The Progressive Christians Podcast

If you've been involved in political discourse at all over the last month, you've doubtless heard the panicked predictions or joyous celebrations (depending on who you're listening to) about the Democratic Socialists of America. But who are these Socialists? What do they stand for, why is it surprisingly Biblical - and what does this mean for the future of the Church? We actually have a few DSA me...

Bethany Christian Services, the nation's largest Protestant adoption and foster care agency, has decided that all staff, board members, foster families, and adoptive families must sign a belief statement defining marriage as "a covenant between one man and one woman." The change takes effect in June 2027(happy pride!)   Obviously, this is unacceptable. But somehow, Bethany Christian Services is de...

What if the story of Jacob wrestling with God has always been a story about identity, transition, and transformation — and we just didn't see it? In this episode, Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter brings a queer theological lens to Genesis 32, unpacking what happens when Jacob refuses to let go of a divine being until he receives a blessing. At the center of this story isn't just a wrestling match; it's...

The Southern Baptist Convention just voted 6,028 to 2,026 — a 3-to-1 margin — to advance a constitutional ban on women serving as pastors or preaching to their congregations. Dr. Carter and Rev. Blair responded to this news with a theological and biblical analysis of the SBC's arguments, and unsurprisingly, came to a vastly different conclusion. In this episode, we discuss what the SBC actually vo...

Join us this week to celebrate 70 YEARS OF WOMEN'S ORDINATION in the Methodist Church! Rev. Blair and Dr. Carter are joined by their boss, Reverend Molly Vetter, and everyone's boss, Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, to discuss their experiences during different eras of women's rights in the church. One of the most common hate comments we get is from people claiming that women can't be pastors - so ju...

HAPPY PRIDE! We have another special guest this week: Representative Leigh Finke! The first openly transgender Representative in Minnesota's history, she is a founding member and current chair of the Queer Caucus, and she helped to pass the "Trans Refuge Bill," protecting access to gender-affirming care for Minnesotans.  Leigh Finke is also a practicing Christian, and an author that wrote "Queerfu...

This week, we are honored to be joined by the one and only Dr. Abdul El-Sayed! As he loves to remind us, Dr. Carter is from Michigan, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is currently running in a three-way Democratic primary to be Michigan's Senator against Haley Stevens and Mallory McMorrow. If he wins, he would not only be an unprecedented Progressive voice in Congress, but he would also be the first Muslim...

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was born from the Black church. It wasn't just a political achievement — it showed the world the courage and resilience of Black people, the theology of the Civil Rights Movement, and the conviction that loving your neighbor means protecting your neighbor's voice. SCOTUS gutting it isn't just unconstitutional — it's un-Christian. In this episode, we're breaking down t...

We are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Melissa Borja this week, to discuss her new podcast "One Million Neighbors!" The podcast follows the story of the largest refugee resettlement in American history - when Midwestern Christians resettled "One Million Neighbors." Obviously, this is very relevant to our current immigration panic, so we dive deep into the strange role that Christians have played here...

Raise your hand if you've had a clip from James Talarico come across your page in the past year 🤚 We've been following this race closely, and now that he won the Democratic nomination, we have a lot of thoughts. His unique use of Christianity and Christian language in politics has set him apart. It's brought a lot of momentum, but it's also brought a lot of hate - even from the president. We're h...

After the newest assassination attempt, we noticed that the manifesto of the perpetrator had a lot of Bible references. Between this, the Trump admin's use of the Bible to justify violence, and the new trend of abusive men bringing their bibles to court, we wanted to speak on violence, nonviolence, and where Jesus fits in all of it.    Show Notes:  - The manifesto: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXpo...

As Americans, we tend to focus a lot on an American perspective - so this week, we are blessed to be joined by a friend who is helping to provide a wider angle! Jonty Langley is co-host and founder of the Beer Christianity podcast, as well as editor of S(h)ibboleth Magazine. Jonty joined us from across the pond to talk about The American Imperial Boomerang, how leftism and Christianity intertwine,...

This week, the Pope Leo vs. Trump news has been insane. How did this happen in an administration that claims to be deeply Christian and Catholic? We discuss the historical precedent of political popes, the wild escalation of conflict that has happened, and where the theology simply doesn't make sense. Show Notes: - Hungarian Election:  https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/world/live-news/hungary-electio...

We've got the whole team back for this one! As you may have heard, this week Paula White likened Trump to Jesus (we know, right?). This outrageous statement sparked so much backlash from Christians, it was impossible for us to miss. This week, we don't just want to talk about her words, but WHY Evangelicals find it so important to do something so explicitly blasphemous.  We also want to take this...

We are thrilled to be joined by Pastor Joe Smith this week! We originally found Joe because of his work on Instagram, and quickly realized that his work combating White Christian Nationalism is essential to the work of Progressive Christianity.  We had Joe on to discuss his journey as an Exvangelical pastor, his thoughts about the state of American Christian Nationalism, and how we can move forwar...

We've been promising bonus content… Here it is!  We were inspired to make this episode by Rev. Katie with the Young Adult group at Hyde Park Community UMC in Cincinnati, Ohio, who reached out to tell us they had been using our podcasts for some of their lessons. In honor of how much this means to us, this episode is dedicated to all of them! They wrote us some great questions that they've been dea...

When the Trump administration began its immigration crackdown in Chicago, teenage brothers Ben and Sam Luhmann became a part of a rapid-response network of volunteers that documents ICE raids and assists families of those detained in the arrests. In the first half of this episode we talk with Ben and Sam about their activism and the role that their Christian faith played in inspiring them to put t...

If you grew up in certain Christian circles, there is a specific type of music that we all know by heart. But why? Where did it come from? What messages might have been hidden inside this music? This week, we meet with Dr. Leah Payne, author of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," to discuss the surprisingly long, dark, and conservative history of our modern "Contemporary Christian Music" genre. If yo...

We just launched the Love Your Neighbor Newsletter on Substack! Scroll down for more info! As if we didn't mention it enough, here is your periodic reminder that we are based in Los Angeles, California... And the Oscars are this week! This year, themes of faith and Christianity were huge for the biggest nominees. Julia and Blair, our most movie-connected hosts, invited some filmmakers from our con...

A lot of times we discuss the disturbing rise of MAGA Christian Nationalism on this podcast - but today, we are featuring a progressive politician that has literally flipped that narrative. Joanna Whaley was formerly a conservative evangelical pastor, but had a spiritual journey that culminated in a bid for Michigan State Representative - where she could be the first openly transgender representat...

It's the beginning of the Lenten season! Dr. Carter is gone, so Everest is leading us on a journey through the history of Lent all the way to the modern political implications of the holiday. Join us for an especially meditative and spiritual episode of exploring discipline, tradition, and why we practice Christianity the way we do. If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The...

There's been a lot of talk about "deconstruction" in Progressive Christian circles, but we've been hearing that y'all want more talk of "constructing" beliefs. A major philosophy that serves as constructive for many Progressive Christians is known as Liberation Theology. Stemming from marginalized communities in the Americas, Liberation Theology focuses on Jesus' teachings on "the least of these."...

Project 2025 was all over the news when Trump was first elected. But now that we're a year in - what about Project 2026? The Heritage Foundation hasn't released an official "Project 2026," but they have put out their political priorities for the year, and they look about as bad as you would expect.  This episode, we go through all nine of them, and focus on the ways that the Trump administration i...

The massive political polarization of today can make fighting for change seem impossible, but there is an extra layer when you're someone responsible for kids. This week, our friend Claire McKeever-Burgett returns to discuss parenting in our Fascist reality. We discuss children's radically empathetic nature, ways to help them (and you) find their place in the resistance, and the importance of keep...

We have all been flooded with the horrifying stories out of Minnesota recently. This week, we discuss Alex Pretti and the children who have been kidnapped, along with some of the incredible stories of resistance and community from Minneapolis. Join us to rage, cry, grieve, hope, and plan. And remember, in a world full of evil - Be Good.   Show Notes:   Anti-trans riders COMPLETELY removed from fin...