Irenicast - A Progressive Christian Podcast

If you or someone you know suspects someone might be a victim of trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888   This week's conversation tackles the horrific reality of human trafficking around the world. Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss the realities of forced labor, the underground sex industry, roles that race and patriarchy might play, and offer par...

Mona sits down with guest Allison Bovell for a discussion on hunger in America.  Allison is the Research, Policy and Communications Coordinator for Children's Health Watch.  She will help provide needed insight on the issue of hunger in america.  Things like government assistance programs, economic factors, health and developmental issues, and of course a theological perspective. RELEVANT LINKS  ...

In one of our more surprisingly combative Irenicast episodes, Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss various things related to Halloween and the supernatural.  Everything from their favorite Halloween memories, scary encounters, angels, demons, fear and of course some history and theology.  This witch's brew of topics concludes with a new segment:  Pursuit of the Trivial.   Halloween and the Supernatural Co...

Is humanity good or bad? What is total depravity and original sin and are they helpful for the life of faith? Emilie, an Irenicast listener, touches off a conversation between Jeff, Mona & Allen over these questions and more when she wonders if "being told every Sunday morning for decades on end that you are dirty, sinful, wicked, and completely worthless" makes theological sense. And in honor of...

Does life exist on other planets? If we discover an alien civilization, does that mean God won't love us or hang out anymore? Is Allen's alien superpower the lamest thing ever or the greatest? Our co-hosts answer these questions and more in this week's episode on God and aliens. Conversation on Faith and Aliens ( 00:25 ) Alien Superpower Segment ( 47:46 )     RELEVANT LINKS NASA Confirms Evidence...

On October 1, 2015 a shooter used six guns to murder nine people on the Oregon Community College campus. In light of the tragic event, our hosts pause to lament, reflect, process, and discuss the day itself, as well as the issues it has come to represent.   In Memoriam Lucero Alcaraz, 19 Treven Taylor Anspach, 20 Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18 Quinn Glen Cooper, 18 Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59 Lucas Eibel, 18...

What do immigration, violence and homemade clocks have in common?  Fear.  Fear seems to be a consistent motivator in our culture, especially fear of the other.  This week Jeff, Mona & Allen address many of the issues connected to Xenophobia. Wrapping up the show our hosts bring back a segment called Say What!?   Xenophobia Conversation ( 00:24 ) Say What?! Segment ( 53:12 ) RELEVANT LINKS Will Sas...

The subject of church can be a joyous one or a difficult one depending on your experience.  This week Jeff, Mona and Allen explore some of the possible reasons why people are leaving church.  Specifically they discuss a group of people known as 'The Dones'.  People who are done with church, but not done with their faith.  And then for something completely different, the team plays a round of Was i...

The conclusion of our conversation with Brandy Daniels focuses on her current work in the field of theology.  She explains in detail her thoughts on the importance of the connectivity of theology and the way that we live.   You can check out Brandy's full list of accomplishments and bibliography on her Vanderbilt bio page . RELEVANT LINKS PHD Comics (humor site)   Stanley Hauerwas (theologian)   S...

Jeff sits down this week with Brandy Daniels.  Among the many things Brandy is involved in she is an author for the blog, Women in Theology (WIT), and a Ph. D. candidate at Vanderbilt University .  Her work centers on the intersection of queer theory and Christian theology.  In this conversation Brandy shares her journey from youth group kid in an evangelical church to a career in academia and how...

Bugapolocalypse, seductive scarf dancing and humans with lion tails. This is all in just the first 5 minutes of this week's episode.  Our conversation is an in-depth discussion on the Ashley Madison hack and privacy in the digital age, capped off by a round of "Craigslist Hall of Fame." Host Check In ( 00:23 ) The Ashley Madison Hack and Privacy Conversation ( 06:54 ) Craigslist Hall of Fame Segme...

Total Eclipse of the Heart , Alanis Morrisette, and high school reunions are some of the stops along a stroll through the respective pasts of our hosts this week.  In this episode, Jeff, Mona & Allen conclude their secular vs sacred series with a discussion on the sacred in terms of selves.  What makes a person sacred?  Can one person be more sacred than another?  Do we confuse the sacredness of a...

In this second installment of the secular vs sacred, hosts Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss "spaces."  They explore what makes a certain location more or less sacred than another.  This weeks episode is wrapped up with a segment called Dinner Party.  Each of our hosts share three people they would have over to a dinner party and why.   Host Check In ( 00:21 ) Sacred vs Secular Spaces Conversation ( 06...

Jeff, Mona (Umami) and Allen (Smellfungus) start a new series of episodes this week on the secular vs sacred.  Their first stop on this journey is exploring the sacredness, or lack of sacredness, in stories.  Our hosts specifically explore the mediums of art, media and even the Bible.  Our discussion of the sacred leads into a mash up of Apples 2 Apples and Balderdash , called Appledash .   Host C...

You might think an episode on the importance of language would be an easy topic to conquer for three people who speak on a weekly podcast.  This, however, is not entirely the case. Jeff, Mona and Allen get meta as they discuss the importance of language and tackle the issues of rhetoric, political correctness, cronuts, the Bible, and new attempts on metaphors for God.  All that, plus the brand new...

In a special Irenicast episode the team welcomes guest host Casey Comstock.  Casey joins us this week to share a very personal story about raising a child with special needs.  We hear from him the joys and difficulties that he and his wife face on a regular basis as they raise their wonderful daughter, Lily Kate.  He also expresses his desire to help other families with special needs children and...

Ever ones to speak, the team takes on the topic of active listening this week. Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss the elements of good listening, the habitual quirks of bad listening, and offer ideas concerning the cultivation of listening as both art and skill. The latest installment of Knowin' Jemonen follows the discussion and reveals the co-hosts' favorite works of fiction.   Host Check In ( 00:25 )...

With Mona and Allen on assignment this week Jeff brings in guest host Adam Loveridge for a discussion on deconstructing your faith.  Adam shares insights from his journey away from Evangelicalism and what things were important for rebuilding.  They then walk through the deconstruction process, from the tearing down to the rebuilding.  The conversation also explores leadership structures, the impor...

Sans Mona this week, Jeff & Allen bring in guest host Dylan Van Lant.  After sharing interesting stories from their honeymoons, Dylan starts the conversation on mental health and the church by sharing his history with depression.  The conversation touches on the taboo stigma of mental health in certain segments of the church, the role of a pastor in counseling and the underlying pressure within ce...

This week's listener-requested episode goes after the issues surrounding the afterlife, particularly heaven and hell. Jeff, Mona, and Allen discuss the historical and cultural context behind "hell" passages in the Bible, why they lead us to rethink concepts that have been around since the Middle Ages, speculate about the this-worldly nature of a future heaven, and then disagree about how all of th...

Criminal justice is a complex topic with many ethical streams. This week the team takes on a bird's eye view of justice in the prison industry, capital punishment and immigration, to name a few, and hidden factors many might not think of in these issues. They explore what it might mean to seek restorative justice, both in the ways we challenge our systems and in how we treat others. The episode en...

The team takes a bit of a break from heavier topics this week to discuss the nature of beauty, and what it means to describe and participate in beauty. The conversation veers philosophical as Jeff, Mona and Allen discuss wonder, love and transformation, and ultimately where God might be in relation to it. They wrap up with a silly game similar to Scattergories, which is much more difficult to play...

Sin is a difficult subject when viewed from Biblical, cultural and philosophical perspectives. What is sin exactly and what does it have to do with us?  The hosts attempt a real discussion of the idea of sin while being honest about their personal reservations. They propose different avenues for rethinking the word sin in light of its historical baggage and look for ways that are life giving, hone...

Concluding our series of episodes on gender and sexuality Jeff sits down for an interview with a gay couple, Jim and Richard.  Jim and Richard share their individual stories of coming out and how they met.  They also discuss how they've remained in the faith despite their experience with people's reactions to homosexuality and the church.     RELEVANT LINKS Organization :  Reconciling Ministries N...

After catching up on their past two weeks of life filled with grilling and hammocks, Jeff, Mona and Allen begin an in-depth conversation about homosexuality and Christianity. They touch on historical attitudes toward sex, what the Bible says about "homosexuality" in its cultural context, present-day issues, and what the stakes are for us today. After an arousing conversation, they play Jesus or Ja...