Radical Love Live Mark Dilcom and Kelly Wilson

Dr. Ryan Joseph Allen, Author, Speaker, and Transformational Coach, talks with us about his life's journey, which began with depression, addiction, shame, and alienation, and led him through a rollercoaster of ups and downs before he connected with God through the most unlikely of evangelists: His drug dealer. Dr. Allen shares with us how his experiences inspired him to break destructive cycles, embrace his authentic self--including his LGBTQ+ sexual identity, and to work with others to support, motivate, and lead them to love. Allen is the author of "My Drug Dealer Brought Me to God," (available on Amazon and other booksellers) and works extensively in the nonprofit sector to help improve the lives of others.

Using Mark’s recent retreat at Holy Cross Monastery as a launching off place, we explore how mysticism, meditation, and contemplative traditions like monasticism can help answer questions, inform our beliefs, and offer insights into the divine that are deeper and more profound than those we find everyday churchgoing or scripture study alone.

How do you re-engage with God after deconstruction? How do you get over some of those major hurdles--the violence, exclusion, injustice and other problems that make traditional theology hard to swallow? Thomas Oord--theologian, writer, professor, and director of the Center for Open and Relational Theology--talks with us about the book that he and Tripp Fuller just released, God After Deconstruction. Together, these innovative theological minds systematically address the top problems that people have with modern Christianity, and take on each of them head-on. Oord offers thoughtful responses to many of the burning issues that are driving people away from churches, and presents some of the concepts of Open and Relational Theology, which many are finding as a reasonable yet faithful way of encountering God all over again.

This week we talk with none other than Rhett Wilson: layman, craftsman, family man, and the inheritor of a rich religious legacy of "the Donalds," a family of ministers, missionaries, and devout believers (all of whom in this case share a name)--and the expectations that come from a family heritage of deep devotion. (Side note: Rhett is also Kelly's nephew). Rhett gives an unvarnished look at his spiritual background, what aspects of it he ran away from, and what drew him back in. He also talks about what faith and ministry look like to him now, and how one can be a light to people without a ministry or theology degree, or even necessarily agreeing with them (hint: it may involve beers in the garage.)

We talk with Keith Giles, a former pastor who "left the church to follow Jesus," and author of "The Quantum Sayings of Jesus" and several other books that challenge our understanding of the gospels. Keith talks with us about his journey into faithful uncertainty, the scholarship that helped him open up a new window into some of the otherwise mysterious sayings of Jesus, and how his discoveries have helped him understand what Jesus was telling us to do. In addition to being an author, Keith is also editor at Quoir publishing and host of Heretic Happy hour and other podcasts.

Keith Giles
www.keithgiles.com
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063595719168
https://www.instagram.com/keithagiles/
https://twitter.com/keithgiles
https://quoir.com/
https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/heretic-happy-hour