Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

Today's episode features an audio essay from Edith Woodley on the Biblical story of Joseph, which she first knew as a child in its tidy, happily-ever-after form. Brian McLaren and Randy Woodley respond, tracing how favoritism, from Jacob’s family to colonial rule in Rwanda and Burundi, can create cycles of intergenerational trauma. 

What changes when we read these ancestral stories as the stories of real, wounded people rather than as tidy morals? Tune in to consider what it means to find God in the messiness of life.  

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In today's episode, we look at the Genesis 12 story of Abram, in contrast to that of Joshua. Hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore how Abram, as an immigrant, respects the customs and values of those around him, versus Joshua's conquering narrative. The three reflect on how the Bible can be used to justify harm, or harmony, focusing on the way in which Westerners coming to the United States wielded Joshua's approach as a weapon against Native Peoples.

The episode also asks us to consider how our lens on Biblical narratives leads us to The Harmony Way, or to greater separation from each other and the land.

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In today's episode, we look at the Genesis 12 story of Abram’s call. Hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore what it means to be “blessed to be a blessing,” how generosity and hospitality can shape our identities, and how a strong sense of identity can become a gift to others rather than a reason for exclusion or domination. 

The episode also asks us to consider our own character arcs. Where are we being invited to grow? What would it mean to understand what we have as something meant not only for ourselves, but for the benefit of others? 

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In today's episode, we explore the story of the Tower of Babel and turn the usual reading of it upside down. Diverse languages, in this telling, are not the curse — the tower is. 

In this conversation, Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley talk about the cost of enforced sameness — from Native American boarding schools to the quiet pressure many people feel to hide what makes them different. What does it mean for the church to keep trying to finish a tower that the Creator never wanted rebuilt? 

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Thank you for joining us for today's episode of Learning How to See, hosted by Brian McLaren, with guest hosts Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and Edith Woodley.  

Today, Edith reads the Biblical flood story from Genesis 6–9. She then connects this flood story to the U.S. government’s Native American boarding school system — including her own family’s history at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. 

Our hosts invite us to consider: what does it mean to survive a flood that was “meant to cover everything” — and didn’t?

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In today's episode, our hosts Brian McLaren, Randy Woodley, and Edith Woodley explore the story of Cain and Abel through a lens of Indigenous wisdom, considering the origins of human violence and the contrast between “earth people” and “empire people.” Together they reflect on harmony, balance, and the Biblical call to be our “brother’s keeper.” 

Listen in as our hosts unpack Genesis 4 alongside a Cherokee story of the terrapin and the wolves, consider how violence and domination shape human communities — and how choosing nonviolence and reciprocity can help us find another way. 

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Welcome to the 10th season of Learning How to See hosted by Brian McLaren and guest hosts Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and Edith Woodley. In today's episode, our hosts examine Genesis 1 through the lens of Indigenous wisdom, contrasting “earth people” with “empire people.” “Earth people” understand themselves as part of an interconnected web of life and practice caring for the land. “Empire people,” instead, emphasize domination and control.  

Join us at our Bible study, as Brian, Edith, and Randy unpack Genesis 1, and invite us to consider how we hear and interpret the Bible.

Find the transcript for this episode here.

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Season Ten begins September 10th!

This season on Learning How to See, host Brian McLaren and co-hosts Randy and Edith Woodley will focus on experiencing the Biblical text with a heart of seeking and curiosity. Brief readings from the book of Genesis will be followed by essays or stories with themes similar to that of the Biblical passages. The episodes will conclude with round-table conversations about the ways we see and experience stories differently. For faith reclaimers eager to help heal a hurting world, reimagine Christianity as a path of compassion, justice, and care for creation on Learning How to See: The Bible. Join us in exploring the book of Genesis through fresh perspectives rooted in wonder, wisdom, and lived experience.

Today Brian and Carmen address your questions including a deeper dive into Carmen's translation of Corinthians 13, what we mean when talk about love, and tips for knowing when to leave.

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What do we do when life unravels in painful ways — like navigating an unexpected divorce? 

On today's episode of Learning How to See, Carmen and Brian are joined by New York Times Bestselling author Jen Hatmaker. With great humor and authenticity, Jen takes us through the vulnerable experience of sharing her story, the transformation she went through after loss, and the spiritual power of starting over. Jen reflects on themes from her new memoir Awake,⁠ and shares how her divorce helped her trust her inner knowing, become more fully embodied, and rebuild a life rooted in integrity rather than expectation.

Tune in to discover how community and self-compassion can guide us through seasons of upheaval — and how choosing honesty can become its own form of liberation. 

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