- Peter Laarman, Episode 1.

Long ago, European Christians cast Jesus in the image of their imperial rulers, who wanted art portraying a fair-skinned Savior. The world still feels those consequences today.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarman and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

Follow them on this challenging intellectual journey, which discusses how whiteness becomes centered, even among people who are not white, and the toll that white supremacy takes on everyone, even those who live under the umbrella of “white.” 

We’ll get glimpses at the ways in which the church has the capacity to challenge this modern ideology that allows for misogyny, homophobia, and a violent capitalism, based on violence and extraction.

Find Grace Ji-Sun Kim's book here.

- Peter Laarman, Episode 1.

Long ago, European Christians cast Jesus in the image of their imperial rulers, who wanted art portraying a fair-skinned Savior. The world still feels those consequences today.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarman and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

Follow them on this challenging intellectual journey, which discusses how whiteness becomes centered, even among people who are not white, and the toll that white supremacy takes on everyone, even those who live under the umbrella of “white.” 

We’ll get glimpses at the ways in which the church has the capacity to challenge this modern ideology that allows for misogyny, homophobia, and a violent capitalism, based on violence and extraction.

Find Grace Ji-Sun Kim's book here.

- Peter Laarman, Episode 1.

Long ago, European Christians cast Jesus in the image of their imperial rulers, who wanted art portraying a fair-skinned Savior. The world still feels those consequences today.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarman and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

Follow them on this challenging intellectual journey, which discusses how whiteness becomes centered, even among people who are not white, and the toll that white supremacy takes on everyone, even those who live under the umbrella of “white.” 

We’ll get glimpses at the ways in which the church has the capacity to challenge this modern ideology that allows for misogyny, homophobia, and a violent capitalism, based on violence and extraction.

Find Grace Ji-Sun Kim's book here.

- Peter Laarman, Episode 1.

Long ago, European Christians cast Jesus in the image of their imperial rulers, who wanted art portraying a fair-skinned Savior. The world still feels those consequences today.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarman and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

Follow them on this challenging intellectual journey, which discusses how whiteness becomes centered, even among people who are not white, and the toll that white supremacy takes on everyone, even those who live under the umbrella of “white.” 

We’ll get glimpses at the ways in which the church has the capacity to challenge this modern ideology that allows for misogyny, homophobia, and a violent capitalism, based on violence and extraction.

Find Grace Ji-Sun Kim's book here.

Long ago, European Christians cast Jesus in the image of their imperial rulers, who wanted art portraying a fair-skinned Savior. The world still feels those consequences today.

Join Front Row host Peter Laarmann and guest Grace Ji-Sun Kim, as she explores the historical and theological implications of Jesus becoming white and God becoming a white male.

Follow them on this challenging intellectual journey, which discusses how whiteness becomes centered, even among people who are not white, and the toll that white supremacy takes on everyone, even those who live under the umbrella of “white.” 

We’ll see how the church can challenge this modern ideology, one that allows for misogyny, homophobia, and a form of capitalism based on violence and extraction.

Find Grace Ji-Sun Kim's book here.

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. 

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. 

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. 



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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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/

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/

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)

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

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/

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/

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.

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

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!