The Sacred Slope

71. The Religious Left Isn't New. The Spotlight Is. | Rev. Joseph Yoo (Episcopal)

After the 2026 midterms, Ezra Klein described the “return of a religious left,” while Vox and NPR have explored progressive Christianity's role in politics. Welcome! We're thrilled this conversation is happening, and we'd love to introduce you to the bigger story.

The religious left isn't new. For generations, pastors, scholars and churches have advocated for justice, challenged Christian nationalism and welcomed people beyond conservative evangelicalism. Christianity is global and diverse. No party or movement owns it.

Recorded the morning after the election, Episcopal priest Rev. Joseph Yoo joins Alexis Rice to discuss progressive Christianity, the Bible, LGBTQ+ inclusion, women in ministry, deconstruction and finding affirming churches. They also explore what journalists, donors and civic leaders can learn from people who've been doing this work for decades.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

Christians, former evangelicals, journalists, seekers and people of any faith or none. You're welcome here.

GUEST + HOST

Rev. Joseph Yoo | @joseph.yoo
Alexis Rice | @thesacredslope

PEOPLE + RESOURCES

Andrew Whitehead | @andrewwhitehead
Dr. Matthew Boedy | The Seven Mountains Mandate
Robert P. Jones | @robertpjonesdc | @prripoll
Kristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumez
Diana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbass
Jemar Tisby | @jemartisby
Rachel Held Evans | @rachelheldevans
Jen Hatmaker | @jenhatmaker
Zach Lambert | @zachwlambert
Cody Deese | @codydeese
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde | @mariannbudde
Ben Cremer | @brcremer
John Fugelsang | @johnfugelsang
Monte Mader | @montemader
Pastor Joe Smith | @therealjoe.smith
Melissa Dalton-Bradford | @mdbglobalmom

Also mentioned: James Talarico, Adam Hamilton, Richard Rohr, Mike Slaughter and Gina Hinojosa.

FIND AN AFFIRMING CHURCH

https://www.gaychurch.org/
https://www.churchclarity.org/

MEDIA + PARTNERSHIPS

Journalists, funders and organizations: for interviews or introductions to progressive Christian pastors, scholars and creators, contact [email protected]. Explore https://thesacredslope.com/.

Please share this episode with someone discovering progressive Christianity, or a journalist covering faith and politics.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Deconstructing and rebuilding
01:55 The religious left isn't new
09:46 Meet Rev. Joseph Yoo
17:32 What progressive Christians believe
24:20 We've been here all along
29:38 Media and the religious left
34:09 Deconstruction and questions
39:32 Finding an affirming church
45:47 Rebuilding faith
54:21 Media and funders

#TheSacredSlope #ReligiousLeft #ProgressiveChristianity

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70. Can Christians Vote Democrat? Rethinking MAGA, Evangelicalism & Faith | Carter Brown, Leigh Larson & Alexis Rice

How fun is this? We were on Leigh Larson's Podcast, Follow the Leighder!

Can you be a faithful Christian and vote Democrat? What happens when your conscience no longer agrees with the politics you were taught were Christian?

Former MAGA supporter Carter Brown, theologian and veteran Leigh Larson, and The Sacred Slope host Alexis Rice come together for an honest conversation about Christianity, abortion, voting, and the courage to change your mind.

Drawing on their different faith journeys, the three women explore conservative evangelicalism, Christian nationalism, the pressure to vote Republican, and why no political candidate perfectly represents our values.

From single-issue voting and reproductive freedom to deconstruction and reclaiming faith, they ask what it means to think critically, respect other people's choices, and vote according to conscience.

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?

Christians questioning the relationship between faith and political identity, former evangelicals, people navigating deconstruction, and anyone reconsidering beliefs they once held with certainty.

GUESTS + FOLLOW

Carter Brown | Former MAGA, former evangelical
Instagram/TikTok: @thisiscarterbrown
Substack: https://growthisaspiral.substack.com/

Leigh Larson | Theologian, veteran, host of Follow the Leighder
Instagram: @followtheleighder
Podcast: https://www.followtheleighder.com/
Substack: https://followtheleighder.substack.com/

Alexis Rice | Host, The Sacred Slope
Instagram: @thesacredslope
Website: https://thesacredslope.com/

MENTIONED + RESOURCES

Dan McClellan | @maklelan
Monte Mader | @montemader
Tim Whitaker / The New Evangelicals | @thenewevangelicals
Deconstructicon: https://deconstructicon.com/
After Jesus Before Christianity | Westar Institute scholars

Also discussed: James Talarico, Raphael Warnock, James Dobson, and Adam Clark.

EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY

Discover conversations with Christian leaders, scholars, clergy, and people rethinking inherited beliefs at https://thesacredslope.com/

Books: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope

EPISODE CHAPTERS

04:25 Meet Carter Brown, Leigh Larson & Alexis Rice
06:14 Christianity, Politics & Hope
10:55 Abortion, Voting & Political Identity
21:58 Growing Up Conservative Evangelical
26:56 Single-Issue Voting & Changing Your Mind
35:16 Deconstruction & Challenging Religious Authority
43:10 Faith, Reason & Christian Traditions
51:26 What Does Deconstruction Mean?
56:08 Voting, Conscience & Community
1:00:24 Making Progressive Christian Voices Visible
1:08:52 Reexamining Early Christianity
1:12:15 Where to Follow Carter Brown

#TheSacredSlope #Christianity #Deconstruction  #ChristianNationalism

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

69. Robert G. Callahan II (Christian, Former Evangelical) | Fire in the Whole: Righteous Anger & Reclaiming Faith

What if your anger at the Christianity you inherited isn't evidence that you've lost your faith, but evidence that you still care about what Jesus taught? Can you reject harmful Christianity without rejecting Jesus?

Attorney, author, and Christian advocate Robert G. Callahan II joins Alexis Rice to discuss Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness.

After nearly a decade deeply involved in a conservative church community, Robert confronted racism, political idolatry, and the contradictions between the gospel he believed and the Christianity he experienced.

Alexis and Robert explore righteous anger, spiritual trauma, Christian nationalism, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the cost of leaving a church community. They discuss why white Christianity isn't synonymous with global Christianity, the importance of listening to marginalized voices, and how to reconstruct faith without abandoning Jesus.

Robert offers encouragement to anyone feeling spiritually homeless: give yourself permission to question, grieve, rest, and heal.

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?

Christians, exvangelicals, pastors, people deconstructing or reconstructing faith, and anyone concerned about racism, religious trauma, justice, and belonging.

GUEST + FOLLOW

Robert G. Callahan II | @rcallahan_waco
RobertGCallahan.com
Friday Fire | Robert's Substack
Callahan & King | Waco, Texas

MENTIONED + RESOURCES

Fire in the Whole | Robert G. Callahan II
When God Became White | Grace Ji-Sun Kim @gracejisunkim
Lisa Sharon Harper | @lisasharper
Diana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbass
Jemar Tisby | @jemartisby
David Hayward, The Naked Pastor | @nakedpastor
Wilda Gafney | Womanist biblical scholar
Michael Che | @chethinks

The Sacred Slope Guest Reccos Bookshop:
https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope

EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY

Hear from guests around the world

TheSacredSlope.com | Episodes, guests & resources

EPISODE CHAPTERS

01:27 | Introduction to The Sacred Slope
02:51 | The Intersection of Faith and Politics
04:43 | Challenging Christian Nationalism
07:09 | The Pain of Deconstruction
07:32 | Reclaiming Faith
01:37:07 | Introduction to The Sacred Slope
01:37:07 | Nomination Process for Clergy Members

#Deconstruction #WhiteChristianity #ChristianNationalism #Christianity

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

We're launching our new Highlights series with the most popular episode in The Sacred Slope's history!

Our conversation with historian and New York Times bestselling author Kristin Kobes Du Mez (@kkdumez) is resonating with more of you than any other episode. And now, here is the snackable edition.

Some of you love an hour-plus deep dive. Others want 20 minutes for your commute, your run, or while cooking dinner. Now you can have both!

What if the Christianity you were taught wasn't simply inherited, but deliberately constructed?

Who decided what Christians should believe, which books they should read, what music they could listen to, and what roles women were allowed to play?

And what happens when the people who faithfully upheld those rules begin questioning the system itself?

In this Highlights edition, Kristin, author of Jesus and John Wayne and Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made, joins Alexis Rice to explore the history behind the evangelical world so many of us grew up in.

In this Highlights edition, we explore:

• The system: How American evangelicalism developed a self-contained culture of approved books, music, beliefs, and authorities
• The women: Why well-intentioned Christian women became defenders of systems that could also harm them
• The forgotten history: Christian feminists who fought for women's rights and interpreted Scripture as a message of liberation
• Purity culture: The promises of marriage, happiness, and blessing that left so many women carrying shame
• Beth Moore (@bethmoorelpm): What happened when one of evangelicalism's most influential women challenged abuse, misogyny, and Christian nationalism
• The bigger question: Why leaving or challenging a religious system can feel like abandoning Christianity itself

Kristin reminds us that evangelical Christianity has never been one uniform tradition. There have always been women who questioned authority, challenged injustice, and imagined another way.

"Real women's lives just do not fit in the neat boxes that fundamentalists draw."

And perhaps the most liberating realization of all?

The Christianity you inherited is not the only Christianity available to you.

🎧 Check out The Sacred Slope Highlights on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Substack, and Spotify!

Want the entire conversation? Listen to Episode 56: Kristin Kobes Du Mez | Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made.

https://youtu.be/mb5j_wGpMbY?si=kCWjH-IqNz_AQJDt

We'd love to hear from you: What resonated most about this conversation? Why do you think it connected with so many people? And which episode should we highlight next?

⏱️ Highlights Chapters

00:05 The Closed System of Evangelical Culture
01:19 Personal Reflections on Faith and Regret
03:31 Understanding Power Dynamics in Evangelicalism
04:18 The Role of Women in Shaping Evangelical History
06:07 Concluding Thoughts on the Future of Christianity
07:12 The Totalizing System of Evangelicalism
10:08 Purity Culture and Its Impact
14:43 Beth Moore: A Voice of Change
21:51 Nomination Process for Clergy Members

✨ Guest + Books

• Kristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumez
• Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made
• Jesus and John Wayne
• A New Gospel for Women
• Publisher: Liveright Publishing, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company

📚 People & Resources Mentioned

• Beth Moore | @bethmoorelpm
• Sarah Bessey | @sarahbessey

#KristinKobesDuMez #LiveLaughLove #Christianity #Evangelicalism #Deconstruction #ChristianNationalism #PurityCulture #WomenInChurch

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

68. Robert P. Jones, PhD (PRRI) | Backslide: Christian Nationalism, Trump & America's Moral Reckoning

What happens when Christians are taught that one political party speaks for God? What happens to democracy when faith becomes a tool for political power? And how do we reclaim our moral conscience?

Just before the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dr. Robert P. Jones (Robby), founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), joins Alexis Rice to discuss his book Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy.

I believe Backslide is one of the most important books of our time. Whether you're in America or elsewhere, it offers a way to understand the history, research, and choices shaping this moment.

Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals has a cameo joins the episode to reflect on some findings from PRRI's new American Values Survey.

Alexis and Robby discuss Christian nationalism, white evangelical support for Trump, biblical authority, religious formation, and what happens when Christians hand their moral conscience to a party or pastor. They explore the stakes of the midterms, democratic checks and balances, protest, civic engagement, and why American Christian nationalism affects people far beyond U.S. borders. Amid the troubling data, where can we find hope?

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?
Christians, exvangelicals, pastors, scholars, voters, and anyone concerned about faith, democracy, religious nationalism, and human rights worldwide.

GUEST + FOLLOW
Dr. Robert P. Jones | @robertpjonesdc
PRRI | @prripoll | prri.org
Cameo Tim Whitaker | @thenewevangelicals @timwhitakerspeaks
The Convocation Unscripted | convocation.substack.com

MENTIONED + RESOURCES
Backslide; White Too Long; The End of White Christian America | Robert P. Jones
Get it on The Sacred Slope Guest Reccos Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope
PRRI American Values Survey | PRRI & Brookings
Diana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbass
Kristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumez
Jemar Tisby | @jemartisby

EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY
Hear from guests around the world
TheSacredSlope.com | Episodes, guests & resources

EPISODE CHAPTERS
02:18 | Christianity's Global Impact
07:24 | Robert P. Jones & Backslide
10:01 | Religion, Media & Politics
14:39 | Why Backslide Matters
16:59 | When Data Breaks Your Heart
19:47 | The Welcome Table
21:38 | What Americans Are Feeling
24:19 | Stakes of the Midterms
29:23 | Reclaiming Moral Conscience
40:48 | Scripture & Religious Formation
43:12 | Christian Nationalism
46:51 | Protest & Civic Engagement
49:32 | Finding Common Ground
56:43 | A Moment of Reckoning
59:55 | Moral Responsibility
01:05:06 | Humanity & Hope

#ChristianNationalism #Backslide #RobertPJones #Democracy #Deconstruction #christianity

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

67. Tracy E. Gilchrist | Holding Space in Hollywood: Queer Media, Advocacy & the Power of Human Connection

What does it take to make some of Hollywood's biggest stars feel truly seen?

For Tracy E. Gilchrist, it starts with a simple question, genuine curiosity, and the willingness to hold space for another human being.

The longtime LGBTQ+ entertainment journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Advocate became a viral sensation after her unforgettable "holding space" interview with Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. But there's so much more to Tracy than one viral moment.

After decades of interviewing Hollywood's biggest names and amplifying LGBTQ+ voices, Tracy is bringing her distinctive warmth, empathy, and love of storytelling to Holding Space with Tracy E. Gilchrist.

In this episode of The Sacred Slope, Tracy joins Alexis Rice for a heartfelt conversation about Hollywood, queer representation, the importance of independent LGBTQ+ journalism, and what it means to create genuine human connection in a world that too often divides us.

Tracy shares her coming-out journey, reflects on the importance of The Advocate and the It Gets Better Project, and explores why visibility and authentic storytelling matter - especially when LGBTQ+ communities face growing hostility.

They also discuss Christianity, the impact of Christian Nationalism on queer lives, meaningful allyship, and where Tracy finds joy, courage, and hope.

Beyond the viral moments and celebrity interviews is a woman who has spent her career helping people feel seen, heard, and valued. This is her story.

In this episode

• The viral Wicked interview and the meaning of "holding space"
• Hollywood, celebrity interviews, and the art of human connection
• Tracy's new show, Holding Space with Tracy E. Gilchrist
• Her journey through LGBTQ+ entertainment journalism
• The Advocate and the importance of queer media
• The It Gets Better Project and uplifting LGBTQ+ youth
• Tracy's personal coming-out story
• Queer identity, Christianity, and Christian nationalism
• Threats to LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment
• Finding hope, joy, and community in challenging times

Explore more

The Sacred Slope: https://thesacredslope.com

Explore searchable conversations with pastors, scholars, artists, and cultural voices about faith, identity, belonging, and the world we're creating together.

Chapters

00:19 Introduction to Tracy E. Gilchrist
01:33 The Art of Holding Space
03:26 Getting to Know Tracy E. Gilchrist
09:53 The Impact of "Defying Gravity"
12:30 Tracy's Journey in Queer Media
19:53 It Gets Better: Uplifting Queer Youth
22:19 Holding Space as a Personal Ethos
23:43 Tracy's Coming-Out Story
26:09 The Advocate: A Lifeline for the Community
35:49 Why Queer Media Matters
39:41 Navigating Queer Identity and Christianity
39:52 Christian Nationalism and Its Impact on Queer Lives
41:55 What Meaningful Allyship Looks Like
43:56 Threats to Queer Representation in Media
46:12 Hope and Resilience in Queer Communities
47:04 The Role of Money in Church Dynamics
47:18 Finding Joy and Hope in Public Figures
52:26 Community Support and Personal Resilience
56:04 The Sacred Slope and Clergy Nominations

Media Credits: Photos courtesy of Tracy E. Gilchrist’s press kit. Additional video and images sourced from Tracy E. Gilchrist’s Instagram and original media publishers. All rights belong to their respective owners.

#LGBTQ #QueerMedia #deconstruction

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

66. Meghan Tschanz (Exvangelical) | How Purity Culture Fuels **pe Culture & Silences Women

What happens when Christianity teaches girls that their bodies are dangerous—and men's behavior is their responsibility?
What if purity culture doesn't protect women, but helps create the conditions for abuse?
And what happens when Christian women trust their own voices?

Meghan Tschanz, author of Women Rising and host of Faith and Feminism, joins Alexis Rice to explore purity culture, rape culture, patriarchy, sexual violence, consent, and Christian feminism.

Raised evangelical, Meghan learned that a good Christian girl should be modest, submissive, obedient, and responsible for men's desires. 

Together, Alexis and Meghan examine how purity culture can normalize victim-blaming, protect male power, and teach women to distrust their intuition. They challenge biblical patriarchy, the manosphere, tradwife ideology, and the claim that male dominance defines Christianity.

They also discuss feminist theology, seminary, diverse Christian traditions, and replacing purity culture with consent culture.

What if questioning harmful teachings isn't abandoning Jesus—but following him more faithfully?

And what if girls never had to shrink themselves to please God?

The slippery slope doesn't have to lead to hell. Sometimes it leads to sacred ground.

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?
Women healing from purity culture, sexual shame, or religious trauma; evangelicals and exvangelicals questioning patriarchy; survivors; and parents, pastors, and men seeking healthier conversations about consent, equality, and power.

✨ GUEST + FOLLOW
Meghan Tschanz | IG: @meghantschanz
Faith and Feminism | meghantschanz.com

📚 MENTIONED + RESOURCES
Women Rising | Meghan Tschanz
Jesus and John Wayne | Kristin Kobes Du Mez
John Fugelsang | Jesus and Women
Mattie Mae Motl | Feminist Theology
Amy Moses | Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Mark Driscoll | Biblical Patriarchy Discussion
Matthew 5 | Jesus on Lust and Responsibility
Sacred Slope Book Reccos: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope

⛪ EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY
Church Clarity | @churchclarity
The Episcopal Church | @theepiscopalchurch
United Church of Christ | @unitedchurchofchrist
ELCA | @elca
PC(USA) | @pcusa

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS
02:45 | A Difficult Conversation for Christian Women
04:41 | Growing Up in Purity Culture
18:33 | Are These Really Christian Values?
25:01 | Leaving Evangelical Patriarchy
35:10 | Purity Culture vs. Consent Culture
37:19 | How Church Culture Harms Women
39:12 | The Myth of Biblical Womanhood
42:23 | Seminary and Questioning Authority
47:35 | Discovering Diverse Christian Theology
52:46 | Finding Healthier Christian Communities
56:24 | Reclaiming Your God-Given Voice
1:03:01 | Spirituality, Nature and Healing

#PurityCulture #RapeCulture #ChristianFeminism #ReligiousTrauma #Exvangelical

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

65. Rev. Darrell Hamilton II (Baptist) | Healing Religious Trauma: Tending to Open Wounds

What happens when the Christianity that was supposed to heal you is what wounded you?

What if questioning your faith isn't a slippery slope to hell, but the beginning of liberation?

And what if the image of God you inherited shapes how you see women, LGBTQ+ people, race, and power?

Rev. Darrell R. Hamilton II is an ordained Baptist minister, preacher, writer, and advocate for faith-rooted justice. A graduate of Wake Forest University School of Divinity, he has served at Middle Collegiate Church and worked with Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People's Campaign.

Rev. Darrell joins Alexis Rice for a powerful conversation about religious trauma, deconstruction, Black liberation theology, decolonizing Christianity, Christian nationalism, and what it really takes to heal from harmful Christianity.

Raised in Oklahoma, Rev. Darrell grew up believing that questioning certain Christian teachings could threaten his salvation.

Then he met a gay Christian whose church wouldn't allow him to sing in the choir.

How could a church silence someone's praise to God?

That question changed everything.

At Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Rev. Darrell discovered an enormous Christian theological world he had never been introduced to. Black liberation theology. Queer theology. Feminine images of God. Perspectives that challenged everything he had been taught about who God is and who belongs.

Together, Alexis and Rev. Darrell explore why so many Christians never encounter these perspectives, how white-centered theology became normalized, and what happens when Christians imagine God exclusively as a white man.

They discuss James Cone, the power of Black preaching and worship, and why liberation theology invites us to understand Christianity through the experiences of people who have been oppressed.

If the way we imagine God shapes how we treat one another, what happens when we change our understanding of God?

And then there's the question of healing.

Some people have scars from harmful Christianity. Others are still carrying open wounds. Not everyone is ready to reconstruct their faith, return to church, or even talk about God.

How can pastors, churches, and those who understand multiple Christian traditions help people heal without causing more harm?

Rev. Darrell also shares his hope for his daughter and the next generation: a Christianity rooted in love, justice, dignity, belonging, and the beloved community rather than fear and domination.

The slippery slope doesn't have to lead to hell.

Sometimes it leads to sacred ground.

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?

Evangelicals in distress, exvangelicals, and anyone navigating religious trauma, deconstruction, or disillusionment.

Christians who still love Jesus but are questioning the theology, politics, and power structures they inherited.

LGBTQ+ Christians, women in ministry, and people who have been told they don't belong.

White Christians seeking to learn from Black liberation theology, decolonization, and Christian traditions beyond their own.

Cradle mainliners and progressive Christians who want to better understand the experiences of those leaving fundamentalist Christianity.

People of any faith or none seeking healing, justice, and hope.

Pastors, seminarians, scholars, bishops, and church leaders who want to create communities where people can question, heal, and belong.

✨ GUEST + FOLLOW

Rev. Darrell R. Hamilton II (Baptist) | IG: @blackandeducatedpreacher
Wake Forest University School of Divinity | IG: @wakedivinity
Middle Collegiate Church | IG: @middlechurch

📚 MENTIONED + RESOURCES

Rev. Dr. James H. Cone | Black Liberation Theology
A Black Theology of Liberation | James H. Cone
The Cross and the Lynching Tree | James H. Cone
Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas | Womanist Theology
Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God | Kelly Brown Douglas
Gustavo Gutiérrez | Liberation Theology
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis | IG: @revjacquilewis
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III | Trinity United Church of Christ
Bishop William J. Barber II | Repairers of the Breach
Repairers of the Breach | breachrepairers.org
Poor People's Campaign | poorpeoplescampaign.org
Rev. Dr. Bill Leonard | Wake Forest University
John Mark Comer | IG: @johnmarkcomer
Practicing the Way | John Mark Comer
Diana Butler Bass | IG: @dianabutlerbass

Find these books and more on The Sacred Slope Book Reccos List: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope

⛪ EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY

Church Clarity | @churchclarity | churchclarity.org
The Episcopal Church | @theepiscopalchurch
United Methodist Church | @theumc
United Church of Christ | @unitedchurchofchrist
ELCA Lutheran | @elca
Presbyterian Church (USA) | @pcusa
Disciples of Christ | @disciplesofchrist

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 | When Christianity Causes Harm
12:45 | Meet Rev. Darrell Hamilton II
14:58 | The Future of Progressive Churches
23:04 | The Slippery Slope to Hell
29:30 | Deconstruction in Seminary
37:28 | Finding an Open-Minded Seminary
42:00 | What Christian Bookstores Didn't Teach Us
44:48 | Questioning Traditional Theology
47:41 | Discovering Feminine Images of God
51:11 | Is God a Man?
55:42 | How Theology Shapes Society
1:00:17 | What Is Liberation Theology?
1:06:36 | Understanding God and Jesus
1:07:22 | Theology Through the Eyes of the Oppressed
1:08:11 | Deconstructing White-Centered Christianity
1:09:10 | Seeing God in Others
1:09:55 | Confronting Whiteness in Christianity
1:11:43 | Why Black Preaching Matters
1:13:10 | Divesting from Whiteness
1:14:39 | Entering Sacred Spaces
1:15:11 | The Beauty of Black Worship
1:16:32 | An Invitation into Black Churches
1:18:39 | Reclaiming Identity Through Diversity
1:20:33 | The Path to Transformation
1:21:35 | Building the Beloved Community
1:23:11 | Hearing God Through Diversity
1:26:04 | The Sacred Slope Community & Clergy Nominations

#ReligiousTrauma #Deconstruction #LiberationTheology #BlackLiberationTheology #DecolonizingChristianity

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

64. Healing After Evangelicalism & Finding a Beautiful Faith | Diana Butler Bass (Methodist → Evangelical → Episcopal)

What if the Christianity you were taught was never the only Christianity that existed?

What if leaving evangelicalism didn't mean leaving Jesus?

And what if the people best positioned to help heal Christianity are those who understand more than one Christian world?

Dr. Diana Butler Bass, historian, theologian, and bestselling author, joins Alexis Rice for a conversation about religious trauma, deconstruction, Christian nationalism, and finding beauty and belonging beyond evangelical fundamentalism.

Diana shares her journey from a Methodist childhood through evangelicalism and into the Episcopal Church. Together, they explore the theological diversity many Christians never knew existed and why mainline churches can offer an alternative to the faith systems people are leaving.

At the heart of this conversation is the urgent need for TRANSLATORS.

People who understand evangelical culture AND mainline Christianity. People who can explain evangelical beliefs, fears, and wounds to progressive Christians, pastors, and scholars, while helping those leaving high-control religion discover other ways of following Jesus.

WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?

For evangelicals in distress and exvangelicals seeking healing.

For cradle mainliners and progressive Christians who want to understand the evangelical world.

For people of any faith or none who are carrying religious wounds and longing for hope.

And especially for seminarians, scholars, pastors, bishops, and church leaders who want to welcome people shaped by religious trauma and learn from those who can translate between Christian traditions.

Diana reminds us:

"Mainline theology is not a Jenga Tower. Mainline theology is a mosaic."

We also explore her new book, A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance, the Christian calendar, and the beauty of quiet faith.

There are other ways to follow Jesus. There is still beauty to be found.

✨ GUEST + BOOKS

Diana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbass
A Beautiful Year bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope
The Cottage | dianabutlerbass.substack.com

⛪ EXPLORE MAINLINE CHRISTIANITY

Episcopal Church | @theepiscopalchurch
United Methodist Church | @theumc
United Church of Christ | @unitedchurchofchrist
ELCA Lutheran | @elca
Presbyterian Church (USA) | @pcusa
Disciples of Christ | @disciplesofchrist

🎙️ PEOPLE + COMMUNITIES

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde | @mariannbudde
Kristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumez
Jemar Tisby | @jemartisby
Robert P. Jones | @robertpjonesdc
Theology Beer Camp | @theologybeercamp
Tripp Fuller | @trippfuller
Dr Jennifer Garcia Bashaw | @jgbashaw
Homebrewed Christianity | @theologynerd
Bible for Normal People | @biblefornormalpeople
Pete Enns | @peteenns
Jared Byas | @jaredbyas
Brian McLaren | @brian_mclaren
Sarah Bessey | @sarahbessey
Jen Hatmaker | @jenhatmaker
Nadia Bolz-Weber | @sarcasticlutheran
Barbara Brown Taylor | @barbarabrowntaylor
Rachel Held Evans (1981-2019) | @rachelheldevans

⏱️ CHAPTERS

03:51 | Meet Diana Butler Bass
11:48 | Methodist to Evangelical
14:46 | Taking Jesus With You
23:21 | Why Christianity Needs Translators
28:54 | Evangelical vs. Mainline
33:43 | Finding a New Church Home
39:48 | Translating Religious Trauma
45:59 | Why Young Adults Leave
52:13 | Jesus, Politics & No Kings
58:02 | Jenga Towers vs. Mosaics
01:03:53 | Deception & Responsibility
01:06:19 | Healing After Evangelicalism
01:10:01 | The Beauty of Quiet Faith
01:14:20 | Empathy & Shared Grief
01:17:36 | A Beautiful Year
01:22:48 | Opening Our Minds
01:36:48 | The Sacred Slope Community

#DianaButlerBass #ABeautifulYear #Deconstruction #ReligiousTrauma #MainlineChristianity

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

63. The Vote is Sacred: Faith, Christian Nationalism & the Fight for Democracy | Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

What happens when a form of Christianity is used to decide who belongs in America?

Christian nationalism. Religious freedom. A democracy under extraordinary strain. And Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, people of many faiths and people of no faith choosing to stand together.

What could interfaith solidarity teach us about protecting democracy?

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is an ordained American Baptist minister, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, host of State of Belief, and former founding executive editor of HuffPost Religion.

And right now, he’s taking that work on the road with Vote Is Sacred, a nonpartisan, multi-faith campaign traveling across America ahead of the midterm elections.

Paul joins Alexis for an urgent but hopeful conversation about the state of American democracy, the rise of Christian nationalism, separation of church and state, and why no political movement gets to “own” Jesus or religion.

They explore what Jimmy Carter understood about faith and government, why some Christians feel politically homeless, what some politicians can learn about trying to engage with faith communities, and what Jesus actually taught about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger and loving our neighbors.

Rev. Paul also shares what decades of interfaith work have taught him about something increasingly difficult:

How do we deeply disagree with someone and still show up for them?

From Jewish-Muslim dialogue to solidarity across religious traditions, Rev. Paul makes the case that protecting our neighbors does not require agreeing with them.

Our futures are intertwined.

And for anyone wondering whether one vote really matters, Rev. Paul has a message:

“We are democracy.”

🗳️ THE VOTE IS SACRED

Go to VoteIsSacred.org to learn about the Vote Is Sacred bus tour, trainings and resources.

If you’re eligible to vote in the United States, make sure you’re registered to vote and know your state’s voting requirements at Vote.gov.

✨ GUEST + FOLLOW

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush @raushenbush
President & CEO, Interfaith Alliance
Ordained American Baptist minister
Host, State of Belief

Interfaith Alliance | IG: @interfaithalliance

📚 MENTIONED + RESOURCES

Vote Is Sacred | VoteIsSacred.org
Interfaith Alliance | IG: @interfaithalliance | InterfaithAlliance.org
State of Belief | InterfaithAlliance.org/state-of-belief
U.S. voter registration | Vote.gov

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS

03:16 | The Global Impact of U.S. Politics
05:28 | Interfaith Solidarity & the Midterm Elections
06:44 | The Sacred Vote: A Call to Action
11:16 | Faith, Democracy & the Role of Religion
16:14 | Challenging Christian Nationalism
23:53 | Bridging the Divide: Democrats & Faith
27:20 | The Intersection of Politics & Faith
30:38 | Navigating Political Outreach to Christian Communities
33:22 | The Power of Interfaith Collaboration
37:22 | Understanding the Importance of Voting
42:34 | The Stakes of the Midterm Elections
46:15 | A Prayer for Listeners

#InterfaithAlliance #VoteIsSacred #ChristianNationalism #ReligiousFreedom #Interfaith #Democracy #MidtermElections #TheSacredSlope

Support the show

About The Sacred Slope 
thesacredslope.com

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