The Distillery

"What would it look like for followers of the Jesus way, for disciples of Christ today, to honor diversity when it comes to brain functioning and mental health? And what would it look like for your church to be a stigma-free zone when it comes to children, teens, young adults, and people of all ages who have neurodevelopmental differences and experience mental health symptoms? And what would it lo...

What if we've been missing an opportunity to reread biblical poetry to become co-creators or collaborators in the poetic journey? And what if we don't start reading the poem by trying to determine what it means, but instead engage in an open and expansive inquiry into discovering how biblical poetry can speak to us today? We will discuss these questions and more in this exciting exploration of bib...

What can innovative ministry look like in your context? Are there opportunities for you to directly address the emergent needs of those you are called to serve while also establishing a network of care that empowers people to pursue their long-held dreams and aspirations? Our discussion today is with Dr. Kit Evans-Ford, who is the dynamic, innovative, passionate, and compassionate social entrepren...

In the dynamic landscape of religion, culture, and higher education, what should the next future of theological education become? Should it be a further accrual of intellectual and professional skills, or should it also serve to form Christian leaders with a deep, abiding, resilient, generative identity as Christian human beings? Let's talk about it today on The Distillery podcast where we welcome...

What is ableism, and how does ableism relate to racism? And is this important for the church? These questions and more will be answered in our discussion today with Dr. Lamar Hardwick, the author of the new book, How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church . As a Black autistic pastor and disability scholar, Dr. Hardwick lives at the intersection of disability, race...

To all those who believe their local church can be a vital sign of God's presence in their community, and to those who believe in a right here, right now, in-this-place ministry that seeks to truly meet the needs in your neighborhood, join us as we discuss incarnational mission with the co-authors of the book, Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation into a Powerhouse for Mission .

Is innovation just a buzzword, or is there something going on with innovation that Christians should be paying attention to? In today's interview, Kenda Creasy Dean takes us on her own journey. A journey that began trying to figure out where young people are finding meaning and purpose. Professor Dean is an ordained United Methodist Pastor and serves as the Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Chur...

What is wrong with the church? How can we fix it? In this interview, we explore what people think is wrong with the church. Guests Blair Bertrand and Andrew Root suggest that the church's problems are not necessarily what we think they are. We'll explore how secularism has shaped our imagination, and we'll explore different ways of thinking about what God is calling congregations to do next. 

What do young Black girls have to teach all of us about God and about living our Christian faith? In today's interview, Khristi Adams explores the unique and invaluable theological insights of Black girls, including their perspectives on scripture, service, suffering, and hospitality. Her new book is titled, "Womanish Theology: Discovering God through a Lens of Black Girlhood."

What's wrong with saying, "I don't see color?" Many have pursued racial color-blindness as if it is a virtue, but in today's episode, Montague Williams, author of "Church in Color: Youth Ministry, Race, and the Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr., shares his experience with youth groups to enlighten others to what young people are longing for when it comes to engaging race, identity, and the exper...

What makes a life worth living? Do we organize our lives around the pursuit of happiness, self-sacrifice, security, power, or wealth? In today's episode, Ryan McAnnally-Linz invites us to explore life’s biggest existential questions that make up the meaning of life. At the center of this conversation is the book McAnnally-Linz co-authored with Matthew Croasmun and Miroslav Volf titled, Life Worth...

What can spiritual entrepreneurship teach us about what God is doing in the world? In today's episode, Kathleen McShane and Elan Babchuck, co-authors of "Picking up the Pieces: Leadership after Empire," take a serious look at the story of Moses to better understand how culture and empire shape the ways we think about leadership and power, especially in congregations.

How do beauty and creativity helps us know God? How does the beauty of God's creation re-enchant the world as we know it? In this episode, David White, author of Tending the Fire That Burns at the Center of the World, shares how aesthetics, playfulness, and creativity can be reclaimed in churches as well as classrooms.  

What does Christian faith have to do with creation? As the global climate crisis becomes more and more pressing, Christian communities sometimes flounder in responding to this issue. In this episode, Debra Rienstra, author of Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth, shares how individuals and communities can rally in a response deeply rooted in their...

Which road do we take when at the intersection of tradition and innovation? Faith leaders and congregants across the country are navigating patterns of change daily in their ministry. In this episode, Douglas Powe and Lovett Weems examine how congregations can experiment as they faithfully respond to God's call. The book they co-authored, "Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregation...

The first episode of Season 8 begins with an intimate interview with Amy Butler, pastor, educator, and author of " Beautiful and Terrible Things ," that examines the deeply dark and incredibly wonderful moments life brings. This conversation explores the nature of faith, the inevitability of doubt, and the importance of radical love in facing all the beautiful and terrible things that happen in ou...

Baptism is a foundational practice, and is considered a sacrament in most Christian churches. This ancient practice has been significant since Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Churches today have divergent theologies and ways of baptizing people. But in today’s interview, Sarah Barton shares what can be learned about baptism across these theological and practical differences by learning fro...

In the early twentieth century, a series of revival meetings in Los Angeles shocked the nation. They had unsegregated worship services where both women and men spoke in tongues, performed faith healings, and wildly claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. These meetings, held in a small run-down building on Azusa Street, were pivotal in the creation of the modern Pentecostal movement. In this ep...

Sandy Hook. Uvalde. Pulse Nightclub. Hurricane Katrina. COVID-19. 9/11. For millions of people in our country, these words are shorthand for unthinkable traumatic events and the lingering effects of trauma. What can be said when a community is shaken to its core? How can a Sunday morning sermon help a fractured community? In this episode, Kimberly Wagner explores these questions and more as we dis...

What happens when ordinary friendships become something deeper, something more sacred, something—dare we say—holy? On this episode, Victoria Atkinson White shares from her new book Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships that Sustain Pastors and Leaders . Explore the nature of “holy friendships”: how they’re formed, their benefits, and how they might be a key for sustaining those who lead. Guest...

Questions of how the Bible should be read by modern Christians have never been more important than they are today. What does it mean to read the Bible through a sociohistorical lens? Can identifying the politics of its ancient Judean writers help us navigate the twenty-first century? On this episode of The Distillery , Jonathan Lee Walton discusses his book A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its...

In an age of secularization, church planters face new, unexpected obstacles. Could the key to solving their problems be found in ministries started by marginalized communities? In this episode, Reverend Dr. Alexia Salvatierra and Reverend Brandon Wrencher discuss their new book Buried Seeds , an exploration of base ecclesial communities in the Global South and the hush harbors founded in secret by...

What does it look like for Christians to live in a pluralistic society? What can be learned from neighbors who practice different religious traditions?  In this episode, Barbara Brown Taylor shares from her book “Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others”. We discuss her journey from pew to pulpit to professors’ desk, and the lessons she learned from teaching Religion 101 to American college s...

In the wake of the Jesus Movement’s emergence from the underground, designated worship spaces like churches began to be seen as sacred spaces in and of themselves. How did this happen? According to Mary K. Farag, it was the result of centuries of debate between ancient Roman jurists, Catholic bishops, artists, and theologians. Farag is Assistant Professor of Early Christian Studies at Princeton Th...