Inverse Podcast

Carol Ng’ang’a is a very dear friend of the Inverse community, and is a key part of leading our Subversive Seminary and Liberating Sunday School groups weekly. She is a community development practitioner, and has a BTh in Community Development from Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town. Carol has spent the last ten years walking alongside various communities towards interventions for their empowerment. In July 2017, Carol founded Msingi Trust whose aim is to ‘Mobilize, inspire, equip, and network Christians and community leaders towards social justice, social activism, and social transformation.’ Carol was part of the first 2018 Tearfund Young Theologian prgroam, and is currently part of 2020’s Inspired Individuals program. Msingi Talks is a podcast hosted by Msingi Trust that ventures deeper and makes connections in the world of faith advocacy activism. To support the work of Msingi Trust and the production of this podcast, please consider making a donation via Paypal: msingikenya@gmail.com Patreon:www.patreon.com/msingitrust Mpesa: +254 792 176 030 Follow Msingi on Twitter and Instagram @msingitrust Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

What if you could combine the poetic social commentary of James Baldwin, the prophetic fire of Bob Marley, and the contemporary sounds of John Legend? Andre’s alternative R&B music would be at that intersection. His unique “Future Reggae” sound combines a little Atlanta and a little Montego Bay. As an award-winning singer-songwriter and music producer, Andre uses music to sing about Black life and social justice with elements of reggae, electronica, rock, and a dash of hip-hop. His combination of art, social commentary, and on-the-ground activism recalls the work of countless Black artists such as Nina Simone, Paul Robeson, and Marvin Gaye. In 2016, Andre’s passion for social justice and art came together when he decided to lug a 100-pound granite boulder around Los Angeles for a few months in protest of systemic racism in the United States. His ongoing performance was the start of a serious intellectual quest to understand how ordinary people can fight social oppression; the work has established him as a respected thought leader on anti-racism and social change. “I just wanted to help people understand what it is like to live in a Black body in an anti-Black world,” he explains. “One day, I lugged the boulder over to a piano. ‘It doesn’t have to be this way,’ I sang, again and again. Tears crawled down my face, as I realized this is it. This is the message.” That lyric is his rallying cry of a growing movement. Andre’s commitment to use art to inspire social progress has led him to study the works of great freedom fighters like Gandhi and Mandela and Martin Luther King. After studying leadership in nonviolent movements at the Harvard Kennedy School he went on to consult with founders of international movements and national revolutions. He incorporates the insights he’s gleaned from his experiences as an activist and his studies into his music. Make no mistake about it, Andre Henry is trying to incite a revolution. Follow Andre on Instagram @theandrehenry and Twitter @andrehenry Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

How did the early church’s theologians think of atonement and violence? We ask Dr Ben Myers. Dr Ben Myers oversees the higher degree research programs at Alphacrucis College in Australia. (Honours, MPhil, DMin, PhD). He has worked extensively in research and postgraduate supervision, and has been a research fellow at the University of Queensland, a lecturer at Charles Sturt University, and dean of liberal arts at Christian Heritage College. His international appointments have included visiting fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary and member in residence at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton. He is a Research Fellow of the Public and Contextual Theology Research Centre (PaCT) at Charles Sturt University and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Queensland. Ben has published widely in theology, literature, and the history of Christian thought. His current research focuses on poetry and theology in the 17th century, especially George Herbert and John Milton. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, and creative curate who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create art and moments that speak to our deepest experiences. Using his passion and commitment to craft, Scott has been a working artist for over a decade, and has had his work appear on CNN, National Geographic, and various magazines, newspaper outlets, and book covers. As a speaker, Scott brings his training as an educator and his experience as a visual communicator to all of his presentations. His goal is to bring something for his “A.D.D. brothers and sisters out there”… making sure every speech is thoughtful, entertaining, wondrous, and filled with visual elements and live creating. He is the writer and performer of two one man shows. Wrestling with his own professional burnout and clinical depression, “We Are Not Troubled Guests” is a performance story-telling piece in which he navigates the surprising gift of an existential crisis. His current show, “SAY YES: A Liturgy of Not Giving Up On Yourself”, juxtaposes story-teaching, participation, humor, and image curation as Scott walks us through the very personal and universal conversation about the death of a dream and the overwhelming voice of Giving Up in our lives. He is the co-author of Prayer: Forty Days of Practice and May It Be So, the author of Honest Advent, a Spiritual Director to brave women and men, and a professional dishwasher for his food blogging wife. Scott lives in Austin, TX and is most loved by his wife Holly and his children Anders, Elsa, and Jones. Follow on Scott on Instagram @scottthepainter Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

The ancient confession of the Apostles Creed was not simply a declaration of what the church was prepared to die for but why they were unwilling to kill. Join us with scholar Sharon Baker Putt (Messiah University) as we discuss her new book “A Nonviolent Theology of Love: Peacefully confessing the Apostles Creed” in our @inversepodcast Nonviolent Atonements series. Sharon says of her work: "When I’m not teaching (or grading papers!), I research and write in the areas of non-violent atonement theory, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace. I also work in the area of inter-religious dialogue, comparative theologies of religion, and Continental Philosophy. As a professor in an academic institution, I teach diverse doctrines and views of Christians in various cultures throughout Christian history in as unbiased a manner as possible." Although not super active on Twitter, you can find Sharon on Twitter @bakerputt Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Join us for a special episode as we bring you a conversation hosted by friend of the Inverse Community Carol Ng'ang'a - founder of Msingi Talks - who interviews Drew Hart and Jarrod McKenna. In this conversation, Carol speaks with Drew and Jarrod on "good trouble"; what it looks like to be co-conspirators in pursuit of justice, as well as how churches, communities, academia, and organizations can embody justice. This episode first aired on the Msingi Talks podcast. https://anchor.fm/msingitalks Msingi Talks is a podcast hosted by Msingi Trust, an organisation that ventures deeper and makes connections in the world of faith advocacy activism. To support the work of Carol and Msingi Trust, please consider making a donation via Paypal: msingikenya@gmail.com and their Patreon:www.patreon.com/msingitrust Follow Msingi Talks on Instagram @msingitrust . Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Revered Doctor Sally Douglas was a teacher before responding to the – rather surprising – call to be a Minister. Sally works in the mode of ‘scholar – pastor.' As well as serving at Richmond Uniting Church parish, she is an Honorary Research Associate within the University of Divinity and an Associate Lecturer within the University of Divinity, at Pilgrim Theological College. Sally’s doctoral research investigated very early, often suppressed, understandings of Jesus. Her book Early Church Understandings of Jesus as the Female Divine: The Scandal of the Scandal of Particularity was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2016. Her ongoing research interests span biblical studies, early church history and theology, and the implications of these in contemporary context. The driving question in Sally’s work in the parish, in her writing and in her research is ‘So what?’ – So what does this ancient text mean in contemporary context? So what does this mean for understandings of the Divine? So what might this mean for how we live? She is fed by ancient Christian contemplative prayer practices and, at present, is very into reggae and other (loud) music. Sally continues to be humbled by this strange calling to ordained ministry and deeply values accompanying others in their faith and doubt journeys as they explore what it might mean to be a disciple of Jesus in their own lives and who God is calling them to be. Follow Sally on Twitter @wordstitch Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Dr Carolyn Orr is neurologist at the Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia. She is also an activist for Extinction Rebellion Western Australia. She says, "I am a practising medical specialist. I run clinical trials for people with devastating brain diseases. I am the mother of two beloved primary school age children. I am a part of Extinction Rebellion because environmental scientists are telling us that we are destroying our planet via climate change. That we are in the sixth mass species extinction. That we are polluting our world faster than ever before in history. That we are in a planetary emergency. By the time my primary schoolers are in their 20s the devastating bushfire season of 2019-20 will be a normal year to them due to the continued heating of the planet. By the time they are my age (in their 40s) their world will be one of devastating heatwaves, floods, and droughts, leading to human suffering on a scale never seen before. Every major medical journal and many medical organisations, including the World Health Organisation, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian Medical Association, have declared a climate emergency. Our government is not only failing to heed that call, but continues investing our money in supporting coal, oil and gas industries when we need to be pivoting immediately and on a grand scale towards renewables and a zero carbon future. As a medical doctor I cannot stay silent in the face of this madness. As a mother I cannot stand by while my children’s future is stolen from them and their generation. It has been said that for evil to triumph, all that is necessary is that good people stay silent. That is why I am proud to be an active member of Extinction Rebellion." Follow Extinction Rebellion WA on Facebook. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. Follow Brian on Twitter and Instagram @brianzahnd as well as Facebook. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He serves as a reader and monastery preacher at All Saints of North America Orthodox Monastery. He also occasionally teaches at The Bridge in Abbotsford. Through his books and seminars, Brad shares the good news that God is Love, perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He teaches others how to encounter God through the practice of ”listening prayer,” through which God’s love heals wounded hearts and empowers us to heal this broken world. Follow Brad Jersak on Twitter @bradjersak and Instagram @bradleyjersak. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Dr Emerson Powery is the Professor of Biblical Studies at Messiah College. His research, writing, and editing relates to the New Testament and African American experience, including Jesus Reads Scripture (Brill, 2003) and True to Our Native Land: An African American NT Commentary (Fortress/Augsburg, 2007). His most recent (co-authored) publication, The Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved (WJKP, 2016), engages the function of the Bible in the 19th-century ‘slave narrative’ tradition, including the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs. Powery served on the editorial board of the Journal of Biblical Literature (2005-2013) and the editorial board for the Common English Bible; also, he was a recent past (regional) President of the Society of Biblical Literature (SE Region; 2006-2007). Presently, he co-chairs the “Slavery, Resistance, and Freedom” section of SBL. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Rev Dr Rodney Sadler Jr is a co-Editor of the Africana Bible, The African American Devotional Bible, and author of books like “The Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved” and “Can A Cushite Change His Skin? An Examination of Race, Ethnicity, and Othering in the Hebrew Bible”. As well as Rev Dr Sadler Jr being the associate professor of Bible and the director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte North Carolina, he is a kind and humble brother who is deeply involved in the work of justice. Follow Dr Sadler on Twitter @rodney_sadler and Facebook . Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)

Grace Semler Baldridge is a writer, a producer, and a musician. She is an openly queer Christian artist who recently had the top Christian album, namely Preacher's Kid on iTunes dethroning* Look Up, Child* by Lauren Daigle, which was released in 2018. Preacher's Kid carries a parental advisory for explicit lyrics. Grace says, “I want to grab the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian music chart and claim it for anyone who has been cast out in the name of God.” Grace, a talented journalist, also has a docu-series on Refeinery 29 called State of Grace. It is a series that explores the intersection of human rights, sexuality, and faith. Grace dives into controversial soceital realities tha Americans face everyday and how to navigate the modern world while remainting faithful. Follow Grace on Twitter and Instagram @gracebaldridge *Preacher's Kid *is out now on all music platforms. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew).

Reverend Simon Moyle is a member of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, and the Elder at GraceTree, a Baptist community on Wurundjeri country, where he lives with his wife Julie and their four children. He is an activist and nonviolence trainer. If you would like to get in touch with Simon, please visit GraceTree or contact Jarrod or Drew for his email address. He is happily obscure and does not have social media. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew).

Pádraig Ó Tuama is the staff poet and theologian at The On Being Project and hosts the Poetry Unbound podcast. He was formerly a leader of the Corrymeela community in Northern Ireland. His books include Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community, Sorry for Your Troubles, a poetic memoir, In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World and Borders & Belonging; The Book of Ruth — a story for our times, written with the late Glenn Jordan where we’ll spend time. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew).