David Congdon: A Polyamorus Ecclesiology

In this episode of Psyche Podcast, I’m joined by theologian David Congdon for a deep, wide-ranging conversation about desire, love, polyamory, and the future of Christianity.

For centuries, Christian theology has treated eros, sexuality, and pleasure as something dangerous — something to be controlled, disciplined, or confined to narrow moral boundaries. David’s new book challenges that entire framework. Drawing on theology, philosophy, and queer theory, he asks what it would mean to imagine a Christianity where God, desire, and human love are not in competition with one another.

We talk about why Christianity has been so suspicious of pleasure, how monogamy became a moral norm, and what a non-competitive vision of love might look like. Along the way, we explore Donna Haraway’s concept of natureculture, Carrie Jenkins’ philosophy of love, jealousy and compersion, and why a resurrection-centered faith opens the door to a more abundant, joyful, and inclusive understanding of intimacy.

We also dive into the cult film Shortbus as a surprising parable of the church — a community built around permeability, forgiveness, and the courage to let in the new.

This episode isn’t about tearing faith down. It’s about asking what kind of love, spirituality, and community might become possible if we stopped confusing scarcity with holiness.

Listen in for a conversation about eros, grace, and a church that could be otherwise.