Killian Noe, Founding Director of Recovery Cafe in Seattle and the Recovery Cafe Network nationwide, joins the conversation this week. Killian tells her story, how the Recovery Cafe embraces and cultivates an atmosphere of belonging, love and acceptance particularly among vulnerable populations. We talk about what the #blacklivesmatter movement and George Floyd uprisings have meant for the community and what it means to lean into concrete change as an organization. 

We also talk about some of the policies that make cities like Seattle so difficult to inhabit, from marijuana policy to criminalization of homelessness and Amazon-inspired gentrification. 

*A personal note from Casey*

I really hope you catch a glimpse of the presence that Killian Noe brings to the world. Her kindness, vision and radical hospitality flows out of a deep love for God and an ability to recognize his image in her neighbor. Blessings to you as you listen to what I consider a sacred conversation!

About Recovery Cafe/Killian Noe:

https://recoverycafenetwork.org/

https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?mtype=B&keyword=killian+noe&hs.x=0&hs.y=0

Support the show: patreon.com/caseyhobbs

Follow Casey's work:

https://caseyhobbs.com/

https://twitter.com/caseyhobbs

Casey talks with Jason, the co-chair of Birmingham Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) about our chapter's involvement with the #BamazonUnion drive in Bessemer, AL. We talk about what it means to support union efforts, the great work Birmingham DSA has put in, along with some other amazing local and national organizations. We also talk about how this drive has set up future organizing for workers around Birmingham, around Alabama and everywhere!

Organizing and unionization are theological matters! The voice we give to others and the rights we support for them is a statement of who we believe God to be!

Mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Robin DG Kelley with Rev. Dr. William Barber

https://twitter.com/GrimKim

Support the show: patreon.com/caseyhobbs

Follow Casey's work:

https://caseyhobbs.com/

https://twitter.com/caseyhobbs

Jo Luehmann is a force for good on social media and in real life. This week we chat with her about what it means to deconstruct, decolonize and dismantle white supremacy in and out of Christianity. Jo tells us why she will hold on to hope in spite of the harmful misuses of faith in her life and throughout the history of the church. We also talk about the recent resurgence of the gun control conversation after shootings in Boulder and Atlanta in the context of racial justice, the Black Panthers and MLK. 

Follow Jo's work here:

https://twitter.com/JoLuehmann

https://t.co/jGbmGMHMsO?amp=1

Follow Casey's work here:

https://twitter.com/caseyhobbs

patreon.com/caseyhobbs

Jerran is back this week to discuss literally nobody's favorite topic...cancel culture. We're only going to talk about this once so listen up! We get into why White, male, Evangelical leaders, in particular have no leg to stand on when they cry about being "canceled" (looking at you Owen Strachen, Al Mohler, et. al.). We also discuss the so-called "cancellation" of Dr. Seuss, why that's mainly nonsense but a good idea (because, you know, the cancelled books are definitely racist).

Like the content? Rate, review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe where you get your podcasts. 

Support the show here: patreon.com/caseyhobbs

Notes:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-26-ca-6655-story.html

https://religionnews.com/2020/06/17/evangelicals-perfected-cancel-culture-now-its-coming-for-them/

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/christians-need-stop-boycotting-stuff/

https://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/uh-john-macarthur-is-urging-his-church-to-stop-supporting-religious-freedom/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rolltodisbelieve/2020/07/17/evangelicals-hypocritical-loathing-of-cancel-culture/

https://thewayofimprovement.com/2021/02/03/tony-perkins-finds-cancel-culture-in-the-bible-and-other-trump-evangelical-news-including-eric-metaxass-book-launch/

https://www.namb.net/resource/protesting-cancel-culture/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thoughtlife/2020/10/7723/

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/02/the-cancel-monster

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/06/has-the-american-left-lost-its-mind

https://thephillystatement.org/read/

https://religionnews.com/2013/11/01/madonna-lady-gaga-10-blasphemous-pop-songs-music-videos/

This week we talk Marxism, Communism, Socialism and Christianity with Olivia Sonell. Olivia writes at workingclasschristianity.substack.com. We also talk a bit about Process Theology and how it can animate action in solidarity with and on behalf of the poor. 

Olivia's twitter:

Casey's twitter:

Support Public Theologians here.

Follow Casey's work here.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://workingclasschristianity.substack.com/p/revolutionary-love-part-ii

https://workingclasschristianity.substack.com/p/no-justice-no-pride

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/07/23/catholic-case-communism

Lucas Kwong sits down with Casey and discusses his Open Letter Against Christian Xenophobia. As a Chinese-Canadian-American Christian and assistant professor of English at New York City College of Technology, Lucas has a unique and perceptive take on Christian nationalism and its consequences particularly in the lives of Asian-Americans. 

Lucas and Casey discuss the cover prominent white evangelical church leaders (Keller, Piper, Sauls, etc.) give to nationalists by refusing to clearly speak to racism and nationalism. We discuss why this goes beyond rhetoric and into violence against folks that bear the image of God. 

Sign the Open Letter Against Christian Xenophobia here. 

Support Public Theologians here.

Follow Lucas' work here.

Follow Casey's work here.

Notes:

https://www.againstchristianxenophobia.com/against-christian-xenophobia

https://christiansocialism.com/evangelical-politics-2020-tim-keller/

https://www.redletterchristians.org/at-the-chapels-door-how-bruce-springsteens-jeep-ad-displays-the-roots-of-anti-asian-violence/

https://twain.lib.virginia.edu/roughingit/map/chiharte.html

https://lausan.hk/2020/why-china-is-capitalist/

https://www.inheritancemag.com/

A couple of brief updates on the local Amazon warehouse unionization efforts, and why this is of theological importance. Also a quick highlight of the recent developments within Alabama prisons that should not be overlooked. 

Casey also does his best to articulate just who is a theologian and just who is engaged in political action (hint: it's all of us!)

Notes:

https://sfbayview.com/2021/02/alabama-prison-guards-brutally-beat-kinetic-justice-sending-him-to-trauma-unit/

https://newrepublic.com/article/161278/amazon-workers-unionization-bessemer-alabama

https://www.apr.org/term/kinetic-justice

https://www.democracynow.org/2021/2/5/incarcerated_activist_kinetik_justice_others_severely

Kay Ivey - 334-242-7100

Jeff Dunn - 334-353-3883

Kristyn Komarnicki is the Director of Dialogue and creator of Oriented to Love, a program with Christians for Social Action. Oriented to Love is an immersive program that creates space for LGBTQ+ Christians and faith leaders to connect, to hear from one another and to discover "unity that is deeper than agreement." In this episode we hear about the impetus for the program as well as what folks in and out of the church can learn about solidarity and fighting for one another.

Support Public Theologians on Patreon: 

https://www.patreon.com/join/caseyhobbs

Notes:

https://christiansforsocialaction.org/about-us/our-team/kristyn-komarnicki/

https://christiansforsocialaction.org/programs/oriented-to-love/

In 1932 Dietrich Bonhoeffer delivered a sermon in Berlin titled "The Things Above." Today Casey reads the text in its entirety. Listen to the way Bonhoeffer, speaking in a time of heightened fascist/authoritian/right wing rhetoric and crisis (sound familiar?), has the audacity to direct his hearers to the spiritual realities of the Christian faith. This, he does with the explicit charge that his hearers would take this incomprehensible spiritual truth out into the world to fight the injustice being waged by the strong-armed rulers of his day.  

Support Public Theologians Podcast on patreon!!!  www.patreon.com/caseyhobbs 

Music: Aaron Perman  https://soundcloud.com/small-fish 

Art: Phil Nellis  https://www.flickr.com/photos/el_nellis/