An Update on Quitting

Fr. Jeremy Zipple, S.J., joins us from Belize City, Belize, to talk life and faith, discernment and practice. Father Jeremy is a double graduate of Boston College and was ordained a priest in 2013, a first step in more than a decade of formation and discernment, as you’ll hear him describe. He is a former executive editor of America Films at America Media as well as a director and writer of documentaries for National Geographic, PBS, and Discovery. He currently resides in Belize City, Belize, teaching, living, and even serving as a parish priest for a time. -- You can learn more about the Jesuits/the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded half a millennium ago by the soldier-turned-mystic Ignatius Loyola, here: https://www.jesuits.org And read a little about St. Ignatius of Loyola's teaching on desolation and consolation here: https://thejesuitpost.org/2022/03/jesuit-101-consolation-and-desolation/ -- Want to see some of Fr. Jeremy's documentary and media work? His YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jzipple America Magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/jeremy-zipple

Pastor Amy Butler talks about her new book, Beautiful and Terrible Things, Invested Faith, and all things life, faith, motherhood, pastoring, church, and spirit. You can buy her new book wherever you buy books. If you want to make sure it arrives in time for Christmas to give as a gift, I note that Amazon is guaranteeing it will arrive before Christmas. Looking on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 17, I see a 2 day delivery guarantee. https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Terrible-Things-Faith-Discovering/dp/0399589481/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6MIT4EOSWFU&keywords=beautiful+and+terrible+things+by+amy+butler&qid=1702824268&sprefix=beautiful+and+terr%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-1 And please do check out her work with Invested Faith, here: https://www.investedfaith.org You can also learn more about Pastor Amy through her website, here: https://www.pastoramy.com

August 6, 2023 It's a changing day and a time for sharing some personal news. Dive in as Elizabeth goes into the unknooooooooooooooown (sing it like Elsa). What happens next, indeed!

The final Sunday has happened, and a new chapter has begun. Elizabeth talks about leaving church, what's next, and the process of letting go. References: 1. Suzanah Raffield and Camp Craft Cocktails https://www.campcraftcocktails.com 2. Cait Donovan and FRIED: The Burnout Podcast https://www.caitdonovan.com 3. The Bouncebackability Factor by Cait Donovan https://www.amazon.com/Bouncebackability-Factor-Burnout-Resilience-Change-ebook/dp/B089PZD4VN

Finally! The episode I've anticipated since the start of Beyond Religion: things get *weird* as Oteil Burbridge talks magic, mythology, and mystery. From professional wrestling to Icelandic elves, we cover a lot of ground. Dive in! ABOUT OTEIL: Oteil Burbridge is a Grammy award winning, American multi-instrumentalist, specializing on the bass guitar, trained in playing jazz and classical music from an early age. He has achieved fame primarily on bass guitar during the resurgence of the Allman Brothers Band from 1997 through 2014, and as a founding member of the band Dead & Company. Burbridge was also a founding member of The Aquarium Rescue Unit and Tedeschi Trucks Band, with whom his brother (the late) Kofi Burbridge was the keyboardist and flautist. He has worked with other musicians including Bruce Hampton, Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Bill Kreutzmann, and Derek Trucks. So if you’ve made your way to Beyond Religion today because you’re a fan of Oteil and his music, welcome to my humble podcast. OTEIL'S NEW ALBUM: Lonely View of Heaven mini-doc about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvdz9g3i0VQ

Wendell Berry | Israel-Hamas War | loving your enemies and being people of light

Not an episode…just a word that I’m still here. Final Sunday as senior pastor is 9/25. Then we figure out what exists…beyond religion.

Rev. Zoe Garry and I talk church, representation in ministry, generational differences, and what brings us hope as Gen Z enters the workaday world (as well as religious institutions...or decidedly *not* entering religious institutions.) What is fixed and immovable? What is evolving and emerging? A great talk. Dive in! Rev. Zoë Garry is the Campus Minister and Director of NOLA Wesley/The Labyrinth Cafe (New Orleans). Zoe is an ordained minister in the PCUSA and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary with a concentration in Women, Gender, and Theology. She completed her Clinical Pastoral Education at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey. Prior to clinical training, she was an intern and later liturgist for the Princeton University Chapel, where she created liturgy, designed curriculum, and ministered to the students and community at Princeton. Interfaith ministry has always been central to her call. This can be seen in her work with the Chautauqua Institute as the Christian coordinator for the Abrahamic Program for Young Adults and her certification to facilitate interfaith dialogues through the Interfaith Center of Philadelphia. College ministry and academia are both passions of Zoë’s and she strives to create a dynamic ministry that Christ-centered, open-tabled, and affirming at NOLA Wesley. You can find out more about her work at https://wesley.tulane.edu and the cafe at https://wesley.tulane.edu/the-labyrinth/

Thoughts on discernment, leaving church, the best laid plans, and leaving New Orleans. After allllllllllllll that deliberation, the Lotts are moving to Macon. Surprise!

Karrie Gaspard-Hogewood is a PhD candidate studying Christian Nationalism as part of her doctoral work on the Sociology track of the City, Culture, and Community program at Tulane University. A Louisiana native and a graduate of LSU, Karrie began her professional career as a high school teacher where she taught Biology and Integrated Physics and Chemistry. Wishing to affect change in the larger educational system led Karrie to pursue graduate degrees in both Behavioral Science/Sociology and Social Work (she is also a licensed social worker) where she developed greater interest in the impact of social institutions on inequality and social change.  During her time in the CCC program, Karrie’s interests have evolved to include the interaction of religious and political institutions, along with the policy implications of this interaction. Her research focuses on religion, social movements, religiopolitical violence, and the varying expressions of Christian Nationalism within the United States.  Karrie has served as a consultant to the Center for Peace Diplomacy on U.S. electoral violence and has been an invited speaker, providing education to both religious groups and clergy on the threat of Christian Nationalism, as well as the goals and tactics of these groups. Karrie also teaches two of the required courses for the Social Policy & Practice Coordinate major at Tulane and serves as a Teaching Assistant for Social Statistics. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Jay, and two rescue dogs, Otis and Mila.  Research Interests: Social movements, Religion, Religious Violence, Spiritual Warfare, Christian Nationalism, Charismatic movements  Karrie can be contacted at kgaspard[at]tulane[dot]edu  She provided the following resource list for you, our listeners: The New Apostolic Reformation The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a neo-charismatic, non-denominational sub-movement within the larger Christian Nationalist movement. What makes NAR unique is their belief in prophecy revealed through modern-day apostles and prophets and a specific understanding of the end times called post-millennial dominionism – building God’s Kingdom here and now will accelerate the second coming of Christ. To achieve this dominion, NAR is attempting to conquer the seven mountains of culture: religion, family, education, media, government/military, business, arts & entertainment. This “seven mountain mandate” is believed to be a divine directive to achieve Christian rule in the U.S. and abroad. It is the fastest growing segment of Christianity globally. Christian Nationalism Resources Book mentioned in podcast:  Whitehead, Andrew L. 2023. American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. Baker Book House. Where to buy it: http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/american-idolatry/412521  Discussion Guide: http://cdn.bakerpublishinggroup.com/processed/book-resources/files/350588_Whitehead_AmeicanIdolatry_DiscussionGuide_FINAL.pdf?1688148715  Books: Gorski, Philip S. 2020. American Babylon: Christianity and democracy before and after Trump. Routledge. Gorski, Philip S., Samuel L. Perry, and Jemar Tisby. 2022. The flag and the cross: White Christian nationalism and the threat to American democracy. Oxford University Press. Whitehead, Andrew L., and Samuel L. Perry. 2020. Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press. Websites: Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI): https://www.prri.org  Religion Dispatches: https://religiondispatches.org  Religion in Public: https://religioninpublic.blog  Talk 2 Action: http://www.talk2action.org Christians Against Christian Nationalism: https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org  Podcasts: Straight White American Jesus: https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com  Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation: https://icjs.org/charismatic-revival-fury/