Trauma-Informed Church Kid

Season 2 Episode 24 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

CONTENT WARNING: discussion of sexuality and purity culture

This is part 2 of an episode on purity and impurity. We know now that purity is (not) a dirty word, and that it is not necessarily about morality or being "good". Why then is there such a misunderstanding about purity and morality? What would a culture focused around purity look like?

This week, we take a look at "purity culture" -- both ancient and modern. We will look at the case studies we find in Leviticus and examine whether this means that female bodies are gross/disgusting or somehow "wrong". We will ponder how the more precious a thing is, the more impurity it causes. We will explore the artifacts and effects of evangelical "purity culture", and repent of both its failures and its faults. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to consider changing our relationship to "purity", toward one that encompasses every area of our lives and not just our exposed skin

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES:

https://www.restorativefaith.org/post/a-history-of-purity-culture

https://baremarriage.com/2026/03/podcast-did-purity-culture-cause-developmental-trauma/

https://firstthings.com/a-new-purity-culture/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13558358.2024.2332976

https://www.puritycultureresearchcollective.com/

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/purity-ball-photos_n_5255904

https://www.academia.edu/67682166/Are_You_a_Trashable_Styrofoam_Cup_Harm_and_Damage_Rhetoric_in_the_Contemporary_American_Sexual_Purity_Movement

https://www.academia.edu/145667818/Book_Review_Rape_Culture_Purity_Culture_and_Coercive_Control_in_Teen_Girl_Bibles?rhid=38599354247&swp=rr-rw-wc-67682166&nav_from=9e341fba-e657-48f0-bd93-79aa2889a5e3

https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/22/Supplement_1/qdaf068.049/8119612

https://a.co/d/06zzH8hQ

https://a.co/d/0h47SFGR

https://a.co/d/0ajExROy

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Season 2 Episode 23 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

Having chosen the harder path -- the divine Presence in their midst -- the family of Abraham must now navigate that holy path safely. What does it mean for them to be "pure" or "clean", and is that what God requires of all humans? Is being "pure" about being moral?

This week, we unpack what purity (and impurity) means. We will look at the distinction between "pure" and "impure" and examine what either (or both) have to do with morality. We will explore what it means for created things to be "out of place", and what relation this has to the "forces of death". We will ponder the connection between purity and Eden, and if it is a bad thing to be "impure". We will examine the two kinds or "species" of impurity, and discover what it takes to remove both kinds from the person, the sacred space, and the land. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to repent by "turning away" from the life subject to death and decay, and to "comfort" ourselves with the hope of a life freed from that slavery.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

https://cojs.org/cult_and_sacrifice-_purity_and_holiness_in_leviticus_and_numbers-_christine_hayes-_open_yale_courses_-transcription-_2006/

https://monoskop.org/images/7/7d/Douglas_Mary_Purity_and_Danger_An_Analysis_of_Concepts_of_Pollution_and_Taboo_2001.pdf

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Season 2 Episode 22 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

In this Expert-Teas episode, I sit down for "tea" with Phil Bray to discuss a wide variety of topics. We take a look at holiness and "wholeness"; we explore what "contagious holiness" means; we discuss clean and unclean (and pure and impure), and if this is a moral issue or not. We also examine sacrifices, trying to understand the role that death and blood play in the sacrificial system -- are sacrifices acts of appeasement, or something else? In the end, we dive deep into what the meaning of the Tabernacle is, how the Presence of Adonai in the midst of Israel was an image of the Garden of Eden, and how we can both get back to that now and look forward to it for the end of the ages.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

www.ubiquitouslevitcus.com

 @Leviticus_is_fun 

https://a.co/d/04JyFESB

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Season 2 Episode 21 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

Having chosen the harder path -- the divine Presence in their midst -- the family of Abraham must now navigate that path safely. What does it mean for them to "be holy", and what does it mean for God himself to "be holy"? Is that even possible for humans?

This week, we unpack what holiness means. We will look at the distinction between "holy" and "common" and examine what either (or both) have to do with morality. We will explore what it means for a created thing (object, person, time) to be filled with the life of God, and what effects this consecration has on creation. We will ponder the claims of "ownership" that God places on his creation (objects, persons, times), and what it means to "serve" this "master". We will examine the notion of created things being "not-whole" or "incomplete", and if it is "bad" for them to be in this "common" condition. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to see the sacred and the holy all around us -- in nature, in places, in things, and in people -- even (perhaps especially) when they seem nothing but "common".

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

https://cojs.org/cult_and_sacrifice-_purity_and_holiness_in_leviticus_and_numbers-_christine_hayes-_open_yale_courses_-transcription-_2006/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/holiness-is-life/

Thumbnail image credit (left-hand side): https://www.wolfbanebooks.com/products/the-story-of-god-with-us, illustration by Aeden Peterson

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Season 2 Episode 20 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

The family of Abraham have committed a grave sin. Moses, as the mediator, is up in the divine Presence, activating the heart of Adonai to be merciful and gracious to these people. Then, he asks with boldness for something shocking: show me your glory. Will Adonai grant this request? Is that even possible, or wise?

This week, we unpack what it means to see the face of God. We will look at the distinction between his “face” and his “back,” and examine how this has played out in the history of interpretation of this passage. We will explore the offer that Adonai gives to Moses to take the easier path – without His Presence in their midst – and why Moses refuses this. We will ponder the enigmatic figure of the Angel of the Presence, and how this relates to God the Son revealed in Christ. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to shift our understanding of the hiddenness of God: perhaps, this can be seen as a mercy and not him withholding something good from us.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

https://prri.org/spotlight/unveiling-the-exodus-americans-reasons-for-leaving-religious-traditions/

https://youtu.be/R4Y0JBZtrRM?si=5kbhY7aunMnsA8dZ

https://ischristtrue.com/ancient-views/essence-energies/

https://ia600409.us.archive.org/3/items/TwoPowersInHeavenEarlyRabSegal/Two%20Powers%20in%20Heaven_%20Early%20Rab%20-%20Segal.pdf

Image Credit: https://asking-him.com/did-moses-really-see-god-the-only-human-to-glimpse-his-glory-explained/

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Season 2 Episode 19 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

The family of Abraham have committed a grave sin. They have been grotesquely unfaithful to their betrothed, Adonai, and chased after other lovers. Moses, as the mediator, is prepared to offer his own life to make atonement. But is this what Adonai wants? Does he need death to deal with sins?

This week, we take a deep dive into the central and paradigmatic self-revelation of Adonai, in Exodus 34. We will look at what it means that Adonai is merciful, and how that relates to his compassion. We will explore his grace, and ask if he needs to “repay” or if he deals in “wages” for sin. We will ponder the connection between his longsuffering character and his wrath. We will unpack what it means that he not just “has” chesed, but that he IS chesed. We will ask ourselves what it means to see Adonai as trustworthy, given all the ways in which we have experienced hurt and harm. We will clarify that he never punishes sons for the sins of the fathers, and instead restrains his wrath with his other qualities. In the end, we will meditate on what it means for Adonai to “forgive” sins: to lift them up, to carry them with us, to bear our burdens in yoked solidarity with sinful humans.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/character-of-god/

https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/series/character-of-god/

https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/bad-words/

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Season 2 Episode 18 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

Having agreed to the "house rules", the family of Abraham are on the eve of their wedding night to Adonai. Moses, as the mediator, is up on the mountain making things ready. But how long will he be gone? And will the people wait for him -- and Adonai -- or take matters into their own hands?

This week, we encounter the infamous the incident of the Golden Calf. We will look at what a "mediator/intercessor" is, and how this role brings two parties together instead of keeping them apart. We will explore the parallels of this narrative to the narrative of the First Fall, and contemplate what that means about the life that was promised to the family of Abraham. We will ponder the connection between idolatry and sexual immorality, and consider how this connects to the wrath that follows from it. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to reject all forms of idolatry -- even (or especially) the kinds which claim the Name while worshipping someone else.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES https://www.thetorah.com/article/attaining-and-forfeiting-adams-immortality-at-sinai

https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-falls-of-man/

https://hal.science/hal-04447049v1/file/beretta_the-anasyrma-fertility-ritual-in-ancient-egypt-from-hathor-to-hermaphrodius.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/spencer.owen.543/posts/pfbid02czHQdTx2Arbdu4TFEADPzL6q4k3unCWDRfqnAbAD7SorCQgDWWyWU8mBGw3cST3gl

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FB DISCUSSION GROUP / 17atr1fasd

Season 2 Episode 17 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

This is our third "How of Hurt" episode of the season! In this episode, we seek to examine what healing from trauma looks like -- focusing on the body and the brain. We will discuss how to create a "brave space", find out what it means to "suffer well", learn about resourcing vs coping, examine what mindfulness is (and what it is not), and discover several ways to help ourselves heal from trauma.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/LINKS 988 Lifeline -- https://988lifeline.org/

Find a Therapist near you -- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125057/#bibr8-1559827614550279

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=Humor&title=Experimental%20comparison%20of%20the%20psychological%20benefits%20of%20aerobic%20exercise,%20humor,%20and%20music&author=A%20Szabo&author=SE%20Ainsworth&author=PK%20Danks&volume=18&publication_year=2005&pages=235-246&

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-for-happiness/202208/what-are-grounding-techniques

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-mental-health/202405/anchoring-a-strategy-for-weathering-life

https://mainlinecounselingpartners.com/progressive-muscle-relaxation/#:~:text=Gently%20shift%20your%20attention%20to%20your%20hands.,by%20a%20feeling%20of%20calm%2C%20peaceful%20relaxation.

https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/rain-mindfulness-technique

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Season 2 Episode 16 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast

In this Expert-Teas episode, I sit down for "tea" with Mako Nagasawa to discuss a wide variety of topics. We take a look at shame and how it affects our relationship to God; we explore the true nature of justice in the Scriptures (retributive or restorative?); we discuss how empathy has been belittled and derided in our culture, and what this does to the Church. In the end, we dive deep into where our own emotions come from, if we can trust them (or not), and what they tell us about both our own nature and the nature of the Father -- who also has emotions, and who has entered into our own emotions to be able to heal those expressions of his image in us.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

Mako Nagasawa is the executive director of The Anástasis Center for Christian Education and Ministry, teaching, training, and writing on Early and Eastern Christian restorative justice. He and his wife Ming, along with their children, have lived among friends in a Christian intentional community house in their neighborhood in Dorchester. They worship at Neighborhood Church of Dorchester where Mako serves on the Elder Team. Mako did campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship from 2001 – 2014, and earned a Master of Theological Studies from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in May 2019. He is the author of Abortion Policy and Christian Social Ethics in the U.S. (2021), Christmas with Irenaeus: How Jesus Honors Creation, the Human Body, and the Human Story (2022), and Lent with Irenaeus: Journeying with Jesus Towards Becoming Truly Human (2024).

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES

www.anastasiscenter.org

(It's a Man's World: the Genesis 3:16 Effect) https://www.anastasiscenter.org/mansw... (The Emotions of God) https://www.anastasiscenter.org/emoti... (Shame and Glory) https://www.anastasiscenter.org/shame...

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Season 2 Episode 15 of the Trauma-Informed Church Kid podcast.

The family of Abraham are given the "house rules" of God's family, and are invited to partner with him in showing his heart to all the nations of the world. But has God gone far enough? Did he give them a perfect law, and if he did not -- maybe he should have?

Join us as we finish our last episode on the Sinai covenant and the so-called "Law". In this episode, we will look at the comparisons and contrasts of Adonai's torah to the ANE codes. We will explore how Adonai's torah accommodates the sinfulness and hard-heartedness of the people, using specific examples. We will ponder how we are to follow/keep Adonai's torah today, or if it no longer applies. In the end, we will challenge ourselves to follow in the footsteps of Israel: to "not do as they do" in our modern society.

I hope you will join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction! Please like, subscribe, and/or leave a comment! Leave a question on Speakpipe as well: https://www.speakpipe.com/churchkidpod

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SHOW NOTES/REFERENCES (Comparison of Torah and ANE laws) https://alhatorah.org/Ancient_Near_Eastern_Index_%E2%80%93_Parashat_Mishpatim/0?useskin=vector

(Nathan Jacobs podcast on slavery) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j9Az1fyj23uO6XuL8A974?si=Hh-Xu13dROOSYN3jxjLosA

(Spencer's sermon on John 8) https://youtu.be/rDAvzFpE5Bc?si=BlSloJrdH3jaEOwZ

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