Untidy Faith

As we head into a politically charged season in 2024, engaging online can get emotional and exhausting. In my 4 years building a public platform, I've devised four guidelines that shape how I try to interact with those who disagree with me on social media.  I hope these help you to create your own and keep yourself healthy and whole as we head into the last half of the year. Kate Boyd - Book...

Content Warning: Sexual assault and abuse of power In 2 Samuel 11, we meet David at his lowest, and his actions affect the lives of many. Join us as we discuss ... The signs that point to David's non-consensual encounter How and when Bathsheba gets her voice back in the Bible The effect of purity culture, gender theology, and hero worship on our churches Where God is when bad things happen Ka...

When I learned biblical Greek, I had a wide array of realizations. And one of the most impactful for me comes around the word for "righteousness" in the New Testament. Listen in to hear the range of meaning and how it may just affect how you view what the gospel is and what God wants for all people. Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public epi...

When you realize that you not only want to change the way you interact with your faith but also how you help your kids interact with theirs, where do you turn?  I turn to Meredith Miller. (And it turns out learning how to help your kids may actually help you a lot too! I know it's helped me as a non-parent myself.) In this conversation we talk about: why "list management" Christiani...

In 2 Samuel 10, we discuss ... what "hesed" means and how David falls short the ways that David gets a taste of his own medicine what it means that Jesus is a "new and better David" why the alpha male mentality isn't where it's at Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other sub...

Othering is pervasive in our climate of tribalism today, and its effects alienate us from ourselves and others. Jenai Auman joins me to discuss othering and ... the signs we often miss that we have been othered ourselves the role of anger in healing what do in the wilderness the small and simple way to find belonging even when you can't be at church and the #1 question to ask yourself when tr...

In 2 Samuel 9, we discuss ... the harmful treatment and narratives surrounding disabled people in the story what difference an honor culture background brings to the text how David buys into his own hype (and shouldn't) why looking for "big things" to do for God may actually miss the point of faithfulness in the first place Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter |...

In this episode ... Why white supremacy isn't exclusive to evangelicalism How the gospel changed to marginalize people What makes anger righteous How to heal from toxic church environments Robert is an author & accomplished attorney at the Callahan & King law firm in Waco, Texas. He earned his law degree at Baylor University School of Law in 2006, where he now teaches a course on Inte...

Join us for a journey through the ins and outs of 2 Samuel 8 as we discuss ... if David can be a good guy and have such a violent streak what the headers in our Bibles all have to say about this period in David's life why David's fame may have negatively affected his identity (and his actions) how David went from artist to warrior if David is a like a mafia don Kate Boyd - Book | Bible S...

Have you been wondering that amidst all the upheaval, denominational splits, and church failures -- where the heck do we go next? And how do we do better? Same.  That's why I was so glad that Eugene Kim joined me for a conversation about just that, and we discuss ... the cycles in church history (and where we are right now) how young people are approaching spirituality differently than ever b...

David makes a request of God to shore up his legacy, but it gets denied. Instead, he gets a covenant and Nathan proves his prophetic presence. Listen in as we discuss 2 Samuel 7 and ... What happens when God is a minor character in the story The role of prophecy in the Bible How strategic editing shapes our interpretations A surprising connection to the book of Acts Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studie...

What is like to be the only one who looks like you in a room? Ethnic loneliness is a pervasive feeling for ethnic minorities in the U.S. and in churches. In this conversation, Prasanta Verma talks me through: What ethnic loneliness is and what it looks like How the church has been complicit in perpetuating this loneliness and its entanglement with systemic racism What to do instead of forcing assi...

Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, has been causing a stir due to its use of religious imagery and vocabulary. Is she mocking Christianity? Is she saying she's God? Or is there maybe something else going on here? Join me and three other with joint cred as Swifties and theologians as we discuss ... the weird takes we've seen IRL and online the cracks in biblical...

What happens when we add context from literature, history, art, and architecture to our study of the Bible? It can actually illuminate tricky ideas and confusing cultural backdrops. Dr. Sandra Glahn joins me today to discuss why bringing these different sources together is important, how it affected her interpretation of 1 Timothy and provisions against women, and how Paul may have been nicer than...

David continues his consolidation of power, and we talk about the ways that affects who he is becoming as a king and a family man. Join us on our walk through 2 Samuel 6 as we discuss ... What happens when you bring religion and politics together Why it matters what metrics do you use for God's pleasure in your deeds The actual way that David is undignified (and it's not the way he think...

When the church hurts you, where do you go to find healing? How do you recover when the tools you would've once turned to remind you of the trauma?  Dieula Previlon joins me to talk about the deep pain of spiritual abuse and church trauma and how we can find a way forward with God even if it means stepping out of the box of the expected. Dieula Previlon is the founder and executive director o...

When it comes to leadership in churches, we've seen what happens when the balance between altruism and ambition tips in the wrong direction. Turns out we may have some of evangelicalism's favorite Bible characters to blame for that. In 2 Samuel 5, we see another "success" of David, and yet we wonder, is he really the model we should look to?  And what happens in the real world...

With election season upon us, how do we create our own faithful political theology when we've been shaped by political idolatry? How do we navigate the tense conversations we will likely be having in an election year? How do we use the Bible well to shape our theology and practice when it comes to loving our neighbors? Kaitlyn Schiess joins me to talk about this and more. Kate Boyd - Book | B...

Betrayal is around every corner as we follow David into the next era in his life.  In this episode, we discuss ... - the use of women as political pawns - how David is building his army in the bedroom - the limits of "technically" keeping your hands clean when something goes wrong  - dealing with ableism in the biblical text Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Inst...

Trey Ferguson is a Miami-Dade County based minister, writer, and podcaster whose passions include jokes, justice, and Jesus. He’s the creator of New Living Treyslation–a podcast that retells and relates scripture in a modern vernacular–and a co-host of Three Black Men, a podcast where he muses on theology and culture with Sam Gay, Robert Monson, and a wide array of riveting guests. The author of T...

Recapping our feelings about Scripture and 1 Samuel after a year-long journey through this book. It includes big feelings, silly stories, and lots of thanks to you for journeying with us. Take a listen! Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kateboyd.s...

What does it look like to build a faith that's strong enough but flexible enough to grow with you? Let's explore some foundational practices or mindsets to build in that will help you for the long haul. Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Content Warning: Suicide, Israel-Palestine War, and Heavy Content As we reach the end of the book of 1 Samuel, we grapple with the victory of David and the tragic end for Saul and the connection to the international conflict we are witnessing today. Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Just in time for Spooky Season, we come to a ghost story right here in 1 Samuel. Join us to see how David manages to escape his deception being discovered, Saul's desperate (and spooky) measures to stay on top, and the set up for our final battle in 1 Samuel. Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...

A change in your faith doesn't just affect how you believe, it also affects how you feel about yourself -- especially if your paradigms are upended. If this has happened to you, and you've felt lost or unsure in or after deconstructing, you're not alone, and you're doing just fine. In this episode, we discuss how to work through this tough time and find confidence in your faith...