The Sacred Slope

45. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (Episcopal) -  I Can Learn to Be Brave : Building Courage One Step at a Time Alexis welcomes back Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C., for a deeply hopeful conversation about courage, faith, and her beautiful new children's book, I Can Learn to Be Brave- releasing July 7th! Known around the world for her sermon calling for mercy towa...

44. Leigh Larson (Disciples of Christ) – Christian Nationalism, Patriotism & Reclaiming Church Alexis sits down with theologian, researcher, public educator, and creator of @followtheleighder , Leigh Larson, for one of the most important conversations yet on Christian nationalism, American identity, and what it means to faithfully follow Jesus in a polarized world. Raised in the Christian Chur...

43. Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen (Gay & Christian in The Netherlands) – A Journey Back to Church Through Love, Marriage & Hope Alexis sits down with Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen, Dutch LGBTQ+ advocate and founder of The Growing Wall of Love, for a moving conversation about growing up gay in a conservative Christian environment, surviving years of bullying, finding lifelong love, and discoverin...

42.  Justin Telthorst (Catholic, Empty Chairs) - A Gay Catholic on Faith, the Pope, and the Empty Seats in the Church (Pride Month Reissue) Alexis sits down with Justin Telthorst, a gay Catholic, speaker, and creator of Empty Chairs @emptychairshome for a moving conversation about faith, identity, church hurt, and belonging inside the Catholic tradition. Justin shares his story of growing up Catho...

41.  Rev. Brandan Robertson (Progressive Pastor) - Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table (Pride Month Reissue) What if being queer and Christian was never the contradiction you were taught it was? Alexis sits down with Rev. Brandan Robertson, pastor, activist, and author of Queer & Christian, to explore how scripture has been misunderstood, weaponiz...

40. Sara Cunningham (Free Mom Hugs) & Kelly Mellen (Making Things Right) – Women of Faith Showing Up for the Queer Community What does it look like when women of faith choose love over fear and show up for the queer community? Alexis sits down with Sara Cunningham, founder of Free Mom Hugs, and Kelly Mellen, Managing Director of Making Things Right, for a joyful, deeply personal conversation a...

39. Rev. Roberto Che Espinoza (Baptist) – Becoming Human With One Another (Pride Month Reissue) This week, Alexis Rice welcomes Rev. Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD (@drrobertoche), pastor, scholar, and founder of Activist Theology and Our Collective Becoming. Roberto’s life and ministry embody a theology rooted in interdependence, tenderness, and justice. A Latinx trans man, theologian, and ordaine...

38. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez (Non-Denominational Megachurch Culture) - Conversion Therapy Dropout What if the choice between being gay and being Christian was never a choice at all? Alexis sits down with Timothy Schrader Rodriguez, author of Conversion Therapy Dropout, for a deeply personal conversation about surviving eight years of conversion therapy, working behind the scenes at some of the...

37. Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity When a nation is led by women at the highest levels - the President, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Reykjavík, the National Police Commissioner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Bishop of Iceland - something becomes visible: women in power isn...

Pride Month Series- 🌈 Happy Pride! 36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About What does a conversation with a progressive, open and affirming pastor actually sound like? For many people raised in evangelical spaces, progressive pastors were often presented as people who had compromised biblical faith or wander...

HAPPY PRIDE! 🎙️ 35. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie) - 1946: The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible (Pride Month Reissue) One mistranslation changed theology, policy, families, and the lives of millions of LGBTQ people. Alexis sits down with Rocky Roggio @rockyroggio, director of the award-winning documentary 1946: The Movie @1946themovie, to explore the year the word “homosexual...

34. Science & Faith Part 2 - Pastor Will Rose (ELCA Lutheran) - The False Choice Between Faith and Science  Alexis Rice sits down with Pastor Will Rose, ELCA Lutheran pastor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, co-host of Systematic Geekology, and creator of the faith and science podcast Your Matter Matters, for a deeply compassionate conversation about curiosity, science, deconstruction, and why a...

33. Science & Faith Part 1 - Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray (Science Educator & Christian) - Science Asks How & When. Faith Asks Who & Why Alexis Rice sits down with Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray, science educator, university lecturer, Christian, and author of Fish with Feet: Human Evolution and the Image of God , for a deeply honest conversation about evolution, evangelicalism, scientific literacy...

🎙️ 32. Sharon McMahon (We Are Mighty) & We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For Alexis Rice sits down with Sharon McMahon, bestselling author, educator, and creator of “@SharonSaysSo,” for a deeply moving conversation about history, democracy, courage, faith, and the ordinary people who shape the world around us. As Sharon releases her new children’s book, We Are Mighty: 12 Ordinary Americans W...

🎙️ 31. Jeremy Steele (United Methodist, Skeptic Pastor) - Stop Ceding Faith: Democrats and Media Need Progressive Pastors Now Alexis sits down with Jeremy Steele (@skeptic.pastor), a United Methodist pastor, author, and self-described “deep skeptic,” for a bold, unfiltered conversation about faith, politics, and the stories shaping Christianity in America today. Jeremy returns to The Sacred Slope...

🎙️ 30. Christina Zini (United Methodist/Lutheran) -  This Is What Christianity Looks Like When It’s Not About Control & The Sacred Slope Turns 1!!!!! With music by Derek Webb! Alexis Rice sits down with Christina Zini, a friend of 20+ years, a leadership coach, Christian woman, global citizen, for a deeply personal and reflective conversation marking one year of The Sacred Slope. Christina sha...

🎙️ 29. Part 2. Reproductive Rights - Rev. jessica young chang (UCC): Faith, Freedom, and Who Gets to Decide A note:  This is so hard to talk about. I was raised to believe this was the issue. The line you could never cross. And if you did… you were wrong.  You were evil. So I get it. I really do. But after listening to real stories…  and sitting with real people…  I realized this isn’t simple. It...

28. Part 1. Reproductive Rights: Valerie's Story - Pregnancy, Cancer, and a Life-or-Death Choice Alexis sits down with her childhood friend Valerie Ruschke for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about reproductive rights, faith, and medical reality. At 16 weeks pregnant, Valerie was diagnosed with aggressive Stage 3 HER2-positive breast cancer. Doctors told her she had less than a 1...

🎙️ 27. Mattie Mae Motl (Bible Scholar) - Loving Jesus Too Much to Let Him Be Weaponized Alexis Rice sits down with Mattie Mae Motl, a Bible scholar, theologian, and PhD candidate studying the New Testament (with a focus on Romans), for a powerful and deeply clarifying conversation about biblical scholarship, deconstruction, and reclaiming faith. Mattie Mae Motl shares her story of growing up South...

26. Justin Telthorst (Catholic, Empty Chairs) - A Gay Catholic on Faith, the Pope, and the Empty Seats in the Church Alexis sits down with Justin Telthorst, a gay Catholic, speaker, and creator of Empty Chairs @emptychairshome for a moving conversation about faith, identity, church hurt, and belonging inside the Catholic tradition. Justin shares his story of growing up Catholic, surviving conversi...

25. Andrew Whitehead (Sociologist, Author, Christian) - American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church Andrew Whitehead joins Alexis Rice for a powerful conversation on Christian nationalism and the ways it shapes faith, identity, and public life. Alexis and Andrew explore what Christian nationalism actually is (and isn’t), how it shows up in everyday spac...

🎙️ 24. Julie (Aakadewin-o Waawaashkeshi Kwe) Francella (Ojibwe, Batchewana First Nation) - We’re Still Here: Indigenous Wisdom, Empathy, & the Wounds Beneath Hate Alexis sits down with Julie (Aakadewin-o Waawaashkeshi Kwe) Francella - an Ojibwe professor of Indigenous Studies, mental health professional, writer, artist, and @SiriusXM co-host, for a powerful conversation on Indigenous wisdom, t...

🎙️ 23. Kristin Mockler Young (Non-Denominational Pastor) - The Other Side of Certainty What if losing certainty isn’t losing your faith… but the beginning of a deeper one? Alexis sits down with Pastor Kristin Mockler Young @kristinmockleryoung, teaching pastor at Mosaic Church @mosaicclt , host of the Becoming Church podcast , and author of the upcoming book, The Other Side of Certainty , to explo...

🎙️ 22. Rev. Brandan Robertson (Progressive Pastor) - Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table What if being queer and Christian was never the contradiction you were taught it was? Alexis sits down with Rev. Brandan Robertson, pastor, activist, and author of Queer & Christian, to explore how scripture has been misunderstood, weaponized, and reclaimed. B...

🎙️ 21. Johanna Ta (Catholic) - Faith, Culture, & The Golden Rule What happens when two friends from different Christian traditions choose curiosity over debate? Alexis sits down with her longtime friend Johanna Ta, a Filipino Chinese American Catholic, mother of three, and Bay Area professional, to explore faith, culture, and the real differences - and surprising similarities - between Catholi...