Cocktail Theology

In this revisiting of an episode from season 5, Benton and Elane tackle a high-stakes topic: why voting is a core moral imperative for people of faith. They dismantle the apathy of saying "my vote doesn't matter," and move past abstract patriotism and party loyalty to unpack how democracy directly impacts the most vulnerable among us—"the least of these."

Cocktail: Vesper

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Benton and Elane unpack the viral internet trend of Spiritmaxxing. Applying corporate productivity hacks, tech optimization, and biohacking mindsets to faith and meditation, Spiritmaxxing promises to squeeze every drop of efficiency out of our spiritual lives. But can spirituality actually be measured or optimized? Tune in to discover why true spiritual growth can't be fast-tracked, and why real faith is slow, intentional, attentive, and deeply connectional.

Cocktail: The Sunstone

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Elane and Benton sip on a fruit-forward plum cocktail as they tackle a provocative question: Why does the church care so much about my personal life? From purity culture and drinking to who we sleep with and who we hang out with, the hosts unpack why church-averse folks push back against institutions being up in their business. Moving beyond the fear of judgment and shame, they contrast judgy institutional overreach with a genuine, trusting community of care. Tune in to explore why your spiritual, physical, and personal lives aren't separate compartments, and discover what happens when churches shift from imposing rigid authority to aiming for true human wholeness and mutual care.

Cocktail: Plum Good

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Benton and Elane explore the growing trend of unbundled faith. Moving beyond rigid denominational perimeters, they discuss what happens when people gather spiritual ideas, worldviews, and practices from diverse traditions—from Southern Baptist and Episcopalian roots to Buddhist meditation and yoga. Using metaphors ranging from global cooking to buffets and bundles of sticks, they contrast the history of syncretism with the modern freedom of spiritual seeking. Tune in to explore the fine line between personal spiritual enrichment and superficial dilettantism, and discover why true unbundled faith requires depth, consistency, and a willingness to be internally tethered.

Cocktail: Last Flight

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Benton and Elane explore a fascinating question: in our digital world, do we still have relics? Moving beyond simple sentimental heirlooms, Elane defines what makes an object a true relic—from saintly bones and the Shroud of Turin to Indiana Jones and a guitarist's worn Stratocaster—and asks whether physical items can still hold spiritual power or ancestral mojo. Tune in to discover why our difficulty with relics isn't just about technology, but reveals a deeper cultural problem: the absence of a sense of holiness.

Cocktail: The Yellow Cactus Flower

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Elane and Benton sip on a tequila and pomegranate cocktail while exploring the art of being a work in progress. Sparked by Benton's habit as a songwriter of keeping unfinished songs hidden until they are complete, the hosts contrast product versus process—asking why so many people feel compelled to present a finished, perfected version of themselves. They unpack the core theological shift between serving a rigid God of rules and living in relationship with a God who values humanity above perfection. Tune in to discover why vulnerability, thinking out loud, and embracing your status as a spiritual rough draft allows relationship to shape you over time into a masterpiece.

Cocktail: The Lucky 13

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Benton and Elane sip on a rum cocktail while exploring the beautiful, sometimes terrifying, spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude. Moving past simple physical quietness, they unpack the constant low underlying hum of 21st-century devices and digital distractions that clutter our brains and drown out our deeper instincts. Elane opens up about her past battle with intense anxiety when forced to sit still, sharing how she had to intentionally train herself to be with her own thoughts. Tune in to discover why silence is a physical and spiritual practice that must be trained like a muscle, and learn practical steps to reclaim your inner stillness in a noisy world.

Cocktail: The Quiet Word

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Benton and Elane sip on a Negroni riff as they candidly share how their respective upbringings, career transitions, and major life disruptions have shaped their relationships with money. Moving past the dry logistics of budgets and retirement planning, they delve into the psychological and spiritual grip of finance, arguing that fear—whether of losing what we have or never having enough—is what truly masters us. Tune in to explore how we can navigate the realities of modern capitalism through the lenses of trust, transparency, and a practice of giving.

Cocktail: The Contessa

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Elane and Benton shake up a sweet-and-bitter gin cocktail called "The Junk Drawer" while unpacking a comforting truth: your theology doesn't have to be a perfectly curated museum case. Together, they explore how a lifetime of faith, doubt, and reconstruction leaves most of us with a spiritual "junk drawer" filled with mismatched beliefs, outgrown ideas, and unexpected tools we might need to reach back in and grab. From Benton's journey out of fundamentalism to Elane's reclamation of the Eucharist, they ask a provocative question: Can we actually trust people with pristine, unquestioned theologies? Grab a drink and join the conversation as they sort through what to throw in the trash (like substitutionary atonement) and what to hold onto for the journey.

Cocktail: The Junk Drawer

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.

Elane and Benton sip on a summery, slightly unbalanced riff on a gin tiki drink while tackling a profound question: does our modern society value wisdom? Moving past our culture's obsession with youth and the loud, dopamine-fueled clickbait of the public sphere, they unpack the crucial differences between mere life experience and true, ethically centered wisdom. From the biblical image of wisdom as a woman shouting in the streets to the quiet depth of one-on-one mentorship, they explore how we can actively curate our personal algorithms to seek out light instead of buffoonery, and they consider how we can claim our own hard-earned wisdom in an era that often idolizes nonsense.

Cocktail: The Saturn

Theme song: "Moving On (Feels Pretty Good)" recorded by Benton Stokes. Find Benton's songs wherever you listen to music online.