Why turn to the Bible to look for insights on transgender people and gender variation, especially when so many anti-trans people use the Bible to justify bigotry? Joseph Marchal and Melissa Harl Sellew, two editors of the book Trans Biblical: New Approaches to Interpretation and Embodiment in Scripture, join us to discuss what it means to do a trans interpretation of the Bible. What does the Bible have to say about gender variance? Why should cisgender people care about transgender interpretations of the Bible? And, as anti-trans rhetoric and policies proliferate, what can thinking about transgender people, the Bible, and religion help us with right now in today’s political climate?

How are some religious communities working to support and protect undocumented immigrants in the United States? Barbara Sostaita, author of Sanctuary Everywhere: The Fugitive Sacred in the Sonoran Desert, joins us to discuss why some religious people believe it is their duty to help migrants. What specific things are religious communities able to do for undocumented immigrants? What is life like for someone who takes sanctuary within a religious community? And, what can people who are outraged by ICE raids and deportations do to help immigrants today?

What is the history of Black Catholics in the United States, and what are the most pressing issues facing Black Catholics today? Tia Noelle Pratt, author of Black and Catholic: Racism, Identity, and Religion, joins us to discuss Black Catholics and racism in the Catholic Church. In what ways does the U.S. Catholic Church perpetuate systemic racism? How have Black Catholics tried to combat this racism? And, what should the Catholic Church and individuals do to address racism within Catholicism today?

Why have sex scandals been such a common feature of Protestant leadership in the United States? Suzanna Krivulskaya, author of Disgraced: How Sex Scandals Transformed American Protestantism, joins us to discuss the history of public sex scandals among Protestant pastors. What do these scandals say about the culture? How have disgraced ministers tried to rehabilitate their careers following scandals? And, what do recent sex scandals involving ministers like pastor Carl Lentz say about today’s culture, masculinity, and Protestant Christianity in America the 21st century?

What factors are contributing to the rightwing momentum among adolescent males in the United States? Angela Denker, author of Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood, joins us to discuss the rightward movement of white Christian boys and young men. What messages are teen boys receiving from social media influencers, youth pastors, and politicians about masculinity? What are the teachings in evangelical churches about Jesus and manhood? And, what should people do to try to reverse this rightwing movement among white Christian adolescents in the United States today?

What are the connections between borders, immigration, and religion? Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, author of Heaven Has a Wall: Religion, Borders, and the Global United States, joins us to discuss the United States’ deep investment in and fixation on national borders. What legal rights does anyone have within 100 miles of any of America’s national borders? How does a country that promotes religious freedom also enact a Muslim ban? How does the United States’ support for Israel and the maintenance of the borders Israel wants connect to religion? And, as the Trump regime moves to deport more immigrants and spend more tax dollars on ICE and Homeland Security, what should people do who want to protect immigrants, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion?

What exactly was the Black Panther Party, what did it set out to achieve, and what parallels exist between today and when the Black Panthers first started? Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins, joins us to talk about a prominent member of the Black Panthers, the spiritual practices she developed while incarcerated, how her spiritual wellness practices helped other activists, and what lessons all of this offers activists today.

Given the amount of police and prisons in the United States, why is there still so much crime and what does that say about the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of policing and incarceration? Andrew Krinks, author of White Property, Black Trespass: Racial Capitalism and the Religious Function of Mass Criminalization, joins us to discuss the reasons police and prisons exist and if they actually make the country safer. What role does religion play in America’s system of criminalization? What are the racial disparities in the criminal justice system? And, what types of things should be established that might do a better job at preventing crime that would also create a more equitable society for everyone?

Who are the organizations, people, religious communities, and think tanks that are working to erode America’s democracy and push the country to authoritarianism? Acclaimed investigative journalist Katherine Stewart, author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, joins us to discuss these groups, how they’re funded, and the power of their propaganda. How do things like anxiety over gender roles feed this antidemocratic momentum? How do some of these groups plan to make the country a more clearly conservative Christian nation? And, what can those of us who want to protect democracy do to push back against this authoritarian movement in the United States?

What are the countless insidious ways religion manifests in our culture, in our politics, and in our daily lives even if we ourselves are not religious people? Megan Goodwin and Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, authors of Religion Is Not Done with You: Or, the Hidden Power of Religion on Race, Maps, Bodies, and Law, join us to discuss how religion shapes everything from our calendars to our healthcare systems and our laws. How are things like adoption tied up with religion? How do we fail to address social injustices if we don’t account for religion? And, once we begin to recognize how religion is everywhere, what should we do to help bring about a more just society?