Is our doubt getting worse?

From AI mimicry to feel-good stories gone bad, it seems like we have to question the very reality around us. So that’s what the Piatts do in this CultureCast.

Christian also interviews Austin Fischer, author of “Faith in the Shadows: Finding Christ in the Midst of Doubt,” Amy turns our hair gray (those of us who have any) with her weekly fear, and the recommendations help you clear both your head and mind.

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We examine Trump’s words (and silence) regarding Sen. McCain’s death, the Vatican’s response to recent abuse allegations, what various media outlets chose to cover after the Manafort and Cohen dramas, and whether preaching is a dying craft.

Our guest is Jonathan Merritt, author of “Learning to Speak God from Scratch,” in which he argues why the loss of sacred language is important, and what can be done.

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Amy and Christian Piatt reflect on the impact of last year’s events, consider the recent “Unite the Right 2” rally in DC and consider MSNBC’s recent “Breaking Hate” special featuring former Hammerskin Nation leader and friend of the show, Christian Picciolini.

Christian interviews Clive Thompson, writer for Wired Magazine, about his recent article about how extremist groups are taking the war for your mind to the internet and how it’s impacting our children.

Plus we review Spike Lee’s new film, BlacKKKlansman and more.

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As much as 77% of white Evangelicals support Trump. Why do they continue to support him? Do progressives share anything with Evangelicals besides the name Christian? They talk about the moral compromise and rationalization of supporting Trump, the perceived loss of (white) identity, support for a populist movement, and comfort with a patriarchal order.

Plus, and update and continuation from the last episode on 3D printable guns and limiting free speech for the greater good in the age of the Internet.

Christian also talks with Tripp Fuller from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast and co-star of the new film The Road to Edmond. At the heart of the movie is an exploration of the tension between those parts of your religious upbringing that have blessed you, and the need to leave it behind, and how friendship can be the bridge between the two.

Hear about the movie, where the idea came from, how the movie provokes conversation, developing a character who is antagonistic towards organized religion, faithfully depicting people of faith on screen, and the real-life inspiration behind the story.

Plus, hear about what didn’t make it in the film, and the most offensive scene in the film. Click here if you’d like to host a screening in your town.

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You’ll hear about how a political cartoon sparked a debate about the difference between the efforts to rescue the soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand and the relative inaction in regards to the children detained at the US border, Jeff Session’s defense of separating children using Romans 13, and drawing the line between what is and isn’t safe to share online.

Christian is joined by Erin Wathen, pastor outside of Kansas City, friend of the podcast, and author of the new book Resist and Persist: Faith and the Fight for Equality. She also runs the Irreverin blog on Patheos.

They chat about a feminist response to a culture of deeply ingrained misogyny, how patriarchy is so deeply embedded in our daily lives that it is beyond recognition, the roots of toxic masculinity, how millennial women find traditional feminism off-putting and building brides between different generations, the cross as a symbol of empire, the intersectional effects of patriarchy, and under representation of women in politics.

• what does addressing patriarchy look like in the age of Trump?
• was Jesus a feminist?
• has the #metoo movement gone too far?

Plus, the motherhood myth, how we understand the different cultural and religious norms for women, and what the faithful response to all of this would even look like.

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1. Carol Howard Merritt talks about overcoming religious trauma
2. Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde talks a little about her Theology of Prince project
3. Dr. Daniel White Hodge and the theology of hip-hop
4. Michael Poffenberger about why contemplation and activism need to go hand in hand
5. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation
6. John Kiriakou about when doing good breaks the law
7. Ira Glass talks about the portrayal of Christians in the media

As always, you can go to patreon.com/culturecast to help support the podcast, and get some sweet bonus content.

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Amy and Christian also share their perspective as parents and ask Mattias to share a little bit about his talents and what advice he would give parents of kids with autism.

Christian also talks with Nathanael Welch, producer of the CultureCast and Homebrewed Christianity podcasts, about life with a sibling with austism. Nathanael shares about his brother Benjamin, who is profoundly disabled, when he first noticed Ben was different, the shifts in identity that took place as a result of growing up with a disabled sibling, the struggle with resentment,and  how his experiences taking care of Ben have changed the way he sees the world, other people, and God.

Plus, they also chat about the ways in which our society is inherently ableist, the failure of the church and faith communities to address the needs of people with disabilities, and how encountering people with disabilities can reveal those things we repress as a society

Learn more about Benjamin’s situation here.

You can help support the CultureCast! Just go to patreon.com/culturecast. If you become a patron (at any level) by May 5th, you will be entered to win a set of 3 Common English Bibles (the Study Bible, Women’s Bible, and Storyteller’s Bible). So sign up to support the podcast now!

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Learn a little about the history of the Associated Church Press, and our sponsor Lutheran World Relief. If you go to lwr.org/coffee and use the promo code LWRCOFFEE, you’ll get 10% off your order of fair trade coffee.

In News of the World, Gregg and Christian take a look at fake news and the responsibility and role of media in a fake news culture.

• has trust in media been misplaced?
• are we getting more realistic about the relative truth of all media?
• how do we define truth in a post-fact culture?
• how can we tell the difference between legitimate news and propaganda?

Then, Daniel White Hodge, Associate Professor of Intercultural Communications at North Park University in Chicago, talks about the relationship between urban missions and colonialism, the lack of intercultural competencies in urban mission work, the prophetic voice in hip-hop, the history of hip-hop, how it has replaced the civil rights movement, and whether mainstream recognition of hip-hop is a good thing, or just another example of being co-opted by white culture.

Plus, you’ll get to hear two live performances by J. Kwest, and the 3 (or 7) hip-hop albums everyone needs to have in their collection.

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Amy and Christian look at the state of leadership in the church today.

• what does it take to truly lead the church in the 21st century?
• what does society need from a faith leader?
• how do faith leaders best care for people today?
• how do you lead people in something that doesn’t allow for certainty?
• and what about when you feel compelled to lead in a direction that you know will not be welcomed?

Up first, Christian interviews Amy in a pre-interview interview about what it takes to be a leader, the challenges of leading people who are leaders in other contexts, the problems with and tensions of being welcoming, and the lure of certainty.

Then, Christian talks with Ira Glass about his movie Come Sunday, now available on Netflix. From IMDB: Based on an episode of the public radio series This American Life, which centers on Bishop Carlton Pearson, a rising star among evangelicals until he was ostracized by his own church and declared a heretic after he started preaching that there is no Hell. 

Hear about what drew Ira, a self-proclaimed atheist, to this story and what about it made him want to make it into a movie, what excited him about the movie, the lack of mainstream movies or shows that accurately depict Christians and the importance of correcting that (especially given our current cultural moment), the tension between relationships and ideology, intent versus impact, his philosophy behind telling any story, what makes for a good story, and the role that This American Life plays in our society. Plus:

• have Christians gotten gotten a bad rap?
• have they earned that portrayal?
• is God a God of love, or of wrath?

The very first episode of the Surviving the Bible podcast is out! You can listen to it here. Make sure to subscribe and share.

Christian will be doing a live podcast in Chicago this Wednesday, April 18th. You can get more info and tickets here.

Amy’s book recommendation – Resist and Persist: Faith and the Fight for Equality by Erin Wathen

• What does the church mean in the 21st century?
• What of our identity, systems, or traditions should be preserved or continued?
• What needs to die?
• How do you think the Christian religion will look differently a generation or two from now?

Topics and themes discussed: intersectionality, that is, the overlap of the labels we use for people, how differentiation and the safety that brings plays out in the church today, the ingredients for dehumanization present in the church, and the curiosity of church for those in a post-church culture.

Plus, holding the tension of difference and the cohesion of community, the symbol of the table, the frustration of trying to include people you disagree with, redeeming the loving mother image of God, and Amy shares some big news.

Don’t miss the CultureCast live in Chicago on Wednesday, April 18th. Click here for more information and tickets.

You can help support the CultureCast (and get some sweet perks) by going to patreon.com/culturecast

Amy talks about how she was considering leaving the church and Christianity completely, the ways in which she has changed over the past year, and how resurrection has manifested in her life. Christian talks about resurrection as transformation from potential to actuality, his resurrection agnosticism, and how our wounds can be the site of transformation. They also discuss the response from the students in Parkland, Florida, and the historical parallels to this movement.

Later, Christian interviews Jamie Wright, best known for her blog-turned-book, The Very Worst Missionary, which comes out today! Christian and Jamie talk about how they met, the crazy process of writing a book, about growing up in an atheist and agnostic family and how she ended up going to a synagogue, about wanting to be someone else and finding her identity in Christianity, and what happened when she dissented in her women’s small group.

Jamie also talks about her time as a missionary, the experience of moving to Costa Rica with her family, the decision to be honest about missions work and how hungry many Christians are for people to speak truthfully and honestly about reality. Plus, the top 5 reasons Christian missions suck.

Last, but not least, Recommendations and Fear of the Week are back, and Christian and Amy help us avoid some of the worst words of consolation, support, or advice that we give as people of faith.

You can help support the CultureCast (and score some sweet stuff) by going to patreon.com/culturecast.

John 20:1-18 | Amy shares the Easter message she would preach, the calling out of Mary’s name and the importance of the act of naming, the significance of Jesus the gardener, opening ourselves to truth, being broken open by suffering, what we’ve missed about the resurrection, and how it relates to Genesis 3.

Luke 24:1-12 | Christian talks about what Jesus had to die to before engaging and, ultimately, transcending the cross. He quotes noted atheist Penn Jillette and explains what modern science has to reveal to us about resurrection. Finally, he connects resurrection back to Genesis and talks about why the women were the right ones to witness Jesus’ death and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | Tripp shares his frustration with this passage and how this (and others) are used to kick people out for not ‘believing’ the correct thing, the invitation to be resurrected, the urgency of the message, and can you believe God really does anything?

Acts 10:34-43 | Tripp tries to convince Amy that this is the text she should preach on Easter, the resurrection as the rupture of Peter’s understanding of the gospel, how the proper affirmation of the resurrection removes the barriers to our embodied existence, and being witnesses to transformation.

Plus, Christ is risen, he is risen indeed? Who are our Easter services for?

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

In Isaiah 7:10-14, Christian tells us about the scandal of particularity, and being participants in Easter without making it about us. Then Tripp and Amy turn to the triumphal entry in Mark 11:1-11 and how we’ve lost the significance of Palm Sunday, the messianic secret and the turn towards Jerusalem, the contrast between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the Roman Army’s entry before Passover, the real threat Jesus poses, and the conflict of two different types of power.

Plus, how throwing a party that celebrates our ignorance is good news, David and Goliath as the opening match for Jesus and Pilate, the power at play in re-reading a text, and the anxiety surrounding our own agency and the possibility of transformation.

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

This week on the CultureCast we continue with highlights from the Surviving the Bible for Lent course. Tripp gives you your Bible-nerd fact of the day, you’ll hear about why David is like the Harvey Weinstein of the Hebrew Bible, what Mandy Moore has to do with the Psalms, and our avoidance of suffering.

First up, Jeremiah 31:31-34. Tripp once again gives you many options for preaching this text: who has access to God in the new covenant? the tension between institutions and movements, the democratization of God, the deep political divisions latent in the passage, and how new life is stymied by needing to be right in that divide.

In the Psalm (51:1-12) we see David’s internal struggle and our uncomfortability with God using someone like David for something good. For Hebrews 5:5-10, Tripp helps explain how the text can short-circuit latent penal-substitutionary atonement interpretations by noticing what it doesn’t say, how Jesus’ faithfulness helps re-frame our understanding of sin and salvation, and how Jesus changes the job description of high priest.

Lastly, in John 12:20-33, Christian and Amy talk about our inability to recognize the truth right in front of us, the requirements of transformation, what is truly necessary to be born again, and hurting for the right reasons. Plus, Amy gives some advice and reasons for engaging in contemplative practices.

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

They’ll also tackle the most one of the most significant verses in the whole bible: John 3:16. Plus those other ones nearby: John 3:14-21. Why do we so often lift this passage out of context and use it as a test of faith? How can we avoid using this text to harass people? Plus the way John connects the cross with the snake in numbers.

Lastly, Ephesians 2:1-10. What is the difference between grace and mercy? Do we often miss the really radical part of grace? How does this text help us shift our economic understandings of how grace and mercy work?

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

If you want to join the Surviving the Bible for Lent group, it’s not too late!

Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable.

Join the CultureCast’s Amy and Christian Piatt, along with Tripp, in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

• The 10 commandments – what are we supposed to do with them? What if they are descriptive not prescriptive?
• Is Jesus cleansing the temple righteous anger or something else?
• Did Jesus break one of the commandments?

Plus, the importance of giving up the rules, our identities, our titles – anything we’ve created that we’re attached to, the completeness of God’s law in the Psalm, and the transrational nature of the crucifixion.

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

If you want to join the Surviving the Bible for Lent group, it’s not too late!

Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable.

Join the CultureCast’s Amy and Christian Piatt, along with Tripp, in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

This special edition of the CultureCast is from the first live session of Surviving the Bible for Lent, with Homebrewed Christianity’s Tripp Fuller. Tripp, Christian, and Amy take a look at the texts for the second Sunday in Lent (Mark 8:31-38; Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Romans 4:13-25) plus a brief look at last week’s texts. They talk about the Transfiguration, Peter as object lesson, the willing surrender of control, and Christus Victor.

• can we reconcile a Christus Victor christology with a willingly vulnerable God/Christ?
• what does it mean to call Jesus the Christ?
• was Jesus really tempted?

They also cover the ways these texts have been used to justify suffering, oppression, and abuse, the covenant between God and Abraham, the genesis of the Genesis passage, how the mistranslation of one of the proper names of God radically changes our understanding of the passage, and the importance of the maternal lineage and parental role of God in these passages.

Plus everyone wrestles with Paul about the difference between Law and Covenant

And don’t forget you can enter to win some sweet new bibles from our friends at the Common English Bible.

If you want to join the Surviving the Bible for Lent group, it’s not too late!

Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable.

Join the CultureCast’s Amy and Christian Piatt, along with Tripp, in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

• Are we too focused on sex and sexuality too much?
• Are we sometimes focusing on things like inclusion of LGBTQ to the exclusion of other things like poverty, homelessness, ecology?
• Is defending one’s identity or group all there is?
• Are we stuck in a spiritual or emotional adolescence?

Christian interviews Benjamin Corey about his new book Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, and his move from fundamentalist Christianity into something else. Hear about why writing this book was a big challenge for him, the major shifts that occurred while writing, the experience of losing community overnight, his period of theological deconstruction and how a conversation with Rob Bell sparked it.

Plus, how our views about God inform our views about ourselves and Benjamin tells the story of meeting Joe Biden with his Dad. You can check out Benjamin’s blog here.

It’s not too late to sign up for Surviving the Bible for Lent! Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable.

Join Amy, Christian, and Homebrewed Christianity’s Tripp Fuller in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

If you’d like to get your question answered on the show, get a copy of Christian’s book Surviving the Bible, plus a bunch of other sweet perks, become a member at patreon.com/culturecast.

For a lot of us these texts have been used as weapons, experienced as burdens, so let’s acknowledge that together and discover what it looks like to survive the bible today. If you’re interested in thinking about scripture in a new and different way, this is the group for you.

Amy, Christian and Tripp will answer your questions about the bible (or how to survive reading the Bible) every Monday through Friday throughout Lent. Once a week, all three will do a live video talking about the lectionary texts for that week. Plus, you’ll also have access to a community of people where you can connect with others who have similar ideas and questions. 

One of the unique aspects of this group is that the responses and questions are happening in real time, not something pre-packaged and devoid of context. The video reflections and live streams will not just be answering your questions about reading the Bible, but will be addressing and engaging what’s going on in world politically, culturally, religiously, etc.

So go to survivingthebible.club and join today.

Amy and Christian take a look at two big news stories involving medicine and ethics: the sexual assault case against US Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, and the Trump administration’s initiative to give more freedom for physicians to refuse treatment because of religious belief. We implicitly trust and give authority to doctors, what about the systemic negligence that contributes to the abuse of that power and trust?

Christian also talks with Dr. Lauren Raimer-Goodman, with the University of Texas medical branch, about how practicing medicine is an expression of her faith, the differences in the understanding and realities of practicing medicine in the US and Africa, the perception and role of physicians in our lives today, the role of doubt in medicine, the ethics training required and what happens when and if there is a breach, and how the people who have suffered an abuse are treated, and how she deals with the patriarchal nature of the medical field.

The Ask the Caster and Pastor segment is back! You can submit a question for Christian and Amy to answer on air by becoming a supporter of the podcast.

Some people give something up for Lent (most of us fail at it). But why not take something on instead? How about (gasp!) actually reading the Bible?

Sure, we all know Bible verses and may have even tried to read the “whole Bible,” maybe even more than once. But it can be confusing, contradictory and – if we’re being honest – really freaking boring in places. But there’s another way to approach scripture that can actually make sense, and might even be enjoyable.

Join Amy, Christian, and Homebrewed Christianity’s Tripp Fuller in figuring out how to “Survive the Bible” together this Lent.

In this episode, Christian, Amy, and friends talk about evangelicals and evangelicalism. White Evangelicals were largely responsible for getting Trump elected. This seems very strange (to some of us), considering he is considered neither a Christian nor a moral person. So considering this, we posed 3 questions to some of our friends who either currently or formerly identified as Evangelical:

1. What does it mean to be an Evangelical today?
2. What’s the biggest misconception about Evangelicalism?
3. What needs to change about Evangelicalism?

The Homebrewed Christianity CultureCast app is officially available! You can email us directly through the app, you can save and favorite shows you want to revisit or share, and more. Head over to the app store (available on Android and iTunes) and get it today!

Do you need help suriving the bible for Lent? Then the Surviving the Bible (for Lent) series with Christian, Amy, and Tripp Fuller is for you. We want you (yes, you) to submit your questions about the bible for Tripp, Amy and Christian to answer. They will answer and discuss 40 questions throughout Lent (one for each day) plus 6 weekly live sessions. This will lead into the Surviving the Bible podcast which will be available to our Patreon supporters.

…Speaking of Patreon – we need your support! Go to patreon.com/culturecast and sign up to help support the podcast. If you sign up for $10 a month Christian will send you a copy of Surviving the Bible, and donors at any level will get access to the weekly Surviving the Bible podcast which will be starting after Lent.

To that end, Christian speaks with Michael Poffenberger, executive director for the the Center for Action and Contemplation. They talk about how a life of contemplation can transform our inner lives as well as the world around us, how to train activists, why contemplation and activism need to go hand in hand, the role of suffering in activism, and reformation from the inside.

Plus, Amy responds to a conversation happening on Facebook about something she said in the last episode concerning the nature of faith, belief, and service. Get the full interview at patreon.com/culturecast

Articles and books mentioned: Obama’s Stern Warning for Trump, Hate groups make unprecedented push to recruit on college campuses, Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

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]]> Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister full 1:19:31 damienstribe@gmail.com (Lunar Riots)noWhite nationalism looks a lot different today than it used to. In this episode Christian and Amy discuss the new face of white nationalism, how Trump is setting that example, and how we can counteract it. Where is the line between presidents as public figures and human beings? Do comments made by the president normalize… Read more about Racism in the White House and How to Train an Activist with Michael PoffenbergerWhite nationalism looks a lot different today than it used to. In this episode Christian and Amy discuss the new face of white nationalism, how Trump is setting that example, and how we can counteract it. Where is the line between presidents as public figures and human beings? Do comments made by the president normalize… Read more about Racism in the White House and How to Train an Activist with Michael Poffenbergerhomebrewed,christianity,culture,society,religion,politics,christianity,spirituality,progressive,faith https://www.homebrewedchristianty.com/2018/01/09/kids-and-the-internet-net-neutrality-and-the-big-bad-wolff/ Tue, 09 Jan 2018 20:02:45 +0000 https://trippfuller.com/?p=23967 Read more about Kids and the Internet, Net Neutrality, and the Big Bad Wolff]]> Michael Collins is back on the CultureCast to talk about net neutrality and cyber ethics. Who will feel the effects of the repeal of net neutrality the most? Is there an ethical argument against net neutrality? Will the end of net neutrality bring with it the censorship of internet content?

Plus, Amy and Christian discuss how the internet is changing family dynamics and creating new and unique challenges for raising children.

They also tackle Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House and ask if we should even consider reading it. Will it heal or elevate the moral consciousness of our country? Or is it just more political gossip and palace intrigue? Related to this is the latest Ask the Pastor and the Caster question, where Christian and Amy talk about what it means to be one in Christ.

Also mentioned: 5 Things That Are Better Now Because of Trump; Sarah Silverman’s master class in compassion.

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Amy and Christian are not talking about anything serious on this week’s episode. Well, they try not to. Christian talk to Dana Trent, author of For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need For Rest, Worship, and Community. Is the Sabbath just something we’re supposed to give to God? Where does personal rest come into play? Hear about Dana’s q-tip moment (and what that is), the need for balance, and our tendency to be in denial,

Isn’t Sabbath just another thing to do? How can Sabbath be a form a worship? How do we actually build a community from rest?

Hear Dana talk about how to make your own Sabbath plan and 3 steps to help you begin. Make sure to follow Dana on twitter, Facebook, and at her website jdanatrent.com

Later, Amy and Christian ask, are we raising little fascists? How powerful is the content our children are consuming? Has our culture become obsessed with good guys, bad guys, and rigid consequences?

Plus our very first “ask the pastor and the caster” segment, and obligatory gift-giving, politics of gift-giving, and gift-giving disasters stories.

If you are a regular listener, you should really consider helping support the podcast. We are so close to our goal of getting 10 new patrons and $100 a month in support. Supporters who donate at least $10 a month will get to take part in the ask the pastor and the caster segment, as well as a copy of Christian’s new book and access to the new podcast starting next year called Surviving the Bible.

Make sure to like and follow us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter. That way you won’t miss any opportunities to give input into the show, you’ll get access to exclusive drawings and content, and never miss out on opportunities to see the CultureCast live.

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Christian got to hang out with John Burnett, national immigration correspondent for NPR, and

do an in-person interview about his day-to-day work as an immigration correspondent, how covering this presidency differs from the last, how the perception has changed among immigrants, and the implications of Trump’s immigration policy both within and without of the country. Plus DACA, sanctuary cities, and a look at undocumented immigrants and their relation to jobs and crime in the US. Does moving undocumented immigrants out of US cities make them safer? Does it mean less competition for jobs?

PLUS, you’ll get to hear about a brand new podcast coming in the new year. A weekly podcast called, you guessed it, Surviving the Bible, breaking down the weekly passages for pastors, small groups, or just for people who want a fresh way of looking at the Bible.

It’s not too late to sign up to support the CultureCast! New members will not only get to take part in the new segment, Ask the Caster and the Pastor, where you get to be on the podcast asking Amy and Christian a question about anything (only six spots left), but if you join at the $10 level or above, you’ll get a signed copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Go to patreon.com/culturecast

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As followers Jesus, people who believe we are called to do what’s right in the world, is breaking the law ever OK? What does it really mean to resist?

Plus, Billy Bush one year later, and the challenge of remembering someone’s good works only and not their faults. Would JFK, Ghandi, MLK have be indicted under the #MeToo movement? Should someone’s moral and ethical failings change how we view their legacy?

In the interview with John Kiriakou (columnist with Reader Supported News, former CIA analyst and senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Counter-Terrorism consultant with ABC news, author of Doing Time Like a Spy, and perhaps most significantly a whistle-blower concerning torture techniques) Christian and John talk about getting recruited into the CIA, what a CIA analyst does, his switch from intelligence to counter-terrorism, what compelled him to share about the CIA’s use of waterboarding, and the fallout from that decision. They also touch on fake news and state-owned media organizations, and the difference between news and propaganda, whistle-blowing and leaking. Plus, John suggests that the Justice Department and Judiciary are in cahoots to fix trials involving the Justice Department. You won’t want to miss this one!

You can listen to the full, unedited interview with John Kiriakou by supporting the podcast at patreon.com/culturecast. Not only will you be able to hear the full interview, you’ll be helping us reach our December goal of 10 new patrons!

Help us makes our December goal and get a chance to be on the show! Our goal is to get ten new patrons in December. Anyone who signs up in December (or increases their donation) will get to be a part of a new segment called Ask the Caster and the Pastor. This is where you’ll get to send in a 30 second audio clip asking a question about anything and Christian and Amy will answer it on air. Plus, each new patron will get a copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Visit patreon.com/culturecast to begin your support today.

Links from Jim Wallis and Sojourners:

• Resistance is Patriotic – and Christian: A 6-point Strategy
• Video of their protest at the Senate Office Building
• Warning! Senate is NSFBR (Not Safe for Bible Readers) – full audio of Jim Wallis describing the events

Other links mentioned:

• An odd kind of piety: The truth about Gandhi’s sex life
• JFK File: FBI Monitored Martin Luther King’s ‘Abnormal’ Sex Life or Orgies, Hookers, and Joan Baez
• Billy Bush: Yes, Donald Trump, You Said That 
• Photos: JFK’s alleged affairs

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In this episode, Christian and Amy talk about national pride, how it has changed, what it looks like, where the trends are headed, and what to do about it. Christian also talks with Martha Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent for ABC news and author of The Long Road Home. They discuss the impact of war not just on the soldiers, but on the often overlooked families of soldiers, the personal toll that covering war can have, and the difficult journalistic decisions about how to show the realities of war.

Plus, a look at the growing number of celebrities, public figures, and powerful men being accused of sexual misconduct, the article A Slow Burn: Why Matt Lauer Got Fired but Trump is Still President by Erin Wathen, and what we can and should do about all of this.

Help us makes our December goal and get a chance to be on the show! Our goal is to get ten new patrons in December. Anyone who signs up in December (or increases their donation) will get to be a part of a new segment called Ask the Caster and the Pastor. This is where you’ll get to send in a 30 second audio clip asking a question about anything and Christian and Amy will answer it on air. Plus, each new patron will get a copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Visit patreon.com/culturecast to begin your support today.

Is the Reformation still significant 500 years later? Was it really as revolutionary as everyone makes it out to be? How do you claim grace over works, yet compel good works? What do we say to people who say they don’t need the church? Do we make a case for church? What is the role of corporate worship?

Plus, hear bishop Eaton and Rick talk about why they are Lutheran, what Lutheranism has to offer, about faith, doubt, and coming back to faith, embodiment and incarnation, the material versus the spiritual, and what it means to be in the world but not of it.

This show is free, but it isn’t free to produce. You can help support the podcast for as little as $1 a month, and if you sign up for $10 a month you will get a copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Sign up by January first at that level and also get a signed copy of Leaving A-Holiness Behind. 

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Right after Christian keynoted at the Voices Conference, he hung out with Dr. Kyle Roberts and Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde of the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Up first, Kyle talks about his work and why he’s dedicated his life to theology, what faith looks like actually in the world, doing public theology, social ethics, Kierkegaard, existentialism and post-modernism, and his new book, A Complicated Pregnancy: Whether Mary was a Virgin and Why it Matters.

• Is post-modernism just a slippery slope where everything, including morality, is relative?
• Was Mary a virgin, and why does it matter?
• How church politics played a role in understanding the virgin birth
• And how our understanding of the incarnation influences whether we emphasize Jesus’ humanity or divinity

Plus, the questions that keep you up at night, dramatic readings of psalm 23, the “biblical” defense of Roy Moore, and what Prince has in common with the virgin birth.

Speaking of Prince, Pamela talks about the Theology of Prince project at United, what it means to be an interfaith Buddhist practitioner, the co-mingling of Buddhism and Christianity, the resistance of some Christians to engage in inter-religious practice, and the intersection of pop culture and faith.

You’ll hear:

• A story about how someone found their spirituality through Prince
• The disembodiment of our faith and how Prince reconciles sexuality and spirituality
• Was Prince famous before he got wise?
• And about how Prince went door-to-door evangelizing

The University of Minnesota and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities invites the public to submit academic papers, personal essays, poetry, spoken word, or visual art on Theology of Prince.

If you become a patron and help support the podcast at $10/mo you’ll get a signed copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Or you can enter the Surviving the Bible Giveaway by going to the CultureCast Facebook page and signing up for the newsletter. Winners will be announced at the end of November.

Trump has quietly accomplished more than it appears… so Christian and Amy take a look at what he has and hasn’t accomplished. Plus, they take a look ahead to the 2018 midterms and what tax reform has to do with Obamacare.

Are you confused about the whole Russia/Trump timeline? about who’s who? Or maybe you’re confounded by the scriptural defense of pedophilia. Or maybe you’re wondering what Democrats need to focus on in 2018 to win? Guns? Abortion? Trump??? The Piatt’s are here to help! And something weird is going on in the recommendations of the week…

A big thanks to our four new supporters! If you become a patron at $10/mo you’ll get a signed copy of Christian’s new book, Surviving the Bible. Or you can enter the Surviving the Bible Giveaway by going to the CultureCast Facebook page and signing up for the newsletter.

Stay tuned for our LIVE episode from Minneapolis where Christian talks with Pamela Ayo Yetunde about the theology of Prince. And if you can’t wait that long, check out United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities invite for submissions of academic papers, personal essays, poetry, spoken word, or visual art on the Theology of Prince.

In this episode of the CultureCast, Christian and Amy talk about the 6 criteria used to determine if a group is in fact a cult, have we as a nation become a cult, and are certain brands of Christianity cult-ish?

Christian interviews David Trotter about his new documentary Set Free Posse: Jesus Freaks, Biker Gang, or Christian Cult? The story revolves around pastor Phil Aguilar in Anaheim, CA. David talks about seeing him for the first time as a college student, their first face-to-face meeting in David’s house, Phil’s conversion in prison, his involvement with Trinity Broadcasting Network, housing people dealing with drug addiction in his home, and why things started to fall apart. Plus, they also talk about one particular moment, involving the set free posse and some hell’s angels… You can watch the documentary an Amazon, or head over to setfreefilm.com to learn more.

You’ll also hear about David’s new project, The Road to Edmond, staring Homebrewed Christianity’s own Tripp Fuller!

Amy and Christian also discuss the latest mass shooting at a Texas church, this New Yorker article, the location of evil (and love), and reminisce about the first time they met.

Make sure to join Christian at the Voices Conference in Minneapolis November 11th (you can get tickets here) for his keynote about his new book Surviving the Bible, and for a live podcast where they’ll talk about the theology of Prince. You can also enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Surviving the Bible and over $100 of other awesome books.

And last, but certainly not least, you can be apart of the CultureCast community by donating to help support the podcast. Patrons get access to all sorts of goodies, like Amy and Christian’s new series, Hidden God.

We’ve all heard that we need to get back to “Biblical family values,” but that does that mean? We break out a list of some models of family and what was acceptable during “Biblical times.” Safe to say these aren’t your momma’s values.

We talk with Amber Cantorna, author of “Refocusing My Family,” about how she took a different path from her “Focus on the Family” roots to marry her female partner.

The Echo Chamber runneth over too, with everything from the so-called “Goddess Myth” about what makes a good mother to plural marriage and what the Church’s role is in that discussion.

It’s hot, fresh and choc-full-o mental nutrition. Come and get it!

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In this Homebrewed CultureCast episode, Christian and Amy explore:

• how we are bound together by trauma, silence, and genetics
• the connection between neutron stars, gravitational waves, and Christian’s wedding ring
• difference and balance between cultural appropriation and respectful connection

Christian talks with AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically, is back on to talk about his latest book, It’s All Relative, the world’s biggest family reunion, the dangers of genealogy and an obsession with genetics, why we should’t idealize our ancestors, embracing failure, how our tribal bias plays a role in situations of abuse, and AJ asks: should “the family” be abolished?

Plus, Harvey Weinstein, #metoo, sexual abuse in and out of the church, and the culture of silence surrounding abuse.

Hear Amy’s spontaneous jingles for some of the Patreon supporters (you can get your very own jingle here), and make sure you sign up for Christian’s newsletter. If you do, you’ll get a free sampler, an amuse bouche, if you will, from his soon-to-be-released book, Surviving the Bible.

If you’re in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, don’t miss a live CultureCast show – including a segment on the theology of Prince – on November 11th at the Voices Conference. Click here for more info.

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We discuss Diana Butler Bass’ recent claim that maybe church has reached a necessary end of its life cycle and what she says we should do. Then in the interview, activist, author and theologian Jeff Hood lays out a biblical case for abolishing the death penalty and shares chilling moments when his threshold for mercy have been challenged.

Most people can use the Bible, and maybe even the Constitution, to defend their position on everything from abortion and the environment to guns and health care. But where does the Gospel stand on these issues, and is there ever a gospel-centered argument for killing?

We also call out churches to stand up and speak out on issues like these that matter, recommend stuff Amy can’t pronounce and we share a fear with some senate republicans.

You heard me. Come get it.

We explore the phenomenon of the “white male shooter” after the recent Las Vegas massacre, along with other related questions like: is Donald Trump helping to mobilize, or even radicalize, white moderates? Was MLK right when he claimed that the white moderate is the most dangerous group of people in America? And finally, what do we do as seekers of justice and reconciliation in response to such horrific acts of terror?

We speak with author and theologian Danielle Shroyer about her take on the current culture and the place of white moderates within it, as well as about her role in the start of the emergent Christian movement. Finally, we touch on the recent shift in the social foundation of the culture in Saudi Arabia with the government finally allowing women to drive and what it means for the future of the traditionally patriarchal nation.

Fears of the week abound, from rogue immune system cells to high-impact cyberwar. But fear not, because we leave you with eight easier steps to help live a happier, healthier life. All this week on your Homebrewed CultureCast with Christian and Amy Piatt.

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Amy and Christian explore the importance of heretics in church, whether it’s Christlike to live on the “edge of the inside” of religion as father Richard Rohr calls it, and the important balance between movements and institutions, prophets and priests.

Throughout this episode, we explore the lingering question: Does religion matter anymore? This week on your Homebrewed CultureCast.

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Megachurch Pastor and Prosperity Gospel Preacher Joel Osteen commits a “Sin of Sodom” which he has neither confessed nor asked for forgiveness. What is Church’s role when the waters rise around us?

Sometimes we submit to disruption in our lives; sometimes it overwhelms us with little or no warning. How we handle such moments and how ultimately we emerge from them tells us volumes about our inner selves.

Finding true Joy in a candy bar; missing the big picture; Christian gets really, genuinely scared. This week on your Homebrewed CultureCast.

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In a special double episode that combines both a CultureCast and a Homebrewed Christianity episode, we celebrate Tripp Fuller’s 1,000th episode LIVE from the main stage at Wild Goose.

On the CultureCast, Christian is joined by Tripp, Kristen Howerton and pastor-cum-rapper JKwest, while Tripp welcomes Christian, Micky ScottBey Jones and Robyn Henderson Espinoza. Tripp “Takes the C–k out of the crown,” the white guys get silenced and what would a live shoe be without some Postmodern 8-ball?

Kristen and I talk about Beer and Hymns, and whether or not alcohol should be allowed in church, and how she balances egalitarian gender roles and a nontraditional family in the Trump era. Julian Deshazier (AKA JKwest) offers his insight on theopoetics as nonviolent resistance. And Tripp…well, Tripp speaks for himself. Always.

It’s big. It’s juicy. It’s your CultureCast and them some.

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Then author and pastor Carol Howard Merritt talks us through how to heal our spiritual wounds as laid out in her latest book called (not surprisingly) “Healing Spiritual Wounds.” Professional hacker and our CultureCast cyber-ethics guru Michael Collins tells us about an experience he had recently at a hackers’ conference where he watched teams of nerds hack into the very election machines used during the 2016 election. He even offers a surprising alternative that he thinks is the most secure way to keep our votes safe.

Christian recommends a book he hasn’t read yet, Amy tells you why you should get stuck in a dryer and, as always, she is afraid of…well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?

For the interview, Christian chats with gay Christian activist Justin Lee about Eugene Peterson’s PR skirmish, leaving the LGBT advocacy group he founded and how we rescue the gospel from the “God vs Gays” debate. Lee, author of TORN, started the Gay Christian Network sixteen years ago and, though he can’t talk about details, he explains what it’s like to walk away from a nonprofit you’ve poured yourself into for much of your life.

Finally, after Amy gets her dance on, we talk about who we are without our professional titles and roles, and the emotional challenges that arise when they go away.

Heavy stuff? Not likely on this show. Listen in and decide for yourself.

Live from our temporary New Mexico studio (AKA, Amy’s brother’s Airstream trailer), we also throw out our weekly recommendations and dig deeper into Amy’s rather unexpected fear of the week.

It’s all Piatts, all day on this fresh, juicy CultureCast. Pull up a chair and dig in, kids.

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At the same time, he saw the insanity just beneath the surface on Hollywood.

Matthew David discusses his years on television and stage with us, along with what it was like coming to terms with his own identity (including that of a queer young man) in such a surreal environment. We talk about how he came to decide the path many of his now-superstar friends took was not for him, and why he is now in seminary with the aim of entering the Episcopal priesthood.

We even got him to share two of his own songs on the show that few have ever heard before. Like what you hear? Check out his collection of originals called “When Everything Breaks Open.”

In News of the World, we debate whether the religious left’s emerging engagement in the political forum is appropriate and, if so, how it can make a real difference. Plus (of course) we wouldn’t leave you without some summer recommendations and plenty to be afraid of while you’re at it.

It is, as always, the best CultureCast in the history of all things known.

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In the echo chamber, we break down the politicization of violence, and discuss the fact that Congressman Steve Scalise, known for his support of anti-gay, arguably racist politics was saved by a queer black woman named Crystal Griner.

In the Echo Chamber, you’ll find out how hipster the CultureCast Crew is (Matthew is in denial), and we learn in Amy’s Fear of the Week that, apparently, she’s been using razors incorrectly all her life.

Summer’s here, the ‘cast is hot and we’re sweaty…which isn’t sexy or cool. But true.

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We’re excited to welcome our new cohost this week, Matthew David Morris, singer/songwriter, theologian and generally groovy dude. His resume is way to impressive and long to detail here, so just listen to him as he corrects all the things Christian added to his bio last episode. Apparently Matthew writes songs for Jesus himself!

We talk about why the Pacific Northwest may well be the most racist region in America, why Amy is afraid of toes and hair, and we explore Christian’s unnatural affinity for Lord Buckethead.

Confused? Listen and we won’t promise it’ll make any more sense. But hey, it’s fun to try.

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Amy and Christian also process parental feelings after the Manchester bombing, then unpack some loaded church phrases and how to navigate therm in mixed ideological company. Amy drops some big names of folks she spent quality time with this week and Christian gets scolded for his reaction to perhaps her most bizarre (Christian says funny) fear of the week.

Amy gets street with her recommendation and we drop some exciting, fresh news about an exciting special cohost joining us for three shows in June!

Headed to Wild Goose? Join us for a LIVE recording of the show from the main stage that Saturday. Details to come.

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He’s been a halfwit brother co-parenting his mute younger sibling (Comedy Central’s BROTHERHOOD)  to a ladies’ man on with an…umm…awkward medical secret (Netflix’s LOVESICK). He’s the lead singer in the alt-folk group JOHNNY FLYNN AND THE SUSSEX WIT, and now he’s young Einstein along with Geoffrey Rush as his elder counterpart in GENIUS, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s new series premiering Tuesday, April 24th on the National Geographic channel.

Johnny Flynn is a man of the world and of many voices, passions and a broad scope of talents, and yet he admits to being intimidated by the idea both of playing one of the 20th centuries’ most known figures, while also working with some of the biggest names in the business. But as you will hear in this chat we had, he sees the world with a breadth and intellectual hunger. We discuss how the rise of German nationalism during Einstein’s later years feels eerily familiar in the global arena these days, and why “internationalism,” and even a more pantheistic understanding of God might help us break out of some dangerous socio-cultural trends.

Albert Einstein, it turns out, was far more than a whimsical scientific wonder, and Flynn’s depths reach well beyond being an engaging entertainer. Christian and Johnny go one-on-one, covering more ground in a half hour than Clooney’s globetrotting in UP IN THE AIR. Dig it.

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Kelly started out in film animation working on “Toy Story” and has been involved in most of the great ones since then, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and others. He’s penned children’s books and has cultivated his passion for art that reaches kids since he was a kid drawing stories with his dad.

Kelly talks about working with the big studios, how art informs culture and even hints at some ideas he has for future projects. We also discuss how it’s been making the transition from pen-and-ink animation cells to 3-D computer animation. It’s a deeper dive into new waters for the CultureCast: check it out.

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Gareth Higgins, founder of The Porch Magazine and the Movies and Meaning Festival, joins us to break down this year’s Oscar winners, the show itself (fails and all) which films you missed this year but need to see, and his ten favorites (Spoiler: Muppet Movie made the list and Citizen Kane didn’t).

We break down the “Platinum Age of Television” and how it’s changing media and society, plus I ask him questions that annoy him like whether Disney has saved the Star Wars Franchise (it matters to me!!!).Be sure to check out The Porch if you appreciate thoughtful, literary writing, and when you check out the festival (happening in Albuquerque in April), make sure to use the code WALKER” for 10% off your festival pass. And yes, that stands for Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, who will be there along with lots of others.

Bulk up your “to watch” list with this special episode that’s 100% about film and TV.

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Why is this post entirely in question form? I mean…ahem…

Lots of folks have suggested Donald Trump suffers from a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. So much so that Dr Allen Frances, the author of the criteria for the disorder chimed in to let us know what he thinks.

Then Amy helps us tease out what it means to be fully human, as informed by the mission and teaching of Jesus. She and her colleague, Rev Adam Phillips, have been doing a sermon series this summer on the subject, so we try to work out the question on the show.

Finally we offer some fresh fears to simmer over your ever-growing fires of anxiety, as well as a list of recommended songs, books and other media to help engage the “Powers That Be” in creatively subversive ways.

The gang’s all here and we’re back in the esteemed CultureCast studio for this episode for part one of this two-parti interview, with segment two appearing in the following episode, slated for about a week from now. Check it out, have a laugh, be inspired and challenged. Oh, and of course, hit us up on the links below, and don’t forget to drop a five-star rating on iTunes or Stitcher; it’s more important than you might think. Thanks!

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Thanks to Tripp Fuller for having us as part of his first-ever Theology Beer camp at the Hatchery Campus in Redondo Beach, CA recently to do our show live with a rotating tap of special guests. Here’s a list of who call joined us for different segments:

Echo Chamber: Talking Trump on Inauguration Day with Nathan Gilmour (Christian Humanist Podcast)

Fear of the Week/Au Contraire Mon Frere: Jason Michelli, Teer Hardy (Crackers and Grape Juice Podcast)

Special Segment: Dan Koch, (Depolarize Podcast)

Recommendations: Ryan Miller, Janel Apps Ramsey (Brew Theology)

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After a few pints of heaven at the Homebrewed Theology Beer Camp, I sat down with James Younger, executive producer of the “Story of God” series, hosted by Morgan Freeman on the National Geographic Channel. He showed us an advance screening of their episode on Heaven and Hell, followed by an opportunity to sit down with him face-to-face to pick his brain.

After that, I went across the hall (literally) and grabbed some couch with Barry Taylor, noted eccentric, seasoned theological and cohost of the Story of Godcast, a companion podcast released after each new TV episode. In it, he and Tripp process the show and make broader and deeper connections by digging into their collective nerd-dom over a couple of mics.

And finally, after a muchly (yeah, I said that) mourned absence, Amy returns to hit a few “high” points of the first handful of days in the Trump presidency. Take your dramamine if you’re prone to motion sickness, kids. It’s likely to be a bumpy ride.

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But did anything change?

We took time to chat with Dan Koch, host of the Depolarize Podcast and Jessica Hecox, member of Pantsuit Nation and participant in the recent marches, to try and answer this. Are such demonstrations necessary to advance cause? Do we need them as part of our own catharsis and feeling of not being alone? And can we do better, more, especially as people with some spiritual pursuit?

I also chatted with Aric Clark, Presbyterian pastor, writer, cohost of the Two Friars and a Fool Podcast and host on the LectionAric Youtube channel who spent a week at the protest site on native lands where the Dakota Access pipeline had been proposed. Though the development of the pipeline was delayed temporarily, it appears that the new administration in the White House has other intentions.

So what do we do now? What can we learn from that gathering of activists? Listen in and tell us what you think!

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We also mention an upcoming event in LA the day before Theology Beer Camp on January 18th called Third Rail Theology: Race, Class, & White Privilege in the Church. If you are a SoCal local you are invited, along with everyone coming to the Homebrewed event.

If for some reason you don’t subscribe to both the CultureCast and HBC… think about it!

Refreshingly compassionate toward evangelical Christians, the USA Today columnist and editor has a history of dispelling religious stereotypes. But rather than advocating for understanding of agnostics, humanists and atheists, he’s actually calling on his fellow skeptics (and us progressive Christians) to open our hearts and minds a little more to the good still at the heart of Christian Community.

We break down how it is that a guy who doesn’t embrace the idea of a Divine presence still follows a man whose ministry was centered on connection with said Divine presence. Krattenmaker, communications director at Yale Divinity School is in many ways the essence of postmodern theological and philosophical pursuits: a walking paradox. But his earnestness and thoughtfulness will challenge at least something about your assumptions, be it about humanists or Christians.

Plus he’s just a swell guy.

The CultureCast crew chats up Christian’s recent trek to the Kingdom of Jordan, challenging some assumptions many of us have about the Middle East. Seems there’s a theme in this episode; if only I could put my finger on it…

Christian’s trip was sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board and through the generosity of Phillips Theological Seminary. Check both of our partners out if you’re interested in expanding your worldview, either here or abroad. 

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Christian Piatt’s recent trip to the middle east – specifically the Kingdom of Jordan – was themed “Strong in the Broken Places.” In a region surrounded by such conflict, violence and division, how does Jordan remain a safe haven for citizens, immigrants and pilgrims alike? In the midst of brokenness, from where do they find their strength?

After two years of struggling with both epilepsy and hypertension, dual diagnoses given to him within weeks of each other, Christian went in search of strength in the rubble of some of his own feelings of brokenness. This is is the first of his audio entry “mini-sodes” from that trip, which came from the day when he was sitting in the midst of millennia-old ruins, some of which were being renovated, while others disintegrated into nothingness.

How do we decide what really matters? Sometimes it takes things falling apart for us to figure it out.

Christian’s trip was sponsored generously by the Jordan Tourism Board and by Phillips Theological Seminary. Learn more about having your own Jordan experience by clicking HERE; discover how you can enrich and broaden your theological education by visiting HERE.

The CultureCast trio then talks about when, or if, violence are ever justified for police. And as people of faith, can we ever justify violence?

Finally, in addition to your go-to Fear of the Week and Recommendations deliciosity, we bump heads about whether the electoral college in the United States still serves any democratically constructive purpose, or if Donald Trump’s candidacy is an argument to keep it.

Listen to it, live it and love it, folks.

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He also challenges our stereotypes about the Church of Christ, of which he’s a part, which is always a good thing. Right, Martha Stewart?

In the rest of the show, we hit on the systemic racism emerging in the political discourse, along with the various ways Hillary Clinton seems designed to shoot herself in the foot, despite an apparent golden road, headed straight to Pennsylvania Avenue.

And if that ain’t enough to tickle your nerd fancy, listen to why cohost Slim Moon thinks all alcohol should be outlawed. Prohibition, anyone?

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Chambers headed the Christian-based conversion group for years, having gone through the program himself. But after much prayerful contemplation and soul-searching, he realized it was the wrong thing to do. How did he know? He knew in his own heart that he was still gay. On top of that, he had seen the damage such programs had done to individuals and families, trying largely in vain to adhere to some Christian expectation of what a “Godly person” was supposed to be like.

In his controversial and beautifully revealing book, “My Exodus: From Fear to Grace,” he talks about finding more genuine community in gay bars than in many Christian circles, the bondage of religious doctrine and his own decision to remain married to his long-time wife, despite also being openly gay.

And after listening to this episode which, of course, includes tons of other CultureCast stuff too, check out his compelling video talk at his church, where he serves as an elder. In it, he talks about why it’s time for church to “grow up.” He nails religion for serving as a sort of modern-day slavery in it’s unhealthy expressions, and what we need to do about it.

Love or hate his ideas and what he has to say, you’ll admire his bravery and the risks he continues to take for what he believes in. It doesn’t undo what’s been done in the past, but if we truly believe in grace, Chambers’ call to live into it is hard to ignore.

Turns out there was more controversy around the heroic act than many of us may remember, and Todd breaks down why this is a story that needed to be told on the big screen. Todd is also the producer and writer for several other movies, including the iconic holiday comedy, ELF, starring Will Farrell. We talked about how a movie about a guy in green tights actually can stir friction within the Christian ranks, how his faith informs his own work in Hollywood, and he drops  little gem on me at the end that kinda makes me a hero with my kids.

So I’ve got that goin’ for me.

SULLY opens everywhere on September 9.

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In this episode, I talk with dad, author and groovy fellow God nerd Bruce Reyes-Chow about his new book, “DON’T BE AN ASSHAT: And Official Handbook for Raising Parents and Children”. This self-described parenting book for people who are sick of parenting books was co-written by Bruce and his wife, Robin Pugh (who was smart enough not to talk to me on the air), and includes rules they trade off sharing like:

Rule #5 Ask for Help

Rule #10 Taste Everything Once

Rule #33 Sing Loudly

Rule #43 Protest

Rule #48 Have Good Sex

Wait…what? Yes, I asked Bruce how, pray tell, do I explain to my kids what “good sex is and how to have it. Wanna know his response? Listen to the episode, my curious friend.

We tick off our top Olympic memories, talk about Trump’s convenient truths, hit you between the eyes with our fears of teen puberty (I see a theme here) and some other culture-y crap.

Giggity.

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We also talk about why the RNC was a Trumpster fire to which a certain someone continues to add lots of fuel, and what the ups and downs are of the “politics of emotion” on both sides of the aisle. And though the marriage of faith to politics has principally been a Republican theme for decades, is that identity shifting? Are Dems courting the Christian vote, and is it working?

And of course we’ll give you tips on what to read, watch and be afraid of, so you’ll have lots to occupy you other than the prospect of a standout between two of the possibly least popular candidates in recent history. So you got that going for you!

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Trey Pearson, founder and main man in the band Everyday Sunday, was our special guest. he broke down what it’s been like going from a darling of the Contemporary Christian Music scene to now living as an openly gay man who still loves sharing good music. He’s been everywhere from NBC news to the View, Billboard and New York Times, and now he’s here with us.

And of course we made him play our Trump Edition of the Price is Right too. Cause we’re a-holes that way.

We throw down some Postmodern 8-ball, Amy’s Goose-specific fear of the week, and even welcome a “special” guest who graced/tortured us with a sending-off song that likely will not be creeping up the CCM music charts anytime soon.

Special thanks to Phillips Theological Seminary for sponsoring this live broadcast. We would not have been able to be there without them. As such, show them a little love and check out the remote higher ed offerings they provide, for everything from an ordained ministry track to how to become more active as a social justice badass right in your local community.

Props also to Chalice Press for sharing some books to give away, and to Crowdscribed, our new publishing house parter, for also being there with us.

We talk about the disaster in the making that is called “Brexit,” and about whether terrorism is turning us into the very thing that we hate.

Then we talk about stupid shit because it’s what we do.

See you at Wild Goose! Join the CultureCast LIVE with guests Trey Pearson and Tripp Fuller on Friday, July 8th from 5:30-6:30. Giveaways will be gived and beverages will be drink-ded.

This powerful discussion goes well beyond the myth of the biblical case against being gay, and even beyond how we, as people of faith, begin to address hate crimes like the one at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In particular, Matthew reveals both his need to grieve such loss before considering next steps, and what it means to make up every day as a man in a culture that generally lacks tolerance for who he is.

There’s little more I can add to this episode that isn’t said better in the show itself. It’s not the easiest listen, but for anyone interested in knowing your fellow human beings better and in working toward more holy, inspired reconciliation, this is a must.

As we all know, some really tough stuff has gone down lately; this timely sermon by Amy is our interview, talking about how we hold our grief and still rise through it and keep moving ahead.

If a kid falls in a gorilla habitat and everyone plays the blame game, who pays for the tragedy? Well of course, we kill the innocent animal, but aside from that, someone has to pay! We dig into parent shaming, including some of our own humiliating parenting moments. And man, do we have a lot of choose from.

Now that it’s settled who the major political teams have picked for the big showdown, what does it mean to have a woman making history, whether she wins or loses? And why do so many people hate her? There are reasons, we think, but not necessarily the obvious ones we tend to hear all the time.

Finally, after some too-hip-for-school recommendations, Amy fills us in on why we Pacific Northwesterners will also soon be liquified in her Fear of the Week. So yeah, it’s been fun folks, but I guess we’ll be zombie lava monsters soon.

We need your help! Become a CultureCaster by keeping the show going and dig on some sweet swag. 

Join us Saturday evening at 5:30 in North Carolina at Wild Goose Festival for a live CultureCast with special Guests Trey Pearson and Tripp Fuller. And yeah, ignore what Christian says in the episode about the show being on Friday night. That’s when he’s cohosting the Homebrewed Christianity live show with Tripp. Christian is altered most of the time but we like him anyway. 

We talked with him about everything from Prince’s inspiration to his religious evolution and largely-unknown drug addiction. Known for being a paradigm-smashing pop culture icon, he also help forge a frontier for artists to connect more directly with the public online. Sam talks about how he came to know, and then work for, one of his long-time idols, along with his tragic and untimely death.

Check out our chat with Sam, then visit his body of work and learn more about him HERE.

And of course we can’t go Trump-less for long; we break down the Trump-vs-Elizabeth Warren Twitter throw-down, along with a look into what happened when George Zimmerman decided it was a good idea to try and auction off the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin. Nothin but class, baby.

If that ain’t enough – and damn, you’re demanding if it ain’t – we serve up a fresh fear of the week and your latest recommendations for what to watch, listen to and read. Oughta keep you busy at least until the next show.

Oh, and be sure to come hang with us at Wild Goose Festival July 7-10 in North Carolina, where we’ll be hosting a LIVE SHOW Thursday night (July 7th from 8-9:30 PM), followed by Christian cohosting the Homebrewed Christianity show with Tripp Fuller the next evening on the Justice Stage. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet,

Gonna be some goodness all up in that biz-nass.

OK, yeah, so that just didn’t work. You’ll get over it.

Garcia trusts his audience as vulnerably as he does these before and behind the camera in what shatters the notion of any expectation of a “Christian film.” His emphasis on Jesus’ humanity evokes themes of parental strife (human and divine), mortality and what it means to find one’s lifelong call.

To call it a faith-based movie before calling it a film about fundamental human experience and nature would be a mistake, and Garcia dances a fine line, inviting audiences of any (or no) faith into a story that metaphorically delves into our own disconnectedness from others at times, and even from our own selves.

“Last Days in the Desert” releases to select cities Friday, May 13th to test the public waters be sure to support this provocative, elegant work of storytelling, with the hope that it – as well as others – will help shift and reshape the conversations in our larger culture about what it means to be people searching for connection and deeper meaning.

We also process the then-hours-old news that rock legend Prince has died. What is his legacy, what are our memories, and why was he so damned magnetic as a media giant? Then we dive into the question we’re sure you’ve lost sleep over: do chimps practice religious ritual? No joke, this is based on a recently published findings that some science nerd speculate connotes a sense of ritual in the chimp world.

Next thing you know they’ll break into denominations and come up with so mind of chimp hell, probably where theres’ an infinite pile of bananas to peel with nothing in the middle. That would suck, wouldn’t it.

Finally, are churches ready for the wave of deaths coming with the aging boomer population? Is Amy preggers (argh!)? And are there billion-dollar industries based on age- and beauty-shaming women (spoiler alert: yes)?

Yeah, he’s got some things a-happenin’.

In the rest of the show we talk about the all-too-real gender pay gap, as punctuated by a recent dustup in the professional soccer world. Next we pose the question of whether the U.S. government is straight-up inept if they have to outsource to a private company just to break into a single iPhone. I mean…one phone? Then we bust out some other tasty nuggets of goodness, bestow upon you a heaping’ helpin’ of recommendations and your coveted Fear of the Week.

Listen. Learn. Love. And some other Ls I can’t think of at the moment.

Listen to the Episode HERE

Subscribe on iTunes HERE

(First version of this episode was corrupt. Please download and listen to this one instead.)

WARNING: The second half of this show, though sophomoric and childish, has quite a bit of potentially kind-unfriendly language.

When a child is captivated by TV evangelists but you’re not exactly a religious family, what do you do? In Elizabeth Mount’s case, you go to a local Unitarian-Universalist church and explore there as a family, rather than let the pomade-slicked media hucksters do the teaching.

Elizabeth, now a U-U minister in formation, is known for dedication to environmental activism and protection of indigenous environments. In particular in this episode, Slim talks to Elizabeth about being a part of the much-covered protest from a Portland bridge last year to prevent a Shell Oil tanker from passing through toward the ocean. We learn what it’s like to spend 40 consecutive hours hanging from a bridge, some 100-plus feet in the air.

As Elizabeth both says and lives, faith is about what you do, not what you say.

We chat about how to respond in constructive ways to the recent spate of terror attacks without “becoming the theme we hate,” including some kid-inspired wisdom.

And then we talk about poop. A lot. You’ve been warned. Also, because we laugh our asses off through it all – because poop is funny – the sounds gets a little sketchy. As long as you laugh along with us you won’t really notice.

Of course the day marking Jesus’ crucifixion ain’t exactly as fun as flowers, Easter hams and egg hunts, but it’s a necessary path to it. After all, there’s no resurrection – however you understand that – without it. In that light, we’re sharing an interview we first did last Easter with Haaz Sleiman, star of the “KILLING JESUS” miniseries that came out last year. In addition to being time and interesting in itself, he talks about living in an interfaith space growing up (also deeply mired in violent conflict), as well as being a Muslim playing a Jew (Jesus) for a predominantly Christian audience.

Also, in addition to the Echo Chamber goodness, some fresh recommendations and Amy’s perennial penchant for trepidation in her Fear of the Week bit, we have our professional hacker Mike Collins back on to explain what’s going on with the attacks by the group “Anonymous” on Donald Trump that led to the release of lots of his private information online. What is doxing? Are “Anonymous” good guys or bad guys? Does this foreshadow the future of customized ayer-warfare? Paper or plastic? I mean, the questions are potentially endless!

Check it out, soak it in and stick it in your Easter bonnet for safe keeping. This is your piping hot Homebrewed Culture Cast.

That’s what professional hacker and our tech expert-in-residence is for. He helps us break it all down so we know more about what the big deal is, from both sides since he’s worked for the tech companies and government. Always good to keep a nerd on the shelf in case of emergencies.

Sound too mundane for you? How about two siblings, born brothers, both of whom have come forward as trans women? What if you’ve seen their movies an TV shows. How about uterus transplants and the prospect of trans women actually giving birth?

Yeah I thought that might do it. You’re welcome. We talk through the implications of some breaking news stories on sex and gender and look forward to whet they might lead to in years ahead.

Finally, I talk with Adam Phillips, blogger and pastor of Christ Church, Portland, about a recent post of his in which he predicts not only that Mitt Romney that will be our next President but that House Speaker Paul Ryan – his former running mate, incidentally – will be the one in charge of putting him in office?

How, you ask? Listen in and soak up the goodness, friends. This is the Homebrewed CultureCast, Deep Think edition…

I’ve wanted to interview Hanna Rosin, host of NPR’s Invisibilia Podcast, contributor to/former editor of The Atlantic, writer for Slate and author of “The End of Men,” for a couple of years and I’m geeked out to get to share this conversation we had about and power. She, much like Malcolm Gladwell (another of my favorite writers and thinkers), discerns connections and patterns in our daily lives that most of us miss.

Some of Hanna’s common topics revolve around sex, gender, sexuality and how they relate to social roles and power dynamics in our culture. In this episodes, we get into everything from how we talk to our daughters about makeup to campus rape culture and why powerful women in America struggle to retain an image of sexuality at the same time.

Hanna also isn’t afraid to change her own takes on these and other topics, so we talk about how her perspectives on men and power have changed since the release of her controversial book, “The End of Men,” a few years ago.

We also break down the death of Justice Scalia, the politics around replacing him and how to talk about someone who has died about whom you find it really (REALLY) hard to say much that’s nice. We talk Apple vs the FBI, if larger Christian churches are cannibalizing the smaller ones as the pool of potential attendees shrinks and what Amy’s afraid of this week.

And if that ain’t enough…well then, you should probably just skip the show this week. Better luck next time. Sigh…some people.

Check out Hanna’s 2010 TED Talk on her then-forthcoming book, “The End of Men.”

Watch an animated version of a recent New Yorker cover based on a story she talked about on a recent This American Life episode, also shared under the cartoon version of the cover.

Please rate our show on iTunes and subscribe there or on Stitcher Radio.

When the cohosts are away, Christian will play. Slim and Amy were out this week, so I decided to go solo. The main course of this week’s episode is my talk with co-producer of the new film, “The Finest Hours,” Jim Whitaker. He worked on “8 Mile,” “Thank You for Smoking” and many others, but we’ll talk about why this heroic story about the most famous rescue in Coast Guard history has been a passion project of his for years.

Just an hour after the end of the Malheur Wildlife Preserve occupation in Burns, OR, I make a few observations about when religious ideology comes second to present circumstances. Then we get into the biggest problems facing both political parties this election season, the seven epic fails that, if fixed, would have improved the Star Wars franchise, and finally I exploit Amy’s absence to commandeer her Fear of the Week…which happens to be her fear of me commandeering the Fear of the Week in her absence.

Ironic? mayhaps…

After the tragic death of one of the occupiers at the nature preserve in Burns, Oregon and the arrest of several others, this interview I did with Oregon Public Broadcasting/National Public Radio’s John Sepulvado is particularly prescient. As he states in this interview, there seemed to be no way the Masher Preserve occupation wouldn’t end in violence (now the car), but is this what the Bundy family and others have wanted all along? what’s more, is it part of an religiously-fueled prophetic vision they have for themselves?

We’re minus Slim this week, so it’s just Amy and Christian holding it down. We break down our impression of the occupation, then follow up with the Sepulvado interview, as he’s been one of the primary reporters covering the situation since it first unfolded about am month ago.

We also get into why it is that some people can’t wait to get to the end of a story or a football game to find out what happens, while others like to savor the journey and dwell in the unknown more. And what’s really interesting is when someone obsessed with end results and resolution also embraces postmodern theology (yeah, Amy looking’ at you Amy).

Finally, we get into why Amy got busted for using the word “Crazy” on a previous show and why she feels justified in using it. Can some groups lay claim to certain words while others have to avoid them completely? Who gets to decide?

And for you Slim-lovin’ maniacs out there, fear not; he’ll be back faster than you can say “Vanilla ISIS.”

Kinda like chainsaws. Or Bibles. Anyway…

I talk with professional hacker Mike Collins this week about the ethics surrounding cyber security and encryption. Thought we’ve confounded the government’s efforts to peek in on our chats and other end-to-end encrypted data, it’s also equally impenetrable when used by terrorists and cyber-criminals. And it has been, a lot lately. So what to do when something so essential to daily life also is used against us? Mike tells all.

We also wax all things Star Wars (Amy and I have already seen it twice), and Amy even rolls the epic series into her fear of the week. No, she doesn’t think she’s going to be struck down by Kylo Ren’s awesome new light saber, but it’s about equally as likely as that. And fear not, ye unchristened few who have not graced the hallowed halls of your local theater yet; we divulge nary a spoiler for the lot of ya.

And what would a holiday episode be without some Trump to Trim your Tree? We chat up how the Donald is shifting the entire GOP landscape, and why progressives are both thrilled and scared poodles about it. Finally, what does the historic 196-nation climate accord mean for your life? Hell we don’t know, but it won’t stop us from talking about it!

Here’s hoping you enjoy a Christmas, Festivus or Hanukkah filled with peace, love, family and at least one ritual airing of grievances. Now lift that pole way up over your head and give it a toss! Oh, and if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, that’s ok. We love you anyway.

It’s a somewhat shorter and differently structured episode this week. For one, we’re missing Slim (he’ll be back next week), and we’re not doing an interview, recommendations and fear of the week. Instead, we wanted to share an essay I wrote about our trip, followed by what I think is a pretty epic sermon Amy delivered on Thanksgiving Sunday.

I hope it offers some thoughtful fodder, and we’d love to hear from you about your experiences or thoughts related to these pieces. Just drop an email or hit the Speakpipe tab on the right edge of any page at HomebrewedChristianity.com. We might even share a few on a future episode.

Peace!
Christian

We also figured we could be a culture and current events show without addressing the recent events in Paris. Promise we won’t send you to the depressive brink, but it’s a thing and we gotta figure this out if we claim to care about the world we’re leaving our kids.

Oh, and we still open the show with a peppering of “dick” jokes to balance it all out. Whew.

Amy goes Obi-Wan Kenobi on s, breaking down how we become what we hate, and how Fred Phelps (founder of hate church Westboro Baptist) was moved to compassion by (surprise!) a group of gay neighbors.

Oh, and does this woman who fought for the right to wear a pasta strainer on her head in her driver’s license picture have a case? You be the judge. Personally, every time I look at her hair I get the munchies.

And yes, of course we have some fresh, steaming hot recommendations and a newfangled fear of the week. Basically the show is a heaping bucketful of awesome. Grab a knife and fork, cause it’s feedin’ time…

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You know, regular stuff.

This week she fills us in on how the music business works (and doesn’t) these days, why Spotify rules the planet, why girls needed their own rock camp, and why she started her own radio show, The Future of What. I mean, hey, it’s not like she was doing anything eclectic or interesting. yeah?

KRS, her label is it’s affectionately known, was stated nearly a quarter century ago by her husband, Slim Moon (also our cohost), and has helped break bands like sweater-Kinney, The Decemberists, Bikini Kill, The Gossip, Elliott Smith and other amazing talent. They even put out one of Nirvana’s first singles. They’re there shizzle, which is why we gave her two shows to fill our ear-parts with awesomeness.

The Culture Casters talk about the recent LDS rules that likely will lead to the break-up of tons of mormon families with an LGBT family member, and how a couple thousand LDS families from Utah demonstrated publicly against them in protest. The recent ruling by a judge to take away a same-sex couple’s kids was revised within days too, so maybe we’re making some progress?

Yeah, but then there’s HB2, the new bill the Supreme Court has agreed to hear that could, through indirect regulations and red tape, shut down the bulk of abortion clinics left in Texas and elsewhere. Ahh, Democracy!

We also chat up an Atlantic article about why everyone should study theology, even if they don’t believe in God, and then on to the new study that show religion actually makes our kids meaner than secular children. As I recall, the fourth commandment was, “Thou shalt be an asshole in my name,” right? Right?!?!?

We top it all off with a little more girl power, and why evidence shows America needs more female cops, and probably more women pastors, politicians, and fewer male Hooters waiters. Please guys, for the love of all things holy…

We dig up some reading and listening material you prolly haven’t heard of before in recommendations, and Amy drops a fear on us that’s on up there with “pool sharks” for the weirdest, most unlikely fear. And then she has the nerve to scoff at MY FEAR, which actually has happened to me.

No respect, I tell ya.

This is part one of a two-part talk with Portia, mainly because her personal story was too amazing. Next week we’ll talk more specifics about her radio show called “The Future of What,” a nonprofit she works with called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls,” the future of music and the inside scoop on some of their bands. But this time, learn what happens when you grow up in Manhattan as the daughter of an actor and a casting director. Two words: awesome sauce.

In News of the World, we break down the election day haps, including likely healthcare rollbacks in Kentucky and an equal rights smackdown in Houston. In a word, it wasn’t the best day for us tree-huggin hippies. Then we talk about corporate social capital and how companies build it, spend it and even lose it. From Chipotle’s e coli scare to Amazon’s first-ever physical bookstore, there’s a lot more to badness than dollars and cents, especially in today’s economy of critical thinking consumers.

And if nothing else, you should listen to the intro if you’ve ever wondered what Slim Moon would sound like if he channeled Gollum. Come to think of it, that explains why he’s always trying to steal my rings…

Hey, could be worse, right? Could be Trump…

We revisit legalizing/decriminalizing drugs in News of the World…what was I talking about? Curiously I have the munchies for pizza.

Anyhoo, legalized drugs, right! As the “War on Drugs” continues to crumble, we debunk some of the myths about the risks of legalization. Several countries evidence quite the opposite of what Mrs. Reagan warned us about. And it seems the government is slowly waking up to this reality, mayhaps.

We revisit the annual Pat Robertson Screed against the evils of satanic Halloween, and why powerful women struggle to be seen as feminine in our culture. That, or if they’re feminine, their capacity for power is questioned. Catch 22, anyone? Along those lines, we chat up Prince Harry’s new viral meme phenomenon and the male tendency to engage in “man-spreading.” You do it, even if you don’t know you do. I mean if you’re a dude anyway.

Amy’s fear of the week nearly induces a mouth-puke in Christian, and the CultureCasters cast a critical eye on the new Muppets show, questioning whether it can hold the attention of children AND adults, one or the other, or anyone, for that matter. Hey, a blue car…

Be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher, or just grab the RSS feed here on the site.

And if you visit iTunes, take that extra five seconds (for real, no kidding) to grace us with a five-star rating.

Muchas thank you!

So I was surprised and honored when I got fifteen minutes with Emma to take a deeper dive into her creative genius. After all, this is the show that (yes, in this same episode) opens with Amy letting fly with some gastric pyrotechnics that almost sent the mixing needles into permanent shock. Yeah, we’re all sophisticated like that.

We also revisit the House speaker drama briefly, now that Paul Ryan has gotten over leaning on his better judgment not to run, before breaking down why Hillary Clinton is, once again, the heir apparent to the White House.

In the Echo Chamber, we spend some time talking about the sic-fi movies that have most helped reveal the mystery of God, and then Amy is overruled by both Slim and me on our favorite music. But she redeems herself with a fear we can all share in and enjoy.

Man, if we keep getting bestsellers and Oscar contenders as guests on the show, we might have to get serious and start putting on pants or something. And wouldn’t that suck…

Probably just as well that I was down the street, because once they dragged my family into it, someone would have gone to the hospital and someone else would’ve ended up in jail, I’m afraid. And THAT, friends, is why Amy’s the pastor and I’m a jerk-off podcast host.

In the Echo Chamber, we break down why the Boehner departure as House Speaker and the Tea Party’s subsequent stonewall of every other viable candidate so far may cause the GOP mainline to lean further left. You heard me. Actually you didn’t yet, unless you already listened to the show. Then you definitely heard me.

We analyze why the War on Drugs failed, and how it actually became both a horrendous war on the poor, and gave birth to the good ol’ American prison-industrial complex. Yay, capitalism!

Each of the hosts has some red-hot recommendations this week that span from music to screens, both big and small. And true to her fearful word, Amy drops her latest trepidation on your booty. How is it that I’ve been married to her for more than fifteen years and so many of these still surprise me? Maybe it has to do with me not paying attention…

Thanks so much to all of you faithful listeners who keep the podcast climbing up the charts! Please don’t forget to drop a quick five-star rating for us on iTunes as well. It’s the best fifteen seconds you’ll ever spend inflating our egos….unless you’re planning to mail money. which is totally cool too.

Want some free stuff? Hit the Homebrewed Christianity homepage and click on the “Leave Voicemail” tab on the far right to send us a question or comment. If we use yours on the air, we’ll send you a free copy of Eric Elnes’ book, “Gifts of the Dark Wood.” And finally remember to subscribe to Christian’s Periscope account (just search “christianpiatt”) to get pings when we’ll be live streaming video from the studio (also called the desk in my office) during the next recording. You can interact with us live, taunt us and generally watch how much effort it clearly takes to build a coherent show out of the chaos.

Don’t have Periscope yet? Just download it as an app to your mobile phone. Then go find me, dammit!!!

Want to promote your business on the CultureCast? Reach 20,000-25,000 targeted listeners with your message and help us keep the content strong. Email michael (at) bigfishdigitalsigns (dot) com and mention “CultureCast” in the subject line. 

One of the best things about live shows is that we usually get to have more than one guest. This time, we also had some most excellent music by Katelyn Convery who, if you don’t know her already, you will soon enough. Yes, her voice is amazing, but what I like most is her songwriting. The more you listen, the more layers you discover. It’s kinda like that time I shoved an onion in my ear, except that listening to Katelyn didn’t end with an embarrassing visit to the E.R., trying to explain how I got a vegetable lodged in my brain (explains a lot though, don’t it?).

Finally, comedian Ian Durias explained to us why he’s “not that kind of Asian,” and why we need to start introducing all work emails with “BEHOLD” instead of “FYI.” Seems a little dramatic to me, but if it’s good enough for Jesus, I guess I’ll let it slide.

You’ll also want to listen in to find out what toilet-lurking creatures made Amy’s Fear of the Week segment. Trust me, it ain’t one you’re probably thinkin’ of right now. But just in case you are, what the hell is wrong with you??

And of course, we break down what John Boehner should do in his newly embraced retirement, including cashing in some frequent tanning miles and crying actual rivers. Then there’s some serious, thinky-talky stuff that blah-blah-blah…know what? Just check it out because I think I see something shiny I need to go chase…Connect with Eric Elnes, see some videos and  sample content from “Gifts of the Dark Wood” HERE.

We’re adding a new segment to the CultureCast: questions and comments from our listeners! Send us yours through the Homebrewed SpeakPipe. It’s the little tab on the far right of the screen that says “Send Voicemail.” If we use yours on the show, we’ll send you a copy of Eric Elnes’ new book!

Listen to the Episode Above

Subscribe on iTunes HERE 

Listen to other clips from Katelyn Convery’s album, “Unarmed,” HERE.

Connect with Ian Durias HERE.

Special thanks to Abingdon Press for supporting the show and helping bring Eric to the west coast for us. 

Also thanks to Phillips Theological Seminary for their ongoing partnership with the CultureCast. Learn more about all of their scholarship opportunities and nontraditional ways to explore graduate level theology and ministry degrees HERE.

Pre-order Christian Piatt’s next book, “Not That Kind of Christian,” and help us reach our crowdfunding goal so we can publish independently. 

Oh, and do you know how stinkin’ hard it is to rhyme with “Elnes?” My brain…it hurts!!! 

The CultureCast crew took a few minutes away from enjoying their waning days of Portland sunlight to drop some tracks this week, straight from their mouth-parts to your ear-pieces.

Why did that sound gross?

As if Christian doesn’t get enough time on the show, this week he took over the interview slot as well. Actually, Slim Moon has said for a long time that people don’t really know as much about Amy and Christian as they learn about the people Christian interviews, so he turned the mic around. They talk about how Christian grew up in a conservative Texas baptist culture, got thrown out as a teenager (actually had a Bible thrown at him), and eventually came back not just to attend church, but to help found one, lead worship and spend much of his career writing about faith, religion and theology.

He did mess it all up when Slim asked him about his new book project, “Not THAT Kind of Christian,” since when the interview was recorded, the book was actually called “A**hole Christian Survival Guide.” (Hmmm, wonder why they changed it??). But they left the talk in anyway since the substance is still the same. That, and the casting crew is notoriously lazy and sloppy, so why re-do work you can do almost right the first time?

Grab Tix to the Live CultureCast with Eric Elnes Oct. 1 in Portland HERE

Read about, and support, Christian’s book campaign for “Not THAT Kind of Christian,” HERE

For news topics, we break down why a faculty member at Liberty University wrote an open letter of support for Bernie Sanders (wha?!?), why grade school students get arrested for bringing science projects to school (it’s a clock, folks, not a bomb), and our Top Three lists are “things Donald Trump wishes were in the Bible, but aren’t.” If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, go watch the THREE HOUR GOP debate and you’ll know. That, or just listen to this episode.

And of course, we serve up our regular portions of recommendations and Amy’s fear of the week, so you can sit and worry about unlikely things happening while you check out a new TV show. Lucky you!

Grab Tix to the Live CultureCast with Eric Elnes Oct. 1 in Portland HERE

Read about, and support, Christian’s book campaign for “Not THAT Kind of Christian,” HERE

Listen to the Episode HERE

Subscribe on iTunes HERE

On the anniversary of 9/11 the CultureCastaways reflect on fourteen years since the attack on the Twin Towers and what it’s like raising kids who only know it as an abstract moment in history. And Amy lightens the mood with a rather unexpected interjection that would make Howard Stern proud. We’re professionals!

We welcomed author and youth activist Romal Tune on the show to talk about his very popular book, God’s Graffiti, the adversity in his own life that inspired him to write it and the companion devotional coming soon go go along with it. Romal has seen and lived through plenty of hard times, and yet his story – and those he shares of others – is incredibly inspiring.

And it wouldn’t be a cultureCast without a little Kim Davis these days, right? We introduce a new “Top Three” segment in which we go list-crazy. This week’s Top Three from each cohost was, “Top Three Names for Kim Davis’ Memoir.” Oh, and Amy compares her dramatic, teary release from county jail after six days to that of a James Brown concert…minus the awesome cape. Someone get that woman a cape already!!!

We’ve got an Auber-gross fear of the week involving eyeballs, and some TV and book recommendations to keep you busy during the rainy fall days to come. So pour yourself a warm beverage, cuddle put with your favorite podcast threesome and sink your teeth into this bundle of auditory goodness.

And for God’s sake, floss your teeth this time when you’re done with us. So gross.

Grab tickets for the next live CultureCast Oct 1 in Portland with special guest Eric Elnes, comedian Ian Durias and Musical guest Katelyn Convery. Ticket holders each get a free copy of Eric’s new book, “Gifts of the Dark Wood” with admission. Seats are very limited so order yours HERE today. 

Pre-order Christian Piatt’s upcoming book, “A**hole Christian Survival Guide” HERE. Check out animated videos like “Why I Got kicked Out of Church,” and claim your very own A**hole Christian T-shirt.

Listen to the episode HERE

Subscribe on iTunes HERE

(And please click on a five-star rating for the show on iTunes!)

What were we talking about?

Oh yeah, Amy drops a triple crown of weekly fears on us and we force her to rank them so we know what to fear most. Then we bring on Nathan Brannon, our first (and funniest!) stand-up comedian on the CultureCast. He covers everything from dropping his newborn son in a backwoods outhouse (hypothetically) to being dressed up as his mother for Halloween. Talk about scarred for life!

We also delve into Random Answers to Big Questions, in which we ask folks to ask us their deepest longings and curiosities, and we respond with thoughtlessly and randomly assembled responses written down before we even went on air. Because we’re sensitive like that.

And we wrap up this little bundle of auditory joy with a group singalong of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer,” led by our very own Del Phoena. And believe it or not, she even works in a baby-outhouse reference! You have to listen all the way to the end to catch it (the reference, not the baby) but it’s there.

This episode was brought straight to your brain via those lovely ears of yours by: 

Christian Theological Seminary’s Center for Pastoral Excellence, which has a load of free resources for folks in ministry looking for help getting sabbatical grants and lots of other active ministry tools. Check them out at CTS.edu, and click on the Center for Pastoral Excellence.

Thanks also to Men of the Beard for some awesome male grooming swag. Get your own at MenOfTheBeard.com, and enter the code “CultureCast20” for 20% off any order. Good stuff, as my wife and daughter can attest. no, they don’t use it, but they like it on me. Don’t be weird, dude.

Be sure to check out Christian’s new project, “A**hole Christian Survival Guide,” and if you support the campaign at $20 or more, you’ll get all the promised swag on the page, plus he’ll email you an e-book copy of his first novel, “Blood Doctrine,” now in development by a production company for Television. So that’s pretty cool. Oh, and then be sure to shame your friends mercilessly until they support it as well. It’s what baby Jesus would want. 

Paul came to town for this live buffet of Culture-Castiness just weeks before his new novel, EVE, drops everywhere and he hits the road for a global tour. He talks about the new book, which dives into a feminist perspective on Genesis in novel form, along with the scoop on the forthcoming movie version of THE SHACK that has been rumored for years, but is finally happening.

In our News of the World opener, we break down the GOP horserace and tell you what’s REALLY going to happen, down to our projections for what percentage of the republican electorate Trump will still have when he finally flames out. As for what he actually has to say or do to lose said electorate is still a mystery that we on the sidelines are both mystified and slightly horrified to find out.

We also unveil a new game called crowdsourced mad libs, which may or may not be a train wreck; you be the judge. But that’s ok, because one of my favorite local bands, DEL PHOENA, wraps up the first half of this live show with a killer original tune that makes everything better.

Hell, you might even forget that Donald Trump could be the ruler of the free world, given a collective national lobotomy or two.

Stay tuned for the second half of this show, which will come straight to your face and do a little jig all too soon. In it we’ll have more DEL PHOENA deliciosity, along with random answers to big questions and NATHAN BRANNON, our first-ever (but definitely not our last) standup comedian on the CultureCast. This dude is six kinds of funny, so make sure to check him out.

Big thanks to Christian Theological Seminary’s Center for Pastoral Excellence for sponsoring this live

show! You can check them out and all of the FREE grant and program resources they have at www.CTS.edu, and click on the Center for Pastoral Excellence. 

And what kind of hipster would I be if I didn’t thank Men of the Beard, another new sponsor of ours. Check out all their Male Grooming goodies at www.MenOfTheBeard.com. Use the Code “CultureCast20” to get 20% off of any order.

If you have thirty seconds, please click here and pop a little five-star rating for our show on iTunes. It’s a big help for us and  will only cause you to miss to or three friend updates on your Facebook timeline. But don’t worry; chances are they’re pictures of food or babies…or cats, and who really likes cats??? 

Screw rhyming titles this week; we’re going full-on alliteration! That’s how nerdy we are (mic drop…picks up mic to keep talking in type form, awkwardly apologizing for feedback from prior mic drop).

Anyhoo…

We’ll take you to the mountains and valleys in this episode, friends. For starters, we have one of our co-producers, Adam Phillips, sitting in for Slim Moon this week. And his response when he heard the topics o’ the week: “I’m gonna need some Baileys in my coffee for this one.” So you’ve been aptly warned.

Our interview is with satirist/performance artist William Perkins, know more notoriously in the Portland, Oregon area are Rev. Jake Zimmermann, a rather unhinged fundamentalist pastor who lives with his momma and trades folks salvation for a Klondike Bar. He’s

something else. Learn how he took on the Portland Naked Bike Ride, re-imagined the “See You At the Pole” service form scripture, and what he did when confronted by a pastor from the church of his childhood, during a Sunday worship service, no less! You can also connect with Jake Zimmermann at his evangelism website, www.SavePortlandFromHell.com.

You can also check out his evangelism strategy video HERE, where he trades folks on the street a Klondike Bar for accepting eternal salvation “Really Quick.”

In News of the World and our Echo Chamber, we talk all things sex: the good, bad and ugly. First, we break down the theological and scriptural justifications some ISIS adherents are using to make rape of women and girls an act of faith. Then we move on to gems like the Josh Duggar/Ashley Madison leak (poor choice of words?), and “Subway Jared” Fogle’s self-destruction for some pretty gnarly back-room stuff himself.

Oh, and we also take on Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the first so-called “female Viagra” pill, and their campaign against the FDA to push their drugs to market. Suffice it to say that Amy Piatt has a few loaded in the chamber for this segment.

We also have a little friction over one of our musical recommendations, and some other lesser-known tidbits for your ear-holes and eye-parts. And yes, no CultureCast would be complete without the trusty Fear of the Week. And if you though the “Pool sharks” fear was funny, this one is a leap or two past that one in funny (We’ve told amy not to drink bugs!).

Want to make sense of all this madness? Listen and learn…

(Please take 10 seconds to give us some props by giving the CultureCast a five-star rating on iTunes as well. It’s quick, free and helps us a bunch.)

This special episode is entirely dedicated to a debate facilitated by Christian Piatt about the nuclear deal being negotiated with Iran. Christian welcomes Jeremy Courtney, head of the Preemptive Love Coalition, and Mark Tooley, Director of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Tooley and Courtney take a conservative and progressive position, respectively, on this very complex and important deal – one that Courtney argues in the discussion could be the most important policy decision made in his lifetime – and help us understand the strengths, weaknesses and future of this agreement.

Some of the audio is a little jittery since Mark Tooley is located across the country and Jeremy Courtney actually moved to Iraq to work full time in the Middle East. These guys are contributors to everything from CNN to TIME Magazine, the New York Times and BBC, among many others; fuss it to say they know their stuff. So hang with the technical hiccups here and there and check out our first-ever CultureCast throw-down.

Oh, and make sure to let us know what you think! Want to hear more discussions like this? Want us to stick to being the Gospel and fart jokes? Your opinions matter. Well, most of them. That one guy, I’m not so sure…

Check out more about Mark Tooley and his work at www.theird.org, and read more about the Jeremy Courtney and the Preemptive Love Coalition’s position on Iran at  www.preemptivelove.org/iran. 

If you subscribe to the show on iTunes, take a minute to pop over there and add a five-star rating for us. We’ll love you forever…promise.

This is second sold out live show from the Disciples of Christ General Assembly in Columbus Ohio. It was a spectacular evening and some it was recorded. What wasn’t recorded was taking our guest Andy on his first trip to Waffle House.

In this episode you will get…

* Adam Phillips & Andy Goebel shall be in the house talking about their church plants getting kicked out of one denomination and welcomed into another for being welcoming.

* Phil Snider, GLAD award recipient and postmodern pulpit practitioner, joins us for some sermonic convo and a Preach Off vs Tripp.

* There’s a display of Tripp’s lack of cultural awareness, Amy’s endless reservoir of fear & Christian’s excellent French accent.

* We have some heart felt tunes from Andra Moran & Trey and Carter from Populis join us for some jams. 

This podcast was sponsored by Phillips Theological Seminary. Josh Linton was in the house for Phillips

and got everyone their first two drinks. Can you imagine a cooler place to go to school? Make sure you check them out and holla at Josh with any questions.

** Get your Tickets for Subverting the Norm III with the discount code HBCSTN & the Theology Nerd Bootcamp with Jack Caputo**

Prepare yourself for an audiological explosion of monumental proportions. This is the first night of HBC\CultureCast excitement at the Disciples of Christ General Assembly in Columbus Ohio. In the podcast Christian, Amy and I are joined by the one and only Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, Sarah Lund, Rick Lowery and music by Populis.

This podcast was sponsored by Phillips Theological

Seminary. Josh Linton was in the house for Phillips and got everyone their first two drinks. Can you imagine a cooler place to go to school? Make sure you check them out and holla at Josh with any questions.

It was also sponsored by the Disciples Youth Ministry Network.

Sarah’s new book Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family and Church.

Make sure you check out Populis’ new EP. It will make your booty scoot.

First, we chatted with Lisa Gungor about everything from their new three-album project to being judged by fundie fans and the challenge that was 2014 (hint: album one in the three-album set, “This Wild Life,” was inspired by that rather hellacious year). Then her husband, Michael Gungor, jumped on stage with his guitar and they shared two pretty incredible songs from the yet-to-be released album.

And yes, you can hear them here. You’re welcome.

Next, we welcomed Romal Tune, Tony Kriz and Leroy Barber, the other three of the “Four Bald Brothers” along with Christian, to talk about their new folically challenged project. But in no time, we wrangled them all into a game show fellow cohosts Josh Linton and Micky Scottbey Jones called “The Newlywed Game: Just Friends Edition.” Needless to say the brothers were all love and unity until there were points on the line. Then it was on!!!

And since Amy was back in New Mexico enjoying vacation, Christian and company hijacked “fear of the week.” Suffice it to say that these fears, though maybe moderately creepy, demonstrate why Amy’s the queen of all fears.

Thanks to the more than 130 friends who joined us for laughter, music and a cold one under the Justice Tent at this year’s Goose. If you were here right now, we’d give every last one of you a big smooch (well, except for the guy who ‘woohoo’d’ for every single thing on the show. We think maybe he had one too many and we don’t kiss people with stinky beer breath.

And of course, thanks to Phillips Theological Seminary for their ongoing and generous support of the show. In all seriousness, we couldn’t have done this gig without them. So if you’re considering your nudge to do something related to social justice, faith and feminism or straight up congregational ministry. Phillips is a must to check out.

Next up: Columbus Ohio with a two-fer set of back-to-back shows July 20-21. If you’ll be in the area, and especially if you’ll be a part of the Disciples’ General Assembly, come join us for the second night, which hasn’t yet sold out. Guests include Phil Snider, Adam Phillips, Andy Goebel, Andra Moran and Trey Pearson. And we’re super stoked to be doing these as joint shows with the Homebrewed Zen Master, Tripp Fuller. It was awesome.

Gonna be some kinda fun, kids.

After that, kick back with us in Portland, Oregon for another live show at Marmoset Music, one of our favorite venues in town. Our guests will include Wm. Paul Young and local musical favs Del Phoena. And for the first time ever, we’ll have a comedian doing a bit of stand-up for us too. Can’t wait to hear what kind of good grins Nathan Brannon has to drop on us. Oh, and as always, beer.

Yeah, we thought that might seal the deal. GET TICKETS HERE.

Hey, wait a minute. This podcast has always been a low-rent, seat-of-the-pants kinda thing. And now it’s getting all fancy and crap. Guess all the monumental fame and fortune of podcasting (ahem) is going to their heads.

Actually, it’s just what happens when you bring on someone like John, a former podcast producer for CNN and current radio producer, comes in and shows the CultureCast crew how’s it’s done. So for all of you who like your audio content mediocre, our apologies for stepping up our game.

This week we also introduced News of the World, our headline-grabber topic that now jumps to the front of the show. This week it’s SCOTUS and all the earthshaking decisions that wen’t down this session. We break down how both the left and right fared.

We also welcome Micky ScottBey Jones, who breaks down all things race and culture, from the confederate flag to how her relationship to Strom Thurmond  affects her own story and identity as an African-American woman.

We talk dollars and cents, musing about what the failings of the economies of both Greece and Puerto Rico mean for the EU and the rest of the world. Then we chime in one whether we think Obama’s homily/speech/song in Charleston, NC was a hit or a strikeout.

And of course, what’s a CultureCast without pop culture recommendations and a fear of the week? I suppose it would be nothing more than thoughtful, substantive content. And who wants that? Am I right???

The lineup for the July 21st live show in Columbus, Ohio is set. Enjoy music from Trey Pearson and Andra Moran, plus featured guests Phil Snider (postmodern theology nerd) and Adam Phillips & Andy Goebel, who have been in the national news for challenging their former Evangelical Covenant Church denomination of LGBTQ inclusion (thus: FORMER denomination). Tickets include two adults drinks and a pint glass to keep. Grab tickets here: www.tinyurl.com/HomebrewedatGA

Then on August 13th in Portland, Oregon, We are excited to welcome Wm Paul Young, author of “The Shack” as our special guest for another live CultureCast. He will share with us about his newest novel “Eve,” and how he keeps his feet on the ground after selling 20 million books. We’ll also welcome Portland’s ow Del Phoena, who will lay some awesome tunes on us and talk about their most recent album project. Not to be missed, I’m tellin’ ya! Those tickets can be found by CLICKING HERE. 

The CultureCast crew also tackle the recent shootings at Emanuel Church in Charleston, the amazing Grace the victims have shown the shooter, and the Amazing Grace President Obama sang as part of his address to the walking wounded in one of the hardest-hit epicenters of recent outbursts of such violent racism.

But fear not, my fellow casters. The intrepid trio faithfully reverts to trivial nonsense and yummy pop culture tidbits. So whip out that napkin, tuck it in your shirt and dive into this most recent serving of Homebrewed CultureCast deliciousness.

Yessir/ma’am. We’re back and on track, for tha reelz.

For the first episode after the live gig, we’ve got Tony Jones talking about his newest book, “Did God Kill Jesus?” We dig down into why Tony deconstructs the theology of penal substitutionary atonement (tee, hee, penal), but still hangs onto belief in the bodily resurrection, among other theo-nerd goodness. We also touch for a few on the cyber-drama around tony and the release of this book. Worth a listen for that alone, in our opinion.

We touch on the clown-car insanity that is the growing GOP primary field, plus we score the recent Santorum-versus-Pope-Francis throwdown intellectual cage match over climate change (hint: it wasn’t close) and how a doctor helped a blind woman see her unborn baby.

How? Because science!

In our recommendations, we celebrate all things “trans” on the small screen these days, plus Slim digs into the archives for a new/old series favorite about fantastical assassins. All I’ll say is grab your garlic…

Hang tight, because we have another episode comin’ up right quick, along with a live show at Wild Goose in North Carolina with guests co-hosts Micky jones and Josh Linton joining Christian as they chat it up with guests Romal Tune, Leroy Barber and Tony Kriz. Oh and if you’ve heard of a couple of bands called Gungor or The Liturgists, you might want to grab a good seat and have your listening ears on, as we’ll enjoy the music of Lisa Gungor!

We’ve also got another live offering in Columbus coming July 20th, but this one’s super-groovy. We’ll be doing a joint Homebrewed/CultureCast show with Amy and Christian Piatt, plus Homebrewed guru Tripp Fuller. Guests include Sharon Watkins, Rick Lowery and the band Populis. We’d tell you more, but the show’s already sold out. D’oh!

How, oh how, do they smush so much goodness into one show? No clue here on our end. We just throw stuff on the wall and pray it sticks. Yay, stick!

No, wait. Don’t do that. That’s Amy Piatt’s job. How about just checking out part two of the awesome LIVE Homebrewed CultureCast instead?

We dispensed with all the serious stuff in the first half (if you didn’t check that out yet, CLICK HERE), so now it’s time for a new segment, called Stranger Than Fiction. In it, we read five religiously-themed news stories and see if our esteemed guests, Steve Chalke and Doug Pagitt, can tell the real deal from a pile of crap we made up our very own selves.

See if you can do better than they did…which won’t be too hard, trust me.

Then we drop some hot, fresh recommendations on you, from the movie PRIDE to summer tunes to fill your ear-parts and tickle your brain-pieces. And I’ll give you a hint; if you listen to this episode, you’ll hear some of the recommended music live. Well, it was live when we recorded it, anyway. What do you want from me???

Finally, we dig down to the bowels (eww) of fear with Amy Piatt, who never ceases to churn out new tidbits to add that necessary twinge of horror to your day. Yaknow, just to keep it interesting and stuff. But it turns out Christian shares this week’s fear as well.

Wait…Christian has feelings?

And though the crowd is a little more chatty and raucous during this half (there were adult beverages involved, after all) there’s tons of good live music once again from Portland’s own Horse Feathers and Minneapolis’ resident artist, Heatherlyn.

We’ll get back to the studio soon enough (and by studio, we mean sitting around the laptop in Christian’s office), but honestly, it’s a lot more fun to talk smack and drink beer with 100 or so of our closest friends…or at least 100 people who heard about the awesome CultureCast pint glasses and came a-runnin’. Either way, we’ll take it.

Want to get one (or twenty) of these groovy CultureCast pint glasses in your own hot little hands? Email Christian at cpiatt (at) christianpiatt (dot) com. He’ll do you right.

Special thanks to our esteemed sponsors: Phillips Theological Seminary, Basecamp Brewing Co., Marmoset Music and Kill Rock Stars Records. You folks are super groovy. 

Are you sitting down? Good, cause this show is pretty sure to rock your shorts clean off.

And if you’re at a coffeeshop, goofing off at work or the like that could be a little awkward.

But Christian, you ask, pray tell why this show would rock me out of my clothes more so than the average Homebrewed CultureCast? BECAUSE IT’S 110% LIVE BABY.

That’s right. We brought Oasis Church’s Steve Chalke in from the UK, Solomon’s Porch’s founding pastor Doug Pagitt from Minneapolis along with his partner-in-crime singer/songwriter Heatherlyn, and a bit of homegrown Portland fabulosity by sprinkling the inimitable Justin Ringle and Nathan Crockett of the band Horse Feathers on top of this sundae of theo-cultural deliciosity.

All of this, natch, is hosted by your tried and true CultureCast sherpas: Amy Piatt, Slim Moon and yours truly (no that’s not my name, it’s Christian Piatt. Duh.).

We descended on Portland’s own Marmoset Music like a podcast-borne siege of near-Biblical proportions hammering the earholes and mind-parts of those in attendance with some CultureCast goodness, all happening right before their very eyes.

Okay, so maybe that’s a little bit of hyperbole, but it was pretty awesome. Don’t believe it? Check for yourself.

Can’t get enough? Have to listen on to hear who wins, who claims the proverbial conch and rises high above the culture-carnage to reign supreme atop the mountain of virtual corpses left in his or her wake?

Well then you’re just gross. Have you no sense of decency? GAWD.

If, on the other hand, you just want to dig a little deeper into the live CultureCast haps, stay tuned for the second half of the show, coming soon to a blog post, RSS feed, Stitcher channel or iTunes subscription near you.

Subscribe on iTunes for free HERE

Catch us on Stitcher Radio HERE

Extra special thanks to Adam Phillips, our show’s producer, Jeff Simmons/Caravan Recordings, the sound Svengali and Caedmon Michael for working the door with vigilance. And we could not have pulled this off without our sponsors: Phillips Theological Seminary (I’m starting to think those guys like us), Basecamp Brewery (nom nom nom) and Marmoset Music for this stellar support. 

Homebrewed CultureCast is produced by Square Core Media.

Well, not really, but we missed him this week. Sitting in for him is our buddy, Rev. Adam Phillips, pastor of the much-publicized Christ Church Portland, who got kicked out of the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination for being too inclusive. You heard me right; there go those crazy Christians, welcoming everyone into the community again.

So what to do once you’re all together, you ask? Dig Suzanne Castle’s worship expertise (as explicated in super practical ways in her worship book, BRIM, co-authored by worship leader Goddess Andra Moran) as she helps us figure out what it means to immerse people in a worshipful theopoetic. No, you don’t have to recite poetry like in sixth grade when they forced you to regurgitate the entire Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, while your prep school buddies snickered. Oh, just me? Anyhoo…

We also delve into other critical issues, like why the Piatt house has become a flophouse for wayward ducks, why “House of Cards” Frank Underwood is a badass, and why (sadly) Franklin Graham is not. Good news is that Lisa Sharon Harper, who takes him to town, is 100% badass material. So it all kinda balances out.

And yes, of course we have your much beloved recommendations and a hearty does of the Fear of the Week. Fear not!!! Yaknow, because we’ll do all the worrying for you. You’re welcome.

Speaking of fear, Christian put on his big boy pants and finally got the tattoo of his dreams, up and down his forearm. Haven’t seen it yet? Don’t worry, ’cause he’ll show you on the podcast.

Apologies for the atypical structure and abbreviated nature of this one, but if you can’t handle the Piatts hacking and wheezing their way through the first bit, jump ahead to the good stuff.

What good stuff might that be, you ask? Good question.

We’re pleased and honored to welcome Wm. Paul Young, author of the international mega-bestseller THE SHACK back to the CultureCast, along with first-timer Reba Riley, author of “Post Traumatic Church Syndrome, hitting shelves this August, thanks to Simon & Schuster.  Reba, Paul and Christian have a three-way chat session about the upcoming Pacific Northwest tour they’re all doing together called “Where’s God When…”

When? When What??? Well you’ll just have to listen, now won’t you? That or click the link above, if’n yer in the cheatin’ kinda mood.

And rest assured that as soon as the local Hazmat team deems the Piatts are allowed back out in public, Slim will rejoin them for your tried-and-true Homebrewed CultureCast shenanigans.

Oh, and if you’ll be in the Portland, OR area on April 28, be sure to CLICK HERE and get one of a handful of remaining tickets to the first-ever LIVE CultureCast. Guests are many, and they include Steve Chalke, Doug Pagitt, Dieter Zander, singer/songwriter Heatherlyn and Portland’s own Justin Ringle and friend from the band, Horse Feathers. Tickets get you in to mingle with these hooligans, while also gracing your empty hands with a Homebrewed CultureCast pint glass and two big-kid beverages of your choosing.

Why so much love for so little? Well, we blush when we admit it, but we kinda like you.

Most everyone who has heard about it has strong feelings about it, given that it’s based – at least sort of – on the book of the same name by Bill O’Reilly.

Some folks are abuzz about the fact that Haaz Sleiman, the star of the movie portraying Jesu, is a Muslim.

Few know that Sleiman grew up in the midst of turmoil in Lebanon, where his brother and mother nearly died in the midst of the fighting. Or how much living in a country surrounded by Syria on two sides and Israel on another informed his understanding of politics, religions and cultural identity. Or how living in a territory occupied, at different times in history, by the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and colonized by the French informed his thinking about what it means to live in occupied land, and what it’s like to flee from occupation and violence for a promise of something new.

That’s the stuff we wanted to know.

Listen in on this Homebrewed CultureCast mini-sode with Actor/Director Haaz Sleiman, who has appeared in projects as diverse as “Nurse Jackie,” “Ricochet” and “24,” as he shares his less-than-heroic story about being shot, how most Muslims actually look at the figure of Jesus, and how he ended up from surviving the Lebanese fight for independence to his current reality as a rising star on the Hollywood  scene.

Check it. Love it. Share it.

For instance:

• Does Amy really eat human poop powder?
• Does repentance mean you have to feel like shit?
• What words with baggage can be reclaimed?

Christian announces the CultureCast’s first live event at 6pm April 28th at Marmoset in Portland, with Doug Pagitt, Stephen Chalke, other notables, and live music.

The interview is with Sara Miles, author of City of God, and founder of The Food Pantry, which provides free groceries to over 400 hungry families in San Francisco. Sara’s conversion story is very powerful, as well as her courage and clarity in answering God’s call through her ministry.

In the echo chamber we discuss rumors that Apple is developing an electric car; a “peace ring” created by muslims to protect jews in Oslo, and the “Christian Persecution Complex.”

Recommendations includes our favorites to replace John Stewart on The Daily Show. And don’t forget Fear of the Week. This week’s fear is a doozy.

On a sad note, we bid a fond farewell to Andy Campbell, who is taking leave to focus on his family and his awesome new gig as a professor at George Fox. He has been a great partner and friend of the show, and he has an open invite to come back and sit in any time he has something on his mind to talk up.

Now the good news: we’re excited to welcome Slim Moon as our new cohost! Slim is a Unitarian Universalist seminarian with an incredibly rich backstory. Aside from starting Kill Rock Stars Records, playing gigs with the likes of The Melvins and Nirvana back in the day and helping break out bands like Elliott Smith, The Decemberists and Sleater Kinney…well, just listen, learn and be amazed.

We also interview Adam Phillips, pastor of Christ Church: Portland which just had $90,000 in funding and their affiliation with the Evangelical Church denomination stripped because of their open advocacy for the inclusion of LGBTQ people. But as karma would have it, the story has gone viral, grabbing the attention of NPR, Glenn Beck, TIME, Washington Post and others. Seems the culture (and according to Phillips, the Holy Spirit) is moving within this movement, and once again, the Church faces the choice to consider their blindness on the related justice issues, or be left in the dust once again.

In the Echo Chamber, we talk up Serena William’s recent TIME Magazine editorial, the perceived snub of Selma’s director and lead actor in the Oscars, and the murders of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, NC.

We raise the bar in our Recommendations section with a Bona Fide pop culture guru on board, and Amy dusts off a cask-strength, barrel-aged Fear of the Week that I bet you’ve never considered being afraid of…until now.

It’s a doozy folks, so hang on.

We want to thank everyone who came out and made this evening so memorable.

Philips Theological Seminary was our sponsor this evening – and rocked the swag!

The episode starts on a negative note but has a trajectory toward awesomeness … hope you enjoy the brew! 

Our interview is with John Paul Lederach about his book Reconcile. Many of our regular listeners will recall that we first aired this piece back in September of 2014, but the content is so timely we felt it deserved another listen. If 2015 is going to be a year of peace, we must actively work for it. Lederach tells us what that work looks like.

In the Echo Chamber, Amy, Christian, and Andy reflect on the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, the lack of press regarding the NAACP bombing in Colorado, and the timeliness of the film SELMA. As they turn to Amy’s Fear of the Week things get a little ragey and a little weird… naked yoga, anyone?

Finally, the crew recommends a couple films that you might wanna check out. SELMA promises to be one of the most important films of 2015 and oh so timely. It was just released nationally in theaters. SALINGER offers an in-depth look at the reclusive author’s life, with interviews from people who knew him or were inspired by him. J.D. Salinger was a deeply troubled man and this film explores the events that shaped him. Christian also lets us know that you can sign up now to receive updates on his Jesus Project – just go to myjesusproject.com

This episode’s interview is with A.J. Jacobs – author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers, including The Year of Living Biblically. He and Christian talk about A.J’s. new global family reunion project, in which he tries to show that we’re all related, quite literally. The project is culminating in a huge gathering in New York on June 6, 2015, and you’re invited! Along the way, they discuss Christian’s new Jesus project – an ambitious year of figuring out what it takes to seriously live like Jesus lived. A.J. has some great advice for Christian as he embarks on this new undertaking. See more of what A.J is up to at his website: http://ajjacobs.com/

In the Echo Chamber, the team weighs in on some important questions: Is the hack on Sony a blessing in disguise? What did the Pope have to do with making Cuba and U.S. kiss and make up? Is there a difference in saying “Black Lives Matter” versus “All Lives Matter”? What should the response of the White Christian Church be?

The crew then talks about UnTappd, Interstellar, Hawking, Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead, Disunity in Christ, God of the Oppressed and The Cross and the Lynching Tree in the Recommendations segment of the show. Finally, Amy’s Fear of the Week Last Three Months is a doozy…

They were up in arms about serving 3.2 percent beer in (GASP!) church.

The weekend culminated in a Beer and Hymns event at East Side Christian Church (DOC), followed by this live CultureCast recording with Christian, Phillips Theological Seminary’s own Josh Linton, and Amy via Skype. But it also welcomed four local news channels who covered the event, after a local Fox affiliate, and then CNN, took the scandalous story national.

Oh, and aside from the low-point beer, here’s a taste of what we had on tap during the show:

• A Lesbian universalist minister singing a song on behalf of marriage equality;
• A discussion about the theological and justice implications of marijuana;
• A remote “ten in the den,” quiz show, in which Pastor Mark Driscoll features prominently;
• A handful of Church Sign Epic Fails, and;
• Amy’s double dose of her Fear of the Week.

We tried to get some of the street protesters picketing outside (no joke) to come join us on the show, but to no avail. So the photo above will have to suffice.

Ahh Tulsa, I love ya, you nut.

They were joined by Bart Campolo, Peter Rollins and Benjamin Cory to talk about the implications of moving on. Imagine this as an a living room conversation in an auditorium. 

It was a ruckus affair but we wanted you to hear the first part of the evening where they all shared how they come to the conversation.

We have live events coming up in November at AAR in San Diego on Friday night – plan to join us with Catherine Keller, John Cobb, and Jack Caputo  there!

We will also be at Christianity21 this year in Phoenix (January 22-24) and at  this year’s PMYC !

This episode is going out as a cross-pollination experiment on both the CultureCast and TNT streams. 

Then we get Buddhist on your ass and talk about the Dalai Lama’s recent announcement that, just maybe we don’t need another successor after him. We explore the prospects for the first female NFL commissioner (it’s the consensus in the CultureCast crew that Roger Goodell’s days are numbered), and what happens when you put Rain Man in charge of a wine collection worth six figures.

We also talk about why it is that Florida schools have some new children’s literature circulating about with connect-the-dot pentagrams and goat-head color-by-numbers. Yes, kids, the satanic coloring books are here!

Oh, and of course, Amy has a fear of the week. And guess what…you’re it!

Thanks George Dubya, for that little gem.

Gregg shares some fascinating stories about his time with the World Council of Churches, preparing a report for the U.N. about displaced Christians – and non-Christians, for that matter – as ISIS plunders their way through one town after another. We get the real scoop on what Iraqi citizens think about U.S. intervention, and we talk about how challenging nonviolence becomes when your family’s life is at risk.

Check out some of Gregg’s incredible photo work from the trip HERE.

Then we move on to the interesting similarities between Ray Rice and Mark Driscoll, or at least between the institutions that have a knack for protecting such destructive behavior when it benefits them. Yeah, Church, I just compared you to the NFL. Suck that bitter medicine down…and like it!

We break out some TV, book and beer recommendations toward the end of the show, bust out a shiny new fear of the week, and Christian shows off his fancy-pants new beer flight sampler trays. His neighbor says he’s now taking orders, so no need to be jealous. Get your own!

This week’s episode is all Everyday Sunday, all the time. We hung out with Trey and Carter from the uber-popstar band both at Wild Goose (yes, there’s more you haven’t heard yet) and in the garage at Amy and Christian’s place while they were in Oregon for a couple of shows.

First up is a new segment affectionately known as Ten in the Den, where guests are submitted to ten completely subjective questions in Christian’s newly constructed Slacker’s Den (aka, where homebrewers go to die happy), and then scored on their answers based on a system Christian makes up as he feels like it. We learn much about the band in the process though, such as their proclivity for soccer moms, their soft spot for transgender family members and their desire to rename their band the “Rollins Stones.”

Then we just east to Hot Springs North Carolina where Christian reads a post-breakup letter Trey supposedly wrote (you be the judge) to CCM (the Contemporary Christian Music industry) from which he parted about a year ago) to try and patch things up and get back in their good graces. What’s with these commie liberals who love the planet more than penal substitutionary atonement???

Hehe, we said “penal.”

Andy and Amy channel their inner Zach Galifianakis and turn the tables on Christian, interviewing him about his forthcoming book postChristian: What’s Left, Can We Fix It, Do We Care? They were, indeed, situated between two ferns. Not to be dissuaded, Christian guides his hapless interviewers through the impetus for the book and how he hopes it adds to the broader conversation regarding what is happening in Christianity right now. Christian talks about the really sweet deal he’s put together for listeners who want him to come talk about the book – he’s going to waive his speaking fee! The book is out August 12, 2014 and can be found through book retailers everywhere. Preorder your copy here.

In the Echo Chamber, the team shares their hopes and fears for their tween kids, slowly coming to grips with the reality that they are on the cusp of having surly, profanity-spewing teenagers sulking around the house. How do Christian parents faithfully guide their children through this time of changes? Things turn even more serious when the team then tries to come up with a Christian answer to Putin and what’s going on in Russia, but their ideas all seem to fall flat. They need your help with some creative, nonviolent responses to the situation there!

 Amy has a “de-recommendation” and Christian has to eat some crow with his recommendation of the week. Amy’s FOTW comes on the end of a really hard week but, as Andy notes, also inspires a bit of hope.

Wild Goose 2014 was a seriously wet podcast. Despite the rain we had a blast thanks to Phillips Theological Seminary who sponsored the beer steins for brews & John Vest who smoked some yummy BBQ pork.  This is just a 55 minute sample of the 2 hours of excitement.

Tripp, Amy, Micky, & Christian spend some talking with Everyday Sunday’s Trey Pearson.  Last year at the Goose he not only visited the podcast but began his year long conversation with Tripp & Christian about progressive Christianity.  While he definitely resonates with a lot of it he has some lingering questions hours of podcast listening has not cleared up. So hear comes Amy and Micky to the rescue. Hopefully they will be able to lure Trey over to team awesome.  You shall see.

Our guest on this week’s show is Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan is an award-winning religion writer who serves as senior columnist for Religion News Service and is a contributor to The Week. He has published more than 1000 articles in respected outlets such as USA Today, The Atlantic, National Journal, Christianity Today, The Washington Post, and CNN.com, and has a new book out, titled Jesus is Better than You Imagined.

In the interview, Christian and Jonathan discuss laws that give businesses permission to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, whether or not evangelical publishers can allow authors to write about particular views that are in conflict with evangelical beliefs (like sexuality) and why Christians seem unwilling or unable to have those conversations. Then they move on to the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling, corporate personhood, and the mess that results when one tries to apply the term “Christian” to a business. Finally, they discuss Jonathan’s book, which chronicles a period of profound spiritual emptiness that prompts him to go on a journey to find God in unexpected, unpredictable places, and the surprising ways God met him there.

In the Echo Chamber, Christian, Amy, and Andy talk about social media do’s and don’ts, prompted by a recent piece in Wired magazine. What should you do if you have a Google Glass? How many pictures of your kids in your social media stream is acceptable? What in the world is “vaguebooking?”

Finally, there are a couple movie recommendations, one that is currently in theaters, one that’s available on Netflix, and Amy’s creepy, crawly, but sometimes necessary, Fear of the Week.

The HBCC crew is back down to three as Jess the Intern and Philip the Page are movin’ on up. Christian, Amy, and Andy hold down the fort, though. Today’s show features an interview with artist, author, film director, theologian, and all-around badass, Frank Schaeffer. He has a new book out, Why I am an Atheist Who Believes in God, and joins the show to talk a whole range of topics, from art to music to fundamentalism and more.

Christian and Frank explore the difference between irony and satire, finding it difficult to come up with any hard and fast rules. They explore the work of glass sculptor Dave Chihuly and contrast that with Marcel Duchamp’s absurdist sculptures. Frank talks about his new book and why he’s never met an atheist or an evangelical.

Check out Frank Schaeffer’s art at FrankSchaefferArt.com and look for the Homebrewed Crew at Wild Goose Festival at the end of this month where we will be recording a live episode with Tripp and Bo!

Thanks to Philips Theological Seminary and Wild Goose Festival for their continued sponsorships. Interested in setting captives free? Come check them both PTS and WGF out at the Wild Goose Festival June 26-29 in Hot Springs, North Carolina and find out how you can learn and live liberation.

This week’s show also brought to you by, CrowdScribed. CrowdScribed publishes better books by bringing readers and authors together early in the creative process. Beyond traditional publishing, beyond self publishing, there’s Crowd Publishing. Leverage the power of the crowd to publish your book the way it was meant to be published. Enter the current Author Challenge to win a $5,000 publishing deal and get mentored by Frank Schaeffer. For more information, visit www.crowdscribed.com.

Christian shares Tea Party Jesus with the group. He thinks it’s hilarious, Amy and Jess the Intern, not so much. Jess and Andy talk about privilege, oppression, and intersectionality in light of a recent Princeton freshman’s defense of white privilege. Finally, the group talks about the Donald Sterling debacle, generation gaps, and the increasing frequency of things said in private going out into the public.

There are TWO fears of the week this week and a few recommendations that you won’t want to miss! Check it out…

Ongoing thanks to Philips Theological Seminary and Wild Goose Festival for their continued sponsorships. Interested in setting captives free? Come check them both PTS and WGF out at the Wild Goose Festival June 26-29 in Hot Springs, North Carolina and find out how you can learn and live liberation.

A big welcome to our newest sponsor, CrowdScribed! CrowdScribed publishes better books by bringing readers and authors together early in the creative process. Beyond traditional publishing, beyond self publishing, there’s Crowd Publishing. Leverage the power of the crowd to publish your book the way it was meant to be published. Enter the current Author Challenge to win a $5,000 publishing deal and get mentored by one of three bestselling authors. For more information, visit www.crowdscribed.com.

As we try to recover from our collective post-Easter hangovers, the topics range from stomach-turning in the gross sense to stomach turning in the scary sense. Nothing like variety!

Andy quizzes the CultureCast team on the best way to remove a dead whale from the beach, and then they move on to such savory topics as sex scandals within the Biblical Patriarchy (aka, Quiverfull) movement. You mean that when you repress people sexually and deprive women of autonomy, something could go wrong? Shocking!

We also take on the recent anti-semitic brouhaha in Ukraine, along with all the cities that will soon be underwater, apps to be afraid of and top it all off with a seventies black punk band called “Death.”

Just your average day in the peanut gallery with the CultureCast nerds.

Mad props to our sponsors, Phillips Theological Seminary and the Wild Goose Festival. Thanks to Phillips for stepping up to be the sole sponsor of the Homebrewed Christianity live show this year at Wild Goose! Expect fun and swag to flow freely when these folks all get together. And who knows? There might be some more intimate campfire chats hosted by Phillips as well. Stay tuned.

As for the Goose, the theme of “Living Liberation” will be taken on by, among others, Stephen Lewis. Lewis is the President of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE), which focuses on cultivating a new generation of Christian leaders. He has more than fifteen years of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, program development and group facilitation. The event is in Hot Springs, North Carolina from August 26-29, and tickets are flying off the virtual shelves. Grab a pair (no, just tickets) before they’re gone.

In the echo chamber, the Andy talks about the Heartbleed internet security flaw and why maybe you should hold off on changing all your passwords. The crew talks about how Chick-Fil-A may be getting back into their good graces with their new focus on healthier food options.

After that, Amy wonders about whether or not Jesus had a wife? New evidence supports the authenticity of a papyrus fragment that seems to support that he did. Even if it is authentic, does it make a difference? Christian thinks that the contrasting responses are more about our sexual hang-ups than anything else. Colin Kaepernick’s recent bad behavior gets some airtime and Rolling Stone’s graphic’s department may need to take remedial US History.

Andy gets in on Amy’s fear of the week as he freaks out about the coming ant uprising in Oregon. Lots of things to recommend from Mike Judge’s new show on HBO, “Silicon Valley,” to FX’s “Archer” and … Colbert?

This post is sponsored in part by Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Phillips exists to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good. If this sounds like the place for you, give them a call at 918-610-8303 or visit them online at ptstulsa.edu.

Also sponsoring this week’s post is the Wild Goose Festival. The Wild Goose Festival is a gathering at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. Happening June 26-29, 2014 just outside of Asheville, NC in the village of Hot Springs.

In the echo chamber, the crew discusses the World Vision debacle, wrestling with whether or not their reversal makes sense in light of their mission, and if the whole concept of “aid” needs to be rethought. Next, they tackle the Fort Hood shooting and Philip the Page offers his perspective as a veteran while Jess the Intern waxes eloquently on the “military industrial complex.”  Finally, they talk about two new books from very different perspectives about how women can best set themselves up for having babies later in life. Jess almost has an aneurysm.

This post is sponsored in part by Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Phillips exists to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good. If this sounds like the place for you, give them a call at 918-610-8303 or visit them online at ptstulsa.edu.

Also sponsoring this week’s post is the Wild Goose Festival. The Wild Goose Festival is a gathering at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. Happening June 26-29, 2014 just outside of Asheville, NC in the village of Hot Springs.

Andy talks about his detox diet, having to pee all the time, and calls for a ban on the phrase “whole ‘nother” (because “‘nother” is NOT a word!). Christian, who isn’t detoxing, reveals his surprising organ failure contingency plan.

Amy steers this week’s Echo Chamber discussion on the death of Fred Phelps, which leads into a discussion on statements of faith and whether or not they are freeing or constricting. She then delves into a real stomach-turning fear of the week after she finds out that her favorite gum contains boiled bones and animal skin.

And God, there are a lot of God movies out. The crew struggles with which of them (if any) to recommend. Jess the Intern reviews “God Is Not Dead” and Christian hopes beyond hope that Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” will deliver.

This post is sponsored in part by Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Phillips exists to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good.
If this sounds like the place for you, give them a call at 918-610-8303 or visit them online at ptstulsa.edu.

Also sponsoring this week’s post is the Wild Goose Festival. The Wild Goose Festival is a gathering at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. Happening June 26-29, 2014 just outside of Asheville, NC in the village of Hot Springs.
*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

Subscribe on iTunes Here!

And you listen to this because…

We talk this week about the Malaysian airliner that’s been missing for some time now, and our obsession with recovering the wreckage and victims. It leads to an interesting look at how we deal with death in our culture, and why so many of us never learn to grieve.

Jess the Intern takes over Amy’s fear of the week as she confessed her terror about the idea of actually marrying, Philip the Page. Which, yaknow, makes him feel all kinds of awesome.

We wind it up with Philip’s first-ever on-air rant about vaccinations. I know, sounds like a weird thing for a guy with no kids to get in a twist about, but he’s on a mission, that guy.

This post is sponsored by Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Phillips exists to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good. If this sounds like the place for you, give them a call at 918-610-8303 or visit them online at ptstulsa.edu.

We’re also happy to welcome the Wild Goose Festival as our newest sponsor! The Wild Goose Festival is a gathering at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. Happening June 26-29, 2014 just outside of Asheville, NC in the village of Hot Springs. 

With Sanjay Gupta re-upping his stance on Medical Marijuana, Vladimir Putin slignin’ his weight around in Ukraine, Millennials smashin cultural trends, Lent in full swing, tons of apps and shows to recommend and a big, juicy slab of horse meat on the table, what’s not to love about this show?

Plus, Amy and Jess share an epic fear of the week this time that Jordan calls into serious question. Amy is shouted down for adding cheesy sound effects like some radio-hour amateur, Philip drops some weed wisdom and Christian spoils House of Cards for everyone who hasn’t watched it yet.

Pretty much just your average CultureCast.

This post is sponsored by Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Phillips exists to cultivate vital communities, vital conversations, and the public good. If this sounds like the place for you, give them a call at 918-610-8303 or visit them online at ptstulsa.edu.

“Bulls Eye” for culture and then outs Philip’s deprived, candy-less upbringing. Andy Campbell sits in for Jordan and talks about pasta makers, bottling homebrew, and growing up with diabetic brothers. 

In the Echo Chamber, Christian offers his thoughts on reforming high school education and whether or not industry-specific training might lead to a renaissance of the career. Philip reflects on graduating from a vocational-technical school and Jess shares her experience as a first-generation college student. Amy expounds on the surprising relationship between Walmart and welfare, while Andy brings up the impact of the proposed minimum wage hike.

Christian and Andy give us a quick update on Christian’s beer as they bottle it. Finally, Amy shares an unforgettable(?) Fear of the Week and Philip flip-flops on his feelings about the movie Her in this week’s recommendation.

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

Subscribe on iTunes Here!

Laugh it up, fun boys.

We check in on the progress of the homebrew that Andy Campbell and Christian started – next step, bottling! Also, The CultureClub debates such timely issues as commercialism in media, sex in the arts and whether or not we dissed our Young Earth Creationist brethren and sistren in the last episode.

Oh, and just in case none of that tickles your fancy, check out the logical acrobatics necessary for Christian to connect the dots between the Lego Movie and the Dalai Lama. Once again, the intellectual giants that occupy a seat at the CultureCast table demonstrate their mind-boggling sophistication.

Shout-Out to this week’s sponsor: Week of Compassion takes on aid for a new disaster somewhere in the world on average of every other day of the year. Plus, about 95 cents of every dollar donated goes to direct aid.  

Christian Piatt and Patrick DonVito break it down this week over a couple of rocks glasses full of Elijah Craig 12-year-old bourbon. They talk about the reason it is so tasty, while also being affordable, while also revealing some of the folklore behind this popular (relatively) small-batch distillate.

We’re interested in what you think of this segment. Keep it as part of the CultureCast? Spin it off into it’s own show (working title: “Angel’s Share”)? Trash it and never talk about whiskey ever again?

Speak up, and we’ll listen. Can’t say we’re the best at following instruction, but I promise we’ll at least listen!

Jordan’s also back with us for the Echo Chamber, where we talk up the Winter Olympics and the LGBT drama surrounding Sochi, as well as the “Ham on Nye” Creation/Evolution debate that took place recently at the creation museum. By the end, Christian’s so fired up to debate Ken Ham that he offers to fly to Kentucky for a chat and to ride a dinosaur while presenting his case for a more thoughtful Christianity. We’re so very proud.

Jordan leads the way in recommendations with tips of the proverbial hat to several shows, including HBO’s “True Detective,” Comedy Central’s “Broad City” and others the CultureCast crew is stoked about. Musically, Jordan’s on board with two female groups, “Haim” and “Lucius,” while Christian’s favorite band of the week, “Lake Street Dive,” is only half female. Watch out boys; the ladies are a-takin’ over…

Reach out to our sponsors, Slow Church Conference and Week of Compassion. Slow Church Conference has a $99 student rate to offer all students a deep discount to attend the conference. Check out the show for the promo code. Week of Compassion takes on aid for a new disaster somewhere in the world on average of every other day of the year. Plus, about 95 cents of every dollar donated goes to direct aid.  

We’re also introducing a new segment called “Bourbon Corner,” where Christian Piatt and Patrick Don Vito break down all things bourbon: this week’s featured bourbon is the deliciously affordably Old Forester.

In the Echo Chamber, Amy mourns the thrashing of her beloved Denver Broncos, and we all reflect on the tragic loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman. We break down the “Macklemore Grammy Weddings,” and we serve up some tasty recommendations – and by tasty, I mean a great book and groovy film. Don’t really eat them.

Oh. and thanks to Andy Campbell for sitting in while Jordan was away this week. And thanks for bringing your fantastic beard with you, you sexy, hirsute little devil, you.

Mad props to our sponsors, Slow Church Conference and Week of Compassion. Slow Church Conference has extended their $99 Early Bird rate till Feb 6th, and they added a student rate as well. Week of Compassion takes on aid for a new disaster somewhere in the world on average of every other day of the year. Plus, about 95 cents of every dollar donated goes to direct aid.  

We also welcome Mike Collins, our professional hacker and resident tech advisor, who explains why biometric security (fingerprints, retinal scans, etc.) may be a raw deal for consumers. Great, now I have to go get a whole new set of fingers!

In the echo chamber, we chat up the realities and implications of screen addiction, who will win the Super Bowl and why Justin Bieber is acting like a five-year-old lately. And we wrap up the show with not one, but TWO fears of the week. Philip, our new page, shares his father’s fear that Jess the intern and the great Pacific Northwest are feminizing him beyond repair, and Christian shares some factoids that will inspire you never to touch your own eyes ever again.

And a big shout-out to this episode’s sponsors:

Slow Church Conference is coming to Indianapolis April 3-5 and has a host of awesome speakers lined up. Take advantage of the $99 early bird registration before January 31st.

Week of Compassion is a fantastic new sponsor that put feet and relief on the ground all over the world where there are urgent needs and disasters requiring aid. On average, Week of Compassion helps address a new urgent need every other day of the year. Check them out!

Want to learn more about becoming a CultureCast sponsor?  Email Christian (cpiatt at christianpiatt dot com) for the deets.

Jordan catches us up on what life is life after the passing away of his wife, Mindy. He’s coming to terms with being a single dad, picking up the financial slack and figuring out who he is as an unmarried guy for the first time in a decade or so. And so of course, we respond by giving him big bottles of alcohol.

Thanks to the generosity of the Homebrewed Listeners, we raised enough money to buy Jordan one of the rarest bourbons on the market: a ten-year-old Rip Van Winkle. Thanks to Tripp for gathering the funds, and to Timothy Burnette for providing the bottle, along with a little bonus bottle of Dissident Noel Belgian Ale. Nom nom nom.

We chat up a woman’s article from Mars Hill (the Driscoll one, not the Rob Bell one) about what it means to be a woman today (hint: we don’t agree with her), and Christian is the lone dissenting voice in the debate about geographically-exclusive NFL Playoff ticket sales. No justice, no peace!!!

Finally, we lay out all the best TV and movies you should be checking out right now, as well as some mad props for a new George Jones tribute album you need to get your groove on with.

Oh, and thanks to the Slow Church Conference for being one of our first sponsors on the show! Check out their conference coming up in Indy in early April, and tell ’em the CultureCast sent you. And if you have something you want to promote on the show, hit up Christian with an email to find out how it’s done.

First up is Callid and Bo talking about 5 movies coming out this holiday season:

• American Hustle
• Anchor Man 2
• The Wolf of Wallstreet
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• Saving Mr. Banks

Then Micky Jones and Bo the tackle white-Santa and Duck Dynasty controversy. [This Week in Whiteness]

The interview is Christian talking with Doug Pagitt from this Summer’s Wild Goose Festival.

Finally Christian and Bo wrap it up with some final thoughts.
______________________

If you want to follow up with the items that Micky talked about your can find the links here:

School For Conversion 21st Century Freedom Ride: http://www.schoolforconversion.org/program/21st-century-freedom-ride

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

Subscribe on iTunes Here!

We continue talking about hegemony in the echo chamber, chatting up Paul Kivel’s new book, “Living in the Shadow of the Cross.” Turns out the reach of Christendom within the United States has a broader reach in our culture than just within organized religion. Go figure.

Jess the Intern shares her fear of the week (thanks a lot, Bill Clinton), and in recommendations, Christian gives props to another book from fellow Portlanders, and Andy Campbell talks up the best stout beers to pick up this season.

Oh, and Jess also explains how it is that yogurt actually has feelings. Worth the price of admission for this alone.

…

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

We cover a lot of ground in this edition of the culture cast. In the echo chamber, we let Amy vent about her pick for the Nobel Peace Prize this year being passed over. Geez, Amy, keep it in perspective. It’s not like it’s the Oscars or something.

We also talk about a new medically-based project launched by Google, called Calico, which endeavors to figure out the whole “death thing.” We try to figure out why it is that our culture seems to do death so poorly, and how Christianity actually has an opportunity to do something better than Google for once.

In recommendations, we pine over the seasonal fantasticalness that is fresh hop beer. And then a conversation that begins by comparing Sinead O’Connor’s head shaving to a similar stunt by Miley Cyrus leads us into a rich and interesting conversation about human sexuality, body image and power.

So there you have it: beer, pop culture, sex, theology and technology. What more could you possibly ask for? On second thought, don’t answer that because this is all you get…and you’ll like it!

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

We start out by taking it to our esteemed legislators in D.C. for their inability to get along with others as well as we expect by four-year-old daughter to behave. And after a fairly substantive excavation of all things political and socio-economic, we move on to Jordan’s favorite topic: FOOD.

Jordan is fairly obsessed with extolling the virtues of MSG lately, so when the cover story on this month’s Wried Magazine was all about “umami,” and what makes certain foods taste so amazing, he basically blissed out. Want to hear Jordan get ecstatic about a Taco Bell Doritos Locos taco? This is the show for you, my friend.

Finally, we break down the new fall Television season, highlighting the shows we have on our “must watch list.” Think of it as our gift to you; we suffer through hours of couch time so you don’t have to.

Ain’t that freakin’ sweet of us?

We start things off strong with a discussion of which gender and sexual orientation is best to get compliments from, an appearance from the famous Mattias Piatt, who provides some advice on breaking arms.

Our guest this week is Amanda Bast, an extremely funny writer who’s article “26, Unmarried, and Childless” blew up Converge Magazine, garnering over a million views in four days. Amanda discusses the article, which questions our culture’s approach to constant concern over what’s next, what it’s like to have a blog post go extremely viral, and what it’s like to be a young teacher in Ontario, Canada.

In the Echo Chamber, we reflect on 9/11, and specifically the overreaction and fear the attacks engender in Americans 13 years later. Then I ranted about how Americans should be brave.

In a change of pace, Christian takes this week’s Fear o’ the Week, and he’s scared of spider season. Especially the succulent ones. Then, the gang recommends some books, particularly Nadia Bolz-Weber’s bestselling Pastrix, and 1491, a book about the Americas before Columbus landed that will blow your mind and change everything you know about the people who lived here before white folks showed up and accidentally killed nearly all of them.

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

John talks about his wild year thus far as NPR’s religion reporter, including his encounters with a hallucinogenic tea ceremony (yes please), a snake handling worship service (no thanks) and a worship band made up of twenty trombonists. Check out one of his stories from the “Ecstatic Voices” series about a Muslim Hollywood star who also does calls to prayer in his mosque.

And no, in case you’re thinking it, I didn’t make any “boning for Jesus” jokes during the interview. Not even once. Aren’t you proud of me?

We took a dive in the echo chamber into white colonialism and privilege in its many stripes around the U.S. Amy also promptly alienates all the magicians, Illinois residents and mullet-sporting listeners out there, and Jess the Intern and Jordan make a little competition out of who can get the most facebook followers this week. They’re linked up, baby. You decide!

Tony also talks about what it’s like to live in intentional community, doing ministry without a church and why some of his most spiritual encounters have been over a pint in a pub…which is exactly where we were when we did this interview.

Amy breaks down a double-dose of her fear of the week, one of which involves swarms of angry stinging beasts. No, not Church deacons. Even worse!

We also go through some fall recommendations, including a more in-depth chat about the new Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, the latest Neko Case record and what we think is going to happen in the final episodes of Breaking Bad (don’t go, Walt. We love you…*sniff*)

This week, we’re featuring an interview that Christian did with Trey Pearson, front man for the band, Everyday Sunday. Trey and Christian chatted it up at the recent Wild Goose Festival, talking mainly about why a guy who has sold hundreds of thousands of records and landed scads of number-one songs within the Contemporary Christian Music scene would walk away from it all and go independent. His insight into the Christian music industry is truly fascinating. You’ll not want to miss this one, folks.

Then We take it off the rails (as usual) by foaming at the mouth about how awesome Breaking Bad is this season, along with some theories about what’s going to happen in the final episodes. Man, we’re gonna miss you, Brian Crantson. Come on our show? Pretty please???

We also chat about the new phenomenon that is known only as Drunk History, and Christian reveals his greatest gift ever received. Finally, we decry the burden that is parenting hot daughters, even if both of our girls aren’t even yet in kindergarten. Where’s my gun…

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Speaking of sophomoric, Christian lets off a little steam – quite literally – right in the middle of Jordan trying to have a tender moment.  so much love in the room, you can almost smell it.

We run through a list of recent pop-culture picks, including the new Netflix show, “Orange is the New Black,” a breakout freshman EP from sixteen-year-old singer Lorde, and Amy’s analysis of the latest from Bruno Mars.

Oh, and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the ever-helpful public service announcement, also known as Amy’s fear of the week.  this week: swimming pool sharks!

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And if you’re not into “important news,” don’t worry. There’s plenty of sophomoric humor and unsolicited opinions in this episode as well.  the crew debates the ever-important question of where both the Rio Grande in the state of Arizona are on a United States map, as well as which gender is better at apologizing.  They also touch on several current events, including the recent revolution in Egypt,  the offer of asylum from Venezuela to Edward Snowden, the  named NSA leaker.  and they wrap it all up Jordan’s initial thoughts about recent documentary, ” Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.”  Amy Christian haven’t watched it yet it’s a pretty short and one-sided conversation.

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Okay, not entirely alone. We bring back Mike Collins, the hacker extraordinaire who explained Bitcoin a few months ago, to discuss Edward Snowden, the intelligence analyst who’s currently hiding out from the feds in Moscow. Mike gives us insight into why Snowden is viewed as a heroic whistleblower by so many Americans, and why the whole government monitoring program wasn’t particularly surprising.

Later, on a long Echo Chamber sequence, we discuss the Supreme Court’s recent rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act, and why everyone loves filibusters (assuming you side with certain politics). We also discuss abortion, which is obviously a thorny subject. After that, I was really excited to discuss the bizarre Mad Men‘s Season 6 finale. If you don’t want to hear spoilers, skip everything from the 48 minute mark to around 59:15.

And finally Amy emerges from the shadows to discuss the utter horror of sending her son on a trip alone.

Christian also had to interview Jay Bakker alone, which maybe he should do more often, because it was awesome. Jay opens up about his new book, Faith/Doubt, and Other Lines I’ve Crossed, his life and evolving theology, and why Exodus International once brought him in to speak without knowing his stance on homosexuality. Jay weighs in on their recent apology before we discuss it further in the Echo Chamber.

So, yeah, we talk about about Exodus International. And then, the violence occur in all its terrible, terrible glory.

Then, in a conversation where I get a little rambly, I try and explain the bizarre Twitter war waged on @ProdigalSam, a South Carolina youth pastor who drew fire from the likes of Patton Oswalt for plagiarizing tweets. I won’t get into it here, because I talked about it far too long in the podcast.

Then, to close things out, Christian and Amy talk about seeing Patty Griffin the night before, and two super-secret surprise guests stop in! (SPOILER ALERT: It’s my wife and daughter.)

(DISCLAIMER: At the end of the episode, I make some remarks about my daughter, Lana, talking like a baby. I just want to be clear that I’m not being nearly as mean to my three year-old as it seems. She sometimes talks like a baby to tease me. Just wanted to make that clear.)

Our guest for the episode is Bruce Reyes-Chow, returning to the show for another go-round. This time he discusses his new book, “But I Don’t See You As Asian” which explores the complexities of race and privilege in America in Bruce’s trademark humorous first-person narrative style. It’s a good thing he told us he was Asian, because otherwise we never could have known…yaknow, on account of us not paying attention to anything but ourselves.

We also put Obama on the hot seat for a bit, breaking down some of his second-term disappointments thus far. But it was all really just a tee-up for Christian’s mad rant about the NSA’s recently revealed power overreaches. Man, he gets worked up!

Finally, we talk about Portland’s less-than-stellar religious history. Turns out everything the early missionaries touched more or less died. So…really sorry about that. Stupid smallpox!

Later, Amy is afraid of drowning, so none of us should ever go underwater again.

In the Echo Chamber, we’re discussing Game of Thrones and the 9th episode, which rocked everyone’s world. (If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, skip the show from about the 47:50 mark to the 54:00 minute mark). Then it’s on to the resurrected Arrested Development, and the gang is decidedly split so far.

This week we dig around in the gray matter of Eric Elnes, pastor of the online faith community Darkwood Brew, author of the Phoenix Affirmations (and many other books), and most recently, prophet and advocate for what he calls “Convergence Christianity.” If’n you ain’t yet in the know about what exactly that is, read the twelve-point manifesto here.

Then we dive into Amy’s latest Fear of the Week: Dentists. Not the most original fear, but certainly understandable after he dentist took a file to her face as an experiment.

We touch base on the whole anti-gay cake baking drama in the Pacific Northwest and we have a little debate about who among us is the most humble (hint: we pretty much all lose that one).

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

In the echo chamber we talk about which countries are looked upon most and least favorably worldwide. The highest esteem country will probably surprise you (and no, it’s not the US). We also dissect the irrational drama behing the Portland water fluoridation debate, and we make some recommendations of the music you should have in your summer rotation.

We finish the show with Amy giving Christian a shot in the ass – literally. She’s pretty dramatic about the whole thing, but we’re pretty sure she mostly enjoyed getting to get even with Christian for all the shit he gives her, both on and off the air.

*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***

Our guest this week is the very funny Stephanie Drury who blogs at Stuff Christian Culture Likes and also runs @FakeDriscoll on Twitter. We had a number of things to discuss, from Christian men who want women to dress more modestly to why Mark Driscoll is legitimately dangerous to the documentary Holy Rollers, which features Stephanie’s husband and a Christian blackjack crew.

We’re pleased to introduce a new feature: Amy’s Fear o’ the Week. (Spoiler alert: it’s bees.) In the Echo Chamber, we run through a host of topics: the similarities between narrative in pornography and Christian art; Portland’s role as the least Christian city in the United States; more wedding cake makers who refuse to provide cakes for gay couples; and whether or not high school cheerleaders should be able to plaster Bible verses all over those really elaborate banners cheerleaders always make. The last point turns into a discussion of free speech and the separation of church and state.

In the final act, I talk a bit about my new blog, The Burnsider, and Amy has a story about seeing Stevie Wonder on her plane.

Our guest this week is Drew Dixon, the editor-in-chief of GameChurch.com. Drew talks to us about video games, and their value within faith and culture.

Later, in the Echo Chamber, the gang discusses Jason Collins, the first NBA player to come out of the closet. Then we talk about Mark Driscoll, and his latest controversy, which involved talking about how blowjobs are biblical. Did he say anything about men performing oral sex on women? He did not. Christian is annoyed by that, and Amy thinks Mark Driscoll is physically attractive, which was news to us.

We also touch on Bitcoin, some hippy protestors outside Amy’s church office, and this leads me to ask how Amy deals with annoying people. There are some vague Recommendations, as well, though you’ve probably heard them.

Listen with the player below, or subscribe on iTunes for free HERE.

Find out, on this week’s episode of the CultureCast!

This is a different show than we’ve ever done. For one, we recorded outside. For two, I mostly edited the episode, which is why this show took so damn long to get out. It was a learning process.

Our guest is Christian’s grade school friend, professional hacker Mike Collins, who’s here to tell us about BitCoin, an entirely online currency that was just made up by a bunch of dudes. We also discuss a bunch of other stuff, including where progressive Christian thought is headed and if it’s at all relevant in a world where the center of Christianity is shifting toward the Eastern and Southern Hemispheres. This somehow devolved into me imagining a sci-fi scenario where there’s a statue of Christian Piatt in Tiananmen Square 140 years into the future.

Oh, and we talk about Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, which we are all fans of.

First, we have our first return guest, and it’s one of our best: Jim Wallis. Christian moderated a discussion with Jim at Powell’s Books last week. I swear, Jim Wallis is incapable of saying uninteresting things. What an honor to have him back (even if I didn’t get to be there).

Obviously, it was a crazy week here in the US, so we spend the second half of the show talking about bombings and explosions and ricin. I promise, it’s not as depressing as it sounds. Namely, we wanted to talk about racial profiling when it comes to terror suspects, the shifting tectonics of how we get news in America, how to talk about tragedy with children, and how much faith is to blame in religious extremism.

Seriously, even with horribly serious subject matter, this was a really fun show to do and talk about, and we use our senses of humor to cope. We hope you enjoy.

P.S. Amy has a great poop story at the beginning.
*** If you enjoy all the Homebrewed Christianity Podcasts then consider sending us a donation via paypal. We got bandwidth to buy & audiological goodness to dispense. We will also get a percentage of your Amazon purchase through this link OR you can send us a few and get us a pint!***