🎙️ 23. Kristin Mockler Young (Non-Denominational Pastor) - The Other Side of Certainty

What if losing certainty isn’t losing your faith… but the beginning of a deeper one?

Alexis sits down with Pastor Kristin Mockler Young @kristinmockleryoung, teaching pastor at Mosaic Church @mosaicclt, host of the Becoming Church podcast , and author of the upcoming book, The Other Side of Certainty, to explore what happens when the version of Christianity you were given no longer fits.

Kristin shares her journey from lifelong “church girl” to pastor, all while deconstructing in real time. Together, they unpack what it means to hold onto Jesus while questioning everything else, and why doubt might not be the enemy we were taught it was.

They explore how rigid certainty can limit our understanding of God, and how freedom, humility, and curiosity can open the door to a more expansive, honest, and deeply rooted faith. Kristin shares why she’s still a Christian, what she had to unlearn, and how she now pastors people far beyond the walls of a church.

They also dive into:
 • What’s on the other side of deconstruction
 • How to find a healthy, safe church
 • Faith, politics, and holding compassion with conviction
 • Parenting kids through faith without rigid answers
 • Why curiosity and compassion matter more than control

The episode closes with a powerful prayer for anyone feeling disenchanted, alone, or unsure where they belong.

This episode is for anyone exploring:
 progressive Christianity, deconstruction, faith after evangelicalism, Christian nationalism, church hurt, or rebuilding faith.

💡 Key Takeaways
 • Certainty is not the same as truth
 • Deconstruction can lead to deeper faith
 • You don’t have to abandon Jesus to question systems
 • Healthy faith makes space for questions
 • Compassion and curiosity can lead to transformation

📚 Resources & Voices Mentioned
 • The Other Side of Certainty (pre-order): https://a.co/d/03RMF1CU
 • Rachel Held Evans @rachelheldevans
 • Pete Enns @peteenns
 • Sarah Bessey @sarahbessey
 • John Fugelsang @johnfugelsang
 • Meredith Ann Miller @meredithannmiller

Becoming Church Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/becoming-church/id1606553800

#Christianity #deconstruction #reconstruction

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 22. Rev. Brandan Robertson (Progressive Pastor) - Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table

What if being queer and Christian was never the contradiction you were taught it was?

Alexis sits down with Rev. Brandan Robertson, pastor, activist, and author of Queer & Christian, to explore how scripture has been misunderstood, weaponized, and reclaimed.

Brandan shares his journey from a fundamentalist Baptist upbringing, through Bible college and conversion therapy, to becoming an openly gay pastor and leading voice in progressive Christianity. Together, they unpack what happens when faith both saves you and harms you, and how deconstruction can lead to something deeper.

They dive into some of the most debated passages in the Bible, including Sodom and Gomorrah and 1 Corinthians 6, challenging long-held assumptions about LGBTQ Christianity and biblical interpretation. Brandan explains how mistranslations, cultural context, and power dynamics, not love, are at the center of many interpretations.

This conversation reframes the Bible not as a rulebook, but as a complex, ancient library inviting curiosity, wrestling, and growth.

They also explore:
 • Why progressive Christians must be louder about their faith
 • How queer people carry deep spiritual wisdom
 • The difference between certainty and truth
 • Why interpretation matters
 • How harmful theology impacts real lives

The episode closes with a powerful prayer for anyone who has felt rejected, afraid, or cut off from the love of God.

This episode is for anyone exploring:
 progressive Christianity, LGBTQ Christianity, queer theology, biblical interpretation, deconstruction, faith after evangelicalism, or healing from church hurt.

💡 Key Takeaways
 • The Bible is not univocal and contains diverse voices
 • Interpretation is unavoidable and matters deeply
 • Many anti-LGBTQ readings ignore historical context
 • Deconstruction can lead to deeper faith
 • God’s love is not something you can lose

About Our Guest
 Rev. Brandan Robertson (@brandanrobertson) is a pastor, activist, and author of Queer & Christian. He is a PhD candidate in New Testament at Drew University (@drewuniversity).

📚 Resources & Voices Mentioned
•Queer & Christian: https://www.brandanrobertson.com/queer-christian-book
• Dan McClellan @maklelan
• Brian McLaren @brianmclaren
• Don Lemon @donlemonofficial
• James Talarico @jamestalarico
• Rocky Roggio @1946themovie
• Rachel Held Evans @rachelheldevans

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 21. Johanna Ta (Catholic) - Faith, Culture, & The Golden Rule

What happens when two friends from different Christian traditions choose curiosity over debate?

Alexis sits down with her longtime friend Johanna Ta, a Filipino Chinese American Catholic, mother of three, and Bay Area professional, to explore faith, culture, and the real differences - and surprising similarities - between Catholicism and Protestantism.

Johanna shares her story of being baptized as a newborn during a life-threatening health crisis, growing up in Catholic school, and how her faith has evolved through motherhood, cultural identity, and lived experience.

Together, they unpack common misconceptions about Catholics, the role of the Pope, and what it actually means to live a Christ-like life in today’s world.

They also explore:

•  Catholic vs Protestant beliefs and practices
•  Faith as culture, identity, and community 
•  Parenting through the lens of the Golden Rule 
•  Immigration, empathy, and political Christianity 

Johanna offers a grounded and deeply human perspective on faith:

“Who am I to judge? The best I can do is live in a way that brings others along in a positive light.” 

As the conversation turns to the state of Christianity today, they wrestle with rising division, racism, and the concept of “toxic empathy,” returning again and again to the core of Jesus’s teaching - love your neighbor.

Johanna reflects:

“Maybe this is our test… how do we continue to live Christ-like despite all these challenges?” 

They also discuss the global Catholic Church, the leadership of @vaticannews and Pope Leo (@pontifex), and the cultural expression of faith in unexpected places - including the viral “raves of peace” by @padre.guilherme.

This episode is not a debate - it’s a bridge. A conversation rooted in humility, curiosity, and the belief that we can learn from each other across traditions.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Catholics and Protestants share more common ground than many realize
 • Faith is deeply tied to culture, family, and community
 • Being Christ-like is about daily practice, not perfection
 • Empathy is central to the teachings of Jesus
 • Curiosity can replace defensiveness in conversations about faith

About Our Guest

Johanna Ta is a Filipino Chinese American Catholic, mother of three, and Bay Area professional. Her faith is shaped by culture, community, and a deep commitment to living out the Golden Rule.

🌍 The Sacred Slope is now in 60+ countries and 1,300+ cities, sharing diverse voices of faith beyond one dominant lens.

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 20. Jeremy Jernigan (Former Non-Denominational Megachurch Pastor) - The Edge of the Inside

What happens when the church that formed you becomes the place that wounds you?

Alexis sits down with Jeremy Jernigan @jeremyjernigan, former megachurch pastor, now part of a Mennonite community, host of Cabernet and Pray and Rebuilding Faith, and author of The Edge of the Inside, to explore what it means to deconstruct faith without losing Jesus.

Jeremy shares his journey out of evangelical megachurch leadership, including the breaking point many experienced as white evangelical support for Trump exposed a disconnect between the teachings of Jesus and what was being lived out.

They unpack deconstruction, post-evangelical faith, church hurt, and the cost of using your voice when your community would rather you stay silent. Jeremy shares what it was like to lose his job, relationships, and community—and how that loss led to a more honest, compassionate faith.

They explore why many are not leaving Jesus, but leaving systems rooted in certainty, control, and power. Jeremy introduces “the edge of the inside”—a space for those who still love Jesus but no longer fit in the center—and how Mennonite theology is helping him heal.

This episode includes a powerful prayer for anyone who feels alone, displaced, or hasn’t been prayed over in a long time.

This episode is for anyone navigating deconstruction, progressive Christianity, LGBTQ Christianity, church hurt, Christian nationalism, or faith after evangelicalism.

💡 Key Takeaways
 • Deconstruction can be the fruit of faith
 • Many left church because it no longer looked like Jesus
 • Certainty and control often replace compassion
 • There is space to follow Jesus outside the center
 • Healing can happen in new spiritual communities

About Our Guest
Jeremy Jernigan @jeremyjernigan is a former megachurch pastor, now connected with a Mennonite community. He hosts Cabernet and Pray and Rebuilding Faith and is the author of The Edge of the Inside.

🎧 Podcasts
 Cabernet and Pray @cabernetandpray
 Rebuilding Faith

📖 Book
 The Edge of the Inside: https://www.jeremyjernigan.com/edge-of-the-inside

👤 Voices Mentioned
 Richard Rohr
 Tim Whitaker @timwhitakerspeaks

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 19. Podcastathon 2026 - IJM, Pastor Sarah (UCC), Rev. Joseph Yoo (Episcopal), Pastor Joe Smith (Post-Evangelical), Rev. Joe Graves (United Methodist)

This episode means a lot to me. I wanted to highlight one of my favorite non-profits along with ministries from beloved pastors returning to The Sacred Slope to share the incredible work churches are doing. 

- Alexis Rice

Alexis brings together global and local expressions of justice in this special Podcastathon (https://podcasthon.org/, @podcasthon_en) episode - featuring International Justice Mission (IJM) (one of my favorite organizations) and the return of some of your favorite Sacred Slope pastors.

Alexis speaks with Miguel Lau, Global Senior Officer, Church Partnerships at International Justice Mission (IJM) to explore human trafficking, forced labor, and violence against the poor - and how justice systems can be transformed to protect millions.

🌍 International Justice Mission (IJM): https://www.ijm.org

Then, some of your favorite pastors across the U.S. return to The Sacred Slope to share about some of their church ministries in their communities.

Pastor Sarah (UCC - New Mexico)
IG: @disorganized.religion Church: https://ucccogs.org/leadership/pastor-sarah/
Casa Q (LGBTQ youth shelter): https://www.casaq.org
Mutual Aid Albuquerque: IG @abqmutualaid

YouTube Episode on The Sacred Slope: https://youtu.be/pwzPGpcdVsA?si=LkYFIuOpX8P1W-W8

Rev. Joseph Yoo (Episcopal - Pearland, TX)
IG: @joseph.yoo Church: https://www.mosaicpearland.org/
Impact Offering (school lunch debt relief)

YouTube Episode on The Sacred Slope: https://youtu.be/ODnIUKfRdpU?si=Nv8sD5lP20CAlx9V

Pastor Joe Smith (Post-evangelical - Gainesville, FL)
IG: @therealjoe.smith Church: https://shiftgnv.com/all-things-shift
Santa Fe College Food Pantry
Pride Community Center of North Central Florida
Unspoken Treasure Society: https://www.unspokensociety.org/

YouTube Episode on The Sacred Slope: https://youtu.be/TwspO3sPlsc?si=wKfEnxj1XR3DSuYy

Rev. Joe Graves (United Methodist - Ohio)
IG: @josephdavidgraves Church: https://cityviewcolumbus.org/staff

Feminine Resources Free Store: https://cityviewcolumbus.org/feminine-resources-free-store

Mothers of Murdered Children: https://www.mothersofmurderedcolumbuschildren.com/

YouTube Episode on The Sacred Slope: https://youtu.be/dXsz93ron-Q?si=1gdg5M7RuXJU1_Y0

Across every conversation, one theme emerges: we c

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 18. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie) - 1946: The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible

One mistranslation changed theology, policy, families, and the lives of millions of LGBTQ people.

Alexis sits down with Rocky Roggio @rockyroggio, director of the award-winning documentary 1946: The Movie @1946themovie, to explore the year the word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible and how that translation decision reshaped theology, culture, and public policy for generations.

They unpack the historical research behind the film, including discoveries in the Yale archives surrounding the 1946 Revised Standard Version Bible translation. Rocky explains how one translation decision helped shape decades of church teaching and influence modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity and Bible translation.

Rocky also shares the personal story behind the film, including the decision to include her own father, a minister, in the documentary. Their conversations reveal how theology is never abstract - it shows up in families, churches, and real relationships.

Alexis and Rocky discuss why the film resonates with audiences across the political and theological spectrum and why understanding Bible translation history, queer theology, progressive Christianity, and Christian nationalism matters right now.

This episode is for anyone - Christian or not, queer or not - who cares about truth, history, and how sacred texts are interpreted and sometimes weaponized.

💡 Key Takeaways

• The word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible in 1946
• Bible translation decisions can shape theology and culture for generations
• Scripture can inspire justice or be used to justify harm
• Biblical literacy matters in conversations about Christian nationalism and LGBTQ inclusion

About Our Guest

Rocky Roggio is the director of 1946: The Movie, an award-winning documentary investigating how the word “homosexual” first entered the English Bible and how that translation shaped modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity.

🎬 Watch the film

Best way to support the filmmakers (independent streaming platform):
 https://watch.eventive.org/1946themovie

🌍 Projects & Organizations Mentioned

The Living Wall of Love - Jarko’s project featured at World Pride Amsterdam
 https://growingwalloflove.com

Making Things Right (LGBTQ Christian reconciliation resource)
 https://makingthingsright.org

Clips used with permission from Rocky Roggio of 1946

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 17. Pastor Kristian A. Smith (Liberation Theology) – The Courage to Question Your Answers

Alexis Rice sits down with Pastor Kristian A. Smith — pastor, author, educator, public theologian, and host of Holy Smokes: Cigars and Spirituality — for a deeply honest and pastoral conversation about doctrine, certainty, doubt, and what it means to rebuild faith with integrity.

Kristian leads The Faith Community, a digital church centered around curiosity, justice, and what he calls Greatest Commandment Theology — the idea that Jesus’ call to love God, love neighbor, and love self should guide how we interpret everything else in our Christian tradition.

Together Alexis and Kristian explore why doctrine is not the same thing as scripture, how the Bible has historically been used to justify radically different moral positions, and why losing religious certainty can feel like grief. Kristian shares why doubt is not the enemy of faith and why love must remain the center of theology.

Kristian closes the episode with a powerful pastoral prayer for listeners who may not have been prayed over in a long time.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Doctrine often reflects interpretation, not absolute certainty
 • “The Bible says” is often shorthand for “my tradition interprets it this way”
 • Losing religious certainty can bring real grief
 • Doubt is not the opposite of faith - it is part of faith

About Our Guest

Pastor Kristian A. Smith is a pastor, author, educator, and public theologian.
 He is the founding pastor of The Faith Community and host of Holy Smokes: Cigars and Spirituality.

IG: @thekristianasmith

📚 Books, People & Resources Mentioned

Kristian A. Smith — IG: @thekristianasmith
The Faith Community — IG: @tfc.virtual
Holy Smokes: Cigars & Spirituality — IG: @holysmokesmovement

Books: Breaking All the Rules – An Ancient Framework for Modern Faith & Question your answers: https://www.kristianasmith.com

Dan McClellan — IG: @maklelan
Pete Enns — IG: @peteenns
Rachel Held Evans — IG: @rachelheldevans

Frederick Buechner — theologian and author
 https://www.frederickbuechner.com

Martin Luther King Jr. — pastor and civil rights leader
 https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu

#Christianity #deconstruction #OpenAndAffirming #LiberationTheology #FaithAfterEvangelicalism #ProgressiveChristianity #TheSacredSlope

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 16. Tripp Fuller (Theologian, Pastor & Keeper of Chickens) - Deconstruction Can Be Holy, Healing, and Even Joyful

Alexis Rice sits down with Tripp Fuller - host of Homebrewed Christianity, founder of Theology Beer Camp, theologian, pastor, and author for a rich, funny, deeply pastoral conversation about faith after certainty.

Together they explore why deconstruction does not have to mean losing God, how harmful theology can be unlearned, why questions can be sacred, and how people can reconnect with the divine without fear, shame, or rigid literalism.

This episode is for anyone rethinking faith, grieving harmful theology, raising kids after evangelicalism, or longing to believe that the sacred slope can still lead somewhere beautiful.

💡 Key Takeaways
• Deconstruction can be painful - but also freeing, joyful, and holy
• Certainty is not the same thing as faith
• Centering prayer can help people reconnect with God after spiritual harm
• Scripture can be read with wonder, honesty, and less fear
• Kids need room for questions, ritual, and belonging - not rigid answers
• The Spirit may be present even in the questions that unsettle us

About Our Guest
Tripp Fuller is a theologian, pastor, podcast host, and founder of Homebrewed Christianity and Theology Beer Camp.
IG: @trippfuller
Homebrewed Christianity: @theologynerd
Theology Beer Camp: @theologybeercamp

📚 Books, People & Resources Mentioned
God After Deconstruction by Tripp Fuller & Thomas Jay Oord:
https://a.co/d/03BF15TP

Theology Beer Camp 2026- I'll be there- are you coming?
Kansas City, Missouri
October 8–10, 2026
https://www.homebrewedchristianty.com/theology-beer-camp/

Thomas Jay Oord — IG: @thomasjayoord
Brian McLaren — IG: @brian_mclaren
Rachel Held Evans — IG: @rachelheldevans
Pete Enns — IG: @peteenns

#Deconstruction #ProgressiveChristianity #Christianity #FaithAfterEvangelicalism #Exvangelical #Theology #CenteringPrayer #OpenAndRelationalTheology #TheSacredSlope #TrippFuller

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

🎙️ 15. Rabbi Lexi Erdheim (Judaism) & Rev. Joel Simpson (Methodist) – When Faith Leaders Protect the Vulnerable Together

Alexis Rice sits down with Rabbi Lexi Erdheim and Rev. Joel Simpson—two faith leaders from different traditions whose friendship models curiosity, respect, and shared moral responsibility.

Together they explore what interfaith relationships can teach us about protecting the vulnerable, listening across real differences, and showing up for neighbors in moments of crisis.

This conversation is about friendship, moral courage, and the kind of world that becomes possible when faith traditions work side by side to protect human dignity.

💡 Key Takeaways
• Interfaith relationships deepen empathy
• Faith traditions share a call to protect the vulnerable
• Scripture can be weaponized—or inspire compassion
• Real change begins with relationships across difference
• Curiosity and humility strengthen collaboration
• Faith leaders can help communities resist fear and polarization

About Our Guests

Rabbi Lexi Erdheim is the Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Charlotte, NC. Ordained at Hebrew Union College and a graduate of Barnard College, she works at the intersection of Jewish life, public policy, and interfaith organizing.

Temple Beth-El Charlotte
 IG/FB/TikTok: @tbeclt
 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jewtubecharlotte

Rev. Joel Simpson is a Methodist pastor at First United Methodist Church in Taylorsville, NC and a doctoral student at Duke University. His work connects faith, community organizing, and advocacy for vulnerable communities.

IG: @joelrsimpson
 FB: @joel.simpson.98
 Substack: @joelsimpson

📚 People & Organizations Mentioned

Siembra NC — IG: @siembranc
 Carolina Jews for Justice — IG: @carolinajewsforjustice
 Repairers of the Breach — IG: @repairersofthebreach
 Rev. Dr. William Barber — IG: @revbwilliambarber2
 Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove — IG: @jonathanwilsonhartgrove
 Shane Claiborne — IG: @shaneclaiborne
 Barbara Brown Taylor — https://barbarabrowntaylor.com/
 Rabbi Sandra Lawson — IG: @rabbisandralawson

Duke University — IG: @dukeuniversity
 Candler School of Theology (Emory) — IG: @candler_school
 Hebrew Union College — IG: @hebrewunioncollege
 Barnard College — IG: @barnardcollege

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

14. William Gibson (Church of Scotland) – When Christianity Gets Co-Opted by Power

What does American Christian nationalism look like… from Scotland?

In this episode, Alexis Rice is joined by William Gibson - a Scottish church historian and soon-to-be minister in the Church of Scotland - to zoom out of the American bubble and name what many outside the U.S. can see so clearly: when Christianity gets fused with nationalism, it becomes a weapon.

William doesn’t just critique - he offers language, history, and hopeful resistance: collective action, ecumenical courage, and a faith that refuses empire.

If you’ve been watching “Christianity” used to justify cruelty and thinking, This cannot be Jesus… this conversation is for you.

🎙️ About Our Guest
William Gibson is a PhD student in Theology & Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow and a candidate for ministry in the Church of Scotland. His work focuses on modern church history, mission, and the way faith intersects with power, economics, and community life - including trade unions, labor, and Christian ethics.
Find William: @williamgibsongla 

💬 In This Episode
• How American Christian nationalism is perceived globally
• Why “Christian symbolism” at nationalist rallies is alarming
• The Church of Scotland: broad, Presbyterian, Reformed - without U.S.-style fundamentalism
• Christianity as culturally mediated (and why that matters)
• Capitalism, greed, solidarity - and the Bible’s uncomfortable clarity
• Bonhoeffer, Niemöller, and what Christian resistance really costs
• A prayer for the spiritually tender and spiritually tired

📚 Resources + Verified Instagram Handles
• Church of Scotland - @churchofscotland
• The Iona Community - @ionacommunity
• Wild Goose Publications (Iona books) - @ionabooks
• Awake, Emerging, and Connected (publisher) - @scm_press
• Student Christian Movement (UK) - @studentchristianmovement
• World Communion of Reformed Churches - @reformed_communion
• Trinity College Glasgow - @trinitycollegeglasgow
• Lamorna Ash - @lamornaaash
• The Sacred Slope - @thesacredslope 

#Christianity #deconstruction #OpenAndAffirming #MentalHealth #ChurchOfScotland #Scotland #ProgressiveChristianity #Exvangelical

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About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify
     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere
     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)

🔗 Connect
🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope
🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]

🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿
Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control