The Progressive Christians Podcast

The Progressive Christians

We're the love your neighbor kind of Christians, not the storm the capitol kind. So, if you're curious about what a socially and politically progressive Christianity looks like, this podcast is for you! In each episode we discuss politics, pop culture, and anything else we find interesting from the perspective of progressive Christianity. The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church.

  1. 15 AGO

    Israel, Gaza, & The Political Theology of Collective Punishment

    Are you struggling to reconcile your faith with the headlines about the human-made famine that is causing the deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza? You're not alone. All people of good conscience should feel unease. When Jesus wept, it was for the suffering of all humanity. What if we applied that same deep empathy to the heartbreaking crisis unfolding right now? In this episode, we are joined by Rev. Dr. Timothy Murphy, the senior pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to discuss the war in Gaza, his hunger strike to raise awareness about the famine, and what progressive Christians can do to motivate our elected officials to use their power to get humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.  The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at progressivechristians@theloftla.org.      Show Notes Rev. Dr. Timothy Murphy Bio/Church Website- https://www.plymouthfw.org/staff  Rev. Dr. Murphy’s Hunger Strike- https://www.journalgazette.net/local/plymouth-pastors-stage-hunger-strike-to-prompt-israel-to-allow-food-other-aid-into-gaza/article_7f53926e-b15e-479d-9cfc-9c9de6eca0f6.html#:~:text=Plymouth's%20senior%20pastor%20was%20on,last%20two%20weeks%20or%20more.  Orientalism- Edward Said https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/159783/orientalism-by-edward-w-said/  The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine- Rashid I. Khalidi https://guardianbookshop.com/the-hundred-years-war-on-palestine-9781781259344/?utm_source=editoriallink&utm_medium=merch&utm_campaign=article  Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn- Daniel Gordis https://www.harpercollins.com/products/israel-daniel-gordis?variant=32122925121570  My Name is Rachel Corrie- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Rachel_Corrie  Marjorie Spiegle- The Dreaded Comparison https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Dreaded_Comparison.html?id=8u_tAAAAMAAJ  Caste- Isabel Wilkerson https://www.nationalbook.org/books/caste-the-origins-of-our-discontents/  The Mathematics of Starvation: How Israel Caused a Famine in Gaza https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/31/the-mathematics-of-starvation-how-israel-caused-a-famine-in-gaza  Zeteo report on starvation (Behind a Paywall): https://zeteo.com/p/61-of-everyone-whos-starved-to-death?utm_source=unread-posts-digest-email&inbox=true&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true  https://www.btselem.org/publications/202507_our_genocide The Israel Lobby and American Foreign Policy- John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374531508/theisraellobbyandusforeignpolicy/  Jewish Voice for Peace- On Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, and Dangerous Conflation https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/11/09/antisemitism-dangerous/ What Antisemitism? - David Klion on Zeteo (Paywall) https://zeteo.com/p/what-antisemitism-adl-prostrated-musk-trump?utm_source=publication-search  Majority of Israelis Do NOT Support Netenyahu’s Actions in Gaza- https://www.timesofisrael.com/72-5-of-israelis-believe-netanyahu-should-take-responsibility-for-oct-7-and-resign/  This American Life Episode with reports from American Doctors in Gaza: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/859/transcript  Institute for Middle East Understanding Explainer on ADL https://imeu.org/article/explainer-the-anti-defamation-league-adl

    1 h y 7 min
  2. 8 AGO

    Who Wants To Be A Trad Wife? Deconstructing Gender Roles & Traditional Marriage

    What is biblical or traditional marriage, and how have Christian understandings of marriage been shaped by economics, politics, and faith? In this week's episode, we explore the rise of the Trad-Wife phenomenon and shed light on the propaganda that pushes this image of family life as normative. We conclude by re-examining our sacred texts to craft a vision of partnership that honors the sacred worth of human beings and the progressive values of relationality and freedom, without abandoning our faith. The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at progressivechristians@theloftla.org. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - Responding to Listener Comments 3:29 - The Evolution of "Biblical" Marriage 17:05 - Traditional Values Are Actually Just European Values 29:28 - Trad Wives, White Femininity & "Free" Labor 37:31 - Can Our Relationship With God Be A Model For Marriage 42:27 - A Progressive Vision Of Marriage & Gender Roles 1:00:57 - Closing    Show Notes Just Love by Margaret Farley https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/just-love-9780826429247/  Betty Bowers Explains Traditional Marriage (Warning: Explicit Language) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFkeKKszXTw  Ballerina Farms Interview- https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/meet-the-queen-of-the-trad-wives-and-her-eight-children-plfr50cgk Young Women’s Leadership Summit- https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/turning-point-usa-young-women-leadership-summit-agenda/ Young Conservative Women - https://archive.ph/GvyIK

    1 h y 7 min
  3. 1 AGO

    South Park Jesus: Examining Christianity's Broken Public Image

    Has Christianity lost its positive public perception? The season premiere of South Park revealed a lot about our current political and religious climate. Their portrayal of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount exposes the hypocrisy that an increasing number of non-religious people see within our tradition. In this week's episode, we discuss the declining public image of Christianity, the role evangelical, conservative, and mainline churches have played in speeding up that decline, and what Christians can do to start changing that perception one relationship at a time. The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church. If you have an idea for the show or want to connect with us, please email us at progressivechristians@theloftla.org. Show Notes: https://readingreligion.org/9781501122293/the-end-of-white-christian-america/  https://southpark.cc.com/sites/hetrumpedus/index.html  https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-religions-role-in-public-life/   Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:29 - Listener Review, Deconstruction 11:27 - Polling on Public Perception of Christianity 18:48 - South Park's Portrayal of Trump & Jesus 31:50 - Data On Why People Left The Church 35:50 - The Black Church Losing Trust Of The Black Community 39:00 - Progressive Visions For Improving The Image of Christianity 48:00 - Listener Question From Former MAGA Christian on LGBTQ 1:07:47 - Closing

    1 h y 9 min
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We're the love your neighbor kind of Christians, not the storm the capitol kind. So, if you're curious about what a socially and politically progressive Christianity looks like, this podcast is for you! In each episode we discuss politics, pop culture, and anything else we find interesting from the perspective of progressive Christianity. The Progressive Christians Podcast is a ministry of The Loft, a worship community of Westwood United Methodist Church.

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