The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground. For the spiritually tender — those searching for healthier expressions of our global Christian faith and deconstructing harmful theology. Listen to conversations with pastors, priests, reverends, scholars, artists, and public voices from multiple denominations, cultures, backgrounds, and genders. Come to be challenged, healed, and begin again.
Episodes
49. Matthew Paul Turner – (Author, When I Thank God) Giving Our Kids a Faith They Don’t Have to Heal From
New York Times bestselling children’s author Matthew Paul Turner joins The Sacred Slope for a conversation about the stories we tell children about God—and the ones many adults are still learning to tell themselves.
Alexis and Matthew explore why children don’t get to choose their first picture of Go...
48. John Fugelsang – (Aspiring Christian) Separation of Church and Hate: Reclaiming Jesus from Christian Nationalism
John Fugelsang returns to The Sacred Slope for a deeper conversation about the book Alexis named the very first Sacred Slope Book of the Year: Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.
Together, they explore...
47. Rev. Jim Keat, Rev. Reilly Paige, & Rev. Dr. Chris Davies (United Church of Christ) – Preaching Camp: The Ties That Bind
Alexis sits down in person at Project Proclaim Preaching Camp with Rev. Reilly Paige, Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, and Rev. Jim Keat for a funny, moving, and deeply hopeful conversation about the ties that bind us - to Jesus, to one another, and to a faith larger than fear, fundamentalism, or the loudest v...
46. Meredith Miller (Non-Denominational Pastor, Author) – Wonder: Talking to Your Kids About God When You're Still Figuring It Out
Alexis sits down with non-denominational pastor, author, and children's faith expert Meredith Miller for one of the most practical and hope-filled conversations yet about parenting after deconstruction and teaching the Bible to your kids when you're still figuring out your own faith.
Author of Wonde...
45. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (Episcopal) - I Can Learn to Be Brave: Building Courage One Step at a Time
Alexis welcomes back Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C., for a deeply hopeful conversation about courage, faith, and her beautiful new children's book, I Can Learn to Be Brave- releasing July 7th!
Known around the world for her sermon calling for mercy toward LGBTQ people and immigrants, Bishop ...
44. Leigh Larson (Disciples of Christ) – Christian Nationalism, Patriotism & Reclaiming Church
Alexis sits down with theologian, researcher, public educator, and creator of @followtheleighder, Leigh Larson, for one of the most important conversations yet on Christian nationalism, American identity, and what it means to faithfully follow Jesus in a polarized world.
Raised in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) traditi...
43. Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen (Gay & Christian in The Netherlands) – A Journey Back to Church Through Love, Marriage & Hope
Alexis sits down with Jarko de Witte van Leeuwen, Dutch LGBTQ+ advocate and founder of The Growing Wall of Love, for a moving conversation about growing up gay in a conservative Christian environment, surviving years of bullying, finding lifelong love, and discovering that losing trust i...
42. Justin Telthorst (Catholic, Empty Chairs) - A Gay Catholic on Faith, the Pope, and the Empty Seats in the Church (Pride Month Reissue)
Alexis sits down with Justin Telthorst, a gay Catholic, speaker, and creator of Empty Chairs @emptychairshome for a moving conversation about faith, identity, church hurt, and belonging inside the Catholic tradition.
Justin shares his story of growing up Catholic, surviving conversion therapy...
41. Rev. Brandan Robertson (Progressive Pastor) - Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table (Pride Month Reissue)
What if being queer and Christian was never the contradiction you were taught it was?
Alexis sits down with Rev. Brandan Robertson, pastor, activist, and author of Queer & Christian, to explore how scripture has been misunderstood, weaponized, and reclaimed.
Brandan shares ...
40. Sara Cunningham (Free Mom Hugs) & Kelly Mellen (Making Things Right) – Women of Faith Showing Up for the Queer Community
What does it look like when women of faith choose love over fear and show up for the queer community?
Alexis sits down with Sara Cunningham, founder of Free Mom Hugs, and Kelly Mellen, Managing Director of Making Things Right, for a joyful, deeply personal conversation about faith, allyship, healing, ...
39. Rev. Roberto Che Espinoza (Baptist) – Becoming Human With One Another (Pride Month Reissue)
This week, Alexis Rice welcomes Rev. Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD (@drrobertoche), pastor, scholar, and founder of Activist Theology and Our Collective Becoming.
Roberto’s life and ministry embody a theology rooted in interdependence, tenderness, and justice. A Latinx trans man, theologian, and ordained Baptist minister, Rober...
38. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez (Non-Denominational Megachurch Culture) - Conversion Therapy Dropout
What if the choice between being gay and being Christian was never a choice at all?
Alexis sits down with Timothy Schrader Rodriguez, author of Conversion Therapy Dropout, for a deeply personal conversation about surviving eight years of conversion therapy, working behind the scenes at some of the most influential evangelical megachur...
37. Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity
When a nation is led by women at the highest levels - the President, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Reykjavík, the National Police Commissioner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Bishop of Iceland - something becomes visible: women in power isn’t an exception, it&rsqu...
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...
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&rd...
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 n...
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, for a deeply honest conversation about evolution, evangelicalism, scientific literacy, and the false choice so many Christ...
🎙️ 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 N...
🎙️ 31. Jeremy Steele (United Methodist, Skeptic Pastor) - Stop Ceding Faith: Democrats and Media Need Progressive Pastors Now
Alexis sits down with Jeremy Steele (@skeptic.pastor), a United Methodist pastor, author, and self-described “deep skeptic,” for a bold, unfiltered conversation about faith, politics, and the stories shaping Christianity in America today.
Jeremy returns to The Sacred Slope to challenge some of the...
🎙️ 30. Christina Zini (United Methodist/Lutheran) - This Is What Christianity Looks Like When It’s Not About Control & The Sacred Slope Turns 1!!!!! With music by Derek Webb!
Alexis Rice sits down with Christina Zini, a friend of 20+ years, a leadership coach, Christian woman, global citizen, for a deeply personal and reflective conversation marking one year of The Sacred Slope.
Christina shares her journey of faith ...
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