Dr. Paige Rawson

For this episode, I am joined by Dr. Paige Rawson (she/they). Paige is a writer, speaker, life coach, epistimactivist and a biblical scholar with a doctorate in religious studies. Having survived five years of reparative therapy, Paige knows firsthand the trauma inflicted by exclusivist ideologies and toxic theologies, including those of white Christian nationalism and (Christian) Zionism, which have been especially instrumental in the genocide in Palestine. Their personal experience of discrimination and dehumanization motivated them to self-acceptance, personal healing, and social action, as well as the pursuit of an MDiv, an MA, and a PhD. Paige now focuses their energy on teaching, preaching, coaching, consulting, and counseling, educating people about (the use and abuse of) privilege, empowering minoritized people to advocate for themselves, and encouraging solidarity among marginalized communities. They have published essays and articles in multiple anthologies, wherein they cross several disciplinary and discursive boundaries to resist Western European epistemological hegemony and inspire interpretation in honor of the various “others,” who have historically been excluded in traditional biblical interpretation and “othered” within the text itself. Paige is particularly interested in educating people about the Hebrew Bible and New Testament in light of their historical relevance and deployment in representations of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, American values, and the justification of colonialism and US diplomacy.