Biblical scholar Michelle Eastwood joins Will Small to discuss her journey from growing up Lutheran, journeying through multiple denominations and shifting in the way she engages the biblical text. Drawing from her PhD research on Psalm 71 and aging women, Michelle advocates for reading the Bible as a "flawed document" that can still inspire faith, without needing to explain away its difficult passages. For anyone who still wants to read the Bible, while acknowledging its violent and troubling nature, this is a great conversation.

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Rev. Samuel Dow joins Will Small to share how he found his calling at the intersection of faith and ecology through Baroona Farm, an urban farm in Brisbane that grows food with and for refugees and asylum seekers. Will and Samuel discuss eco-theology, links between agriculture and spirituality and how to build more gentle and sustainable communities.

Follow Baroona Farm on social media: @baroonafarm

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Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts, religious trauma, and mental health crisis. If you're struggling, please reach out to Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).

Jon Reichardt is an ARIA-nominated music producer who's worked with some of Australia's biggest hip hop artists: Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso, 360. But this conversation delves into the deeper struggles Jon has faced in the past, at the intersection of mental ill-health and toxic theology.  Jon shares about some of the darkest chapters he's faced and how he emerged from them with a more beautiful and healing conception of God. 

At the end of the episode Will and Jon share a brand new track they've been working on as part of a mental health campaign: Gravity & Grace. A stirring combination of spoken word poetry and atmospheric music, the track is a perfect way to conclude the conversation, acknowledging the weight of life (gravity) while holding space for wonder and healing (grace).  

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This week we're revisiting a conversation from December 2023 with Sara M. Saleh - Palestinian-Australian human rights lawyer, poet, and activist.

As we mark two years since the beginning of Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, and as news breaks of a fragile ceasefire agreement, Sara's voice offers crucial context and perspective that remains deeply relevant.

In this conversation, Sara helps us understand the long history of settler colonialism in Palestine, disentangles anti-Zionism from antisemitism, and articulates a vision of liberation that makes room for everyone. She speaks with both fierce conviction and generous wisdom about what it means to show up consistently for justice, even when hope feels scarce.

Sara reminds us that the systems causing harm are human-made, which means they can be dismantled and remade. She calls us toward imagination, discipline, and unconditional solidarity - fighting for a world where everyone can live in dignity and freedom.

About Sara M Saleh: Sara is a human rights lawyer, community organiser, and writer - the daughter of migrants from Palestine, Egypt, and Lebanon. She was the first poet to win both the Australian Book Review's Peter Porter Poetry Prize and the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize (2020 and 2021). Her debut novel, Songs for the Dead and the Living, is available now. 

Sara's book: Songs for the Dead and the Living  

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How do you address God when you pray? Has the way you name the divine changed over your lifetime?

In this contemplative episode, Carolyn Meers invites us to slow down and explore the mystery of naming God. Drawing from biblical stories like Hagar's encounter with "the God who sees" and Moses' conversation with the burning bush, we reflect on how our names for God reveal as much about us as they do about the divine.

This episode includes gentle questions for reflection, periods of space for contemplation, and a guided practice of "naming and un-naming" that might help you explore both familiar and unfamiliar ways of addressing God. It's an invitation to embrace both the intimacy of naming God and the beautiful mystery of the unnameable.

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Brian Recker used to be an evangelical pastor. Growing up fundamentalist, hell was always core to his experience of Christianity. But when he started questioning the doctrine as a pastor, it unraveled more than he expected. His new book 'Hell Bent' argues that fear of hell fundamentally distorts Christian spirituality, disconnecting us from God, ourselves, and others. We discuss the power of hell-based religion, how it shapes our politics and relationships, and what a love-centred spirituality looks like when you're no longer afraid of punishment.

Check out the book, 'Hell Bent' here.

Connect with more of Brian's work here. 

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Join Mitch and Will at the pub for an unstructured conversation about the recent deaths of James Dobson and Charlie Kirk, the challenge of responding maturely to political violence, and how universalist theology might offer a different way of thinking about these situations.

Topics covered:

• The deaths of James Dobson and Charlie Kirk and the polarised online responses
• Why ‘and’ is better than ‘but’
• The problem with performative social media responses to tragedy
• How universalism shapes our view of ideological opponents
• "Praying for their souls" - what does redemption look like for everyone?
• Why local, interpersonal conversation often beats online discourse

Content note: This is a "thinking out loud" conversation where we work through complex issues in real time rather than offering polished analysis.

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Steff Fenton joins Will to discuss their new book Gender Expansive Faith: How Trans Lives Are Illuminating the Divine, Transforming Feminism, and Ending Christian Patriarchy. 

The conversation explores Steff's interpretation of Matthew 19 and Jesus's teaching about eunuchs, how trans and gender diverse people offer healing to a world harmed by rigid gender binaries, and practical questions around inclusive spaces in sports and community groups. Steff also shares insights from their time away from church community and what they've learned about the irreplaceable value of collective spiritual practice.

About Steff Fenton

Steff is a trans Christian, ex-pastor, speaker, and writer who has spent years advocating for LGBTIQA+ inclusion in church spaces. Their new book Gender Expansive Faith offers both theological foundation and practical guidance for Christians wanting to welcome and celebrate their transgender loved ones. You can find more about Steff and purchase their book at their website.

Purchase & Reviews

You can buy Gender Expansive Faith directly from Steff's website (https://www.steffenton.co/) or from major book retailers. If you purchase on Amazon, Steff would especially appreciate reviews to help the book reach more readers.

Connect with Steff

https://www.steffenton.co/

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Keith Mascord joins Will to discuss his latest book 'An Honest Faith' after an East Coast tour. A former Sydney Anglican and Moore College lecturer Keith's views have shifted over time in an ongoing commitment to honest philosophical and theological inquiry. Keith now advocates for a radically inclusive and intellectually honest Christianity.

Faith remains deeply important to Keith but he insists Christianity must change.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Will and Keith explore how philosophy can strengthen rather than threaten faith, why the Bible might be best understood as mythic-epic literature, and what tips the scales toward belief when rational arguments reach their limits.

See Keith's books, including 'An Honest Faith' here: https://wipfandstock.com/author/keith-mascord/

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Following last week's collaborative conversation between Spiritual Misfits and On the Way podcast, this episode features the poetry that bookended our special evening at West End Uniting Church in Brisbane, performed by Will Small and Boy Renaissance.

Related Episodes

• Spiritual Misfits, On the Way (Live from 'Words for Those Who Wander') - The panel conversation from this event
• A Non Binary God & a Fluid Faith with Boy Renaissance - Previous conversation with Boy Renaissance

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