Why is immigration a theological issue? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Victor Carmona, Associate Professor of Theology at the University of San Diego and an expert on immigration. He discusses the failures of both political parties and lays out his vision for what a theology of immigration should look like. We also discuss the VP debate and the role conservative religious rhetoric plays in shaping immigration policy.

Articles we mentioned in this episode https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/04/us-christians-more-likely-than-nones-to-say-situation-at-the-border-is-a-crisis/ https://www.axios.com/2024/04/25/trump-biden-americans-illegal-immigration-poll https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/05/1042518732/-the-greatest-heist-in-history-how-haiti-was-forced-to-pay-reparations-for-freed https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jd-vance-blamed-immigrants-vp-debate-1235123239/

Young women are leaving the Church because they (rightly) believe that churches do not treat men and women equally. So, why is this information being framed as "young men are more religious than young women?" - patriarchy, that's why. We fell into this trap in the beginning of this episode before pivoting to a deep discussion on how progressive churches can create a culture where women know they belong.

Articles and books we referenced in this episode:

The Gospel According to Mark Robinson - https://www.theassemblync.com/politics/mark-robinson-bible/ With Gen Z, Men Are Now More Religious Than Women - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/us/young-men-religion-gen-z.html#:~:text=The%20dynamics%20at%20Grace%20are,likely%20to%20identify%20as%20religious. Young Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers - https://www.americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/young-women-are-leaving-church-in-unprecedented-numbers/ Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God- Kelly Brown Douglas

All churches, including progressive churches, struggle to create inclusive spaces for people with disabilities. In this episode, we are joined by Melissa Brasher, the mother of two amazing children, one of whom is disabled. We discuss her journey with her disabled son, the impact he has had on her and his community's faith, and what churches can do to create spaces that are welcoming to all types of bodies.

Book Recommendations Mentioned in the Podcast Amy Kenny, "My Body Is Not A Prayer Request" Jessica McCabe, "How To ADHD"

https://guides.garrett.edu/theology-and-disability/books

Donald Trump doesn't believe in repentance and cannot ask for forgiveness. Given the centrality of forgiveness in Christianity (i.e., you know, salvation), how and why do conservative Christians continue to support him?

Raising children in America is difficult, so difficult that the US Surgeon General is raising concerns about the stress and mental health challenges of parenting. So why are Christian conservatives like JD Vance critical of people who decide not to have kids? We also discuss the Harris/Walz campaign hiring a National Faith Engagement Director, and we end with a discussion about how to be "very demure and very mindful."

Stories we reference in the podcast:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/30/politics/kfile-jd-vance-history-disparaging-people-without-kids/index.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/surgeon-general-addresses-growing-stress-and-mental-health-struggles-facing-parents#:~:text=As%20most%20parents%20can%20attest,health%20concern%20for%20the%20kids https://meidasnews.com/news/jd-vance-calls-women-without-children-psychotic-and-deranged https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/30/politics/kfile-jd-vance-history-disparaging-people-without-kids/index.html

The speeches of Dough Emhoff, President Barack Obama, and Gov. Tim Walls gave us a very different portrayal of masculinity and, unsurprisingly, raised the alarm of some Christian conservatives. In this episode, we discuss what progressive Christian masculinity can look like, and we critique the toxic masculinity of "biblical patriarchy."

The books we mentioned in the podcast were:

The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo

The persuasive power of the Black Church tradition has been center stage during the first two days of the Democratic National Convention. The speeches of Senator Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock and Michelle and Barack Obama found their footing in the black preaching tradition. In this episode we discuss the connections between the Black Church tradition and progressive politics.

Has Western Christianity weaponized marriage and made those who are single, especially women, feel as though they are "bad" Christians? What should progressive Christians think about the Harris/Walz ticket? And breakdancing at the Olympics - wow!

Funky Friday podcast featuring Kirk Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbTAUsXheyg

We are the love your neighbor kind of Christians, and not the storm the capital kind. So, if you're curious about what a socially and politically progressive Christianity looks like, this podcast is for you! In each episode we discuss politics, pop culture, and anything else we find interesting from the perspective of progressive Christianity.