Rethinking Faith

Franciscan sister, scientist and theologian Ilia Delio returns to (Re)thinking Faith to talk about her new book, The Christian Mutation. She argues that Jesus represents a “mutation of consciousness” in the evolution of religion. That spark got smothered by empire, patriarchy and a medieval metaphysics built for a static cosmos. The way forward is a faith that takes evolution, quantum physics and...

If God is real and loving, why do so many people who sincerely search for God come up empty? Thomas Jay Oord returns to help Josh wrestle with a question that has been nagging him for a while: the problem of divine hiddenness. They start with what Tom means by “God” (a universal spirit of love who is relational, uncontrolling, and not omnipotent) and why everyone should probably be an agnostic the...

What does a Jesuit paleontologist who served as a WWI stretcher-bearer have to teach us about therapy, AI, and finding God in a diaper change? Dr. Andrew Del Rossi, retreat center director and author of Sacred Synergy: Spiritual and Psychological Growth in an Evolving World, joins Josh for a deep dive into the mystical vision of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. They unpack the Omega Point, the noospher...

This week on (Re)thinking Faith, Philosopher Myron Penner returns once again to help Josh work through something that’s been bugging him: what happens when attachment theory gets applied to our relationship with God? The conversation starts from Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw’s Landscapes of the Soul. Josh loves the book’s take on attachment science, but he gets stuck when it turns to “secure attachment”...

Why would an atheist spend his time with the Bible? Dr. Anthony Pinn is a former AME minister who is now a secular humanist and professor at Rice University. He returns to (Re)thinking Faith to talk about his new book, Biblical Outlaws: What the Bible's Most Despised Characters Can Teach Us. Pinn no longer believes in God, but he still values the Bible as powerful literature that shapes millions o...

This week, Dr. Simon Critchley is back, and this time we try to cover Being and Time in a single episode. (Yes... ridiculous... I know!) Simon's new book, Heidegger Thinking, grew out of 35 years of teaching Heidegger and a pandemic-era podcast he recorded at his desk. We talk about how Heidegger's break with Catholicism and his turn to Luther, Paul, and Augustine shaped Being and Time into someth...

Dr. Aaron Stauffer — theologian, Presbyterian clergy, and author of Listening to the Spirit: Radical Social Gospel, Sacred Value, and Broad-Based Community Organizing — joins Josh to unpack what the Social Gospel actually is, why it became a slur in some corners of American Christianity, and how sacred values (not just political issues) build the kind of relational power that outlasts a news cycle...

What happens when the God of "God Can't" meets the God of the Black church's "God Is Able"? This week I sat down with my friend, the Reverend Jill Elizabeth — public theologian, ordained Curian Network board member, and self-described "barbershop theologian". Together we dig into the real friction between Black church theology and open and relational/process thought, the prosperity-gospel undercur...

This week, John D. Caputo returns to talk about his new book, A Radical God: Theopoetics, Phenomenology, and the Future of Religion. Religion has been incredibly busy making itself unbelievable, and the question isn't whether we can save it from its critics, or whether we can save it from itself, but if religion is even worth saving at all. Caputo's answer is theopoetics, what he calls "religion's...

This week I was joined by Dr. Joerg Rieger to discuss his book "Christ and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times" and his upcoming class with Homebred Christianity & Dr. Tripp Fuller, "The Christ Empire Couldn't Keep". Empire shapes more of your life than you think - your theology, your politics, your algorithms, even your emotions. Dr. Rieger reveals why the real battle is not just against obvi...

Most of us have been taught that strength means suppressing emotion, staying stoic, and keeping our true selves hidden. But what if the real power lies in embracing your full humanity—your fears, wounds, and passions? Jeff Mount, a former Krav Maga instructor turned contemplative coach, shares how he navigates the tension between being a commanding physical presence and a poetic, vulnerable soul....

If you didn't know... The Emogelicals is a crossover show I do with my good buddy Jed over at "Church and Other Drugs". It is a Patreon exclusive monthly show that is a lot of fun! Here is our July episode free for you on the main feed! If you enjoy my work or find it valuable, would you mind supporting me over on Patreon? If you can't support financially, no worries!!! Would you be willing to rat...

Most people think finding your "calling" is the key to a fulfilling life — but Damon Garcia's provocative new book flips that idea on its head. Instead of chasing some elusive purpose, he argues you are already enough as you are. In this mind-shifting conversation, Damon shares how embracing mortality, rejecting toxic spiritual messages, and rediscovering community can free you from the burdens of...

This week, Dr. Aaron Simmons joins me once again and dives deep into Emmanuel Levinas’s groundbreaking philosophy, revealing how ethics begins before ontology, before even our freedom itself, through the powerful concept of infinite responsibility to the other. Aaron helps us decipher a philosophical masterpiece that redefines how we see responsibility, ethics, and hope in a world full of overwhel...

This week I was joined by philosopher Todd May, advisor to The Good Place. Discover why embracing mortality enriches life, how immortality might erode meaning, and why love thrives on vulnerability. Explore the ethics of human extinction, divine compassion, and the myth of eternal life. Perfect for thinkers and skeptics, this episode challenges assumptions and invites you to find meaning within ou...

This week, my good friend Dr. Taylor Thomas returns to the podcast. We decided to have a very honest conversation about meaninglessness and the weight of existence. It’s easy to feel lost in today’s world, but there’s power in acknowledging our struggles. Dr. Thomas brings his unique perspective, drawing from theology and philosophy, to explore how we can find purpose amidst the chaos. From Kierke...

This week I was happy to have my good friend and friend of the podcast Dr. Thomas Jay Oord join me once again. Tom recently released volume 1 of his Systematic Theology of Love. We take a deep dive into the volume and get kind of nerdy doing it... Enjoy! RESOURCES: A Systematic Theology of Love: Volume 1 - God and Creation ORTCon 26 THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026: Time to nerd out with your geek out! Get...

This week, I had the privilege of hanging out with Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein! In this conversation, Chanda shares her journey into physics, the intersection of science and gender studies, the queerness of the universe, and the importance of metaphor and storytelling in understanding complex scientific concepts. She discusses her books, the role of curiosity, and how physics can be a tool for li...

This is an audio essay originally published on my Substack. This essay explores the possibility of joining the Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre and the Process Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. The essay imagines a theology that embraces radical freedom, divine persuasion, and cosmic creativity. It offers a fresh perspective on God, human self-determination, and the nature of authentic exist...

This week I had the privilege of being joined by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez to discuss his forthcoming book, "Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Quee Story of Faith & Belonging". I was also joined by a special co-host for this conversation, Dr. Learh Robinson. Tim shares his powerful journey through conversion therapy, his experiences within the church, and his path to self-acceptance and healing. The...

Most modern debates about faith overlook a profound reality: the divine might be better understood as a dynamic process rather than a static entity. In this mind-expanding conversation, Dr. Brook Ziporyn reveals how mystical atheism, rooted in Chinese philosophy and critical reinterpretations of traditional concepts, offers a transformative lens for spirituality beyond the limits of classical thei...

In this episode of the Rethinking Faith Podcast, host Josh Patterson engages with Dr. Jennifer Garcia-Bashaw and Dr. Aaron Higashi about their co-authored book, 'Serving Up Scripture: How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself and Others.' The conversation explores the importance of understanding biblical interpretation through various lenses, including the cooking metaphor, the significance of conte...

This week I was joined by Dr. Jon Ivan Gill to discuss his latest book, "MultiRaceLessNess: A Process Philosophy". What might a Process Philosophy of Race look like? While it has become widely accepted that race is a social construct, Gill argues that this insight doesn't go far enough. If race isn't "real" in any essential sense, why do we continue to organize our selves, and our world around it?...

This is another audio essay that can be found on my Substack. Recently I had an idea… a very Emogelical idea. What if I attempted to read “Unanswered” by Suicide Silence as a Radical Prayer? Don’t get me wrong, I’m under no impression that Mitch Lucker intended the kind of reading that I offer. However, the crazy thing about language and texts and meaning is that they often do something to you tha...

This week I had the honor of being joined by Dr. bart Ehrman for an engaging conversation about his latest book, "Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West". We ask the question of altruism... is true altruism even possible? Next we take a look at the Moral Philosophy and Ethics of the Greek and Roman world prior to Jesus coming on the scene. We the...