Sunday School for Misfits with Dr Selina Stone

Welcome back to Season 5 of SSFM! In this episode I reintroduce the podcast for new listeners, and then reflect on my holiday in Gambia. I discuss "sex tourism" and trafficking by white Brits (especially women), the need for "black male studies" and our privileges as Black British travellers.

In this final episode of the season, I process my struggles with hope and despair, and my reading of Afro-pessimist philosophy in light of recent events (Gaza, colonialism debates in the C of E and Diane Abbott). This is not a neat episode, but it's honest - about the reluctance of institutions to change, and the need to create alternative worlds within worlds. I might change my mind, but I am...

In this Lenten episode, Carlton and I discuss an idea which did not make it into our Lenten resources but which is very important in rethinking darkness. We discuss the dark mysteries of God, the known and the unknown in God and in ourselves, and the importance of leaving room for what is uncertain in our journeys of faith. This is not to be missed.

This episode is all about death - our mortality as human beings and the small deaths we experience of our hopes and expectations. It is not a cheery one, but an honest reflection on coming to terms with the end of things, in this season of Lent. We end with help from Cole Arthur Riley's new book Black Liturgies. (Trigger Warning: grief and loss, suicide and euthanasia)

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Lisa Adjei, an activist, justice lover and church leader. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss our love for our Black church roots, twitter activism, leading as single women, recovering from spiritual trauma and what we have learned about healthy leaders and communities. Bring a cuppa and some biscuits for this one!!

Welcome to a new year listeners! In this episode, I reflect on the new birth of my niece and doula wisdom on how we face challenges and difficulty. I talk about starting the new year well, resisting fads and the importance of discerning what we need as move into this new year. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I talk about womanism (and the differences with feminism) and the iconic work of Delores Williams who centres Hagar as a core figure for Black women and our experiences of life and God.

Today's episode is all about the debate about sexuality in the church and hostility towards gay people, especially in Black Christian contexts. I begin with our biases, and then talk about the use of scripture, exploring what it means to live consistently with Jesus' own example on big ethical questions. *Trigger warning* This episode explores anti-gay theology and briefly mentions LGBTQ+...

This is the final episode of the season! My cousin Mary @thecurlycloset joins me on the podcast to talk about the strict courting rules we saw growing up, and what we had to unlearn and learn as we started dating. We share cringeworthy dating experiences, talk about how our "lists" have changed and discuss what it means to date well and safely.

In this episode I am joined by priest and scholar Fr Jarel Robinson-Brown to discuss desire and its complexities. We discuss the ways human desire is painted as a problem in Christian communities, while desire is core to God's life and to ours. We consider how to discern which desires might be unhealthy and how we handle the tension between what we desire, and the desire or will of God. This i...

In this episode I share some personal reflections on the unexpected joys of life, and on the sorrows we face globally due to the violence in Palestine over the last few weeks.

This week's episode is all about African Traditional Religion and its relationship with Christianity. I am joined by my Nigerian brother Akeem, who is doing a PhD at Cambridge on Yoruba religion, and Christian theology. We have a wide-ranging conversation about Yoruba beliefs about the divine, why we are often taught to be suspicious of what is African, and what we might incorporate into our f...

This is a shorter episode to launch season 4, sharing what lies ahead, and reflecting on how we hold faith and doubt together in ways that are helpful. I share my summer thoughts on exploration in our spiritual journeys, and why we shouldn't give the prodigal son such a hard time.

In this week's episode I talk about climate change and the human actions that are leading to recent climate chaos. I explore some of the beliefs which can prevent us from taking our responsibility for creation care seriously. And I discuss how caring for the earth ties in to our wider concerns for social justice.

In this episode I am joined by Olabisi Obamakin to talk about her research on women in the bible, why it's important for Black women to do biblical studies and how it can change our view of biblical texts. We discuss our love/hate relationship with the bible, engaging with the bible after trauma, and how to figure out whether our interpretations are good or harmful.

In this episode I discuss Windrush 75, the celebrations and the ongoing questions of what it means for African Caribbeans to thrive in Britain. I think about Abraham, who inspires my Grandads own reflections on his journey from Jamaica in the 1960s, and ask, what does it mean for us as descendants of this generation to continue their legacy?

In this episode I talk with my dad about the joys and challenges of parenting. We chat about what it means to parent well, raising Black kids in particular, and dealing with my teenage years. I ask him about learning to be a good parent, raising girls v boys and his own journey managing his mental health as a young Black father.

In today's episode I share some thoughts about Pentecost (a week later...) I discuss the power problems of the "spiritually gifted," how speaking in tongues can be colonised, and what Pentecost teaches us about being open to God's disruption in our lives and what we think we know.

In this episode I share an edited recording of a panel discussion I took part in recently on spiritual abuse. The panel was organised by Natalie Collins (@God_loves_women on Twitter) in the light of recent allegations against various high profile Evangelical church leaders in the UK. We discuss what spiritual abuse is, why faith leaders so often fail to act, and how to respond when stories emerge....

Season 3 continues with a conversation about faith, church and mental health with special guest Stacy Gacheru (@stacygacheru). Stacy has years of experience working in the mental health sector, is a qualified counsellor and is now training in theology and mental health. We discuss why the stigma of mental health exists in churches and Black communities; the risks of spiritualising mental health is...

In this episode I am joined by my friend Naomi @newmindcoaching_ to talk about her journey of growing up in the church and then leaving the Christian faith. We explore the pressure of social expectations, the importance of tuning in to our own voice and creativity, and overcoming fear. This is an honest conversation about the problems of religion and how they can get in the way of us experiencing...

Welcome back for Season 3! I introduce this next season where I will be exploring new stories, and thinking through big questions which remain from our first 2 seasons. I also talk about the Coronation, the problem of Christian empires and what we might do instead of swearing allegiance...

Today is all about Resurrection! But before we get there, I talk about Easter Saturday, and how it helps us to cope when the worst happens. I discuss what the resurrection says about the importance of our bodies, what we can learn from disability theology, and why it matters that Jesus kept his scars.

In this bonus episode for Palm Sunday, I explore the significance of this day and what is known as 'Holy Week' - the last week of Jesus' life (kind of). Entering into the drama of this week brings us face to face with loyalty and betrayal, supporters turned haters, and our own capacity as human beings to let down those we say we love. This is an opportunity to sit with these feelings a...

In this final episode of the season we end with a conversation with Rev Dr Sharon Prentis, a lover of God and people who has accompanied many people (including me) through periods of great difficulty in their lives and in faith. We discuss the evolution of our spirituality, the importance of knowing we are accepted by God and how to handle disappointment when we pray.