dr. Day’s home state of New Jersey shows the disparities between well-to-do white communities versus areas with people of color. Dr. Day also defines African American Religion and talks about how religion has developed in the United States.

They also talk about the disproportionate rate that COVID-19 has affected black people. Why is this happening? Dr. Day goes into detail about the top reasons for this: inequality and inequity. Low income African American communities are deeply disenfranchised, not just politically but economically. Is this pandemic the latest example of the systemic inequalities faced by black Americans in the United States, and if so, is this an opportunity for us to do something different and correct ourselves?

Dr. Keri Day earned her PhD in Religion from Vanderbilt, her MA in Religion and Ethics at Yale University Divinity School, and her Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University.

Like winter holidays of many other religions, including Christians’ Advent, Hanukkah emphasizes light during the darkest part of the year. The main Hanukkah observances are lighting a menorah (a ceremonial candelabra), spinning a top called a dreidel in a game of chance, and eating fried foods (to symbolize the oil in the story).

Hanukkah is an 8-day long Jewish festive holiday that commemorates an improbable victory, some 22 centuries ago, by the Maccabees, a band of Jewish guerilla fighters seeking to reclaim their land, their Temple, and their sovereignty from the oppressive rule of the Syrian Greek Empire.

The word “Hanukkah” means “dedication,” and it refers to the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem which took place after the Maccabees’ victory in 164 BCE. Once the Maccabees had restored the Temple and re-purified it, the traditional story says that they sought to relight a lamp known as the “eternal flame.” But, according to story, only one day’s worth of consecrated olive oil could be found, and it would be awhile before more could be produced. No one wanted to light the eternal flame only to see it sputter out after a day, but there was also a deep spiritual desire to rekindle the sacred lamp immediately. The priests decided to light it and hope for the best. Miraculously, it burned for eight days until fresh jars of olive oil were finally brought to keep the flame alive. Hence, the eight nights of candle lighting for Hanukkah.

Rabbi Marshal Klaven completed Rabbinic School at Hebrew Union College –Jerusalem, class of 2009. He served as a chaplain in the U. S. Air Force, the Director of Rabbinic Services at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, MS, and as Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Israel in Galveston, TX. Rabbi Klaven is currently Special Projects Coordinator at the York Jewish Community Center in York, PA, where he lives with his wife Christina Mattison, and their daughter, Ruby.

In Part 3 of our series featuring audio from Father Richard Rohr’s lecture “The Human Spirit,” Ann and Debo discuss Rohr’s next stage of human development: the realization that my thoughts and feelings are who I am.” This can cause us to become too locked in and certain in our beliefs, but there is freedom in remaining teachable. Spiritual maturity happens when we are open to challenging our convictions. Rohr says that “growth only happens on the threshold.” When we come to the edge of our comfort zone, don’t retreat - push on.

Hear more from Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister by purchasing “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource.
The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

Dr. Joerg Rieger joins Debo and David to discuss how the cross and the resurrection of Jesus illustrate resistance, and why women were the only followers of Jesus who showed up when Jesus was crucified. They also talk about how malignant religion can support an economic system that will result in exploitation and suffering. What are some of the mechanisms that keep the “American Dream” in place?

Rieger also goes into detail about the lack of separation between church and economy, and explains why money determines what happens in the church. If the church comes together, change can be made to the power differential. How do you empower church leaders to speak with true resistance when it puts the financial interests of their church at risk?

Faith And Reason is a production of the D.L. Dykes, Jr. Foundation. Learn more at www.faithandreason.org.

Ann Phelps and Debo Dykes revisit an archived Marcus Borg lecture to dissect Borg's ideas on how one can practice Christianity but reject literalism and beliefs that don't fit a modern understanding of justice.

Can some parts of the Bible be "flat-out wrong?" Does this create anxiety or relief when you hear it? For Marcus Borg, letting go of literalism opens a larger world of metaphor that ultimately leads to a more fulfilling personal faith.

This episode of the podcast reacquaints listeners with Marcus Borg, who passed away in 2015. Borg left a legacy of historical Jesus scholarship and a lasting call to experience Christianity as a call to create justice in today's world.

Related Resources

Faith And Reason Seminar Series
Does Christianity Have a Future? (DVD)

“...America has traditionally been understood as a Christian nation. The question is: understood by whom?”

An enormously influential Old Testament scholar, Dr. Walter Brueggeman’s question echoed at Faith And Reason’s The Prospect of a World Community of Religions seminar. Challenging the commonly-held assumption that the Founding Fathers intended for the United States to be a Christian nation, instead, he argues, it is intended to be a secular democracy. The churches of a secular democracy, Brueggemann argues, should exist to “bring vision, and passion, and energy, and courage” to society—not division, strife, and oppression.

No small critic of imperialism and nationalism, Brueggemann heavily influences this podcast episode. Join Ann and Debo as they use Brueggemann’s scholarship to reflect on the First Amendment, the exclusion of minority voices in the national political and religious conversation, and how Christians can co-exist in the secular democracy—not co-opt it.

In this special episode, hear the Intro of "The Last Week," a new audio series from Faith And Reason. This series features new dialogue with John Dominic Crossan based on material from his book with Marcus Borg, "The Last Week." Part meditation, part historical exploration, and part theology — our new audio series with Dr. Crossan, David Dykes, and Ann Phelps is perfect for individual study, especially during the Lenten season. "The Last Week" is available now at faithandreason.org!

Our scholars and audiences seek understanding about the history and faith of religious people and culture—but not just for the sake of knowledge. Faith And Reason challenges faith to confront injustice in our world. Today, that means taking a critical look at the injustice right in our own backyard. In celebration of Black History Month in the United States, we are doing a series of podcasts featuring a few exceptional individuals who are devoting their lives to making a difference for black people in Mississippi.

Debo Dykes and Donna Ladd, an American investigative journalist who is a co-founder of the Jackson Free Press and the upcoming nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, sit down with Representative Ronnie Crudup, Jr. of Hinds County’s House District 71 in Jackson, Mississippi, where Faith & Reason is based. Representative Crudup, a native of Jackson and an advocate of south Jackson, attended Murrah High School and received his bachelor's degree at Belhaven University, and now serves as a minister at New Horizon Ministries, which his father brought to south Jackson in 1990.

New Horizon Ministries focuses on helping people find housing in south Jackson, childcare/after-school programs, and youth sports and arts. Representative Ronnie Crudup talks about shifts that have happened along race and economic lines in the last twenty years in south Jackson, as well as the results and effects of those changes. Crudup also talks about the work that’s being done to restore Mississippi’s capital city through New Horizon Ministries, and explains how getting churches to work together can better the local community.

Every February since 1976, the United States has celebrated the achievements of African-Americans during Black History Month. The month-long celebration puts those accomplishments and milestones into focus through social media and in classrooms across the country. Most people are aware of the atrocities that have taken place in Mississippi over the past 250 years. This savagery and wickedness towards black Americans in Mississippi continues to this day.

Why have many faith traditions have been silent during this pandemic, and what would it take for us to own the problem of COVID-19 as a country? Debo and David sit down with Peter Laarman to talk about faith and leadership during COVID-19.

Peter dives into the idea that this crisis reveals the unacceptable things that have always been present in the United States: the winner-take-all economic system or the broken for-profit health care system. They also discuss what all of this means during an election year, and why it seems so impossible to make headway against economic and political injustice in the United States.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister who served as senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church and then as executive director of LA's Progressive Christians Uniting before retiring in 2014. He remains deeply involved in national and regional social justice projects touching on race, class, and religion.

In honor of International Women's Month, we welcome:

Ann Phelps, Interim Director of Religious Life at Millsaps College
Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief of the Jackson Free Press in Jackson, Mississippi
Kate McNeel, Chief of Staff, Telecommunications Industry Business at SAP and the founder of LeanIn Mississippi

Together, the panel shares their perspective on women making their voices heard across different sectors of society including the Church, newsmedia, and the corporate workplace.

Included clips:

• Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, from "American Women and Women of the World," available soon on Amazon Video Direct.

• Music by Theodicy Jazz Collective. Learn more at theodicyjazz.com.

Debo Dykes and Ann Phelps host a roundtable discussion with guests Rev. Dr. Jason Coker, field coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi and David Dykes, Executive Director of Faith And Reason, about the beginnings of our faith formed by family and the image and language of God created for and by white men.

We discuss the patriarchal language of God, ownership of God’s image, and the ways in which those perceptions, often fiercely and systemically protected, color our moral and political views. Critical work comes in remembering that Christians’ commitment to progress should prioritize justice for anyone on the margins of society.

Read more from Rev. Dr. Jason Coker on the CBF website: http://www.cbfms.org/drjasonblog/

David Dykes is wrapping up production on The Challenge of Paul, available at https://www.faithandreason.org.

Featured Product

Sr. Joan Chittister in God, The World, & The Gap Between, an audio recording available as either a CD ($15) or USB flash drive ($20).

In Fr. Rohr’s fourth stage of spiritual development, he describes the Christian model of incarnation: that Jesus lived on earth in a human body. Ann and Debo help us understand this phase, describing how liberating it can be to fully experience ourselves in our own bodies. As we turn inwards into ourselves, we grow beyond just the doctrine of the church and begin having a real-life inner experience of the Holy Spirit.

Ultimately, during this exploration we find limits within ourselves, and we meet our internal shadow self. In the fifth stage of spiritual development, we confront our weaknesses, limitations, and brokenness. As you become comfortable with stage 5, you free yourself from having to pretend.

Fr. Rohr calls the next stage, 6, “God’s waiting room.” After confronting our flaws, we come to grips with our own self’s limitation in our ability to achieve perfect spiritual love.

Hear more from Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister by purchasing “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource.

The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

As we enter stage 7 of our spiritual development, we learn that there is a true self that, no matter what we do, is loved by God. Not only do I receive that love, but everyone else does, too. We can shed fear, superiority, and competition - and experience the death of our false self.

In stage 8, we return to “luminous darkness” — we don’t have the answers, but instead of being confused, we are at peace. Those with a tendency towards certainty can have a difficult time in this stage. Stage 8 can be described as a sensation of gentle, compassionate discernment. We experience ourselves in the unity of God.

In stage 9, we discover that it’s enough to be human: badges and costumes aren’t necessary. Accessing this stage is rare and potentially only achievable for fleeting moments, but is a beautiful destination to seek out.

For more on the transition from the false self into the true self, check out Rohr’s book “The Immortal Diamond.”

Hear more from Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister by purchasing “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource.

The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

Kick off Advent with John Dominic Crossan! In this episode, David and Debo talk to Crossan about “The First Christmas,” the book by Crossan and the late Marcus Borg.

In this episode, Crossan breaks down what he means by a parabolic overture, and points to some main differences in the Matthew and Luke gospels. Although our traditional nativity crib scene has the Shepherds and the Magi there together, each actually belongs to a different story. The Magi are from Matthew alone and the Shepherds from Luke alone. That difference draws attention to the fact that the two stories of Jesus’s Infancy are rather completely different in mood and content.

Crossan also notes the importance of respecting the intention of the author at hand. Once you understand the intention, ask yourself: Is this still valid for me today, or is it simply understandable in the 21st century but outdated? Are there any patterns or themes taken from these parables that can apply to events happening now?

This podcast series is about perhaps the most challenging and controversial book in the New Testament, The Book Of Revelation. Some Christians love it, and some hate it. Some Christians never talk about it; some never stop talking about it. 

Some people are using it as a predictor of current events or as part of their impetus for violence and fervor for hatred and political gain. Others apply Revelation as a sort of war against good and evil to almost any situation one might be involved.

John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University and widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time, says, "The heartbeat of the Christian Bible is a recurrent cardiac cycle in which the asserted radicality of God’s nonviolent distributive justice is subverted by the normalcy of civilization's violent retributive justice. And, of course, the most profound annulment is that both assertion and subversion are attributed to the same God or the same Christ."

This FRONT ROW podcast features special guests Dr. Charlene Sinclair and Rev. Peter Laarman. 

Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. Strongly influenced by the pathbreaking thought of the late James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology, Dr. Sinclair is committed to fashioning strategies that embrace a liberationist approach to faith and spirituality in the context of popular struggles for racial, economic, and gender justice. 

Rev. Peter Laarman is a retired United Church of Christ minister and activist who led Judson Memorial Church in New York and Progressive Christians Uniting in California. He is currently involved with the King & Breaking Silence webinar project of the National Council of Elders and with the development of a new formation called Social Ethics Energizing Democracy.

Listen as Charlene’s and Peter’s different perspectives confront and challenge the ascending violence of “the war in heaven,” where Jesus judges the whole world; all who worship other gods, who commit murder, perform magic, or illicit sexual acts are thrown down to be forever tormented in a lake of fire, while those who claim to be God’s faithful are invited to enter the new city of Jerusalem that descends from heaven and reigns in triumph for 1,000 years.

Debo and Catherine Young sit down with Dr. Stephen Farrow, Executive Director of the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute of Mississippi (NDORI), to discuss health as a justice issue and how social factors like income and education impact health. Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity and childhood obesity in the United States, and 1 out of 3 people in Mississippi are considered obese. When thinking about health and obesity, one must also consider how racial bias and structural racism play into health and economy. Access to healthcare, education level, economic achievement and quality of life in the workplace all affect health and diabetes.

Before moving to Mississippi, Dr. Farrow lived in Detroit. He moved to Mississippi the week before Hurricane Katrina hit. From that moment, he knew he wanted to stay in Mississippi to help rebuild the state and make a visible positive impact. The more education we can provide throughout the state, and the sooner we can provide solutions, that gives people more flexibility in the way they use resources and their understanding of healthy things they can do.

Dr. Farrow is the executive director of the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute of Mississippi. He completed medical school, internal medicine residency, and an endocrinology fellowship at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He also completed an internship at University of Michigan, as well as an endocrinology clinical and research elective at the National Institutes of Health. He earned an executive masters degree in U.S. and International Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management. He’s affiliated with the Veteran Affairs of Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System and Chief Medical Services.

The Book Of Revelation has been described as the most misunderstood and misinterpreted book of the Bible and ought to come with an adults-only "reader's caution" for all its violent imagery. Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809), denied the divine inspiration of the Book of Revelation, describing it to Alexander Smyth (US Representative from Virginia) in 1825 as "merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams."

Despite Revelation's reputation, some, particularly Black people and other people of color, have found it to be hopeful and relevant. Revelation speaks to marginalized and powerless people, to anyone familiar with struggle. Some scholars call it the literature of the oppressed. And yet, we have seen over and over again, people going through tough times are remarkably resilient. There's something within them that keeps them hoping for life to get better, even when darkness seems to be winning. "True hope" is what preacher Peter Gomes calls a muscular hope, the stuff that gets us through and beyond when the worst that can happen happens. "Hope is forged on the anvil of adversity," Gomes famously said.

This FRONT ROW podcast features special guests Charlene Sinclair and Peter Laarman.

Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. Strongly influenced by the pathbreaking thought of the late James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology, Dr. Sinclair is committed to fashioning strategies that embrace a liberationist approach to faith and spirituality in the context of popular struggles for racial, economic, and gender justice. 

Peter Laarman is a retired United Church of Christ minister and activist who led Judson Memorial Church in New York and Progressive Christians Uniting in California. He is currently involved with the King & Breaking Silence webinar project of the National Council of Elders and with the development of a new formation called Social Ethics Energizing Democracy. 

Charlene and Peter approach Revelation from very different positions.

In the first part of this series, Dr. Obery Hendricks, Dr. Charlene Sinclair, and Peter Laarman lay out the beliefs of the ideologues who want an America ruled by a vengeful strongman. They ask if this movement can be fought by speaking in biblical terms, by seeing “loving your neighbor as yourself” as a struggle for the common good.  

Do these authoritarians care about what is right or only what serves their interest? Will their value of domination win out over repentance? Can a return to ethics and justice stave off their ascent? 

Churches have a choice: They can embrace the radical power of Jesus of the gospels or slowly lose ground to an evangelical movement that worships at the strange altar of whiteness.

 Obery M. Hendricks Jr. is a lifelong social activist, and one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today. His recent book, Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith (Beacon Press, 2021) has gathered wide acclaim.

Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. Strongly influenced by the pathbreaking thought of the late James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology, Dr. Sinclair is committed to fashioning strategies that embrace a liberationist approach to faith and spirituality in the context of popular struggles for racial, economic, and gender justice. 

The Reverend Peter Laarman is a retired United Church of Christ minister and activist who led Judson Memorial Church in New York and Progressive Christians Uniting in California. He is currently involved with the King & Breaking Silence webinar project of the National Council of Elders and with the development of a new formation called Social Ethics Energizing Democracy.

In our second podcast episode, Faith and Reason's Debo Dykes has a spirited conversation with Dr. Keri Day about Black women's modern and historical efforts for human rights and equality.

Dr. Day is an Associate Professor of Theological and Social Ethics & Director of the Black Church Studies Program at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. She is a published author of several books, including "Unfinished Business: Black Women, The Black Church, and the Struggle to Thrive in America."

Intersectionality, Black Lives Matter, racial injustice, reproductive justice, and how the lives of Black women profoundly affect justice for everyone—come to light in an impactful conversation serving as a perfect bridge between Black History Month and Women's History Month.

##In This Episode:
Dear White Christians by Jennifer Harvey
A Christian scholar and writer, Jennifer dives into the history of "whiteness" and how White Christians committed to justice must radically shift their thinking about race.

Sister Song: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
A Southern-based organization dedicated to building a network that improves the policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities.

Houston - Confronting Poverty through the Heart of Faith

In this transformative 3-day seminar, faith leaders, activists, and scholars from across the nation, including Dr. Keri Day, converged to promote and discuss economic justice in Houston, TX.

##From Faith And Reason:
The Human Spirit & the Times We Live In

Ft. Joan Chittister and Richard Rohr

The spiritual life is not lead in isolation. We are all connected to one another in the human experience: deeply connected to all life and people. When we realize this, we can no longer turn our backs on the suffering or injustices suffered by our brothers and sisters.

See our full selection of resources: https://faithandreason.org/index.php/store

In this episode of Faith And Reason 360 we are honored to welcome author, scholar, and scribe of the popular monthly newsletter “Connections” Barbara Wendland. Join us as Barbara discusses the need for a radical update of creed, attitude, and structure in the Christian church, whose practices, Wendland says, are outdated—and this behind-the-times attitude, though revered as traditional by many, comes at the expense of Church success. The world has changed dramatically since the 3rd century; is the Church ready to catch up?

Justice-seekers, church leaders, and religious scholars will learn more about how younger generations are perceiving the church, how to support local advocacy and activism, and how the future of Christianity is changing. Marcus Borg’s lectures, drawn from Faith and Reason seminars like “Does Christianity Have a Future?” and “The Heart of Christianity,” provide the perfect foundation for an engaging and thoughtful discussion on these topics.

Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson is a University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Chaplains and Religious Life and Faculty Member at Brown University. Janet leads a multi-faith team of associate chaplains and oversees the university’s broad circle of religious life affiliates who advise student religious organizations. Together they ensure that a diversity of belief has voice and vitality throughout the university’s community and that Brown’s largest educational program is infused with opportunity to enrich religious literacy and experience with a practice in religion.

Peter Laarman is a United Church of Christ minister who served as senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church and then as executive director of LA's Progressive Christians Uniting before retiring in 2014. He remains deeply involved in national and regional social justice projects touching on race, class, and religion. A lifelong activist, Peter focuses on the intersection of religion, race, and class and on how centuries of white supremacy shape the multiple crises we face today.

Listen as John Dominic Crossan explores Luke's infancy story of Jesus’ birth. In this episode, David and Debo talk to Crossan about “The First Christmas,” the book by Crossan and the late Marcus Borg.

In Luke’s nativity story, why does Luke choose to have Mary give birth to Jesus in such a humble setting as a stable? Crossan breaks down Luke’s gospel. Luke tells the story of the shepherds in the field. Luke is more interested in Jesus as the healer, a person directly helping the poor, and interested in compassion, mercy, and healing. This Jesus story stresses the very humble beginnings of life.

Crossan talks about the infancy story of Luke as parabolic overture to that gospel. Imagine Luke 3-24 as the finished Gospel according to Luke and the author starting to compose its parabolic overture. How was that overture necessarily and inevitably determined by the vision of the completed Gospel?

In part 2 of our exploration of a world reshaped by COVID-19, Joerg Rieger emphasizes the importance of communities coming together to build power. He continues his call for us to see God amidst us as a working person. How has the image of the cross changed over time, and how does it relate to resurrection? What if we viewed the cross as a symbol of resistance?

Joerg Rieger is a distinguished professor of Theology, Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair in Wesleyan Studies, and Director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice at Vanderbilt University.

The Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice engages religion and matters of economic and ecological justice. As part of theological and religious reflection, its fellows study and support matters of economic and ecological justice and its implications for religious communities and the wider public.

Special Guests

This FRONT ROW podcast features Dr. Obery Hendricks, Dr. Charlene Sinclair and Peter Laarman.

Dr. Obery Hendricks is a lifelong social activist, and one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today. His recent book, Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith (Beacon Press, 2021) has gathered wide acclaim.
 

Dr. Charlene Sinclair is an organizer, thinker, and writer whose work centers on the intersection of race, gender, economy, and democracy. Strongly influenced by the pathbreaking thought of the late James Cone, founder of Black Liberation Theology, Dr. Sinclair is committed to fashioning strategies that embrace a liberationist approach to faith and spirituality in the context of popular struggles for racial, economic, and gender justice. 

The Reverend Peter Laarman is a retired United Church of Christ minister and activist who led Judson Memorial Church in New York and Progressive Christians Uniting in California. He is currently involved with the King & Breaking Silence webinar project of the National Council of Elders and with the development of a new formation called Social Ethics Energizing Democracy. 



Listen as John Dominic Crossan dissects the agreements between Jesus’ Infancy Story in Matthew and Luke! In this episode, David and Debo talk to Dr. John Dominic Crossan about “The First Christmas,” the book by Crossan and the late Marcus Borg.

Although our traditional nativity crib scene has the Shepherds and the Magi there together, each actually belongs to a different story. The Magi are from Matthew alone and the Shepherds from Luke alone. That difference draws attention to the fact that the two stories of Jesus’s Infancy are rather completely different in mood and content.

Despite being divergent parabolic overtures to two different Gospels, Matthew and Luke agree on the Virginal conception and Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus. As common data, are those claims historical facts or theological interpretations? What is the meaning and intention of each claim in its original context?

Buy "The Role of the Public Intellectual in a Just Society" Session 1: https://www.faithandreason.org/product/public-intellectual/

Hosts Debo Dykes and Ann Phelps speak with composer and worship leader Mark Miller about how spiritual music brings people together, empowers communities, and inspires all of us to lives of justice and mercy.

Hear the inspiration for and performances of Mark's worship music compositions like "Draw the Circle Wide," "We Resist," and more. Mark also delves into the history of spirituals and their role during slavery and through the Civil Rights movement.

Mark serves is Assistant Professor of Church Music at Drew Theological School and is a Lecturer in the Practice of Sacred Music at Yale University. He also is the Minister of Music of Christ Church in Summit, New Jersey. Since 1999 Mark has led music for United Methodists and others around the country, including directing music for the 2008 General Conference. His choral anthems are best sellers for Abingdon Press andChoristers Guild and his hymns are published in "Worship & Song", "Sing! Prayer and Praise", "Zion Still Sings", "Amazing Abundance", "The Faith We Sing", and others. Mark received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale University and his Master of Music in Organ Performance from Juilliard.

Learn more about Mark Miller: http://markamillermusic.com/

Theme by Theodicy: http://theodicyjazz.com/

On this episode, we’re joined by Noorain Khan, program officer at the Ford Foundation.

Though Khan’s achievements as a decorated academic landed her a position at a prestigious corporate law firm in New York City, the self-described “Girl Scouts evangelist” knew that her professional goals lay in the world of social justice. So Khan, honored by Law and Policy’s “30 Under 30” List, gave up the ultra-competitive world of corporate law to her true calling of giving back to the global community.

Tune in as Khan discusses her experiences as a Muslim-American woman navigating a roiling political and social landscape, the importance of intersectional representation in all fields, and how altruism is a catalyst not only for social change but also for deep personal fulfillment.

Dr. Joerg Rieger joins Debo, Ann, and David to discuss Jesus’s claim “the way, the truth, and the life” and how to understand that statement alongside alternate perspectives of truth. Different people can encounter truth in different ways, and that doesn’t mean everything goes; instead, Rieger says that as we negotiate truth, we must figure out where to broaden the picture and where to draw the lines.

The quest for religious truth has been both death dealing and live giving. It has been death dealing because blaming others has often led to real killing, as well as the exploitation and manipulation of other religious traditions in order to make one’s religion the truth. As far as life giving, this quest for religious truth has also led to all religions making an effort to change oppressive situations and figure out how one can use their religion to make a difference.

This then creates an interreligious dialogue. Ann brings up the question: what if people didn’t view religion as a sport, where they’re on a team that has to win, but instead as a language? Differences make a difference in how we move the world, so coming together to discuss different truths would benefit us and add to our knowledge of the world and the people around us.

Dr. Joerg Rieger joins Debo, David, and Ann to explore the tension between the Christian perceptions of God: the kingly, dominant God of Caesar vs. the humble, human God of Jesus. When we talk about God, he says, which God are we talking about? If this God is one with Jesus, a working person and refugee who served the marginalized, what does it look like for us to be followers of Jesus today?

Hosts Ann Phelps and Debo Dykes have a deep discussion with renowned historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan about the history of the concept of Resurrection. While Dr. Crossan raises provocative questions about our common understanding, there can be deeper meanings that are even more profoundly relevant today.

Dr. Crossan illuminates how the Resurrection story was originally told in early Christianity's context within the Roman Empire. Rather than getting lost in the literalism or metaphor of the Resurrection, today's Christians can understand themselves as the resurrected body of Christ. We are charged with feeding, healing, and taking care of one another. While Empires can kill a human body creating revolutionary change, Resurrection's promise is that spirit of justice will always rise again.

This podcast includes clips of John Dominic Crossan's "The Challenge of Jesus," perfect for church small groups, universities, or individual study. Learn more here: https://faithandreason.org/index.php/store/product/the-challenge-of-jesus

Music by Theodicy: http://theodicyjazz.com/

Part 4 of our series featuring audio from Father Richard Rohr’s lecture “The Human Spirit.”

Moving from stage 3 to 4 is likened to a ritual wounding - we are forced to leave our proverbial tribe and enter inner awareness of ourselves. We discover that our identities live within our bodies. Stage 4 offers a wonderful experience of self-discovery. We get to immerse ourselves in religions and practices that open up personal realizations. The limitation of this stage, though, is that we live in a world consisting of other people. Our personal enlightenment is only as useful as it moves us to action to work for justice in our world. Ann and Debo discuss the implications of that movement for institutional religion as a whole.

Hear more from Richard Rohr and Sr. Joan Chittister by purchasing “The Human Spirit and The Times We Live In”, a Faith And Reason seminar series resource.

The FaithAndReason 360 podcast is free to all listeners. Interested in supporting? Donate at FaithAndReason.org.

Listen as John Dominic Crossan dives deep into Matthew’s infancy story of Jesus’ birth! In this episode, David and Debo talk to Crossan about “The First Christmas,” the book by Crossan and the late Marcus Borg.

Crossan breaks down Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew tells the story of Herod and the wise men, as well as the genealogy of Jesus. Mary and Joseph flee from Herod because he wants to kill first born babies. Matthew, interested in placing Jesus directly in the Davidic royal bloodline, makes his intention plain: he wants to restore Israel to its former prominence. Wise men come from far east to find Jesus–to bow at his feet and recognize him as their promised king.

Crossan talks about the infancy story of Matthew as parabolic overture to that Gospel. Imagine Matthew 3-28 as the finished Gospel according to Matthew and the author starting to compose its parabolic overture. How was that overture necessarily and inevitably determined by the vision of the completed Gospel?