In this episode of the In Her Image podcast, Dr. Christina Cleveland discusses her journey towards understanding the Divine Feminine through the lens of the Black Madonna. She explores the intersections of race, gender, and spirituality, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the sacredness in all individuals, particularly in marginalized communities. The conversation delves into the challenges of confronting white supremacy and patriarchy within religious spaces, the transformative power of embracing a Black female deity, and the vital role of allyship in fostering justice and healing. Dr. Cleveland's insights encourage listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and actions, ultimately advocating for a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of the divine.
Dr. Cleveland's Bio
Christena Cleveland, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. A weaver of Black liberation and the Divine Feminine, Dr. Cleveland embraces the archetype of the Black Madonna as she guides people of all races and genders into freedom, wholeness, and embodied justice. Her latest book is God Is a Black Woman which details her 400-mile walking pilgrimage across central France in search of ancient Black Madonna statues, and examines the relationship among race, gender, and cultural perceptions of the Divine. In addition to nurturing a virtual, global Black Madonna community, Christena is currently working on her fourth full-length book in which she is exploring the miraculous, liberating, and zany ways that the Black Madonna has protected, empowered, and nourished people around the globe and throughout history. An award-winning researcher and former professor at Duke University’s Divinity School, Christena lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can discover more about the Black Madonna and Christena at www.christenacleveland.com
Keywords
Black Madonna, Divine Feminine, racial justice, spirituality, allyship, sacredness, intersectionality, healing, patriarchy, community
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!