Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Untidy Faith

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Kat Armas for a conversation about what “empire” actually means once you strip away the buzzword—and why decolonizing your bookshelf and diversifying it are not the same project.

Topics Covered

* How empire shifted from a ruler over his own people to an ambition that metastasized, and why the US is an imperial state even without an emperor

* Why the Bible’s language is so imperial, including Heaven itself, and what that tells us about the people writing it

* Who gets to decide what counts as wisdom, and what changes when you notice wisdom in Scripture is a woman shouting in the street

* Why empire has no imagination (it’s been running the same tired playbook since Rome) but we do

* The Quechua hummingbird story that reframes what meaningful resistance actually looks like

Timestamps:01:00 Why “Empire” and “Decolonize” Became Buzzwords04:00 A Working Definition of Empire07:00 How Imperial Ideology Gets Woven Into Faith13:00 The Bible Isn’t an Anti-Imperial Manifesto16:00 What Cuban American Formation Reveals That Western Readings Miss21:00 Empire Begins as Story, Then Calcifies Into Systems26:00 Imagine Smaller: The Hummingbird Drop31:00 Empire Doesn’t Just Live Out There, It Lives In Us37:00 Why Liturgy Is Subversive42:00 Finding Kat’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Anna Rollins, author of Famished: On Food, Sex, and Growing Up as a “Good Girl,” for a conversation about the shared script underneath purity culture and diet culture—and why knowing the promise is false doesn’t make it stop working on us.

Topics Covered

* The pattern Anna kept finding in her own private writing before she had a name for it, and what scarcity, smallness, and shrinking appetite had to do with each other

* Why “control your appetite and you’ll be safe” persists even for women who see through it, and the very real thing it’s rooted in

* What internalized fundamentalism looks like once the original system is gone, including inside body positivity

* How to tell rigidity from conviction, and where each one shows up in the body

* What “reclaiming appetite” actually looks like on a normal Tuesday, and why it’s rarely about food

Timestamps:01:00 Noticing the Pattern in Her Own Writing03:00 Why the Promise Is Durable Even When You Know Better06:00 Fundamentalism That Follows You Into New Systems11:00 Wellness Language as Code and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders13:00 Telling Rigidity from Conviction18:00 Shame, Guilt, and Where the Hope Lives20:00 Why Healing Body Shame Shifts Your Relationship With God24:00 Reclaiming Appetite on a Normal Tuesday31:00 For Anyone Still in the Middle of It35:00 Finding the Book and Anna’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Kristin Mockler Young, author of The Other Side of Certainty, for a conversation about what certainty is actually doing for us—and why the thing we were handed as faith might have been a tool for detachment all along.

Topics Covered

* The cynical-but-true reason certainty appeals to people who don’t know what to do with hard emotions or injustice

* Why a faith that shatters and a faith that holds questions often come down to how the hard thing arrived

* What people gain when they trade black-and-white belief for something roomier, and the loss almost nobody escapes

* How certainty gets tangled up with identity and belonging, and why your people find it easier to let you go than face their own dissonance

* The question Kristin is still sitting in, and why she’s not rushing to resolve it

Timestamps:01:00 What Certainty Is Actually Doing for People04:00 The Difference Between Rooting Yourself in God and in What You Know About God09:00 What You Gain and What You Lose14:00 The Disorienting Moment You Notice the Cracks16:00 Authority vs. Power and How We Got Out of Balance17:00 How to Practice Curiosity When You Weren’t Trained For It20:00 Sitting in Not-Knowing Without Rushing23:00 The Question Kristin Hasn’t Resolved25:00 Finding the Book and Kristin’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Tyler Hill for a conversation about what changes when you start your story with belovedness instead of brokenness—and why the exhaustion so many of us carry comes from chasing something we’ve had in our pocket the whole time.

Topics Covered

* The breathwork session that gave Tyler a visceral image of the womb, and what it revealed about his very first knowing

* Henri Nouwen’s three biggest lies (I am what I have, what I do, what others say) and how they become the raw material for a false self

* Why belovedness isn’t spiritual bypassing, and what Tyler learned about it from people in prison who can’t hang their hat on their morality

* The unexpected first spiritual practice Tyler prescribes, and why it involves $100 and an outfit you actually love

* What’s hardest to let go of when you awaken to your true self, and it isn’t the theology

Timestamps:03:00 The Six Months When Everything Fell Apart05:00 “Nothing to Prove, Nothing to Lose” and Why It Felt Like a Lie11:00 Baseball Tyler and the Making of a False Self18:00 The Practical Cost of Living from the False Self22:00 Belovedness That Isn’t Cheap Grace or Positive Thinking26:00 On-Ramps That Don’t Feel Like Obligation30:00 The Burning Bush and the Practice of Curiosity38:00 What You Have to Let Go Of46:00 Why Belovedness Requires a Feminine God47:00 How to Know You’re Living It, Not Just Believing It53:00 Finding Tyler’s Work and Monday Morning Blessings

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Kristel Acevedo, author of Liberated at the Cross, for a conversation about what we lose when the cross gets flattened into a single transaction—and why a theology that has been used to justify suffering, silence, and submission might actually be the one that sets us free.

Topics Covered

* Why picking one atonement theory and calling the rest trash doesn’t square with a God who pursues relationship over and over

* What it means that Jesus wasn’t a victim of the cross, and how that reframes the whole event for people who’ve been handed it as guilt

* How liberation theology’s systemic lens challenges the individualism of Western evangelicalism without abandoning personal faith

* Why Kristel spent years downplaying her Latinidad in white-majority spaces, and what changed when someone asked her to write from her culture

* The one thing the church would stop doing if it took liberation at the cross seriously (hint: it involves looking away)

Timestamps:02:00 Beyond Transaction: Meaning and Method at the Cross05:00 When the Cross Has Been Used Against You10:00 Catholic Guilt and the Crucifix That Said “You Did This”13:00 Why “Liberated” and Not Some Other Word18:00 What a Latina Perspective Reveals About the Cross22:00 What the Church Would Stop Doing23:00 What a Cross-Shaped Life Actually Looks Like24:00 Finding the Study and Kristel’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Elizabeth Berget, author of Love Like a Mother, for a conversation about what happens when we take maternal metaphors for God as seriously as paternal ones—and why the church’s exclusion of feminine language for God isn’t just theologically incomplete but leaves women spiritually homeless in motherhood.

Topics Covered

* What gets quietly excluded when “God the Father” is our only or primary image

* How the Hebrew word for God’s compassion (rachum) in Exodus 34:6—God’s first self-description—is tied to the word for womb (rechem)

* How motherhood becomes a spiritual desert when your brain changes more than any other point in life (including puberty) but nobody tells you to expect your faith to change, and churches assume laziness instead of recognizing you’re doing a lot

* The disconnect between how motherhood is emphasized in church circles but under-resourced spiritually

* What’s at stake if we keep handing people a God who can only be described in paternal terms

Timestamps:

01:00 What We Describe and Exclude with “God the Father”

06:00 All God Language Is Metaphor (We Forgot That)

10:00 Why Motherhood Feels Like a Spiritual Desert

16:00 Rachum: God’s Maternal Compassion Lost in Translation

23:00 Embodied Verbs and the Incarnational God

29:00 What Spiritual Formation Actually Looks Like for Mothers

35:00 What’s at Stake When We Exclude Feminine Language

37:00 Finding the Book and Elizabeth’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Celeste Irwin for an honest conversation about what it’s like to be trans in Christian spaces—from childhood shame over “transy thoughts” with no language for them, to losing every friend when coming out, to discovering that transition feels like being literally raised to life.

Celeste Irwin is a transgender, lesbian woman and a survivor of a spiritually abusive evangelical church network. She’s written in-depth about her experiences in that network, and she now writes and speaks about issues affecting transgender people, including queer inclusion in Christian spaces.

Topics Covered

* Why even as a child Celeste knew “this is the thing I can’t confess”—different from sins you talk about in small group, this was something that would “really mess stuff up” if she stared at it too long

* The cost of exile like losing most friends when leaving evangelicalism, then losing the rest when coming out as trans

* What churches miss without trans people:

* Why queer exclusion is spiritual abuse

* The three things Celeste is tired of saying but will say for us anyway:

* How the movie Moana captures trans joy best

Timestamps:

02:00 Primary School “Transy Thoughts” and Unconfessable Shame

10:00 The Cost of Exile: Losing 20-Year Friendships

14:00 What the Church Loses Without the Trans Limb

22:00 Names, Identity, and “Your Identity Should Be in Christ”

28:00 Three Things Celeste Is Tired of Saying (But Will Say Again)

36:00 Why Becoming Affirming Requires Actual Repentance

40:00 What Intellectual Arguments Miss: The People

46:00 Trans Joy: Skirt Go Spinny and Te Fiti’s Heart Restored

54:00 What a Church That Genuinely Welcomes Trans People Looks Like

58:00 The Pride Month Challenge: Education Work Required

Links

https://www.celestefinally.com

https://www.youtube.com/@Celestial-Navigation

https://www.notovercome.org

Join me and Alisha Roth for a honest conversation about what it takes to leave a marriage when you’ve done everything “right”—the Christian college, the missionary training, the four daughters—and why the church’s fear and control around divorce leaves women trapped in unsafe situations.

Topics Covered

* The question that changed everything and why the answer unlocked self-love Alisha couldn’t access when it was just about her own safety

* Why “your husband has a right to your body” made it impossible to trust what her body already knew, and how one therapist naming abuse as abuse cracked open the church bubble keeping her trapped

* The stat the church doesn’t want you to know

* Why women who choose to leave face different judgment than women who get left

* What happened when Alisha’s therapist refused to tell her whether to get divorced—and why learning that taking ownership of your own life (instead of keeping everyone else happy) is the holy work

Timestamps:

01:00 When Everything Looks Right But Something’s Wrong

05:00 Having Someone Name the Abuse Changes Everything

10:00 Why the Church Blames Women Who Leave

15:00 Fear, Control, and Managing God’s Image

20:00 Finding Hope and Community After Loss

24:00 Why It Matters to Talk About Choosing to Leave

29:00 Taking Ownership: “I Have to Make This Decision”

32:00 Rebuilding Faith: Love Over Rules

35:00 Finding the Book and Alisha’s Work

Join us for this podcast crossover episode! I’m bringing you our I Read Something Bad discussion about bad Christian art. If you’re into spicy fantasy books and spiritual formation, check out I Read Something Bad Podcast biweekly!

Today your Matron Saints of Spice are tackling the ever-controversial question of why so much Christian art feels thin, didactic, and aesthetically weak—and just plain BAD.

We’re getting real about how flattening the Bible into surface-level application points has destroyed our capacity to engage layers in any medium, why making Ruth and Boaz into a love story completely misses the point about welcoming the stranger, and how capitalism turned humans into resources to be used up—which means our entire identity got wrapped up in usefulness instead of Imago Dei.

Topics Covered:

* The definition of good art as opening perception and making room for the reader versus bad art that reduces experience to propaganda with predetermined conclusions

* Why Christian art often fails the hospitality test—inviting someone over just to lecture them about what to believe instead of offering actual coffee and conversation

* Post-Reformation history of shifting from visual imagery (icons, stained glass) to language-only emphasis, and how the printing press made accessibility a priority that accidentally flattened everything

* The Enlightenment’s need for certainty, empirical knowledge, and being on the same page—which bled into making messages crystal clear at the expense of mystery and layers

* How “Facing the Giants” versus “Remember the Titans” shows the difference between heavy-handed Christian messaging and wrestling with justice/humanity through storytelling

* Why Ruth and Boaz isn’t a romance about finding your person—it’s about Boaz depicting how Jesus welcomes strangers and provides for the vulnerable (Ruth said “where you go I will go” to NAOMI, people)

* The collapse of context and layers in Bible reading, and how treating Scripture as flat application points instead of artistic literature kills our ability to engage depth anywhere else

* How usefulness became our framework for existence instead of beauty, and why that’s devastating when your productivity disappears but you’re still made in the image of a creative God

Good art invites wonder and makes space for mystery. Bad art tells you exactly what to think and then wonders why you’re not engaged. 🎨✝️📖

Timestamps:

02:00 Defining Good Art: Hospitality vs Heavy-Handed Messaging

06:00 Intimacy and Openness as Framework for Beauty

09:00 Why People Want to Be Told What to Think vs Asking Questions

11:00 Facing the Giants vs Remember the Titans: What We’re Wrestling With

14:00 Stained Glass Windows vs Sharpie Statements: Losing the Layers

16:00 Post-Reformation Shift from Visual to Language-Only Emphasis

20:00 Teen Talent Competitions and Performing for God’s Glory

23:00 When Church Art Became Branded Word Art from Hobby Lobby

25:00 Iconoclasm and What We Lost by Rejecting Visual Beauty

28:00 Ruth and Boaz Isn’t a Love Story About Finding Your Person 3

1:00 Reading the Bible with Layers: Literature, Language, Lifetime, Lenses

34:00 Why Translation Is Always Interpretation

37:00 Ruth After Proverbs 31: She’s the Woman of Valor, Actually

39:00 When Usefulness Disappears and You Lose Your Framework for Beauty

41:00 Imago Dei Isn’t Broken or a Mission to Accomplish—It Just Is

43:00 Capitalism Turned Humans Into Resources to Be Used Up

45:00 Creating Without Goals: The Church Art Studio Experiment

47:00 Redeeming Love Scammed Us (The Bible Story Is Different, Y’all)

50:00 Mount Pilgrim’s Stained Glass: Good Christian Art That Inspires Justice

In this episode …

Topics Covered

* Understanding the difference between performance and presence

* How busyness and transactional living keeps us from noticing sacredness, but the deeper barrier is internal fear—not of other people but of what we might reveal if we stopped performing and showed up authentic

* Why conversation as sacrament doesn’t mean using Christianese or performing religiosity, but practicing noticing these moments as important (maybe even sacred) until you graduate into sensing holiness far more often than you used to

* The radical claim that if you just pay attention you’d find one or two moments that were everything you’ve been looking for in the next week

* Changing our mindset around interactions to being sacred rather than battlefields

Timestamps:

01:00 Everyday Sacredness and the Fear People Will Miss It

04:00 Reclaiming “Church” as the Space Between Us

09:00 Performance vs. Presence: The Conditioning That Keeps Us Safe

14:00 Finding Freedom to Just Be in the Pews

19:00 What Keeps Us from Seeing the Ordinary as Holy

26:00 The Holy Work of Silence and Listening

31:00 Abiding in the Vine: Relationship as Spiritual Practice 3

6:00 Practicing Sacred Conversation Like Crooked Yoga

40:00 What Changes When We Notice This Moment Matters

43:00 Finding the Book and the Between Ministry

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Shannan Martin, author of Counterweights, for a grounding conversation about how her dad’s blue-collar farm wisdom—”carry something equally heavy in the other hand”—became a daily practice for staying upright in a world that feels increasingly overwhelming.

Rather than focusing on “toxic positivity” or the “count your blessings” mantra, Shannan teaches us to honestly name the weights we carry and intentionally find counterweights that pull us back to center so we can keep breathing through the chaos and moving toward justice without burning out.

Topics Covered

* How a blue-collar dad’s practical advice about carrying heavy things to the barn became a metaphor for pulling ourselves back to center when we’re lurching under the weight of collective trauma and constant news cycles

* Understanding counterweights as different from gratitude or mindfulness

* Why the “abundant life” Jesus promised isn’t prosperity gospel glitter but getting all of it

* Learning from incarcerated people at the work release center what accessible counterweights look like

* How protecting your peace can mean staying engaged and bearing witness to trauma (especially for those with power and privilege) rather than opting out

* Why counterweights are always happening and how naming them with intention increases capacity for moving toward justice

Timestamps:

01:00 Defining Counterweights: Dad’s Blue-Collar Wisdom

05:00 Why This Cultural Moment Needs This Practice

11:00 The Abundant Life: We Get It All

16:00 Avoiding Toxic Positivity While Staying Grounded

21:00 Accessible Counterweights: From Cabinet Scrubbing to Dancing

27:00 Learning from Incarcerated Neighbors About What’s Accessible

32:00 Beauty as Emergency: Increasing Capacity for Justice Work

37:00 Finding the Book and Shannan’s Work

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Joash Thomas, author of The Justice of Jesus, for a conversation about how colonization shaped Western Christianity to resist justice, and what recovering our authentic identities—indigenous, spiritual, and human—has to do with embodying the gospel Jesus actually preached.

The Western church’s complicity in colonization didn’t just harm the Global South, it also robbed Western Christians of their own indigenous practices and created theology that privileges the spiritual over the physical in ways Jesus never did, and how prayer can be the formative work that transforms us into instruments of justice.

Topics Covered

* Understanding colonization not as a political buzzword but as lived reality: India went from 25% of world GDP in 1700 to 1% in 1947 after British extraction, and the Western church was largely on the side of oppressors, excusing colonial theft in theological language

* Why the gospel being “more spiritual than physical” is colonized theology that doesn’t come from Jesus of Nazareth, whose ministry in Luke 4 explicitly defined good news as setting captives free both physically and spiritually

* How empires steal identity by conditioning us to forget who we are beyond labels like “just American” or “just Christian,” and why recovering indigeneity—whether Celtic Christianity or St. Thomas Indian Christianity—reveals pre-colonial traditions offensive to empire

* The prophetic journey from outrage to love: starting angry about injustice (righteous and necessary) but being transformed to see Christ in enemies, transcending trauma to become wounded healers rather than perpetuating violence in words or deeds

* Why reimagining prayer as formative rather than just intercessory—praying with marginalized communities, not just for them—creates the sustainable oxygen advocates need for long-term justice work without burnout

Timestamps:

01:00 From India to America: Learning Power from the Margins

09:00 Justice as Gospel in Global South vs. “Woke Marxism” in America

15:00 How Colonization Stole Western Christians’ Identities Too

20:00 Loving the Church While Critiquing It

27:00 The Prophet’s Journey from Outrage to Love

32:00 Can Western Churches Pursue Justice? (Yes, Here’s How)

38:00 Reframing Mission: Encountering Jesus in the Margins

45:00 Prayer as the Formative Work of Justice

49:00 Finding the Book and Connecting with Joash

In this episode, I sit down with Marissa Burt and Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, authors of The Myth of Good Christian Parenting, for a sobering conversation about how the Christian parenting industry sold families impossible promises wrapped in biblical authority.

Critiquing parenting books is important, but we also need to recognize how movements born from 1970s political fears, biblical counseling innovations, and prosperity gospel thinking created authoritarian frameworks that promised godly legacies while actually preventing authentic relationships, and how families can move toward seeing children as fully human neighbors instead of extensions of parental control.

Topics Covered

* Understanding the false promise of “train up a child in the way they should go” as a guaranteed formula for producing Christian adults, and how this turned children into extensions of parental desire for “kingdom legacy” rather than autonomous persons

* Why James Dobson’s Dare to Discipline (1970) is far more a conservative political book about restoring order and authority in response to social upheaval than a Christian or biblical parenting resource

* How the biblical counseling movement (starting 1970), inerrancy movement (1978 Chicago Statement), and fears about no-fault divorce combined to create unprecedented emphasis on parental authority as “first principle” and spanking as spiritual practice

* The invention of “liturgy spanking”—transforming what was historically just coercive behavior control into a supposedly godly catechesis connected to penal substitutionary atonement, complete with step-by-step manuals

* Why these frameworks betray entire families: parents are left ill-equipped to relate to children as individuals when external compliance is mistaken for authentic connection, and adult children reclaiming autonomy creates painful estrangement

Timestamps:

01:00 The “Oh No” Moment: When Christian Parenting Advice Doesn’t Add Up

06:00 False Promises of Guaranteed Godly Legacies

12:00 Political Origins: Dobson’s Book as Conservative Response to Social Upheaval

18:00 Biblical Counseling Movement’s Outsized Influence

25:00 The Invention of “Liturgical Spanking” in the 1970s

31:00 How Families Get Betrayed by These Frameworks

37:00 Children as Fully Human Neighbors, Not Property

43:00 Finding the Book and More Resources

In this episode, I sit down with Zach Lambert, author of Better Ways to Read the Bible, for an honest conversation about how to read the Bible in ways that bring life instead of harm.

This isn’t just about finding better interpretations—it’s about recognizing how literalism, apocalypticism, moralism, and hierarchy have damaged real people, and learning to read Scripture through lenses that center Jesus, context, flourishing, and fruitfulness instead. Zach offers both deconstruction of harmful patterns and reconstruction of life-giving practices for engaging with the Bible.

Topics Covered

* How a college professor’s simple assignment to research women like Deborah, Junia, Phoebe, and Priscilla shattered Zach’s assumptions about women’s roles in the church, and why 80% of his class changed their minds after one week

* Understanding the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy as a recent invention designed to police theological borders by saying “if you disagree with our interpretation, you’re not a Christian”—a form of spiritual abuse that weaponizes God’s name for human control

* Why the “apocalypse lens” (obsession with end times, rapture, hell, and judgment) is so pervasive in American evangelicalism: it’s incredibly effective at controlling people through fear, and has influenced American foreign policy for 75 years through Left Behind theology

* Learning from a Jewish rabbi that the Bible’s authority comes from its multiplicity of truths—like a crystal refracting light differently depending on who’s reading—rather than excavating one singular “correct” interpretation for every verse

* Reframing “God hates divorce” through context and flourishing lenses: understanding that divorce commandments were exclusively given to men in a patriarchal society where divorce was often a death sentence for women, not a universal prohibition against leaving abusive marriages

* How humility and healthy diverse community are the essential ingredients for reading Scripture well—because white clergy’s unanimous biblical defense of chattel slavery wouldn’t have survived if they’d been in equitable community with Black people

Timestamps:

01:00 The Assignment That Changed Everything About Women

06:00 Separating Biblical Inspiration from Human Interpretation

10:00 Social Location and Who Gets Called “Just Theology”

16:00 The Chicago Statement as Spiritual Abuse Tool

21:00 Why Apocalypse Lens Dominates American Evangelicalism

30:00 Detoxing Harmful Patterns Through Humility and Community

35:00 Reframing “God Hates Divorce” Through Healing Lenses

42:00 What Makes God Angry According to the Prophets

45:00 Leading a Church Through Interpretive Diversity

47:00 Finding Zach’s Work and Upcoming Book

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Jared Stacy, author of the forthcoming book Reality in Ruins, for a nuanced conversation about why conspiracy theories have become so pervasive in evangelical Christianity and what the church can do about it.

This isn’t just about QAnon or stolen elections—it’s about understanding how evangelicalism’s theology of persecution, end-times anxiety, and individualism creates fertile ground for conspiracism, and how reclaiming the whole story of Jesus offers a way forward that doesn’t require us to become fact-checkers but truth-tellers in our own key.

Topics Covered

* Understanding conspiracy theory as “functional reality” that provides people not just a lens for interpreting the world but prescribes specific actions—like how belief in a stolen election motivated the January 6th Capitol attack

* Why evangelicals are particularly susceptible to conspiracy thinking: the combination of persecution complex, end-times theology giving conspiracies a “theological charge,” and modern individualism that seeks control through claiming secret knowledge

* How evangelicalism’s witness to the gospel grants conspiracy theories plausibility by packaging spurious claims as “what good faithful Christians believe,” making it feel like apostasy to question them rather than just correcting misinformation

* The historical pattern of conspiracy theories serving evangelical responses to cultural anxieties—from George Whitfield using gospel preaching to prevent slave revolts, to Cold War anti-communism, to contemporary fears about losing white Christian America

* Why confronting conspiracy theories head-on with facts or mockery only leads to deeper entrenchment, and what questions like “why do you need this to be true?” or “why is that good news to you?” can open up instead

* How the church can resist conspiracism not by becoming fact-checkers but by being constituted as Jesus’s body—a “place of reversal” where we discover we were wrong, rehearse the whole story of Jesus, and refuse to settle for anything less than recognizing full humanity in everyone

Timestamps:

01:00 Conspiracy Theory as Functional Reality

06:00 Why Evangelicals Are Susceptible to Conspiracy Thinking

12:00 The Theological Charge That Makes Conspiracies Plausible

18:00 Alternative Knowledge vs. Embodied Truth

24:00 Historical Anxieties Driving Conspiracy Theories

35:00 When Facts and Mockery Don’t Work

45:00 The Freedom to Be Wrong in Christian Community

54:00 Healthy Skepticism Without Conspiracy Thinking

1:03:00 The Church as Place of Transformation and Discovery

1:06:00 Finding Jared’s Work and Forthcoming Book

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd wraps up the year-and-a-half journey through 2 Samuel with returning guests Jenai Auman and Liz Daye, examining chapters 23-24—David’s self-congratulatory final words followed by a devastating census that reveals how little he’s actually learned.

This isn’t a triumphant ending to a great king’s reign—it’s a sobering reminder that David’s version of greatness cost 70,000 lives, and his idea of repentance always came after profound devastation that somehow never seemed to affect him personally. The contrast between how David sees himself and what the text actually shows us is the perfect capstone to understanding power’s corruption.

And a shoutout to Jon Pyle, Robert Callahan, and Amanda Waldron for being a part of the journey through books of Samuel!

Topics Covered

* How David’s “last words” in chapter 23 present his self-image as a just ruler bringing cloudless morning prosperity, immediately contrasted by the compilers listing “Uriah the Hittite” among his mighty men—a literary shade that reminds readers of David’s profound injustice

* Understanding why David’s census in chapter 24 was such a violation: it risked ritual impurity for the entire nation, mimicked divine power (only gods counted in ancient cultures), and served as the first step toward military conscription, slavery, and exploitation

* Why David’s choice of punishment—three days of plague affecting 70,000 people—reveals his continued pattern of self-protection, when he could have chosen three months of fleeing enemies with his “mighty men” that would’ve primarily affected him

* The devastating reality that David “makes things right with God” through sacrifice but never repairs things with the people harmed by his choices, mirroring modern patterns where abusive leaders go on apology tours without addressing the actual devastation they caused

* How the story ends not with David as hero but with God’s compassion for the land, contrasting David’s transactional understanding of hesed (loyalty) with God’s hesed (compassion)—showing what God actually values versus what David claimed to embody

* Why paying attention to prophets and moving toward justice and shalom matters more than celebrating leaders who buy their own hype, and how David delivering Israel into bondage (the census taking nine months—a gestation period) inverts God’s role as deliverer from oppression

Timestamps:

01:00 David’s Self-Hype Poem vs. “Uriah the Hittite”

07:00 The Mighty Men List as Twilight End Credits

14:00 Why the Census Was Such a Big Deal

21:00 David’s Cowardly Choice: 70,000 Deaths

30:00 Repentance Without Repair to the Harmed

38:00 Spiritual Bypassing and Weaponized Forgiveness

47:00 The Angel Who Wouldn’t Stop Judging

55:00 Measuring Success by Empire vs. Jesus

1:04:00 Final Takeaways from the David Journey

1:06:00 Finding the Hosts and What’s Next

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Dr. Beth Allison Barr, historian and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood and Becoming the Pastor’s Wife, for a fascinating conversation about how the role of pastor’s wife has functioned to limit women’s leadership in the church.

This isn’t just about theological debates—it’s about recognizing how economic anxieties, racial prejudice, and fear of losing privilege have repeatedly driven backlash against women’s independence throughout history, and how biblical language gets weaponized to justify keeping women in subordinate, unpaid positions.

Topics Covered

* How 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message that encoded complementarian theology into Southern Baptist doctrine, and recognizing this as part of a historical pattern where women’s subordination rises during periods when women gain legal and economic independence

* Understanding backlash against women’s ordination as rooted in cultural anxieties—particularly white anxiety about demographic changes and fears about losing economic privilege—rather than purely theological concerns about biblical interpretation

* Why the pastor’s wife role has become “the primary ministry role model for women” in conservative churches, creating a safe space for women’s gifts while simultaneously keeping them under male authority and conditioning congregations to reject independent female leadership

* The economic reality that women’s ministry is almost always expected to be unpaid volunteer work while men’s ministry comes with salaries and benefits, revealing how “noble calling” language masks structural inequality and devalues women’s contributions

* How closely associating female leadership with marriage trains churches and broader culture to only accept women’s authority when it’s subordinate to men, contributing to resistance against women in business, politics, and other spheres beyond the church

* What the church has lost by silencing women’s theological voices, contrasting with historical examples like Catherine of Siena convincing the Pope to return to Rome because medieval Christianity respected that “God spoke through women to men”

Timestamps:

01:00 25 Years of Complementarian Theology’s Damage

05:00 Cultural Anxieties Driving the Backlash Against Women

10:00 How Economic Fears Shape Attitudes Toward Women’s Equality

14:00 The Pastor’s Wife Role as Gatekeeper to Female Leadership

19:00 Unspoken Expectations and Their Cost to Women

23:00 What the Church Loses Without Women’s Voices

28:00 Historical Hope: Women Who Never Stopped Speaking

32:00 Finding Beth’s Work and Resources

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd, Jenai Auman, and Liz Daye continue their exploration of 2 Samuel, examining chapters 21-22—a jarring collection of appendices that reveal David’s legacy through violence, political maneuvering, and self-congratulatory poetry.

This isn’t a triumphant conclusion to David’s reign—it’s a sobering look at how powerful people rewrite history to justify harm, and how the quiet faithfulness of marginalized women like Rizpah often goes unnoticed while loud, self-serving declarations get preserved as “worship.”

Topics Covered

* Understanding the structural shift in 2 Samuel 21-24 from linear narrative to a collection of “appendices” that are deliberately out of chronological order, giving different perspectives and even contradicting earlier accounts like the story of who actually killed Goliath

* How David responds to a three-year famine by asking the Gibeonites (not God) how to fix it, resulting in the execution of seven of Saul’s descendants—a solution that violates Torah patterns of repentance while serving David’s political interests by eliminating threats to his throne

* The prophetic witness of Rizpah, a concubine who holds vigil over her sons’ desecrated bodies for six months, whose quiet faithfulness actually lifts the famine when David finally gives the bodies proper burial—yet most major commentaries ignore her story entirely

* Why the famous contradiction about Goliath’s death (attributed to Elhanan here rather than David) reveals how stories were shaped to serve David’s propaganda, showing us that “history favors the victor” and inviting us to read with suspicion

* Examining David’s Psalm in chapter 22 as an unreliable narrator’s self-congratulatory rewriting of history, claiming blamelessness and righteousness while celebrating violence and conquest that directly contradicts Torah values and God’s vision for leadership

* How hyper-spiritualizing language gets weaponized to justify harm—from David’s beautiful words masking brutal actions to modern Christian nationalism using similar rhetoric to consolidate power while claiming God’s blessing on violence and oppression

Timestamps:

01:00 Chapter 21: Famine, Gibeonites, and Political Pragmatism

06:00 David’s Solution: Execution Instead of Repentance

12:00 Rizpah’s Vigil: Six Months of Prophetic Witness

18:00 Why Most Commentaries Erase Rizpah’s Story

24:00 The Goliath Contradiction and David Propaganda

33:00 Chapter 22: David’s Self-Congratulatory Psalm

42:00 Rewriting History: When Beautiful Words Mask Violence

52:00 Context Matters: Why We Can’t Proof-Text Our Way Through

59:00 Reading with Suspicion and Through the Lens of Torah

1:04:00 Loud Posturing vs. Quiet Faithfulness

1:10:00 Finding the Hosts Online

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Mandy Capehart, author of Restorative Grief, for an intimate conversation about how faith deconstruction is actually a complex grief process that affects every dimension of our lives.

This isn't just about changing your theology—it's about recognizing that when we deconstruct faith, we're grieving the loss of safety, belonging, community, identity, and even our relationship with our own bodies. Mandy offers a compassionate framework for understanding why this process is so difficult and how healing can happen holistically.

Mandy Capehart is a grief educator, somatic practitioner, and author of Restorative Grief. She hosts the Restorative Grief podcast and leads the Restorative Grief Project, a supportive online community. Her work focuses on helping people understand grief as a holistic experience that involves heart, mind, body, and spirit.

Topics Covered

* Understanding faith deconstruction as a layered grief process that involves losing "the systems and structures that have really shaped our sense of safety, belonging, and community," not just changing beliefs about theology or biblical interpretation

* How leaving faith communities mirrors other major life transitions like divorce or coming out, particularly when "we have disrupted our foundation" and can no longer rely on our faith as the solid rock during other difficulties

* The difference between fitting in and true belonging, and how many people discover they were conditionally accepted in their faith communities only when they could edit themselves to match expectations rather than bring their full selves

* Why intellectualizing deconstruction can become a protective strategy that creates "an illusion of control" while avoiding the necessary work of processing how these changes affect us emotionally and somatically in our bodies

* How faith communities often suppress connection to our physical selves, leading to embodied symptoms like "tightness in their throat, in their chest" and the inability to speak authentically when our voices have been deemed unsafe or invalid

* The transformative power of learning to "take up space" and speak with authenticity, even when it means risking correction or disagreement, and finding safety in being humbled while maintaining belonging

Timestamps:

01:00 What Are We Actually Grieving in Faith Deconstruction?

05:00 Beyond Theology: How Environment and Values Shape Us

11:00 Why Faith Deconstruction Looks Like Divorce

18:00 Grieving Community and the Loss of Belonging

23:00 Identity Grief: When Labels and Roles No Longer Fit

29:00 How Grief and Transition Show Up in Our Bodies

36:00 Learning to Take Up Space and Use Our Voices

40:00 Restorative Grief: Finding Safety in the Eye of the Storm

47:00 Finding Mandy's Work and Resources

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, we continue our deep dive into 2 Samuel with Kate Boyd, Jenai Auman, and Liz Daye — examining chapter 20 and its stark contrasts between violence and peacemaking, power and wisdom.

This isn't just ancient history—it's a cautionary tale about what happens when leaders prioritize power over God's vision of shalom, and how the pursuit of control creates systems that harm the most vulnerable while claiming to restore order.

Topics Covered

* How Sheba's rebellion represents a more serious threat to David's kingdom than Absalom's revolt, with "all the men of Israel" deserting David and foreshadowing the eventual split of the kingdom that echoes this same rallying cry

* Understanding Joab's brutal murder of Amasa as the physical embodiment of David's strategic manipulation—both men eliminate threats to maintain power, but Joab does openly what David orchestrates from behind the scenes

* Examining the treatment of David's ten concubines as property that gets "handled" rather than cared for, showing how David's view of women as disposable objects extends from Michal to these women who are condemned to live "as widows until the day of their death"

* The contrast between male violence and female wisdom through the unnamed "wise woman" who speaks in poetry to negotiate peace, representing the biblical pattern of women stepping up to end conflicts when men create chaos through their pursuit of power

* How the concept of shalom differs from simple peace or absence of conflict—it represents "the harmony between things and the right relatedness of things," a holistic vision of flourishing that stands in stark opposition to David's hierarchical kingdom

* Why the chapter's ending list of David's officials, including someone "over forced labor," reveals a kingdom that has abandoned God's Torah vision and adopted the oppressive practices of surrounding empires, directly contradicting Israel's identity as people freed from slavery

Timestamps:

01:00 Sheba's Rebellion: A More Serious Threat Than Absalom

03:00 Joab's Betrayal Kiss: Violence to Maintain Power

06:00 The Concubines: How David "Handles" Women as Property

10:00 The Wise Woman: Poetry, Peace, and Maternal Protection

16:00 Shalom vs. Power: Two Visions of Community

24:00 God's Absence and the Politics of David's Kingdom

28:00 David as the god of Christian Nationalism

33:00 Reading Narrative as Literature: Seeing the Bigger Picture

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Rohadi, author of When We Belong, for a provocative conversation about the difference between progressive Christianity and truly decolonized faith.

This isn't about finding a more liberal church or updating your theology—it's about fundamentally reimagining what liberative community looks like when we center marginalized voices and embody radical love ethics in our neighborhoods and daily lives.

Rohadi is an author, speaker, and community leader who focuses on decolonizing Christianity and embodied spiritual practices. He leads an online faith community called A Beautiful Table and hosts the podcast series "Farewell Evangelicalism." His upcoming book on embodied meditations will be released in 2026.

Topics Covered

* Why leaving white evangelicalism for progressive or liberal churches often replicates the same harmful patterns, as recent data shows most "liberal" denominations still vote majority Republican and maintain foundational issues with ableism and white supremacy

* Understanding how evangelical formation is designed to control bodies, particularly women and children, and why those who don't conform to white male, cisgender, able-bodied norms will "never belong fully" regardless of theological adjustments

* The crucial difference between knowledge and embodied wisdom—why reading books about justice isn't the same as participating in liberative community that seeks "right repair unto right relationship" with land, people, and resources

* How decolonizing faith requires listening to indigenous voices and resistance movements specific to the land where your feet touch, rather than seeking universal solutions or centering white voices in leadership

* Exploring embodied spiritual practices like body scans and breath work that help reclaim the body after evangelical teachings that promote distrust and disconnection from physical experiences and emotions

* Why truly liberative communities are found "on the margins"—in recovery churches, queer churches, and racialized communities—and how white people can join existing movements without needing to lead or start their own organizations

Timestamps:

01:00 Beyond Evangelicalism: Progressive vs. Decolonized Faith

04:00 How Evangelical Formation Controls Bodies and Margins

09:00 The Lifelong Process of Unlearning White Supremacist Patterns

14:00 Moving Slow: Relationships, Grief, and Embodied Wisdom

21:00 Living in Tension: Safety, Community, and Vulnerability

26:00 Whose Traditions? Questioning Christian Orthodoxy and Authority

33:00 Embodying Radical Love Ethics in Local Context

f37:00 Finding Rohadi's Work and Resources

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Lisa Colon DeLay, author of The Way of the Desert Elders, for an illuminating conversation about ancient Christian wisdom that speaks directly to modern faith struggles.

This isn't just church history—it's a roadmap for Christians navigating the tension between empire and authentic discipleship, offering embodied practices for healing religious trauma and rebuilding faith after deconstruction.

Lisa Colon DeLay is a pastor, author, and host of the Spark My Muse podcast. Her work focuses on spiritual formation and connecting modern Christians with ancient wisdom traditions. She's also the author of The Wild Land Within and offers resources for spiritual practices rooted in early Christian traditions.

Topics Covered

* How the Desert Fathers and Mothers (300-600 AD) responded when Christianity became corrupted by political power and empire, creating communities that prioritized devotion over career advancement and cultural status

* Understanding the nine "afflicting thoughts" (later developed into the seven deadly sins) as a holistic framework addressing body, mind, and spirit—not moral failings but predictable challenges that arise when pursuing spiritual growth

* Why healing from religious trauma requires embodied practices, not just cognitive processing, and how ancient spiritual disciplines can help integrate the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of faith

* The essential role of spiritual mentorship in faith reconstruction, contrasting the Desert tradition of pairing every seeker with a spiritual mother or father against modern evangelicalism's individualistic approach to spiritual growth

* Exploring the practice of "vigil"—waiting expectantly on God as an active spiritual discipline that reorients us from productivity-based faith to relationship-based presence with the divine

* How ancient wisdom addresses modern challenges like spiritual overwhelm, digital distraction, and the temptation of "acedia" (spiritual boredom), offering practices for slowing down and creating space for intimacy with God

Timestamps:

00:52 Who Were the Desert Fathers and Mothers?

02:00 Empire and Faith: When Church Meets Political Power

05:00 Embodied Spirituality vs. Head-Centered Faith

09:00 Rebuilding Faith Through Ancient Community Models

13:00 The Nine Afflicting Thoughts: Body, Mind, Spirit 1

8:00 What Would Concern and Encourage the Desert Elders Today?

21:00 Productivity vs. Faithfulness: Redefining Spiritual Success

26:00 The Practice of Vigil: Active Waiting on God

30:00 Finding Lisa's Work and Resources

In 2 Samuel 19, we witness David's complicated return to power after Absalom's death—a chapter that reveals the messy intersection of grief, politics, and justice.

Through three pivotal encounters on his journey back to Jerusalem, we see how David's approach to leadership prioritizes political expediency over genuine justice, particularly in his heartbreaking dismissal of Mephibosheth's legitimate grievances.

This chapter serves as a sobering preview of the kingdom's coming division, showing us the cost of leadership that values loyalty over righteousness and efficiency over authentic relationship.

Topics We Cover

* How David's public mourning for Absalom gets shut down by Joab, leading to immediate political maneuvering that reveals the performative nature of his subsequent "mercy"

* Examining David's encounters with Shimei (performative forgiveness), Mephibosheth (dismissive injustice), and Barzillai (transactional loyalty) as a study in how power corrupts discernment

* Why David's unjust ruling that divides Saul's land represents both a violation of Torah justice and literary foreshadowing of the kingdom's eventual split

* How David's calculated mercy exposes a broader cultural pattern of transactional relationships that prioritizes political gain over authentic love and loyalty

* Exploring how David's "move fast and break things" approach to leadership reflects systems that value efficiency over people, ultimately fracturing both family and kingdom

Timestamps:

01:42 David's Return to Jerusalem

05:13 David's Grief and Political Maneuvering

10:05 Joab's Role and David's Struggles

13:33 Generational Trauma and Loyalty

19:51 David's Strategic Forgiveness

25:20 Chronological and Literary Analysis

27:02 The Impact of David's Actions on Mephibosheth

30:11 David's Strategic Kindness and Manipulation

33:58 The Exhaustion of Maneuvering in a Toxic System

38:39 Foreshadowing the Split of the Kingdom

44:43 Takeaways

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, Kate Boyd sits down with Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, author of The Anti-Greed Gospel, for a bold conversation about money, power, and faith that most churches avoid.

This is about more than stewardship. It's a prophetic call to reimagine what Christian community could look like when we take Jesus' economic teachings seriously.

Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley serves as special advisor to the President for equity and campus engagement at Baylor University and co-pastors Mosaic Waco, an intentionally multicultural church in Waco, TX. He has written for Christianity Today, The Anxious Bench, and Mere Orthodoxy.

Topics Covered

* Understanding how Jesus identified money/riches as the primary rival to God for human devotion, and why this spiritual reality demands material responses in how we live and share resources

* How the pursuit of cheap labor and expanded markets drove the development of racial categories as justification for exploitation, creating what Foley calls "a demonic cycle of self-interest"

* Exploring how American Christianity has separated racial justice from economic justice, focusing on generosity and stewardship while avoiding discussions of greed, class, and systemic exploitation

* The difference between generous giving that maintains power imbalances and true solidarity that seeks equality and mutual exchange, as modeled in 2 Corinthians 8

* How to read texts like the Sermon on the Mount without softening their radical economic demands, believing that "by the Spirit we can" live into Jesus' vision of community sharing and mutual care

Timestamps:

00:52 Discussing Money and Greed in the Bible

01:37 Mammon and Its Implications

03:03 Greed, Generosity, and Economic Justice

10:26 Historical Context of Greed and Racism

16:09 Economic Justice and the Church's Role

24:36 Concluding Thoughts and Encouragement

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd sits down with Julia Rocchi to explore how design thinking principles can transform our approach to spiritual questioning. Julia, a practicing Roman Catholic with expertise in design thinking and facilitation, shares how asking better questions—rather than seeking definitive answers—can deepen our faith journey and create space for mystery and growth.

This conversation offers practical tools for those navigating doubt, deconstruction, or simply wanting to cultivate a more curious and expansive relationship with God.

Topics Covered

* Design Thinking Meets Faith: How principles from design thinking—particularly the art of asking strong, open-ended questions—can enhance spiritual exploration and move us beyond binary thinking

* Questions as Tools, Not Threats: Reframing spiritual questioning as complementary to faith rather than opposing it, and understanding how curiosity can foster humility, compassion, and spiritual growth

* The Design Thinking Examen: A practical, step-by-step spiritual practice that adapts traditional Ignatian reflection with design thinking principles to help process life's challenges through productive questioning

* Community and Embodied Faith: The vital role of community in spiritual questioning, including how sharing questions out loud transforms them and how healthy faith communities can enhance rather than restrict our spiritual curiosity

* Productive Tension in Prayer: Embracing discomfort and uncertainty as valuable aspects of spiritual practice, learning to sit with questions rather than rushing toward answers

Timestamps:

01:47 Understanding Design Thinking

05:10 The Power of Questions in Faith

12:58 Design Thinking Tactics for Spiritual Growth

16:35 Incorporating Questions into Spiritual Practice

22:42 The Role of Community in Spiritual Questions

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd welcomes back guest Sharifa Stevens to discuss her new book about prayer and poems. Their conversation explores how many Christians struggle with barriers to authentic prayer, often feeling they must approach God in a "perfect" way. Sharifa shares her journey toward understanding that there's no wrong way to bring our full selves to God, and how harmful theology has created unnecessary barriers between believers and authentic spiritual connection.

Sharifa Stevens is a writer, poet, speaker, and singer. She is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, born and raised in New York, and currently resides with her family in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Columbia University in New York with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies before earning a master’s in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sharifa aspires to use writing as a vehicle that moves readers to intersect with the sacred and the honest. She co- authored Only Light Can Do That and contributed to the books Vindicating the Vixens, Rally, and Lecrae’s upcoming Set Me Free. Sharifa is married to a Renaissance man and is a mother to two lively boys.

Topics Covered:

* Barriers to prayer that many experience, including the feeling that we can't approach God with certain struggles or that we need to be in an "almost heavenly state of being" to pray

* How performance-based faith and "worm theology" (focusing on our unworthiness) creates voids in our relationship with God and prevents authentic connection

* The impact of gender on spiritual experiences, particularly how women are often infantilized in church contexts and discouraged from spiritual autonomy

* How our bodies often signal when we're holding back parts of ourselves due to fear, and why vulnerability can be difficult after negative experiences

* The value of written prayers and spiritual resources that give us language when we can't find our own words to express our experiences to God

Timestamps:

02:06 Understanding Prayer and Barriers

06:14 Personal Experiences with Prayer

08:53 The Impact of Theology on Self-Perception

21:34 The Role of Women in Faith and Society

27:12 Jesus and His Treatment of Women

28:34 Modern Conversations on Women's Roles

30:03 The Impact of Bad Theology

35:18 Navigating Faith and Mental Health

38:46 The Importance of Community and Self-Trust

44:04 Embracing Emotions and Coping Mechanisms

46:35 The Role of Compassion in Faith

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most bizarre and tragic chapters in the David narrative - the death of Absalom. Set against the backdrop of a father-son civil war, 2 Samuel 18 tells the surreal story of Absalom getting caught in a tree while riding a mule, and Joab's brutal decision to kill him despite David's explicit command to "deal gently" with his son. We explore the literary complexity of this text, including surprising parallels to Jesus' death, the politics of empire, and the profound cost of unchecked power dynamics within families and kingdoms.

Topics Covered

* The absurd circumstances of Absalom's death - How Absalom gets stuck in an oak tree while riding a mule and the darkly comic elements that make this biblical narrative so memorable

* Literary parallels between Absalom and Jesus - The striking similarities including hanging from a tree, betrayal, burial under stones, and the presence of multiple messengers racing to deliver news

* Joab's defiance and the exploitation of the Cushite messenger - How Joab deliberately ignores David's command and sends a foreign messenger (the Cushite) to deliver the devastating news, highlighting issues of belonging and exploitation of marginalized people

* David's dual role as king and father - The tension between David's political needs as a ruler and his emotional devastation as a father, including the shift from calling Absalom "the young man" to "my son"

* The broader costs of empire and injustice - How this tragic family drama reflects larger themes about the price of power, the perpetuation of cycles of violence, and the missed opportunity to address injustice against Tamar that started the whole conflict

Timestamps:

01:09 Recap of David and Absalom's Conflict

02:07 The Battle and Absalom's Fate

03:17 Joab's Defiance and Absalom's Death

04:40 The Aftermath and David's Mourning

05:26 Literary Parallels with the Crucifixion

21:12 Joab's Role and the Cushite Messenger

27:17 David's Dual Roles and Moral Dilemmas

32:18 Takeaways

Join Kate and Liz Charlotte Grant as they explore how to approach Scripture when traditional, literal interpretations no longer serve believers who are deconstructing or reframing their faith. Grant shares her journey of finding new ways to engage with biblical texts through literary analysis, diverse commentators, and interdisciplinary connections.

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist, author of the Empathy List substack, and her debut book, a personal, interdisciplinary commentary on the book of Genesis, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible is available now.

Topics Covered:

* How traditional methods of reading the Bible, especially within White American Evangelicalism, have been limiting and sometimes harmful, and why new approaches are needed for those reframing their faith

* The importance of diverse voices in biblical interpretation, particularly from women, people of color, and other historically excluded groups who offer fresh perspectives beyond the dominant white male theological tradition

* Grant's creative approach to Genesis through interdisciplinary connections—linking biblical stories to art, science, and literature to illuminate scripture in new ways

* The distinction between factual accuracy and deeper truth in scripture, and why approaching the Bible through a literary lens can reveal profound insights without requiring historical literalism

* Practical advice for those wanting to re-engage with the Bible after deconstruction, including starting with commentaries, trusting your own reading, and creating a diverse "table" of interpretive voices

Grant's book uses creative writing and non-traditional sources to approach Genesis with fresh eyes, demonstrating how scripture can remain meaningful even after one's relationship with the Bible has fundamentally changed.

Timestamps:

01:12 Reframing Faith and Reading the Bible

01:49 Challenges of Traditional Biblical Interpretation

04:43 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives

10:18 Creative and Literary Approaches to the Bible

11:19 Truth vs. Historicity in Biblical Texts

17:12 Why Return to the Bible?

18:06 The Making of the Bible: A Complex Process

19:57 The Sinai Sisters: Manuscript Hunters

23:19 Catherine Bushnell: A Pioneer for Women in the Bible

26:41 Judith Butler: An Artist's Voice

32:24 Reengaging with the Bible: Tools and Tips

In this enlightening episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd sits down with Jennifer Layte to explore the concept of stages of faith. Despite many Christians being taught that faith is static or linear, Jennifer shares insights from both James Fowler's modern framework and Teresa of Avila's 16th-century "Interior Castle" to help listeners understand that spiritual growth naturally involves distinct phases and transitions. This conversation offers comfort and clarity for those navigating their own changing relationship with Jesus, especially during periods of deconstruction or spiritual uncertainty.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer A. G. Layte is a pastor, author of two published novels, and founder of The Pilgrimage—a Jesus-centered online spiritual formation community, created especially to tend to the stories of those who have been hurt by the church or are otherwise struggling in their faith.

Jennifer’s training and certification as an Advanced Practice Board Certified Chaplain, a spiritual director, and an ordained pastor have provided her with unique opportunities to work with diverse (on just about every metric) groups of people. The human stories she carries and the ways she has found to shepherd people through the difficult parts of those stories directly influence her writing. Meanwhile, her formal background in literature and theology gives her imaginative ways of retelling the stories of the Bible and of others, encouraging people to live within their own stories better.

Jennifer and her husband Paul live in New England with their two adorable rescue dogs, an impressive garden, and, to their fascination but not always delight, an astonishing array of wildlife.

Website and Social Media Links

Jennifer’s Book Follower

https://jenniferaglayte.com

https://the-pilgrimage.org

https://linktr.ee/jenniferaglayte

Topics Covered:

* Castles, Mansions, and Soul Work: Discover the fascinating historical frameworks for understanding faith transitions, from a 16th century nun's "Interior Castle" to modern psychological approaches

* "I'm Not Sure God Is Anywhere": Why those terrifying spiritual dry spells might actually be doorways to deeper faith, and how knowing about stages can help you not panic when they arrive

* When Church Activism Isn't Enough: Jennifer reveals the significant transition that many Western Christians are experiencing today, and why moving beyond the "busy doing" phase often feels so disruptive

* Same Beliefs, Different Grip: How you might end up believing many of the same things but holding them completely differently—and why Jennifer went from firmly opposing women pastors to becoming one herself

* Loving Across the Divide: Practical wisdom for those moments when you want to scream "Oh my God, what are these people thinking?"—and how to create meaningful connections with those in different faith stages

Timestamps:

00:47 Stages of Faith: An Overview

14:11 Challenges in Faith Transitions

20:58 The Importance of Growth in Faith

22:03 Evolving Beliefs and Perspectives

28:37 Balancing Tradition and Change

29:59 Engaging with Jesus in Faith

32:49 Loving Others in Different Stages

35:07 Grace in Imperfection

In this episode of Untidy Faith, we dive into a thoughtful conversation with MaryB. Safrit about the valuable perspectives and insights that LGBTQ+ Christians bring to faith communities. MaryB. shares her personal journey and wisdom on how straight Christians can learn from queer believers to create more inclusive and authentic expressions of Christian community. This conversation explores misconceptions, reimagines church structures, and highlights the rich theological contributions that emerge from diverse experiences of faith.

Topics Covered:

* Misunderstandings and Misconceptions: Mary B discusses common misconceptions straight Christians have about LGBTQ+ believers, including assumptions about how queer Christians approach scripture and theology

* Intimacy, Friendship, and Boundaries: How queer Christians have developed nuanced understandings of intimacy, attraction, and friendship that challenge harmful purity culture narratives and can benefit all Christians

* Found Family and Chosen Community: The rich tradition of "found family" in queer communities offers powerful models for Christian community that transcend the nuclear family focus of many churches

* Creating Truly Inclusive Churches: Practical insights for making church spaces welcoming through clarity, co-creation, and valuing all members beyond their perceived "usefulness" to church programs

* Challenging Church Hierarchies: How moving away from corporate/business models of church toward more organic communities creates space for diverse gifts and voices

Timestamps:

02:27 Misconceptions About LGBTQIA+ Believers

05:12 Personal Journey and Challenges

09:41 Lessons from the LGBTQIA+ Community

17:36 Evolving Concepts of Family and Belonging

28:57 Inclusivity in Churches

About MaryB. Safrit:

MaryB. Safrit is a New York City-based writer, merch maker, relationship coach, and host of the Found Family podcast. She is passionate about creating spaces and resources for folks who feel like the church doesn't know what to do with them. MaryB. is your friendly neighborhood bisexual and recovering people-pleaser who is currently in her goblin era. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok @maryb.safrit, and get on her Substack list at marybsafrit.substack.com

Website and Social Media Links

* https://www.marybsafrit.com/

* https://www.instagram.com/maryb.safrit/

* https://www.tiktok.com/@maryb.safrit

* https://www.marybsafrit.com/shop

Join us as we dive into 2 Samuel 17, examining the complex power dynamics between Absalom and David, the manipulative counsel given by advisors, and the troubling absence of God's voice amid human schemes for revenge and power.

Topics Covered:

* The contrast between Ahithophel and Hushai's advice to Absalom, and how manipulation through vanity and insecurity shaped Absalom's fateful decision

* The recurring theme of women being unnamed and used as tools in men's power struggles, drawing parallels to other biblical stories of women subverting authority

* How cycles of violence perpetuate when justice becomes corrupted by vengeance and personal agendas

* The significant silence of God throughout this chapter, and what that silence might tell us about divine perspective on human power struggles

* The way Absalom's initially pure motives for justice (regarding his sister Tamar) became corrupted through his pursuit of power and vengeance

Timestamps:

01:06 Recap of 2 Samuel 17

01:51 Discussion on Absalom's Coup

05:58 Analyzing the Role of Women in 2 Samuel

08:41 Theological Reflections and Modern Parallels

25:55 Hospitality and Symbolic Significance in the Wilderness

41:11 Takeaways and Final Thoughts

In this episode, Tiffany Bluhm returns to the Untidy Faith Podcast to help us reframe self-care as an essential component of both personal wholeness and communal flourishing. Moving beyond the commercialized wellness industry, Tiffany offers a powerful perspective on how caring for ourselves in a world that doesn't is both biblical and necessary for creating meaningful social change. Drawing from biblical women and historical examples, she challenges the glorification of burnout and self-sacrifice prevalent in American church culture.

In this episode we discuss:

* How the American church has often discouraged self-care by celebrating and congratulating women who spend themselves until there's nothing left

* The false dichotomy between self-care and self-sacrifice, and why they're actually "a tension to be managed, not solved"

* How biblical women like Miriam demonstrate that self-care isn't a luxury only for the privileged but a necessary component of liberation

* The powerful example of interned Japanese-American women during WWII who practiced communal self-care as resistance

* Practical steps for beginning a self-care journey, including identifying what's missing in your life and what you need to let go of

About Tiffany Bluhm

Tiffany Bluhm is a speaker and writer with more than fifteen years of experience in ministry and nonprofit leadership. She is the author of The Women We’ve Been Waiting For, Prey Tell, She Dreams, and Never Alone. Her work is at the intersection of faith and justice, and her writing has been featured in Publishers Weekly, Sojourners, the YouVersion Bible app, and more. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

Timestamps:

00:51 Challenges of Self Care in the American Church

01:33 Redefining Self Care

03:49 Historical Examples of Self Care

07:08 Communal Flourishing Through Self Care

12:52 Practical Steps for Self Care

27:48 Supporting Others in Their Self Care Journey

29:36 Where to Find Tiffany Online

In this episode, Kate explores the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as a valuable framework for reading and interpreting scripture. This approach offers a more balanced and holistic way to engage with the Bible, especially for those who are deconstructing or reconstructing their faith. Kate shares how this framework has transformed her own relationship with scripture, providing a more nuanced understanding that honors both the text and our lived experiences.

Topics Covered:

* The four components of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience

* How Scripture can be a primary authority without being the sole authority

* Why acknowledging our traditions (whether formal or informal) enhances our biblical understanding

* The importance of bringing reason, critical thinking, and modern knowledge to our reading

* How personal and communal experiences enrich our interpretation of texts

Timestamps:

00:29 Exploring the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

03:07 Scripture: The Primary Source

05:58 Tradition: Learning from the Past

12:01 Reason: Embracing Critical Thinking

17:05 Experience: Personal and Communal Insights

21:27 Applying the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd is joined by Trey Ferguson and Robert Monson from the Three Black Men crew for a thoughtful conversation about white supremacy in deconstruction spaces. They explore how patterns of white supremacy continue to manifest even after people leave conservative religious environments, and discuss practical ways to build more liberative communities. Let’s examine how these patterns affect our interactions and envision a world beyond the current systems.

Topics Covered:

* How white supremacy manifests in deconstruction spaces, often appearing as simply "an exchange of certainties"

* The tendency to platform and center white voices even in progressive spaces

* Practical steps toward dismantling white supremacy, including diversifying whose voices we listen to

* The importance of being in community with people who experience the world differently

* Moving beyond resistance to envisioning and creating a world beyond white supremacy

About Our Guests:

Trey Ferguson is a Miami-Dade County based minister, writer, and podcaster, and the creator of the New Living Translation, the author of Theologizin’ Bigger, and pastor of Intention Church.

Robert Monson is a PhD student, co-director of enfleshed, and host of Black Coffee and Theology. He writes and studies theology- usually at the intersection of disability, soft masculinity, as well as black and womanist theology, and composes and plays music.

Content Warning: Sexual assault, violence

Power, betrayal, and justice collide as David’s reign looks like it’s unraveling, and as he grasps for allies, we see just how far some will go to keep what they believe to be theirs.

Join us to explore how systems of power perpetuate cycles of harm — as in the case of Mephibosheth and the women left behind — and how empires shape the people within them (intentionally and unintentionally).

And how do the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount offer us an alternative pattern to follow?

Timestamps:

01:46 Recap of Mephibosheth and Ziba

03:42 David's Encounter with Shimei

04:29 Absalom's Strategy and Betrayal

05:33 Reflections on Justice and Injustice

14:25 The Cycle of Harm and Power

30:29 The Role of Disabled People in Scripture

36:18 Takeaways

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd welcomes Erin Moon, a writer, podcaster, and storyteller, to discuss the nuances of faith, doubt, and the many questions that arise along the journey. They explore why many feel uncomfortable expressing doubts about their faith and discuss the importance of creating safe spaces for curiosity and questions. Erin shares her personal experiences and insights, highlighting the role of relationships, trust, and hope in balancing certainty and mystery in faith. The episode also touches on the practical resources and strategies that have helped both Erin and Kate navigate their spiritual journeys and maintain hope in the midst of doubts and complexities.

About Erin Moon:

Erin Hicks Moon is a writer, podcaster, and storyteller. She is the Resident Bible Scholar and host of the Faith Adjacent podcast, and senior creative at Podcast Media Group. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and three children.

Website and Social Media Links

https://www.erinhmoon.com/

Instagram - @erinhmoon

The Swipe Up newsletter: https://erinhmoon.substack.com/

Upcoming book, "I've Got Questions" from Baker Books: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/598796

Timestamps:
02:09 The Fear of Expressing Doubts
05:19 The Urgency and Privilege in Faith Discussions
06:53 Doubt as a Sign of Weak Faith?
12:32 Constructive vs. Destructive Doubt
16:20 The Impact of Doubt on Faith Institutions
20:32 Navigating the Messy Middle of Faith
21:12 Helpful Practices and Resources
23:53 Expanding Perspectives on Faith
28:44 Balancing Certainty and Mystery
31:57 Maintaining Hope in Faith

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd delves into the nuanced and often controversial topic of pronouns for God. Addressing the limitations and constraints of language, Kate explores how our choice of words and metaphors shape our understanding of God. She makes a compelling case for using more inclusive language to reflect the Christian concept of the Trinity and to avoid unintentional exclusions. Kate also discusses the importance of theological imagination and how exposure to diverse theological perspectives can enrich one's faith journey. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that challenges traditional views and encourages thoughtful contemplation on how we describe and relate to the divine.

00:29 The Controversial Topic of Pronouns for God

01:24 Limitations and Impact of Language on God

05:18 Personal Journey and Language Choices

10:58 Theological Imagination and Diverse Perspectives

12:53 A Call to Thoughtful Language

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, host Kate Boyd dives into an in-depth conversation with Jonny Morrison, co-lead pastor at Missio Dei in Salt Lake City and author of 'Prodigal Gospel.' They discuss the complexity of understanding the gospel, reflecting on how traditional narratives often emphasize shame and opposition rather than celebration and unconditional love. Jonny shares his journey of evolving his understanding of the gospel, the concept of repentance and forgiveness through the lens of the parable of the prodigal son, and the importance of healing our images of God. This thoughtful dialogue encourages listeners to reconsider and reframe their perception of the gospel in a more inclusive and restorative manner.

Jonny Morrison is co-lead pastor at Missio Dei in Salt Lake City and the author of two books Light as Air and Prodigal Gospel. Jonny’s work, writing, and passion is to create spaces where everyone can belong whether that’s through writing about Jesus, creating community gardens, or pouring wine at backyard dinner parties. Jonny has a Masters in ancient language and doctorate in theology and in his free time, Jonny loves to fly fish, cook for his friends, explore Utah with his wife Tory, and pretend like he understands wine. Find out more at jonnyis.com

Website and Social Media Links

Jonnyis.com

Instagram @Jonny.is

https://jonnymorrison.substack.com/

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast
00:29 Meet Johnny Morrison: Co-Lead Pastor and Author
01:34 Understanding the Gospel Through the Prodigal Son
03:18 Personal Reflections on Faith and Evangelism
06:30 Reframing the Gospel: From Transactional to Relational
10:57 The Parable of the Prodigal Son: A Deeper Dive
21:46 Practical Implications of the Gospel
34:42 Conclusion and Book Promotion

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episode, we dissect the political and familial intricacies of Absalom's coup against his father, King David -- shedding light on the manipulation, subterfuge, and fractured relationships that underpin this biblical narrative.

Then we discuss the ethical implications of David's actions, the oft-overlooked experiences of the concubines left behind, and the broader impact on the people of Israel before we draw parallels to contemporary leadership challenges in religious communities ... emphasizing the importance of addressing traumas and injustices to prevent long-lasting harm and discord.

Timestamps:

01:26 Absalom's Conspiracy and David's Response
03:22 Analyzing Absalom's Strategy
06:21 David's Leadership and Its Consequences
16:28 The Role of Religion in David's Strategy
23:04 The Impact on the People and Kingdom
40:09 Takeaways and Reflections
44:53 Closing Remarks and Where to Find Us

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episodes we discuss ...

•  integrating trauma-informed care in church practices 
• unlearning toxic patterns
• creating safe faith spaces
• the biblical literacy epidemic
• how individuals and churches can transform to better serve their communities

Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez (MSW, MSEd) is a truth-teller and space builder committed to helping the Body of Christ be healthy and holy. She is the founder and CEO of Full Collective, creator of the annual Sowers Summit, and host of the Being a Sanctuary podcast. Pricelis holds master's degrees in community-based leadership and social work, and she is currently pursuing a master of arts in biblical and theological studies from Denver Seminary. Pricelis’ first book ‘Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to be Sacred, Soft, and Safe’ comes out on September 10th. She is a proud Black Latina (Dominicana) born and raised in New York City, where she resides with her husband and son. You can find her on Instagram @pricelispd.

Find Pricelis Online: 

@pricelispd

pricelispd.com

wearefullcollective.com

Email list link: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6215291dd328ec5152cf122e

Book: https://www.pricelispd.com/basbook

Timestamps:

02:05 Discussing the Crisis in the Church
06:18 Reactions to Church Crises
10:33 Personal Reflection and Healing
20:47 Solutions for Churches
26:03 Importance of Trauma-Informed Care

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

Join me to explore the true nature of biblical prophecy and challenge the common dispensationalist view of prophecy as future telling. Through examples from the Hebrew Bible and Revelation, we will see how prophecy focuses on calling people back to God's covenant and priorities, offering conditional future insight, and comfort during exile. This episode will encourage you to rethink the spiritual gift of prophecy as confronting hard truths rather than predicting the future.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast

00:29 Understanding Prophecy in Dispensationalist Circles

02:00 The Role of Prophets in the Hebrew Bible

03:39 Conditional Prophecies and Their Outcomes

06:52 Prophecy Beyond Destruction: Comfort and Hope

09:41 Revelation and Eschatological Future

11:48 Rethinking Prophecy: Truth Telling vs. Future Telling

13:48 Conclusion and Call to Action

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

Listen in for a discussion with Dr. Camden Morgante about the harmful myths of purity culture, its lasting impact, and how to heal from the associated shame and trauma. They also explore ways to create healthier conversations around sexuality for the next generation.

Dr. Camden Morgante is a licensed psychologist with nearly 15 years of experience as a therapist and college professor. She owns a private therapy practice and is a writer, speaker, and coach on purity culture recovery, egalitarianism, and faith reconstruction. Her first book, Recovering from Purity Culture, will be published in October 2024 by Baker Books. Dr. Camden lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband and their daughter and son. Learn more about Camden on her website, www.drcamden.com

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome to the Untidy Faith Podcast

01:30 Defining Purity Culture

02:26 Harmful Myths of Purity Culture

05:41 Trauma and Purity Culture

09:14 Gender Differences in Purity Culture

13:04 Media's Role in Promoting Purity Culture

15:41 Healing from Sexual Shame

21:08 Support Systems for Recovery

24:52 Parenting Beyond Purity Culture

29:13 Conclusion and Resources

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

There's nothing like saying you're deconstructing to get people to call you all kinds of things -- heretic, apostate, false teacher. But I find these are easy "insults" with few who use them actually applying them correctly.

So join me in this episode for ...

• clear definitions of orthodoxy, heterodoxy, heresy, apostasy, and blasphemy
• how these terms are often misused and misunderstood in faith communities
• gentle guidance on how to navigate accusations of heresy and apostasy
• the importance of understanding the broader Christian tradition.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome to the Untidy Faith Podcast

00:29 Understanding Deconstruction and Narrow Faith Paradigms

01:40 Defining Key Terms: Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy, Heresy, Apostasy, and Blasphemy

04:45 Deep Dive into Orthodoxy

11:27 Exploring Heterodoxy

14:29 Heresy: Challenging Core Tenets

16:39 Apostasy: Rejecting Christianity

18:13 Blasphemy: Irreverence Toward Deity

19:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

20:58 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

Join us as we jump into 2 Samuel 14 to discuss ...

• the chaos within King David's monarchy
• the parables used to confront him (and David's staggering lack of self-awareness)
• how deeply unresolved wounds can affect one's actions and leadership
• the ways we have seen choosing leaders botched in churches 

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast
00:31 Recap of 2 Samuel Chapter 14
01:41 Discussion on David's Lack of Self-Awareness
02:08 Absalom's Return and Family Dynamics
05:11 The Role of Justice and Hypocrisy
08:49 Absalom's Wound and Its Impact
23:23 The Importance of Forgiveness and Boundaries
25:59 Choosing Leaders in the Church
29:59 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
35:05 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, we take a little dive into the lives of the women in Jesus's genealogy and the powerful lessons they impart. We talk ...

• Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary and their extraordinary faithfulness and how they embodied God's priorities
• the importance of accountability, inclusion, friendship, reclaiming agency, and justice, 
• how to learn more about these women and how to speak up for God's priorities in October

Join us for the remixed Threaded study on women in Jesus's genealogy at kateboyd.co/speakup

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast

00:32 Exploring Women in Jesus's Genealogy

04:05 Tamar: Seeking Justice and Accountability

05:25 Rahab: Courage and Inclusion

06:02 Ruth: Loyalty and Redemption

07:03 Bathsheba: Reclaiming Agency

08:23 Mary: Faithfulness and God's Priorities

10:11 Deep Dive into the Study

10:41 Invitation to Join the Study

13:09 Conclusion and Call to Action

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

Join me to dive into the concept of 'Covenant' in the Bible, explaining its importance in understanding the Hebrew Bible and its narratives.

What you'll learn ...

- How God chose to engage in relationship with Israel
- Common elements of covenants
- The 5 covenants in the Bible
- Why understanding these Old Testament covenants helps you understand the New Testament

Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast
00:34 Understanding Covenant in the Bible
02:00 Elements of Ancient Covenants
09:35 Major Covenants in the Hebrew Bible
13:08 Covenants and the New Testament
15:28 Conclusion and Call to Action

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In this episode, you will ...

• uncover the realities of dealing with depression and anxiety within the church
• learn how mental illness shows up in Scripture
• recognize the misconceptions and harmful messages propagated
• explore holistic approaches to mental health that embrace both spiritual and medical support

Chris Morris is a certified mental health coach dedicated to promoting understanding of mental health issues within the church. Because of a lifelong struggle with depression and suicidality, Chris became committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging others to seek after holistic health.

As a writer and speaker, Chris has shared his personal story and insights with audiences across the country, inspiring many individuals to take control of their own health, break free from poor theological teaching placed upon them, and seek the support they need. He has published several books on mental health, the most recent being Resilient and Redeemed. His work has been featured in a number of media outlets, including CrossWalk, The Mighty, and Fathom Magazine.

Chris is deeply committed to creating a more compassionate and supportive world and church for individuals living with mental health issues. Through his writing and speaking, he is a powerful voice for change and a beacon of hope for those in need.

Website and Social Media Links

• chrismorriswrites.com
• FB: @chrismorriswriter
• IG: @chrismorriswrites
• X: @cmorriswrites
• Resilient and Redeemed Amazon link: https://a.co/d/18gYTYB

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Untidy Faith Podcast
00:29 Meet Chris Morris: Mental Health Advocate
00:57 Personal Struggles with Mental Health
01:44 Harmful Messages from the Church
03:48 The Complexity of Mental Health
04:48 Biblical Narratives and Mental Health
20:06 Positive Changes in Church Communities
26:12 Advice for Those Struggling with Mental Health
28:47 Navigating Mental Health with Faith
32:29 Conclusion and Resources

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

When we're in the midst of deconstructing our faith and reworking our beliefs, it becomes hard to know what ideas to land on. In today's episode, we will discuss how to rethink our theology well.

You'll hear ...

- how our theology shapes our life (and vice versa)
- the one thing we must AVOID in our theology
- six questions for finding a holistic theology (that's really good news)
- and the surprising clue that sheds light on harmful systems

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

In 2 Samuel 13, we see David's bad habits being handed down to his children in more ways than one ... and we see how many in the church react to scandal and moral failure in a faulty way.

Listen in as we discuss ...

• How David's sins came back to haunt him
• What David valued (and how it speaks to his parenting and power-wielding style
• The surprising person who stands up when David won't
• Why God's silence speaks loudly in Tamar's trauma
• What is revealed by who we mourn in moral failure

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram

The people of God throughout the Hebrew Bible continually quoted one verse about God's character, and it happens to be how God describes Godself after the Exodus.

Listen in to hear ...

• the shift in how you read the Bible that can transform how you interact with it
• what God says about God's character
• how to understand the hard-to-define Hebrew word used to define God's love
• where this verse gets quoted throughout Scripture and how
• how to use this verse as a frame for seeing God in Scripture

Kate Boyd - Book | Bible Studies | Coaching | Newsletter | Instagram