Complexified

The playbook for dismissing a pope just stopped working. Trump called Pope Leo weak. Catholics — including some of Trump's own — aren't buying it. Vatican reporter Claire Giangravé joins Amanda Henderson to explain why Leo, a Chicago-born American pope, can't be dismissed the way his predecessors were, what his quiet first year was actually building toward, and whether the unlikely Catholic coalition forming behind him can hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Schrader Rodriguez spent eight years trying to "pray out the gay". He modulated his voice. He stopped listening to music with female lead singers. He sat weekly with a therapist who watched him come apart — and said nothing. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 8–1 that therapists have a First Amendment right to pursue conversion therapy with their patients, upending a Colorado ban on the practice. This isn't history, nor is it a Colorado-only case. Bans that advocates spent years winning in state after state will unravel. The number of LGBTQ youth being engaged in conversion practices nearly doubled in the last year alone — from 10 to 20 percent. What Tim's story makes clear is how ordinary this harm looks from the outside. It's not electroshock. It's not boot camps. It's a weekly therapy appointment. It's a trusted relationship. It's the promise that if you pray hard enough and want it badly enough, God will change you. And when it doesn't work, the program tells you that's your fault too. Amanda Henderson talks with Tim this week about what eight years inside that world actually felt like — and what it means that the one protected space survivors thought they still had is now gone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Sarah Mullally was installed as Archbishop of Canterbury, it looked like a breakthrough. It was. But it didn't happen by accident. In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks with Catherine Pepinster, a journalist who reported on Mullally's rise and the network who helped make it possible. Before women could even become bishops in the Church of England, a small group of clergy saw a gap: being allowed to lead and actually getting there are two very different things. So they built Leading Women, a mentoring organization designed to prepare female candidates for leadership inside one of the world's oldest institutional churches — one still embedded in British parliamentary life and still navigating deep divisions over sexuality and abuse. Pepinster traces Mullally's path from chief nurse of Britain's National Health Service to the most powerful seat in Anglican Christianity — a woman who has reached the top of two professions in one lifetime. She also maps what Mullally is walking into: an institution in numerical decline that still sits at the center of British public life, now led by a woman who will serve only six years and inherit two unresolved crises her predecessor couldn't survive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside a growing spiritual movement built around awakening, ascension, and the search for something bigger At a packed conference in Los Angeles, thousands of people gathered to explore a different way of understanding reality—through crystals, energy healing, and the belief that some humans didn’t originate on Earth. They’re called starseeds: people who believe they were sent here from other planets to help humanity “ascend” to a higher dimension. According to our guest RNS reporter Kathryn Post, it might sound fringe. But the deeper you go, the more familiar the underlying search begins to feel. Because the people drawn to this world aren’t so different from anyone else. They’re looking for meaning, for purpose, for a way to make sense of suffering. And increasingly, they’re finding those answers online—through influencers, shared language, and communities that have no central authority. But as these beliefs spread, they’re also evolving. In some cases, blending with conspiracy theories about hidden elites, cosmic battles, and the end of the world as we know it. So what happens when belief becomes entirely personal—but still somehow shared? And how do you tell the difference between a spiritual search… and something more dangerous? RELATED: Starseeds, government plots and an alien mantis: Inside New Age spirituality's new age Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Muslim families in Texas are asking: does school choice include us? A Houston father went to enroll his kids in Texas's new school voucher program and discovered his school wasn't on the list — along with every other Islamic school in the state. Texas launched one of the country's largest school choice programs promising families public funds for religious private schools, but roughly a hundred Muslim schools were excluded without official explanation. State officials have posted publicly about not funding schools tied to terrorist organizations, pointing to Governor Abbott's designation of CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization — a designation the federal government has not made. Now families are suing with a March 17th deadline bearing down. Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Fiona André and editor-in-chief Paul O'Donnell about the lawsuits, the communities affected, and what this moment reveals about who "school choice" was really built for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the podium becomes a pulpit. At a Pentagon press briefing this week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth closed his remarks with a reading from the Book of Psalms and ended with "Amen." Press briefings don't usually end that way. RNS reporter Jack Jenkins joins Amanda Henderson to trace how we got here — from monthly worship services in the Pentagon auditorium to biblical scripture overlaid on weapons systems to a Secretary of War who told his troops the nation needed to be "on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." When the podium becomes a pulpit, what happens to everything else? That question hasn't gotten easier. 00:00 — Introduction: When the Podium Becomes a Pulpit 01:27 — The Original Episode: Setting the Scene 02:41 — The Generals' Meeting and the Warrior Ethos 05:14 — Christianity in the Military: Civil Religion vs. Hegseth's Faith 06:57 — "SecWar's Worship Service": The Pentagon Prayer Series 07:59 — Bible Verses Over Fighter Jets: The Social Media Campaign 10:15 — Recruitment, Viral Content, and Capital-B Believers 12:50 — The Theological Question: Faith as Military Doctrine 15:17 — Pushback — and Why It's Hard to Find 17:14 — Closing: The Baptism of the Military Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When empathy became toxic and cruelty became strength for Christian women. Christian womanhood has changed—and not in the ways many expected. In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks with the co-hosts of the Saved By The City podcast Katelyn Beaty and Roxanne Stone about the shift from 1990s purity culture to today’s trad wives, MAGA moms, and warnings against “toxic empathy.” They unpack how pandemic burnout, influencer culture, and widening political gender gaps reshaped the ideal Christian woman—and why empathy itself has become a flashpoint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are six decades of solidarity giving way to generational strain? For much of the last half-century, support for Israel was a defining pillar of American Jewish life. It shaped institutions, philanthropy, politics, and identity. The consensus wasn’t always quiet — but it was broad. Today, that consensus is under strain. Younger American Jews — many raised in synagogues, camps, and on Birthright trips — are expressing a different relationship to Israel than their parents and grandparents. Some are building alternative communities. Some are challenging legacy organizations. Some are questioning whether Israel should remain the organizing center of American Jewish life at all. Meanwhile, established institutions are responding with urgency — and anxiety – warning of rising antisemitism, political danger, and fractures that could reshape the community for decades. This tension didn’t begin on October 7. But October 7 — and the war that followed — has intensified it. Religion reporter Yonat Shimron joins us to trace the full arc: from postwar American Jewish flourishing, to decades of near-consensus, to the generational and institutional rupture unfolding now. What changed? Who gets to define Jewish responsibility? And what happens next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We're the people everyone hates." That's what Rabbi Steven Burg hears when he asks young Jews who they are. October 7 accelerated this. In the aftermath of the attacks, lines were drawn between support for an occupied Gaza and the security of the Jewish state and people. Progressive coalitions found themselves fracturing. Interfaith partnerships strained to stay together. Students found themselves abandoned by people they thought were allies. But Burg says the problem runs deeper than politics. In this episode, host Amanda Henderson talks with Rabbi Steven Burg about what happens to religious identity when an entire generation can only define themselves by who hates them—and what it takes to move from trauma to something they're actually for. RELATED: Rabbi Steven Burg: "We cannot allow ourselves to be reduced to victims."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Complexified welcomes the Rev. William Barber II, architect of the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina, as he sets out to reclaim voters that ran to the right in the last presidential election.Who are these voters?  Low-income voters earning less than $50,000 who favored Donald Trump by roughly 1% in 2024. That margin, according to Rev. Barber, is reversible, by campaigning being for something instead of against.Join host Amanda Henderson as she and Rev. Barber discuss the presumptions around low income voters, movement strategizing, modes of resistance, and responds to a challenge issued by the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to debate immigration theology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The applause was muted when Trump appeared on video. One year ago, the March for Life felt like a rock concert. This year, JD Vance had to contend with detractors from the stage. The pro-life movement got what it wanted—Dobbs overturned Roe. But abortions in America have actually risen since the decision. Nearly two-thirds now happen through medication abortion, mifepristone prescribed via telehealth, accessible even in states with bans. The Trump administration won't restrict it. Vance called that choice "prudential"—politically wise. The crowd wasn't buying it. One man said he trusted Trump's negotiating skills, then started crying. Reporter Aleja Hertzler-McCain takes us inside a movement with profound conviction confronting political calculation, and only one person in thousands holding a sign about immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trying to put smoke in a box That's what it feels like to map why churches are dying. Most people who leave can't tell you why. They drifted. Three times a month became twice, then never. Ryan Burge, a sociologist and pastor, tracks the contradictions: the religiously unaffiliated climbed to 30% and stopped. Some churches that should close stay open. Others with resources fold anyway. Organizations scratch and claw past their expiration dates in ways no model captures. New Atheism ran out of steam. Baby boomers are aging out. And nobody can predict what happens next because the data reveals patterns but can't explain the drift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faith leaders thought their collars would protect them. They were wrong. The Presbyterian minister was wearing his collar. DHS shot him with pepper balls anyway. Across American cities—LA, DC, Chicago, Minneapolis—clergy are learning their moral authority no longer protects them as they resist Trump's mass deportation raids. Faith communities have built sophisticated networks: ICE observers, whistle brigades, cross-city organizing. In Minneapolis, where federal agents nearly double the police force, religious resistance is everywhere. Reporter Jack Jenkins tracks the collision between one of the largest faith-based movements in modern history and federal power that refuses to recognize the old rules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Special Episode from The State of Belief! A special crossover from The State of Belief: RNS reporters Jack Jenkins and Adelle M. Banks join Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush to break down the biggest religion stories of 2025 — from faith-based pushback to immigration enforcement, to fights over DEI, to how communities are surviving economic upheaval. They also look ahead to 2026: an American pope, shifting “religious freedom” battles, and the rising entanglement of religion, technology, and politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Religious leaders stayed mostly silent when the U.S. seized a foreign dictator — except for the pope. Religious leaders stayed mostly silent when the U.S. grabbed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York. The loudest response didn’t come from Washington or American pulpits, but from Rome, where Pope Leo warned about sovereignty, dignity, and the rule of law. In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks with Religion News Service editor-in-chief Paul O’Donnell about why so many religious voices paused, why the pope didn’t, and what that contrast reveals about power, politics, and faith in real time. It’s a conversation about silence, authority, and what happens when moral instincts lag behind geopolitical force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where attention is authority, who gets to shape faith, values, and public life? What does it actually mean to be an influencer in 2025 — and why does it matter so much for religion and politics? In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson is joined by Religion News Service reporters Fiona Murphy and Richa Karmarkar to unpack the people shaping belief, identity, and public conversation online right now. From conservative power brokers and Christian nationalist figures to Jewish comedians, hijabi fitness creators, former monks, and viral TikTok storytellers, the conversation explores how influence works in the attention economy — and why people increasingly look to social media personalities, not institutions, for meaning, guidance, and moral frameworks. It’s a wide-ranging look at parasocial power, digital authority, and the blurred line between faith, culture, and influence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes a story breaks you open. While reporting on abuse and accountability inside the Southern Baptist Convention, RNS journalist Bob Smietana reached out to someone he’d interviewed many times before — publisher and whistleblower Jen Lyell. What followed was not another update for a news story, but a devastating turn that forced Bob to confront the human weight behind the reporting. In this episode, Bob joins Amanda Henderson for an unusually intimate conversation about Jen’s life, her courage, the institutional failures that shaped her final years, and what it means for a journalist when a story becomes personal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your favorite wholesome mom account was also your quietest political radicalizer? Earlier this year, RNS Editor Roxanne Stone was in Austin, Texas talking about tradwife influencers—women whose soft, nostalgic aesthetic is reshaping conversations about gender, faith, and politics. Just up the road in Dallas, her colleague Kathryn Post had been surrounded by 6,700 women at “Sharpen the Arrows,” a high-energy conference hosted by conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey. Different rooms, same ecosystem: conservative women influencers blending wellness, homeschooling, motherhood, faith—and a very clear political worldview. In this episode, Roxanne and Kathryn trace how pandemic isolation, sourdough starters, and “crunchy mom” content became a surprisingly powerful on-ramp into right-wing politics for thousands of women. They follow the journey of one former Bernie supporter turned MAGA homeschooler, unpack how these influencers use Christian language and gender ideals, and explore what happens when lifestyle content becomes a pipeline toward anti-trans activism, conspiracy thinking, and real-world policy changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a 27-year-old streamer outruns the Church and spooks the political class, it’s worth asking how we got here. Nick Fuentes was supposed to be a fringe character—the kind of online provocateur national leaders could shrug off with “I don’t really know him.” But after a sympathetic Tucker Carlson interview and a wave of explosive backlash, Fuentes is suddenly unavoidable. He’s amassed a massive following of young men who see his Catholic branding as a moral compass, even as he pushes openly antisemitic, racist, and authoritarian views. And institutions—from the Heritage Foundation to the U.S. Catholic hierarchy—are scrambling to respond. In this episode, RNS reporter Fiona Murphy walks us through what’s actually happening: the Groyper movement, the collapse of traditional religious authority online, and why a livestreamer can now speak more directly, and more powerfully, than the Church itself. It’s a revealing look at faith, digital culture, and the new politics shaping a generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A paradox: declining churchgoing, rising Bible sales. Americans are attending church less—and buying more Bibles than ever. In this Complexified conversation, Amanda Henderson and RNS reporter Bob Smietana unpack the paradox: a two-decade boom in Bible sales alongside sinking religiosity. They trace how hyper-personalized editions (pink gift Bibles, “adventure” and environmental Bibles, even waterproof ones) meet life stages and rituals; why translation choices and shifting English keep spawning new versions; and how politics keeps creeping in—from school-gate Gideons and translation fights to specialty “commemorative” editions. We get inside baseball on supply chains (thin paper, specialized presses, China printing), the print-vs-app tug-of-war, and the curious spikes tied to public events. It’s a tour of the market where scripture is both sacred text and consumer good—and what that says about American Christianity right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a Muslim mayor-elect treats identity as a bridge, not a brand? In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson explores the story of Zoran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor-elect—a politician who turned identity into empathy and faith into fluency. RNS reporters Fiona André and Ulaa Kuziez join to unpack how Mamdani built a multifaith, multiethnic coalition that stretched from mosques to churches to fried chicken shops across Queens. They trace how his campaign refused to hide his Muslim identity but refused to be defined by it, focusing instead on rent, childcare, and transit—the everyday issues that knit a city together. Along the way, they examine how Mamdani faced Islamophobia head-on, speaking plainly about belonging, and why his victory feels like a new chapter in American politics—one grounded less in performance and more in trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a dusty parking lot, worship meets organizing as a community faces ICE—and refuses to disappear. In Vista, California, a Catholic parish that worships outdoors has become a refuge and a rallying point: 13,000 people on a weekend, 900 volunteers, a crucifix chainsaw-carved by parishioners, and a pastor urging his flock to show up when it counts. Religion News Service reporter Aleja Hertzler-McCain takes us there: to St. Francis festivities packed into a too-small sanctuary, catechism teachers calling families one by one, and a congregation navigating grief after COVID while confronting deportations, raids, and fear. We hear how parish leaders organize listening sessions, set up safety patrols, and fill City Hall to push policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement—even as needs outstrip Sunday collections. It’s faith as survival and solidarity, born in a parking lot and carried into public life. If you’ve wondered what “church” looks like in this political moment, this episode offers a grounded, hopeful answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When outrage wins the algorithm, what does faith become? This live conversation from the RNS Symposium at Trinity Commons wrestles with a bracing question: when faith, power, and platform collapse into the same feed, who gets to define what’s sacred? Host Amanda Henderson and guest John Fuglesang trace a line from open-source scripture to televangelist TV to AI resurrecting voices, exploring how media mirrors our clicks—and how those clicks shape the moral imagination we live in. They name the seduction of outrage, the costs of fundamentalism, and a red-letter way forward grounded in humility, service, and care for “the least of these.” Warm, wise, and a little irreverent, this episode invites us to be more mindful about what we amplify and why it matters now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When peacemaking is quiet, stubborn, and deeply human. In this conversation, host Amanda Henderson sits with RNS reporter Claire Giangravè to open the door on Vatican diplomacy during the Gaza cease-fire. We hear about priests who refused to leave a bombed parish that sheltered hundreds, the “Pope’s hour” of daily calls that steadied a frightened community, and the uneasy politics of neutrality when lives are at stake. From Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s gritty, multilingual bridge-building to new Pope Leo’s outreach to Jewish leaders, the episode invites listeners to consider how cease-fire differs from peace—and why slow, persistent, often invisible work still matters. Thoughtful, curious, and politically frustrated? Pull up a chair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the “church of the future” grew up—and owned its past. In the fall of 1975, a youth pastor rented a suburban movie theater and swapped hymns for rock, sermons for storytelling, and pews for folding chairs—calling it seeker friendly. Within a generation, Willow Creek became the blueprint for American megachurches: packed auditoriums, meticulous production, small groups for discipleship, and a marketing mindset that even drew Harvard Business School and Peter Drucker–level attention. Then came 2018: allegations, resignations, collapse, COVID, and a community left to rebuild. As Willow Creek turns 50, Complexified host Amanda Henderson talks with Bob Smietana (who’s covered Willow for decades) and Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute megachurch scholar) about innovation and influence, power and accountability, and what humility-fueled repair looks like after the spectacle. Is the “church of the future” still a future worth having? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Secretary of War leads worship at the Pentagon—how far can faith go before it becomes policy? Pete Hegseth calls it a “warrior ethos.” Critics call it a constitutional crisis. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Jack Jenkins about the Secretary of War’s efforts to merge his conservative evangelical faith with U.S. military leadership—from worship services inside the Pentagon to viral recruitment videos that pair the Lord’s Prayer with fighter jets. Together they unpack how Hegseth’s theology of power is reshaping one of America’s most secular institutions, what it reveals about Christian nationalism’s hold on the political right, and why it matters for democracy itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the DOJ drops a high-profile case, what truths—and tensions—remain? A clash of cultures, a legal saga, and a spiritual community under scrutiny. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with RNS reporter Richa Karmarkar about the Department of Justice’s decision to drop its investigation into the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey—the largest Hindu temple in the Western Hemisphere. Together, they trace how forced-labor allegations emerged, what “seva” (selfless service) means inside this tradition, and why cultural assumptions about work, visas, and volunteering can misfire in the U.S. context. Along the way, they explore community pride, rising vandalism of Hindu temples, and the complicated intra-Indian debates that shadow the story. It’s an invitation to slow down, listen across differences, and see faith—and labor—more clearly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when politics steps into the pulpit? The Johnson Amendment has been around since the 1950s, but it’s still a political lightning rod today. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson sits down with RNS columnist and historian Mark Silk to unpack why the IRS recently announced it won’t enforce the law that bars nonprofits and churches from endorsing candidates. What’s at stake when sermons start sounding like campaign rallies? Is this really about religious freedom, political theater, or just another way to keep donors happy? With humor, insight, and some surprising history lessons, we dive into the messy intersection of faith, money, and politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to mourn someone who thrived on conflict? Charlie Kirk’s assassination sent shockwaves through America’s already polarized political and religious landscape. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson talks with veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana and cultural critic Karen Swallow Prior about Kirk’s complicated legacy. Together they explore his rise among young evangelicals, his merger with Trump-era politics, and the charisma that drew both admiration and outrage. Karen reflects on her personal encounters with Kirk, while Bob examines the broader religious and cultural shifts that made him such a lightning rod. What does it mean to grieve a provocateur, honor free speech, and still name the real harm of incendiary rhetoric? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when the systems around you feel like they’re crumbling—and calling your senator doesn’t feel like enough? In this heartening episode of Complexified, author and ritual innovator Casper ter Kuile joins Amanda to talk about spiritual practices, civic exhaustion, and why small politics and sacred relationships might be our best tools for weathering chaos. From vigils in a blizzard to midsummer festivals in Brooklyn, this conversation weaves together policy and poetry, tea and transformation, with humor, honesty, and hope. If you’ve ever felt torn between marching in the streets or staying home under a blanket—this one's for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In overwhelming times, spiritual practice starts small—and stays true. When the world feels too big to fix, it’s tempting to shut down—or spiral. In this intimate conversation, author and scholar Simran Jeet Singh joins Complexified to talk about what happens when we finally let go of the pressure to save the world, and instead tend to our corner of it with humility, joy, and spiritual grounding. Drawing from Sikh wisdom and his own experience of burnout, Simran invites us to trade ego-driven change for something more lasting: connection, presence, and compassion that transforms us from the inside out. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep caring without collapsing, this one’s for you. Simran Jeet Singh is a scholar, writer, and public advocate known for his work at the intersection of religion, justice, and culture. He is the author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program. A proud Sikh American, Simran writes and speaks widely on equity, empathy, and the power of small, meaningful acts to create lasting change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most powerful protest starts with getting a good night’s sleep? How do we keep going when everything feels like too much? Union Theological Seminary president Serene Jones joins host Amanda Henderson to talk about navigating trauma, disorientation, and political despair without giving in to collapse. From sleep to protest marches, they explore how small, rooted acts of care can ground us in a moment designed to disempower. If you’ve been wondering what faith looks like when the wheels fall off, this episode is a balm—and a call to stay in the fight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this stirring episode of Complexified, we sit down with scholar, poet and community elder Rachel Harding to remember what the Civil Rights Movement was really made of — not just legal wins, but music, food, family and radical hope. Raised among icons and everyday visionaries, Rachel offers a vision for change that begins not in courts, but in kitchens. This is a story about memory and movement, but also about presence — the kind of deep connection to people, place and purpose that makes liberation feel not just possible, but near. If you’re longing for a different way to be human in the chaos, this one’s for you. GUEST: Rachel Elizabeth Harding is a native of Georgia and a writer, historian and poet. Rachel is a specialist in religions of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora and studies the relationship between religion, creativity and social justice activism in cross-cultural perspective. A Cave Canem Fellow, she holds an MFA in creative writing from Brown University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado Boulder. She's the author of A Refuge in Thunder: Candomblé and Alternative Spaces of Blackness (Indiana University Press, 2000) as well as numerous poems and essays. Rachel’s second book, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering (Duke University Press, 2015), combines her own writings with those of her mother, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, on the role of compassion and spirituality in African American social justice organizing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The complicated legacy of Pope Francis — part reformer, part rule-breaker, and always hard to pin down. Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church — but how far did he really go? In this episode of Complexified, Vatican reporter Claire Giangravè joins host Amanda Henderson to reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis. From his early image as a reformer to his efforts to include marginalized communities, we explore the tensions that defined his papacy. Plus, what actually happens when a pope dies — and how a new one is chosen. 00:00 Why Pope Francis Matters 01:52 A Reformer from the Start 03:50 Comfort in Chaos: COVID and Global Nationalism 05:09 LGBTQ+ Catholics and Vatican Politics 07:27 Synodality and Church Governance 09:10 How the Conclave Works 13:07 Language, Power, and Papal Politics 15:04 Divisions and the Future of Catholicism 17:03 Structure vs. Relational Religion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most powerful religious institutions in America is also one of the most chaotic. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), with its billion-dollar budget and massive political influence, operates without centralized authority or even an effective system of accountability. But as the Executive Committee meets in Nashville this week, a long-simmering crisis of governance is coming to a head. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson speaks with RNS reporter Bob Smietana to break down the scandals, factional divides, and power struggles shaping the SBC today. The conversation delves into: The ongoing sexual abuse crisis and why a long-promised list of abusive pastors remains unfinished. Financial scandals involving millions of dollars in mismanagement at SBC institutions. The rising tension between pro-life advocates and abortion abolitionists pushing for extreme policies. The debate over refugee aid, immigration reform, and the SBC’s relationship with the GOP. Why the SBC’s governance model—built on congregational independence—has made oversight nearly impossible. With fights over money, power, and theology unfolding behind closed doors, the SBC’s current turmoil is more than just denominational drama—it’s a mirror of America’s broader political and cultural battles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USAID has been a pillar of American foreign policy and humanitarian relief for over 60 years, but under the Trump administration’s latest push for government downsizing—driven in part by Elon Musk’s influence—the agency is facing deep cuts that could disrupt life-saving aid in over 100 countries. What does this mean for the millions of people who rely on U.S. support for clean water, healthcare, and disaster relief? And how are faith-based organizations, some of the biggest USAID partners, preparing for a future with drastically reduced funding? In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson sits down with former USAID official Adam Nicholas Phillips to explore the history, purpose, and political pressures surrounding USAID, from its Cold War origins to its vital role in today’s humanitarian crises. They discuss how religious groups—trusted in their communities—are often the backbone of aid delivery, why cutting USAID isn’t just about budget efficiency, and whether resistance movements might emerge to counter these drastic changes. With over 50,000 aid workers already furloughed and countless lives hanging in the balance, this episode unpacks the high-stakes battle over foreign aid, faith-based partnerships, and America’s role on the global stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JD Vance took the stage at the March for Life to thunderous applause, positioning himself as a champion of conservative Catholic values. With Republican heavyweights like Ron DeSantis and Mike Johnson in attendance, the rally was a display of political and religious unity—or so it seemed. Just two days later, Vance went on Face the Nation and publicly attacked Catholic bishop, seeming to accuse them of financially benefiting from immigration policies and failing to support law enforcement. In this episode of Complexified, Amanda Henderson and RNS journalist Aleja Hertzler-McCain explore the contradictions in Vance’s political and religious journey—his late-in-life conversion to Catholicism, his embrace of Catholic integralism, and his balancing act between conservative ideology and Trump’s agenda. Why did he shift from echoing traditional Catholic rhetoric at the March for Life to distancing himself from the church’s leaders on immigration? What does this reveal about the evolving priorities of the religious right and the tensions between power and principle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

God and Trump collide in a week of political and religious tension, sparked by a prophetic sermon at the National Cathedral. Host Amanda Henderson and RNS Executive Editor Roxanne Stone delve into how this sermon—calling for mercy and justice—reshaped the national discourse and exposed the fractures between competing Christianities. From Trump’s invocation of divine authority to the shifting influence of evangelical power, they explore how faith and politics are shaping America’s identity and future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"By the grace of God, by Jesus, and Jenny." Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense avoided overt debates on his faith or claims of moral redemption, leaving the politics of his nomination largely unspoken. Amanda Henderson and RNS reporter Jack Jenkins examine how Hegseth’s Christian nationalism, personal controversies, and claims of transformation served as a stormy backdrop to the hearing, raising deeper questions about the unacknowledged intersections of religion, power, and leadership in his path to the Pentagon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a bold response to the incoming U.S. president, Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Robert McElroy as Bishop of Washington, D.C., signaling the Vatican’s commitment to immigration, environmental justice and a moral counter to Trump-era politics. RNS Vatican correspondent Claire Giangravè explores the significance of this appointment and its implications for faith and power in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Southern US border is often portrayed as a battleground, but the reality is far more nuanced. RNS reporter, Aleja Hertzler-McCain unpacks the way faith communities in Brownsville, Texas are responding to immigration challenges in diverse ways—offering resources, advocating for systemic change, and, for some, seizing moments of evangelism. Religious leaders grapple with fear, opportunity, and shifting policies while striving to uphold human dignity in a time of uncertainty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A keffiyeh-wrapped Baby Jesus in nativity scenes, including one recently displayed at the Vatican, has sparked controversy and challenged traditional images of Christ’s birth. This provocative symbol brings attention to the political realities of modern-day Bethlehem and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, prompting deeper questions about the connections between faith, resistance, and justice. RNS Reporter Yonat Shimron joins us to probe the depth of meaning behind the symbols. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Examining Elon Musk’s “shadow gospel” and how his surprising alliance with conservative Christians is forged through shared enemies and a powerful exchange of influence. From critiques of “wokeness” to ideological battles shaping faith and politics, they explore what Musk’s rise as a “cultural Christian” means for the balance of religion, politics, and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the American Academy of Religion, Amanda Henderson speaks with Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, a leading scholar, sociologist, and ordained Baptist minister, about the enduring power of African American spirituals. Discover how these songs of survival and liberation expose lies, sustain communities, and offer a prophetic voice for justice in today’s political climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katelyn Beaty, author and co-host of Saved by the City, joins to examine the striking gender shift in evangelical churches, where Gen Z men now outnumber women in the pews. Beaty explores how pastors are adopting hyper-masculine tactics, from Monster Truck-style events to “Indiana Jesus,” to appeal to men seeking structure and belonging. Meanwhile, young women are walking away, rejecting spaces that feel increasingly shaped by political polarization and outdated gender roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorado State Rep. Iman Jodeh reflects on the political conundrums faced by Muslim voters amid the Gaza genocide and a growing sense of betrayal by traditional political allies. Jodeh shares how her community channeled feelings of abandonment and anger into advocacy, pressing lawmakers for accountability and grappling with the hard choices of the recent election. From her unique position as the first Muslim and Palestinian legislator in Colorado, she offers insight into the resilience and determination required to demand justice in a fraught political landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this deeply challenging conversation, Dr. Miguel De La Torre confronts the “God of Trump” — a figure he sees as rooted in colonialism, capitalism, and dominance — and argues that for the most marginalized among us, true faith might mean embracing hopelessness over the comforting (and often dangerous) promises of hope. For De La Torre, democracy has always been fragile, especially for those marginalized by race, immigration status, or economic inequality. Speaking with Amanda Henderson, he explores a theology of hopelessness that enables radical resistance in an age of political oppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the political landscape grows ever more polarized, religious language has become a tool for framing debates in extreme, all-or-nothing terms. On the eve of the presidential election, Reverend Rob Schenck joins Amanda Henderson to discuss his journey from staunch political activism to a faith that values human connection over ideological allegiance. Schenck reflects on the powerful pull of framing faith in service to political ends—and the illusions it can create. Drawing on lessons from his own transformation and insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he unpacks how religious language can be wielded to inflame division rather than promote compassion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent research reveals that while only 10% of Americans strongly embrace Christian nationalist views, a broader 34% sympathize with its underlying principles. Reporter Jack Jenkins joins Amanda Henderson to explore how these unspoken alliances within soft Christian nationalism are shaping the political landscape. By examining the subtle ways these beliefs impact voting, policy, and discourse, this conversation sheds light on the quiet yet powerful role soft Christian nationalism plays in America’s political future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The growing controversy surrounding school vouchers and their use in private religious education is once again emerging. With public dollars increasingly directed toward faith-based schools, the question arises: Does this expand educational choice or undermine public schools? Joined by RNS contributor, Dr. Charles Russo, research professor of law and expert on First Amendment issues, we dive into the legal and social implications of school vouchers: who benefits, who loses, and what it means for the future of public education in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The changing political landscape of Hindu Americans: we explore their shifting alliances from traditional Democratic loyalties to a growing alignment with the right. Host Amanda Henderson and RNS Hindu reporter Richa Karmarkar discuss the factors driving this transformation, from the influence of leaders like Kamala Harris and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the impact of caste discrimination and immigrant identity in shaping party affiliations. Join us as we unpack how these dynamics are redefining the Hindu vote in the upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we sit down with Claire Giangravé, a Vatican correspondent for Religion News Service, to explore the pivotal discussions happening at the Synod on Synodality. With nearly 400 leaders of the Roman Catholic Church gathered in Vatican City, the role of women in church leadership has become a central focus. We dive into the historical resistance, theological debates, and cultural shifts that are shaping this centuries-old conversation. Will the Vatican finally open the door to greater leadership roles for women, including the possibility of female deacons? Tune in for an inside look at this momentous moment for the Catholic Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The modern world is impossible to narrate without the idea of land as property and the seizing of land as property." "Imagination is our gift in creating and building new worlds." In this episode, Amanda talks with Dr. Willie James Jennings about the profound impact of our conceptions of land on our world today. Our distorted understanding of land as a possession has led to a shallow sense of connectivity and belonging, impacting our relationship with the earth and each other. The conflicts around us are often centered in conflicts over land, and we need to restructure our communities to create shared living and press against how our communities have been shaped. Understanding the history, shape, and function of the land where we live is essential for deepening our connection to the earth and each other. Imagination plays a crucial role in anticipating the possibility of a lively life together, preparing us to receive the stranger and care for those who are different from us. GUEST: Dr. Willie James Jennings is an American theologian, known for his contributions on liberation theologies, cultural identities, and theological anthropology. He is an associate professor of systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale Divinity School. Willie Jennings’ book The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race (Yale 2010) won the American Academy of Religion Award of Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Constructive-Reflective category the year after it appeared and, in 2015, the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, the largest prize for a theological work in North America. Englewood Review of Books called the work a “theological masterpiece.”  His commentary on the Book of Acts, titled Acts: A Commentary, The Revolution of the Intimate (for the Belief Series, Westminster/John Knox) received the Reference Book of the Year Award from The Academy of Parish Clergy in 2018. Dr. Jennings has also recently published a book that examines the problems of theological education within western education, entitled After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging Writing in the areas of liberation theologies, cultural identities, and anthropology, Jennings has authored more than 40 scholarly essays and nearly two-dozen reviews, as well as essays on academic administration and blog posts for Religion Dispatches. Jennings is an ordained Baptist minister and has served as interim pastor for several North Carolina churches. He is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes someone leave everything they know? Why do people risk their lives crossing treacherous deserts into a land they are not welcome in? Migration Activist and Humanitarian Dora Rodriguez shares her story of survival after fleeing political violence in El Salvador in 1980. She compels us to see the deep humanity of those simply seeking safety and opportunity. SHOW NOTES As the Biden Administration moves to limit admission to the U.S. for those seeking asylum, we take a trip to the southern border to meet with those who move between the two countries, supporting those simply seeking survival. In this episode, Amanda interviews Migration Activist and Humanitarian Dora Rodriguez, Director of Salvavision, a Tucson, Arizona-based organization providing aid and support to asylum seekers, migrants passing through or being dropped off by cartels, or migrants deported by Border Patrol in the remote town of Sasabe, Sonora. Hear about Dora’s experience as a migrant in the 1980 tragedy in Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ, where Salvadorans fled civil war, resulting in 13 deaths, including 3 minors. This experience propelled her to the forefront of the sanctuary movement in Tucson, AZ. Resources: https://www.dorarodriguez.org/ https://mexico.arizona.edu/revista/brief-legislative-history-last-50-years-us-mexico-border#:~:text=In%20September%201969%2C%20the%20Nixon,created%20our%20modern%20border%20lines. https://www.smu.edu/dedman/research/institutes-and-centers/texas-mexico/about/timeline https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/travel/nogales-arizona-mexico-border.html https://salvavision.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listening to the needs in their community for housing and childcare led this Colorado Church to make a big decision. Rather than building a bigger church on the 11 acres they sat on, they decided to give the land away and develop a new non-profit with community partners. Does awareness of our history of land ownership in the U.S. shift the way Churches think about their land? “We don't hear stories in scripture of …and then Jesus went home to his house and went to bed, watched Netflix, and had a snack. Jesus's ministry was dependent on the hospitality of others, people welcoming him into their own homes. And so for us, this is a measure of that hospitality, welcoming people here to Heartside Hill to say, ‘You have a safe and secure place to lay your head at night.’” (Rev. Melissa St. Clair) In today’s episode, Amanda talks with Pastor Melissa St. Clair, who shares the story of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, which, after years of work, is giving away most of its 11 acres to support a new community-centered non-profit that will provide accessible housing, childcare, and supportive services.  https://religionnews.com/complexified GUEST: Rev. Melissa St. Clair, Senior Pastor at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado Senior Pastor since January 2013. She delights in the bike lanes, running paths, hiking trails, and the open-minded people in Fort Collins and at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church. Melissa was ordained in 2008 at St. John’s United Church of Christ in south central Pennsylvania, where her extended family still resides. Her Master of Divinity is from Eden Theological Seminary (St. Louis, MO). Melissa serves as Moderator-Elect for the Central Rocky Mountain Region and chairs the Board of Stewards for the Center for Faith and Giving. She is an alumna of the Bethany Fellows and a graduate of Leadership Northern Colorado. She currently serves on the Leadership Team of the Ecumenical Circle of the Bethany Fellows. Fort Collins church to transform part of their land for affordable housing Collaborative housing plan at Heart of the Rockies church set for neighborhood meeting Abundant Ground: A Congregational Land Initiative: Does your church have an underused parking lot or land? Could an affordable housing community revitalize your congregation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As bodies were burning from this massacre at the Mystic River in Massachusetts in 1637, pious settlers gave thanks to God for the victory- and even identified that the bodies burning were a “sweet-smelling savor in the nostrils of God.” Is this really the Land of the Free? Does freedom for some depend on violence against others? Rev Dr. Lee Butler, President of Iliff School of Theology, shares his perspective on the violent history at the founding of the U.S. that continues to influence how we relate to one another today. Amanda and Rev. Dr. Lee Butler discuss the contradictions between the U.S. ideals of freedom and the country's violent history of slavery, lynching, and cruel massacres. In this episode, this duo argues that acknowledging this history is crucial for understanding the ongoing legacies of colonization and systemic inequality, and the importance of redefining this idea of freedom for future generations to come. https://religionnews.com/complexified GUEST: Born in Central Pennsylvania, the Rev. Dr. Lee H. Butler, Jr. is a lifelong Baptist and a first-generation beneficiary of the Post-Civil and Human Rights struggle in the United States. Dr. Butler comes to Iliff School of Theology from Phillips Theological Seminary where he served as the Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, and the William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology since July 1, 2020. He is the first African American tenured full professor and the first person of color to hold the office of VPAA and Academic Dean and serve as Acting President at Phillips. As VPAA, his responsibilities included oversight and supervision of the Associate Dean, Registrar, Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid, Director of Theological Field Education, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Director of Black Church Traditions Program, Dean of the Chapel, Faculty, and Dean of the Library. He is an active publishing scholar. He is the co-editor of The Edward Wimberly Reader: A Black Pastoral Theology (Baylor University Press, 2020); author of Listen, My Son: Wisdom to Help African American Fathers (Abingdon Press, 2010), Liberating Our Dignity, Saving Our Souls (Chalice Press, 2006), A Loving Home: Caring for African American Marriage and Families (Pilgrim Press, 2000), and numerous articles published in many books and professional journals on the subject of pastoral care and pastoral psychology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that for some enslaved Africans, small plots of land became ways to maintain culture and heritage- and even pathways to freedom? Soul Food Scholar, Adrian Miller joins us to share stories that tie land to belonging and survival. Amanda Henderson and Adrian Miller dive deep into the stories about navigating the ways of the land to cultivate food sovereignty within African American communities, despite forced migration and slavery in the United States. As they discuss the truths about the ongoing struggle of food injustice for marginalized communities and the rise of consciousness towards food sovereignty, we learn the importance of connecting and adapting to the land as a means of survival.  GUEST: Adrian Miller is a food writer, James Beard Award winner, attorney, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, Colorado. Adrian received an A.B in International Relations from Stanford University in 1991, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. From 1999 to 2001, Miller served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. Miller went on to serve as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. From 2004 to 2010, he served on the board for the Southern Foodways Alliance. In June 2019, Adrian lectured in the Masters of Gastronomy program at the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche (nicknamed the “Slow Food University”) in Pollenzo, Italy. He is currently the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and, as such, is the first African American, and the first layperson, to hold that position. Miller’s first book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time won the James Beard Foundation Award for Scholarship and Reference in 2014. His second book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas was published on President’s Day 2017. It was a finalist for a 2018 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction,” and the 2018 Colorado Book Award for History. Adrian’s third book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, will be published Spring 2021. Sharecropping, Black Land Acquistion, and White Supremacy (1868-1900) Food Sovereignty  Growing Your Own Food: Resources and Tools Talking Trash: Five Easy Steps to Reduce Food Waste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Henderson and Steven Newcomb discuss the Doctrine of Discovery and the ways in which religion has impacted the social and political frameworks amongst Native nations and the United States government.  In this conversation, Amanda Henderson and Steven Newcomb dive deeper into how the founding documents of the US contain a claim of a God-ordained right for Christians to take land from non-Christians, which continues to be used as legal precedent in today’s world. Together, they advocate for a more inclusive and holistic approach to social and political change, one that acknowledges and respects Indigenous perspectives and sovereignty. Steven Newcomb invites us to step into the view "from the shore" as conquerors landed on waters of the Americas and claimed dominion, or domination over all they could see and take. For more information: https://religionnews.com/complexified Guest: Steven Newcomb is a Shawnee-Lenape scholar and author. He has been studying and writing about U.S. federal Indian law and policy since the early 1980s, particularly the application of international law to Indigenous nations and peoples. Mr. Newcomb is the Director of the Indigenous Law Institute, which he co-founded with Birgil Kills Straight, a Traditional Headman and Elder of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Together they have carried on a global campaign challenging imperial Vatican documents from the fifteenth century. Those documents resulted in the decimation of Original Nations and Peoples of Mother Earth and thereby deprived the planet of life-ways, sustainable ecosystems, and Sacred Teachings. Newcomb’s book Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (2008) relies upon recent findings in cognitive theory and a semantic analysis of the Latin and English versions of 15th century Vatican documents. He has identified the little noticed patterns found in those documents and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which claimed a right of a “Christian prince or people” to discover and exert a right of domination (dominorum Christianorum) over the lands of “heathens and infidels.” For more episodes and info visit Complexified at RNS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Amy dive into the complex relationship between land ownership and belonging in the US, drawing on biblical interpretations. Amanda emphasized the significance of land in shaping political and religious beliefs, while Amy offered nuanced interpretations of the Hebrew Bible, revealing how it has been used to justify land ownership and extraction. In this conversation, Amy and Amanda discuss the Bible's views on land and its interpretation. They explore the contradictory perspectives on land ownership and the connection between land and identity. They also examine the impact of assumptions about land in the United States and the disconnect between urban elites and the land. Amy shares her personal journey of developing a deeper connection with the land through activities like hunting and fly fishing. The conversation highlights the healing power of the land and the importance of understanding our relationship with it. Chapters  00:00 Introduction and Background 03:13 The Bible's Contradictory Views on Land 08:29 Genesis 1 and the Interpretation of Land 12:22 John Locke and the Interpretation of Land Ownership 14:20 The Connection Between Land and Identity 20:23 The Impact of Assumptions about Land in the United States 23:10 The Disconnect between Urban Elites and the Land 26:08 The Impact of Land Use on Communities 28:30 Personal Connection to the Land 30:26 The Healing Power of the Land 33:18 The Bible's View on Our Relationship with the Land Guest:  Amy Erickson is Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Iliff School of Theology. Erickson teaches a range of courses in biblical interpretation, including The Body and Sexuality in the Hebrew Bible, The Hebrew Bible and Ecology, and Jonah and Its Afterlives. Her research interests include Hebrew poetry, poetic and mythological texts in ancient West Asian literature, and the Hebrew Bible’s history of interpretation. She has recently completed a commentary on the book of Jonah and its history of interpretation entitled Jonah: Introduction and Commentary (Illuminations; Eerdmans, 2021), and has written articles on Job, Jonah, the Psalms, Zechariah, and Amos for academic journals and edited volumes. Erickson is also a regular contributor to workingpreacher.org, the Huffington Post ON Scripture, The Christian Century, and The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (de Gruyter). She is currently working on a book on the Hebrew Bible and ecology. An Interview with Eerdmans Publishing Co. about Erickson’s book on Jonah. Commentary on Psalm 146 Commentary on Psalm 121 Psalm 1: Putting Evil in Its Place For more episodes and info visit Complexified at RNS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks to Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, a biracial scholar and professor at the Iliff School of Theology. They explore the American dream through the lens of personal experiences and the stories of ancestors, especially focusing on the immigrant journey. Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi shares tales of her grandparents from Italy and Puerto Rico, revealing the challenges they had to overcome to settle in America and the personal experiences tied to these journeys. The conversation touches on aspects such as name Anglicization, language loss, and various legal hurdles in the quest for the coveted American Dream.  Also discussed is the paradoxical political situation of Puerto Rico as an intricate part of the United States, but lacking in full political representation. Amanda interrogates how religion and differing cultural contexts shaped these immigrant experiences. 00:01 Introduction and Background 01:14 Exploring the History of Puerto Rico 01:41 Guest Introduction: Dr. Kristina Lazardi-Hajbi 02:22 The Prerequisites of the American Dream 04:10 The Story of Puerto Rican Immigration 06:13 The Complexities of Puerto Rican Citizenship 10:23 The Impact of Americanization on Immigrant Families 14:48 The Italian Immigrant Experience 27:31 The Role of Religion in Immigrant Communities 33:14 Reflections on the American Dream 35:52 Conclusion and Future Plans   Want to Learn More? Puerto Rico: A U.S. Territory in Crisis Article:   https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/puerto-rico-us-territory-crisis New Partnership in 2024 with Religion News Service. Learn more about RNS here: https://religionnews.com/   Want to Take Action?  Learn about immigration rights and how to take action in Colorado: https://www.aclu-co.org/en/campaigns/immigrants-rights   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Amanda Henderson interviews Dr. Albert Hernández - a Cuban-American academic with a unique perspective on the American Dream. Dr. Hernández discusses the challenges faced by those who exist in-between cultures, feeling a lack of belonging to either.  He shares historical perspectives on the experience of immigration to the U.S, particularly from Cuba, and explores how global political conflicts can drive individuals to relocate, seeking safety and better futures for their offspring. The episode illuminates the significance of personal and political narratives in shaping our understanding of the past and our vision for the future. The discussions range from colonial legacies, racialization, to the long road to societal change. Lastly, it presents a reflective poem reading by Mariela Saavedra Carquin – I swear There Was a River. In Maps You Can’t Make, Mariella Saavedra Carquin confronts hard truths in this powerful debut collection, pushing through layered complexities of immigration, race, and identity to find a way forward. 00:00 Introduction: The Hyphenated Existence 00:33 Understanding the American Dream 02:04 Historical Context: Cuba and the United States 03:25 Interview with Dr. Albert Hernández: A Cuban-American Perspective 05:55 The Cuban Revolution and Its Impact 07:50 The Hyphenated Existence: A Personal Journey 09:01 The Struggle of Belonging: Between Cuban and American 10:19 The Influence of Personal History on Academic Interests 13:09 Generational Differences in Immigrant Experiences 20:22 The Complexity of Identity and the American Dream 23:39 The Role of History in Shaping Our Present and Future 30:56 The Long Haul Commitment to Change 33:12 Poetry Reading: I Swear There Was a River by Mariella Saavedra Carquin  35:58 Conclusion and Acknowledgements   Guest Bios Dr. Albert Hernández joined the Iliff faculty in 2001. He teaches courses in the history of Christianity from Medieval to Early Modern times with additional expertise in the history of the ancient Hellenistic-Roman period. His research and teaching areas include the history of mysticism and pneumatology; Muslim and Christian relations beginning with the Crusades; religious diversity in medieval Iberia and the Spanish Empire; and the history of medicine and pandemics. Hernández led the faculty design team that created the Authentic Engagement Program™ focusing his contribution on human flourishing and the philosophy of Happiness. Poet Mariella Saavedra Carquin is a graduate of Middlebury College, holds an EdM and an MA in psychological counseling from Columbia University, and recently earned an MA from Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English. She is a licensed mental health counselor who has practiced in clinical, higher education, and middle school settings and published in academic journals on the psychological impact of microaggressions experienced by undocumented immigrant youth. Born in Peru and raised in Miami, she currently lives in Colorado.   Want to Learn More? Cuban Missile Crisis - https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis Mariella Saavedra Carquin, the poet who read one of her poems at the end of this episode. Her recently published book of poems confronts hard truths in this powerful debut collection, pushing through layered complexities of immigration, race, and identity to find a way forward.   https://www.juneroadpress.com/maps-you-cant-make   Want to Take Action?  Learn about immigration rights and how to take action in Colorado: https://www.aclu-co.org/en/campaigns/immigrants-rights   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Amanda Henderson talks to Nga Vương-Sandoval, a refugee from Việt Nam and United States Refugee Advisory Board Project Manager. The conversation explores the transformation of the American Dream, immigration histories and policies, and the experiences of refugees.  Vương-Sandoval shares her insights on the true meaning of the American Dream, which she believes should not be drowned by materialism but rather focused on essential human aspirations such as freedom, safety, and security. The episode also investigates how immigration laws shape daily life, how global events affect personal perspectives, and the complex realities of being displaced and navigating life in a foreign country. Lastly, it presents a reflective poem reading by Mariela Saavedra Carquin on the complex realities of loss that come with displacement and resettlement in a new land. 00:02 Introduction and Overview 02:01 Understanding Immigration Laws and Policies 03:55 The Impact of Immigration Policies 05:08 Guest Introduction: Nga Vương-Sandoval 06:34 Nga's Journey and Perspective on the American Dream 13:53 The Influence of Capitalism on the American Dream 17:53 The Global Perception of the American Dream 21:20 The Role of History in Shaping Perceptions 24:22 Empowering Refugees and Asylum Seekers 28:27 Reflecting on Personal Experiences and the Concept of Home 31:20 Closing Remarks and Preview of Next Episode   Guest Bio As a Việtnamese refugee, Nga Vương-Sandoval embraces her heritage and refugee experience and is empathetic to the plight and struggle of other underrepresented communities. In addition to being a TEDx Presenter, she is active in a number of advocacy roles, including being a member of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; a founding member and public speaker with Colorado Refugee Speakers Bureau; a refugee advisor for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Refugee Advisory Group; the first refugee elected to Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains Board of Directors and Vice-Chair of the Program Services Committee; a Noble Ambassador for Christina Noble Children’s Foundation; an advisory member for Denver’s Little Sài Gòn Redevelopment Group; and an advisory member to the Denver Elections Advisory Committee. She previously served as a Commissioner with the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission. Nga earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. In her free time, she enjoys meeting, learning and engaging with diverse communities, reading, writing op-eds on Medium.com, watching documentaries, traveling domestically and internationally, exploring and savoring cuisines locally and around the world and creating origami for her NVS Cre-Asian line that’s sold at Ruby’s Market in Denver.   Want to Learn More? Hart-Cellar Act of 1965: https://cis.org/Report/HartCeller-Immigration-Act-1965 The James Truslow Adams book Nga referenced that was published in 1931– The Epic of America: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1192936.The_Epic_of_America Mariella Saavedra Carquin, the poet who read one of her poems at the end of this episode. Her recently published book of poems confronts hard truths in this powerful debut collection, pushing through layered complexities of immigration, race, and identity to find a way forward.   https://www.juneroadpress.com/maps-you-cant-make   Want to Take Action?  Learn about immigration rights and how to take action in Colorado: https://www.aclu-co.org/en/campaigns/immigrants-rights   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, we had our first live audience recording of Complexified! Amanda Henderson and Lex Dunbar welcomed Denver Drag Performers Juiccy Misdemeanor and Dixie Krystals for a provocative conversation confronting the efforts across the U.S. to ban drag performances. We laughed, we cried, we learned, and we laughed some more!  00:02 Introduction and Welcome 00:27 The Complexified Live Episode: Why Ban Drag? 01:38 Introducing the Drag Performers: Dixie Krystals and Juiccy Misdemeanor 02:50 The Current State of Drag and LGBTQ Rights 04:41 The Origins and Evolution of Drag 10:41 The Role of Activism in Drag 12:34 The Intersection of Religion and Drag 13:35 The Impact of Politics on Drag and LGBTQ Community 18:37 The Challenges and Joys of Being a Drag Performer 46:57 The Importance of Community in Drag 49:09 Conclusion and Future Plans   Guest Bio & links Lex Dunbar - Co-Host for this episode Lex Dunbar (They/Them) is a Black ENBY, June Gemini, and Norf-Philly native. They are a passionate educator, avid protestor, dynamic workshop facilitator, and compassionate neighbor. Lex completed their second Master’s degree at Iliff School of Theology and is currently a PhD candidate in the Joint Doctoral Program at Denver University and Iliff School of Theology.   Guest Panelist and Performer: Juiccy Misdemeanor  Juiccy is a dancer, artist, drag performer, and a growing icon here in Denver, Colorado. Juiccy is the recent winner of Miss Peach 2023, a dynamic performer bringing life of the party energy to the spaces she occupies.  https://www.instagram.com/juiccymisdemeanor/   Guest Panelist and Performer: Dixie Krystals Dixie Krystals has been dazzling audiences for 25 years. Her passion for community is what drives her to excellence. She is an ordained minister, bingo queen, emcee and fabulous hostess with the mostess.Dixie has been featured in Generation Drags, Streaming on Max and Camp Wannakiki Season 5 on Out TV. https://www.dixiekrystals.com/  Music by DJ Erin Stereo for the live event:  Erin Stereo is a DJ, curator and record collector from Denver, Colorado. Recently, Erin was named Best House DJ by The Denver Westword, Erin Stereo is known for spinning House music designed to ignite and delight the dance floor. https://www.erinstereo.com/   Links for things shared in the episode: Learn more about Mx, the title in place of Mr or Mrs mentioned in the show: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mx_(title)   Want to Learn More? From police raids to pop culture: The early history of modern drag https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/drag-queen-drag-balls-early-history-pop-culture 12 historic LGBTQ figures who changed the world - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/historical-lgbt-figures-activists-culture   Anti-Drag legislation - https://people.com/politics/anti-drag-legislation-united-states/ Trans History: https://www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/may-2018/what-is-trans-history-from-activist-and-academic-roots-a-field-takes-shape   Want to Take Action? https://www.lgbtqnation.com/branded/authentic-voices-of-pride/drag-as-activism/ https://glaad.org/drag/ https://action.aclu.org/give/support-drag-defense-fund Vote!    Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, recorded before the attacks by Hamas on Israel and the devastating response by the Israeli Military in Gaza, Colorado State Representative Iman Jodeh shares her family story of leaving Palestine in the late 1960s seeking refuge from daily discrimination and violence. Making a way meant teaching Americans about Islam and building bridges of understanding and awareness. Rep. Jodeh shares how the legacy of her parents inspires her to serve as a State Legislator and ensure future generations know the power they hold to shape their future.   Guest Bio & links Representative Iman Jodeh is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 41st district. Elected in 2020, she is the first Muslim elected to the legislature and assumed office on January 13, 2021.   Want to Learn More? History of Palestine: https://www.un.org/unispal/history/ Israel Gaza Conflict Timeline by the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-conflict-timeline.html   Want to Take Action? 6 ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza by the American Friends Service Committee https://afsc.org/news/6-ways-you-can-support-palestinians-gaza   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, recorded before the attacks by Hamas on Israel and the devastating response by the Israeli Military in Gaza, Rabbi Joe, from Temple Emanuel in Denver, Colorado, shares his family story. His father’s family fled persecution in the late 19th century to find safety in the U.S.  After the terror of Kristallnacht, the night of the broken glass, his mother’s family fled to the U.S. Rabbi Joe shares how the legacy of seeking refuge and ensuring ‘never-again’ lives in him. You don’t want to miss Rabbi Joe’s song for his mother at the end of the episode, Salty Taste of Tears.    Guest Bio & links Rabbi Black has been the Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel since 2010, previously serving as rabbi of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1996-2010. He served as Assistant and then Associate Rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1987-1996. He received his Bachelor's degree in Education from Northwestern University in 1982 and his Master's degree and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1987. In 2012 he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from HUC-JIR. Website:  https://www.emanueldenver.org/about/clergy#RabbiBlack   Want to Learn More? Holocaust Encyclopedia – KRISTALLNACHT https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht Holocaust Encyclopedia –  Pogrom is a Russian word meaning “to wreak havoc, to demolish violently.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/pogroms?gclid=CjwKCAiA9dGqBhAqEiwAmRpTC0Hm5LWaL36azOTif9FgHWyCrPG3hIeaO4ZiPVO6vhCajIMc9yWVqBoCRDQQAvD_BwE “ADL Records Dramatic Increase in U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Following Oct. 7 Hamas Massacre”  https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-records-dramatic-increase-us-antisemitic-incidents-following-oct-7   Want to Take Action? Donate – “By donating to ADL today, you’ll ensure we are well positioned to disrupt the spread of antisemitism, anti-Zionism, conspiracy theories and all forms of hate online …”  https://support.adl.org/give/174715/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA9dGqBhAqEiwAmRpTC40oq1U92ujPFS4Z9w4vNotO-PEl9zd6yEKDgtRYVMI1hb4uZgdFMRoCwcQQAvD_BwE#!/donation/checkout?utm_source=paidsearch&utm_medium=googlepaid&utm_campaign=Evergreen&c_src=evergreen&c_src2=googlepaid Monitor – Act – Educate: https://americansaa.org/?gclid=CjwKCAiA9dGqBhAqEiwAmRpTC8c9_WKBVWvPxB0OFzn3-2jPaae0qm3pb5NW3oZeAW_I1f9_F6KT5RoCVWUQAvD_BwE   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website: https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is homeownership such an integral part of the American Dream? Why have some been systematically excluded from homeownership while others have been incentivized and subsidized to own their home? In this episode, Dr. Ben Sanders shares his family story of ownership and belonging from an experience as a Black American, as we continue to peel apart the myth of the American Dream.    Guest Bio  Ben Sanders, Ph.D is the Chief Equity Officer of the City of Denver. He is an Equity Professional/Consultant, Social Ethicist, Theologian, Passionate Servant-Leader, Change-Agent, Community Builder, and a Dad. Ben creates measurable and effective, equity-centered systems, processes, and policies that help companies, communities, and organizations optimize and achieve their missions and goals.   Want to Learn More? NBC News: The American Dream while Black: ‘Locked in a Vicious cycle’: Homeownership is supposed to be the gateway to the American dream. Black Americans have been denied access – https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/american-dream-while-black-homeownership/ NAACP: the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice. We advocate, agitate, and litigate for the civil rights due to Black America. In our cities, schools, companies, and courtrooms, we are the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Thurgood Marshall, and many other giants –  https://naacp.org/ Homeownership rates by Race: https://usafacts.org/articles/homeownership-rates-by-race/   Want to Take Action? Donate to NAACP: https://naacp.org/resources/reparations Donate to advancing Black Homeownership: https://www.habitat.org/our-work/advancing-black-homeownership https://www.dearfieldfund.com/ https://downpaymentresource.com/homebuyer-resource/highlighting-homebuyer-assistance-programs-for-black-homebuyers/#:~:text=The%20Dearfield%20Fund%20for%20Black,through%20affordable%20and%20sustainable%20homeownership.  Facing Race: A National Conference: https://facingrace.raceforward.org/   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen - Donate here https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75 Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website:  https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One afternoon, her clothes, hair, language, name, and even her parents were taken from her.  In this episode, Navajo woman Bessie Smith, who survived the Indian Boarding Schools, shares her story of losing everything and then reclaiming the traditions she learned as a child to find healing.  Join us in this episode as we go to Bessie's home in Denver, Colorado, and hear about the day her parents were forced to hand her over to the U.S. Government. Bessie shares with breathtaking detail, remembering the gravity of all she lost. Listen to the full episode for ways you can learn more, and take action to first listen and feel, and then to heal, together.   Guest Bio Bessie Smith (Dzabahe) was born around January 12th, 1942 and raised on the Diné  reservation, halfway between Leupp and Tuba City, Arizona.  She was born into Hashkáán Hadzohí  (yucca fruit plant) clan, born for Bįįhbitodní clan (deer water), and paternal grandfather of Kiyáání (tower house people) clan, and maternal grandfather ofTłeziłaní (manygoats) clan.  She was raised in a traditional Diné way of life. Bessie has been designing and making jewelry for over 25 years. She currently works on a part time basis as a consultant to agencies who are in need of Navajo interpretation services throughout the State of Colorado.  Bessie’s Jewelry Website: https://www.dzabahe.com/   Links for things shared in the episode: The Denver Post article referenced by Amanda: https://www.denverpost.com/2023/10/03/native-american-boarding-schools-graves-fort-lewis-grand-junction/ Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-native-american-children-adoption-8eee3db1e97cee84a7fdcd98d43df795#tbl-em-lnwebu7xuuio4ldv5e   Want to Learn More? CPR News Article: Legacy Of Indigenous Boarding Schools In Colorado Includes Unmarked Graves And Generational Scarshttps://www.cpr.org/2021/08/02/indigenous-boarding-schools-colorado-unmarked-graves-generational-scars/ 9 News interview with Bessie Smith: Federal Indian Boarding School survivor shares the abuse she endured, and how her jewelry business helps her heal:https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/federal-indian-boarding-school-survivor-abuse-jewelry-business-heal-denver-colorado/73-91ebf2d1-051f-413d-8977-f97f8ed5c199 New York Times article: Researchers Identify Dozens of Native Students Who Died at Nebraska School:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/us/native-american-boarding-school-deaths-nebraska.html New York Times article: ‘WAR AGAINST THE CHILDREN’ - The Native American boarding school system — a decades-long effort to assimilate Indigenous people before they ever reached adulthood — robbed children of their culture, family bonds and sometimes their lives:https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/30/us/native-american-boarding-schools.html   Want to Take Action? Land Back Movement: https://landback.org/ Global Fight to End Fossil Fuels: https://climatenetwork.org/can-event/global-fight-to-end-fossil-fuels/   Sign up for Complexified Newsletter: https://complexified.substack.com/ Help Make Complexified Happen:  https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E345509&id=75  Contact us: email [email protected] Complexified Website - https://www.complexified.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As debates rage in state legislatures and school boards about history curriculums or critical race theory or the impact of slavery, we know that how we imagine our future has everything to do with how we remember our past. In this episode, we begin our series pulling apart the stories we have been told about the American Dream through our own multiple, honest, complicated stories of Dreaming America. We begin with our host, Amanda Henderson’s own family story. Moving West to find a better life, open space, and a land of their own, Amanda’s grandparent’s encountered hardship and built community. Their story mirrors the classic stories we have been told about pioneers and homesteaders, and there was more to that story, and there is more to our story. Begin the journey for the weeks ahead in the American Southwest with the stories we are told before we move further into the many stories we hold.   Resources to learn more: Homestead Act of 1862 - https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act#:~:text=The%20Homestead%20Act%2C%20enacted%20during,plot%20by%20cultivating%20the%20land.    Subscribe to the Complexified Newsletter on Substack - https://complexified.substack.com/ Connect with us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/complexifiedpodcast/ Complexified Website - https://www.complexified.org/   Resources from the Guest: New River (Images of America) Book, Marcy Miller https://www.amazon.com/River-Images-America-Marcy-Miller/dp/1467115932 Land of Our Own: New River, Arizona Paperback by Pauline Essary Grimes (Author) "How the American Dream Has Changed Over Time." Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2016. Student Resources in Context A Brief History of the American Dream An Essay by Sarah Churchwell, Professor at the University of London, and Author, Behold, America: The Entangled History of ‘America First’ and ‘the American Dream’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American Dream… is complicated.  It always has been. For some - this dream has been a nightmare … a mirage in a forsaken desert. A myth. For others, it’s been an oasis from hardship, oppression, violence. … a vision realized through physical freedom and material success. This season on Complexified, we’re asking: Where did the myth of the American dream come from? What’s it got to do with religion and politics? And how is it shaping our lives, for better or worse? Coming to you from the Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture at Iliff School of Theology, I’m your host, Amanda Henderson, back with a new season of Complexified…my show about the powerful ways religion and politics intersect and affect my life. Your life. And all of our lives, together. Each week, I’ll share what I’m learning as we turn the myth of the American Dream into our multiple, honest ways of Dreaming America. Complexified: Dreaming America launches October 5th. Follow and share the show now, wherever you listen.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Denise is an award-winning Latina filmmaker and cultural storyteller. Denise is the American-born daughter of first-generation immigrants from Puerto Rico, growing up first in the Bronx and then in a mostly white community further upstate in New York. She never felt like she belonged anywhere. not white enough and American enough for the suburban community around her. Nor fluent enough in Spanish to feel completely Latina. She was a girl and then a woman who felt out of place. So what did she do? She created a film called,  "Being Enye". All about that sense of being in between.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Butler is the founder of the seekr project, a distinctively black conversational artificial intelligence with mental health capacities, and is partner director of the Iliff School of Theology's  AI Institute, where he works to change how computers see people.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian is a political strategist, dad, and the first gentleman of the seventh congressional district in Colorado. We discuss the tension between incrementalism and revolutions and how religious ideologies influence our political mindsets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out Dr. Yetunde's books!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more information about Dr. De La Torre, visit his website and check out all 42 of his books!  "All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change. " Octavia E. Buter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OCTAVIA E. BUTLER - The Parable Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Lex talk about their favorite episodes and what they've learned in these first two seasons of the Complexified podcast! They also share the vision and what you can expect for season 3! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are approaching the holiday season, and many folks have questions and anxieties about sharing space with family members with whom we disagree based on our political understanding and involvement in the world. Sarah Holland and Beth Silvers from Pantsuit Politics talk with Amanda, and they help us approach the holidays with family and engage them in political discussions rooted in love and care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reverend Dr. Jennifer Leath speaks on liberation and the AME church. We hear about her journey growing up as a Quare young person knowing that she was called to preach and how she had to make choices aligned with HER TRUTH. We also dive into her decision to move to Canada and her quest to become a mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does the government care so much about our bodies and whether we have babies? Get nerdy with us as we talk with philosophy professor Thomas Nail, and explore the history of governments forming the populations they want to govern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabbi Joe Black joins us in the studio to share his moving music and poetry. Rabbi Joe helps us understand what Jewish tradition teaches about abortion and shares his own story of navigating difficult life and death decisions in his own family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our conversation about religion, politics, and abortion with biblical scholar, pastor, and professor of New Testament at Iliff School of Theology, Reverend Dr. Eric Smith. Eric and Amanda talk about some of the ways the Bible is used in anti-abortion arguments and how it shapes our society and our cultural expectations. We ask what the Bible can actually teach us to understand about abortion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iliff Student Lex Dunbar and host Amanda Henderson share their personal stories about their relationships with the anti-abortion movement and journies toward championing equitable reproductive health and justice. These stories are powerful and eye-opening - unveiling the truth behind the manipulation, harm, and misuse of religious ideals that uphold the anti-abortion movement in their missionary efforts. **accidents happen when you’re talking on the fly we know Mike Brown was murdered in 2014. Sorry for the mistake!** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in a Church, and raised moving between the worlds of poverty in Jamaica Queens, and private school in the wealthy Upper East Side of New York City, Ann Marie Benitez knows what access to healthcare looks like when you have resources, and when you dont. Listen in to learn about Reproductive Justice, and the realities people of color face when trying to access reproductive healthcare after the end of Roe v. Wade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last year, a number of things have happened that signal an alarming change in American life: church and state seem to be no longer separate. In this episode, lawyer, advocate, strategist, and President and CEO of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Rachel Laser tells the stories of those whose lives are directly impacted when the Supreme Court favors one religious ideology over the well-being of families and children. And she shares how her own family story shapes her work and reminds us all why the separation of church and state is vital to our democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Articles mentioned in the episode:  Understanding Christian Nationalism - Diana Butler Bass Colorado Politicians Address Christian Fundamentalists in Woodland Park - Heidi Beedle Rep. Boebert tells churchgoers to ‘rise up’ at far-right Christian conference -  Chase Woodruff DeSantis’ ‘full armor of God’ rhetoric reaches Republicans. But is he playing with fire? - Ana Ceballos Report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection - BJC  Is America a Christian Nation? - Americans United  Politicians, Christian fundamentalist activists plan an American theocracy - Heidi Beedle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out Ian's podcast "The Get More Smarter Podcast" on all streaming platforms!      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rev. Dr. Jacqui’s newest book,  Fierce Love,  "is a manifesto for all generations, a universalist’s vision for mending our broken hearts and fractured world" - Get your copy TODAY!  For more wisdom from Rev. Lewis, check out her podcast "LOVE. PERIOD. WITH REV. DR. JACQUI LEWIS"  For more resources on the historical connection between anti-Black racism and abortion see the article links below:  The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Bans The Religious Right and the Abortion Myth   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To many, Rob Schenck is THE father of the anti-choice movement. As a young pastor, he drew headlines for a stunt in which a dead fetus was thrust at president Bill Clinton. Later, as you’ll hear, Rob had the ears – and the hearts and pens – of conservative Supreme Court justices. In this provocative conversation, Rob shares his fundamental transformation and how he came to see- and fight- the full danger of Christian Nationalism.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the first two episodes under our belt, Host Amanda Henderson and Iliff graduate student Lex Dunbar dig into the key takeaways they hope our listeners come away with after the first two episodes: 1) The idea that there are clear god-ordained, universal religious teachings about gender, sexuality, and marriage as we know them today is a myth. 2) Regulation of bodies, sexuality, and marriage relationships has been a part of the business of the State since the founding of the U.S. and before. With these two realities in mind, how are we to understand and navigate the deeper questions tied to gender, sexuality, and marriage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Representative Sam Park is a native Georgian born and raised by a single mother who instilled in him the importance of faith, family and hard work. Sam's grandparents were refugees from the Korean War who moved to the US in the early 1980's in pursuit of the “American Dream.” After receiving a Fellowship in Civil Rights and Constitutional Law from American University Washington College of Law, Sam earned his Masters in Law in 2014 with a specialization in law, politics and legislation. In December 2014, Sam’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Through her fight against cancer, Sam learned firsthand the importance of having access to healthcare. On a platform of expanding Medicaid to ensure access to healthcare for all Georgians, Sam ran for office as a first-time candidate in 2016 and unseated a three-term Republican chairwoman with a grassroots campaign to become the first Asian American Democrat and first openly gay man elected to the Georgia State Legislature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted author, pastor, activist, and public theologian working at the intersection of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal. He is the author of seven books on spirituality, justice, and theology.  Robertson has multiple publications such as TIME Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune, and The New York Times. Named by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the top faith leaders leading the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, Robertson has worked with political leaders and activists worldwide to end conversion therapy and promote the human rights of sexual and gender minorities.   Resources:  Bills: Nearly 240 anti-LGBTQ bills filed in 2022 so far, most of them targeting trans people 10 anti-LGBTQ laws just went into effect. They all target schools. How Onslaught of Bills on LGBTQ Rights Affects Young People Resources: LGBT Youth Resources - CDC My Kid is Gay: Helping Families Understand Their LGBTQ Kids Loving Families - PFLAG Brandan: How Brandan Robertson, a.k.a. the ‘Tik-Tok Preacher,’ Is Taking on the Anti-LGBTQ Teachings of His Faith  Brandan Robertson - Website   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a ROUGH few years. If you’re like me, you feel overwhelmed. Worrying about what we’re living through, what scary headline we might see next  — and what we can DO about it.  Why can’t we keep our kids safe from guns? Why are voting rights under attack? Why can’t we even talk about abortion, gender, sexuality, or racism?  How we got here is not a mystery. And we’ll talk about that.  (Rob Schenck) "I was there in the middle to late 90s at the tables with Republican Party operatives. When they offered us a deal, and they said, Look, we're with you on abortion, we know you want the reversal of Roe v Wade, we're going to give you that, we're going to deliver that for you. But in exchange, and some of them would be quite crude, they would say, at a time, I can see this, I was seated seated seated at an oak table inside the US Capitol, there were a number of national evangelical leaders at the table, I was there. we're going to take down Roe, we're going to make abortion illegal in this country. But you're gonna have to give us your full support, because there's nowhere else for you to go. Do you understand? And there were literal handshakes across the table, we understand."   I’m Amanda Henderson, and this is my new podcast, Complexified.  On Complexified,  we dig into the places where religion and politics collide with real-life, - so we can make real change.    (Robyn Henderson-Espinoza) “The activist theology project was born out of my desire to help people get their hands dirty with the wounds of the world.”  (Rep. Sam Park) "When, when it came to running for office, I was asked the question by my pastor at the time, um, you know, what breaks your heart, know what breaks your heart and do something about it, the question mm-hmm because, because, you know, just as faith is dead without deeds love is also meaningless if it's not demonstrated without action." I’ll talk with activists and thinkers about the issues tearing our lives up today… the end of Roe v. Wade, climate change, Christian Nationalism,  attacks on trans kids, homelessness, and so much more.  As a progressive pastor and the former head of an interfaith advocacy organization, I’ve preached at pulpits – and protests! I’ve testified at city council meetings and state capitols. I’ve shared ideas and activism and questions with people from all walks of life.  And I am here to say: Life is not black and white.  It’s complicated.  For too long we have avoided talking about religion and politics. But when we avoid these hard topics, we stay stuck. On Complexifed, we’ll navigate the messiness…  With compassion, curiosity, and community.  Complexified launches August 11.  Join me.   Follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts. And become a part of this movement to embrace the complexity of real life – and to move forward, together. This podcast is a project of the Institute of Religion Politics & Culture at Iliff School of Theology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices