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My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics
My guest today is Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove. Wilson-Hartgrove is a writer, preacher, and moral activist. He is an assistant director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. Wilson-Hartgrove lives with his family at the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham, North Carolina that he founded with H his wife, Leah. Wilson-Hartgrove directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham committed to "making surprising friendships possible," and is an associate minister at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church. Jonathan is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Reconstructing the Gospel, The Third Reconstruction, and Strangers at My Door. About White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy (Liveright, 2024): One of the most pernicious and persistent myths in the United States is the association of Black skin with poverty. Though there are forty million more poor white people than Black people, most Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, continue to think of poverty--along with issues like welfare, unemployment, and food stamps--as solely a Black problem. Why is this so? What are the historical causes? And what are the political consequences that result? These are among the questions that the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, a leading advocate for the rights of the poor and the "closest person we have to Dr. King" (Cornel West), addresses in White Poverty, a groundbreaking work that exposes a legacy of historical myths that continue to define both white and Black people, creating in the process what might seem like an insuperable divide. Analyzing what has changed since the 1930s, when the face of American poverty was white, Barber, along with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that just might provide the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. Thus challenging the very definition of who is poor in America, Barber writes about the lies that prevent us from seeing the pain of poor white families who have been offered little more than their "whiteness" and angry social media posts to sustain them in an economy where the costs of housing, healthcare, and education have skyrocketed while wages have stagnated for all but the very rich. Asserting in Biblically inspired language that there should never be shame in being poor, White Poverty lifts the hope for a new "moral fusion movement" that seeks to unite people "who have been pitted against one another by politicians (and billionaires) who depend on the poorest of us not being here." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many more Americans are struggling to survive and make ends meet than is typically portrayed in the media and public policy debates. And when poverty is depicted, harmful and inaccurate stereotypes often contribute to divisiveness rather than sympathy. Outdated measurement systems and unrealistic living standards have artificially kept U.S. poverty rates low over the past few decades. But Reverend William Barber II and his colleagues at the social change organization Repairers of the Breach have worked to correct the data and popularize the true scale of the problem. About 135 million people, or roughly 40% of the country, are considered poor or low wage, which means making less than $15 an hour. And in his book released earlier this year, “White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy,” co-written with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, he tackles misconceptions about race and poverty that keep people divided and powerless. The myth that all poor people are Black hides reality and exploits racism to ensure that nothing changes. In this talk from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival in June, Barber talks with longtime public servant and former mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, about what poverty really looks like and why the issue has been so distorted. aspenideas.org
In this episode, Tim interviews Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, a spiritual writer, preacher, and community cultivator. They discuss how Christians can engage differently in politics and civic engagement, particularly in relation to Christian nationalism. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview 02:19 Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's Background and Journey 08:01 Realizing the Disconnect Between Faith and Politics 13:00 Rethinking Traditional Christian Narratives 19:14 Understanding the Influence of Propaganda 21:01 Finding Common Ground and Avoiding Demonization 25:07 The Importance of Democracy and the Common Good 27:46 The Dangers of Christian Nationalism and Idolatry 34:31 Resisting Christian Nationalism and Building a Better Christianity 42:06 Engaging in Political Advocacy and Voting for the Common Good 52:30 The Poor People's Campaign: Addressing Poverty and Inequality Jonathan's Website | jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com Looking to get involved? | poorpeoplescampaign.org _______________________________ Come to the LIVE EVENT in Austin, TX | Democracy at Risk REGISTER TO VOTE If you'd like to support our work, you can DONATE here! Get Tickets to Beer Camp (PROMO: TNEHOBBIT) Follow Us On Instagram @thenewevangelicals Subscribe On YouTube @thenewevangelicals The New Evangelicals exists to support those who are tired of how evangelical church has been done before and want to see an authentic faith lived out with Jesus at the center. We are committed to building a caring community that emulates the ways of Jesus by reclaiming the evangelical tradition and embracing values that build a better way forward. If you've been marginalized by your faith, you are welcome here. We've built an empathetic and inclusive space that encourages authentic conversations, connections and faith. Whether you consider yourself a Christian, an exvangelical, someone who's questioning your faith, or someone who's left the faith entirely, you are welcome here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rev. William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove discuss the political, moral, and spiritual dimensions of poverty. Together, they co-authored White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy, and they're collaborators at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School.About Rev. William BarberBishop William J. Barber II, DMin, is a Professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. He serves as President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival, Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, and has been Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Goldsboro, NC, for the past 29 years.He is the author of four books: We Are Called To Be A Movement; Revive Us Again: Vision and Action in Moral Organizing; The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and The Rise of a New Justice Movement; and Forward Together: A Moral Message For The Nation.Bishop Barber served as president of the North Carolina NAACP from 2006-2017 and on the National NAACP Board of Directors from 2008-2020. He is the architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement that gained national acclaim in 2013 with its Moral Monday protests at the North Carolina General Assembly. In 2015, he established Repairers of the Breach to train communities in moral movement building through the Moral Political Organizing Leadership Institute and Summit Trainings (MPOLIS). In 2018, he co-anchored the relaunch of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival— reviving the SCLC's Poor People's Campaign, which was originally organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., welfare rights leaders, workers' rights advocates, religious leaders, and people of all races to fight poverty in the U.S.A highly sought-after speaker, Bishop Barber has given keynote addresses at hundreds of national and state conferences, including the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the 59th Inaugural Prayer Service for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Vatican's conference on Pope Francis's encyclical “Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home.He is a 2018 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award recipient and a 2015 recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award and the Puffin Award.Bishop Barber earned a Bachelor's Degree from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Drew University with a concentration in Public Policy and Pastoral Care. He has had ten honorary doctorates conferred upon him.About Jonathan Wilson-HartgroveJonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is an author, preacher, and community-builder who has worked with faith-rooted movements for social change for more than two decades. He is the founder of School for Conversion, a popular education center in Durham, North Carolina, and co-founder of the Rutba House, a house of hospitality in Durham's Walltown neighborhood.Mr. Wilson-Hartgrove is the author of more than a dozen books, including the daily prayer guide, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, New Monasticism, The Wisdom of Stability, Reconstructing the Gospel, and Revolution of Values. He is a regular preacher and teacher in churches across the US and Canada and a member of the Red Letter Christian Communicators network.Show NotesCenter for Public Theology and Public Policy's ten-session online course: https://www.theologyandpolicy.yale.edu/inaugural-conferenceGet your copy of White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324094876Production NotesThis podcast featured Rev. William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, with Ryan McAnnally-LinzEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Kacie BarrettA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give
In White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy, Rev. Barber addresses white poverty as a hugely neglected subject that might just be the key to mitigating racism and bringing together tens of millions of working class and impoverished Americans. This program was held on June 12, 2024 in partnership with Solid State Books.
On this week's episode, Tim talks with Rev. Dr. William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove about their new book, “White Poverty.” The book looks at historical myths about race and class and makes a case that addressing white poverty might be key to mitigating racism and uniting a massive group of voters to demand change.
May's Monthly Morning Prayer recorded May 1) with our featured guest and dear friend, Carlos A. Rodriguez. Carlos is a passionate speaker who leads the Happy Non-Profit and The Happy Givers. He is the author of Simply Sonship, Drop The Stones, and the upcoming Flip The Tables. His main passions are leading The Happy NPO and spending time with his wife, Catherine and their 3 adorable children. Oh yeah, he also wants everyone to know that he's a Puerto Rican (living in Puerto Rico) and he can't wait to host you there! Come on through to pray and reflect with Carlos A. Rodriguez in conversation with Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.
Andrew speaks with local organizers, professors, lawyers, and clergy who are fighting Christian nationalism - figures such as Anthea Butler, Jemar Tisby, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Chris and Mendi Tackett, and Robert P. Jones. They share strategies for pushing back on the local levels, within interpersonal relationships, and at church.Axis Mundi Media: www.axismundi.us Buy American Idolatry: https://bookshop.org/lists/swaj-recommends-october-2023Andrew's Substack: https://andrewwhitehead.substack.com/Christians Against Christian Nationalism: https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/Jan. 6th and Christian Nationalism Report: https://bjconline.org/jan6report/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/americanidols/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Andrew reveals how Christian nationalism leads Christians to harm their neighbors when they embrace the idols of power, fear, and violence. He uses two key examples--racism and xenophobia--to demonstrate that these idols violate core Christian beliefs. Through historical examples and interviews with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Robert P. Jones, and others, he illuminates expressions of Christianity that confront Christian nationalism and offer a faithful path forward.Buy American Idolatry: https://bookshop.org/lists/swaj-recommends-october-2023Andrew's Substack: https://andrewwhitehead.substack.com/Christians Against Christian Nationalism: https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/Jan. 6th and Christian Nationalism Report: https://bjconline.org/jan6report/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/americanidols/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s 2019 release, Revolution of Values, is just as pertinent and applicable as it was when he was writing it. He had me from page 1! Jonathan presents that over the last several decades, white conservative Christians have framed certain issues as the main ones that warrant our concern to the neglect of others. … Continue reading Episode 215 – Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Episode Topic: Hope, Human Flourishing, and Higher EducationAs part of the Virtues & Vocations webinar series, Conversations on Character and the Common Good, we are pleased to welcome Lydia Dugdale, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Brandon Vaidyanathan to discuss Hope, Human Flourishing, and Higher Education. Dugdale is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at Columbia University, Wilson-Hargrove is Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at Yale University's Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, and Vaidyanathan is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at The Catholic University of America. Through their research, each has developed a unique emphasis on the importance of hope and its role in human flourishing.Featured Speakers: Suzanne Shanahan is Leo and Arlene Hawk Executive Director and Professor of the Practice at Notre Dame's Center for Social Concerns Lydia Dugdale, MD, MAR (ethics), is a Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She also serves as Associate Director of Clinical Ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a spiritual writer, preacher, and community-cultivator. He serves as Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at Yale University's Center for Public Theology and Public Policy. Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at The Catholic University of America. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Business Administration from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and HEC Montreal respectively, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame.Read this episode's recap over on the University of Notre Dame's open online learning community platform, ThinkND: go.nd.edu/61a91f.This podcast is a part of the ThinkND Series titled Virtues & Vocations: Conversations on Character and the Common Good.Thanks for listening! The ThinkND Podcast is brought to you by ThinkND, the University of Notre Dame's online learning community. We connect you with videos, podcasts, articles, courses, and other resources to inspire minds and spark conversations on topics that matter to you — everything from faith and politics, to science, technology, and your career. Learn more about ThinkND and register for upcoming live events at think.nd.edu. Join our LinkedIn community for updates, episode clips, and more.
What is the significance of promises? Why does our culture have such a challenge with promises and covenants? This season, I'm exploring the book "Called to Community," edited and compiled by Charles E. Moore. Throughout this year-long study, I will work through what it means to live intentionally with others. The book covers a wide range of topics, authors, and ideas, that exemplify the diversity of Christian communities. Click the link if you want to purchase "Called to Community." Please leave a positive review wherever you listen or share your favourite episode with a friend. If you have any comments or questions, email me at masonunrauphoto@gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and you can view my other ventures below. http://www.masonunrau.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peopleandplace/message
Brent Billings and Reed Dent consider a different framework for spiritual practice and explore how Reed engages his own practices.BEMA 24: Creating a SpaceGrasslands National Park — WikipediaVisiting Grasslands National Park — Brent BillingsBig Bend National Park — Wikipedia_Four Quartets_ by T. S. EliotThe Books of Scott CairnsDaily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Pádraig Ó TuamaPoetry Unbound PodcastMaking All Things New by Henri NouwenEat This Book by Eugene H. PetersonCommon Prayer by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma OkoroEndless Life by Scott CairnsEvery Moment Holy, Volume I by Douglas Kaine McKelveyEvery Moment Holy, Volume II by Douglas Kaine McKelveySpiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins from The Apple That Astonished ParisThe Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen“Your Kids Aren't Too Old for Picture Books, and Neither Are You” by Pamela Paul — The New York Times
From May 1, join Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, and special guest, Dr. Vonnetta West, for morning prayer! They discuss the recent action in Nashville and reflections on what's needed to build The Beloved Community in this moment. Morning prayer takes place at the beginning of each month based on the book, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Dr. Vonnetta West is a cultural consultant, leadership strategist, nonviolence trainer, and good neighbor. As the principal owner of Go West Consulting LLC, she facilitates experiences and produces content, inclusive of social media, podcast, website, training, and speech content, purposed to connect, transform and engage people for good. She leads Go West Consulting in providing trainings on Creating Cultures of Honor, Culture Matters, Inside/Out, Eradicating Racism, The Bias Challenge, Leadership That Grows, The Language of the Beloved Community, Your Justice Footprint: Evidence of Love In Action, and other sessions aimed at building and sustaining community, including in professional spaces. She is also the host of the Let Your Life Be Your Sermon podcast, pastor of Our Neighbor's House, and Senior Nonviolence Instructor for The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center). Dr. West is a leader with the Interfaith Response to White Supremacy, a National Center for Civil and Human Rights initiative, and has 20+ years of leadership experience in the metro Atlanta non-profit sector. In her most recent non-profit professional staff role, she was Director of GenerationOn (Youth Division) at Points of Light in Atlanta, Georgia. You can follow along with the readings from Common Prayer at commonprayer.net for free To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
April 16, 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." On this show, we explore the historical backdrop of the letter, Dr. King's motivations for penning it, the impact his letter had on the civil rights movement, and its continued relevance today with guests Rev. Dr. Jay Augustine and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.
Book Club episode with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and special guest, Lerone A. Martin, for discussion of his book, The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism Lerone is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Chair and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Taking readers from the pulpits and pews of small-town America to the Oval Office, and from the grassroots to denominational boardrooms, The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover completely transforms how we understand the FBI, white evangelicalism, and our nation's entangled history of religion and politics. Purchase the book on Amazon or your local retailer Follow Lerone on Twitter and Instagram To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove discuss “Reconciliation” on this month's Morning Prayer joined by special guests, Rev. Nelson and Joyce Johnson, founders of the Beloved Community Center and the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Morning prayer takes place at the beginning of each month based on the book, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. You can follow along with the readings from Common Prayer at commonprayer.net for free! To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Recorded January 2, 2023, Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove to kick off the new year. Morning Prayer takes place at the beginning of each month based on the book, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. They are joined by special guest Amanda Tyler, the Executive Director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty). BJC leads and coordinates Christians Against Christian Nationalism To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
This episode is from June 2022's monthly Morning Prayer where Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove discuss the language and impact of Christian Nationalism. To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Join Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, and special guest Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes for a discussion on the monthly theme of “Nurturing a Common Life” recorded on November 1st. Morning prayer takes place at the beginning of each month based on the book, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is a clinical psychologist, public theologian, and ecumenical minister whose work focuses upon healing the legacies of racial and gender oppression. A professor of practical theology and pastoral care at Columbia Theological Seminary, Dr. Chanequa is the author of I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation, Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength, as well as nearly two dozen journal articles and book chapters in theology and psychology. You can follow along with the readings from Common Prayer at commonprayer.net for free! RLC needs your help - please complete a listener survey: https://tinyurl.com/rlc-podcast To help sustain RLC work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Today's episode is part book review, part hearty book endorsement. I first read the book The Wisdom of Stability by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove fairly soon after it's release. You may know his name from his association with Shane Claiborne and the New Monastics movement, and as such, he is a truly perfect person to write a book about staying put.
Join Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, and special guest Angela Denker for a discussion on the monthly theme of "Formation in the way of Christ." Angela is a Lutheran pastor and veteran journalist. She often shares her research on politics and Christian Nationalism in the U.S. You can follow along with the readings from Common Prayer at www.commonprayer.net for free! Angela Denker: https://www.angeladenker.com RLC needs your help - please complete a listener survey: https://tinyurl.com/rlc-podcast To help sustain RLC work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
At the end of our first 5 years of 'Turning Towards Life' we ask - how do we do the difficult work of reconciliation, of making peace with ourselves and with those with whom we share this one life, without abandoning ourselves or one another? How do we make peace together in a world where there are rarely easy answers, and where the right path is often shrouded in complexity? And can we commit ourselves to peace-making in the most ordinary ways as an endless path to walk, rather than as a 'thing' to be obtained? Hosted as always by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. Turning Towards Life, a week-by-week conversation inviting us deeply into our lives, is a live 30 minute conversation hosted by Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn of Thirdspace. Find us on FaceBook to watch live and join in the lively conversation on this episode. You can find videos of every episode, and more about the project on the Turning Towards Life website, and you can also watch and listen on Instagram, YouTube, and as a podcast on Apple, Google, Amazon Music and Spotify. Here's our source for this week: Making Peace Peace making doesn't mean passivity It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice The act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer The act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free. From: ‘Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals' - a book by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove & Enuma Okoro. Photo Credit: Lizzie Winn (photo from a wall near my house!)
Join Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove for a discussion on the dangers of Christian nationalism. You can follow along with the readings at commonprayer.net for free! Red Letter Christians: http://redletterchristians.org School for Conversion: http://schoolforconversion.org
Lord of Creation, create in us a new rhythm of life composed of hours that sustain rather than stress, of days that deliver rather than destroy, of time that tickles rather than tackles.Lord of Liberation, by the rhythm of your truth, set us free from the bondage and baggage that breaks us, from the Pharaohs and fellows who fail us, from the plans and pursuits that prey upon us.Lord of Resurrection, may we be raised into rhythms of your new life, dead to deceitful calendars, dead to fleeting friend requests, dead to the empty peace of our accomplishments.To our packed-full planned calendars, we bid, "Peace!" To our over-caffeinated consciences, we say, "Cease!" To our suffocating selves, Lord, grant us release.Drowning in a sea of deadlines and death chimes, we rest in you, our lifeline.By your ever-restful grace, allow us to enter your Sabbath rest .In the name of our Creator, our Liberator, our Resurrection and Life, we pray. Amen.Taken from: “Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals” by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.
In this episode, Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, and Rev. Liz Theoharis discuss the Poor People's Campaign and the Moral March on Washington on June 18th in DC. To get involved with the Poor People's Campaign go to: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/ To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Connect with Jana through her website: janalgpeterson.comNAIITS - North American Institute for Indigenous Theological StudiesHere are some resources:A great conversation on the Syrophoenician Woman from Dr. Mitzi Smith and her colleagues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVy-kp-3jDY&t=4994sThe book referenced by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder ReligionDr. Angela Parker's book If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?Here are some pages from Mark and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies, edited by Janice Capel Anderson and Stephen D. Moore. It's where Jana first read about the particular interpretations of Salome's dance. https://www.dropbox.com/s/vr93lcqlr7eq31a/Mark%20and%20Method%2C%20121-135.pdf?dl=0Lisa Sharon Harper and Randy Woodley on Closing the Narrative Gap - Peacing It All Together PodcastJana is reading Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle by Danté Stewart. Jana is listening to: Paul Cardall's piano music. Jana is inspired by her children, the earth, Spring bringing new life and Lisa Sharon Harper
Join Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, and William Barber II for monthly morning prayer based on the book, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. The theme for April is "Submission to Christ's Body, the Church." Common Prayer: http://commonprayer.net Poor People's Campaign: http://poorpeoplescampaign.org Red Letter Christians: http://redletterchristians.org School for Conversion: http://schoolforconversion.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne
This episode is from our March 2021 monthly morning prayer, hosted by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove with special guest, Richard Rohr. Join us: Each month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6am EST, we unite our hearts together in prayer using “Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals”… and we pause for a little time of reflection. For more information on Richard Rohr https://cac.org/ Monthly Common Prayer: https://commonprayer.net/ To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne
This episode is from our monthly morning prayer, hosted by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove with special guest, Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil. Each month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6am EST, we unite our hearts together in prayer using “Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals”… and we pause for a little time of reflection. Thank you for joining us. For more information on Dr. Salter McNeil visit https://www.saltermcneil.com/ Monthly Common Prayer: https://commonprayer.net/ To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne
We continue to go through Yoga's ethical practices the Yamas. This week we explore our Satya and how to both speak and live out your truth as a student, teacher, and Christ follower. Resources: The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas Reconstructing the Gospel: Find Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove
n this episode we are excited to sit down with celebrated spiritual writer and sought-after speaker, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. In his new book REVOLUTION OF VALUES - Jonathan outlines how Christians have misused Scripture to consolidate power, stoke fears, and defend against enemies. A solution to this rest with people who have been hurt by the attacks of Christian nationalism. Jonathan shows us how their voices can help us rediscover God's vision for faith in public life.We discuss people on the frontlines of issues ranging from immigration policy and voting rights to women's rights and much more. This is a conversation that certainly helps us focus on striving to respect the dignity of every human being. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a celebrated spiritual writer and sought-after speaker. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of Eastern University and Duke Divinity School.In 2003, Jonathan and his wife Leah founded the Rutba House, a house of hospitality where the formerly homeless share community with the formerly housed. Jonathan directs the School for Conversion, a popular education center that works to make “surprising friendships possible.” He is also an Associate Minister at the historically black St. Johns Missionary Baptist Church.Jonathan is a co-complier of the celebrated Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, and the author of several books on Christian spirituality, including Reconstructing the Gospel, Strangers at My Door, The Awakening of Hope, The Wisdom of Stability, and The New Monasticism. He is also co-author, with Reverend Dr. William Barber II, of The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement.An evangelical Christian who connects with the broad spiritual tradition and its monastic witnesses, Jonathan is a leader in the Red Letter Christian movement and the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. He speaks often about emerging Christianity and faith in public life to churches and conferences across the denominational spectrum and has given lectures at dozens of universities and seminaries, including Calvin College, MIT, Bethel, Duke, Yale, Princeton, Jewish Theological, Perkins, Wake Forrest, St. John's, DePaul, and Baylor.https://jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com/This podcast was recorded on October 19th, 2021.
Joe asks big questions about Jesus and guerrillas. Drew nearly starts Crisis of Faith's first ever on-air-sing-along. And Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove teaches them that it's possible to put the EVANGEL back into Evangelical. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crisisoffaith/message
Being a good pastor and writer means bringing one's whole self to the page, to the sanctuary, and to the community. For Wesley Morris, it also means embracing a "luminous darkness" – a phrase coined by mystic Howard Thurman – as a place of transformation. In this conversation, Pastor Morris describes his experiences as a chaplain at Harlem Hospital and as a student at Union Theological Seminary, where he studied under Black liberation theologian Dr. James Cone and wrote a Master's thesis titled: "A Dark Faith." He also discusses his time at the 2014 Writing to Change the World Collegeville Institute workshop led by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, where participants shared vulnerable writing with one another. Morris believes that writing can build bridges across our divides, allowing love to travel from one world to another.
Editors hold a hidden yet sacred role in the publishing world. As managing editor of The Bitter Southerner, writer Josina Guess works closely with storytellers to hone their work. At times she acts as midwife to writers, helping form narratives on difficult topics like domestic violence and racism. Before she became an editor, Josina attended three writing workshops at the Collegeville Institute, including Writing to Change the World led by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove in 2014, Revision, Christian Spirituality, and the Writing Life led by Lauren Winner in 2017, and Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging through the Personal Essay led by Enuma Okoro in 2019. In this interview, Josina discusses her work as an editor, as well as her own writing on themes of race, violence, and family. Josina's posture as an activist, writer, and editor is rooted in curiosity and empathy. From her home in rural Georgia, she shares wisdom from acting and storytelling within a particular community, which she believes is the best way writers can change the world.
In this episode, we sit down with author and activist Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove to discuss his books, his activism, and what the Gospel calls us to be and do.
In this episode, we sit down with author and activist Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove to discuss his books, his activism, and what the Gospel calls us to be and do.
In this episode, we continue for the second part of our conversation with Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Writers engaged in justice work can help others expand their imagination for what is possible, yet they also need accountability, support, and spiritual growth. Where can these activists turn for mothering wisdom? Listen to Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove discuss the global pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and the need for spiritual mothers and fathers to guide and care for activists.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove joins us this week to talk politics for the poor, political propaganda, and reconstructing your faith. Jonathan is a writer, speaker, activist and author of Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good. You can purchase a copy of Revolution of Values here: https://www.ivpress.com/revolution-of-valuesYou can learn more about the Poor People's Campaign here: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/
How can writers of faith participate in current justice movements? Where can activists on the frontlines of movements find the rest and relationships necessary for a sustainable writing life? And what role does community and accountability play in the lives of writers who address issues of injustice in their work? In Season 2 of the Unlikely Conversations podcast, we are listening to activists and writers of faith who are using words to change the world. Our esteemed guests in this initial episode, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, co-led a writing workshop in 2019 through the Collegeville Institute called Writing for Mystic Activists. It was a week-long retreat centered on writing as a contemplative practice for activists and clergy, an opportunity for 12 participants to connect with a long tradition of resistance writers.
Today we talk with writer and activist D.L. Mayfield. We talk about her life in Portland, the truth about loving our neighbors, as well as some of our thoughts about sin that are essentially unhelpful. Much of what we talk about comes from D.L.'s book, The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power.D. L. Mayfield is a writer and activist who has spent over a decade working with refugee communities in the United States. Her work has been published in McSweeney's, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Christian Century, Sojourners, Vox, and the Englewood Review of Books. She is also the author of Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children.Some other books we mentioned:Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile CultureWalter Brueggemann, The Prophetic ImaginationIbram X. Kendi, How to Be An AntiracistMichael O. Emerson & Christian Smith, Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in AmericaMusic by Robert EbbensArt by Eric Wright/Metamora Design
Still social distancing.Kyle and Bobby are Classmates of Danielle's from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. All three were in the Counseling program together.Danielle met Bobby and Kyle in a Spirit and Trauma Class and shared a research project together.Checking in with Bobby about how he's doing and how COVID is affecting his life:Bobby says truthfully, “We don't actually know how COVID-19 is effecting us and we probably won't know for a long time.”What he's noticed in his counseling internship is that the gap between the haves and have-nots has is becoming increasingly larger.As a therapist, Bobby find himself entering sessions with a different mindset – “there's a lot more case management” happening rather than actual therapy. It's become more difficult right now to engage past trauma, while living in a current trauma. He finds his sessions are less about trauma and more about just surviving.With 9 people in his household, Bobby is watching how each kid is navigating the lack of community, social support and social interaction. And when you magnify that with the population of people you work with, there is a diverse reaction to what's happening.Bobby says he's not sure he can do anything more than just sit with people and listen to how their day/week/month has been and not really give much input. It allows them space to share what's happening in their daily routine, what is lacking. Danielle noted that the longer COVID goes on, the larger the gap. Bobby had hopes that there would be a hiatus on crime during this season. In the past weeks there's been an uptick in violence. The media is showing there's not just more violence on a whole but also more violence being inflicted by law enforcement. Bobby is trying to work and everyone should also work on taking a collective deep breathe and try to figure out what the next move is. He's had a young person that he's close to that was killed three weeks ago and there is no place for lament or gathering together. The gap is widening from economic and racial. The luxury he is given: the ability to lament and give space to lament. For many people that space is decreasing when it should be increasing. Bobby says, when you don't allow yourself space to lament, it bottles up and manifest in someway other way, shape or form.Maggie acknowledges that the collective tension is so tight. She empathizes with not getting more space and wishes she has space to lament, not just for herself but also for her kids who hate school online and miss their friends. She says in this COVID environment our friends have become threats and that is not the way she wants her kids to live. Bobby says we need to remember that the tension we feel will manifest itself in some way and law enforcement is not immune to that. Kyle mentions a book they read for class [My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem] that deals with racialized trauma in our country and addressed police bodies. Kyle watched a recent interaction with an African American man who was intoxicated at a Walgrens. Kyle found himself watching to make sure the man was treated fairly by law enforcement all the while his therapy training running in his head, is he a risk to himself? Is he a risk to others? Then adding to that Menakem's work he began to wonder, “How is the officer working to deescalate this guy? And if the officer is stressed he's not going to have that to give.” Kyle thinks Menakem's work needs to be apart of the conversation on how we take care of the police so that they can practice law. The police is working with new stress, just like the rest of us. Danielle mentions that Shaun King, an Activist, has been showing video clips of African American men getting tazzed and tackled by Police just standing there, not practicing social distancing, brutally arrested and charged with police assault. Contrasted to images of white people in a park in New York, not social distancing, and cops were rolling throw handing out masks. The contrast is so stark. Individual police are responsible for their actions. But who is above them telling them to carry out an agenda and a policy like that?A friend made masks for Danielle's family and the one for her husband didn't fit. Instead he wore a bandana. But it was as they were going on with him wearing the bandana on his face that she thought, “Oh you better not wear that… to other people you are looking really dangerous” as a Mexican man. So he went into the store without a mask and people gave him dirty looks. It's like a bind, “What do you want him to do? Where is he going to fit?” It's like not having the space to exist. Danielle says that communities need more opportunities to lament, space to lament. And white spaces are still crowding that space.Bobby was reminded of something that happened at the Seattle School during a practicum: It was a heated conversation about race shortly after Trump was elected and there were white folks saying there were no race issues, especially in Seattle. The facilitator decided it was needed for the class to take a break. Bobby, who's wife Samoan, finds he's more aware of racial tension situations and he asks himself, “What's my role right now?” Tension comes up in their family dynamic and within the community he and his lives in, but in that moment at the Seattle School he went, for the first time up to the chapel room. Outside the room there is a chalkboard wall where someone had written, “there will be peace in the valley for me.” For a second, he took solace in that. And then he asked himself why he feels that and it is because he is a white heterosexual man. That's why he could feel that there would be peace in the valley, he will be protected and he doesn't live with the racial tension and oppression. He walked away thinking that he doesn't want that peace because of white privilege. He doesn't know how to handle the fact that he could walk away from this situation and have peace for himself but he would still know that others could not have that peace.“What's my role as a white person combating the structures that exist and uphold that feeling of peace for me but creates a feeling of conflict and violence for so many people in my life that I love and care about. “Even though the event at school happened over three years ago, he thinks about it a lot. Kyle wonders what makes it hard for white men to hear this and have conversations around these topics. What are the barriers? Bobby thinks that it is exposing: The conversation around race creates vulnerability, not a threat, but a place for white people to admit that the only reason they have their place or standing is because of white privilege. Not their brain, heart, work ethic… but everything to do with the color or their skin. Bobby says, “It's unnerving.” Bobby recognizes and sees his white privilege more clearly now. Bobby quotes Portland Seminary Professor Randy Woodley, “If there is one person without shalom, then no one has shalom.” This is the work of white people: we must claim peace no only for themselves but for all people. Everyone should experience God's fullness. Danielle notices that there is a fatigue among white leaders right now as they are working a marathon against the virus. The work of deconstructing whiteness and recognizing privilege, can't be solved by just reading Robin DiAngelo's book [White Fragility]. It is a long grueling process, and that's okay! It's okay to battle with it everyday… It's almost a blessing because it won't equal what others have been through and do go through. There needs to be a sense of suffering the ways we have been raised that shaped our mindset that has caused harm to others. We need to battle with ourselves and we need the endurance to do it. Kyle remembers looking at some case studies so school and many were done by white male therapists. It didn't bother him and he almost didn't notice it. He was numb to it. When it was brought up he found himself defensive, like this is the way it is in this field, as if it was an excuse. Kyle was able, with the help of his classmates, do his own work to recognize this micro-aggression that he never has to think about and others do. He said it's a part of his brain he doesn't' have to use because of the privilege he's had his whole life. “It's growing that muscle and having patience with myself as I do. Yeah I can start to see these things and advocate for them.” “It's a mental slog … to do the work to wake up.” Kyle said it's not easy work to look in the mirror after reading Robin DiAngelo's book when the whole system as worked for you for a long time. But the work of acknowledging white privilege is worth our energy and time. White people need to overcome laziness and the unwillingness to put the work in. Bobby says we need to consider what we're tied to: Individualistic White American perspective. We can navigate COVID-19 like any other social issue on our own or we can choose to navigate in community. Movements in racial equity, social issues, oppression, Medicare, etc…. From a communal perspective it takes longer, but that's the way we're supposed to move: Collectively. It's not about individuals at all, it's about doing it together. Bobby was working with young African American men moving things out of a truck and a police came and started questioning them, even to the point of getting violent. But as soon as he [Bobby] came around from the front of the truck to talk to the police officer, that's when he backs down.Bobby things people tend to not believe things until they've seen it with their own eyes. He also saw the post that Shawn King made contrasting police interaction with whites vs. African Americans… He thought, “is it really that bad?” Kyle said it is a programmed first thought to think they aren't really doing that. It's like a veil of ignorance that we have to shut that part of our brain off: the part that connects with someone else's suffering. We say, “Well it's not real, it's just on instagram” when the reality is “that is actually someone's body being tortured.”Maggie asks, “How do we collectively engage what we are experiencing?” She said she believes the violence against African Americans is happening. Maggie says that the closer the violence is to our actual location, the more we feel it in our bodies physically. Feeling in our bodies moves us to action. When we are not feeling it than it's very easy to detach and remain disengaged. How do we find shalom collectively? Bobby said the veil of ignorance is to seek shalom individually. Movement towards peace is not individual, it's communal. Danielle was writing about greed used 1 Timothy 6:9 in the French going after a debt on Cinco de Mayo. She says, “we've been lulled into sleep…We're plunged into our desire for greed. And greed leads to harm and destruction for us. This is not a free pass.” Shalom for majority culture that does not trickle down to others, is not Shalom at all. How do we engage these idols of greed and power in our society, as dominate culture and do more than talk? It has to have some tangible action. Theoretical process doesn't do anything.Kyle mentions desegregation and drastic action that seemed to help. But we've undone that with redlining and we end up isolating ourselves from each other. Kyle asks what we need is radical policies? Radical actions? Kyle used to be a 4th grade teacher and when he taught about Martin Luther King, Jr. he started with America being founded on slavery. He wanted to widen the students perceptive because there is this false belief that racial issues were resolved in the 60s with MLK. He admits he was under that veil. But it doesn't feel like it serves our kids to perpetuate this false reality that racial issues have been resolved—what he believes we really need is to teach a different history. The systems disrupt truth! He wants to know: How do we have real radical action?Bobby compared his own life with a friend of his of the same age but a different race. He friend has been in and out of the system and Bobby said he would really fit in at the Seattle School with the way his mind works and his knowledge and experiences. But his great grandfather wasn't able to get a home loan, and Bobby's great grandfather was. Bobby was able to buy his home by buying against the equity of his great grandfather… His friend was never able to do that. Bobby mentions reparations – The question he asks is where is the gap? It is a knowledge gap? The equity gap can be traced back to the GI bill and redlining. And how do we right those wrongs?Danielle says individuals need to take action. Systems are made up of people. ON our own we're insignificant. But together we can do more. Her friend had a stimulus check and used it to pick up chrome books for Danielle's kids and another family so they could have tablets to work on for school at home. That's someone creating equity in a system!A really practical thing for listeners to do is to donate their stimulus check to someone who doesn't have access to technology or internet. And to not superimpose with restrictions, a gift free and clear.---Kyle is reading: Boys in the Boat by Daniel James BrownKyle is listening to: Hilary McBride's Other People's ProblemsKyle is inspired by: This conversation. Bobby is reading: Love in a Fearful Land by Henri NouwenBobby is listening to: Randy Woodley, Mark Charles, any people who talking about CommunityBobby is inspired by: Stories of resilience Resource to process whiteness: PLEASE READ IN COMMUNITY My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa MenakemUnsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan RahMirror to the Church: Resurrecting Faith After Genocide in Rwanda by Emmanuel Katongole and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
Pastor Stephen Wilson of Gateway Church in Dallas/Fort Worth talks about how his congregration is setting up satellite campuses in area prisons. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove of Duke University talks about his book Revolution of Values.
Pastor Stephen Wilson of Gateway Church in Dallas/Fort Worth talks about how his congregration is setting up satellite campuses in area prisons. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove of Duke University talks about his book Revolution of Values.
★ Support our work and get 2 bonus episodes and a zoom call every month, plus access to our private Facebook Group with 200+ other listeners. Find out more here!Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove reflects on the painful reality that much of white American Christianity is more akin to slaveholder religion than the Christianity of Christ. He discusses how to distinguish between the two and shares some of his own journey of reconstructing the gospel. Jonathan's book is Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder ReligionReferences: Poor People's Campaign Willie Jennings James Cone Hosts: Nate Hanson & Shelby Bennett (MA in Biblical Studies)Music: Jpoetic, Cale Haugen, Joel Harris ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★