The Progressive Christians Podcast

We've been promising bonus content… Here it is!  We were inspired to make this episode by Rev. Katie with the Young Adult group at Hyde Park Community UMC in Cincinnati, Ohio, who reached out to tell us they had been using our podcasts for some of their lessons. In honor of how much this means to us, this episode is dedicated to all of them! They wrote us some great questions that they've been dea...

When the Trump administration began its immigration crackdown in Chicago, teenage brothers Ben and Sam Luhmann became a part of a rapid-response network of volunteers that documents ICE raids and assists families of those detained in the arrests. In the first half of this episode we talk with Ben and Sam about their activism and the role that their Christian faith played in inspiring them to put t...

If you grew up in certain Christian circles, there is a specific type of music that we all know by heart. But why? Where did it come from? What messages might have been hidden inside this music? This week, we meet with Dr. Leah Payne, author of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," to discuss the surprisingly long, dark, and conservative history of our modern "Contemporary Christian Music" genre. If yo...

We just launched the Love Your Neighbor Newsletter on Substack! Scroll down for more info! As if we didn't mention it enough, here is your periodic reminder that we are based in Los Angeles, California... And the Oscars are this week! This year, themes of faith and Christianity were huge for the biggest nominees. Julia and Blair, our most movie-connected hosts, invited some filmmakers from our con...

A lot of times we discuss the disturbing rise of MAGA Christian Nationalism on this podcast - but today, we are featuring a progressive politician that has literally flipped that narrative. Joanna Whaley was formerly a conservative evangelical pastor, but had a spiritual journey that culminated in a bid for Michigan State Representative - where she could be the first openly transgender representat...

It's the beginning of the Lenten season! Dr. Carter is gone, so Everest is leading us on a journey through the history of Lent all the way to the modern political implications of the holiday. Join us for an especially meditative and spiritual episode of exploring discipline, tradition, and why we practice Christianity the way we do. If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The...

There's been a lot of talk about "deconstruction" in Progressive Christian circles, but we've been hearing that y'all want more talk of "constructing" beliefs. A major philosophy that serves as constructive for many Progressive Christians is known as Liberation Theology. Stemming from marginalized communities in the Americas, Liberation Theology focuses on Jesus' teachings on "the least of these."...

Project 2025 was all over the news when Trump was first elected. But now that we're a year in - what about Project 2026? The Heritage Foundation hasn't released an official "Project 2026," but they have put out their political priorities for the year, and they look about as bad as you would expect.  This episode, we go through all nine of them, and focus on the ways that the Trump administration i...

The massive political polarization of today can make fighting for change seem impossible, but there is an extra layer when you're someone responsible for kids. This week, our friend Claire McKeever-Burgett returns to discuss parenting in our Fascist reality. We discuss children's radically empathetic nature, ways to help them (and you) find their place in the resistance, and the importance of keep...

We have all been flooded with the horrifying stories out of Minnesota recently. This week, we discuss Alex Pretti and the children who have been kidnapped, along with some of the incredible stories of resistance and community from Minneapolis. Join us to rage, cry, grieve, hope, and plan. And remember, in a world full of evil - Be Good.   Show Notes:   Anti-trans riders COMPLETELY removed from fin...

You've asked for it, and it's here! Our first ever Q+A! But first, we have a big announcement. We have decided to adopt a donation (rather than subscription) model to support the podcast. You can find more information about how to support the podcast further down in the show notes! This episode is quite out of the ordinary for our podcast, and we tried to keep it very light and fun.   Potential to...

Only two weeks into 2026, things already feel overwhelming and out of control. In this episode, we discuss how the conservative evangelical understanding of sin as a failure to be obedient to authority figures is being weaponized to justify the shooting of Renee Nicole Good and ICE's violent treatment of protestors and innocent bystanders. Through the lens of the Just War Theory, we try to underst...

Christians should not believe IN the bible, we are called to believe in the living God revealed to us THROUGH the bible. This week, we're releasing a special video minisode to celebrate the New Year (and let our hosts take a vacation)! Join Dr. Carter for a discussion on the similarities - and differences - between being "Biblical" and being "Christian." Is following and/or doing what you believe...

Time is running out to submit your questions for the Q&A! Comment below or email us to have your questions answered. We encourage silly and personal questions too, not exclusively "serious" or "theological" ones! This week, we continue our discussion from last week about Artificial Intelligence. In our previous episode, we focused more on the material impacts of AI. This week, we shifted to a more...

Have y'all heard about this crazy new thing called Artificial Intelligence? Just kidding, of course you have - it's been impossible to avoid for the last few years. Our co-host Everest felt inspired to talk about the ethics of AI because of a discussion they led during Sunday School a few weeks ago, and oh boy, did we get into it - so much that we had to split the episode into two parts! This week...

This episode goes out to everyone who is feeling anxious about going home for the holidays this week. We get you, and we are you! Here are our thoughts on how to handle toxic family dynamics and ideally improve family communication on contentious topics. We discuss the cognitive dissonance around loving people who hate you, how to stay in community and conversation with them, and even break down s...

On this week's episode, we wanted to talk about some of the current stressors on our queer listeners. We discuss the Oklahoma University "bible essay" situation with Samantha Fulnecky, and the way that Conservative Christian grifters use the bible to leverage hatred for profit. We answer listener questions on how to talk to family members with regressive social views during the holidays. Finally,...

In today's episode, Rev. Blair and Rev. Dr. Carter talk with Ben Stringer - an attorney and pastor in Springfield, Missouri. In 2024, Trump won Missouri with almost 20% over Harris. Though Springfield is often referred to as "having a church on every street," Progressive Christianity has often struggled to find advocates in the area.  We talk with Stringer about his experience growing up in a Cons...

If you're a Christian and you're American, you've probably been taught that socialism is unbiblical. That capitalism is God's chosen economic system. That Jesus would be against redistributing wealth, and the early church in the book of Acts was nothing more than a group of friends sharing their stuff. The election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani and Rev. Blair's viral TikTok in response to...

Conservative figures like podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey and theologian Joe Rigney are leading a campaign against a feeling they consider dangerous and are weaponizing against Christians—empathy. They argue that empathy has been hijacked and can become toxic and sinful. In this episode, we'll explore their distinction between what they call "toxic empathy" and "biblical compassion." We analyze th...

Vice President JD Vance wants to be the next leader of the MAGA movement. Speaking during a recent Turning Point USA event at Ole Miss, he cast a vision for America that blends Christian Nationalism, white supremacy, and conservative populism. In this episode, we discuss Vance's beliefs about immigration, how his wife, Usha Vance, got caught up in the rhetoric, and how Pope Francis and Pope Leo of...

This is the second episode in a three-part series on Christian Nationalism and its role in Donald Trump's White House. In this episode, we discuss Pete Hegseth and how his theology is influencing the Department of Defense. Hegseth was affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) in Nashville before his appointment, and he has stated that he affirms the teachings of Doug Wi...

This is the first of a three-episode series on Christian nationalism and its influence in Donald Trump's White House. In this episode, we define Christian Nationalism and describe how Christian Nationalists use religion to shape American politics. We specifically discuss the impact of Stephen Miller and Russ Vought and how their policies on immigration, border protection, the government shutdown,...

In this episode, we are joined by Claire McKeever-Burgett, author of In the Beginning Were the Women , to explore some of the well-known and lesser-known women in the Bible. From the mystics to the brave to the misunderstood and overlooked, these women played essential roles in their communities and our faith tradition. Throughout our conversation, you will gain a deeper understanding of how these...

"A Progressive Christian is an oxymoron" is probably the most popular (simple-minded and incorrect) critique that we receive from people trolling our YouTube comments and Apple Music reviews. Given the frequency of the comments, we figured that our amazing listeners probably hear the same comments from people in their own community. So, in this episode, we address five common myths about progressi...