Love Your Neighbor

A podcast exploring how healthy Christian politics begins in our congregations and neighborhoods. On each episode we discuss how local engagement in public life can become a spiritual practice that deepens our connection to each other and to God. Hosted by Ross Kane, pastor and professor at Virginia Theological Seminary.Produced by Eric BaileyMusic by Eric Schnobrick and Ross Kane

Episodes

Ep. 12 Reparations

February 4, 2025 • 28 mins

Loving neighbors involves facing sins that shaped our neighborhoods. Many church communities are asking how they can be agents of repair amid the racial fragmentation across United States history. Reparations are a vital part of such healing. Ebonee Davis-Hayes discusses the reparations program at Virginia Theological Seminary, the first of its kind in higher education. Check out this video on reparations at Virginia Theologica...

Mark as Played

Ep. 11 Renewing Church Meetings

January 1, 2025 • 17 mins

When we think of church meetings, we often associate them with decision making and getting work done. But meetings are also places to build community, connection, and belonging. Good church meetings also help congregations better love their neighbors because congregations that meet with love and care are practicing the very things we're supposed to share with our neighbors. The Rev. Dr. L. Roger Owens offers fresh ways to think a...

Mark as Played

Ep. 10 Prayer and Politics

December 1, 2024 • 49 mins

We often associate prayer with peacefulness and calm, and politics with conflict and strife. Yet our prayer and our engagement in public life can together shape communities of wholeness that resist the fragmentation of modern life. Spiritual director and civil rights activist Benjamin Campbell talks about how praying for the place we live can shape our spiritual life. Find Benjamin Campbell's book Richmond's Unhealed Histor...

Mark as Played

Ep. 9 National Elections and Local Politics

October 31, 2024 • 30 mins

On the cusp of a major national election in the United States, we reflect on the interplay between national-level elections and local political engagement for congregations. Local reporter Michael Pope talks about the ways that town, city, and state politics shape our ordinary lives and also offers fresh perspectives on the media landscape today. Find Michael Pope's books here.

Mark as Played

Ep. 8 Old Testament Traditions of Loving Neighbors

October 3, 2024 • 39 mins

Christians often associate the commandment “love your neighbor” with Jesus's New Testament teachings, but Jesus was drawing from a long tradition of Jewish teaching about neighbor love. What did neighbor love entail in the Old Testament? The Rev. Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams joins the podcast to talk about what contemporary Christians can draw from these teachings when our loving neighbors today. Find Dr. Fentress-Williams' book ...

Mark as Played

Ep. 7 Your Neighborhood and the Global Economy

September 4, 2024 • 35 mins

What difference can everyday economic decisions in our neighborhood make in a vast, global economy? Neil Balkcom of Swing’s Coffee Roasters shows how an act like buying a cup of coffee in our local coffeeshop connects us to a wide network of neighborhoods around the world. Join this conversation about ethical consumption and how local economic choices can promote love and justice on a global scale.

Mark as Played

Ep. 6 Church Buildings and Neighbor Love

August 1, 2024 • 39 mins

How can churches use their buildings to foster love and connection with neighbors? Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis shares the diocese’s experience assessing all of their physical assets, asking how they can best serve God's mission. Bishop Jennifer brings expertise in architecture, theology, historic preservation, and urban planning. Check out the Diocese of Indianapolis’ building in...

Mark as Played

Ep. 5 Seek the Welfare of the City: Augustine on City Politics

July 1, 2024 • 39 mins

What can we learn from Saint Augustine about 21st-century local politics? Dr. Charles Mathewes brings wisdom, humor, historical insights, and apt pop culture references to a wide-ranging discussion on Augustine's portrayal of the earthly city and the heavenly city. Check out Charles Mathewes' books A Theology of Public Life and The Republic of Grace, as well as his Great Courses series on Augustine's The City of God.

Mark as Played

Transcript

Ep. 4 Political or Partisan?: Tactics of Fighting Hunger

June 2, 2024 • 30 mins

Feeding ministries are some of the most common ways that congregations get involved in their neighborhoods. David Beckmann and Ross Kane discuss how those ministries can lead to advocating an end to hunger. Along the way they have a healthy discussion and disagreement about the role of partisanship in church advocacy. Check out David's website here. Get involved with Bread for the World here.

Mark as Played

Ep. 3 Neighborhood Affordable Housing

May 15, 2024 • 30 mins

On this episode we hear the story of a church that saw people struggling to pay rents and mortgages and decided to do something about it. Kat Turner, a leader of Church of the Resurrection in Alexandria, Virginia, joins the podcast to talk about how congregations can respond when they see a need in their community. Check out the book Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition

Mark as Played

Ep. 2 Local Organizing, National Impact

April 30, 2024 • 36 mins

Vibrant local politics not only transforms our neighborhoods and cities, it can enable wider political change. Dr. Lerone Martin discusses how the Civil Rights Movement, the most impressive movement of church politics in 20th century America, was built on local congregations organizing for love and justice. He offers advice for today drawn from the wisdom of the movement. Check out Lerone Martin's book The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoo...

Mark as Played

Ep. 1 Loving Neighbors as Politics

April 23, 2024 • 20 mins

In this first episode, pastor and professor Ross Kane gives an overview of the podcast. He talks about why loving neighbors is central to healthy Christian political life. By making politics a spiritual practice, congregations can play a vital role in renewing their neighborhoods. Check out the book The Good News of Church Politics Subscribe to Ross' newsletter Ministry, Ethics, and Culture

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

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!