Norman Wirzba on The Agrarian Spirit

Dr. Norman Wirzba is Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology and Senior Fellow at the Kenan Institute of Ethics at Duke University.  He has authored such books as "Agrarian Spirit", "This Sacred Life", and "Food and Faith".  

His research and teaching interests are at the intersections of theology, philosophy, ecology, and agrarian and environmental studies. Raised on a farm in Southern Alberta, Norman went on to study history at the University of Lethbridge, theology at Yale University Divinity School, and philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.

Since then he has taught at Saint Thomas More College/University of Saskatchewan, Georgetown College (KY), and Duke University Divinity School.

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove on the Poor People's Campaign

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a leader in the Red Letter Christian movement and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.  With the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, he co-authored “The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and he Rise of a New Justice Movement.”

Jonathan is a pastor, author, speaker, and a leader in the movement seeking to create small intentional communities where “surprising friendships” are possible. 

Brian McLaren: "Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed and the Disillusioned"

Brian McLaren joins Andrew and Pastor Katie to talk about his book “Do I Stay Christian?” In it, Brian offers two valid responses, “No” and “Yes.” His work is not to convince people to leave or remain, but to shift to a framework that enables people to be deeply human. The third section of the book is entitled, “How,” which covers this most vital work.

Brian McLaren is a pastor, public theologian, popular speaker, and prolific author. He is a faculty member of The Living School and podcaster with Learning How to See, which are part of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr).

We are humbled and honored that Brian spent some time with us discussing his latest book.

Kristin Kobes Du Mez - Jesus and John Wayne

Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics.  Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

A much-needed reexamination, Jesus and John Wayne explains why evangelicals have rallied behind the least-Christian president in American history and how they have transformed their faith in the process, with enduring consequences for all of us.

Angela Parker - If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?

Our guest today is the Rev. Dr. Angela N Parker who is a Womanist New Testament Scholar. She is assistant professor of New Testament and Greek at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Georgia.

Her most recent book is “If God Still Breathes, Why Can’t I? Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority,” which came out last month.

Marcie Lenk and Mohammad Darawshe - Peacemaking in Israel and Palestine

This is the first of a series of conversations about Israel and Palestine on The Well QA Podcast.  On this episode we talk with Marcie Lenk and Mohammad Darawshe about the recent violence and their hopes for future peace.

Marcie Lenk is the former Director of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Christian leadership programs.  Marcie has taught Early Christianity, Hebrew Bible, and Rabbinic Literature at institutions such as Boston University and City College of New York, as well as at Jewish and Christian seminaries in Israel and the United States.  In addition to teaching, she organizes programs for Christian academics, church leaders, and theology students to give them access to the different Jewish traditions and views of modern Israel.

Mohammad Darawshe is a Shalom Hartman Institute faculty member and Director of Planning, Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva Educational Center.  He was the recipient ot the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union, and the Peace and Security Award of the World Association of NGO’s, and was Leadership Fellow at the New Israel Fund.

It's amazing to hear Mohammad and Marcie work together in the midst of very real struggle.  Thank you to both of them for being on The Well QA Podcast!

Walter Brueggemann (from 2015) - Sabbath Justice Beyond Pharaoh

Here is a wonderful talk from gatherings in person from a few years ago.  This was presented jointly by The Well and Saint Mark's Cathedral.  Here is Walter Brueggemann on "Sabbath Justice Beyond Pharaoh" from the Spring of 2015.

Famous for his books The Prophetic Imagination and Message of the Psalms.  Here he explores the call for liberation for the Hebrew people from Pharoah's slavery. Brueggemann uses these stories to remind us of calls to justice and equity today.

S2 Ep3 Aneelah Afzali on Interfaith Movements for Justice and Muslim Empowerment

Aneelah Afzali is Executive Director of MAPS-AMEN (American Muslim Empowerment Network).  She is also a Board Member of Faith Action Network, Washington For Black Lives, and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. 

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Aneelah left her legal career in 2013 to serve as a community activist and interfaith leader.  Since then, she has worked on building bridges of understanding and unity to advocate for justice together. 

Aneelah was named one of the Most Influential People by Seattle Magazine in 2017.  She also received the Humanitarian Leadership Award from IRC, American Muslim of the Year from CAIR, and Rising Brand Star from Adweek in 2018.  

We talk about the issues we are facing as we work for justice and equity through intersectional and interfaith relationships.

• MAPS/AMEN

• WA for Black Lives

• Faith Action Network

• Facts Over Fear

• Faith Over Fear

S2 E2 What's Up with United Methodism

The United Methodist Church, a global denomination with around 12 million members, is facing an uncertain future after two delayed meetings leaving the church unclear on whether and how the denomination will split and reorganize. In the meantime, LGBTQIA+ UMC members and those yearning for a decolonized and anti-racist denomination struggle to trust an organization that has fallen far short in creating a radical vision of God’s beloved community. This podcast talks about how the nation's second largest Protestant denomination has reached this point and what is at stake. This talk follows on the heels our the talk on Christian Nationalism with Katherine Stewart, and they are, sadly, related. We point you to that conversation as well.

Andrew and Pastor Katie welcome the Rev. Dr. Izzy Alvaran and the Rev. Jeremy Smith for this conversation. Rev. Dr. Alvaran is an out gay ordained Elder from the Philippines who works for the Reconciling Ministries Network and is a proponent of the Christmas Covenant. Rev. Smith is the pastor of Seattle First United Methodist Church, serves on the board for the General Commission or Archives and History and runs www.HackingChristianity.net, a blog about technology, faith, and the church.

• Hacking Christianity covers the ongoing issues within the denomination and detail.

• Christmas Covenant lays out one plan for a regional reorganization of the denomination.

• Liberation Methodist Connexion is working for a new progressive denomination.

• Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation (“the Protocol”) is a proposal for schism.

• Alaska Omnibus Proposal attempts to combine the Christmas Covenant, Wespath Provisions, and the Protocol.

• Information from Wespath can be found here.

• The Global Methodist Church is the church being formed by the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative movement.

S1 Ep 6 Julie Hutson on Advent and Christmas During a Pandemic

Julie Hutson is a ordained in the ELCA and is Director of Contextual and Experiential Formation at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus Ohio. She has 15 years as a parish pastor and cis urrently working on her DMin in Liturgical Studies.

Cornel West - On Fire For Justice

Dr. Cornel West joins us to talk about Christians and Catastrophe, and to give his perspective on a wide range of topics including politics, religion, and music.

Dr. Cornel West holds a joint appointment in the Department of African and African-American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. He is one of our nation’s most prominent public intellectuals. He is committed to carrying on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

Dr. West has written 20 books and edited 13, including the landmark Race Matters, which was reissued with a new forward for its 25th anniversary, Democracy Matters, and his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He appears frequently on television to speak to the events of our day. He also has released spoken word albums and appeared in several movies, He and Dr. Tricia Rose host their own podcast The Tight Rope, where they and their guests dig deeply into current events and pop culture.