Content note: this episode discusses botched execution, public execution, and lynching in America. Please listen mindfully.

Tennessee tried twice to execute Christa Pike on September 30th and failed. A week later, Pete Hegseth said he wanted the next military execution livestreamed. Why do some Christians defend the death penalty, and why do we believe those arguments fail on Jesus' own terms?

In this episode, we walk through the scriptures that Christians use to support the death penalty, examine the sociological data on deterrence and botched lethal injections, and what James Cone teaches us about public execution and lynching in America.

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

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Show Notes

1. Data on Botched Executions- https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/botched-executions
2. Christian Resistance to the Death Penalty- https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/advocacy/sentencing/the-death-penalty/
3. CLUE Bond Fund- https://www.cluejustice.org/detained-immigrant-bond-fund/
4. Each Step Home: Supporting Families in Detention- https://eachstephome.org/
5. Catholic, evangelical leaders condemn public execution plan of Fort Hood gunman - https://religionnews.com/2026/10/09/head-of-u-s-catholic-bishops-conference-condemns-public-execution-plans-as-promoting-a-culture-of-death/

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.

Tim Tebow's presentations at Life Surge events felt more like prosperity gospel tent revivals than "Christian" wealth seminars. This helps explain why so many people felt scammed.

In this episode, we unpack how a $30 all-day event leads to a $97 class and then $10,000 to $50,000 tiers - often on stacked credit cards - all sold as "Kingdom Impact." We dismantle the theology behind it by unpacking the lies of the prosperity gospel: faith measured by wealth, tithing triggers miracles, doubt is demonic, and debt is faith. We end the episode discussing what a progressive theology of money could look like using one of John Wesley's famous sermons, "Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can."

If you grew up hearing that suffering means lack of faith, or that questioning a pitch means the devil is talking to you - beloved, this one is for you. Doubt is discernment. It is not sin.

Featuring reporting from the two-part by Pablo Torre @PabloTorreFindsOut We Investigated the Christian "Scam" Fronted by Tim Tebow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh7s2jr0b48, and From Tim Tebow to Urban Meyer: Backstage at Ohio State for Life Surge https://youtu.be/NV7tvC-lPqQ?si=NY-aEjse55norcYB, and the @MotherJones investigation into Life Surge by Kiera Butler.

Please note that Tim Tebow paused his relationship with Life Surge after investigations into high-pressure Christian wealth seminars.

The theology of Christian Nationalism is light on CHRISTian and heavy on Nationalism. This framing empowers Theobros like Joshua Haymes to claim that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being," and still claim to be a Christian. So where is Jesus in all of this?

In this week's episode, we go through the four pastors named in Bob Smietana's @ReligionNewsService essay "The Rise of the Jim Crow Theobros": Michael Spangler, Joel Webbon, Joshua Haymes, and Dale Partridge. We discuss how these men turn racism, misogyny, and Christian Nationalism into a business. We then analyze how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of Isaiah 6:8 during his Send Me tour at Texas A&M follows the same pattern of biblical misinterpretation that is used by the Theobros. We look at what the passage actually says - Isaiah is called to bring his people back to God, not to go to war.

We close with Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited and some practical ways to read the Bible through the lens of love. It also covers how to act on the articles of impeachment against Hegseth, and some good news: Everest's 96-mile interfaith pilgrimage from Adelanto Detention Center to downtown Los Angeles.

📰 Read the RNS essay: "The Rise of the Jim Crow Theobros" by Bob Smietana https://religionnews.com/2026/09/24/the-rise-of-the-jim-crow-theobros/

⚠️ Content note: This episode quotes defenses of slavery, segregation and Nazism in the speakers' own words, so that we can expose them.

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct

📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links to the show and the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

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.

#ChristianNationalism #ProgressiveChristianity #Theobros #PeteHegseth #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndPolitics #Deconstruction

#progressivechristianity #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion

After deconstruction, how do you find a church that won't hurt you again? In the final episode of our series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again, we describe the journeys we each took to find belonging in a progressive church community.

Deconstruction can leave you lonely.

You lost your old church, and perhaps you even lost your community. How do you find community again? What does belonging even look like after deconstruction? In this episode, we talk honestly about what a healthy faith community looks like after church hurt, why belonging is different from fitting in, and how to find a progressive church where you can ask hard questions without getting kicked out.

If you're navigating Christian deconstruction and wondering where you belong now, this is for you.

#ProgressiveChristianity #ChristianDeconstruction #ChurchHurt

This is the final episode of our 4-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Episode 1, Faith Deconstruction Explained, can be found here: https://youtu.be/6Ia2JhMeXuQ

Listen to the full After Deconstruction sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct

📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

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.

After deconstruction, what's left? In Episode 3 of our series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again, we describe the faith we're actually building.

We discuss why we understand God as love itself, not control and punishment. We explain why we read the Bible as revealing people's experience of God and why wrestling with interpretations in community matters, rather than seeing it as an inherent answer book. Why believing in Jesus should focus on following his Way of Life rather than prioritizing his death. And why salvation is not an escape from hell but an invitation to seek individual and collective flourishing - or, as Jesus explained it, build the beloved community "on earth as it is in heaven."

In this episode we discuss:

• What we couldn't say out loud in the churches we came from
• God as love, immanence, and "what happens when we reach out to one another"
• Reading scripture through a Jesus-centered lens
• Why Christianity done well centers radical inclusivity, intentional community, and advocacy for neighbors
• The difference between a Christianity about Jesus and a Christianity of Jesus

If you grew up in the church and something felt wrong, you're in the right place.

This is Episode 3 of our 4-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Episode 1, Faith Deconstruction Explained, can be found here: https://youtu.be/6Ia2JhMeXuQ

Listen to the full After Deconstruction sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct

📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

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

1. JD Vance on the Antichrist- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/jd-vance-talks-end-antichrist-ai-faith-podcast-rcna595733
2. How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns- https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-the-bible-actually-works-in-which-i-explain-how-an-ancient-ambiguous-and-diverse-book-leads-us-to-wisdom-rather-than-answers-and-why-that-s-gr/a8149cd61e6ece66
3. Together California Foster Village Opens- https://variety.com/2026/film/actors/christian-bale-opens-foster-care-village-1236860641/
4. Ed Sheeran’s Tour Falls Apart- https://www.theguardian.com/music/commentisfree/2026/sep/16/ed-sheeran-macklemore-loop-tour-support-acts-quit-robert-kraft

#ProgressiveChristianity #ChristianDeconstruction #ReconstructingFaith #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

What's the difference between the religion OF Jesus and the religion ABOUT Jesus? A lot, and for those deconstructing Christianity, the difference means so much. This is Episode 2 of our 4-part series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again.

The religion OF Jesus is a spiritual path of radical compassion. It emphasizes love of neighbor, welcoming the outcast, questioning power, and personal transformation. The religion ABOUT Jesus is what happened when Empire, oppressive hierarchy, and economic control co-opted that message. From the Edict of Milan and the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) to biblical inerrancy and Christian Nationalism.

In this episode, we reframe:

• Sin as "a failure to bother to love" — not a rulebook
• Repentance as returning from exile and changing your mind
• Salvation as ongoing transformation, not a transaction
• The Kingdom of God as already among you — not a future apocalypse

We also discuss how Paul blurs the distinction between a religion of Jesus and a religion about Jesus, why Biblical Inerrancy is practically brand new (early 1900's), and how Jesus touching the ritually unclean was a radical act of inclusion and how this connects to trans people, immigrants, and disabled folks today.

This is Episode 2 of our 3-part series on Deconstructing & Reconstructing Christianity. Please check out episode 104, Faith Deconstruction Explained, if you haven't listened to it already!

Listen to the full sermon series playlist by Rev. Dr. Carter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPGxCVGYVnrA

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct

📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

Links mentioned this episode:

1. US Government creates video games about capturing immigrants- Arcade.gov
2. Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman- https://www.beacon.org/Jesus-and-the-Disinherited-P1781.aspx
3. World Map Change: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/04/nx-s1-5958611/africa-world-map-un-vote

#ProgressiveChristianity #DeconstructingChristianity #ReligionOfJesus #FaithDeconstruction #KingdomOfGod #progressive #faith #politics #popculture #religion #christianpodcast

Is deconstructing Christianity the end of your faith — or the beginning? This is Episode 1 of our 4-part series, Christian Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Finding Faith Again.

If you grew up in church and something started feeling off — like the Christianity around you didn't match the Jesus you read about — this is for you. In this episode, we share when our questions began, why doubt isn't failure, and how to rebuild a faith big enough to hold mystery, grief, and justice.

We discuss what deconstruction is and what it isn't, Adam Grant's Think Again hierarchy (cult leader → learner), Fowler's Stages of Faith (why stage 4 questioning is maturity, not rebellion), Jesus in Mark 2:13-17 redefining sin as a failure to bother to love, betrayal trauma in the church, the horseshoe of shame after purity culture, and why some people walk away while others stay to rebuild.

Plus: why Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" reality show perfectly captures the fear of being "brainwashed" by college, and why Dolly Parton's radical hospitality might be the best sermon you'll hear this week.

This is a 4-part series tied to Dr. Carter's 7-week sermon series at The Loft - links below.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct
Social links - https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians
📧 Ideas for the show? progressivechristians@theloftla.org
🎧 Available on all podcast platforms — new episodes every Friday

Show Notes:

1. Think Again by Adam Grant https://adamgrant.net/book/think-again/
2. Hierarchy of Thinking Styles https://wheatandtares.org/2022/07/13/adam-grants-thinking-styles/
3. The Religion of Whiteness- https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-religion-of-whiteness-9780197746288
4. Singers of Soul- https://www.instagram.com/singersofsoul/?hl=en
5. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/cities-terminate-flock-contracts-at-record-pace-in-august/

It feels like the end times - Christian Nationalism, war in Iran, and we can't even trust that our food is safe to eat anymore. A lot of people are carrying summertime sadness and doom-loop anxiety. Given this, what does eschatology actually teach, and how does bad end-times theology fuel fear?

In this episode, we unpack eschatology (the study of the end times) beyond Left Behind theology. We map pre-millennial vs. amillennial vs. realized eschatology, explain why Revelation is resistance literature, not a prophecy chart, and trace how apocalyptic fear is used to justify Christian Nationalism, war, and "invasion" rhetoric about immigration — and how a progressive eschatology of hope teaches salvation as a way of life lived in community. We get honest about doomscrolling, heat waves, and why tech billionaires build bunkers while the rest of us just feel tired — and offer 3 practices to hold sadness without spiraling.

💛 Support the show! Your tax-deductible donation keeps this ministry going https://secure.myvanco.com/YGTN/campaign/C-168BG?access=tile_direct

CHAPTERS: 0:00 Cold Open - Why Everything Feels Like the End 4:45 Book Contest Winners! 7:10 Why Everything Feels Apocalyptic 13:47 What Is Eschatology & The Dangers of Misinterpreting Revelation 18:33 Reading Revelation as a Resistance Narrative 24:55 Different Ways of Thinking About Eschatology (The End Times) 29:26 Premillennialism vs Postmillennialism 40:50 How fear-based Eschatology fuels Greed, Christian Nationalism & War 51:10 Hope as practice: salvation as a way of life 1:06:24 Shout Out to Michael - Our Listeners Give Us Hope

🎙️ New episodes every Friday, on all platforms.

📩 Watching on YouTube? Like and subscribe. Listening on Apple or Spotify? Rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it genuinely helps the algorithm find more people like you. You can find the links and the links to the host's social media here: https://linktr.ee/theprogressivechristians

Please subscribe to the Love Your Neighbor newsletter, an outgrowth of this podcast community. It will be a way for us to create new relationships and deepen existing ones with people of faith who want to learn how to practice their faith in ways that align with their values of love, justice, and compassion. We hope to see you on Substack! 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.