Bekah McNeel, journalist and author of "Bringing Up Kids When Church Lets You Down: A Guide for Parents Questioning Their Faith" (coming Oct 2022, Eerdmans), asks journalists, historians, and theologians to share their stories, ideas, and observations as she gather clues about what's next for Christianity. At the same time, they touch on what's being left behind. While it may be necessary to burn down what is killing us, McNeel invites guests and listeners to say "yes, and..." to what's life-giving about faith.
Daniel Silliman's Hopeful New Day Builds on Evangelicalism's Better Imaginations
Daniel and Bekah talk about the possibility of an evangelical future without Trumpism, not by burning it down and starting over, but by looking into history and finding the missed opportunities and the better stories that died on the vine because no one nourished them. When he's not editing news (including Bekah's work) for Christianity Today, Daniel is writing about evangelicalism as social religious movement. Daniel doesn't let Bekah write anybody off, but instead asks whether the imagination and infrastructure of evangelicalism could be directed toward a better future.
Daniel is the News Editor for Christianity Today.
His book, Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and A Faith is available here: https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7935/reading-evangelicals.aspx
And his paper "An Evangelical is Anyone Who Likes Billy Graham" is available here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/abs/an-evangelical-is-anyone-who-likes-billy-graham-defining-evangelicalism-with-carl-henry-and-networks-of-trust/A9BC642AE7A7EA90236EC053B8354440
Music is by the talented and kind Rex Daugherty. https://www.rex-daugherty.com/
5 May 2022
Sandi Villarreal's Compassionate New Day Nurtures More than One Spiritual Home
Sandi and Bekah really just convene to chat, but end up talking about the different ways we search for spiritual homes —from Sandi splitting the difference between Catholicism and evangelicalism to become a Lutheran, to Bekah's fear that there will be no more Meal Trains. Sandi was, at the time of this podcast recording, Editor in Chief of Sojourners, a magazine that has helped many progressive Christians find their new home. She is now an editor with Texas Monthly, where she will be bringing that same nuanced and compassionate eye to stories about the Lone Star state.
Follow Sandi on Twitter: @Sandi
Sandi mention's New York Magazine's Power Trip podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cover-story/id1594675355
And, as usual, our friend Rex Daugherty, whose music we hear in the intro and outro: https://www.rex-daugherty.com/
28 Apr 2022
Alex Bailey's Equitable New Day Invests in the Souls of Black Kids
Alex and Bekah discuss the spiritual investments we make in our kids, and how we need to make sure that holistic development is equitable. They touch on the importance of Black leadership, and the need for both integrated schools AND dedicated Black retreat and empowerment opportunities. Alex is one of the founders of Black Outside, a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting Black youth to the outdoors.
Read more about Black Outside here: https://www.blackoutside.org/
And here's Lamont Joseph White, who Alex refers to in the episode: https://lamontjosephwhite.com/
And here's Rex Daugherty, who graces us with his theme music! https://www.rex-daugherty.com/
21 Apr 2022
In Jenna DeWitt's Affirming New Day, You Don't Have to Get Married or Want Sex
Bekah catches up with Jenna DeWitt, whose Twitter presence and blog, Invisible Cake Society (https://invisiblecakesociety.com/), explores the many facets of queerness, faith change, and all the ways people can feel unseen. She joins the pod to talk about how queer identities fit into the church, and how they are currently pushed to the edges in a lot of ways. Jenna is a wealth of information for those at various points in coming out or becoming affirming, especially if that includes an active faith component. She doesn't shy from the tough conversations, here on the podcast, or on Twitter, where you can follow her @Jenna_DeWitt
Intro music by the marvelous Rex Daugherty (https://www.rex-daugherty.com/)
14 Apr 2022
Layton Williams-Berkes's Embodied New Day Embraces Tension, Not the Need to be Right (CW: discussions of pregnancy loss)
Layton and Bekah, who have been friends on Twitter for a while without ever hearing one another's voices, chat about releasing the need for certainty, and what our bodies teach us when they refuse to conform to the narratives we once believed about what it means to be "blessed." As Layton prepares to welcome her first child, she reflects on that journey, along with continuing to embrace queerness in that process.
Layton is the author of Holy Disunity: How What Separates Us Can Save Us. This is her website: https://laytonewilliams.com/
Intro and outro music by the marvelous Rex Daugherty (https://www.rex-daugherty.com/)
7 Apr 2022
In Patton Dodd's Honest New Day Parents Don't Have Answers and All Marriages are Interfaith
Patton joins Bekah to talk about his life as a parent and husband without ever really settling into a comfortable relationship to religion. While his questing heart has often led him to frustration, it has driven his professional life to great success as a religion journalist. His bylines include the Washington Post and The Atlantic, and he's the author of three books—including My Faith So Far: A Journey of Conversion and Confusion, and The Prayer Wheel— and one forthcoming on generations of fatherhood.
Original music for the podcast (intro and outro music) is by Rex Daugherty (https://www.rex-daugherty.com/)
31 Mar 2022
Jonathan Holmes's Humble New Day Heals the Harm Done By Christians
Old friends Jonathan and Bekah chat about their days in at an evangelical college, and the ways conservative Christianity can take the first step toward healing by owning the harm it has done, and listening to the grievances of those who leave instead of instead of playing the victim.
Jonathan is the Founder and Executive Director of Fieldstone Counseling. He also serves as the Pastor of Counseling for Parkside Church Bainbridge and Green. Jonathan graduated from The Master’s University with degrees in Biblical Counseling and History and his MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of The Company We Keep (https://www.amazon.com/Counsel-Couples-Biblical-Practical-Counseling/dp/031057627X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530096205&sr=8-3)and Counsel for Couples (https://www.amazon.com/Counsel-Couples-Biblical-Practical-Counseling/dp/031057627X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530096205&sr=8-3) and the forthcoming books, Rescue Skills & Rescue Plan (P&R Publishing, 2021).
New intro and outro music in this one! By the very talented, Rex Daugherty (https://www.rex-daugherty.com/).
24 Mar 2022
Sarah McCammon's Curious New Day Asks Honest Questions of the Faith That Raised Her
Bekah talks with NPR National Correspondent Sarah McCammon, who was raised evangelical, but through curiosity and asking tough questions, came to see how some of the views she was raised with didn't match up to the reality around her. Through that she's come to see the value in other faiths, including her husband's Reform Judaism.
You can follow Sarah on Twitter @sarahmccammon or hear her all over your local NPR station.
17 Mar 2022
Angela N. Parker's Womanist New Day Lets Scripture and its Readers Breathe
Bekah talks with Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker, author of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? They talk about how Black motherhood has been pathologized, and how womanist parenting can heal both society and parenting from perfectionism. Of course, this bumps into issues of "authority" and "what the Bible says" which happens to be Dr. Parker's area of expertise...
You can buy Dr. Parker's book here: https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7926/if-god-still-breathes-why-cant-i.aspx
10 Mar 2022
Karen González's Global New Day Goes Beyond Hospitality and Good Behavior
Bekah speaks with Karen González about her forthcoming book, Beyond Hospitality (out this October), which is, she says a "201" course to her first book, The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. Karen talks about how working around the world showed her that a faith primarily concerned with purity and good behavior is not compelling to people living in oppressive systems...or really, to her.
Check out Karen's work here: https://www.karen-gonzalez.com/
Or follow her on Twitter and IG: @_karenjgonzalez (same handle on both, because she's a pro)
To follow Bekah: @BekahMcneel (Twitter) and @wanderbekah (IG)
To sign up for Bekah's newsletter and updates about her book: www.bekahmcneel.com
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