Conversations to help us develop a Christian spirituality rooted in love that fosters resilient faith in everyday life

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/29/19/fbb484d2-4b79-472a-8851-105f8f586e83_gravity_2024_-_scott_coley.mp3

The fact that &#34;good evangelical Christians are Republican&#34; seems obvious means the propaganda is working.Professor and author Scott Coley helps us understand how evangelicalism became fused with right-wing politics and now presses evangelical theology into the service of authoritarian politics, which he outlines in his new book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780802882813" rel="nofollow">Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right</a>.Scott M. Coley is a lecturer in philosophy at Mount St. Mary&#39;s University. His research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology, and political philosophy.Connect with Gravity Commons:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Scott Coley: How Christian Leaders Became Ministers of Propaganda

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/22/20/3ab35854-d68e-457b-9f55-464abb9b5f7a_gravity_2024_-_shai_held.mp3

A dramatic misinterpretation of the Jewish tradition has shaped the history of the West: Christianity is the religion of love, and Judaism the religion of law. In the face of centuries of this widespread misrepresentation, Rabbi Shai Held, in his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780374192440" rel="nofollow">Judaism Is about Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life</a>, recovers the heart of the Jewish tradition, offering the radical and moving argument that love belongs as much to Judaism as it does to Christianity.Rabbi Shai Held--philosopher, theologian, and Bible scholar--is President and Dean at the Hadar Institute. He received the prestigious Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, and has been named multiple times by Newsweek as one of the fifty most influential rabbis in America and by the Jewish Daily Forward as one of the fifty most prominent Jews in the world. Rabbi Held is the author of several books, and is the host of Hadar&#39;s newest podcast, <a href="https://hadar.org/torah-tefillah/podcasts" rel="nofollow">Answers WithHeld</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Shai Held: Why Judaism is Actually About Love (Not Law)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/16/19/839e97df-8640-4fbf-ad3c-3da53d381273_gravity_2024_-_susannah_griffith.mp3

In her book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781587435973" rel="nofollow">Forgiveness After Trauma: A Path to Find Healing and Empowerment</a>, Christian minister and scholar Susannah Griffith explores what the Bible says--and doesn&#39;t say--about the biblical call to forgive. She helps readers understand a &#34;trauma-informed forgiveness&#34; that is healing and restorative, framing forgiveness within broader concerns around lament, anger, accountability, release and rebirth, and reconciliation.Susannah Griffith (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is an independent scholar whose work focuses on the intersection of biblical studies and trauma. She is also a licensed minister of the Mennonite Church USA, a role she embodies to advocate and care for the marginalized outside the walls of the church. Her first book, Leaving Silence, was a Christianity Today Book Award finalist for Christian discipleship. Griffith resides in Northern Indiana with her husband and three young daughters.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Susannah Griffith: Forgiveness and Healing After Trauma

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/9/18/7240043f-fbef-4106-82e2-b81bc4bc18d9_gravity_2024_-_elesha_coffman.mp3

American history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. In her book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780801097492" rel="nofollow">Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith</a>, Dr. Elesha Coffman tells the story of Christianity in the United States by focusing on 13 key events over four centuries of history. Elesha helps us understand our faith and the landscape of American religion.Elesha J. Coffman (PhD, Duke University) is associate professor of history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She previously served as the editor of Christian History magazine and has taught at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. She spent a year as a fellow at the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. Coffman is the author of The Christian Century and the Rise of the Protestant Mainline, Margaret Mead: A Twentieth-Century Faith, and numerous articles on American religious history.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Elesha Coffman: How Pivotal Events Shaped the American Church

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/2/3/fc0f3b25-ea88-4a33-a955-45f913b428c0_gravity_2024_-_ryan_post.mp3

The Beatitudes are some of the most-quoted and least-understood words of Jesus. Pastor and author Ryan Post helps us hear the Beatitudes anew as good news to form us into Christlikeness.Ryan Post is the lead pastor of Village Church in Burbank, CA and the author of Healthy Prayer: Integrating Structure, Silence, and Spontaneity and the book we talked about in this converastion, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-People-Communities-Formed-Beatitudes/dp/0578918277/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PX8TANTBFL8M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jEyLuBwvpEnUJGZnI6F2V5pNh5UcaoPM9OXoQ9Mzq_9887lSh34Ooui9_cf9K7XuYwKpIECodDgb-_r5pZQZf31NQvP3ke-EHqYucfJj908kMcf-2BkT4aNrfjVmrAmM6ZWOxbnG_UAXeJC83vh5aUGaI_8kwBnJNzFizvu9RAfCgYDmvDwuwjFhdS2JBE_q9uBG9QXNUplV2LVzeYbyS1iyK7RCOqlos-7HoMvtYJo.b_N-trqqQvF-v3jm4r_zDrGrhzPSAmZwR4_IPP9zeFg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Jesus+People%3A+ryan+post&qid=1708711869&sprefix=jesus+people+ryan+pos%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">Jesus People: Communities Formed by The Beatitudes</a>.You can connect with Ryan and his work at <a href="https://ryanpost.com/" rel="nofollow">ryanpost.com</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ryan Post: Communities Formed by the Beatitudes

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/26/18/1dc9152a-0a11-4abd-835d-c9ed81d0dbe3_gravity_2024_-_michael_rhodes.mp3

Many Christians and churches are rediscovering that God cares deeply about justice, but opinions abound as to what an approach to biblical justice might look like in contemporary society. We talk with biblical scholar Michael Rhodes about justice-oriented discipleship that is critical for the formation of God&#39;s people, which is the theme of his new book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781514006009" rel="nofollow">Just Discipleship: Biblical Justice in an Unjust World</a>.JUST DISCIPLESHIP BOOK GIVEAWAY: In partnership with IVP, we are giving away two copies of Michael Rhodes&#39; book Just Discipleship. Go to <a href="https://gravitycommons.com/justdiscipleship" rel="nofollow">gravitycommons.com/justdiscipleship</a> to register.Michael J. Rhodes (PhD, Trinity College/University of Aberdeen) is the lecturer in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College. He is the author of Formative Feasting: Practices and Virtue Ethics in Deuteronomy&#39;s Tithe Meal and the Corinthian Lord&#39;s Supper; Practicing the King&#39;s Economy: Honoring Jesus in the Way We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give (with Brian Fikkert and Robby Holt); and numerous articles in popular outlets such as Christianity Today and The Biblical Mind. Rhodes has spent more than fourteen years involved in community development and urban ministry work, and is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife, Rebecca, and their four children.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Michael Rhodes: Practicing Justice-Oriented Discipleship

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/19/13/dbf6c119-e5c4-4d39-b653-214ec1b76244_gravity_2024_-_ryan_stollar.mp3

Children are marginalized in our churches, dismissed into Sunday school or silenced for lengthy sermons aimed at adults. Ryan Stollar has spent his career advocating for the rights of children, and in his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780802882837" rel="nofollow">The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology</a>, he proposes a liberation theology of the child, whereby we can avoid stunting their spiritual growth and passing on trauma.Ryan Stollar is a child-liberation theologian and an advocate for children and abuse survivors. He holds an MHS in child protection from Nova Southeastern University and an MA in Eastern classics from St. John&#39;s College.You can connect with Ryan and his work on his website <a href="https://rlstollar.com/" rel="nofollow">rlstollar.com</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ryan Stollar: Child Liberation Theology

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/12/13/8e2466b9-d4c9-47bb-8a44-6375da05974f_gravity_2024_-_trey_ferguson.mp3

Pastor, podcaster, and public theologian Trey Ferguson knows that faith can get messy. In his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781957687360" rel="nofollow">Theologizin&#39; Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly</a>, he encourages us to re-engage our imaginations and construct theologies that speak to our current contexts. Our conversation covers topics like how we read the Bible, our inherited traditions, accountability, our value, and what the gospel is.Trey Ferguson is a minister, writer, and speaker, with an M.Div from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. You can find him podcasting on Three Black Men: Theology, Culture, and the world around us and New Living Treyslation, writing in The Son Do Move newsletter and Substack, and tweeting (<a href="https://twitter.com/pastortrey05" rel="nofollow">@pastortrey05</a> on the social media platform formally known as Twitter). He lives in South FL with his wife and three children.You can connect with him and his work on his website <a href="https://www.pastortrey05.com/" rel="nofollow">pastortrey05.com</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Trey Ferguson: Imagining Our Way Into a Bigger Faith

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/4/19/82110929-2815-4ee0-91b8-2d6920c2278d_gravity_2024_-_pete_enns.mp3

We talked with biblical scholar Pete Enns about how the Bible actually works, what to do when your faith takes turns you never saw coming, and lots more. This is kind of a mashup conclusion for our past series on the Bible and our series on deconstruction.Pete Enns is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, and the host of The Bible for Normal People podcast. He is the author of The Sin of Certainty, The Bible Tells Me So, Inspiration and Incarnation, and the book we&#39;re mostly chatting about two of his latest books today today, How the Bible Actually Works and Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You never Saw Coming.You can connect with Pete and his work at <a href="https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/" rel="nofollow">thebiblefornormalpeople.com</a>.Show Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8690918/" rel="nofollow">Resident Alien (TV Series)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.redwoodspiritualcare.com/how-to-practice-digital-minimalism/" rel="nofollow">How to Practice Digital Minimalism</a></li></ul>Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Pete Enns: How the Bible Actually Works

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/27/14/18528867-59c4-4aee-9c8d-a3d9801bd8ec_gravity_2024_-_lamar_hardwick.mp3

As a Black autistic pastor and disability scholar, Lamar Hardwick lives at the intersection of disability, race, and religion. He wrote <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781587436123" rel="nofollow">How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church</a> to help Christian communities engage in critical conversations about race by addressing issues of ableism.Lamar Hardwick is the lead pastor of Tri-Cities Church in ATL, GA, and the author of Disability in the Church: A Vision for Diversity and Inclusion. He is a grad of Yale Divinity School Clergy Scholar Program and a 2017 grad of Georgia Forward&#39;s Young Gamechangers program. He&#39;s written for the Huffington Post and BioLogos, regularly writing and speaking on disability inclusion in the church.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Lamar Hardwick: How Albeism Fuels Racism

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/21/3/ea6a1f22-bcc5-494c-a62d-964562a9d617_gravity_2024_-_angela_herrington.mp3

There are lots of misconceptions about &#34;deconstruction&#34; (i.e. it&#39;s the &#34;easy way out&#34; or a way to avoid accountability). But Angela Herrington, in her new book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780802883285" rel="nofollow">Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself</a>, defines it as healing from religious trauma by releasing harmful beliefs, and accompanies people on that journey in her work.Angela Herrington is a Lark&#39;s Song Certified Life Coach and hods a BA in biblical studies from Indiana Weslyan and an MA in leadership from Wesley Seminary. She helps those deconstructing their faith heal from their religious trauma and cultivate healthy spirituality.You can connect with Angela and her work on her website: <a href="https://angelajherrington.com/" rel="nofollow">angelajherrington.com</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Angela Herrington: Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/13/17/0011fc49-ff30-4f1a-b5ae-b7ee1a85bfa8_gravity_2024_-_terry_wildman.mp3

Many First Nations tribes communicate with the cultural and linguistic thought patterns found in their original tongues. Terry Wildman joins us to talk about The <a href="https://firstnationsversion.com/book/first-nations-version/" rel="nofollow">First Nations Version (FNV)</a>, his indigenous translation of the New Testament, which recounts the Creator’s Story—the Christian Scriptures—following the tradition of Native storytellers’ oral cultures. This way of speaking, with its simple yet profound beauty and rich cultural idioms, still resonates in the hearts of First Nations people.Terry M. Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui) is the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the director of spiritual growth and leadership development for Native InterVarsity. He is also the founder of Rain Ministries and has previously served as a pastor and worship leader. He and his wife, Darlene, live in Arizona.Show Notes:<ul><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/how-to-fast-for-lent/" rel="nofollow">How to Fast For Lent: A Practical Guide</a></li><li>&#34;<a href="https://gravitycommons.com/rooted-in-abundance/" rel="nofollow">Rooted in Abundance</a>&#34;: article that refers to the First Nations Version</li><li>Sign up for Terry&#39;s newsletter at <a href="https://firstnationsversion.com/" rel="nofollow">firstnationsversion.com</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FirstNationsVersion" rel="nofollow">First Nations Version Project Facebook page</a></li></ul>Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Terry Wildman: Hearing the Scriptures in an Indigenous Key

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/6/12/781a4459-e5e3-457a-a15d-47675902e25a_gravity_2024_-_jon_ward.mp3

Jon Ward&#39;s life is divided in half: two decades inside the evangelical Christian bubble and two decades outside of it.In his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781587435775" rel="nofollow">Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation</a>, Ward tells the engaging story of his upbringing in, and eventual break from, an influential evangelical church in the 1980s and 1990s. Ward sheds light on the evangelical movement&#39;s troubling political and cultural dimensions, tracing the ways in which the Jesus People movement was seduced by materialism and other factors to become politically captive rather than prophetic.Jon Ward is the chief national correspondent for Yahoo News. He has covered American politics and culture for two decades, including as a white House correspondent traveling aboard Air Force One and as a national affairs correspondent writing about two presidential campaigns. He is the author of Camelot&#39;s End: Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight that Broke the Democratic Party and hosts <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-game/id1248994688" rel="nofollow">The Long Game</a> podcast. Ward has written for the Washington Post, the New Republic, Politico, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, and the Washington Times, and lives in D.C.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Jon Ward: How the Evangelical Movement Failed a Generation

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/30/15/06e55c26-8b7c-4c27-9b34-216372ce156f_gravity_2024_-_loving_disagreement.mp3

What does it look like to love someone you disagree with? In <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781641586153" rel="nofollow">Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community through the Fruit of the Spirit</a>, Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos share how the fruit of the Spirit informs our ability to engage in profound difference and conflict with love.Kathy Khang is a writer, speaker, and yoga teacher. She&#39;s contributed to More than Serving Tea and Voices of Lament, as well as the author of Raise Your Voice.Matt Mikalatos is an author, screenwriter, and speaker. He&#39;s the author of Journey to Love and the YA fantasy series The Sunlit Lands. He has written for Today.com, TIME Magazine, Relevant, Nature, Writer&#39;s Digest, and Daily Science Fiction. Kathy and Matt co-host <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fascinating-podcast/id579081902" rel="nofollow">The Fascinating Podcast</a> together.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Learning to Disagree in Love Through the Fruit of the Spirit

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/23/21/79bea4ed-681f-46d9-a256-568e63774cc4_gravity_2024_-_good_shame.mp3

Most of us assume that all shame is toxic shame (feeling bad for the person I am). But can shame be &#34;good&#34;? In this episode we continue a conversation we started a few episodes ago in our Christmas episode, where we wondered about the way Jesus seems to leverage shame to seek repentance and restitution from oppressors. We received some excellent reflections from Naomi, a member of the Gravity Community, and we wanted to address some of what she said.Show notes:Here are Naomi&#39;s comments in full:&#34;Hey all - I’m just in the middle of the Christmas episode and the shame chat. I’ve done so much thinking about shame in the past 18mths or so. I also agree there is a form of shame that is healthy, which is different to guilt. I think guilt is linked to rules - I did something wrong that broke a societal rule. You can feel guilt outside of a relational context, because it is about our social rules. But shame is about broken relationships. Toxic shame says, “I am a bad person and am worthy of being expelled from the group, if people saw the true me they would reject me.” Healthy shame is about recognising that my actions can break relationships and hurt people, and therefore (hopefully) keeps me from doing those things. Part of our problem, I think, is that we haven’t learnt how to repair damage we do to others, so we fear our shame will lead to permanently broken relationships. My understanding is that in honour shame cultures this is more codified, so there are clear ways to restore honour if relationships are damaged. Thoughts?&#34;Eg. I feel guilty that I ate an extra cookie. I broke a perceived rule, but no one else is hurt. I may also feel some (toxic) shame about my weight because I believe it makes me somehow unacceptable and an object of judgement from others. I feel a combo of (healthy) shame and guilt when I yell at my kids, because it both breaks one of my parenting rules but I also see that as an abuse of my power and damaging to our relationship, but I know how to repair it. If I didn’t (yet) understand that, a friend may need to help me recognise my actions as “shameful”, hopefully without exiling me from the community. But if it was severe and I was unrepentant, then that may be necessary for the safety of others. &#34;Also, if my yelling at my kids is unchecked, they are likely to internalise toxic shame. I think often our toxic shame comes from someone else being shameless, and the shame therefore ends up on the wrong person (ie on the one with less power). Because it wasn’t theirs in the first place, there is no way back for them, other than putting the shame back to me, it’s rightful &#39;owner&#39;.&#34;Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How Jesus Uses "Good" Shame to Call Oppressors to Repent

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/16/19/bbf834f3-56c7-490b-bbbc-88e033f80537_gravity_2024_-_gravity_reboot.mp3

We started Gravity in 2015, and up until recently the official name of the organization was Gravity Leadership. But we recently changed our name to Gravity Commons. Why?Show notes:<ul><li>Read the article online: <a href="https://gravitycommons.com/why-we-changed-our-name-to-gravity-commons/" rel="nofollow">Why We Changed Our Name to Gravity Commons</a></li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a>.</li></ul> Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravitycommons.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Why We Changed our Name and Rebooted Gravity as a "Commons"

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/9/19/cc65d115-ddc9-48ce-8dc1-81138c8d4984_gravity_2023_-_julie_faith_parker.mp3

In her book <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781540965394" rel="nofollow">Eve Isn&#39;t Evil: Feminist Readings of the Bible to Upend Our Assumptions</a>, the Rev. Dr. Julie Faith Parker reads biblical texts through a feminist lens, discussing how vital our readings of the Bible can be as a source of strength, guidance, and joyful defiance.Julie Faith Parker lives in NYC where she is a visiting scholar at Union Theological Seminary and biblical scholar in residence at Marble Collegiate Church. She has taught biblical studies at General Theological Seminary, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and also at NY Theological Seminary, where her students were incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison.Show notes:Here&#39;s the article we mentioned in the introduction (Chris Green, prompted by a conversation between Bono and Franklin Graham, posts a conversation between Rowan Williams and Philip Pullman on what makes art art and what makes art Christian:<a href="https://cewgreen.substack.com/p/you-cant-actually-show-the-resurrection?r=lz71d" rel="nofollow">You Can&#39;t Actually Show the Resurrection</a>Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Julie Faith Parker: Feminist Readings that Upend our Bible Assumptions

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/12/27/16/190c47fc-dc0a-4553-b810-8dbaf2c805e6_gravity_2023_-_cheryl_bridges_johns.mp3

We talk with pastor and professor Cheryl Bridges Johns about why our reading of the Bible needs to be &#34;re-enchanted&#34; for us to encounter it as God&#39;s Word. She is the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9781540965615" rel="nofollow">Re-Enchanting the Text: Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious.</a>Cheryl Bridges Johns is a pastor and theologian who has taught collee and seminary students for over 40 years. She is visiting professor and director of the Pentecostal House of Studies at United Theological Seminary and previously taught at Pentecostal Theological Seminary and is past president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.You can connect with her and her work on <a href="https://united.edu/cheryl-bridges-johns/" rel="nofollow">her bio page</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Cheryl Bridges Johns: Making the Bible Dangerous Again

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/12/23/19/c0d21826-d7df-4bfa-864f-a58b88d1757a_gravity_2023_-_year_end.mp3

Christy, Matt, and Ben spend some time reflecting on the past year: what they&#39;re learning and hoping for in the new year (and opening Christmas presents!).Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravitycommons.com/community" rel="nofollow">Join the Gravity Community</a> to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Christmas Extravaganza & Year-End Retrospective

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/12/19/2/e2463d18-f9bb-40c8-9e5f-dfb4de454c09_gravity_2023_-_robyn_whitaker.mp3

As part of our series on how to understand and read the Bible, we talk with New Testament scholar Robyn Whitaker about why and how to read the Bible on its own terms (instead of trying to make it into something it&#39;s not).Robyn Whitaker is Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Pilgrim Theological College and the University of Divinity in Melbourne Australia.She co-hosts the <a href="https://bythewell.com.au/" rel="nofollow">By the Well podcast,</a> and is the author of the book we talked with her about, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/75288/9780802882035" rel="nofollow">Even the Devil Quotes Scripture: Reading the Bible on Its Own Terms</a>.You can connect with Robyn and her work <a href="https://www.robynwhitaker.com/" rel="nofollow">on her website</a>.Connect with Gravity:<ul><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/message/" rel="nofollow">Leave us a message or ask a question</a> about this or any other episode and we&#39;ll answer it on a future episode.</li><li><a href="https://gravityleadership.com/join" rel="nofollow">Join our online community</a> for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.</li><li>Check out the <a href="https://gravityleadership.com/commons/" rel="nofollow">Gravity Commons</a>, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.</li><li>Check out <a href="https://gravityleadership.com/find-your-center/" rel="nofollow">Gravity Leadership Academy</a>, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.</li><li>Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.</li></ul> Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations'>https://redcircle.com/gravity-leadership-podcast/donations</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Robyn Whitaker: Learning to Read the Bible on Its Own Terms

Conversations for Christian spirituality rooted in love

Conversations to help us develop a Christian spirituality rooted in love that fosters resilient faith in everyday life