30. Christina Zini (United Methodist/Lutheran) - This Is What Christianity Looks Like When It’s Not About Control & The Sacred Slope turns 1!

36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About

Pride Month Series- 🌈 Happy Pride! 36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About What does a conversation with a progressive, open and affirming pastor actually sound like? For many people raised in evangelical spaces, progressive pastors were often presented as people who had compromised biblical faith or wandered too far from Christianity. But what happens when you actually listen and decide for yourself? Alexis sits down with Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, pastor, author, scholar, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Christianity, and one of the most visible progressive Christian voices online, for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, deconstruction, LGBTQ+ inclusion, Christian nationalism, biblical interpretation, raising children with a healthy faith, and why so many people are reimagining Christianity today. Caleb serves an open and affirming church in San Diego. Open and Affirming (ONA) churches fully welcome LGBTQ+ people into the life and leadership of the church. In many ONA churches, this includes marriage, ordination, leadership, and participation at every level. Together, Alexis and Caleb explore whether progressive Christianity is really as scary as many people were taught, why faith doesn't have to be rooted in certainty, and how Christianity can be a force for justice, compassion, curiosity, and human flourishing. 💬 In This Episode • What progressive Christianity actually is • What "Open and Affirming" means • Growing up progressive in the Bible Belt • Deconstruction, reconstruction, and resilient faith • Raising children who can ask hard questions • Christian nationalism and the politics of fear • LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church • How to find a safe, affirming church • Why people are leaving harmful religious spaces • Why some people are reclaiming Christianity instead of abandoning it • Interfaith relationships and finding common ground • Faith, doubt, mystery, and living without certainty 👥 People & Resources Mentioned • Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines: @revcalebjlines • The Center for Progressive Christianity: @progressivechristianity • Church Clarity: @churchclarity | churchclarity.org • GayChurch.org • Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin: @marksandlin • Marcus Borg • Barbara Brown Taylor: @barbarabrowntaylor • Holy Envy • Phyllis Tickle • Jerome Berryman / Godly Play • Imam Taha Hassane • Petra Costa: @petracostal • Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix) • The Moonshine Jesus Show: @moonshinejesusshow 📚 Books by Caleb • Awakened: A Path to Courageous Faith in an Uncertain World • The Great Digital Commission: Embracing Social Media for Church Growth and Transformation Website: calebjlines.com #ProgressiveChristianity #OpenAndAffirming #PrideMonth #Christianity #Deconstruction #Reconstruction #LGBTQChristianity #ChristianNationalism #Faith #ProgressiveFaith #ChurchHurt #InclusiveChurch #TheSacredSlope #CalebJLines #Pride 🌈 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

35. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie): The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible (Pride Month Reissue)

HAPPY PRIDE! 🎙️ 35. Rocky Roggio (Director, 1946: The Movie) - 1946: The Year the Word “Homosexual” Entered the Bible (Pride Month Reissue) One mistranslation changed theology, policy, families, and the lives of millions of LGBTQ people. Alexis sits down with Rocky Roggio @rockyroggio, director of the award-winning documentary 1946: The Movie @1946themovie, to explore the year the word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible and how that translation decision reshaped theology, culture, and public policy for generations. They unpack the historical research behind the film, including discoveries in the Yale archives surrounding the 1946 Revised Standard Version Bible translation. Rocky explains how one translation decision helped shape decades of church teaching and influence modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity and Bible translation. Rocky also shares the personal story behind the film, including the decision to include her own father, a minister, in the documentary. Their conversations reveal how theology is never abstract - it shows up in families, churches, and real relationships. Alexis and Rocky discuss why the film resonates with audiences across the political and theological spectrum and why understanding Bible translation history, queer theology, progressive Christianity, and Christian nationalism matters right now. This episode is for anyone - Christian or not, queer or not - who cares about truth, history, and how sacred texts are interpreted and sometimes weaponized. 💡 Key Takeaways • The word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible in 1946 • Bible translation decisions can shape theology and culture for generations • Scripture can inspire justice or be used to justify harm • Biblical literacy matters in conversations about Christian nationalism and LGBTQ inclusion About Our Guest Rocky Roggio is the director of 1946: The Movie, an award-winning documentary investigating how the word “homosexual” first entered the English Bible and how that translation shaped modern debates around LGBTQ Christianity. 🎬 Watch the film Best way to support the filmmakers (independent streaming platform):  https://watch.eventive.org/1946themovie [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXdYZmRjTF9mSnRLeWYzM1ZGMm84Z1BsQjUtd3xBQ3Jtc0tuSk90dDZQVlJWUGg4dDhSQ25lRk1ZeWJYNjBLYXdTT1RvNmM0UlFqNDR0NnVLTU1JZjA0ODFjT1RWOUVYckNRc1JHVEFVcFFKdzZ0WGYzZm9kNkNFRXdrQ1JyYVA1SVRINTFsRFlRaDA4NkhzcENqQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwatch.eventive.org%2F1946themovie&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] 🌍 Projects & Organizations Mentioned The Living Wall of Love - Jarko’s project featured at World Pride Amsterdam https://growingwalloflove.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFNWc1BNZ3NGdlpTWUNXNFI0Vm40OFZfNndMQXxBQ3Jtc0tudXk4TWRwSnN3UjZOYnNLVmZKN1ozS0VTbXExaHBabDd6WWgwTDZ0ZU1URDZwdW5DZTdKM3NkZkhvamRycTdIbFlNSHZUTTYwQjUxSF9LMU5xeDl3bmY5TWFOMEdaTGZ1bFYwdVdQSFFXX0NtblVKVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgrowingwalloflove.com%2F&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] Making Things Right (LGBTQ Christian reconciliation resource) https://makingthingsright.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjR0SnhhQy1CU2J4R3RoUFJHSkRYLURNTERQZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttLUYyUk9PVVZzZ0k2aUhaQkluSjZPSnpSNUFYbmhhOG9SUzJTOWgwLXEwN2I3WlRZaXRPdVAzcE15UU4xSWdiWkJtTGFxOWYzd2lSZldKV0FLY21WUHVMOWZHNGl5eENYX2lHN3RSS0VlMDd0VnZ2TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmakingthingsright.org%2F&v=tzMuKhEPA8s] #Christianity [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/christianity] #deconstruction [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/deconstruction] #OpenAndAffirming [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/openandaffirming] #1946TheMovie [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/1946themovie] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

34. Science & Faith Part 2 - Pastor Will Rose (ELCA Lutheran) - The False Choice Between Faith and Science

34. Science & Faith Part 2 - Pastor Will Rose (ELCA Lutheran) - The False Choice Between Faith and Science  Alexis Rice sits down with Pastor Will Rose, ELCA Lutheran pastor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, co-host of Systematic Geekology, and creator of the faith and science podcast Your Matter Matters, for a deeply compassionate conversation about curiosity, science, deconstruction, and why asking honest questions should never make someone feel spiritually unsafe. Together, Alexis and Will unpack the false binary so many Christians were handed between faith and science - and the shame many people carry after being taught that questioning Genesis, evolution, the Big Bang, healthcare, vaccines, or scientific expertise somehow meant they were “falling away from God.” Will shares how many progressive and mainline Christian spaces approach scripture, theology, and science very differently than fundamentalist environments, and why intellectual humility, wonder, and curiosity can actually deepen faith instead of destroy it. At the center of this conversation is one powerful idea: “If that’s how the universe operates - growing, evolving, shifting - I think our faith can be like that too.” This episode is an invitation for anyone who has ever felt spiritually trapped, intellectually unsafe, or afraid that asking honest questions could cost them belonging. 💬 In This Episode • Why many Christians were taught faith and science cannot coexist • Curiosity vs “doubt culture” in evangelical spaces • Why asking questions should not be treated as rebellion against God • The danger of certainty culture in Christianity • Genesis, evolution, Adam & Eve, and biblical interpretation • “God of the gaps” theology and why it creates fear • Why many pastors feel pressure to have all the answers • The importance of intellectual humility in faith communities • How science and theology ask different kinds of questions • COVID, vaccines, healthcare, and anti-science narratives in churches • Christian nationalism and the weaponization of faith • The erosion of trust in institutions, experts, and scientists • Why progressive pastors and churches need more visibility • Theology Beer Camp and creating safe spaces for spiritual exploration • Why people do not need to abandon science in order to love God • The healing power of realizing “I’m not the only one asking this” 📚 Books & Resources Mentioned • Pastor Will Rose: @willnrose • Your Matter Matters Podcast: @yourmattermatters • Fish with Feet: Human Evolution and the Image of God - Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray @janetkelloggray from @eerdmans • The Sin of Certainty - Pete Enns @thebiblefornormalpeople • The Great Emergence - Phyllis Tickle • Systematic Geekology @systematicgeekology • Theology Beer Camp @theologybeercamp • Homebrewed Christianity with Tripp Fulelr @theologynerd @trippfuller • Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray: @janetkelloggray • Tripp Fuller: @trippfuller • Pete Enns: @thebiblefornormalpeople • Ted Peters • Joshua Noel • Francis Collins • Neil deGrasse Tyson: @neildegrassetyson Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

33. Science & Faith Part 1 - Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray (Science Educator & Christian) - Science Asks How & When. Faith Asks Who & Why.

33. Science & Faith Part 1 - Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray (Science Educator & Christian) - Science Asks How & When. Faith Asks Who & Why Alexis Rice sits down with Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray, science educator, university lecturer, Christian, and author of Fish with Feet: Human Evolution and the Image of God [https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802885616/fish-with-feet/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], for a deeply honest conversation about evolution, evangelicalism, scientific literacy, and the false choice so many Christians were handed between faith and science. Raised in conservative Christianity and young earth creationist culture herself, Janet shares how studying biology transformed her understanding of both science and God - not by destroying her faith, but by expanding it. Together, Alexis and Janet unpack the deep distrust of science embedded in many American evangelical spaces, why evolution was framed as spiritually dangerous, and how generations of Christians were taught that accepting evolution, climate science, vaccines, or scientific expertise itself could somehow threaten their relationship with God. At the center of this conversation is one of Janet’s most powerful insights: “Science asks questions of how and when. Faith asks questions of who and why.” Science cannot answer every meaningful question in human life. And faith and science are not enemies competing for the same territory - they are often answering entirely different kinds of questions. 💬 In This Episode • Growing up in young earth creationism • Why evolution became linked to “moral decline” in evangelical culture • The rise of anti-evolution apologetics in America • How churches built alternative Christian media and education ecosystems • Why many Christians distrust scientists and experts • COVID, vaccines, public health, and evangelical fear of science • What scientists actually mean by “theory” • Adam and Eve, Genesis, and the tension between theology and biology • The Big Bang, the Cambrian explosion, and misconceptions about evolution • Why curiosity should not be treated as rebellion against God • Galileo, science denial, and refusing to “look through the telescope” • Authority vs expertise and the danger of scientific illiteracy • Why science and faith can coexist without conflict • How asking questions can actually deepen faith rather than destroy it Janet offers a compassionate invitation for Christians who feel trapped between intellectual honesty and spiritual belonging:  you do not have to reject science to love God. 📚 Books & Resources Mentioned • Fish with Feet: Human Evolution and the Image of God (@Eerdmans) [https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802885616/fish-with-feet/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] • The God of Monkey Science (@Eerdmans) [https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802883193/the-god-of-monkey-science/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] • Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark 👥 People & Accounts Mentioned • Janet Kellogg Ray: @janetkelloggray  • Neil deGrasse Tyson: @neildegrassetyson  • Hasan Minhaj - IG: @hasanminhaj @hmdk  • Francis Collins  • Kenneth Miller Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

32. Sharon McMahon (We Are Mighty) - & We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

🎙️ 32. Sharon McMahon (We Are Mighty) & We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For Alexis Rice sits down with Sharon McMahon, bestselling author, educator, and creator of “@SharonSaysSo,” for a deeply moving conversation about history, democracy, courage, faith, and the ordinary people who shape the world around us. As Sharon releases her new children’s book, We Are Mighty: 12 Ordinary Americans Who Did the Next Needed Thing, Alexis and Sharon explore figures of American history, some famous, some not, about the power of education, and what it means to continue doing good with no assurance of success. Together, they discuss Martin Luther King Jr., Maria de Lopez, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Septima Clark, Clara Brown, and the everyday people whose unseen acts of courage changed generations. This episode is a reminder that history is not only shaped by presidents, billionaires, or celebrities - but by teachers, neighbors, parents, organizers, and ordinary people willing to do the next needed thing. 💬 In This Episode • Why “doing the next needed thing” can change history • Stories behind We Are Mighty and The Small and the Mighty • Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle with depression and self-doubt • Rosa Parks, Septima Clark, and the unseen roots of the Civil Rights Movement • Clara Brown, faith, forgiveness, and resistance • Why education is liberation • The danger of Christian nationalism and authoritarianism • The difference between performative religion and living compassionately • Sharon’s canceled commencement speech, the political backlash, and how she's doing the next needed thing • Why history gives hope during difficult times • What teachers and ordinary citizens need to hear right now about the power of community • Why courage rarely comes with assurance of success Sharon reminds us that the people who change the world are rarely the loudest or the most powerful. More often, they are ordinary people choosing courage, compassion, education, and hope in moments when success is far from guaranteed. And maybe that moment is ours now. We Are Mighty for Kids, illustrated by @susannachapman, from @penguinrandomhouse is out May 19 https://sharonmcmahon.com/book 👥 People Mentioned • Sarah Bessey: @sarahbessey • Kate Bowler: @katecbowler • Nadia Bolz-Weber: @sarcasticlutheran Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2471756/support] About The Sacred Slope Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity. Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify      LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere      FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect 🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope [https://linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿 Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control