6/14/26: Welcome the Stranger: Radical Inclusion in a Fearful Age

6/14/26: Welcome the Stranger: Radical Inclusion in a Fearful Age

In this episode the host explores the scriptural and spiritual call to "welcome the stranger," tracing its roots from the Hebrew Bible to Jesus and arguing that genuine hospitality challenges social hierarchies, affirms LGBTQ people, and resists fear-based politics. The talk contrasts spirit-versus-letter readings of scripture, explains the paradox of tolerance, and argues that inclusion does not require embracing intolerance. Through anecdotes and group discussion the episode examines cultural change, deconstruction as a Christian practice, and how communities can protect kindness and freedom without enabling harmful ideologies.

6/7/26: Queer, Christian, and Loved: Reimagining God Beyond Shame

Julie tells her story of growing up evangelical, facing shame after realizing she was queer, and slowly reclaiming her God-given, authentic self. She contrasts a judgmental image of God with a life-changing vision of a gentle, waiting God and describes how Pride and supportive community can counter shame. The episode reflects on healing, spiritual transformation, and practical questions about how churches and communities can help people embrace pride instead of shame.

5/24/26: The Critique of Idols: Reclaiming Christianity’s Iconoclastic Roots

This episode examines modern and ancient idolatry — from a 22-foot golden Trump statue to the idolization of religious law — tracing how early Christianity critiqued idols and how later traditions sometimes reproduced them. Speakers discuss Paul’s teachings, Jesus’s critique of hypocrisy, progressive deconstruction, the need for spiritual practice, and a call to live by the Spirit through love, justice, and humility.

5/17/26: The Third Testament: Rewriting Faith Beyond the Bible

This episode of The Central Cast explores the idea of a "Third Testament"—a living, relational faith that grows from experience rather than a fixed written text. Recorded live, the host reflects on a conference featuring leaders like Bishop Yvette Flunder and William Barber, and shares how those moments inspired a rethinking of scripture and worship. Contributors discuss deconstruction and reconstruction of Christian tradition, emergent strategy, the eight C's of internal family systems, and the tension between holding scripture lightly while drawing from its life-giving parts. The conversation centers on how small, compassionate practices and community can produce large-scale change without recreating hierarchical power. Listeners are invited to consider how faith can be embodied in everyday relationships and actions—prioritizing connection, creativity, and justice as the foundations of a renewed, living testament.

5/10/26: Lazarus and the Afterlife: Why Resurrection Still Ends

In this episode the host explores ancient, non-biblical legends about Lazarus after his resurrection and uses those stories to probe what resurrection, suffering, and mortality mean for us. Blending reflections from hospice chaplaincy, listener conversation, and scientific ideas from Carl Sagan and physics, the episode reframes the afterlife—arguing that death can intensify life, that consciousness and meaning may persist in unexpected ways, and that Christianity can help us embrace finitude and live more fully.