Advertise on podcast: Reclaiming the Garden

In this episode, we discuss the gay Christian author Matthew Vines and how he and his organization, The Reformation Project, have been churning out bad takes for the past several years. He's been doubling down on purity culture, respectability politics, and whiteness, and we didn't think he could dig deeper--but then he did with his article published in the New York Times on the last day of Pride Month, "I'm Gay. Not Queer. It Matters." We try to figure out who this article is even for (maybe consider why people thought your article was trans exclusionary???) and lament that Matthew seems afraid of the wondrous and capacious beauty of the LGBTQ+ community. Articles/media mentioned or quoted in this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/opinion/queer-gay-rights.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uFA.YRIy.QT2sDjOEJ-_i&smid=nytcore-ios-sharehttps://reformationproject.org/about/ https://medium.com/@anayelsivelascosanchez/when-organizations-devolve-the-whitewashing-of-the-reformation-project-fda9b24cc24fhttps://www.instagram.com/p/DRLaswAAVak/  Matthew Vines having a conversation with TERFs:https://www.louiseperry.co.uk/p/the-gay-rights-movement-got-it-wrong Matthew Vines talking about the "dangers" of "Side Q": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NvjpyymhKc Our friends Billie and Celeste react to Vines' article: https://substack.com/home/post/p-204736875

In this episode, we have a conversation with author, Youtuber and friend of the pod Damon Garcia! He discusses his new book, You Don't Need a Calling: An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto for a Life of Purpose, and the experiences that led him to write it. We discuss how capitalism impacts our theologies about purpose/vocation and how we can break free of those frameworks. If you have a trad wife or red-pilled guy in your life, maybe give them Damon's book to help them see that the biggest problem in our society is actually capitalism. Link to preorder/purchase Damon's book: https://www.damongarcia.com/calling

In this episode, Anna and April talk about artificial intelligence from a progressive Christian standpoint, asking the question, "Does this contribute to human flourishing?" The answer, the majority of the time, is no. There are some ethical uses of AI in the science and medical fields (earlier diagnosis for disease, data sorting and analysis), but that is not what billionaires and governments are pouring money into. The AI corporations are funding surveillance systems, military tech, and large language models and image generators that are being sold to the masses as a replacement for creativity and companionship, two core parts of our humanity. We must resist the push of AI into every aspect of our lives, we must reject the idea that it is inevitable. April and Anna give their thoughts on a way forward where we advocate for dataprivacy protections and regulations that actually hold the AI companies accountable (NOT age/ID verification to be clear, we are against surveillance capitalism) and prevent people from harming themselves or others. We also discuss the cultural need for media literacy around AI content and how parents need to take an active and mindful role in how their kids/teens use technology, including AI. https://fortune.com/2023/06/08/sam-altman-openai-chatgpt-worries-15-quotes/ https://newpol.org/issue_post/the-leftist-alternative-to-artificial-intelligence/

In this episode, Anna and April wrestle with the theological ideas of loving one's enemy and believing that all people will one day be reconciled to one another and to God. Not believing in eternal conscious torment is good news for the folks who have felt condemned by the church, but what about the people whose deeds are so evil? How is reconciliation possible? We don't whitewash what our enemies do (and out of love we oppose their destructive actions), but we do wish for all folks to be free of hatred and to make amends for the harm they have done because that will make them whole-- whether that wholeness comes in this life or the world to come, whether it takes an eternity for someone like Trump or Kirk repent, is up to them and what legacy they want to leave on earth. The book by CS Lewis that April could not remember was The Great Divorce.

In this episode, we talk about the performative phenomenon taking over social media: trad wives. If you search the term on Instagram, you'll find hundreds of women promoting a false fantasy of a 1950s housewife in an attempt to make money from other women who desire this lifestyle. It's a way for fundamentalist Christian/LDS women to make an income in this capitalist hellscape while keeping up the appearance of being a homemaker. We talk about the more well-known trad wives like Hannah Neeleman and Alena Kate Pettitt, as well as the lesser known ones. And we talk about a woman who predicted the trad wife movement in how she made a career out of telling women to stay in the home, Phyllis Schlafly. Resources used in this episode: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-trad-wifeWe have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a conversation with queer filmmaker and writer Brianna da Silva! Brianna shares how her political views have gone even more to the left in the past few years, and she discusses the inspirations and vision behind the short film she is crowdfunding for, Guardian.  You can find Brianna on Instagram @curiousstoryteller and on Bluesky and TikTok by searching her name. You can sign up to get more information about her short film and its crowdfunding campaign here:  https://tinyurl.com/guardian-film  We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a conversation about how we’ve been doing the past few months (sometimes not so great but we’re doing our best), we share our reactions to the absolute b******t going on in the federal government (do something Dems!!! And f**k the white man billionaires running everything), and we also share stories about our respective work in youth development and therapy as a way to end the episode on a lighter note–the kids are alright, and we as folks in helping professions can support them through this. We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

To celebrate four (!) years of the pod and April’s 27th birthday, we had a conversation with April’s Mama Beth Little! Beth shares about her upbringing at a Methodist church in Maryland, and how she ended up choosing to bring her family to “nondenominational” churches (was not the politics or theology, but the more casual atmosphere and contemporary music) in the early 2000s. April and Beth reflect on how their spiritual journeys impacted each other, including the car conversation where Beth became LGBTQ+ affirming before April did. And of course we discuss the political clusterfuck that is the United States right now. You can find Beth (and her husband Ron) on Bluesky @beth-ron1987. We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we get down and dirty and nerdy with the Hebrew Bible text known as Ruth. What seems like a heterosexual love story to evangelicals (between Ruth and Boaz) actually has a lot of queerness in it–two women, Ruth and Naomi, who profess their commitment to one another, and Boaz, who never expresses desire for Ruth or any other woman, only a duty to his family line. We explore the ways in which this narrative embraces non-normative family structures and the complicated aspects of Ruth and Naomi’s relationship as well (was there possible exploitation of Ruth for Naomi’s financial gain?). We also talk about the story’s message of welcoming the foreigner and how Ruth directly contrasts with other biblical texts that prohibit the marriage of foreign women with Israelites. Oh, and of course, April brings up the stupid Panera sermon metaphor. There were no asiago bagels on the threshing floor, young adults pastor! Bibliography: “Un-Straightening Boaz in Ruth Scholarship” by Brett Krutzsch “Even unto this Bitter Loving”: Unhappiness and Backward Feelings in Ruth, by Rhiannon Graybill https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-31-2/commentary-on-ruth-11-18-3 https://www.wilgafney.com/2024/07/21/how-long-o-lord-is-a-womanish-question/ “Traffic Violations” by Fulata Lusigu Moyo We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a conversation with writer and Anabaptist radical Billie Hoard! Billie talks about her faith journey growing up evangelical in the 80s, how she learned to ask questions without needing to reach a certain conclusion, and how she realized she was a trans woman. Billie also discusses her experience in the Vineyard Church movement and how the church where “everyone gets to play” kicked her out of leadership due to her stance of affirming LGBTQ+ people (boo!!!). You can find Billie on Instagram and Bluesky @billieiswriting and on her Substack. Want to join us at QCF in Atlanta next week? Use the code BIBLE DYKES to receive 10% off in-person registration: https://www.qcfconf.org/  Registration link for Eucontamination Dinner on Wednesday Jan. 22nd: https://www.qcfconf.org/liturgy-of-eucontamination  We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a chat with our friends Andy and Briana about what happened this year in the worlds of religion, faith, and politics . In the midst of the daunting rise of christofascism and other forms of oppression, we find strength in how our communities are stepping up to care for one another. We also share personal important moments that happened in each of our lives this year.  Want to join us at QCF Conf from Jan. 23-26th? Use the code BIBLE DYKES to receive 10% off in-person registration: https://www.qcfconf.org/  RNS article: https://religionnews.com/2024/12/27/the-top-10-religion-stories-of-2024-whats-old-is-news-again/  Briana’s published short story: https://www.hauntedwordspress.com/issues  We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we discuss the theological concept of the Trinity–God as Creator of the universe, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Holy Spirit. April gives the historical context for how the early church wrestled to explain their experiences with God within their own cultural context, and how folks argued over words in the creeds–some of it was about conviction, but it was also a power struggle. Ultimately, the early church and all Christians since have been grasping at language to a Mystery that cannot be defined. April and Anna find resonance in the idea that God is love, so of course God would be a community of self-giving and receiving love with Themself–and God invites us to join in that ecstatic dance of Love. We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, April and Anna pour out our anger and grief over the 2024 election in which the majority of voters chose a fascist rapist to lead the country. We talk about how we’ve been checking in with our queer kin and other loved ones this past week, and how we are balancing our well-founded fears about the future with our hopes that our communities will fight for each other’s safety and well-being. While being realistic about the hard work that lies ahead of us (white people, step up and leverage your privilege!), we also cannot give in to doomerism because it’s like rapture theology that leads people to feel helpless.We are not going to be silent, we’re here and we’re queer and we will not let Christian Nationalists take away our joy and resilience. If you are craving community, consider going to the Q Christian Fellowship Conference in January (not sponsored): https://www.qcfconf.org/  We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a conversation with PhD student, progressive Christian, and April’s token straight best friend, Reagan Page! Reagan talks about her upbringing in liberal Christianity, her time in Seattle as a UMC service fellow, and her thoughts on the state of our country and the upcoming presidential election. Just like us, she has a lot of concerns going into November, especially around what political violence may happen no matter what the outcome is,  but Reagan is also hopeful about people continuing to connect to their local communities and starting social change from the ground up.Go and vote if you haven’t yet, and keep in mind your marginalized neighbors as you fill out the ballot! We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!

In this episode, we have a conversation with author Brandon Flanery! He shares his journey of going from being a YWAM evangelist in Germany yelling on street corners about how he “escaped homosexuality” to accepting his queerness as a blessing and exploring his spirituality. You can find Brandon on Instagram @flanbran. You can find links to purchase his book, Stumbling: A Sassy Memoir about Coming Out of Evangelicalism, on his website. We have merch! Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee and more here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/rtgardenpodcast/shop  Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd and @April_TheWriter. Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!