In the Shift

In the Flesh: Evolution, faith, meaning and the universe

Episode 28: This episode explores some of what evolution tells us about what makes human beings distinct, the embodiedness of our existence, the emergence of consciousness and why this might be connected to the universe becoming self-aware. And then we ask what insights and resources faith and spirituality might provide us in navigating this experience of humanness, and what kind of meaningful life this could invite us into. 

In the Flesh: Evolution vs Christianity?

Episode 27: Are there things in scripture that don’t allow Christians to accept evolutionary theory? In order for Christians to have "faith" do they have to resist the claim that we have a common ancestor with apes? And if not, then what insight does evolutionary theory actually give us into what it means to be human, and how can this help us to understand faith, spirituality and some of our fundamental struggles as human creatures?

In the Flesh: Science vs Religion?

Episode 26: To understand what it means to be embodied humans, we need to grapple with evolution. But this also means unpacking the apparent conflict between science and religion that often plagues certain streams of Christianity. Many people assume that the claims of science go against the claims of religion, and vice versa. But the reality is, it is only some versions of religion that have a problem with science, and only some scientists who have a problem with religion. The conflict between these two worlds is entirely unnecessary... and a religious or spiritual tradition that means anything to us simply must be open to truth and knowledge wherever it is found. This episode asks why this conflict exists, and suggests some ways of thinking about God and spirituality that can help us to move forward in this conversation.

In the Flesh: The (holy) spirit of inclusion

Episode 25: This episode explores a dynamic of spirituality that does more than just overturn exclusion, but moves intentionally toward inclusion. For some of the early Christians, their experience of the divine Spirit served to break down the barriers that excluded people based on ethnicity, gender, social class and even religious identity. This appears to have taken place, not by eliminating diversity, but by the Spirit-led affirmation of multiple identities and therefore the inclusion of diverse peoples. In this context, the activity of the Spirit is not just about individual mystical experiences, but about the disruption of oppressive systems, exclusive in-out groups, and the movement of people toward justice and compassion.

In the Flesh: LGBTQI & overturning exclusion

Episode 24: In this episode I talk through my own personal and theological journey of change. From being surrounded by, inheriting and adopting conservative and exclusionary views toward LGBTQI people, through to a full change of mind and heart, and the embrace of an affirming theology.

In the Flesh: "When you're outside on the inside"

Episode 23: This episode features a conversation on sexuality, faith and the journey of coming to a kinder understanding of God and self. Ben grew up in a conservative Christian home, but as a young man had to wrestle with an emerging sexuality that didn’t fit the Christian script he’d been given. This is a personal and honest discussion exploring that journey, what it meant for his spirituality, for relationships and community, and whether he could come to terms with both his sexuality and his faith; things that he’d been told didn’t belong together.

In the Flesh: Is healing a thing?

Episode 22: Many forms of Christianity (along with other religions too) hold to a belief that God can heal physical bodies in answer to prayer. In some streams, there are particularly potent versions that claim healing as a promised answer to prayers of faith and conviction. But there's a lot of dishonesty in this conversation, and the reality of people's experience seldom matches the rhetoric. So what do we do with this? Is healing a thing, or is it just wishful thinking? Is talk of God "intervening" in our lives a helpful way to conceive of God, and how does this impact on the way we think about prayer and healing? 

In the Flesh: "Crippled Grace" with Dr Shane Clifton

Episode 21: In this episode I talk with Professor of theology and ethics Dr Shane Clifton about the intersections between disability, theology and embodiment. In 2010 Shane had a serious accident that left him a quadriplegic (C5 Incomplete). Since that time his research has explored the intersection between disability studies, virtue ethics, and theology. In this conversation we talk about his accident and what that meant for his own faith, as well as how that has reshaped his academic work as a theologian. We talk about human flourishing, happiness and living a life of meaning, along with how we can see the body in positive terms.

Shane is currently Honorary Professor, at the Centre for Disability Research and Policy, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the University of Sydney. You can find out more about Shane's work by visiting www.shaneclifton.com 

 

In the Flesh: Bodies, consciousness, and why you don't have a "spirit-man"

Episode 20: What is a human being? Are we just flesh and blood, or is there something more going on here? What, or who, is the 'real' us? These are questions that humans have been contemplating for thousands of years. In recent times, the idea of humans as body-soul-spirit has become common in certain streams of Christianity... suggesting that the "spirit" is the most real you. But this can lead to a diminishing of the importance of one's own body and of the emotional/physical self. This episode unpacks the language of body-soul-spirit, and makes some alternative suggestions for how we might think about the human experience, the spiritual life, and human flourishing.

In the Flesh: The purity problem

Episode 19: In this episode we examine the language of purity, and the way it is used within the Christian tradition. To do so, we explore the psychology of disgust, the principles of contamination, and what all of this has to do with our sense of embodiment. In particular, religious language about sex and sexuality is shaped almost entirely by a purity discourse. But there are some problems that arise when the binary language of purity is used as the primary framework for this arena of our lives. When someone comes to see themselves as "impure", this can lay the ground for feelings of self-loathing and guilt, as well as anger and rejection toward others.

This episode draws on the insights of psychologist and experimental theologian Richard Beck, who explores how the language of purity in Christianity intersects with a psychology of disgust in shaping social and religious exclusion (and how love transforms this paradigm). To read more, see his book -Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality and Mortality.