Adam Curle: To Tame The Hydra w. Dr Laurens van Esch

Sr. Margaret McKenna: New Jerusalem Now! w. Shane Claiborne

In today’s episode of Good on Wood, we are joined by our dear comrade, Shane Claiborne, and delve into the remarkable journey of Sister Margaret McKenna, whose life was a beacon of hope and transformation in the streets of Philadelphia and beyond. Sr. Margaret passed away a few weeks ago on April 22, 2026. She was a Medical Mission Sister Margaret who founded New Jerusalem Now! in 1989, an addiction recovery community and program which is still running. She held a PhD in Scripture and Christian Origins, taught religion at LaSalle College, was an ardent anti-war active who joined dozens of nonviolent protests leading to arrests, including a Plowshares action which landed her in prison. Sr. Margaret integrated her yearning to live as a hermit with her love for community, sharing her compassion generously, especially with those living on the margins. ¡PRESENTE! ABOUT SHANE CLAIBORNE Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. Now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty and help stop gun violence. To learn more about St Stephen’s University and all of our program offerings in Theology & Culture, Peace & Justice, or Reconciliation Studies visit us at - ssu.ca

Rev Dr Jeremiah Wright Jr: Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian w. Dr Obery Hendricks

In today’s episode of Good on Wood, we are joined by the one and only Dr. Aubrey Hendricks to explore the profound life and enduring legacy of Trinity UCC’s Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. A towering figure in black theology, pastoral ministry, rooted in faith, justice, and community service … we consider together Wright’s brilliance as an orator and exegete of the scriptures, social activism, afrocentrism and deep love for his community. We also delves into his relationship with Barack Obama, the violence he endured amid the 2008 presidential campaign and the cruciform costs of prophetic ministry. ABOUT DR OBERY HENDRICK, JR. A lifelong social activist, Obery Hendricks is one of the foremost commentators on the intersection of religion and political economy in America. He is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today. Cornel West calls him “one of the last few grand prophetic intellectuals.” A widely sought lecturer and media spokesperson, Dr. Hendricks’ appearances include CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Fox News, Fox Business News, the Discovery Channel, PBS, BBC, NHK Japan Television and the Bloomberg Network. He has provided running event commentary for National Public Radio, MSNBC, and the al-Jazeera and Aspire international television networks. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at The Democracy Collaborative in Washington, DC; has been an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for American Progress; was a Senior Fellow at The Opportunity Agenda social justice communications think tank; is on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Christian Socialism; and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Dr. Hendricks has been a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and Salon.com, a former editorial advisor to the award-winning Tikkun magazine, and a contributing editor to The Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion. The Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation has called his work “the boldest post-colonial writing ever seen in Western biblical studies.” Hendricks’ bestselling book, The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted (Doubleday, 2006), was declared “essential reading for Americans” by the Washington Post. Social commentator Michael Eric Dyson proclaimed it “an instant classic” that “immediately thrusts Hendricks into the front ranks of American religious thinkers.” FOLLOW US * ⁠@goodonwood.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/goodonwoodpodcast] * @ststephensuniversity⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ststephensuniversity] * ⁠@jfi_ssu⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jfi_ssu/] * ⁠@steveschallert⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/steveschallert] * ⁠@jarrodmckenna⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna/] To learn more about St Stephen’s University [https://www.ssu.ca/] and all of our program offerings in Theology & Culture, Peace & Justice, or Reconciliation Studies visit us at - ssu.ca

Rev James Lawson: Still Going On w. Emily Yellin

In this inspiring interview, Emily Yellin, acclaimed journalist and life long friend, shares her profound journey of documenting Rev James Lawson’s life, his unwavering commitment to nonviolence, and the power of love in the struggle for justice. Rev Lawson, whom Dr Martin Luther King Jr described as "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world" was in many ways the architect of the American Freedom Movement. For over 50 years Rev Lawson resisted, agitated and loved his way through the darkness of American racism, imperialism and state violence, paving the way for thousands to follow in his footsteps.  As we explore Emily Yellin’s profound new book, “Nonviolence: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love” [https://www.nonviolentbook.com/] which she co-authored with Lawson in the years before his passing in 2024, we traverse Lawson’s story, spirituality, philosophy of nonviolence, and enduring influence on social justice practitioners and movements today. ABOUT EMILY YELLIN Emily Yellin is a journalist, writer, and producer. A longtime contributor to The New York Times and author of two other books, she produced a ten-part video series, 1,300 Men: Memphis Strike ‘68 [https://vimeo.com/showcase/6303527], for The Root. She first met Rev. Lawson when she was five, while attending elementary school in Memphis with his eldest son, John. ABOUT THE BOOK -  NONVIOLENT: A MEMOIR OF RESISTANCE, AGITATION AND LOVE. [https://www.nonviolentbook.com/] Rev. Lawson was one of the most influential yet unheralded heroes of the civil rights era. He rose as a strategist, teacher, and organizer in pivotal campaigns on the national stage against racial and economic injustice. Lawson’s memoir spans 95 years, but it begins far from the spotlight in a large, working-class Ohio family. The son and grandson of Methodist ministers, he receives his license to preach before graduating from high school. Lawson goes on to serve time in prison for refusing the Korean War draft, and learns from independence movements during three years in India and Africa. He then fortifies the principles of a new American Revolution when he teaches nonviolent direct action centered in love and moral clarity to the Little Rock Nine, the Mississippi Freedom Summer volunteers, and countless others. He also becomes a leader in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins, the 1963 Birmingham campaign, the 1966 Meredith March Against Fear, and the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike. Nonviolent delivers an intimate self-portrait of Lawson as a man who recognized the inherent dignity of everyone, and challenged all forms of violence, including police brutality, enforced poverty, and what he called plantation capitalism. It shows his quest for justice continuing in Los Angeles well into the 21st century, as he helped foster a more inclusive labor movement and an enduring immigrant rights movement. Nonviolent is a riveting historical narrative from a central figure in global liberation and a testament to compelling a nation to live up to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. Buy the book [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721804/nonviolent-by-reverend-james-lawson-jr-and-emily-yellin/]! FOLLOW US * ⁠@goodonwood.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/goodonwoodpodcast] * @ststephensuniversity⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ststephensuniversity] * ⁠@jfi_ssu⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jfi_ssu/] * ⁠@steveschallert⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/steveschallert] * ⁠@jarrodmckenna⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna/] To learn more about St Stephen’s University [https://www.ssu.ca/] and all of our program offerings in Theology & Culture, Peace & Justice, or Reconciliation Studies visit us at - ssu.ca [https://ssu.ca/]

Dorothy Day: The Long Loneliness w. Martha & Kate Hennessy

In today’s episode of Good on Wood we speak with Martha & Kate Hennessy about their grandmother, Dorothy Day. Join us in this rich conversation as we delve into Dorothy’s life and witness, her spiritual evolution, the birth of the Catholic Worker Movement and her lasting impact upon the world. This episode explores her unwavering commitment to nonviolence, hospitality, and radical love, inspiring a new generation to live the works of mercy against the works of war. “We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.” - Dorothy Day ABOUT MARTHA HENNESSY Martha Hennessy, seventh grandchild of Dorothy Day divides her time between the family farm in Vermont and practicing the works of mercy at Maryhouse Catholic Worker in New York City. She is 70, a retired occupational therapist, and grandmother of nine. She has been imprisoned protesting war and nuclear power/weapons, the use of drones, and the torture of prisoners in Guantanamo and US prisons. She has traveled to Russia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Korea, and Palestine to understand the impact of United States foreign military policy and the effects on countries and families around the world. Martha travels and speaks on the topics of her Catholic faith, her grandmother Dorothy Day’s life, work in community, Catholic Social Teaching, war and peace, nuclear abolition, and peacemaking efforts in the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement. ABOUT KATE HENNESSY Kate Hennessy is a writer and the youngest of Dorothy Day’s nine grandchildren. Her work has been included in Best American Travel Writing. She is the author of Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved By Beauty and, in collaboration with the photographer Vivian Cherry, Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker: The Miracle of our Continuance. Kate divides her time between Ireland and Vermont. RESOURCES * Dorothy Day: Selected Writings [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Dorothy+Day+Selected+Writings] * Catholic Worker Movement [https://catholicworker.org/] * Encyclicals on Social Justice [https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html] * The Dorothy Day Guild [https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=dorothy+day+guild&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8] * The Long Lullaby by Dorothy Day [https://www.amazon.com/Long-Lullaby-Dorothy-Day/dp/...] FOLLOW US ⁠@goodonwood.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/goodonwoodpodcast] @ststephensuniversity⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/ststephensuniversity] ⁠@jfi_ssu⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jfi_ssu/] ⁠@steveschallert⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/steveschallert] ⁠@jarrodmckenna⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna/] To learn more about St Stephen’s University and all of our program offerings in Theology & Culture, Peace & Justice, or Reconciliation Studies visit us at - ssu.ca [https://ssu.ca/] Music for this episode provided by John & David from ⁠The Brilliance⁠ and our own Steve Schallert.

Adam Curle: To Tame The Hydra w. Dr Laurens van Esch

In today’s episode of Good on Wood we speak with Dr Laurens van Esch [https://www.ssu.ca/laurens-van-esch], the Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy and Associate Coordinator of Reconciliation Studies at St Stephen’s University [http://ssu.ca/], about the radical life and profound contributions of Adam Curle, a significant figure in peace studies and Quakerism. Together we explore Curle’s influence on analyzing and naming the power dynamics present in conflict, the integration of spirituality in activism, and the importance of awareness in peacemaking. Adam Curle’s legacy and relevance in today’s complex social landscape and his emphasis of the interconnectedness of all beings and the need to cultivate silence and internal reflection amid violence is age old wisdom which needs to be resurfaced again for todays fight against authoritarianism. ABOUT DR LAURENS VAN ESCH Laurens van Esch received a Bachelor’s degree in History (2006) and Master’s degrees in History (2007) and in Philosophy (2011) from Utrecht University. In 2023, he completed his PhD in Philosophy, also at Utrecht University. In 2015, he started teaching at St. Stephen’s University [http://ssu.ca/], where he currently serves as Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy as well as Associate Coordinator of Reconciliation Studies. Laurens’ research and teaching interests straddle the boundary between the disciplines of cultural history and political philosophy. He loves to reflect on how the study of the past relates to the pursuit of justice in the present, and is particularly interested in the power of story, religion, and commemorative practices within emancipatory social movements. Out of the classroom, Laurens has participated in various forms of Indigenous solidarity efforts, mainly through and in partnership with Community Peacemaker Teams, Mennonite Church Canada and the German Mennonite Peace Committee. This included advocacy work in support of the Grassy Narrows First Nation (2012-2013), a 500 km ‘Honour Walk’ to honour the survivors of Residential Schools (2014), a short stint at Standing Rock (2016) and a 600 km ‘Pilgrimage for Indigenous Rights’ to Ottawa (2017). FOLLOW US ⁠@goodonwood.podcast⁠ [http://instagram.com/goodonwood.podcast] @ststephensuniversity⁠ [http://instagram.com/ststephensuniversity] ⁠@jfi_ssu⁠ [http://instagram.com/jfi_ssu/] ⁠@steveschallert⁠ [http://instagram.com/steveschallert] ⁠@jarrodmckenna⁠ [http://instagram.com/jarrodmckenna] To learn more about St Stephen’s University [http://ssu.ca/] and all of our program offerings in Theology & Culture, Peace & Justice, or Reconciliation Studies visit us at - ssu.ca [http://ssu.ca/] Music for this episode provided by John & David from ⁠The Brilliance⁠ and our own Steve Schallert.