Carla Mendoza: Illegality, Liberation & the Woman with the Alabaster Jar

Karla Mendoza Arana (she/her/ella) is a grassroots theologian, speaker, writer, and artist. She is from Lima, Peru, and has lived in the United States for nearly 24 years. As an Afro-Peruvian woman who continues to face displacement, her work revolves around exploring illegality, citizenship, and Latinindad. Karla is currently a student of Liberation Theologies at Union Theological Seminary in Lenape land, commonly known as New York City. If you don’t find her reading, you’ll find her dancing to Bad Bunny.

A continuation of our conversation with the late Walter Brueggemann.- Brueggemann wasn’t simply a scholar, he was a prophet. This is not hyperbole. This is a precise analysis of his vocation as one who devoted his life to the Sacred Scriptures of a dangerously free God. He was a poet as are the prophets, he would insist. His “prophetic imagination” was shaped by a lifetime of dedication to the texts that demanded of him pathos, lament and a consciousness counter to empire. He was a person of the kind of prayer that undergoes the kind of grace that requires doing justice, and loving mercy and a scholarship from a deep humility before the Scriptures while walking with the God they witnessed to. I will tell my grandchildren of the three days my brother Don and I stayed with Tia and Walter Brueggemann. I will tell stories of how Elaine and Ched Myers introduced me to Walter a few years prior and how I got to have lunch with one of the greatest Hebrew Bible scholars in the world and start a friendship. I will tell of how I got to introduce my mate Jono Martin to Walter and how I snapped a cheeky moment as my friend Traci took a selfie with the Bruggz coz we are giddy fans. I will tell of his humour, humility and indomitable brilliance that was paired with a warm kind curiosity. Unquestionably one of my biggest influences, I’m always reading Walter when preparing for a sermon, and not merely in the Old Testament. I first read Walter at the age of 22 and haven’t stopped. Yet I haven’t come close to reading his over 100 books. I’ve literally led hundreds of people through his “The Prophetic Imagination” and it is in my top 5 greatest books of Christian discipleship. Walter, your life was a blaze with God’s justice and I’m thankful for the ways you set me on fire. Rest in Peace.- Jarrod McKenna

Brueggemann wasn’t simply a scholar, he was a prophet. This is not hyperbole. This is a precise analysis of his vocation as one who devoted his life to the Sacred Scriptures of a dangerously free God. He was a poet as are the prophets, he would insist. His “prophetic imagination” was shaped by a lifetime of dedication to the texts that demanded of him pathos, lament and a consciousness counter to empire. He was a person of the kind of prayer that undergoes the kind of grace that requires doing justice, and loving mercy and a scholarship from a deep humility before the Scriptures while walking with the God they witnessed to. I will tell my grandchildren of the three days my brother Don and I stayed with Tia and Walter Brueggemann. I will tell stories of how Elaine and Ched Myers introduced me to Walter a few years prior and how I got to have lunch with one of the greatest Hebrew Bible scholars in the world and start a friendship. I will tell of how I got to introduce my mate Jono Martin to Walter and how I snapped a cheeky moment as my friend Traci took a selfie with the Bruggz coz we are giddy fans. I will tell of his humour, humility and indomitable brilliance that was paired with a warm kind curiosity. Unquestionably one of my biggest influences, I’m always reading Walter when preparing for a sermon, and not merely in the Old Testament. I first read Walter at the age of 22 and haven’t stopped. Yet I haven’t come close to reading his over 100 books. I’ve literally led hundreds of people through his “The Prophetic Imagination” and it is in my top 5 greatest books of Christian discipleship. Walter, your life was a blaze with God’s justice and I’m thankful for the ways you set me on fire. Rest in Peace.- Jarrod McKenna

Internationally acclaimed writer and journalist Stan Grant – winner of three Walkley Awards and four Asian Television Awards - joins Dr Drew Hart and Pastor Jarrod McKenna in conversation on his new book, a theological meditation as Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi Aboriginal man, called Murriyang: Song of Time. Stan Grant is a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man. He is a public intellectual who has worked as a journalist, presenter, filmmaker and author. In his journalism he has reported from more than 80 countries, won three Walkley Awards, a Logie Award and four Asia TV Awards. As a writer he has published seven books including the bestselling Talking to My Country, which won the Walkley Book Award. In 2016, he was appointed to the Referendum Council on Indigenous recognition. In 2018, he was appointed Professor of Global Affairs at Griffith University. The full-length documentary film The Australian Dream won the2019 AACTA Award for Best Feature Documentary and the 2019 Walkley Documentary Award. In 2020, he became the International Affairs Analyst at the ABC and the Vice-Chancellor's Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University. From 2022-23, Grant hosted the ABC's current affairs panel program Q+A.

In this deeply reflective episode, Drew Hart and Jarrod McKenna welcome Jenai Aumin, a Filipina American writer, artist, and author of Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized. Drawing on her experience in church leadership, trauma-informed training, and studies in behavioral health and spiritual formation, Jenai shares her journey of healing and rediscovery of faith after betrayal within a faith community. The conversation unpacks her book Othered, which offers insights on navigating spiritual trauma, healing wounds inflicted in the name of faith, and finding hope and belonging. Jenai discusses her evolving understanding of God, the role of scripture in addressing pain, and her use of a trauma-informed hermeneutic to reframe biblical narratives. This episode invites listeners into a vulnerable and healing dialogue about faith, resilience, and the courage to reclaim spiritual identity after loss. With honesty and compassion, Jenai's story is a testament to the power of grace, self-discovery, and community.

In this compelling episode of the Inverse Podcast, hosts Drew Hart and Jared McKenna welcome back Richard Crane, former professor of theology, attorney for employee rights, and author of the new book God's Apocalyptic Insurrection: A Salvation Theology for Evangelical Reckoning. Together, they explore the intersections of faith, justice, and scripture, unpacking how the Bible can be used to liberate or oppress. Richard discusses his lifelong commitment to tethering social justice to biblical theology, reflecting on his early experiences with faith, his evolution as a scholar, and the transformative power of scripture. The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating justice within Christian traditions often mired in historical entanglements with racism, patriarchy, and predatory capitalism. Highlighting passages from the Gospels, Crane offers insights into Jesus' mission to heal and liberate, interpreting these acts as divine insurrection against systemic evil. The episode challenges listeners to consider what it means to live out a justice-oriented faith and to embody a theology of liberation in a world shaped by oppression. Join the conversation for a thought-provoking discussion on theology, justice, and the transformative work of faith.

Rev. Andrew Wilkes, Ph.D, is a political scientist, the co-pastor of the Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn, and the former executive director of the Drum Major Institute. His latest work is Plenty Good Room: Co-Creating An Economy of Enough for All. He is the co-author, with spouse Rev. Dr. Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes, of Psalms for Black Lives and the author of Freedom Notes: Reflections on Faith, Justice, and the Possibility of Democracy. His work and voice have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, and Sojourners, among other outlets. He serves on boards for the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York, The Black Mountain School of Theology and Community, and the Institute for Christian Socialism. A graduate of Hampton University, Princeton Theological Seminary '10, and the Coro Foundation's Fellowship in Public Affairs, Dr. Wilkes recently completed his PhD in political science from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Joash Thomas is an international speaker, theologian and human rights leader. Born and raised in India, Joash ran a political consulting and lobbying firm in the United States before joining the human rights advocacy space. Based in the Toronto area, Joash has a master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University and is a few months away from completing a dual master’s degree in Christian Leadership & Systematic Theology. A soon-to-be ordained Deacon in the Diocese of St. Anthony, Joash is also the author of ‘The Justice of Jesus’, a forthcoming book in partnership with Brazos Press to be published in September 2025.

If you need a space, come join us as we dialogue in our post-election roundtable with Lisa Sharon Harper and Dr. David Gushee. Together, we'll consider this moment, and what it means for our faith, democracy, and commitment to pursuing shalom and the common good.

Idris Elba in his introduction to Mick Sheldrick’s new book ‘FROM IDEAS TO IMPACT: A PLAYBOOK FOR INFLUENCING AND IMPLEMENTING CHANGE IN A DIVIDED WORLD‘ writes, “To say he’s has had an impact on our life would be an understatement.” Join us live this week to find out why and how you can contribute and learn from Mick’s work that has impacted millions of people in over a hundred and fifty countries and helped secure over *40 BILLION* in support for local and regional organizations working to provide access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and climate resilience. Michael Sheldrick is a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty. With a career that spans the world of pop and policy, Michael has worked with an impressive roster of international artists such as Beyoncé, Coldplay, Sabrina and Idris Elba, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Priyanka Chopra, Rihanna and Usher, as well as prominent political leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and former Australian Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he leads the organization's campaigns to mobilize support from governments, businesses, and foundations. He has co-produced some of the world's most impactful social campaigns and events, including the annual Global Citizen Festival in New York, the Guinness World Record-winning virtual concert One World: Together At Home, and the Nelson Mandela 2018 centennial celebration. These initiatives have reached millions of people in over a hundred and fifty countries and helped secure over forty billion in support for local and regional organizations working to provide access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and climate resilience.