Holy Uncertain

What happens when God’s name is used to justify violence? In this episode of Holy Uncertain, hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by activist, speaker, and author Shane Claiborne to consider how we might think about violence and war alongside the teachings of Jesus. Shane reflects on what it means to follow the “Prince of Peace” in a world shaped by conflict, nationalism, state violenc...

What if doubt isn’t a sign that your faith is falling apart? After a short break, Holy Uncertain is back for Season Two with a conversation about doubt, faith, and what happens when the questions we were taught to fear become part of how we grow. In this episode, hosts Chris McLeod and Lauren Ranzino are joined by pastor, writer, and author Meredith Miller to explore how many of us inherited faith...

After twelve episodes exploring faith, doubt, and everything in between, we’re taking a moment to reflect. What has changed in us? What questions are we still holding? And what’s next? In this Season One wrap-up, hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod revisit the voices and ideas that shaped this first chapter—from rethinking how we read the Bible to expanding our understanding of the gospel, from...

Justice is central to the teachings of the Bible—so why has it become so contested within Christianity? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by priest, theologian, and author Fr. Joash Thomas to discuss how history, culture, and power have shaped the Western church’s understanding of justice, and what might be lost when care for the vulnerable become...

What can the study of stories teach us about the Bible? In this episode of Holy Uncertain, hosts Chris McLeod and Lauren Ranzino are joined by mythologist, storyteller, and Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, John Bucher, to explore how stories shape the way we understand faith, scripture, and the world around us. Together, they unpack what “myth” really means—and why it has less...

In place of our usual episode this week, we’re offering a short Good Friday reflection—an invitation to pause, to grieve, and to sit with what is broken before rushing to what comes next. Co-host Lauren Ranzino sits with the weight of a broken world, while holding onto both grief and hope. Today, we take a beat. We make space for what breaks our hearts. And we remember: this is not the end of the...

What is church actually supposed to look like? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by pastor, author, and musician Tommy Preson Phillips to explore why so many people are rethinking the way church has been practiced. Tommy, co-author of Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ , shares why so many people are walking aw...

Have our beliefs about God limited people with disabilities from living full lives? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by disabled scholar-practitioner, author, and advocate Dr. Amy Kenny, who also serves as the director of the Disability Cultural Center at Georgetown University, to examine the ways Christian theology has often treated disabled peo...

Is evangelism always good news? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by theologian, activist, and author Dr. Randy Woodley to rethink one of the most central practices in modern Christianity: evangelism. Dr. Woodley, a theologian and longtime advocate for Indigenous wisdom in the church, invites us to consider how evangelism has often been shaped by...

Is there a way for leaders to make things right after causing real harm? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye , to reflect on purity culture, the damage it caused, and what it looks like to confront the consequences of ideas that shaped an entire generation. Together, they talk about the shame, fear...

Are you finding it hard to call yourself a Christian right now—even if you still love Jesus? What do you do when people who share your faith carry beliefs that feel impossible to reconcile? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by writer and journalist Sara Billups to explore how to navigate ideological and theological differences without defaulting to cutt...

At some point, the question shifts. It’s no longer just: What do I believe? It becomes something deeper and more personal: Do I stay Christian? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Chris McLeod and Lauren Ranzino are joined by author, speaker, and theologian Brian McLaren to explore what it means to be a Christian and look at a faith tradition that has, at times, caused real harm or disappoin...

How often have you been told that the Bible is clear—only to feel confused, unsettled, or even harmed by the way it’s been taught or used? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod are joined by pastor, author, and co-founder of the Post-Evangelical Collective, Zach Lambert , to discuss how we might engage Scripture as a tool of healing rather than a weapon of harm....

How many times have you asked Jesus into your heart? In this episode of Holy Uncertain , we turn to a question many of us thought we already knew the answer to: What is the gospel? Joined by theologian, activist, and author Lisa Sharon Harper, hosts Lauren Ranzino and Chris McLeod explore how familiar definitions of “the good news” can feel insufficient when we’re facing real grief, suffering, and...

In this first episode of Holy Uncertain, you’re invited into an honest conversation about doubt, belief, and the tension so many of us carry when faith no longer feels simple. Whether you’ve spent your whole life in the church, stepped away entirely, or are somewhere in between, this episode names a reality many people experience but rarely talk about out loud. You’ll hear from hosts Lauren Ranzin...