This episode of Faith Made Welcome is the second of a two-part discussion leading us into Halloween! Last episode we chatted through our general impressions of Hocus Pocus, our experiences with trick-or-treating, and some basic history of Halloween.
Where does this one take us? Deeper into theology! Surprisingly enough: this one will take you from magic mushrooms to transubstantiation. How do we get from one to the other? Perhaps with a bit of hocus pocus! It turns out Hocus Pocus is fertile ground for some unexpected topics. With the film as our cornerstone we ask: how do we decide what’s dangerous to faith? what’s the relationship between belief and ritual? what’s the relationship between science and the supernatural? how does fear shape how we maintain and negotiate our faith?
While we don't answer these questions fully, we hope we give our listeners more than just a spooky narrative to contemplate on the dark evenings leading into Halloween this week. So, join Marty, Cheri, Paul, Kelley, Zak and Eric and see where Hocus Pocus takes them next!
In addition to the usual scripture and pop cultural references, here are some notes about some of the nerdier topics we mention in passing this episode related to science, literature, and language:
- Paul mentions the Aminita Muscaria, a psychedelic mushroom featured in the Smurfs; he also calls it the Christmas mushroom. Why? It is said to be the mushroom that helps Santa’s reindeer fly. Speaking of psychedelics, Paul also mentions Terence McKenna again, because of course he does.
Scripture Mentioned this Episode
As with last week’s episode, there are a few indirect Biblical references in this one. Here’s where you can read more about the passages we discuss:
Pop Culture Mentioned this Episode
There are a number of pop culture references in this episode, including a few repeats from last week; here they are in the order of appearance:
In this episode, Marty mentions Rev. William Barber’s notion of the moral center, which he talked about with The Guardian in 2018. It’s so important it’s worth quoting in full here: “There is no religious left and religious right. There is only a moral center. And the scripture is very clear about where you have to be to be in the moral center – you have to be on the side of the poor, the working, the sick, the immigrant.”
Hey, speaking of the Rev. Marty Anderson, he drops some theological truth himself in this episode when he says: “Christianity is not for you, if you’re scared of the grey.”
If you want to dive deeper into the more high-church theological concepts we discuss in this one, here’s a list of those we mention:
This podcast was envisioned as means to foster spiritual growth and conversations about faith, both within and beyond the faith community at Commonwealth Baptist Church. At the open of this episode, we discuss what spiritual formation means to our CBC pastors and the role community plays in our concept of faith.
Got a question or want to reach out to the Faith Made Welcome team? You can reach us at [email protected].
Faith Made Welcome is produced by Cheri Spiegel, Paul Fitzgerald and This Most Unbelievable Life.
