Found in Translation

Brandon Vélez-Johnson & Brandon Rhodes | Liberation Theology & Biblical Studies
  • 4.9 (11)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We're decolonizing the New Testament chapter-by-chapter, through an original translation committed to faithfulness to the text, trauma-informed analysis, God always looking like Jesus, avoiding religious technical language, belovedness and belonging, and reading with the oppressed. Hosts: Brandon Rhodes (D.Min) and Brandon Vélez-Johnson Bible: Liberation and Inclusion Translation (www.litbible.net)

  1. MAR 25

    Desire, Defection, and Detainees - James 4

    Episode Highlights The "desire for pleasures" James condemns isn't about sex — it's about golden toilets, rent-gouging, and union-busting.Your 401(k) might be morally complicated."The world" James warns against isn't a vague spiritual fog — it's redlining, ICE raids, and every system where one human decides they matter more than another.Public prayer was never meant to be a private hotline to God — it's how a community surfaces each other's needs and volunteers to meet them.There's a reason the jet-ski buyer doesn't ask permission from the congregation first."If you support ICE, you are an enemy of God. That's according to James."Judging someone's worth as a human is forbidden. Judging whether their actions cause harm is not only allowed — it's required."If God wills it" is not a verbal get-out-of-jail-free card you can staple to a business plan.James asks you to let other people's suffering actually land on you — and the hosts connect that to people laughing about Alligator Alcatraz.... Read LIT online: litbible.net/james-4 More about the LIT Bible: litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    48 min
  2. No More Sacrifice! (LIVE from QCF Conference 2026)

    FEB 15 ·  BONUS

    No More Sacrifice! (LIVE from QCF Conference 2026)

    We had an absolute blast recording this episode at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Portland, Oregon. Rather than talk about the clobber passages used against queer folk, we wanted to explore how the LIT Bible opens up new insights into moral courage and resisting scapegoating in Hebrews 6. ... Follow the slide deck: https://tinyurl.com/NoMoreSacrifice Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/hebrews-6 More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    50 min

  3. FEB 6

    The One Where We Curse a Lot – James 3

    Episode Highlights Dehumanizing words vs taboo words;What kind of speech disqualifies someone from church leadership;"you piece of 💩" vs "look at that 💩"Competitive self-promotion in tension with maturity;Open-mindedness, not certainty, as a mark of Christian maturity;The role of power and hierarchy in how we speak.... Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-3 More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    43 min

  4. JAN 31

    What if "Faith vs Works" isn't about heaven? – James 2

    Episode Highlights The importance of avoiding the word faith in translation;What James probably meant by faith;Comparing what James and Paul each meant by works;Classism and power's role in James' exhortations about modesty;The importance of solidarity with the poor in shaping our faithfulness.... Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-2 More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    47 min

  5. JAN 23

    Cutting the Oppressor-Brain Vibes – James 1

    Episode Highlights The Letter of James is best understood through the lens of 1:27.Doubt in James is not about uncertainty in belief.Caring for orphans and widows is a central call of the faith.Avoiding the oppressor's mindset is the flipside to helping widows and orphans.... Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-1 More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    37 min

  6. JAN 16

    The Subversive Religion of Jesus' Little Brother – Introducing James

    Episode Highlights Is there a unifying theme behind James' meandering letter?Why did this letter piss off so many church leaders over the millennia?What can we learn about early Christianity from James?Why was James so fixated on power relationships?... Welcome to Season 8 of Found in Translation! We're thrilled to spend the next several weeks exploring the memorable, passionate, no-BS, seemingly-meandering, hotly contested letter attributed to Jesus' little brother. One of our favorite aspects of the Christian scriptures is how much better it is when heard in stereo: all of its authors are working out the meaning and beauty and scandal of Jesus. Each of the four evangelists have their own insights, Paul's pile of letters tease out what he learned about Jesus as a nationalist-turned-racial-justice advocate, Priscilla riffs on Paul's stuff in her own way, and so many more. Here we have the long-time leader of the Way in Jerusalem working out what he understood was the legacy and meaning of his older brother. ... Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-intro More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    34 min

  7. TRAILER

    Three Seasons and a Live Show! Previewing 2026

    We've been recording three seasons at once! James is coming soon, then 1 Corinthians and some bonus episodes on the translation commitments. We're so, so stoked. Most exciting: we're recording our first LIVE episode at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Portland, happening January 22-25. www.qcfconf.org for more! We hope to see you there. Read more of the Liberation & Inclusion Translation at www.litbible.net.

    6 min
  8. What is the Great Commission? – Matthew 28 & Recap with Kalie May Hargrove

    08/12/2025

    What is the Great Commission? – Matthew 28 & Recap with Kalie May Hargrove

    Episode Highlights Anti-Caesar coding throughout the story;how much better the gospel is apart from Christian supremacism;how to understand the great commission through a liberation & inclusion hermeneutic;identifying the inclusive center in the literary structure of Matthew;empathy and compassion are central to the gospel.... Our returning guest co-host today is Kalie Hargrove (she/her). Kalie is a writer, theologian, and activist who lives in the greater-Atlanta area with her partner and two kids. She is currently writing a commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew using the LIT Bible. Kalie has been part of LGBTQ+ activism bringing awareness of the legalized discrimination queer and trans students face at religious universities. She received her Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities.  Kalie is Director of Digital Outreach at the Center for Prophetic Imagination, which seeks to connect the intersection of socio-spiritual discernment and radical justice in our world. ... Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-28 More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

    1 hr
See All (108)

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

We're decolonizing the New Testament chapter-by-chapter, through an original translation committed to faithfulness to the text, trauma-informed analysis, God always looking like Jesus, avoiding religious technical language, belovedness and belonging, and reading with the oppressed. Hosts: Brandon Rhodes (D.Min) and Brandon Vélez-Johnson Bible: Liberation and Inclusion Translation (www.litbible.net)

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Vélez-Johnson & Brandon Rhodes | Liberation Theology & Biblical Studies
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Found in Translation