Reclamation Faith

This week we share the 2nd half of our conversation from last week about the love of God. Here, we focus more on the question of why the church is able to proclaim love as an intention, while living or conducting itself in a way that doesn't demonstrate love practically. We also talk about reclaiming God's love for ourselves as well as what it means to love others sacrificially in the pattern of Jesus. 

This week, Josh and Alison begin a conversation about the core idea of the Christian faith: the love of God. What we see is that the way our current society understands and imitates "love" may not be how the concept was understood or lived out in the historical context of the scriptures, and that our definition of love (even God's love) might be sorely lacking. When this happens, it also has drastic impact on the way we love the world we find ourselves in.  

This is the first half of our conversation, and Part 2 will be uploaded on June 1. 

How do we ask questions, constructively entertain doubts, and evaluate our sources of authority in our faith life....without just throwing all our beliefs our the window? That's the topic Josh and Alison dive into in conversation this week. By looking at the way "doubt" is seen as a negative force in many Christian circles, as well as the changing nature of faith authorities, this episode examines how we might reconsider important questions in a productive and hopefully even encouraging ways! 

This week, Josh and Alison engage another question from the Reclamation Faith community: What are some spiritual practices for those who no longer find themselves part of an institutional church? We talk about identifying areas of meaning and productive challenge in former church experiences, as well as the core practices of service, authentic fellowship, and self-healing for spiritual vitality.

This week, Josh and Alison are starting a short series of episodes responding to follower questions and suggestions. The first question is: "How do you build your faith back up?" In this episode, we look at the question of what exactly we mean by the word "faith," as well as why building our faith "back" might not be the answer to every faith dilemma. We also get practical, looking at steps we can take to foster a faith that really matters and that is embedded in trust and engagement with God. 

In this week's episode, Josh and Alison reflect on Easter (the holiday and the story behind it), and why it is that the power of this day is so hard to experience. By looking at past experiences of Easter Sundays, we explore the ways we often misrepresent the resurrection, or fall into unhealthy habits based on church culture that rob Easter of its transcendent potential. What is this story really about, and how can we experience it as a constant, guiding truth? 

Josh and Alison attempt to take a peek behind the curtain of church silence. They explore the theology and culture that seems to keep evangelical churches (and their leaders) in chains rather than using their voice for those on the margins.  It closes with a couple of practical suggestions of what you can do when you face silence from the Church about issues in need of the gospel.

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This week, we have the wonderful privilege of interviewing Reagan Maher, who gives us a fascinating crash course in the field of disinformation, conspiracy theories like QAnon, and how Christians get caught up and connected with these movements. For Christians, who value and pursue "truth", what does it mean to live in an era of growing disinformation and confusion? How can we combat the rampant and misleading claims we see on social media? We talk about these questions and much more in this discussion! 

Building off of a tension in our last episode, this week we (Josh and Alison) go deeper into the question of how we know God as our healer, parent, and perfect example of love.  Too often, the claim is made that God is loving, but in a context where we have come to believe claims through agreement rather than experience. Here, we break down how this kind of "knowing" has to come through story, experience, and practices that open us to the very real God of love. 

What we discuss (and argue?) is that knowing something like God as a 'perfect parent' or as 'the God of love' needs to be knowledge that actually matters, not just agreement to an idea that we have never experienced for ourselves. 

This week, Alison and Josh have a conversation (really more of an education for Josh) about the concept of "Attachment Theory" and how it might intersect with faith, deconstruction, and spiritual health. Though we are FAR from experts on this topic, it's something we explore as one potential route for understanding ourselves and our faith journeys on a deeper level.

A few resources we reference that you should check out:
curtthompsonmd.com
athirstforgod.com
Anatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices That Can Transform Your Life and Relationships by Curt Thompson, M.D.