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The midterm elections are four days out. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed's Senate race has become a referendum on whether a Muslim American can be treated as a full citizen. In California, Prop 40 asks voters whether billionaires pay a one-time tax to backfill the Medi-Cal funding the big beautiful bill took away. We cover both — plus the races and ballot measures in between. PLEASE TAKE OUR 2026 LISTENER SURVEY — five minutes, and it shapes what we build next: https://forms.gle/wxMDyggsCGLkAcCY7 We discuss: the Islamophobic rhetoric aimed at El-Sayed, the Ilhan Omar raid and the citizenship conspiracy that keeps resurfacing, the Los Angeles mayor's race between Nithya Raman and Karen Bass, Adam Hamilton and the "religious Democrat" question, and Prop 40, Prop 41, and Prop 42 on the same ballot, and we make an argument about what loving your neighbor requires of you in a voting booth. Go Deeper!Our full interview with Abdul El-Sayed — what a Muslim Senate candidate taught us about "love your neighbor" Is James Talarico the game changer the right didn't expect?Billionaires vs. The Gospel: Why You Can't Serve BothShow Notes: Jesus & The Disinherited by Howard Thurman - https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.260684/mode/2upPeter Beinart Article on Islamophobia- https://peterbeinart.substack.com/p/islamophobia-and-antisemitism-arent?utm_source=substack&publication_id=105260&post_id=221841071&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=3hsepp&triedRedirect=trueSafeBAE Tool- https://www.positive.news/society/free-tool-helps-young-men-to-take-responsibility-for-sexual-harm/“Democrats Find God” on Today Explained podcast by Vox - https://www.vox.com/today-explained-podcastDemocratic candidates must be bad Christians - https://religionnews.com/2026/10/22/democratic-candidates-must-be-bad-christians/🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links to the show and the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. #midtermelections #prop40 #abdurelsayed #islamophobia #christiannationalism#progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

Abdul El-Sayed is running to become the first Muslim U.S. Senator in American history — and he says his faith is a big part of why. In this full interview, the Michigan Democrat breaks down what "love your neighbor" actually looks like as public policy: how Christians can fight Islamophobia, why he champions Medicare for All, and what gives him hope heading into November 3. Please note that this is a replay of an episode we recorded the week of May 17th, so our political discussions focus on that news cycle. The general election is November 3, 2026. 👉 Short on time? Start at 5:00 — Abdul on how Christians can fight Islamophobia. We've been asking for more interfaith collaboration on the podcast, and this conversation delivered. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed blew us away. Dr. El-Sayed has been vocal about how his religious worldview is part of his holistic philosophy—shaping his time growing up in America and his commitment to loving his neighbors. As he loves to remind us, Dr. Carter is from Michigan, and by the end of the episode, he had all of us considering moving to the Mitten.

Dr. Khyati Joshi grew up within the small Hindu community in Cobb County, Georgia, and the only Christianity she knew was the kind that told her she was going to hell. She's a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, author of White Christian Privilege, and host of the new podcast series Mixed from Axis Mundi. Her husband is a white Episcopalian, and they chose to raise their son in both traditions, in a country that keeps asking him to pick a side. This is a conversation about families that refuse to divide and label themselves for other people's comfort. About what the Black-white binary does to a kid who is both. About why she and her husband wanted integration, not a ping-pong match. About the language that finally let her explain her own childhood, and why she rejects the labels people keep putting on her son. And about the emotional tax mixed families pay for the rest of their lives. We also get into theology, race, religion, and politics, and why Christian nationalism keeps showing up in the middle of all of it — Christopher pushes back hard on whether "you can be both" actually survives anti-Black racism, and Dr. Joshi answers him directly. Stick around to the end for the census story that proves this has always been mixed. Listen to Mixed from Axis Mundi: https://www.axismundi.us/podcasts/mixed Dr. Joshi on Substack: Mixed in America: https://khyatiyjoshi.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profkjoshi/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkhyatijoshi/?isSelfProfile=trueFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKhyatiYJoshi Show Notes:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/19/abdul-el-sayed-heckler-tommy  🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links to the show and the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. #progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

Is the death penalty anti-Christian? In this episode, we examine the Christa Pike case and discuss why state-sanctioned violence always fails Jesus' terms. Tennessee tried twice to execute Christa Pike on September 30th and failed. A week later, Pete Hegseth said he wanted the next military execution livestreamed. State violence is the throughline. We analyze the biblical arguments often used to support the death penalty, debunking common misinterpretations of scripture that attempt to justify state-sanctioned violence.  Then we discuss the broader death penalty debate, tracing how the system of mass incarceration functions as a tool for controlling marginalized bodies. We examine the history of lynching in America, drawing on James Cone’s work to highlight the chilling parallels between historical racial terror and modern calls for public executions. We conclude with a look at the humanitarian crisis in ICE detention centers and how collective action can make a difference. Content note: this episode discusses botched executions, public executions, and lynching in America. Please listen mindfully. 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links to the show and the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Show Notes Data on Botched Executions- https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/botched-executionsChristian Resistance to the Death Penalty- https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/advocacy/sentencing/the-death-penalty/CLUE Bond Fund- https://www.cluejustice.org/detained-immigrant-bond-fund/ Each Step Home: Supporting Families in Detention- https://eachstephome.org/ Catholic, evangelical leaders condemn public execution plan of Fort Hood gunman - https://religionnews.com/2026/10/09/head-of-u-s-catholic-bishops-conference-condemns-public-execution-plans-as-promoting-a-culture-of-death/The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

Tim Tebow's presentations at Life Surge events felt more like prosperity gospel tent revivals than "Christian" wealth seminars. This helps explain why so many people felt scammed. In this episode, we unpack how a $30 all-day event leads to a $97 class and then $10,000 to $50,000 tiers - often on stacked credit cards - all sold as "Kingdom Impact." We dismantle the theology behind it by unpacking the lies of the prosperity gospel: faith measured by wealth, tithing triggers miracles, doubt is demonic, and debt is faith. We end the episode discussing what a progressive theology of money could look like using one of John Wesley's famous sermons, "Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can." If you grew up hearing that suffering means lack of faith, or that questioning a pitch means the devil is talking to you - beloved, this one is for you. Doubt is discernment. It is not sin. Featuring reporting from the two-part by Pablo Torre @PabloTorreFindsOut We Investigated the Christian "Scam" Fronted by Tim Tebow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh7s2jr0b48, and From Tim Tebow to Urban Meyer: Backstage at Ohio State for Life Surge https://youtu.be/NV7tvC-lPqQ?si=NY-aEjse55norcYB, and the @MotherJones investigation into Life Surge by Kiera Butler. Please note that Tim Tebow paused his relationship with Life Surge after investigations into high-pressure Christian wealth seminars.

The theology of Christian Nationalism is light on CHRISTian and heavy on Nationalism. This framing empowers Theobros like Joshua Haymes to claim that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being," and still claim to be a Christian.  So where is Jesus in all of this? In this week's episode, we go through the four pastors named in Bob Smietana's  @ReligionNewsService essay "The Rise of the Jim Crow Theobros": Michael Spangler, Joel Webbon, Joshua Haymes, and Dale Partridge. We discuss how these men turn racism, misogyny, and Christian Nationalism into a business. We then analyze how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of Isaiah 6:8 during his Send Me tour at Texas A&M follows the same pattern of biblical misinterpretation that is used by the Theobros. We look at what the passage actually says - Isaiah is called to bring his people back to God, not to go to war. We close with Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited and some practical ways to read the Bible through the lens of love. It also covers how to act on the articles of impeachment against Hegseth, and some good news: Everest's 96-mile interfaith pilgrimage from Adelanto Detention Center to downtown Los Angeles. 📰 Read the RNS essay: "The Rise of the Jim Crow Theobros" by Bob Smietana https://religionnews.com/2026/09/24/the-rise-of-the-jim-crow-theobros/ ⚠️ Content note: This episode quotes defenses of slavery, segregation and Nazism in the speakers' own words, so that we can expose them. 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links to the show and the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected]. #ChristianNationalism #ProgressiveChristianity #Theobros #PeteHegseth #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndPolitics #Deconstruction #progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion

After deconstruction, how do you find a church that won't hurt you again? In the final episode of our series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again, we describe the journeys we each took to find belonging in a progressive church community. Deconstruction can leave you lonely.  You lost your old church, and perhaps you even lost your community. How do you find community again? What does belonging even look like after deconstruction? In this episode, we talk honestly about what a healthy faith community looks like after church hurt, why belonging is different from fitting in, and how to find a progressive church where you can ask hard questions without getting kicked out. If you're navigating  Christian deconstruction and wondering where you belong now, this is for you.  #ProgressiveChristianity #ChristianDeconstruction #ChurchHurt This is the final episode of our 4-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Episode 1, Faith Deconstruction Explained, can be found here: https://youtu.be/6Ia2JhMeXuQ Listen to the full After Deconstruction sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

After deconstruction, what's left? In Episode 3 of our series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again, we describe the faith we're actually building. We discuss why we understand God as love itself, not control and punishment. We explain why we read the Bible as revealing people's experience of God and why wrestling with interpretations in community matters, rather than seeing it as an inherent answer book. Why believing in Jesus should focus on following his Way of Life rather than prioritizing his death. And why salvation is not an escape from hell but an invitation to seek individual and collective flourishing - or, as Jesus explained it, build the beloved community "on earth as it is in heaven." In this episode we discuss: What we couldn't say out loud in the churches we came fromGod as love, immanence, and "what happens when we reach out to one another"Reading scripture through a Jesus-centered lensWhy Christianity done well centers radical inclusivity, intentional community, and advocacy for neighborsThe difference between a Christianity about Jesus and a Christianity of JesusIf you grew up in the church and something felt wrong, you're in the right place.  This is Episode 3 of our 4-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Episode 1, Faith Deconstruction Explained, can be found here: https://youtu.be/6Ia2JhMeXuQ Listen to the full After Deconstruction sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].  Show Notes JD Vance on the Antichrist- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/jd-vance-talks-end-antichrist-ai-faith-podcast-rcna595733How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns- https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-the-bible-actually-works-in-which-i-explain-how-an-ancient-ambiguous-and-diverse-book-leads-us-to-wisdom-rather-than-answers-and-why-that-s-gr/a8149cd61e6ece66Together California Foster Village Opens- https://variety.com/2026/film/actors/christian-bale-opens-foster-care-village-1236860641/ Ed Sheeran’s Tour Falls Apart- https://www.theguardian.com/music/commentisfree/2026/sep/16/ed-sheeran-macklemore-loop-tour-support-acts-quit-robert-kraft#ProgressiveChristianity #ChristianDeconstruction #ReconstructingFaith #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

What's the difference between the religion OF Jesus and the religion ABOUT Jesus? A lot, and for those deconstructing Christianity, the difference means so much. This is Episode 2 of our 4-part series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again. The religion OF Jesus is a spiritual path of radical compassion. It emphasizes love of neighbor, welcoming the outcast, questioning power, and personal transformation. The religion ABOUT Jesus is what happened when Empire, oppressive hierarchy, and economic control co-opted that message. From the Edict of Milan and the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) to biblical inerrancy and Christian Nationalism. In this episode, we reframe: • Sin as "a failure to bother to love" — not a rulebook• Repentance as returning from exile and changing your mind• Salvation as ongoing transformation, not a transaction• The Kingdom of God as already among you — not a future apocalypse We also discuss how Paul blurs the distinction between a religion of Jesus and a religion about Jesus, why Biblical Inerrancy is practically brand new (early 1900's), and how Jesus touching the ritually unclean was a radical act of inclusion and how this connects to trans people, immigrants, and disabled folks today. This is Episode 2 of our 3-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Please check out episode 104, Faith Deconstruction Explained, if you haven't listened to it already! Listen to the full sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Links mentioned this episode: US Government creates video games about capturing immigrants- Arcade.govJesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman- https://www.beacon.org/Jesus-and-the-Disinherited-P1781.aspxWorld Map Change: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/04/nx-s1-5958611/africa-world-map-un-vote#ProgressiveChristianity #DeconstructingChristianity #ReligionOfJesus #FaithDeconstruction #KingdomOfGod #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

Is deconstructing Christianity the end of your faith — or the beginning? This is Episode 1 of our 4-part series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again. If you grew up in church and something started feeling off — like the Christianity around you didn't match the Jesus you read about — this is for you. In this episode, we share when our questions began, why doubt isn't failure, and how to rebuild a faith big enough to hold mystery, grief, and justice.   We discuss what deconstruction is and what it isn't, Adam Grant's Think Again hierarchy (cult leader → learner), Fowler's Stages of Faith (why stage 4 questioning is maturity, not rebellion), Jesus in Mark 2:13-17 redefining sin as a failure to bother to love, betrayal trauma in the church, the horseshoe of shame after purity culture, and why some people walk away while others stay to rebuild.   Plus: why Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" reality show perfectly captures the fear of being "brainwashed" by college, and why Dolly Parton's radical hospitality might be the best sermon you'll hear this week.   This is a 4-part series tied to Dr. Carter's 7-week sermon series at The Loft - links below. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_directSocial links - https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians📧 Ideas for the show? [email protected]🎧 Available on all podcast platforms — new episodes every Friday Show Notes: Think Again by Adam Grant https://adamgrant.net/book/think-again/ Hierarchy of Thinking Styles https://wheatandtares.org/2022/07/13/adam-grants-thinking-styles/ The Religion of Whiteness- https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-religion-of-whiteness-9780197746288 Singers of Soul- https://www.instagram.com/singersofsoul/?hl=en https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/cities-terminate-flock-contracts-at-record-pace-in-august/

It feels like the end times - Christian Nationalism, war in Iran, and we can't even trust that our food is safe to eat anymore. A lot of people are carrying summertime sadness and doom-loop anxiety. Given this, what does eschatology actually teach, and how does bad end-times theology fuel fear? In this episode, we unpack eschatology (the study of the end times) beyond Left Behind theology. We map pre-millennial vs. amillennial vs. realized eschatology, explain why Revelation is resistance literature, not a prophecy chart, and trace how apocalyptic fear is used to justify Christian Nationalism, war, and "invasion" rhetoric about immigration — and how a progressive eschatology of hope teaches salvation as a way of life lived in community. We get honest about doomscrolling, heat waves, and why tech billionaires build bunkers while the rest of us just feel tired — and offer 3 practices to hold sadness without spiraling. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going  https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct CHAPTERS: 0:00 Cold Open - Why Everything Feels Like the End 4:45 Book Contest Winners! 7:10 Why Everything Feels Apocalyptic 13:47 What Is Eschatology & The Dangers of Misinterpreting Revelation 18:33 Reading Revelation as a Resistance Narrative 24:55 Different Ways of Thinking About Eschatology (The End Times) 29:26 Premillennialism vs Postmillennialism 40:50 How fear-based Eschatology fuels Greed, Christian Nationalism & War 51:10 Hope as practice: salvation as a way of life 1:06:24 Shout Out to Michael - Our Listeners Give Us Hope 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].

In this episode, we unpack the Texas Senate race between State Rep. James Talarico and State Attorney General Ken Paxton as a theological case study, rather than a political race. Both say they were sent by God - they're reading the same Bible, and yet, two very different Christianities emerge. In their own words: "I truly believe that God just delivered me, not because I'm a great person because God is sovereign and he does what he wants to do." — Ken Paxton "Scripture says you can't love God and hate other people. You can't love God and abuse the immigrant. You can't love God and bully the outcast. You can't love God and oppress the poor." — James Talarico Can both be faithful readings of the same Jesus?  We trace the debate through: • Providence vs. partnership — is God delivering election results, or inviting us into co-creation? • Christian Nationalism on the ballot — why Talarico called the Texas Ten Commandments bill "idolatrous, exclusionary, and arrogant," and why Rev. Blair calls it "not about the content, it's about the imposition of belief." • The Civil War as a Theological Crisis — how pro-slavery Christians proof-texted "slaves, obey your masters" while abolitionists asked what God reveals about human flourishing, and why we're having the same fight 160 years later. • The sin of dehumanization — "Unless and until we address the sin of dehumanization, we're going to have the same argument over and over again" CHAPTERS: 0:00 Cold Open 4:25 Two Visions of Christianity in Texas 11:32 The Theology of Providence 18:30 James Talarico - Exegesis, Not Culture War 22:05 Unpacking Ken Paxton's Theological Claims 26:04 How Whiteness is framed as Divine 37:02 The Dangers of Divine Election Allied with Political Power 48:02 The Roots of the Talarico & Paxton Theological Debate Are In The Civil War 1:00:00 The Debate US Christians Refuse to Have - Christianity & Dehumanization 1:14:40 Good News! A Victory for Gender-Affirming Care  Show Notes Ken Paxton and James Talarico-  https://religionnews.com/2026/08/13/paxton-talarico-tap-contrary-versions-of-god-and-christianity-in-appeal-to-texas-voters/White Too Long by Robert P. Jones-  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/White-Too-Long/Robert-P-Jones/9781982122874Undoing Conquest by Kate Common-  https://orbisbooks.com/products/undoing-conquest-ancient-israel-the-bible-and-the-future-of-christianityThe Civil War as Theological Crisis by Mark Noll-  https://uncpress.org/9781469621814/the-civil-war-as-a-theological-crisis/Maine Protects trans healthcare for youth-  https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/maine-continues-gender-affirming-care🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].  #progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast #JamesTalarico #KenPaxton #ChristianNationalism #TexasSenate

Is wellness culture actually spiritual, or just another consumer trend? If you identify as spiritual but not religious, there is no shortage of wellness trends promising peace and health without the "baggage" of religion. But when you remove the religious meaning from practices like yoga, you are left with a pretty shallow spiritual practice. This week we sit down with scholar and author Liz Bucar to dig into her new book, Beyond Wellness. Liz's argument: wellness culture — Goop, energy healing, "manifesting your best life" — runs on Protestant theology with the "god" quietly removed. To go mainstream, every wellness practice had to be "Protestantized": individualized, interior, something you do alone. We go deep on: * The "Not God" problem — Liz's candid story about her father's alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous, and why the hardest and most theological step in recovery is simply admitting I am not the higher power. *Why individualism fails us — Liz's case that real community isn't just who shows up for you, it's who you show up for, and that comes with actual obligation Tech-bro eschatology — how a pessimistic belief that "AI is going to kill us all anyway" quietly gives billionaires permission to stop being ethical right now * Race, whiteness, and wellness culture — why Liz naming her own entitlement as a white scholar matters, and how that framing lands differently than when marginalized voices are forced to do it alone * Discomfort vs. danger — the distinction that growth requires sitting in discomfort, and that our instinct to avoid it is really a desire for control This conversation also continues a real dialogue between our two projects: our take on one of Liz's Substack essays shaped an earlier episode of ours on State Rep. James Talarico — and Liz wrote a follow-up essay directly responding to what we said. Read both: "What if Trevor  Noah  is right about..." and her response, "Your Eschatology Is Showing." Chapters: 0:00 - Cold Open & The Hidden Religious Roots of Wellness Culture 5:18 - Meet Dr. Liz Bucar, author of Beyond Wellness 7:25 - Social Media & The Evolution of Theological Discourse 11:44 - Why We Need to Talk About Religious Appropriation 16:00 - How Do We Navigate Boundaries in Spiritual Spaces? 20:42 - Defining "Religion" in the Modern Era 33:12 - The Radical Act of Accepting That You Are Not God 56:34 - Detaching Shame from Our Relationship with Food 1:08:30 - Closing thoughts & Good News! 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe! Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].  Show notes: Liz Bucar can be found on Instagram and TikTok as @LizBucar, and you can subscribe to her Substack at https://lizbucar.substack.com/. You can find all of her books on her website at https://www.lizbucar.com/books. Brian Johnson's religious roots- https://religionunplugged.com/news/2025/2/4/bryan-johnson-says-he-wants-to-live-forever-what-does-he-really-wantCrime Rates fall in New York City- https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/PR009/nypd-fewest-murders-shooting-incidents-shooting-victims-recorded-history-the NYC Affordable Housing- https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/mamdani-affordable-housing-lift-tracker

We're celebrating 100 episodes 🥳 and marking it with a book giveaway! And by discussing the kind of accusation that led us to start this podcast in the first place. If progressive Christians disagree with conservative Christians about what the core of the faith requires, does that make us not Christian?  A new report from Religion News Service shows Republican politicians questioning whether Democratic clergy are "real" pastors or "real" Christians at all. This is an old tactic, and in this episode we discuss this specific story and how to respond to the accusation that if you're a progressive Christian then you're not a real Christian. We unpack the theological history behind who gets to claim "real" Christianity, and rearticulate the vision that's carried this podcast for 100 episodes: progressive theology isn't a departure from 2,000 years of Christian history. It's rooted in it.  Whether you've been with us since episode one or you just found us this month, this one's for you. 📚 Book Giveaway! 📚Leave a comment on YouTube describing one thing you've learned from listening to this podcast over the last 100 episodes. We'll select 5 random commenters to win a book selected by a member of the pod with a personal note. We will announce the winners on our August 14th episode. 🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms. 💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct 📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! Chapters 0:00 Cold Open/When Your Faith Is Questioned 3:58 Intro & Celebrating 100 Episodes 10:31 Why Do Conservatives Question Our Faith? 18:53 Deconstructing Conservative Views of the Christian Way of Life 28:28 Why Progressive Ideas Feel Threatening 42:39 Book Giveaway! 44:50 Why We Started This Podcast 58:25 The Mission and Vision of Our Podcast & What's Next 1:04:20 Good News & Closing

This episode is for all of our book lovers! We're big readers here, and we're always getting questions about what we're reading and what we would recommend. Join our biggest readers: Rev Blair, Dr. Carter, and Julia - as we discuss our faves from fiction to nonfiction, political to fluff, old and new. And drop your faves in the comments! (*Frequent listeners will know that Julia's 'pastor' status is a hotly debated inside joke on the pod, but Julia is currently getting her MDIV so she is pursuing the educational path of a pastor) Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro/ Audiobook Vs. Physical 6:50 - Julia's Fav Fiction 12:00 - Blair's Fav Fiction 16:00 - Dr. Carter's Fav Fiction 22:00 - Julia's Fav Nonfiction 25:30 - Blair's Fav Nonfiction 29:00 - Dr.Carter's Fav Nonfiction 41:00 - Good News! Show Notes: -Book Publisher's Lawsuit: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/106RoOj7pQS_sevr0KVa-ftU6-QdnIo1zlsYVuPaB7-0/edit?usp=sharing The Progressive Christians Podcast is available on all podcast platforms, TikTok, and Instagram. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians  Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! If you love the show, please sign up to become a supporter of The Progressive Christians Podcast! You can choose to make a one-time or monthly donation, and your support is tax-deductible. We need your support to continue and grow this outreach ministry. You can sign up to support us here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at [email protected].  Music by Coma-Media Song: Jazzy Abstract Beat_Chops CCLI License # - 11067347 CCLI Streaming Plus # - 22121889 OneLicense.net # - A-712504 CCS PerforMusic # - PML10767 #progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast