Shows
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastChristian Nationalism - Devouring Diversity - 202In Irenicast’s first full episode in over two years the team discusses Christian Nationalism. Bonnie, Casey, Jeff and Rajeev go deep on the origins and dangers of Christian Nationalism RELEVANT LINKS The New Testament as Political Documents A Campgate of the Mind: Roman Propaganda and Trump’s America (Article) What Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to clear homeless encampments means for the people who live in them (Article) 'Invisible in our own country': Being Muslim in Modi's India (Article) The Handmaid's Tale (TV Series)
2024-11-051h 07
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Conversation Continues - 201We are back! Irenciast has taken many different forms over the years and after a couple year break we return in a new iteration. In this episode we take some time and catch our listeners up on where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to. In addition we provide some information on the direction of the show. We are so happy to be back and are tremendously thankful for everyone that listens. We look forward to continuing the conversation with you. IRENCAST HOSTS Rev. Bonnie Rambob, MDiv | co-host Pastor Cas...
2024-10-2322 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastRebirthing Christmas - Virgin Mary Smashes the PatriarchyIn Episode 192 Rebirthing Christmas - Virgin Mary Smashes the Patriarchy, Bonnie, Casey, Jeff, and Rajeev, discuss a broad range of feminist perspectives on Mary the mother of Jesus and virginity. Did ancient communities understand the concept of virginity through the lens of purity culture or did they hold a more sophisticated understanding of feminine power? We leaned towards the latter. The Magnificat by Mary in the Gospel of Luke is discussed with great interest and reverence. It is a most powerful passage that is often omitted from most liturgies. The conversation explores the fleshy, lived, ex...
2021-12-211h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhat is Love? - The Space BetweenWhat is love? In this episode each host attempts to provide their definition of what they think love is. It quickly becomes apparent that the concept of love is more difficult to pin down than expected. Is love a feeling? Is love an action? Or is love where in between? And finally a new segment is introduced to end the show, Bad Advice Column. This segment quickly goes off the rails and hilarity ensues and fun is had by all. Conversation on What is Love (02:35)Bad Advice Column Segment (35:55) ANNOUNCEMENTS Sign...
2021-12-0755 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhat Is Faith? - Wrestling the UnknownWhat is Faith? Bonnie, Jeff, Casey, and Rajeev share perspectives that are found just beyond the edge of clarity - “objects” are visible but there is little certainty about what those objects might be. After all, faith is murky and shifty. As the crew discusses the evolution of their personal faith journeys they confront each other by what is meant by faith and how the misunderstanding and misuse of the term has caused a lot of confusion within, and between, people. The hosts delve into the realities, and tensions, of whether faith is a personal thing, a communa...
2021-11-0251 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastBeyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Six - CommunityIn Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Six the co-hosts explore the diversity of what community can be: quilting club, birdwatchers, family-groups (biological or chosen), faith community, and so many more. While there is agreement that what a community looks like can vary greatly, the hosts have differing thoughts on the importance of belonging, responsibility, and duty. Ultimately there is a recognition that there is no singular way to integrate past connections, present realities, and future possibilities, when it comes to community - but it is important work to do. In the segment, Tw...
2021-10-1859 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastBeyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Five - The Multiverse of SelfIn Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Five, the multiverse of self, co hosts, Bonnie, Casey, Jeff, and Rajeev dive into the most uncomfortable and awkward of spaces “the self.” The work and interview with Debbie Glander is referenced to remind us that our formation (childhood, puberty, adolescence) was not a solo project but many, in trusted positions, had major impacts on who we have become. Each co-host still feels the lingering stings of being told we were sinful-to-the-core and the profound difficulty that creates when trying to trust oneself. This results in a redu...
2021-10-0559 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastParenting - Simple Word, Infinite ImplicationsIn this episode, Jeff, Bonnie and Rajeev take on the topic of parenting. They begin with their definitions of parenting before moving into the struggles of parenting. Co-hosts notice how parenting children often triggers a return to the parent’s own process of growing up. They reflect on the grief involved in the transitions from one stage of the child’s development to another. Co-hosts consider the influence their parents’ parenting-style has had on their own, for better or for worse. They discuss the need to shed expectations of their kids as well as themselves as parents. Because... mistake-making is cla...
2020-08-181h 11
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation White Supremacy in Progressive ChristianityThis is the audio from our Continuing the Conversation on White Supremacy in Progressive Christianity on Facebook and YouTube Live. Jeff and Rajeev take thoughts and questions from listeners about episode #171. Catch these conversations the Monday’s after each regular episode at 5pm PST. RELEVANT LINKS From Our Continuing the Conversation on White Supremacy in Progressive Christianity Multiracial Congregations May Not Bridge Racial Divide (Article) Celeste Williams (Congressional Candidate in Arkansas) IRENCAST FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS During quarantime, we are offering additional ways to connect via Facebook Live and...
2020-07-2942 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhite Supremacy in Progressive Christianity - The Soul of The Church OrganThe conversation begins with co-hosts’ varying views on white supremacy in progressive Christianity. From there the talk turns to progressive Christian purity codes, boundary training and other forms of white-centeredness. Co-hosts take an honest look at the average progressive white Christian’s struggle with following POC leaders though they say they want to. There is discussion on the evangelical and progressive Christian responses to the Black Lives Matter movement with speculation about the future. Toward the end of the conversation, co-hosts wonder about the impact of white supremacy on white people’s souls. Does progressive Christianity have a fram...
2020-07-211h 20
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation of White Supremacy in Evangelicalism - 170bThis is the audio from our Continuing the Conversation on White Supremacy in Evangelicalism on Facebook and YouTube live on Monday, July 13, 2020 at 5pm PST. For this conversation Bonnie and Casey are on assignment and Rajeev, Jeff and Allen field listeners' questions and thoughts. You can watch the video by going to our Facebook page or YouTube channel. RELEVANT LINKS From Our Continuing the Conversation on White Supremacy in Evangelicalism Haystacks (Bonnie and Rajeev’s new podcast for fringe, questioning, ex or former Seventh-Day Adventists) Miss America (Netflix) Southern Baptist Convention The Poiso...
2020-07-1551 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhite Supremacy in Evangelicalism - Hidden in Plain SightCo-hosts begin this raw and real conversation about white supremacy in Evangelicalism by reflecting on their experiences of white supremacy in their formative churches. Memories arise from Awana, mission trips, seminary and other church settings. Co-hosts recall witnessing the pervasive project to marginalize people of color across all aspects of their formative church life. The white co-hosts marvel that with all the talk of sin, never did that talk include racism. The conversation dips into topics like colonialism, school/church integration and the invisibility of whiteness. Rajeev shares his immigrant experience of being taught to master the...
2020-07-071h 11
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation on Quanita Roberson - 169bIn our continuing the conversation on Quanita Roberson’s episode the full cast reflects on the firehose of wisdom in episode #169. The Irenicast team specifically centers their conversation on collective grief and the value in calling on our ancestors. If you’d like to see the video replay of this conversation you can do that on Facebook and YouTube. MORE ON QUANITA ROBERSON Quanita Roberson is a facilitator dedicated to addressing embedded trauma. She is a spiritual teacher, speaker, author, life coach, and a storyteller. Her work over the past 20 years has been focuse...
2020-06-241h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation on Who Tells the TruthOnce again we are Continuing the Conversation on Who Tells the Truth, episode 167. For this edition Bonnie, Jeff, Rajeev, and showing up a little late to the party, Allen, expand their thoughts on who tells the truth. A couple of the topics explored are research methods and tradition. Listen here or watch this conversation on Facebook or YouTube. FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS During quarantime, we are offering additional ways to connect via Facebook Live. You can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Irenicast On Thursdays, Casey will be popping on to share...
2020-05-2643 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWho Tells the Truth? - Rajeev’s Three R’s - 167Talk of truth continues with an exploration of trusted sources of truth. Co-hosts wonder what makes us think something is true. Since the printing press and ensuing Reformation, have we been programmed to think the truth can only be told through the printed word? Co-hosts share their stories of questioning the fundamental truths handed to them by the authorities in their former lives. The conversation turns toward the differences between facts and truth. Each co-host reveals their personal discernment processes. Rajeev’s truth discernment strategy is so good, Casey writes it down. As the conversation unfolds, co-hosts di...
2020-05-191h 06
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation on Moral TruthFor our continuing conversation on moral truth (Episode #166) Allen, Bonnie, Jeff and Rajeev discuss the most recent episode with listeners live on Facebook and Youtube. Some additional thoughts on moral truth are offered. Specifically the dynamic between individual and systemic morality. Thanks to everyone who participated in this continuing conversation. Join us on May 25th at 5pm PST for our next conversation on episode #167. FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS During quarantime, we are offering additional ways to connect via Facebook Live. You can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Irenicast On Thursdays, Casey...
2020-05-1353 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastMoral Truth - Relative or Reality?Because you can’t cover Truth in just one episode, all five co-hosts come back for round two on Moral Truth. Jeff begins the conversation with the annoying question of God and the Bible as the ultimate authority on morality. All of the co-hosts weigh in with excitement. After getting that question out of the way, the repartee between co-hosts weaves together thoughts on evolving moral truth, absolute evil, forming frameworks for ethics as well as criticism of conservative and liberal approaches to morals and ethics. The conversation moves between the world of ideas and the real world applications of...
2020-05-051h 23
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuing the Conversation on Episode #165 - What is Truth?In our very first in the Continuing the Conversation series we follow up on episode #165, What is Truth? - Spilling the Capital Tea. Continuing the Conversation will be a limited run of Live events on Facebook and YouTube to expand on the previous episode and provide a platform to hear from you, our listeners. Join us on the Monday’s after each episode posts at 5pm PST on Facebook or YouTube or catch the replay on either platform. If you cannot join us live for these events please email us your questions and comments in advance at pod...
2020-04-2944 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhat Is Truth? - Spilling the Capital TeaWhat is truth? The co-hosts take on the little topic of truth. Capital “T” truth? Lowercase “t” truth? You decide. Given that none of us expected 2020 to bring a pandemic lockdown, it makes sense that Irenicast would quarantime to boldly enter a crisis of truth and reality. What can we claim to know as true? The conversation begins with an attempt at defining the nature of truth. Co-hosts discuss uncertainty, relationship to truth, views on reality and the relationship between truth and power. Who gets to decide what is true? Who benefits from a collectively accepted truth? The conv...
2020-04-211h 28
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastIsolation and Connection - Coping with Being CoopedIn this episode co-hosts juxtapose isolation and connection in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It begins with each co-host describing their own COVID coma as they shelter-in-place. Collectively the descriptions expose both connection and diversity in what has become a globally shared experience. The conversation turns toward learning and meaning-making. Co-hosts imagine the ways our shared life could be changed forever, for the better, like with a different attitude toward capitalism and health care. Along the way -- trigger warning -- co-hosts reflect on their fundamentalist backgrounds revealing how they might have responded to the pandemic...
2020-04-071h 25
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Feminist Approach to the Bible - Read Like A WomanA feminist approach to the bible may on the surface seem like a narrow lense in which to view scripture. However, as you’ll hear in this episode, it is more accurate to say that the interpretations that we’ve been given since the beginning of biblical scholarship are far more limiting. Especially if we believe the bible is to have a prominent place in modern Christianity. The conversation in this episode takes us through the damages and limited scope of the type of biblical interpretation taught in many churches. How a women’s voice and experience is many t...
2020-03-171h 11
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Conversation with The Next Question Co-hosts Chi Chi Okwu & Jenny Booth Potter - 160This week Jeff has a conversation with The Next Question co-hosts Chi Chi Okwu and Jenny Booth Potter. The Next Question is a revolutionary web series where racial justice happens face-to-face. It dares to ask hard questions, listen, and then ask the next question. Chi Chi and Jenny, along with Austin Channing Brown, sit with intellectuals and artists, activists and historians, journalists and authors to expand our imaginations for racial justice. In this episode Chi Chi and Jenny discuss the process of starting a web series like this. They share the highs and lows of everything from pr...
2020-02-0459 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Conversation with Matthias Roberts, Author of Beyond ShameJeff & Casey sit down for a conversation with Matthias Roberts, author of the new book Beyond Shame: Creating a Healthy Sex Life on Your Own Terms. Before discussion the book, Matthias talks a little bit about his podcast Queerology and his trademark opening question: How do you identify and how would you say your faith has informed that identity? Focus soon turns toward his new book. Matthias shares how the book came together and what motivated him to write it. He shares how Beyond Shame encourages each of us to determine our own definition of healthy sex, whi...
2020-01-071h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWomen in Church Leadership - Home Is Where The Pulpit IsTo begin, each of the co-hosts speaks to their experiences of women in church leadership. You might be surprised. Then questions surface like -- should we be gender-izing leadership? Aren’t we over the gender binary thing? Bonnie shares her own difficult journey toward claiming pastor-hood. This episode holds an open-hearted conversation in which mistakes are made and forgiven. You’ll hear men own up to male privilege and brainstorm ways to detox masculinity. You’ll also hear Allen (and the other co-hosts, but especially Allen) get excited about the bible as the conversation turns to Christianity’s potentia...
2019-12-031h 14
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhat Is Evil? - Size Does MatterIn keeping with the shadow side of Halloween, Jeff, Casey and Rajeev ask the question, what is evil? -- capital E, Evil. Each co-host brings his own, different perspective. Is Evil personal? Is it systemic? Should it be a category at all? Does the Good-Evil binary serve us or harm us? What about the Devil? Through the conversation, the co-hosts model another E word -- Evolution. Perhaps a conversation on Evil exposes an evolving spiritual/theological journey more than any other concept. The episode concludes with a rousing rendition of Irenicasting. Listen to hear who ge...
2019-11-051h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastFaith Healing - Legit or Placebo?Per listener request, the Irenicast crew takes up the topic of Faith Healing. Surprise! Not every evangelical and/or fundamentalist tradition approaches this topic in the same way. Co-hosts discuss personal experiences with Faith Healing through the filters of their former faith contexts as well as their current faith contexts. The question of faith leaders using “faith healing” in manipulative or exploitative ways comes up. Because of Allen and Jeff, the bible comes up too. The conversation includes the underlying exploration of what it means to be broken/not well and what it means to be whole/heal...
2019-10-011h 02
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastConversion Therapy - Praying the Gay AwayAllen, Casey and Jeff dive into the disturbing notion of “gay conversion therapy”, sometimes called “gay reparative therapy”. The episode begins with Casey sharing his personal experience with the horrific practice. Allen and Jeff share from their own experiences as straight white guys. All three reveal the influence of religiously institutionalized sexual purity culture and homophobia on their own formations as young men growing up. They each share their process toward seeing beauty and goodness in the entire spectrum of human sexuality. You might be thinking --- there is no way conversion therapy is still happening. Yet as the co-hos...
2019-09-031h 05
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastRevisiting Forgiveness - To Eff or Not to EffBecause the topic is worth repeating, the team is revisiting forgiveness. Previously, way back in episode 73, Jeff and Mel (aka Mona) came to the conclusion that forgiveness and reconciliation are not at all synonymous. This time around, Jeff, Allen, Bonnie and Rajeev explore humanity’s need for forgiveness, individually and communally. They consider the relationship between forgiving and “letting go” of harms done or wounds inflicted. This leads the conversation to God’s role in forgiveness. Jeff acknowledges the baggage that words like “forgiveness” and “sin” tend to carry, especially for those migrating out of fundamentalist and evangelical backg...
2019-08-061h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastElizabeth Jeffries PhD - Through the KaleidoscopeElizabeth Jeffries PhD, author of Through the Kaleidoscope, sits down with Irenicast co-host Jeff, bringing forth spiritual treasures out of the world of molecular biology. For anyone seeking to ground their religious affections and theological process in the solid matter of the natural world, Jeffries offers fresh ideas-- herself having navigated a path of deconstruction with an open mind and open heart. Growing up evangelical, Elizabeth Jeffries was certain about how the world worked. She had an unfalsifiable understanding of scripture, sin, God’s will, and the role of women, and she carried this same certitude into he...
2019-07-1657 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastChosen Community - Creation, Cultivation & Consent - 143In the final episode of the “relational” series, the Irenicast crew reflects on chosen community. We all need a chosen family to do life with. This is especially true for people in marginalized, oppressed groups like those who are LGBTQ+ and are those who minortized because of their race/ethnicity. Co-hosts discuss the formation and cultivation of chosen community, the distribution of power and the nature of consent -- as Allen puts it: it gets meta. Surprise, surprise, the conversation takes a theological turn. Co-hosts wonder how is God reflecting, acting, creating (or none of the above) in rela...
2019-06-041h 06
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastFamily Systems - Our Given CommunityIt gets real as the Irenicast team talks about one’s given community -- or family of origin-- as family systems rather than a collection of individuals. Thinking about family as a system impacts the way we think about ourselves in relation to family members. Family relationships can be especially hard to navigate when one’s views of the world are very different from other family members’ views. Post-evangelicals know this all too well. Looking through the lens of Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, co-hosts, Allen, Bonnie, Casey, Jeff and Raj offer multiple perspectives on navigating complicated...
2019-05-071h 11
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastPluralism - You Be You, Unless You’re a HobbitJeff, Allen, Casey and Raj embark on a heart and head heavy journey towards pluralism as guided by Diana Eck’s markers of pluralism: "First, pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity. Diversity can and has meant the creation of religious ghettoes with little traffic between or among them. Today, religious diversity is a given, but pluralism is not a given; it is an achievement. Mere diversity without real encounter and relationship will yield increasing tensions in our societies. Second, pluralism is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding ac...
2019-04-021h 11
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastCosmology Shapes Our Theology - A Chaotic JourneyHow cosmology shapes our theology: as our understanding of our origins and universe shifts, what does that mean for our concepts of ourselves and of God? Jeff, Allen, Raj, and Casey talk all things science and literature, touching on biological evolution, the evolution of galaxies, ancient cosmologies, fundamental shifts like the Copernican revolution and the cosmological principle, overcoming misconceptions in physics, and how all of these inform theology. Conversation on How Cosmology Shapes Our Theology (00:53) Sound Charades Segment (55:23) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on How Cosmology Shapes Our Theology
2019-03-191h 10
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastApologist or Evangelist - Roots Down, Walls DownWhile some may play the Alphabet Game on a road trip, Casey and Bonnie get into a deep conversation on two tried and true Christian approaches - Apologist or Evangelist. Jeff and Raj are brought into Casey’s and Bonnie’s road trip question: Are you an apologist or an evangelist? In other words, are you more interested in defending Christianity (or as Casey says, put lipstick on a pig) or in spreading the good news of unconditional love? Jeff wonders if the question poses a false dichotomy, maybe it’s possible to be both an apologist and an e...
2019-03-051h 06
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastIrenicast Roundtable - The Art of OversharingIrenicast Roundtable y’all! There are certain legends that speak of a round table where valiant heroes, thought leaders and purveyors of magic gathered to rid the world of injustice. Well f**k those guys. This is the round table worthy to be called a showcase of the immortals. Where else can you encounter a high caliber cast of characters that could be taken straight out of a Tolkien novel? There is Jeff, the court jester who is skilled in avoiding the fiery darts of vulnerability with humor. Allen, a powerful empath and over-sharer dubbed by m...
2019-02-051h 19
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastConversation on Race - A Kick in the WallsOur conversation on race takes an honest look at the team’s understanding of race as a complex construct that has shaped every aspect of our identities, our relationships and our lives. Raj suggests the topic in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Dr. King called us into uncomfortable spaces to do challenging work in the areas of economic justice, anti militarism, prison reform and racial equity. Additionally Raj shares the observation that “white people” rarely have the opportunity to talk openly about race. The pursuit of racial justice requires engaged particip...
2019-01-151h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastMemoir of a Gay Pastor - Closets and CallingPastor Casey Tinnin, who is a gay pastor shares of his journey out of fundamentalism, coming out, and his process of being ordained in the United Church of Christ. Jeff and Pastor Casey have a lively discussion about the influence that fundamentalism and conservatism played in Casey’s coming out process. Pastor Casey talks at length about his journey, and how his faith was formed in the wake of so many Christians telling him he would never be ordained. He also speaks about growing up in evangelical purity culture and “dating Jesus” all four years of high school...
2018-12-0450 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastConfronting Masculinity - Building a Better Social ConstructionIn confronting masculinity, Jeff, Allen, and Raj discuss building a better social construction for themselves, particularly by tackling toxic masculinity and male supremacy. They examine their formations as cisgender-straight-males, reveal personal challenges, challenge each other and wonder what could be. Patriarchy is examined in relationship to male supremacy and toxic masculinity. A definition of toxic masculinity offered in the show is from the good men project. Women After All: Sex, Evolution, and the End of Male Supremacy by Melvin Konner M.D is cited as a resource. The reduction of testosterone in men is mentioned...
2018-11-201h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastParenting During Deconstruction - Nurturing the Spiritual Child and AdolescentParenting during deconstruction, nurturing the spiritual child and adolescent in our care and in our hearts -- Rev. Bonnie Rambob (from episodes #113 and #123) joins Allen and Jeff to delve into this much-requested topic. Drawing from Lisa Miller’s research, other sources and their own experiences with parenting and ministry, Jeff, Allen and Bonnie discuss ideas about natural spirituality and the spirituality of children and adolescents. Bonnie shares her insights from parenting her kids (now adults) through her and her spouse’s (Raj Rambob from episodes #113 and #128) process of deconstruction, or as she calls it, spiritual metamorphosis. When it com...
2018-11-061h 07
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastHalloween and Heritage - Have Your Soul Cake and Eat it TooHalloween and heritage, ancestors and the thinning of the veil between worlds- Rev. Raj Rambob (From episode #113) joins Jeff and Allen to talk about all this and more in Irenicast’s fourth Halloween special. In past Halloween episodes, they have discussed the supernatural, the devil and witches. This year they reflect on the holiday itself. They reflect on the larger historical development of the day and how it specifically changed for them in moving away from fundamentalist contexts. The discussion takes them from childhood memories, how Halloween was approached in each of their fundamentalist spiritual development to wha...
2018-10-161h 07
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Enneagram and Progressive Christianity - Two Two’s and A Four Walk Into A BarHow and why are the Enneagram and Progressive Christianity having their moment? Pastor Casey Tinnin joins Jeff and Allen for a discussion about personality typing, self-knowledge, emotional intelligence, relationship styles, and more as we dive deep into “heart-centered” types and the Enneagram in general. Pastor Casey Tinnin, in addition to being an Enneagram guru, is the pastor of Loomis Basin Congregational Church in Loomis California and one of the co-creators of Intersections which is a support group that meets once a month to deconstruct their evangelical past. Casey also created a non-religious LGBT teen group, The Landing Spot...
2018-10-021h 07
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastChristian Celebrity Culture - Blessing, Curse, or Inevitable?Is Christian celebrity culture a blessing? A Curse? Simply inevitable? From psychological needs, hagiographies, and cult of personalities to new structures of power, Jeff and Allen tackle the phenomena involved in celebrity and how these operate within Christian culture. This episode’s segment pivots and addresses “The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel,” a much-talked-about document sponsored by leaders within Allen’s alma mater. Conversation on Celebrity Christian Culture (01:26) Current Events Segment - The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel (42:48) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on Christ...
2018-09-181h 02
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastAnother Conversation with Jennifer Knapp - Theology, Music and Sous VideJeff and Allen have another conversation with Jennifer Knapp about the many things she is currently working on. The discussion takes us through her recently finished theology degree from Vanderbilt University, her upcoming tour and finally one of her favorite cooking methods. For those unfamiliar with Jennifer Knapp’s work, she has been a recording artist since the late 1990s. She started her music as a CCM artist. After an extended hiatus and coming out as a lesbian Jennifer started the second half of her musical career outside CCM. She refers to her current musical trajectory as caree...
2018-09-0459 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastLoving Haters In the Trump Era - With the Artist Formerly Known as MonaHow does loving haters work in the Trump era? A year and a half into Donald Trump’s presidency, what do we see when we look across the aisle? Jeff and Allen welcome back Mel (The artist formerly known as Mona) to revisit episode 90, in which they resist cheap peace, struggle with the tension of loving those who vilify the vulnerable, and wonder aloud about the lack of practical vision for the beloved community. Inside you’ll hear about Narcissism, conflict resolution, neuroscience research on political motivation, protest, the Christian Right, neoliberal shortcomings, and, to cap it all off, a rou...
2018-08-211h 10
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastPoverty and Protest - With Guest Co-Host Bonnie RambobPoverty and protest: let’s fight poverty not the poor. That’s a message Jeff, Allen, and Bonnie find so central to their faith, two of them joined MLK and Rev. Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign, risking arrest to speak it. In this episode, hear about the intersections between that story, the way communities of faith misconstrue the poor, whether or not some things are “earned” (including unearned income and healthcare), Capitalism and church, protest, the military industrial complex, ecological devastation, racism, prosperity gospel, the prophetic tradition, discipleship and more, followed by a hilarious round of three preachers “Jesus Juking.”...
2018-08-071h 09
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastRevisiting the Holy Spirit - Ghosting Our ‘isms’In revisiting the Holy Spirit, Jeff and Allen explore their Pentecostal and “cessationist” roots through deconstruction and beyond. Scriptures, liberation and process theology, ecology, pragmatism, panentheism, and more combine to inform their perspectives in this lively discussion. They also give an update about the state of the podcast and play a game in which they have to guess whether a name belongs to an X-treme sports brand or youth group. Conversation on Revisiting the Holy Spirit (02:12) State of Irenicast Survey Review (50:35) Youth Group of Sports Brand Segment (55:59) ANNOUN...
2018-07-171h 10
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastEvangelicals Shift Progressive in Proximity to Whiteness - With Special Guest Joey TorresAs some Evangelical churches shift toward progressive policies and theologies, do they do so in proximity to whiteness? What does it mean to be progressive or to inhabit progressive spaces? Guest Joey Torres discusses his doctoral research and contemplates the trajectory of American Evangelicalism. Joey Torres is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the Study of Religion at UC Davis. To learn more about his work you can follow him on Facebook or email him at djtor@ucdavis.edu. ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations to Katelyn Deininger Thompson for being the winner of J...
2018-07-031h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastJamie Wright Author of The Very Worst MissionaryJamie Wright, author of The Very Worst Missionary, sits down with Jeff and Allen this week to discuss her new book. They talk about the failings of short term mission trips, the North American Missions Industrial Complex, being authentic, church ministry, and more. In 2007 Jamie and her husband uprooted their family from the life they knew to the unknown land of Costa Rica to be missionaries. Despite what the rhetoric of the church had taught her, being a missionary was not all it was cracked up to be. In fact, she found missions to be a broken s...
2018-06-191h 13
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastEuphemisms - Uncovering the Feet of Public DiscourseIt seems too often that euphemisms in our culture go beyond softening social interaction to propping up the powerful. This week Allen and Jeff explore euphemistic language in various Scriptures, political spin, and how it might create life (or manufacture manipulation) in our own speech. Maybe we don’t take language seriously enough? More pointedly, how do we choose between softening words to foster connection and, on the other hand, telling it like it is and speaking truth to power? Also in this episode Jeff and Allen bring back a classic segment formally called ‘Jesus or Jay-Z?’. However...
2018-06-041h 02
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastAn Evangelical Summit On Trump & Thinking Through Cult CultureEvangelicals meet to discuss their political base and its connection to Trump, forming two cohorts with markedly different ideas about how to respond, and Jeff helps Allen develop a more nuanced understanding of cult-like culture. Evangelical Summit on Trump (01:04) The Culture of a Cult (19:52) Judging a Book by It’s Cover (44:12) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on the Evangelical Summit on Trump At a Private Meeting in Illinois, a Group of Evangelicals Tried to Save Their Movement from Trumpism (Article that prompted our first conversation segment) Lea...
2018-05-011h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhat Friends Are For - Cultivating Community in the Age of AnxietyThey say “that’s what friends are for,” but who are they and what is it? Finding and maintaining friendships seems like frustrating business for many of us: Jeff and Allen included. This episode asks whether it’s better to have a small group of close friends or a large group of ones further away, the possible limitations of our social brains, and more, before capping off with another “Top Three” segment about iconic duos. Conversation on What Friends are For (01:02) Top 3 Duos Segment (40:02) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on What Frien...
2018-04-1757 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastReclaiming Repentance - An Invitation to Subvert Our Status QuoIs there value in reclaiming repentance? The word itself connotes different things for all of us and, in this episode, Jeff and Allen unpack the stuff it brings up for them. Is it condemnation or invitation? Transformation or challenge? After the conversation, they try to guess who said what on another edition of Famous Christians for 100. Reclaiming Repentance Conversation (01:03) Famous Christians for 100 Segment (40:31) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on Reclaiming Repentance Kirk Cameron (Actor and Christian Personality) Connect (2018 Film) The Way of the Master Romans Road (You...
2018-03-201h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastIntersections Roundtable - A Community of EXvangelicals and UNfundiesThis is the story of Intersections, told by pastors Allen, Casey, Bonnie and Raj -- a diverse group of clergy with their own stories of leaving Evangelical and Fundamentalist communities of faith. Together they’ve established a group for spiritual conversations between people with similar paths. Jeff and Adam (from Divine Cinema) host the roundtable. RELEVANT LINKS From Our Intersections Roundtable Get more information on Intersections at https://www.facebook.com/theintersections/ You can hear more of Adam on these Irenicast episodes or on every episode of Divine Cinema. Deconstructing Your Faith – Gues...
2018-03-061h 19
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastPain, Media Portrayal and EmpathyPain, media portrayal, and empathy. Who of us hasn’t come across images of suffering? Jeff and Allen discuss the nature of pain, the way presentations of suffering get used, and alternately consumed, and how we might provide spaces for healing in honest and genuine ways. The episode ends in a moment of honesty through admission how their inner “fundies” occasionally slip. Conversation on Pain, Media Portrayal and Empathy (00:54) ‘You Fundie is Showing’ Segment (48:49) RELEVANT LINKS Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag (Book - Amazon Affiliate Link… this bo...
2018-02-201h 03
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastOut of Context Verses Revelation 4:15-16 - Hot for GodOf all the out of context verses Revelation has its fair share. One of the most used and abused passages of the New Testament, the “hot or cold” verse means exactly the opposite of what you think it means. Jeff and Allen discuss the virtues of doing good work (read: being useful) despite religious affections, then share the most useful and useless items in their own lives. Conversation on Out of Context Verses Revelation 3:15-16 (01:37) Our Usefulness Segment (38:19) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on Out of Context Verses...
2018-02-0657 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastWhy Christian Hegemony is Bad News for Christianity - Mona Drops By For a VisitMona returns to the booth for a discussion on Christian hegemony and its negative impact on Christianity. There are those that believe the United States is, and should continue to be, a Christian nation. However, what makes a nation Christian? Who decides what form of Christianity becomes the dominant form? Have we really ever been a Christian nation? These are some of the questions Jeff, Mona & Allen explore this week. The episode finishes with the crew indulging in meaningless arguments in a round of Pursuit of the Trivial. Conversation on Christian Hegemony (01:09) Pursuit of the Trivial...
2018-01-161h 16
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastCan We Get Better At Doing Spirituality?Can We Get Better At Doing Spirituality? Astrology to Astronomy, Phrenology to Psychology, and Alchemy to Chemistry -- in what ways is theology becoming? Is there such a thing as spiritual intelligence? And what do we do with the Evangelical ideas of progress and work ethic in relation to individualized faith? Jeff and Allen tackle the topic of “bettering” ourselves and our faith traditions in honor of the New Year, then share their own resolutions for 2018. Can We Get Better At Doing Spirituality? Conversation (01:17) New Year Resolutions (40:15) RELEVANT LINKS From...
2018-01-0258 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Incarnation - With Guest Co-Host Dr. Deborah BladesThe illustrious Deborah Blades joins us to discuss the incarnation, the disruption that are bodies, and what a theology formed in postcolonial and feminist theory might look like around the holidays. For the segment, Jeff, Allen, and Debbie talk about those times they each discovered Santa was a little too incredible. Incarnation Conversation (01:23) When We Stopped Believing in Santa Segment (57:59) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on Incarnation The Story of Gentle Thursday – Loss, Language and Feminist Theology – Guest Hosts Kat & Dr. Debbie – 072 (Deborah Blades’ First Appearance on Irenic...
2017-12-191h 12
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Sovereignty of God - Potter, Puppet Master of Patron?The sovereignty of God can bring with it a lot of questions and/or baggage depending upon your religious context. Is God in control? What is God’s will for our lives? Is history already determined? This week Allen and Jeff discuss how their answers to these questions have changed for them over the years and what that has meant for their lives and spirituality. Conversation on the Sovereignty of God (00:37) Wacky News Segment (43:18) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Sovereignty of God Conversation Decision Making and the Will of God by...
2017-12-0558 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastIs Sincerity Dead? - Keeping it 100 in 2017Is sincerity dead? “I don’t stand by anything” - both presidential quotation and epitaph on the tombstone of sincerity. Do we believe one another? Ourselves? And does it matter anymore? Jeff and Allen debate the presence of sincerity in public space and places of faith, before crafting their perfect Thanksgiving guest list. Our Conversation on Is Sincerity Dead? (00:50) Thanksgiving Dinner Party Segment (38:42) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Conversation on Is Sincerity Dead Trump Proud to be a Troll (Tweet) The Trump Presidency: Last Week Tonight with John Oli...
2017-11-2155 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastReconciling the Past - From Deconstruction to ReconnectionWhat do we do with our Evangelical roots in reconciling the past? How do we navigate our former relationships? Jeff and Allen review their own efforts to reconnect and reframe at this point in their journeys through the post-evangelical wilderness and offer a few ideas that have helped them immensely along the way. And in the spirit of reflection, they name the top three things from their childhoods that didn’t hold up so well. Reconciling the Past Conversation (01:00) Top 3 Things From Our Childhood That Did Not Age Well Segment (43:52) REL...
2017-11-071h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastAre The Witch Hunts Behind Us? - Different Pot, Same BrewThe witch hunts of the early modern period were served by the very things we trade in today: uncritical reception of tradition, groupthink, the impulse toward comfort and away from “otherness.” Since Halloween is just around the corner, Jeff and Allen discuss that perhaps we still hunt witches in our own time by proposing a spiritual discipline of resisting. The episode closes with a classic round of Jesus Juke. This time, they Jesus-ify Horror Film tropes. Conversation on Are The Witch Hunts Behind Us (00:49) Jesus Juke Horror Trope Edition (46:14) RELEVAN...
2017-10-161h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastOut of Context Verses Philippians 4:13The texts we love to misquote. In this new series, Jeff and Allen will occasionally spend an episode tackling infamously out of context verses in the Bible thrown around the Christian world. This time it's a passage used by everyone from athletes to those who oppose psychology. Philippians 4:13 Out of Context Verses Philippians 4:13 Conversation (00:59) Judging a Book by Its Cover Segment (36:35) RELEVANT LINKS Previous Episodes on the Bible The Nature of Biblical Texts – Wholly Scripture, Batman! – 004 (Irenicast Episode) Interpreting the Bible Part 1 – Literally Literature – 063 (Irenicast Episode) Interpreting the Bible Part 2 – A Scribed M...
2017-10-0354 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Conversation with Jennifer Knapp - Isolation, Creativity & Career 2.0Anyone remotely plugged into 90’s contemporary Christian music has probably heard of Jennifer Knapp. This week Jeff has a wonderful conversation with her about everything from early years in the Christian music industry to her current music and work with LGBTQ people of faith. MORE ABOUT JENNIFER KNAPP’S NEW ALBUM Jennifer Knapp has experienced enough chaos and turmoil in her life that she could write about it on every album. Instead, she made Love Comes Back Around, a collection of songs that focus on what really matters. Funded through a PledgeMusic campaign and...
2017-09-191h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastContinuity, Abstinence, Transition - We Kissed Hiatus GoodbyeFreshly back in your feed after seven months. Jeff and Allen discuss their work and the return of the podcast, Mona responds to a listener question about abstinence, and Allen gives important news on the personal front. Opening Catch Up Session (00:11) Listener Response, Mona’s Thoughts on Abstinence (13:36) Allen’s Shares His Personal Journey (48:35) Closing Remarks (53:38) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Opening Catch Up Session Divine Cinema (Podcast) Past Divine Cinema Episodes (aka Divine Prequels): Christian Mingle The Movie – A Divine SINema Review – 099 (Irenicast Episode) Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas Review – Divine SINema...
2017-09-0557 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastPast, Present and Future - Irenicast LiveIn our 100th episode, we take time to reflect on the past, present and future of the show. Jeff, Mona and Allen share about who they were when the show started and reflect on what’s changed. They also share their favorite episodes and segments with other listeners who tuned in for our live recording on Facebook. ANNOUNCEMENTS After 100 straight weeks of episodes, Irenicast will be taking a bit of a break. We will have an occasional episode over the next coming weeks, but not on a weekly basis until we return from our br...
2017-01-311h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastChristian Mingle The Movie - A Divine SINema ReviewChristian Mingle the Movie is about what you’d expect from a faith-based romantic comedy. The story follows Gwyneth (Lacey Chabert) as she maneuvers through the dating scene with no luck. On an especially discouraging evening, she decides to open up an account with an online dating site for Christians. There is only one problem: she is not a Christian. Determined to make love work she pretends to be something she is not for a man named Paul (Jonathan Patrick Moore). Eventually, everything falls apart and just when she feels she has lost everything, she finds God. Hear Je...
2017-01-241h 08
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastGenerational Stereotypes - A Boomer, Gen Xer and Millennial Walk Into a BarJim Wagner (The Boomer) joins Jeff (The Gen Xer) and Allen (The Millennial) for a conversation about generational stereotypes, what function they serve, and why they exist in the first place. They explore economic and cultural contexts, deconstruct a few of the common characterizations of their own age groups, and suggest ways to combat this kind of thinking. Then, having all served as preachers in their respective careers, their skills are put to the test in another round of Jesus Juke. Conversation on Generational Stereotypes (01:02) Jesus Juke Segment (50:05) RELEVANT LI...
2017-01-0359 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastKirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas Review - Divine SINema SeriesKirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas is our movie for this edition of Divine SINema. Allen and Mona take the week off and Adam and Dylan step in to discuss with Jeff this truly awful Christmas film. Through a conversation with his sister, Kirk learns his brother-in-law, Christian, is not into Christmas this year. We come to find out that he is struggling with the fact that Christmas Trees, Santa and presents have hijacked Christmas from Jesus and the Bible. After finding that Christian has retreated from the party to his car, Kirk begins a conversation with h...
2016-12-271h 05
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastPrisons of Our Own Making - God Have Mercy on the Criminal Justice SystemMass incarceration has reached truly astounding levels in the land of the free and home of the brave and its criminal justice system. Jeff, Mona & Allen discuss the newly released documentary 13th, various social and historical factors behind the growth of the prison industrial complex, specifics like mandatory minimum sentencing, generalities around criminality, the image of God, ministry of Jesus, and much more. The segment in this episode consists of “crazy laws” which are somehow still on the books. Criminal Justice System Conversation (00:30) Crazy Laws Segment (53:22) ANNOUNCEMENTS End J...
2016-12-201h 06
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastEngaging Video Game Culture - Evangelism, Exercise and ExcessVideo games are a prominent part of the American landscape and are only becoming more accessible with the advent of mobile gaming. Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss the possible ways in which video games and video game culture can cause, or encourage, good and bad behaviors. The attempted co-opting of the gaming space by evangelicals, using games for positive real life benefits and gamergate are all touched on during the conversation. The episode finished by transitioning into a light-hearted affair as each host discusses their favorite video games. Engaging Video Game Culture Conversation (00:46) Favorite Video Game...
2016-12-1358 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastInterview with Angelina Hagan a Bernie Sanders Delegate - An Inside Perspective on the DNC 2016Despite the fact that the 2016 election has come and gone there are still so many aspects to reflect on. This week Jeff sits down with Angelina Hagan, a Bernie Sanders delegate. Although we are probably all intimately familiar with the electoral process, the process of the primary elections can sometimes be confusing. Angelina describes the journey in becoming a delegate in her district in Colorado. She also describes what the Democratic National Convention was like as a Bernie delegate. The good, the bad and the divisive. And despite negative experiences during her time as a delegate, she is reinvigorated and ev...
2016-12-061h 07
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Movie Review of If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? - A Divine SINema EpisodeFor the first time Devine SINema steps out of bonus episode territory with a look at the 1972 film, If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horsemen Do? This movie takes us to a time when America was in fear of a foreign ideology, marriage was under attack, public schools were taking away our children’s innocence and our country was in desperate need to return to God. Apparently, some things never change. Written by and starring Reverend Estus Pirkle and directed by Ron Ormond, this movie gives us a graphic look into what “will happen” to America if it “continues to engage i...
2016-11-291h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastUnderstanding Rape Culture - Where it Comes From and How to Discuss ItUnderstanding rape culture is a vital issue today. What is rape culture? What reality does it reflect? When did it begin? Who is responsible for creating it? This week Jeff, Mona and Allen take on the difficult topic of rape culture and discuss it from both male and female perspectives. They also discuss theologies of sexuality and ending dominance, with an honest conversation about what the Bible may or may not offer for a contemporary sexual ethic. In the effort to take a break from heavy conversation, the team ends with a game of Sort of Scattergories. Understa...
2016-11-151h 10
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastCompassion Fatigue - A Psalm of IrenicastOn the dawn of election day 2016 Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss compassion fatigue. What do you do when you’re tired of caring? When you’re tired of believing anything is going to change? These are questions many people who desire to be a part of a bigger solution face. And although no one really has the answers, it helps to talk about it and know we are not alone in our occasional desire to give up. And since it is election day we close out the episode with our own exercise in democracy in a segment called Biblical Elections...
2016-11-081h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastGod’s Not Dead 2 Review - Divine SINema SeriesA God’s Not Dead 2 review is the subject of this bonus episode. Adam and Dylan are back and join Jeff for another addition of Divine SINema. This movie takes place in the same town as the first God’s Not Dead. It is about a teacher named Grace who is a Christian and a teacher at a public school called Martin Luther King Jr. High. During a lesson on the civil rights movement a student asks about Jesus’ words in connection to Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi's non-violent protests. Grace answers by confirming that Martin Luther King Jr. especia...
2016-10-281h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Evolution of Satan - Details in the DevilWith Halloween 2016 less than a week away from this episode, Jeff and Allen discuss the evolution of Satan. Depending on our religious upbringing we may take for granted that the existence of Satan is a forgone conclusion. But is it? What does the Bible say about Satan? Does the Bible have a consistent narrative about Satan? What other things outside of scripture have we unwittingly accepted as fact regarding the prince of darkness? These are some of the questions we answer. And finally for our segment this week, Jeff and Allen reminisce about their favorite Halloween costumes and memories. ...
2016-10-251h 03
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastAre Young Males Disengaging from Society? - The Case of the the Incredible Disappearing MenIn a conversation geared more toward culture than faith Jeff, Mona and Allen explore why young males are disengaging from society. Far from an agreeable conversation about things we can do to reverse this trend, this episode focused on nuanced disagreement about its primary causes. Between video games, easy access to pornography, education, economic factors and a host of other causes, is there a primary one? And more importantly, is there a solution? We finish the episode with a new segment called Staff Picks, where each host gives a few recommendations of things worth checking out. You...
2016-10-111h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastProphecy Today - Fortune Telling or Something More?Is prophecy today simply fortune telling or something else? Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss this deceptively layered topic. Much of the time the rhetoric around prophecy, or the prophetic, or even the hebrew prophets themselves seems so otherworldly. Saturated with mysticism and the divine. Perhaps there is more. And that although all that is true, there is another dimension to the tradition of the prophetic. A practical one. One deeply connected to the real life details and systems we all encounter on a regular basis. And finally in an attempt to divine the thoughts of our co-hosts we play another...
2016-10-041h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Critical Analysis of God’s Not Dead - Divine SinemaAs part of our celebration of International Podcast Day 2016 we are giving you a bonus episode of Irenicast. Jeff, along with guest co-hosts Adam and Dylan, provide a critical analysis of God’s Not Dead. We watch horrible Christian movies so you don’t have to. Racial stereotypes, bad theology, one-dimensional characters and the Newsboys come together for this cringe inducing film based off of a bad sermon illustration. God may not be dead, but perhaps the Christian film industry should be. RELEVANT LINKS If we’ve convinced you to watch God’s Not Dead, or...
2016-09-3056 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastArt vs the Artist - Does the Work of Terribly Flawed People Stand the Test of Time?Art vs. the artist. Can bad people create good things? How closely should we judge someone’s work in view of the person themselves? Our co-hosts go in, without concrete answers, to mine for clarity in this nebulous conversation. Two-thirds of our hosts leave this conversation relatively sure how they feel about this topic. One ends up more confused than ever. And finally, for your word-association fix, Jeff, Mona & Allen play another round of Say What?! Announcement (00:53) ‘Art vs the Artist’ Conversation (02:13) Say What?! Segment (50:37) RELEVANT LINKS From Our A...
2016-09-271h 02
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastDoes Prayer Work? - Name It, Claim It or Reframe ItDoes pray work? How is it possible that a post-evangelical podcast like ours has had over 80 episodes without ever talking about prayer? This episode reconciles this quandary. Jeff, Mona and Allen ultimately agree to disagree about how prayer causes God to act, or not act. However, they all agree that prayer is a worthwhile spiritual practice that is beneficial for a person's well being and connection to something beyond themselves. We close our episode with our mashup of Balderdash and Apples 2 Apples called Appledash. ‘Does Prayer Work’ Conversation (00:28) Appledash Segment (51:55) RELEVANT...
2016-09-201h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastDoes God Laugh?- Divine Emotions and ChangeDoes God laugh? Is God affected by creation and the affairs of people? Despite getting trapped in a theological hamster wheel of logic, Jeff, Mona and Allen set out to tackle these questions head on. Recognizing that, though we may never have definitive proof either way, our opinions about divine emotion have implications for the way we live and/or practice faith. To further add to the confusion we close our episode out with impossible questions in a round of “Would You Rather.” Our ‘Does God Laugh?’ Conversation (00:45) Would You Rather Segment (50:49) RE...
2016-09-131h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastSimply Simplicity - With Returning Guest Host Adam LoveridgeJoining us this week for a conversation on simply simplicity is second-time guest Adam Loveridge, who steps into an empty co-host chair while Mona is on vacation. He joins Jeff and Allen as they think aloud about the nature of our relationship with the stuff we own, what it might be like to transform that relationship, and what we stand to gain in doing so (Allen thinks it’s “everything”). We know that we want to live simpler lives - lives free from distraction, stress, and worry. But it isn’t always easy. How do we navigate the tension between enj...
2016-09-0658 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastAnti-Intellectualism - Separation of Church and ScholarshipMaintaining status quo can be a strong motivation for people in power to suppress questioning and intellectual exploration. Often in church communities we can feel isolated for asking hard questions. Especially questions that challenge long standing ideas and methods. This week Jeff and Mona discuss the many layers surrounding the topic of anti-intellectualism within the church and christianity. They also discuss the polarity created around intellectualism and emotionalism between conservatives and progressives. Closing out the show Jeff and Mona conduct an old fashioned check in. Anti Intellectualism Conversation (00:37) Host Check In Segment (51:43) ...
2016-08-231h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastHomelessness - Where Do You Go When There Is No Place to Go?Many times it is difficult to really understand the plight of any group of people without insight into what life is really like for them. Inspired by conversation Mona overheard on a city bus, this week's episode explores the issue of homelessness. Jeff and Mona discuss attempt to provide a new perspectives on stereotypes and false rhetoric associated with homelessness. They also touch on social services like welfare. This episode closes out with a round of 10 questions. Homelessness Conversation (00:31) 10 (15) Questions Segment (51:10) RELEVANT LINKS From Our Homele...
2016-08-161h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastBeer Church - With Guest Co-Host JeffLife, God, community and beer. These are the pillars of a different type of church model, beer church, introduced to us by guest co-host Jeff, aka Jeff 2. Jeff 2 shares with us the great value he places on gatherings of corporate worship. That the sacred nature of gathering together is in itself the divine, not necessarily the method or space in which we worship. His preferred method of corporate worship just happens to be beer and conversation. It is even suggested in this episode that perhaps Jesus turned water into beer and not wine. Jeff 2 joins Jeff and Mona to close...
2016-08-0959 min
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastExperiencing Anger - Blowing a Fuse and Singing the BluesExperiencing anger in a life-giving way for some may seem like a paradox. However, every emotion has the potential for good if we seek to understand where it is coming from and are able to control where we take it. Sometimes we can figure out the best way to express anger within ourselves or our community. Other times we need to seek professional help. It is only when we deny or dismiss people’s emotions that we create toxic expressions. In addition to these ideas Jeff and Mona also discuss their personal feelings of anger and how it has manifes...
2016-08-021h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastForgiving is NOT Forgetting - Doing Wholly WorkInspired by a listener comment on a past episode, Jeff and Mona have a conversation about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is all about remembering, reframing and creating healthy space. But what else is it? How do we practice it? Our attempts to answer these questions lead us into topics like justice, trauma and reconciliation. For our segment the theme of forgiveness continues as Jeff and Mona may give you reason to forgive by declaring themselves prophets of the 42nd dimension. Forgiving is Not Forgetting Conversation (01:04) Create-a-Cult Segment (44:57) RELEVAN...
2016-07-261h 01
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastThe Story of Gentle Thursday - Loss, Language and Feminist Theology - Guest Hosts Kat & Dr. Debbie - 072 This week we discover the story behind the story: the feminist theology foundations of Irenicast. Mona welcomes to the show Kat, Jeff’s wife (whom you may remember from our family reunion episode), and a feminist theologian named Dr. Debbie Blades. Debbie has played in significant role in walking with both Mona and Kat during uneasy and challenging times of spiritual de- and re- construction. Mona, Kat, and Debbie share with listeners personal and poignant story of their feminist theology group called Gentle Thursday. They offer their understanding of the foundations of feminist theology and its significance to...
2016-07-191h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastYou Are Creative - The Art of Self Expression You are creative. Many times in life we convince ourselves that we are not creative. That creativity is reserved for the special and talented. This week Jeff and Mona debunk that idea and celebrate the creativity of everyone. Our hosts discuss the relationship between creativity and talent and offer up their own creative methods. The episode ends in a creative exercise with the segment, Good News, Bad News. Announcements (02:18) You Are Creative Conversation (03:19) Good News, Bad News Segment (50:07) RELEVANT LINKS The Creative Habit: Learn...
2016-07-121h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastGrieving for Orlando with Guest Host Bentley Stewart Grieving for Orlando in the aftermath of the shooting at the Pulse night club Jeff & Mona discuss the tragedy with guest host, Bentley. Bentley is a chaplain at UCSF Medical in the Bay Area, and has worked for many years as a pediatrics chaplain. He is also originally from Orlando and provides profound context to the origins of the Pulse night club. Through grappling with their own feelings and thoughts, the three touch on a wide range of topics around the shooting, including tragedy and grief, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, violence, toxic masculinity, the challenges of being an...
2016-06-211h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastCharitable Giving - With My Mind on Minding My Money Churches, non-profits, Kickstarter campaigns, charity events - Jeff, Mona and Allen give some space this week to the topic of charitable giving. How do we exercise generosity in a way that really makes a difference? From the “faith giving” of the televangelists’ guaranteed returns to the one-for-one giving of Toms shoes, this conversation challenges our notions of philanthropy and charity - and is followed by another round of Knowin’ Jemonen. Charitable Giving Conversation (00:30) Knowin’ Jemonen Segment (51:27) ANNOUNCEMENTS Registration for the Irenicast Book Club is open. Get all the det...
2016-06-141h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastDoes Social Media Make Us More Social? - Loving the Like The social media landscape seems endless. Not only are there more and more platforms available, but there are also endless implications for humanity. These are some of the things Jeff, Mona and Allen explore this week. Does social media make us more social? Do we end up more disconnected in the long run? Is all of it it simply a funhouse mirror that distorts what’s already inside of us? We end our discussion with another round of Famous Christians for 100. Social Media Conversation (00:55) Famous Christians for 100 Segment (44:54) ANNOUNCE...
2016-06-071h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastA Conversation with Benjamin L. Corey This week Jeff, Mona and Allen have a conversation with Benjamin L. Corey. Benjamin is a leading voice among post-evangelical and progressive Christians, the author of both the blog Formerly Fundie and the book Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, as well as a co-host for his own podcast That God Show with Matthew Paul Turner. In this episode Ben shares with us his personal journey, which includes the challenges of things like overnight notoriety and the loss of community. He also shares about his doctoral work in trauma after-care, the reception of his recent series on...
2016-04-261h 04
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastIrenicast Family Reunion - Welcome to Our Living RoomAll under one roof for the first time since the podcast began, Jeff, Mona & Allen talk about family… with their family. The guests at this family reunion consists of Kat (Jeff’s wife), Amy (Mona’s mother and Allen’s aunt) and Vicky (Allen’s wife and Jeff’s Sister). There are even a couple appearances from Jeff & Kat’s twin girls. End your 2015 by joining us in the living room for some thoughts on life, love and family. RELEVANT LINKS What happiness looks like, literally. The Typical American Lives Only 18 Mile...
2015-12-291h 00
Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastInterview with Stomp NYC Cast Member Jesse Armerding - Creativity and Play, Mystery and Faith This week Mona has a conversation with her friend Stomp NYC cast member Jesse Armerding. Jesse talks about the importance of creativity in his own life and career. The conversation muses about who is “creative,” the importance of being in the present moment, our human capacity to wander and wonder, and the idea of art as a search for God. Interview with Stomp NYC Cast Member Jesse Armerding (00:40) RELEVANT LINKS Stomp - Jesse Armerding’s Bio, Tour Dates, Primus (band) Danny El...
2015-12-1559 minIrenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastLoneliness and Isolation - Baby It’s Cold Inside The holidays are here and they’re bringing cheer! But maybe not for everyone - feelings of loneliness and isolation are sometimes most acute this time of year. So what exactly is loneliness? Are there different kinds of loneliness? Is it avoidable and can we address it? Jeff, Mona & Allen discuss the elements of isolation, open up about their own struggles with feeling alone, and share some helpful ways for making Numero Uno no longer the loneliest number. Then they play an epic first round of “Mind Meld” to foster some intimacy in addition to fun.
2015-12-081h 01Irenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastSecular vs Sacred - Part 3, Selves Total Eclipse of the Heart, Alanis Morrisette, and high school reunions are some of the stops along a stroll through the respective pasts of our hosts this week. In this episode, Jeff, Mona & Allen conclude their secular vs sacred series with a discussion on the sacred in terms of selves. What makes a person sacred? Can one person be more sacred than another? Do we confuse the sacredness of a person’s status, position or accomplishments with the sacredness of the person? These are all questions, and more, our hosts attempt to tackle, before finishing off with another...
2015-09-0159 minIrenicast - A Progressive Christian PodcastDeconstructing Your Faith - Guest Host Adam Loveridge With Mona and Allen on assignment this week Jeff brings in guest host Adam Loveridge for a discussion on deconstructing your faith. Adam shares insights from his journey away from Evangelicalism and what things were important for rebuilding. They then walk through the deconstruction process, from the tearing down to the rebuilding. The conversation also explores leadership structures, the importance of community and how to do interact with people from your previous context. Adam and Jeff conclude the conversation on deconstructing your faith with a round of Judging a Book by Its Cover (Movie Edition).
2015-07-2159 min