Lonely Mountain Mystics

Patriarchy is defined as a social structure characterized by male dominance and female oppression. The guys bow out for this episode so that Stephanie, Krystina, Sam and Lauren can freely discuss their experiences of patriarchy. Most of us unknowingly contribute to this social construct but there's a slow shift happening in how gender and sexuality are understood.

In part two of this series, Devin again sits down with his friend Paul Bergman who shares some of his thoughts on some Christian theology and how Jesus and love have led him to where he is today.

Devin sits down with his friend Paul Bergman who shares his incredible faith journey from playing professional sports to deconstructing faith while being a pastor at a local church. 

Devin invited his friend Yen to join him and Stephanie for a conversation about defending marginalized people. Yen's own life experience on the margins has motivated his social justice advocacy efforts and he inspires us to do the same. 

Ever been told "don't worry, just be happy?" All of our emotions are valuable, but many in faith communities are programmed to repress emotions like sadness and anger. Come listen as Devin explores the importance of expressing sadness with Krystina and Andy.

We're thinking differently about faith now then we previously did. So what do we do with the ideas, concepts, and language that we used to use? Do we keep it and try to reframe, redefine, or otherwise reclaim it? Or do we reject it outright?

This week, Devin sits down with author and speaker Brit Barron to talk about her experience of growing up in the evangelical church and when, after becoming a pastor, she started to understand more about herself, her dreams and her sexuality.  You can find out more about Brit and the work that she does at her website britbarron.com  

If you've ever been taught not to trust yourself, this episode will be full of good news. Learning to trust yourself and discovering who you are really does feel like coming home.

Have we ever stopped to consider how faith traditions, in our case Christianity, have been agents of colonization? Even now when the boarders of our world may seem largely set, how are prevailing ideologies effecting how we view each other? Seeing this, how do we even begin to attempt to think differently?

Does changing your mind make you weak, unsure, or something akin to being a traitor? Or does it reflect a willingness to learn and an intellectual honesty about your own experience and even acknowledgement of the limits of that experience... This should be good.

Faith going through changes? Feeling alone? Check out this episode on the Evolving Faith conference. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, information for the Evolving Faith Conference and the upcoming dates can all be found at evolvingfaith.com  

Andy and Benjamin examine if spiritual things matter. Spoiler alert: everything is spiritual. 

Will, Andy, Devin, Stephanie, and Benjamin all share what they no longer believe to be true about the nature of the Divine...

Season two, episode one has arrived! Hosts talk about COVID, follow up to Atheism for Lent, and life in general. 

Hey everyone, here is a quick update with an introduction someone you'll be hearing a lot from going into season two. Please welcome Stephanie Lyons to the podcast!

In this episode, our good friend Stephanie talks with their good friend Jas LaFond about their experience and the work that they do surrounding race and LGBTQ issues. 

Peter Rollins is exploring what it means to live before you die and he joins Devin and Will to talk about Atheism for Lent as well as life, the universe, and everything. You know, the basics.

Hosts discuss how they think differently about the idea of Christian salvation. 

Hosts share their thoughts on Jesus as the "Christ". 

This is part one of our discussion on Jesus. In this episode, we speak about two out of three common ways Jesus is referred to: Son of God and Son of Man. Part two will tackle the 3rd way - Christ. 

This week, the hosts talk atonement. What is it? What did it mean to us before? What does it mean to us now? There are over a dozen different theories of the atonement. We have time to talk about exactly one of them. The worst one. The one referred to by some faith traditions as "the number one reason for atheism in the world today." 

What is sin? Is sin a word we should keep? Or does it carry too much baggage and should we just move on. Andy, Benjamin, Devin, and Will discuss. 

Andy, Devin, Will, and Benjamin wonder together about evil. It all gets a little intense, but good. 

What is the Bible? Is it true? What should you do with it? Andy, Will, and Devin offer their thoughts. 

This week, Andy, Benjamin, Devin, and Will talk together about how they are thinking about God these days. They tackle some questions about God like: Who or what is God? Why do you believe that? How has your belief changed how you live? Remember you can check out LonelyMountainMystics.com for the blog, ways to connect, and the show notes. 

Andy, Benjamin, Devin, and Will talk about usefulness and limits of language. 

Hosts discuss the origins of the podcast, what it means to them, and how mysticism makes an impact.