Radical Sacred Jenny Misslin and Phillip Dieke

Thank you for hanging with us for this first season! Phil and Jenny reflect on the last 25 episodes of Radical Sacred! Did you have a favorite episode or guest? We’d love to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram.

As we look forward to having some time to rest and reflect this summer this episode features conversations about where we’re finding hope and inspiration in podcasts, music, and books. If you love very random playlists that include music from Zach Bryan to Outkast to Ani Difranco to Childish Gambino find Radical Sacred’s here.

We will have some in person offerings for this summer in mid-late July in the DFW area. Potentially an evening on Purity Culture, a birding outing, and maybe something to do with grief. If you want to join us for any or all of these let us know! Stay tuned (especially to our Instagram) for more info on connection this summer. 

Jenny (podcasts, music, books)
Podcasts-
Falling back in love with The Robcast lately.Poetry Unbound Mythic Masculine-Living MythWe are Man Enough 
Music 
Zach Bryan (ultimate sad cowboy music)Maggie RogersKacey MusgravesBirdtalkerBooks



What my bones know -Stephanie FooThe Body is not an Apology - Sonya Renee TaylorFor the Love of Men - Liz Plank You Could Make this Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith 

Phil (podcasts, music, books)
Podcasts
Vox: Pivot, Today Explained, The Gray AreaYour Undivided Attention - Center for Humane Technology Weekly Witness - Texas ImpactOn BeingThe Ezra Klein Showa...

There is so much information circling around what is taking place in Palestine/Israel. This episode is not a history lesson on the founding of Israel, the displacement of Palestinians, nor the current military occupation taking place in Gaza. There have been many books, documentaries, podcasts, etc created to do that. This episode is an invitation to join us in our journey as we wrestle to make sense of geo-politics and how religion is so often used to divide us, rather than bring us together.

As stated in the episode, neither of us are experts in terms of the Middle East. We debated bringing experts into the conversation but decided to focus on our own experiences and what has led us to our current concerns, our own going curiosity, and ultimately how we can continue to value the radical sacred in every human being, and all creation.

Resources that have been helpful to us in our journey:
Science and Non Duality with Gabor Mate and Angela DavisThe 100 Year War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
A Palestinian Theology of Liberation by Naim Stefan AtikBlood Brothers by Elias Chacour and David HazardThe Rapture Exposed by Barbara RossingIsraelismAl JazeeraNoura ErakatCriticism of Israel and Antisemitism: How to tell where one ends and the other begins Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Context
05:49 Reading from Richard Rohr and Setting the Intention
09:23 Phil's Journey and Experiences in Israel and Palestine
27:04 Repression of Journalists and Activists
30:05 The Misuse of Religion as a Tool for Power and Violence
35:02 Interpreting Religious Texts with Love and Kindness
42:11 Seeking Diverse Sources for a Nuanced Understanding
46:20 Embracing the Shared Humanity of All People

"The only time you can do grief wrong is when you judge yourself for grieving."

Note: this episode about grief is heavy and it is long. If you are not in a space to address your grief, maybe save this one for later.

Shout out to Hillary Owen of Driftwood Healing for joining us in this personal conversation all about grief. This episode opens with a gorgeous poem by Ada Limon - from her book Bright Dead Things - Tossing Around the Ashes

Hillary, Phil, and Jenny have all had different dealings with grief over the years. We’ve all lost and all responded differently.

How can we learn from one another and from remaining open about our grief?
What might help us collectively and individually in the midst of deep grief?
Does our Enneagram number play into how we might handle our grief?

Join us as we delve into what makes us human, our capacity for deep love and deep grief. 

Grief Resources (Things we mentioned, or meant to anyways):
Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I’ve loved) by: Kate Bowler The Myth of Closure by: Pauline BossHow We Live is How We Die & When Things Fall Apart  by: Pema Chodron Crying In H Mart by: Michelle Zauner On Grief and Grieving by Elizabeth Kubler Ross and David KesslerBreathing Underwater by: Richard Rohr It’s Ok to Not Be Ok
Grieving and the Enneagram by: Suzanne Stabile 
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Welcoming Guest
01:50 Ada Lamone Poem
04:09 Resistance to Talking About Grief
07:47 Unresolved Grief and Funeral Experiences
09:30 Different Coping Strategies for Grief
21:07 Grief as an Antidote to Trauma
26:41 Differentiating Trauma and Grief
32:08 Engaging with Feelings in Grief
36:36 The Importance of Relational Buffering
38:26 Individual Approaches to Healthful Grieving
40:23 The Need for Supportive Relationships in Grief
43:04 Different Approaches to Grief: Thinking, Feeling, and Doing
45:27 The Power of Human Connection in the Healing Process
47:13 Finding Your Own Path to Healing
50:40 The Role of Spiritual Direction and Therapy in Grief
52:28 Creating Space for Grief in Society and Faith...

We’re back with Jessica Brazzeal of The Haven Wellness Center for her third visit! We heard from so many of you after our episode on purity culture we knew had to expand the conversation! If you missed our previous episode on purity culture start here.

We discuss how purity culture affected us individually and collectively, the orgasm gap that exists in the evangelical world, resources and more. We also dive into the etymology of the word pastor. What is at the root of the word and how we can tell the difference between someone whose words and behaviors are actually pastoral versus a bully with a pulpit.  We expand more on Josh Howerton (of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX) and male pastors like him who use fear, shame, and blame to control. If you’ve been affected by purity culture and want to connect, find us on Instagram. 
ResourcesSex with Emily Erica Smith Sex Ed Come as You Are by: Emily Nagoski Esther perel - where should we beginDr. laura anderson00:00 Introduction
00:43 The Impact of Purity Culture
04:00 Personal Experiences with Purity Culture
09:47 The Role of Pastors in Purity Culture
12:31 The Etymology of 'Pastor'
16:08 Platforming Abusive Leaders
21:09 Patriarchal Norms in Religion
24:01 Challenging Patriarchal Structures
24:32 Creating Safe Spaces for Conversations
31:47 Shifting from Judgment to Curiosity
39:31 The Power of Authentic Friendships

In this week's episode Jenny and Phil are joined by Hillary Owen to discuss attachment theory and attachment styles. Hillary, a licensed mental health professional, shares her expertise on the topic and explains the four attachment styles: secure, disorganized, anxious, and avoidant. They also explore the concept of attachment-focused EMDR therapy and how it can help individuals heal from attachment wounds. 

In this conversation, Hillary Owen discusses the importance of understanding attachment styles and how they impact our relationships and parenting. She emphasizes the need for self-awareness and self-compassion in order to create healthier and more secure connections. Hillary also explores the intersection of attachment theory and spirituality, highlighting the sacredness of doing inner work and showing up for ourselves. She provides practical steps for individuals to begin their own attachment journey, including reading about attachment styles and practicing mindfulness. Hillary concludes by sharing where she is finding inspiration and, of course, her favorite bird.

The conversation around imagination and the brain will likely blow your mind (pun intended). Let us know who your safe character/person is.

Find out more about Hillary and her work at Driftwood Healing.

Resources:
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love by Amir Levine.Life Kit Quiz "What's your attachment style?"

00:00 Introduction and Background
09:06 Introduction to Attachment Theory and Attachment Styles
25:00 Attachment-Focused EMDR Therapy
31:27 Imagination and Healing
47:38 Practical Steps for Embarking on an Attachment Journey
59:12 The Power of Human Connection and Storytelling

In this episode of Radical Sacred, Jenny and Phil are joined by Jenny Bates a United Methodist in North Texas who is finishing up graduate school at Brite Divinity and recently was approved for Commissioning as a clergyperson in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

They discuss how Jenny used the Radical Sacred episode on the Sacred Masculine as a resource for a pub theology she hosted, queer theology, and the United Methodist Church General Conference that officially started yesterday.

Throughout the episode, Jenny emphasizes the need for inclusivity and the importance of holding space for different perspectives and experiences in the United Methodist Church and beyond. She shares her journey of exploring her own gender identity and the support she receives from her chosen queer family.

In the episode she states, "Queer theology showed me that I do have sacred roots," what has helped you identify your sacred roots?

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Our previous episode on The Sacred MasculineQueering Wesley, Queering the Church by Keegan OrsinskiThe Revised Social Principles of the United Methodist ChurchThe Advanced Daily Christian Advocate for the UMC General ConferenceAlso, if you are a United Methodist looking to follow what is happening at General Conference follow these accounts:
The Queer Clergy CacusRev. Maria Dixon HallRev. Jeremy SmithScott Atnip


Chapters:
00:00 Introduction Jenny Bates and her use of Pub Theology
07:55 Positive Masculinity and Biblical Examples
34:00 Exploring Sacredness through Queer Theology
51:58 Jenny's Journey of Gender Exploration
59:09 The Importance of Community in the Journey