Irenicast - A Progressive Christian Podcast

One thing that tends to get left out of many conversations on deconstruction is atheism and agnosticism.  Why is this?  Even when it is brought up, it is rarely spoken of as an ending point.  Why is that?  Can our deconstruction lead us to atheism and agnosticism?  Is that ‘okay’?  Spoilers, we think it is.

In this episode the Irenicast hosts discuss the importa...

War and Christianity are certainly not strangers.  In fact, they seem pretty friendly many of the times.  In this episode Bonnie, Rajeev and Jeff discuss the complicated history of war and Christianity.  A discussion that seems especially timely considering the current invasion of Ukraine.

The conversation starts by acknowledging the ample examples of divine man...

In this episode on queer legacy, Casey shares a recent revelation from a queer history class he has been taking.  He shares the history of the term two-spirit.  A term used by some to describe Indigenous North American people who fulfilled a traditional third-gender ceremonial and social role in their cultures.  As someone who is both queer and has Indigenous ancestry Casey expressed his deep sense o...

How do Eschatology and Process Theology fit together?  This week we try and answer that question by sitting down with Dr. Thomas Jay Oord.  Dr. Oord is an expert on Process Theology, also known as Open and Relational Theology.

Many days it feels as though the end of the world is upon us.  This is even true for people across the proverbial aisle.  Although for mu...

The problem with patriarchal Christianity may seem obvious to many listeners of Irenicast.  It is no surprise to us that patriarchy has done perhaps irrevocable damage to not just Christianity, but the nation as well.  We are seeing the ripples of that sad truth on every level in society.

In this episode, three beneficiaries of the the f**ked up system we’ve com...

In this episode Bonnie sits down and has a compelling conversation with Carolyn Baker PhD mostly about her newest book, Confronting Christofascism: Healing the Evangelical Wound.  It is no secret that since 2016 the United States has felt as though it is on its last legs as a democracy.  Carolyn shares with us many of her...

The generational divide in our country feels massive.  With the rise of Gen Z and the sentiment of ‘Okay Boomer’, it doesn't feel as though one generation values the other.  If anything, younger generations especially are scapegoated for the direction our culture is taking.  In this episode we welcome Selah Cluff and as a member of GenZ to discuss this divide and explore how we might cross it.

In Episode 192 Rebirthing Christmas - Virgin Mary Smashes the Patriarchy, Bonnie, Casey, Jeff, and Rajeev, discuss a broad range of feminist perspectives on Mary the mother of Jesus and virginity. Did ancient communities understand the concept of virginity through the lens of purity culture or did they hold a more sophisticated understanding of feminine power? We leaned towards the latter. 

What is love?  In this episode each host attempts to provide their definition of what they think love is.  It quickly becomes apparent that the concept of love is more difficult to pin down than expected.  Is love a feeling?  Is love an action?  Or is love where in between?

What is hope?  Christianity is filled with buzz words that we can easily take for granted or turn into catch phrases.  In this episode the hosts discuss one of those words, hope.  Hope can mean a lot of different things for different people.  It can also feel like a concept that is slowly fading from view in the current world we live in.

What is Faith?  Bonnie, Jeff, Casey, and Rajeev share perspectives that are found just beyond the edge of clarity - “objects” are visible but there is little certainty about what those objects might be. After all, faith is murky and shifty.  As the crew discusses the evolution of their personal faith journeys they confront each other by what is meant by faith and how the misunderstanding and misuse o...

In Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Six the co-hosts explore the diversity of what community can be: quilting club, birdwatchers, family-groups (biological or chosen), faith community, and so many more.  While there is agreement that what a community looks like can vary greatly, the hosts have differing thoughts on the importance of belonging, responsibility, and duty. 

In Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Five, the multiverse of self, co hosts, Bonnie, Casey, Jeff, and Rajeev dive into the most uncomfortable and awkward of spaces “the self.” 

In Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part 4 the hosts discuss the voices that helped them reconstruct some semblance of belief… or non-belief.  The legend and public persona of Rob Bell unexpectedly becomes the yardstick that each host measures their rebuilding experiences against.  Each host shares a ton of resources and voices that helped them in their movement away from fundam...

In Beyond the Binary of Deconstruction and Reconstruction Part Three, the Irencast crew try desperately to come up with suitable metaphors for the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ stage in deconstruction.  Since each host had such different experiences the task becomes difficult, which leads to a beautiful discussion on why these moments cannot be boiled down to a formula.