Reclamation Faith

For our 50th (!) full episode, we decided to record something that several people have asked us for - a summary episode dedicated to the premise of Reclamation Faith. In these 40 minutes, we attempt a (somewhat rambling) comprehensive discussion of the problems we see facing Christianity in our current historical moment, as well as some of the ways we hope to speak to those problems. These are our hopes for reclaiming the story of God in our lives and for our world (just a small thing, we know). 

This week Josh and Alison take a brief look at Maundy Thursday, that oft-overlooked day of Holy Week, and see how it is absolutely crucial in our understanding of God's love and the call we have to love people in the same fashion as Jesus. Too often this day is neglected because we lack a practical understanding of servanthood and sacrificial love. However, getting to the core of what Jesus does can open up new ways of thinking about the call to love God and love others.BTW, about the title: If you don't know "Monday Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas, shame on you ;) 

This week on the Reclamation Faith podcast, we (Josh and Alison) talk about one of our favorite recent movies, Encanto, and how it can function as a wonderful extended metaphor for the process of deconstruction! In this movie, we see the process of feeling unsettled with a system, trying to fix things, experiencing deeper brokenness, and even losing the heart of what gave that system life - sounds like how many of us have experienced Christianity in recent years! Give it a listen, and let us know if you think we're on point or off base! 

This week we have another mini-musing, or a short reflection recorded on a week where we don't have time for a full episode! This musing looks back on our last episode about church silence, and asks whether we contradict our passion for a non-individualistic gospel when we say that the church doesn't "value individuals" but instead focuses on the whole.  What we observe is that individualism in our theology actually ends up harming individuals MORE than a more communal portrait of faith.  We hope you enjoy this short (and at times very cheesy) conversation! 

In this week's episode, Josh and Alison discuss the idea of secrecy, and the ramifications of when secrecy is weaponized to protect the powerful at the expense of those who have been harmed or victimized in institutional religion. While we only scratch the surface, we reflect on why churches choose to keep secrets, how they justify those decisions, and how we can begin to seek healing and helping in response to this problem. 

At Reclamation we have a tradition of interviewing each other on our birthdays (or, at least its' a tradition after this episode)! This week, Josh turns 38...errr....or is it 9.5?...it's confusing. But anyway, Alison interviews Josh on the past year, deconstruction, and how to keep going when you're in a long season of doubt and wrestling. Quick Note: If you want to skip to the more general (less personal) part of the "interview" you might move ahead to about the 18 minute mark. 

In Reclamation's first "mini-musing" we (Josh and Alison) respond to a question about how to discern when we've heard from the Holy Spirit. Though commonly treated as a mysterious messenger that comes and goes, the presence of the Spirit is more a promise than a possibility. We briefly reflect on how we've treated hearing from the Spirit, and what can free us to be more trusting in our approach to this question.

This week, we look at the idea of reclaiming the universal audience of the story of God. Too much of contemporary Christianity has framed the biblical narrative in a way where Jesus exists just for Christians, or those who will become Christians. In reality, as we trace the movement of God throughout narrative history, we see that God's story has always been for everyone. If we make the story about us, we create and "us vs. them" worldview that denies the very real work of redemption that God desires for all people across time and place. 

This week, Alison and Josh discuss the exhaustion that many of us are facing in this current moment, and how reclaiming faith might contribute to OR alleviate some of the tiredness that we are experiencing. What does it mean to take breaks, slow down, and find rest when the world is in upheaval? How do we hear the words from Jesus about being "weary and heavy-burdened" when we are wrestling with what we believe? For anyone who is tired, we hope this discussion provides some commiseration, and possibly even some refreshment for you! 

In the midst of faith crises and questioning our relationship to Christianity, it is extremely valuable to take a historical view of the forces that have shaped what we believe and why. In this episode, Josh and Alison tackle the roots of American Christian fundamentalism and how modern evangelicalism is built upon much of the same foundation. Seeing our relationship to fundamentalism can actually be hopeful as we wrestle with our beliefs, because we can dig out those specific roots while searching for a broader, more historic faith to draw from as we seek God's story.

In this episode, Josh and Alison talk about some of the desires behind Reclamation and where the idea originated. We use a big ol' extended metaphor of cooking and "chefs vs. home cooks" to talk about our hearts behind this project, and the ways people can find authentic faith through learning to reclaim homegrown spirituality.  

In our first episode of 2022, Alison and Josh reflect on New Year's resolutions and how they have spiritual overlap with the ways we view growth and formation in the Christian faith. In Christian circles, there is almost an obsession in modern times with "growth." When growth is a pressure rooted in shame or feelings of "not being enough" then the idea of progress becomes debilitating and destructive. However, when we see growth as something that happens outside of ourselves, discovering more of who God is, then we can find freedom and joy in the process. 

In our last week of Advent, we reflect on the oddness of the Christmas story, and just how completely unexpected the whole situation of Christ's birth was in the context of Israel's expectations. It is important, in a world where Christmas has become warmly familiar, to recapture the weirdness of this event so that we  can see the radical ramifications of the incarnation, and learn to celebrate when our own experiences of God don't fit the religious mold of our society. 

This week in our Advent series, we take a look at the absolute necessity of the female voice in the birth narrative of Jesus, and the time leading up to the Christmas event. Too often neglected in Evangelical circles, this centering of women and their joy, wisdom, and faithfulness is essential to a full picture of the inauguration of the incarnate Christ. When we don't have this fully realized picture of these women and vital roles/voices they offer, then we lose more than we realize in our faith and culture today. 

Josh and Alison continue the Advent-themed series this week, looking at concepts at the heart of the season that are often overlooked by Evangelical churches, and what impact that has on faith. This week, we dive deeper into the idea that Christmas doesn't really "fit" the conservative worldview, and how some pretty odd things can happen from pulpits and leaders around Advent as a result. Rather than try to sell people Jesus in this time of year, the idea of Immanuel, or God with us, is a helpful and beautiful corrective.

We're back after a long, long time away with a jump into the Advent season! This week, Josh and Alison look at the topic of expectation, or hopeful longing, and how a disregard for this element of Advent and the Christian story impacts our ability to deal with the hardships of our lives and world. If we can relearn what it means to wait on God, it can help us navigate the complexity of life and the tension of faith, and Advent is a season where this practice can be front-and-center in our spiritual lives. 

In this week's episode, I (Josh) get to interview Alison about her year as part of our attempt at a birthday interview tradition! Among other topics, Alison shares about the hardships and opportunities that she's found in this past year, discusses starting a new upcoming job, and makes a few ridiculous claims about Oreo cookies and summer pie baking. I hope she doesn't read this...

(To be clear, that's Critical Race Theory, Southern Baptist Convention, and Why The Friction?!)This week, Josh and Alison reflect on some interested conversations that arose at the annual Southern Baptist Convention around critical race theory, and use that to reflect on some of the misses and misunderstandings within American Evangelicalism as a whole. Why, we wonder, is it so difficult for Christians to wrap our minds around systemic sin and injustice, or to look for solutions (...other than individuals 'trying harder' to do good)?What we want to discover, by looking at current events and some history, is how the American understanding of the gospel has been limited and stunted in a way that many of us are finding disturbing and no longer adequate to address the problems we see in our lives and world. 

This week, Josh and Alison are thrilled to share a recent interview with Meghan Tschanz. Meghan is a former missionary, host of the Faith and Feminism podcast, blogger, and author of the recently-released book Women Rising: Learning to Listen, Reclaiming Our Voice. In her book (and the interview) Meghan draws connections between the injustices she witnessed against women around the globe with damaging power differentials and patriarchal norms that she witnessed in her evangelical upbringing. This is an interview that challenges our assumptions and calls us to see the ways these systems work together to further abuses in our world.

This week, we are so excited to share an interview with Justin R. Phillips, author of the recently-released book Know Your Place: Helping White, Southern Evangelicals Cope with the End of The(ir) World. In our conversation, we dive into the realities of disembodiment and what a disembodied faith has meant for Christian understandings of white supremacy and racial justice. Justin shares about how his social location and the recognition of his own embodiment led to a position of compassionate engagement with racial justice, and how we too can re-evaluate our theology to see the embodied Jesus meeting people in the fight for justice and equality. 

This week we share the 2nd half of our conversation from last week about the love of God. Here, we focus more on the question of why the church is able to proclaim love as an intention, while living or conducting itself in a way that doesn't demonstrate love practically. We also talk about reclaiming God's love for ourselves as well as what it means to love others sacrificially in the pattern of Jesus. 

This week, Josh and Alison begin a conversation about the core idea of the Christian faith: the love of God. What we see is that the way our current society understands and imitates "love" may not be how the concept was understood or lived out in the historical context of the scriptures, and that our definition of love (even God's love) might be sorely lacking. When this happens, it also has drastic impact on the way we love the world we find ourselves in.  This is the first half of our conversation, and Part 2 will be uploaded on June 1. 

How do we ask questions, constructively entertain doubts, and evaluate our sources of authority in our faith life....without just throwing all our beliefs our the window? That's the topic Josh and Alison dive into in conversation this week. By looking at the way "doubt" is seen as a negative force in many Christian circles, as well as the changing nature of faith authorities, this episode examines how we might reconsider important questions in a productive and hopefully even encouraging ways! 

This week, Josh and Alison engage another question from the Reclamation Faith community: What are some spiritual practices for those who no longer find themselves part of an institutional church? We talk about identifying areas of meaning and productive challenge in former church experiences, as well as the core practices of service, authentic fellowship, and self-healing for spiritual vitality.

This week, Josh and Alison are starting a short series of episodes responding to follower questions and suggestions. The first question is: "How do you build your faith back up?" In this episode, we look at the question of what exactly we mean by the word "faith," as well as why building our faith "back" might not be the answer to every faith dilemma. We also get practical, looking at steps we can take to foster a faith that really matters and that is embedded in trust and engagement with God. 

In this week's episode, Josh and Alison reflect on Easter (the holiday and the story behind it), and why it is that the power of this day is so hard to experience. By looking at past experiences of Easter Sundays, we explore the ways we often misrepresent the resurrection, or fall into unhealthy habits based on church culture that rob Easter of its transcendent potential. What is this story really about, and how can we experience it as a constant, guiding truth? 

Josh and Alison attempt to take a peek behind the curtain of church silence. They explore the theology and culture that seems to keep evangelical churches (and their leaders) in chains rather than using their voice for those on the margins.  It closes with a couple of practical suggestions of what you can do when you face silence from the Church about issues in need of the gospel. If you've been following along with us and like what you see and hear -- we invite you to join our team of support and become a patron! --->Check us out at https://www.patreon.com/reclamation_faith

This week, we have the wonderful privilege of interviewing Reagan Maher, who gives us a fascinating crash course in the field of disinformation, conspiracy theories like QAnon, and how Christians get caught up and connected with these movements. For Christians, who value and pursue "truth", what does it mean to live in an era of growing disinformation and confusion? How can we combat the rampant and misleading claims we see on social media? We talk about these questions and much more in this discussion! 

Building off of a tension in our last episode, this week we (Josh and Alison) go deeper into the question of how we know God as our healer, parent, and perfect example of love. Too often, the claim is made that God is loving, but in a context where we have come to believe claims through agreement rather than experience. Here, we break down how this kind of "knowing" has to come through story, experience, and practices that open us to the very real God of love. What we discuss (and argue?) is that knowing something like God as a 'perfect parent' or as 'the God of love' needs to be knowledge that actually matters, not just agreement to an idea that we have never experienced for ourselves.

This week, Alison and Josh have a conversation (really more of an education for Josh) about the concept of "Attachment Theory" and how it might intersect with faith, deconstruction, and spiritual health. Though we are FAR from experts on this topic, it's something we explore as one potential route for understanding ourselves and our faith journeys on a deeper level. A few resources we reference that you should check out:curtthompsonmd.comathirstforgod.comAnatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices That Can Transform Your Life and Relationships by Curt Thompson, M.D.

In this episode, we are launching our "birthday tradition" of interviewing one another, on our birthdays, about the past year. Josh just celebrated his "pseudo-birthday" (since there's no Feb 29th this year) and so he shares about how he's experienced the last year, and how he's been finding God in unexpected ways throughout almost a full year of pandemic mess. In the midst of a lot of laughter and reflection, we start to get at a poignant question: Can we learn about God by seeing the places where God isn't?

Deconstructing is an important word in circles of people leaving the church; but, is it always the best word? In this episode, Josh and Alison break down why Reclamation uses the word "displaced" to describe a larger need we see in the spiritual climate of our world right now. There's value in deconstructing conversations, but not everyone struggling to find a faith home may be helped by that term, and in this episode we talk about why that might be the case.

This episode compares the futility of day traders hoping to conquer the machine with Christians who leave church... thinking/hoping that their exit will effect change in that institution. Lest you think this is too lofty a convo for you -- this ends up being one of our more vulnerable episodes! Gotta listen to believe it. The article Josh references throughout his opening analogy can be found here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/gamestop-story-you-think-you-know-wrong/617905/

This week on the Reclamation Faith podcast, Josh and Alison interview Bonnie O'Neil, who is a spiritual director, author, speaker (and much more!). Bonnie shares her own valuable insights about navigating seasons of our life when God is distant or the questions we have seem irreconcilable.Bonnie recently wrote the book Chronic Hope: Raising a Child with Chronic Illness with Grace, Courage, and Love, in which she shares about her journey caring for a child with type 1 diabetes, a disease that had also dramatically impacted her family during her own childhood. You can learn more about Bonnie at www.bonnieoneil.com

What happens when the majority of Christianity has come to regard worship as an event, rather than a posture or a lifestyle? In this episode, Alison and Josh reflect on the ways we have come to misunderstand or misrepresent worship in much of contemporary Christianity, and how it leads to spiritual displacement. When worship is tied up in American ideals of success, wealth, and celebrity, then we lose the ability to truly worship the God who is active in all facets of our lives. Reclaiming worship means breaking our paradigm of worship as an event only, and moving toward a life of responsive awe.

In the 2nd part of our interview with Jeanelle Austin (Founder: Racial Agency Initiative, Lead Caretaker at the George Floyd Memorial), we focus on the topics of God's provision in efforts toward justice and practical steps to support ongoing work in Minneapolis, MN. Jeanelle focuses on how she is continuing in her own labor as an activist, and how seeing God as a God of abundance counters the narratives of scarcity that detract from engagement with justice work. She also shares her own practices of self-care, which require help from community. Listen and be encouraged and challenged!

This week, we are thrilled to share a conversation with a dear friend from our seminary days, Jeanelle Austin. Currently, Jeanelle is the lead caretaker at the George Floyd Global Memorial, helping to preserve the history of protest, mourning, and support that was seen after Floyd's murder at the hands of police on May 25th, 2020. In this first part of our interview, Jeanelle shares powerful insight about the nature of creating sacred spaces for our human survival and in the quest for justice, as well as examining the nature of the white church's history of complicity and silence toward racial injustice.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021 the United States Capitol was overrun by an insurrectionist mob incited by the president. In that mob could be seen signs and symbols of Christianity. Such examples of a violent and hate-filled Christian Nationalism are behind some of the spiritual displacement many are feeling in our world today. In this episode, we look at some of the theology underlying American Christian Nationalism, and how to be on the lookout for those same bad ideas about God in our own churches, faith communities and within ourselves.

In this week leading up to Christmas, we take a look at the concept of unity and its role in our lives of faith and love. Unity is a word that is full of beauty and potential, but also a concept that has been misused, misunderstood, or even weaponized to scare people into agreement and silence. How can we rethink Christian unity as a term of hope, rather than a tool of conformity? And most importantly, what does unity tell us about the character of God and the mission that led to the incarnation we celebrate at Christmas?

Get your boxing gloves ready! This week's episode continues our conversation with Erin Lingle, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who illuminates the importance of conflict in relationships. We talk about why so many people (and churches!) are conflict avoidant and how conflict in our faith can actually help us to grow. Erin shares a lot of wisdom and research from a therapy perspective, and we take a stab at how this plays out on a spiritual level as well.

This week we talk with our amazing friend Erin Lingle. She has been on an almost decade-long journey of deconstructing and reclaiming her faith. Her evolving faith along with her work as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, her life as a cradle-Christian, experience as a pastor's wife, and follower of Christ all create an incredible concoction of insight! She is a relationally-minded human who brings beauty to all she touches...she will not disappoint. **A disclaimer that we do not have good sound quality in this episode due to a problem with our mic! We are working to resolve it and appreciate you going easy on us and our newbie problems!!**

When someone decides that it's time to leave the institutional church behind, what are the benefits and drawbacks of that decision? In this episode, we talk (with much fear and trembling) about the practical issues, potential pitfalls, and possible blessings that come with the decision to "go rogue" in your Christian community.

On the podcast, we talk a lot about church...but what "church" are we actually talking about? In this episode, we break down several of the definitions of the word and idea behind church, and how these definitions each impact our participation and outlook on the organized forms of our faith. What we find is that church has both lasting, unchanging realities as well as cultural expressions, and now might be a good time to question how institutionalized religion is being organized in our world.

This week, we are featuring a crossover episode with Allison Maus and Ben Wideman, two of the hosts and producers of the "ing" Podcast! Our conversation with Allison and Ben is a fascinating look at questions of leadership and engagement with people outside the church, and what it means to be present especially to younger generations who have shifting views of faith. We were also featured this week on ing podcast, so make sure you head over and listen to the other half of this great conversation, where we (Josh and Alison) are on the receiving end of the questions! Special thanks to Allison, Ben, and ing podcast for featuring us and being featured in our shared endeavor!

As more and more people pack their bags and leave traditional church behind, what will faith outside the center begin to look like? As people in churches long for fuller, more robust spirituality, how will they converse with a world that is frustrated by and closed off to institutional religion? This week, we look at these questions and more. We'll also talk about some of the spiritual lingo flying around during the election season, and how it points to the frustration many have with churches today. The idea of decentralized faith has challenges and opportunities for people in need of change, across the spectrum of the Christian faith (or lack thereof), and we begin to scratch the surface of this coming shift in the way we do spiritual life. Notes on some works quoted this week:-Alison references a quote (on walking and chewing gum) that was from a profound post by Ayanna Mathis via Instagram-We quote from The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle-We quote from Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura(We really recommend those books for deeper reading!)

Just as the process of letting go certain things is essential to reclaiming a vibrant, authentic faith, so too is our need to hold fast, to cling to certain realities and postures in our lives. In this episode, we explore a few things we must hold fast to as we deconstruct or reconstruct faith: hope, conflict, and love, and what these realities say about the One at the heart of this whole thing.

What is it that you are grasping onto, that is also keeping you from taking the next step in your faith journey? For all of us, there comes a time when deconstructing our faith and/or reconstructing a new authentic spiritual life involves letting go of certain things, whether they be unhealthy belief systems, commitments to damaging groups or institutions, or even comfort and familiarity. In this episode, we examine the often frightening, but always essential task of releasing our grip on the baggage that is keeping us from moving forward.A special thanks to our friend Zeke for furnishing us with some sweet music that we'll be using in our podcast! Much appreciated friend! (Intro/Outro Music: Mirrors by Utah, licensed by Musicbed)

There are many steps to examine in the process of reclamation, but one key factor is finding your voice and being able to be authentic in your thoughts, questions, and contributions. Too often, we stifle our voice to fit in with a community or institutional culture, only to lose our power in the process. In this episode we look at what it means to regain your voice in your faith. Alison also tackles one issue in church culture that has stifled the voices of far too many: patriarchy, and the way it uses certain scriptures to silence women.Note: apologies for some minor audio issues in this episode. We're still working on our setup and everything, so the podcast sound remains pretty raw - but we're getting there!

This week, we're serving up some lighter fare for our podcast as we (Josh and Alison) interview each other and offer some insight into our lives and the things we're exited about with this project. If you want to hear a lot of bad jokes and loud laughter, and maybe learn a little about what makes us tick, then this is the episode for you. Oh! You'll also find out why Josh was once wanted for kidnapping - it's a story worth listening to! We're glad you're here and we hope you enjoy getting to learn a bit about us.

This week, we wrap up our definition of Reclamation and the third layer, which is God's reclaiming of the world for God's self. The version of Christian spirituality that has been given to so many people in our world today reflects a story that is incomplete, lacking this grand truth about God's desire for reclamation. Instead, we tend to focus only on ourselves or individual commitments, rather than our place in the story of God's healing and restoring work. In this episode, we set out to combat the tendency to build faith upon a weak foundation of solely personal commitment. While individual redemption deeply matters, we also need the stronger foundation of purpose and calling into God's story that shines light on how every single thing in our lives matters to God.

For too many people, the message of Jesus has been so distorted, mismanaged, abused, or watered down that they are walking away from a cheap imitation rather than the real deal. Part of reclamation faith is people coming together to identify the pure heart of Jesus amidst the cultural captivity of his mission and message. This episode looks at what is needed to reclaim the good news of Jesus from the institutional churches that may have tarnished it for so many people. We also touch upon whether Reclamation is anti-church (spoiler: it's not), shame as a component of some church impact, and how community is needed to seek healing and truth in this endeavor.We also eat cookies.