Spiritual Misfits Podcast

In this conversation, Will Small, Thomas Jay Oord, and Becca De Souza discuss open and relational theology, the challenges of suffering, and the process of deconstruction and reconstruction in faith. They also touch on the topic of LGBTQ+ affirmation within religious institutions. Thomas shares his personal journey from a classical theist position to open and relational theology, emphasizing the importance of understanding God's power as love. The conversation explores the need for a faith that embraces doubt and uncertainty while still providing comfort and meaning. They also discuss the role of certainty in children's faith development and the importance of allowing space for questioning and exploration. They explore the idea that salvation is not just liberation from pain, but also survival and quality of life, requiring the cooperation of both God and humanity. They also delve into the role of prayer in an open and relational theology, emphasizing that prayer is communication with God and can bring about change through our actions. They touch on the concept of miracles and how they occur when God and creation work together for something good. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the value of open and relational theology in providing a picture of God that is true for all people, especially those who have been marginalized and oppressed.Keywords open and relational theology, suffering, deconstruction, reconstruction, LGBTQ+ affirmation, faith, doubt, certainty, children's faith development, God, suffering, open and relational theology, salvation, cooperation, prayer, miraclesTakeaways Open and relational theology views God as interactive and responsive, and recognizes the limits of God's power. It offers a framework that aligns with our experiences and intuitions about love and free will.Certainty is not the goal of faith. Embracing doubt and uncertainty can lead to a more mature and honest understanding of God and the world.Children's faith development involves different stages, and it is natural for young children to have a black-and-white view of God. As they grow, it is important to create a safe space for them to ask questions and explore their beliefs.Traditional theologies can be traumatizing and dismissive of our experiences. Open and relational theology provides a more inclusive and compassionate perspective that takes into account the diversity of human experiences.The process of deconstruction and reconstruction in faith can be challenging but also liberating. It involves reevaluating our beliefs and theological frameworks, and embracing a faith that is more aligned with our values and experiences. Salvation is not just liberation from pain, but also survival and quality of life, requiring the cooperation of both God and humanity.God is always acting and working in the world, and our response to God's activity is cruciWant to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Well hello again my friends! If you’ve been listening in recent weeks I hope you have enjoyed these talks from Future Church Conference. I am excited to share that a few of us met this last week to start planning the next one — it’s going to be great. Follow New City Church or Spiritual Misfits on Instagram for a date announcement soon. This will be the last piece of content for now from the inaugural Future Church Conference — and it’s a little different. On the evening of the day we asked 5 different speakers to give a 7 minute pitch for an idea they think is vital for the future church. So now   you have the opportunity to hear these fantastic talks — micro in length, but each one packs a punch.  Keep listening and you will hear:JOYCE TANGI on anti-racismJESSICA MORTHORPE on climate justiceKAREN PACK on LGBTQIA+ InclusionMITCH FORBES on the place of tradition as we move forwardJOEL HOLLIER on being trauma-informedAnd to round it there are a couple of songs at the end from Marion St — you may remember Gabi and Mikali who have previous been on the podcast (if you didn’t catch that one go back and listen to those legends). So there is a lot of good stuff jam-packed into this episode. Before we jump in my dear friends, listen up. I’m about to have a couple weeks off after a very big start to the year. Normally I’d line a couple of replay episodes — but as I mentioned last week we are just about to launch a Spiritual Misfits rebrand. And so, here’s what’s going to happen. For the next 2 or 3 weeks there will be a Spiritual-Misfits-shaped-hole in your podcast player. But make sure you’re subscribed — because after that we’re going to pop back into your feed with a new look, a new website and plenty of amazing and important new conversations coming your way. Between now and then, hit up our extensive back-log and catch up on any episodes you haven’t heard yet. Some recommendations: as we continue to witness and grieve the horrendous genocide the Israeli government is committing in Palestine, can I suggest listening to my friend Sara M. Saleh’s episode if you haven’t? Or if you want to participate in non-violent love and resistance in this world listen to the episode with Jarrod McKenna. There are so many others I could suggest, but those both feel timely.We’ll be back in a few weeks! Until then, big love and remember — you are not alone.   Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Hello again friends! The last few weeks there’s been less of my voice on the pod, which has probably been a refreshing change. However if you proceed with listening to this one, it is my talk from Future Church Conference. Which ironically strongly reinforces the point that you should listen to many voices other than mine. I won’t redo my talk in the intro spiel here — but you will hear both my slight discomfort and embrace of the topic I was asked to speak about. Hey, if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you would have heard me say that this year we are working on some other things to add to the spiritual misfits eco-system.Well, can I tell you my friends that there are some exciting things coming very soon now. We have been doing a Spiritual Misfits rebrand — which is actually kind of the first time we’ve done proper branding for it. If you look for example at the Spiritual Misfits website or at the podcast cover art you will notice the logo for Meeting Ground Church. You may already know this but in case you’re confused Meeting Ground is a small, local church on the Central Coast of NSW of which the podcast emerged from. Obviously though the audience of the podcast goes well beyond Meeting Ground’s geography. And as much as I would love to invite every one of you beautiful listeners to be part of Meeting Ground that wouldn’t work. However, it is my hope that the podcast can be just one part of a larger work that helps connect people with other people, with different ideas, with avenues for support…so I know it’s been a slow burn, because we’re also pretty resource limited. However, on the near horizon there will be a new website, with some videos and other resources to help misfits navigate the disorientation that can come with feeling like you’re on the fringes. And there will be some other cool things that pop-up there over time. So, be warned. There will come a day soon when you look at your podcast app and the cover art for the podcast is new and beautiful and different.  I can also tease that just around the corner there is a limited series of episodes created in collaboration with very good humans. And I think they are going to be something special. Anyway, that is enough teasing of things. Tell your friends, share the love, join the Facebook group. Enjoy this little talk from Future Church Conference (and follow New City Church on Instagram to make sure you don’t miss a pending date announcement about the next one). Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Karen Pack at the Future Church Conference discusses the power of storytelling, challenges historical narratives for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, reimagines Australia's history, advocates for inclusive storytelling in Christianity, highlights erasure of marginalized voices in religious narratives, and empowers LGBTQIA+ representation in faith communities.

Hello good people!In January this year a group of us hosted the first ever Future Church conference. It was a fantastic day — we had people travel from South Australia, Queensland, Victoria…converging in Redfern Town Hall for an exploration of what the church of tomorrow could look like at its most expansive, welcoming and imaginative. We delved into some heavy topics, but it was a really inspiring and wonderful space of connection and possibility. There will be another Future Church Conference — if you want to make sure you don’t miss any announcements about that give New City Church a follow on the socials — or even feel free to send an email to spiritualmisfits@outlook.com and we will make sure you’re in the loop when a date is announced.In the meantime, I’m going to be playing some of the talks from last time here on the podcast. They were all brilliant, in my opinion, and are well worth sharing around and using as the basis for ongoing conversations.  We were so grateful to be joined by Safina Stewart on the day. Safina is a proud Wuthathi and Mabuiag Island woman who grew up cross culturally in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Australia. She is an artist, the Relationships and Storytelling Coordinator at Common Grace, and a brilliant storyteller in her own right. Safina gave a talk at Future Conference called ‘The Future Church is Decolonising’. This was such a powerful and palpable talk to be in the room for. If you couldn’t be in the room this recording is absolutely worth listening to! At certain points in the talk Safina used her body to illustrate the points she was making. For example, when she talks about looking back at the past to inform our future she turned away from the audience. Knowing this I’m sure you can imagine those moments as you listen. Are you part of a church that wants to find out more about partnering with Common Grace? Email info@commongrace.org.au  Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Hello good people,In January this year…which feels like a long time ago right now….a group of us hosted the first ever Future Church conference. It was a fantastic day — we had people travel from South Australia, Queensland, Victoria…converging in Redfern Town Hall for an exploration of what the church of tomorrow could look like at its most expansive, welcoming and imaginative. We delved into some heavy topics, but it was a really inspiring and wonderful space of connection and possibility. There will be another Future Church Conference — if you want to make sure you don’t miss any announcements about that give New City Church a follow on the socials — or even feel free to send an email to spiritualmisfits@outlook.com and we will make sure you’re in the loop when a date is announced.In the meantime, I’m going to be playing some of the talks from last time here on the podcast. They were all brilliant, in my opinion, and are well worth sharing around and using as the basis for ongoing conversations.  Joel Hollier was a major force in instigating Future Church Conference, along with the crew at New City Church. And here is Joel’s talk: The Future Church is Trauma Informed…Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Scott M. Coley is a lecturer in philosophy and the author the forthcoming book 'Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power and the Ideology of the Religious Right.'In this conversation Scott gives an excellent overview of how propaganda can function in reinforcing systems that benefit those who are currently in positions of power and privilege. He also explains the role of 'legitimising narratives' in perpetuating social hierarchies. For people seeking to disentangle the core of faith from the ideology that is often overlaid for political or other purposes, this conversation and Scott's book can be a helpful and accessible guide.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Growing up my understanding of Islam was largely informed by Christian sources telling me what was wrong. I actually remember a book I owned called ‘why are there so many gods?’ In and of itself this is not a terrible question, but the contents of the book included a 1-2 page summary of all the major (and many minor) religions of the world. And at the end of each one it had ‘the catch’ - a couple short sentences on why it was false.Of course on the page about Christianity ‘the catch’ section said ‘there is none!’These days I find the project a book like that is trying to engage in preposterous and arrogant. I would much rather look for the common ground across spiritual traditions. I’m happy to acknowledge and discuss differences, but I’m not looking for ‘the catch’ in every view that differs from mine! Speaking of common ground, this week I had a conversation with Adis Duderija, a scholar of contemporary progressive Islam. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised to discover so much of what Adis outlines in terms of his approach to faith is deeply resonant with my own. And many of the tensions he describes within the tent of his tradition…sound like they could just be describing the same trends within Christianity.I desire a spirituality that sees people from all perspectives as conversation partners and fellow learners. So I was very grateful for this chat with Adis. There’s so much more we could have explored. But if, like me, your engagement in inter-faith dialogue has been more limited than you’d like, I hope this provides an opportunity to listen, learn and see common ground in our pursuit of a good, just and beautiful life.About Adis Duderija:Adis Duderija is an academic, working at Griffith University. Teaching and researching on contemporary Islam with a special focus on the theory of progressive Islam, salafism and religious extremism, Islam and Gender, western Muslims’ identity construction and inter-faith dialogue theory and practice.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

Rachel Collis has often felt like the ‘non-Trekkie at the Star-Trek convention’ at church. Still, she has shown up over the years, through faith, doubt and everything in between. We explore her story as well as the powerful music she makes, closing our conversation with one of her songs, ‘the least of these.’Check out more of Rachel’s work here: https://rachelcollis.com/Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com

We're adding a twist to our beloved Pub Theology episodes: bring a friend - who brings the topic. This time, Will has brought Carlynne Nunn. And Carlynne has brought shame and disappointment. Great topics for a lively ol' pub chat! Pour a drink of your choosing and join us for a rich and wide conversation about the dark and uncomfy things in life and faith. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com