Send us Fan Mail 65. Rev. Darrell Hamilton II (Baptist) | Healing Religious Trauma: Tending to Open Wounds What happens when the Christianity that was supposed to heal you is what wounded you? What if questioning your faith isn't a slippery slope to hell, but the beginning of liberation? And what if the image of God you inherited shapes how you see women, LGBTQ+ people, race, and power? Rev. Darrell R. Hamilton II is an ordained Baptist minister, preacher, writer, and advocate for faith-rooted justice. A graduate of Wake Forest University School of Divinity, he has served at Middle Collegiate Church and worked with Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People's Campaign. Rev. Darrell joins Alexis Rice for a powerful conversation about religious trauma, deconstruction, Black liberation theology, decolonizing Christianity, Christian nationalism, and what it really takes to heal from harmful Christianity. Raised in Oklahoma, Rev. Darrell grew up believing that questioning certain Christian teachings could threaten his salvation. Then he met a gay Christian whose church wouldn't allow him to sing in the choir. How could a church silence someone's praise to God? That question changed everything. At Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Rev. Darrell discovered an enormous Christian theological world he had never been introduced to. Black liberation theology. Queer theology. Feminine images of God. Perspectives that challenged everything he had been taught about who God is and who belongs. Together, Alexis and Rev. Darrell explore why so many Christians never encounter these perspectives, how white-centered theology became normalized, and what happens when Christians imagine God exclusively as a white man. They discuss James Cone, the power of Black preaching and worship, and why liberation theology invites us to understand Christianity through the experiences of people who have been oppressed. If the way we imagine God shapes how we treat one another, what happens when we change our understanding of God? And then there's the question of healing. Some people have scars from harmful Christianity. Others are still carrying open wounds. Not everyone is ready to reconstruct their faith, return to church, or even talk about God. How can pastors, churches, and those who understand multiple Christian traditions help people heal without causing more harm? Rev. Darrell also shares his hope for his daughter and the next generation: a Christianity rooted in love, justice, dignity, belonging, and the beloved community rather than fear and domination. The slippery slope doesn't have to lead to hell. Sometimes it leads to sacred ground. WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR? Evangelicals in distress, exvangelicals, and anyone navigating religious trauma, deconstruction, or disillusionment. Christians who still love Jesus but are questioning the theology, politics, and power structures they inherited. LGBTQ+ Christians, women in ministry, and people who have been told they don't belong. White Christians seeking to learn from Black liberation theology, decolonization, and Christian traditions beyond their own. Cradle mainliners and progressive Christians who want to better understand the experiences of those leaving fundamentalist Christianity. People of any faith or none seeking healing, justice, and hope. Pastors, seminarians, scholars, bishops, and church leaders who want to create communities where people can question, heal, and belong. ✨ GUEST + FOLLOW Rev. Darrell R. Hamilton II (Baptist) | IG: @blackandeducatedpreacherWake Forest University School of Divinity | IG: @wakedivinityMiddle Collegiate Church | IG: @middlechurch 📚 MENTIONED + RESOURCES Rev. Dr. James H. Cone | Black Liberation TheologyA Black Theology of Liberation | James H. ConeThe Cross and the Lynching Tree | James H. ConeRev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas | Womanist TheologyStand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God | Kelly Brown DouglasGustavo Gutiérrez | Liberation TheologyRev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis | IG: @revjacquilewisRev. Dr. Otis Moss III | Trinity United Church of ChristBishop William J. Barber II | Repairers of the BreachRepairers of the Breach | breachrepairers.orgPoor People's Campaign | poorpeoplescampaign.orgRev. Dr. Bill Leonard | Wake Forest UniversityJohn Mark Comer | IG: @johnmarkcomerPracticing the Way | John Mark ComerDiana Butler Bass | IG: @dianabutlerbass Find these books and more on The Sacred Slope Book Reccos List: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope ⛪ EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY Church Clarity | @churchclarity | churchclarity.orgThe Episcopal Church | @theepiscopalchurchUnited Methodist Church | @theumcUnited Church of Christ | @unitedchurchofchristELCA Lutheran | @elcaPresbyterian Church (USA) | @pcusaDisciples of Christ | @disciplesofchrist ⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 | When Christianity Causes Harm12:45 | Meet Rev. Darrell Hamilton II14:58 | The Future of Progressive Churches23:04 | The Slippery Slope to Hell29:30 | Deconstruction in Seminary37:28 | Finding an Open-Minded Seminary42:00 | What Christian Bookstores Didn't Teach Us44:48 | Questioning Traditional Theology47:41 | Discovering Feminine Images of God51:11 | Is God a Man?55:42 | How Theology Shapes Society1:00:17 | What Is Liberation Theology?1:06:36 | Understanding God and Jesus1:07:22 | Theology Through the Eyes of the Oppressed1:08:11 | Deconstructing White-Centered Christianity1:09:10 | Seeing God in Others1:09:55 | Confronting Whiteness in Christianity1:11:43 | Why Black Preaching Matters1:13:10 | Divesting from Whiteness1:14:39 | Entering Sacred Spaces1:15:11 | The Beauty of Black Worship1:16:32 | An Invitation into Black Churches1:18:39 | Reclaiming Identity Through Diversity1:20:33 | The Path to Transformation1:21:35 | Building the Beloved Community1:23:11 | Hearing God Through Diversity1:26:04 | The Sacred Slope Community & Clergy Nominations #ReligiousTrauma #Deconstruction #LiberationTheology #BlackLiberationTheology #DecolonizingChristianity Support the show About The Sacred Slope thesacredslope.comWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit: ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control
