Gravity Commons Podcast

We talked with Sheila Gregoire about the common lies we believe about sex, and how to move toward sex that is mutual, intimate, and pleasurable, for both women and men. Sheila is passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex. A popular speaker, marriage blogger, and award-winning author of seven books, including The Great Sex […] The post Sheila Gregoire: Exposing the Lies We Be...

Gino Curcuruto joins us to reflect on the outpouring of heartbreaking stories of spiritual abuse that came from our previous podcast episode where he shared his own story of spiritual abuse and trauma. Gino is is our Community Liaison at Gravity Leadership, a chiropractor, and a co-vocational church planter in Philadelphia (The Table Philly), where […] The post Gino Curcuruto: Reflecting on Preval...

Beth Allison Barr joins us to chat about the idea of “biblical womanhood” and how it was created in the modern era. Drawing upon her research and expertise in medieval women’s church history, she introduces us to her latest book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. Beth is […] The post Beth Allison Barr: How and Why Biblical Womanhood Was Invented ap...

We talk with Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez about one of our top books of 2020, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. (Whew that subtitle!) Kristin reflects on how the book was conceived, why it was so hard to write, why it took her 15 years to […] The post Kristin Kobes Du Mez: How White Evangelicals Embraced Toxic Masculinity appeared first on Gravity L...

Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry co-wrote Taking Back America for God on the growing presence of Christian Nationalism in the United States. Orienting their research around the “unholy trinity” of Power, Boundaries, and Order, Andrew and Sam chat with us about how to identify Christian Nationalism, their observations about the Capitol insurrection on January 6th, […] The post Andrew Whitehead &am...

We talked with Dawson Vosburg about how his experience with the poor and those who suffer injustice, and his searching of the Scriptures, led him to question the prevailing assumption in the USA that capitalism is the most just and humane economic system. We had a wide-ranging, provocative discussion that helps us think more clearly […] The post Dawson Vosburg: Capitalism, Socialism, and What Scri...

We talked with Juanita Campbell Rasmus about her journey of understanding her depression and meeting God in that darkness. Her book, Learning to Be:Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out is a travelogue of how to navigate those dark places in our lives to mine out God’s treasures. Juanita is a pastor, spiritual director, and […] The post Juanita Campbell Rasmus: Learning to BE in the Midst...

Church planter Gino Curcuruto tells his story of spiritual abuse and trauma in the church, which unfortunately mirrors so many other stories we’ve heard. If you’ve experienced spiritual abuse, you’re not alone. Gino is is our Community Liaison at Gravity Leadership, a chiropractor, and a co-vocational church planter in Philadelphia (The Table Philly), where he […] The post Walking Through Spiritua...

We continue our series on race, gender, and power in the church with Dr. Diane Langberg. Dr. Langberg joined us on the podcast to talk about her new book, Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church. She framed the systemic sin of power abuse in biblical categories, reclaiming a helpful theological framework for […] The post Dr. Diane Langberg: Naming Abuse and Redeeming Power...

Our series on Race, Gender, and Power in the Church continues with a conversation with Aimee Byrd to discuss her book Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Aimee shared the story that led up to her writing the book, and, upon the release of the book, the fallout she experienced from those whom she critiqued. […] The post Aimee Byrd: Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood appeared...

In this episode we talked to Dr. Scot McKnight about the book he co-authored with his daughter, Laura Barringer, entitled, A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Our conversation is a part of our series on race, gender, and power in the local church. Scot has […] The post Scot McKnight: Church Abuse and Where We Go From Here appeared firs...

We talked with Dennae about her involvement in multi-ethnic church planting in Phoenix, AZ, the turbulent season for her church before and right after the 2016 election, and how the last four years have led them to a much deeper solidarity together. She’s written a book, Healing Prayers and Meditations to Resist a Violent World, […] The post Dennae Pierre: Learning to Lead and Pray in the Midst of...

Today we introduce Christy Penley, who will be helping us as a new co-host on the Gravity Leadership Podcast! Christy is a Gravity veteran who has led many people through our discipleship process in her local context. We’ve known Christy for a long time, we trust her, and we’ve asked her to bring her voice […] The post A New Co-Host For the Gravity Leadership Podcast: Christy Penley appeared first...

Timothy and Madai McCain are evangelists who travel and proclaim the gospel all over the world. We spoke with them about their experiences being a Black man and Latina woman in mostly white church spaces as a part of our series on power and how race and gender contribute to dynamics many of us cannot […] The post Timothy and Madai McCain: People of Color Preaching in White Spaces appeared first on...

We start a new series today on Power, Race, and Gender in the Church. If you’ve kept track of the news for the past few weeks, you’ll know that we Christians have some big problems in these areas, and this series is a way for us to explore together how to repent and respond in […] The post Esau McCaulley: How the Black Church Helps Us Read the Bible Better appeared first on Gravity Leadership. Adv...

Pastor and author Andrew Arndt joins us to talk about the enthralling vision we receive from the ancient church fathers and mothers: a life fully immersed in the life of the Holy Trinity. Andrew shares how we can follow their wisdom today and learn to participate more fully in God's life. Andrew is a Lead […] The post Andrew Arndt: Learning to Live in the Trinity With the Ancient Church appear...

Most of us have inherited a vision of leadership that looks at emotion with suspicion. Writer and speaker Marc Alan Schelske joins us to talk about why that is a mistake, and to highlight the vital role of emotions in the life of the leader. Marc is a writer, speaker, hobbyist theologian, recovering fundamentalist, tea […] The post What Emotions Are For in the Life of the Leader with Marc Alan Sch...

Recorded back when the pandemic first hit, this conversation with Tod Bolsinger on learning to lead “off the map” of the known and familiar is more needed now than ever, and still so applicable 9 months into the pandemic. Tod Bolsinger is the Senior Congregational Strategist and Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Seminary. […] The post Learning to Lead in Uncharted Territory wit...

Marcus Warner joins us for an invigorating and illuminating conversation about the intersection of leadership and neuroscience, which is what his latest book is all about (co-authored with Jim Wilder): Rare Leadership:4 Uncommon Habits For Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead. Dr. Marcus Warner has served as president of Deeper Walk […] The post What Brain Science Teaches U...

Recorded back when the pandemic first hit us, this conversation with Jim Herrington on leading in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty is rich, and still so applicable 9 months into the pandemic. Jim Herrington has been a pastor for 45 years. He has served as a denominational executive and pastor to pastors since 1989 where he […] The post Leading in Times of Anxiety and Uncertainty with Jim Herri...

Susan Carson is the founder and director of Roots&Branches Network, a citywide listening and healing prayer ministry in Cincinnati, Ohio. She authored the spiritual guidebook, rooted (IN): Thriving in Connection with God, Yourself, and Others. (Which you can now buy 1 and get 1 free to gift as a part of her holiday promotion on her […] The post Living and Leading From Rootedness with Susan Car...

Pastor, author, and Gravity coach Kristan Dooley joins us on the podcast to talk about walking through desert seasons, taking “left turns,” and the deep refinement of character that can come from these times in our lives. Kristan encourages us to embrace the identity and alignment work that comes with following Jesus into the unknown. […] The post Following Jesus Off the Beaten Path With Kristan D...

The Bible has problems, but is this a problem? Or a feature? Greg Boyd thinks the Bible’s imperfections actually enhance its authority as Scripture, which is what we talk with him about in this episode. This is the topic of his book Inspired Imperfection: How the Bible’s Problems Enhance Its Divine Authority. Greg Boyd is […] The post Greg Boyd on How the Bible’s Problems Enhance Its Authority app...

Writer and Bible teacher Traci Rhoades shares some of her journey of abandoning the search for the “perfect” church and instead exploring the many ways believers worship Jesus, and what she learned along the way. Traci’s website is tracesoffaith.com. You can follower her on Twitter or connect via Facebook and Instagram. Check out her book […] The post Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost with Traci R...

Marlena Graves talks with us about the upside-down way of the kingdom of God (the way up is the way down, you save your life by losing your life, you become yourself by forgetting yourself), and how this helps us connect spiritual formation to justice. Marlena is a writer, deep thinker, and speaker who is […] The post Becoming Yourself By Forgetting Yourself with Marlena Graves appeared first on G...