Fkd Up By Faith

In this episode of UNFKD, I dive into the theology of baptism, influenced this week by recently baptised comedian Russell Brand posting a photo of him, in his underpants, baptising someone else. The episode tackles key questions about what baptism is and what it's for, who is 'allowed' to perform baptisms ( spoiler - it's not usually stand-up comedians) the theological differences across denominations, and its modern cultural significance, especially when controversial public figures come out as Christians.

References and sources

Guite, Malcolm. “A Pair of Sonnets for St. John the Baptist.” Malcolm Guite, 21 June 2022, malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2022/06/21/a-pair-of-sonnets-for-st-john-the-baptist-5/

Matthew 3:13-17 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition.

Romans 6 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/14/russell-brand-baptised-thames-sins-washed-away-criminal-allegations

https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/russell-brand-faces-backlash-for-conducting-baptism-in-just-white-underwear

Music

"Better Day" and "Chill Lofi Beat" by Penguin Music;

In this episode of UNFKD, I take on one of the biggest misconceptions: that science and Christianity are incompatible. I look at how a long-debunked 19th-century idea still manages to convince us that the two have always been at odds. I explore insights from several scientists, thinkers and theologians like Saint Augustine, who believed all truth points to God, and Elizabeth Johnson, who argues that evolution and faith can work hand in hand. I also look at why some modern Christians still adhere to biblical literalism. Join me as I break down why faith and science don’t have to be in conflict but can together contribute to a deeper understanding of our world.

Books and Sources

Coakley, S. (2012). Faith, Rationality and the Passions. John Wiley & Sons.

Collins, F. (2008). The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. London: Simon and Schuster.

Coyne, J.A. (2010). Why Evolution Is True. Oxford: Oxford

Coyne, J.A. (2016). Faith Versus Fact : Why Science And Religion Are Incompatible. New York: Penguin Books.

Hutchings, D. And Ungureanu, J.C. (2021). Of Popes And Unicorns : Science, Christianity, And How The Conflict Thesis Fooled The World. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

Johnson, E.A. (2014). Ask The Beasts : Darwin And The God Of Love. London ; New York: Bloomsbury.

Lewis, C.S. (2013). The Weight Of Glory: A Collection Of Lewis’ Most Moving Addresses. Harpercollins UK.

Mcgrath, A.E. (2015). The Big Question : Why We Can’t Stop Talking about Science, Faith, And God. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Music: "Better Day" and "Chill Lofi Beat" by Penguin Music on Pixabay

What a gift it was this week - for someone who podcasts about the worst bits of religion - for some Christians to lose their sh1t over the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. I would say thank you if I wasn't so busy face-palming at the ridiculousness of it all.

So, in this episode of UNFKD, I am unpacking BLASPHEMY.

Biblical References

"You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. "

https://cenacolovinciano.org/en/museum/the-works/the-last-supper-leonardo-da-vinci-1452-1519/

The debacle in the news

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/28/paris-olympics-organisers-apologise-to-christians-for-last-supper-parody

As we approach a general election in the UK on July 4th, this episode of UNFKD looks at the intersection of theology and politics. Political theology is a vast and complex subject and I don't attempt to cover the depth and breadth of it here.

What I do examine is whether religion and politics mix, what it means to be political AND Christian and why I resolutely believe you cannot be genuinely Christian and support the far right.

Please note that I talk about the rise of the far right in Europe, the USA and here in the UK and how terrifying I find it all. So all the content warnings for that. I mention the Reform party and again CW for a mention of "conversion therapy". I absolutely refuse to link to their website and give them any more fuel. If you want to, and you can stomach it, you can look them up for yourself.

It ends with a heartfelt prayer for the coming election. It is what I would like to have prayed in church. And whether you are religious or not, or you believe in the power or purpose of prayer, or not, I invite you to join me. The prayer starts at 13:00 mins.

MUSIC: "Better Day" and "Chill lofi beat" by Penguin Music and "At the farthest land" by Noru. Both on Pixabay

Following a recent Podcast interview with Matthew Remski, I was challenged by one of his co-hosts on the Conspirituality Podcast - Julian Walker - to answer a few questions. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to craft these questions into a few episodes of UNFKD

To begin with I want to tackle the question of why - if you follow progressive beliefs - do you continue to call yourself a Christian?

What are we talking about when we talk about Christians and Christianity?

What would the alternative be?

Music - 'Better Day' And 'Lofi Chill' by Penguin Music on Pixabay.

UNFKD is the bonus series to FKD UP BY FAITH in which I explore theological (& related) ideas. Specifically, those which are harmful or misunderstood or just plain wrong!

Poem - Antiphon for the Holy Spirit by Hildegard of Bingen - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/156466/antophon-for-the-holy-spirit

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 117:5 (on

https://pixabay.com/users/penguinmusic-24940186/

Here it is - the second episode of UNFKD. The bonus series to FKD UP BY FAITH in which I explore theological (& related) ideas. Specifically, those which are harmful or misunderstood or just plain wrong!

Here, I tackle the contentious topic of spiritual abuse. Content warnings apply for the subject matter, although I do not discuss any specific cases.

If you are a Fkd Up By Faith listener, you will know that the podcast explores ways in which people have been harmed in religious, spiritual or faith contexts. This kind of harm often spills over into what we might call spiritual abuse. So if you'd like to know more about why I bang on about this subject, have a listen!!!

References

Diederich, F. Remy. “What Is Spiritual Abuse?” F. Remy Diederich, 28 Feb. 2015, www.readingremy.com/blog/2015/02/28/what-is-spiritual-abuse.

Johnson, David, and Jeff VanVonderen. The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse. Baker Books, 1 Oct. 2005.

Living Without Abuse. “Religious and Spiritual Abuse | Lwa.org.uk.” LWA, lwa.org.uk/understanding-abuse/abusive-relationships/spiritual-abuse/.

Oakley, Lisa, et al. Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse : Creating Healthy Christian Cultures. London, Society Of Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2019.

Oakley, Lisa, and Kathryn Kinmond. Breaking the Silence of Spiritual Abuse. Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

The Church of England. “4.2 Spiritual Abuse.” The Church of England, 2021, www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-e-manual/safeguarding-children-young-people-and-vulnerable-adults/42.

Thirtyone:eight. “Spiritual Abuse - a Position Paper.” Thirtyoneeight, 2018, thirtyoneeight.org/media/4upcux21/spiritual-abuse-position-statement.pdf.

Music

"Better Day" and "Chill Lofi Beat" from Penguinmusic on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/users/penguinmusic-24940186/

Sources of Support - UK

https://thirtyoneeight.org/blogs/supporting-survivors

In this episode I had a wonderful and wide-ranging conversation with Gary Alan Taylor, who is co-founder of The Sophia Society & Co-Host of the Holy Heretics podcast. Gary Alan is also an international speaker, content creator, and writer. He describes himself as being in recovery from fundamentalist Christianity and his passion is to see others free themselves from toxic expressions of faith. His dream is to help spiritual seekers move beyond some of the corrosive manifestations of evangelicalism and to embody the radical way of Jesus.

https://www.sophiasociety.org/podcast

This is the first in the new bonus series which I am calling UnFkd. Along with some guests, I will be examining and deconstructing theological ideas - the harmful, the misunderstood and the just plain wrong!

In this first episode, I didn't choose one of the more obvious ones - like hell, sin or the devil ( we'll get there, I promise) Instead, I tackled something which is very close to my own 'Fkd Up By Faith' experience - Clericalism.

Works Cited

Cuff, Simon. Priesthood for All Believers - Clericalism and How to Avoid It. London, SCM Press, 31 Mar. 2022.

Quotes from Pope Francis cited are in this book.

I had a wonderful conversation with Mike Maeshiro for this episode. Mike is the founder of Numa, an organization that supports people recovering from religious toxicity. Mike is gay, an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and a queer theology enthusiast. Mike is a former instructor at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, best known for his class, “Discerning of Spirits.” He now teaches on emotional health and redemptive deconstruction. He is a consultant and coach for gay men recovering from evangelicalism.

WEBSITE https://www.mikemaeshiro.com

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/mikemaeshiro

YOUTUBE CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5vGo6yRl6Gay-wbJ7F6og

PODCAST https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mike-maeshiro