Accidental Tomatoes

Amy Jo Hutchinson makes a repeat appearance on this episode as she talks with Joe about the Rattle the Windows movement, the work of centering the stories of people who experience poverty, and advocating for child care and paid leave. She also tells her own story about spiritual trauma and how she finds her faith in helping people improve the conditions of their lives. Learn more about Amy Jo's work at rattlethewindows.com.

Of all the needs of people experiencing recovery from substance use disorder, safe housing may be among the most critical. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Matt Johnson of The Fletcher Group talks with Joe about his work creating faith-based recovery housing, how faith communities can get involved, the importance of the language we use about recovery, and the ways stigma can become a barrier not only to recovery, but to the ways communities perceive and interact with people experiencing recovery.

Read Matt's recent article on the United Methodist News Service website here: https://www.umnews.org/en/news/faith-communities-can-respond-to-substance-use-epidemic-with-hope 

How does a trauma-informed view of atonement affect the way we see Jesus' life, death, and resurrection? In this episode, Red Letter Christians UK co-director Faith Van Horne talks about her doctoral work of integrating Pentecostal and Feminist theologies to understand atonement doctrine through the lens of sexual abuse survivors and the communities that support them.

A lot of us have a complicated relationship with prayer. In this episode Joe talks about how prayer fits into his deconstruction journey.

Deconstruction is all about asking questions. In this episode, Joe asks whether the biblical story of the "fall" from which the doctrine of original sin emerges should be considered less about disobedience than about exploitation.

What does an online church for nerds, geeks, and gamers look like? Rev. Nathan Webb of Checkpoint Church talks with Joe about digital community built around YouTube, Twitch, and Discord in a context often shunned by traditional religious institutions. Visit Checkpoint's website for links to everything they're up to.

The colonization of the central Appalachian coalfields by extractive industries left scars on both the land and the people of the region, but it also left a rich heritage of resistance and perseverance. In this episode, Kenzie Walker of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum talks with Joe and Brad about the importance of preserving that heritage, its impacts on the broader American labor movement, and its continued relevance in the world today. Learn more at wvminewars.org

In this Pride Month 2022 episode, Joe and co-host Jenny Williams chat with West Virginia University Social Work professor Dr. Megan Gandy about LGBTQ+ people and faith communities, her own experience with religious trauma, and the importance of belonging and community beyond dogma and doctrine. You can read about Megan's research on the topic at this link: https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2021/07/12/fear-of-rejection-vs-joy-of-inclusion-faith-communities-from-lgbtq-perspectives

We've all heard that laughter is the best medicine, but what if there are elements from comedy that can actually help us navigate everything from business relationships to recovery and even the way we encounter faith and spirituality? In this special Pride Month episode, Marcy Bain, Lisa Bany, and Brian Reed from Improv Therapy Group bring their experiences from the famed Second City school of improvisation to spaces for clergy, recovery, policing, and much more to help people learn the power of "Yes, and," how it can open pathways to healing and wholeness, and how it can help build more vulnerable, authentic, and inclusive communities.

A theology of place is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, yet modern Christians have largely compartmentalized it away from their primary spiritual theology. In this episode, Rev. Zac Morton talks with Joe and Brad about what an Appalachian-specific EcoTheology looks like in a holistic sense, including food & housing justice.

View Zac's sermon from May 22, 2022 here (sermon starts at 11:15)