Profane Faith

Jussie, Jussie, Jussie. Whew. What a mess! I had to break this down and its connections back to faith, race, theology, and the Black community. I brought on two sharp minds that go in and bring some great analysis to this madness. Check it out, we do break some things down.

Mental health is a true stigma, especially within many X-tian spaces and churches. This has to end! So, this week, in keeping with season 3's theme, I talk with Jill Riley who breaks down the stigma, shares some deep parts of her story, and the power of therapy and family. Jill Riley, an adopted Korean American, was raised in North Idaho during the height of the white supremacy movement of the 198...

Woo-wee, colonialism is a hell-uv-a-drug. This week I sit down with a new friend, Obed Manwatkar. He breaks down his story of growing up in India, Ghandi, race, and of course, faith. As always, it gets deep. Check it out!

!!!EXPLICIT!!! Part 3 of the Surviving R Kelly series looks at the effects of sexual violence and we explore what that means for women. This week I talk with a dear friend, Sabina Chafarous. I've known this woman for a long time and this convo went deep. Check it.

!!!!EXPLICIT!!!! Part 2 in this series on sexual abuse, Esperanza Gene breaks down the difficulties of being Black, a woman, having a voice, and just being believed. Remember, sexual abuse is entrenched within faith communities. Check this episode out!

!!EXPLICIT!! The Lifetime Docuseries on R. Kelly is atrocious on so many levels I think it is very important to spend some time discussing the larger issues surrounding Kelly and how race, class, and religion all intersect. This is messy, but I had a chance to talk with the wise and sharp April Reign. Check it out fam.

This week we go in deep, again! Get those note pads out and ready to take notes! Dr. Chris Driscoll is my guest and, whoa, he goes in on Whiteness, religion, race, sexuality, and so much more! Listen in and get ready.

So, what is the big thing about X-tian conferences...I'm wondering if they're outdated and ready for something new...do they really just recycle speakers and info...well, happy 2019 let's dive into this convo...I bring back JR, Kathy and Kate to talk about what all this might mean!

Welp, its the end of 2018, taking a few weeks off to chill and get ready for the new year. Don't worry, I'll be back here in January! Keep that profanity and faith going and happy holidays!

Well, wrapping up the 2018 year comes with an amazing guest that's not just an activist, but also an engaged and informed thinker, Jem Jebbia! Jem is a first-year PhD student in Religious Studies at Stanford University. Previously, she served as the Senior Assistant Director for the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service at Northeastern University. In her role at Northeastern, Jem provided...

This week, I talk with a returning guest, Justin McRoberts and a new guest, Scott Erickson, on their new book, Prayer: Forty Days of Practice. This is a whole new way to look at prayer and pragmatically approach it...especially if you're just not a prayer type person like me. Good stuff this week!

This week I sit down with an amazing thinker, writer, and friend, the great Kathy Khang. Kathy Khang is a speaker, journalist, and activist. She has worked in campus ministry for more than 20 years with expertise in issues of gender, ethnicity, justice, and leadership development. She is the author of Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent & How to Speak Up (IVP, 2018) columnist for Sojourners magaz...

This week I sit down with my good friend April Diaz. Her story and faith journey is quite interesting. As always, we go in on race, gender, women teaching, faith and I think I forgot to mention race...yeah. Good stuff! April has been a visionary activist her entire life. As a Leadership and Wellness Coach, she believes we were created for more. That’s why she loves developing leaders on the margin...

Sabbath is vital to your own survival. Thanks to my good friend Werner, this week I get to sit down and talk Sabbath, rest, and what it all means with Dr. Nathan Stucky out at Princeton Seminary. Dr. Stucky serves as Director of the Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary. He grew up on a farm in Kansas where his love for Christian faith and agriculture first took root. After earning a...

AAR y'all! AAR! Amazing time. So sorry this episode is so late. But, it is SO worth it! Get ready to go in with Dr. Philip Butler who is breaking you off some deep engagement with neuroscience, astronomy, theology, and being Black...oh, and I forgot to mention Black technology. Yeah. Deep! So, take a listen and get ready to take some notes. I did!

!!EXPLICIT!! Ok so first off, there is mention of a double header, sorry, didn't want to take away from episode 4. I had originally had the idea to drop 2 in one week, but, then you'd be missing out on the great Pam Rocker! This week you get to hear story; a story rooted in a faith journey a lot of us miss. Pam opens up and shares her heart and her past which has shaped her into the awesome person...

EXPLICIT!! Well y'all, I went in, but, it was definitely God led and the Spirit moved with all the speakers. I have a plenary talk at this years CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) national conference. I did not hold back, and spoke from the heart. All the speakers that night were on point, each one connected. I was just a spoke in a wheel. But, I felt we needed a space to hear it a...

I hope you all are ready to vote! This week I sit down with grassroot legend, Lisa Sharon Harper. Wowzers...From Ferguson to New York to Germany and South Africa Ms. Harper leads trainings and helps mobilize clergy and community leaders around shared values for the common good. A prolific speaker, writer and activist, Ms. Harper is the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, a consulting group de...

This week I sit down with a sharp mind and a rising theologian, Esperanza Gene. Wow...her story is simply amazing and we cover a lot of ground. Esperanza Gene is a Detroit native of proud Latina and African American descent. She lives at the intersection of art, activism, academia, and pastoral ministry. She received her BA in Theology and BA in English Professional Writing from Oakwood University...

Well, here we are, Season 3! Ok, this is a long one, but, you know what, it is totally worth it. I told you I wanted to go in on mental health, race, and theology. Well, here you go. I get a chance to sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Pierre here at The Lab. She. Is. Uh. May. Zing! There is so much going on right now, I wanted to start the season right and get us to dive a bit deeper into this mental he...

Get ready...there is quite a bit of shit to engage with dealing with race, gender, sexuality, and religion...wow...we in some mess. Good thing season 3 is dropping soon. Go on, subscribe and let's dive in!

Well, I know I said I was taking a break till season 3, and, I am, but, then this great movie came out with all kinds of layers, topics, and racial stuff...and, well, I had to get an all star line up to talk about it. So, enjoy this little teaser as I get ready for season 3. This some good conversation right here!

Back in January, I attended a unique and much needed conference that put People of Color at the center; a radical idea if you can believe that. In this era of craziness, I cannot tell you how important this time was. This episode has some live podcasting with various voices from that conference. If you're still wondering what this is all about, click that link and take a listen!

Being a White ally is a challenge during these times. The question I get most from White folks at conferences and workshops is, what can I do? How do I as a White person engage with racism? Well, honestly, I don't have an answer for that, completely. But, I do know of certain folks who are doing what they can with their White privilege and using it for resistance. This week I talk with Dr. Daniel...

Well, the Goose Festival was a hot and sweaty one. But, there were some really great highlights. One of them was doing a live recording of Profane Faith with both my daughter and Russ Jennings. This was a great conversation and I get to talk about my new book, Homeland Insecurity, out now! Check out the links in the show notes. And, of course, race, theology, Whiteness, and politics were covered....