Exploring Faith Perspectives, Theological Camps & Queer Theology – Dr. Hanna Reichel

We’re honored to learn from Dr. Hanna Reichel, an associate professor of Reformed Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, about their journey of faith, academic research on reformed theology, and their new book: After Method: Queer Grace, Conceptual Design, and the Possibility of Theology.

You can get this full episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher, or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

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Gender Identity, Faith Reconstruction, Hermeneutics & Queer Theology – Father Shannon T.L. Kearns

We’re honored to learn from Father Shannon T.L. Kearns about identity formation, faith reconstruction, hermeneutics, and Queer theology. Father Kearns is the author of “In The Margins: A Transgender Man’s Journey with Scripture.”

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher, or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

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Prophetic Literature, Social Ethics & Politicized Religion – M. Daniel Carroll R.

We’re honored to learn from Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) about the key ethical concerns and social critiques of Amos, Isaiah, and Micah. It’s the topic of his book: The Lord Roars: Recovering the Prophetic Voice for Today.

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher, or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

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Ways to Grow in Hope, Compassion & Mindfulness Amid Seasons of Grief – Valerie Brown

We’re honored to learn from Valerie Brown about ways to cultivate hope, compassion, and mindfulness amid seasons of grief and loss. It’s the topic of her book “Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way Toward Simplicity, Awakening & Peace.”

Valerie Brown is a Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, facilitator, and executive coach. A former lawyer and lobbyist, she is co-director of Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership as well as founder and chief mindfulness officer of Lead Smart Coaching.

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Making Meaning from Our Suffering – Dr. Ken Duckworth

In this week’s podcast, we’re honored to learn from Dr. Ken Duckworth about his fantastic book entitled “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health.”

His book is a comprehensive guide on how to compassionately support friends, family, and loved ones in their mental health journeys. His book combines evidence-based research on what treatments work for different mental health issues, insights from renowned clinical experts, and over 130 stories from people sharing their mental health challenges, along with insights from caregivers.

It’s an all-in-one handbook that will help you grow in compassion for others with mental health challenges, as well as encouragement for those of us who struggle with emotional pain or other mental health issues. It’s definitely one of those books that everyone needs on their bookshelf.

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

In this episode, Dr. Duckworth talks about:

People want to make meaning from their suffering
Why do people tell their stories of pain
Common mental health issues
The power of community (and shared stories) when addressing mental health
Why Dr. Duckworth become a psychiatrist
Powerful stories of mental health
How to talk with loved ones about mental health issues
Dr. Duckworth’s personal story of depression
Grief vs. Depression
Ways to deal with prolonged grief and despair
Impact of spirituality on mental health

You can watch the full conversation on making meaning from our suffering here.

Taal Ken Duckworth, MD is the Chief Medical Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and has been the medical director since 2003. He is also assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an adjunct clinical assistant professor of health and policy management at the Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Duckworth has served as a board member of the American Association for Community Psychiatry and worked for years as a psychiatrist on an assertive community treatment team.

Embracing Curiosity in the Journey of Faith w/ Lore Ferguson Wilbert

In this week’s podcast, we’re honored to learn from Lore Ferguson Wilbert about her new book entitled “A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, And We Wish Someone Would Ask Us.

Her book explores the powerful ways our faith and doubt can impact our understanding of God. Lore invites us all to embrace curiosity in our faith journey, and to get comfortable with not always finding all the answers. Most importantly, she encourages readers to find their comfort and ultimate answers in Christ.

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

In this episode, Lore talks about:

Asking vs. Answering
Feeling vulnerable and insufficient
When you’re not in control
Asking questions, but not expecting answers
A crisis of faith
Believing with our mind, but feeling faithless in our heart
Processing painful emotions and finding healing
Dark nights, despair, and getting angry at God
How emotional pain affects our bodies
Internal processing and bottling up our emotions
What the humanity and emotions of Jesus teach us
How the Psalms give us permission to question God
What the staff of Moses teaches us (and how God uses our weakness)
One of the toughest chapters to write
Rilke: On embracing uncertainty and living in the questions

You can watch the full conversation on embracing curiosity in the journey of faith.

Girardot City Lore Ferguson Wilbert is the founder of Sayable.net and the author of Handle with Care, winner of a 2021 Christianity Today Book Award. She has written for Christianity Today, Fathom magazine, and She Reads Truth and served as general editor of B&H’s Read and Reflect with the Classics. Wilbert reaches an audience of more than 40,000 through email and social media. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Christian spiritual formation and leadership from Friends University.

How to Talk About Racial Inequality, Combat Racism & Become Anti-Racist

In this week’s podcast, we’re honored to learn from Dr. Ali Michael and Dr. Eleonora Bartoli about their helpful new book entitled “Our Problem, Our Path: Collective AntiRacism for White People.” It’s a powerful resource to help us learn ways to talk about racism and build skills to be actively anti-racist.

Dr. Michael and Dr. Bartoli argue that inner and outer antiracist work are deeply interconnected. Their book provides readers with strategies to build racial competence and ways for us to make a more just, equitable and loving multiracial society.

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

In this episode, they share:

Why it’s difficult for us (white people) to talk about race
Why we may feel it’s unsafe to discuss or challenge racism
Emotional (and fear) response to racism around us
Why we silence ourselves (or avoid conversations about race)
The struggle to become anti-racist daily
Ways race talks impacts our mental health
How to ground yourself
Addressing the stereotype threat
Why racism is a white person problem
Grieving with (and displaying empathy) for BIPOC communities
The paradox of virtue signaling
Race-related stress
The anti-critical race theory movement
How to stand up against racism (and avoid being a silent bystander)
Advice on how to raise anti-racist children

You can watch the full conversation on walking the anti-racist path on YouTube here.

Eleonora Bartoli, Ph.D is a consultant and licensed psychologist, specializing in trauma, resilience-building, and multicultural/social justice counseling. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology: Human Development/Mental Health Research from the University of Chicago in 2001. After receiving her clinical license in 2005, she opened a small independent practice, which she has held since. After 15 years in academia (12 of those years as the director of a Masters in counseling program), she became a full-time consultant. Her mission is to share the tools of counseling and psychology in support of social justice work.

Ali Michael, Ph.D. is Director of the Race Institute for K-12 Educators and works with schools and organizations across the country to help make research on race, Whiteness, and education more accessible and relevant to educators. Ali is the author of Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Inquiry and Education, winner of the 2017 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award. As a member of a multiracial editorial team, she has co-edited The Guide for White Women who Teach Black Boys, Teaching Beautiful and Brilliant Black Girls, and Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice: 15 Stories. With her colleague Toni Graves Williamson, Ali adapted Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility for a Young Adult audience. Ali sits on the editorial board of the journal Whiteness and Education.

Finding Hope in the Rituals of Grief – Amanda Held Opelt

In this week’s podcast, we’re honored to learn from Amanda Held Opelt about her latest book: “A Hole in the World: Finding Hope in Rituals of Grief and Healing.” It’s a beautifully written book that explores ways to find faith and hope amid seasons of grief and suffering. It’s one of those books that I’ll be re-reading during difficult times to remind me of the hope we have in Christ (even when I’m feeling faithless).

You can get this episode on iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or YouTube. You can also download or listen to the full podcast episode here.

In this episode, Amanda talks with us about:

On becoming a social worker and chaplain
Helping others overcome grief, trauma and loss
How to support a grieving friend (and what not to say)
Listening more, saying less (and creating safe spaces)
How faith can help you through seasons of suffering
What the Bible tells us about grief and suffering
Engaging with God in the midst of trauma or crisis of faith
Spiritual rituals to connect with God
What to do when a grieving friends doesn’t want to open up to you
Helping grieving people who don’t ask for help
On writing “A Hole in the World” about grief rituals around the world
Helpful books for dealing with grief and bereavement
The Christian concept of hope and the afterlife
Finding meaning and hope in Ecclesiastes

Amanda Held Opelt is an author, speaker, and songwriter. She writes about faith, grief, and creativity, and believes in the power of community, ritual, worship and shared stories to heal even our deepest wounds. Amanda has spent the last 15 years as a social worker and humanitarian aid worker. She lives in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina with her husband and young two daughters.

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