Outing Religion

This is Part Two of an interview with Boston Minister Abigail Henrich. She is pastor of two churches, a social activist, and a passionate messenger for change in the Christian church. In this program, we discuss the toxicity of exclusive theology and the value of embracing a Christian message of love and affirmation for all.

This is Part One of an interview with Boston Minister Abigail Henrich who discusses with the host the experiences of a woman pastoring two churches in a world of dramatic paradigm shifting and spiritual, social, and political challenges. It is a moving snapshot of the spiritual experience of leading a congregation in a challenging time.

Part Two of our interview with Rev. Dr. Jon Paul Sydnor, a theologian and scholar of the study of religion. We talk about the church and the LGBTQ community as well as modern challenges facing Christian churches.Rev. Dr. Sydnor is Professor of World Religions at Emmanuel College in Boston. Dr. Sydnor is the author of The Great Open Dance: A Progressive Christian Theology. He is theologian in residence at Grace Community Church in Boston. Interviewed here in parts one and two, Dr. Sydnor talks about the power of love and inclusion and what should be the nature of the Christian church outreach in our world.

Rev. Dr. Jon Paul Sydnor is a theologian and scholar of the study of religion. We interview him about the church and the LGBTQ community as well as modern challenges facing Christianity.He is Professor of World Religions at Emmanuel College in Boston. Dr. Sydnor is the author of The Great Open Dance: A Progressive Christian Theology. He is theologian in residence at Grace Community Church in Boston. Interviewed here in parts one and two, Dr. Sydnor talks about the power of love and inclusion and what should be the nature of the Christian church outreach in our world.

This episode is a lecture author D.L. Day gave with the idea that for decades LGBTQ people have been responding to the wrong question from religious zealots. With a clear and Bible based explanation of the use of scapegoating in fundamentalist religion, Day unwinds the carefully crafted scheme to paint LGBTQ people as guilty based on biased interpretation. Time 23:25

In this episode, author D.L. Day uses the story of Joseph (of “coat of many colors” fame) as an example to talk about the power of change. Day cites dramatic changes in liberation and equality that are taking place, despite a wave of political and religious extremists' efforts against them. How paradigms shift is how dreams come true and this message insists that dreams are coming true. Time 28:01

The Late Rev Elder Freda Smith (1935- 2019) was a pioneer minister of Metropolitan Community Church fellowship (MCC). She was a staunch crusader for women's rights and a powerful influence in preaching the gospel inclusive of women and LGBTQ people that was the cornerstone of MCC's emergence. Rev. Smith traveled the US and the world declaring a message of love, inclusion and an assertive claiming of LGBTQ rights to be full participants in Christian life and discipleship. The sermon here was entitled "The Fig Tree" and given at MCC, L.A. in the early eighties. It is one of the historically famous sermons she carried across the US and other countries declaring the magnitude of Christ's love. Rev. Smith is an icon of inclusive Christianity.

This is a lecture by D.L. Day lamenting the devaluation of sacrifice in our society and the shortsighted cut in contributions to a civilized society. The lecture took place at St Andrews Church in 2025. The talk references a story from Day's Book The Littlest Envoy: What a Small Schnauzer Taught Me About Humanity. (available on Amazon)

This episode features a lecture by D.L. Day, given at the University of Texas in the mid 80s. Day was heavily involved in ministry to persons with AIDS and the nurses were at a teaching hospital working with AIDS patients. The comments offer some rare and powerful insight into the struggles and discoveries of dealing with AIDS during the height of the plague in the U.S. To date, some 42-million people have died with AIDS. The episode gives a glimpse at the LGBTQ and pastoral community history of dealing with the crisis. Runtime - 13:55

This is the second episode of an interview with Reverend Scottie Shelton who ministers at an LGBTQ affirming church. The discussion takes a look at generational differences in challenges posed by a new wave of official oppressive policy in the United States. Runtime: 14:00

This Episode of the podcast features an interview with Reverend Scottie Shelton. She is minister at a church in a small town in the Southwestern United States. Her church is LGBTQ affirming and Rev. Shelton was first licensed to Christian LGBTQ affirming ministry in the 80’s. This program covers the struggles that occurred to win the liberties, respect and recognition that LGBTQ people have today.  It also features a look at what the political chant “We’re Not Going Back” means in the context of what “Back” looked like decades ago. The interview uses experiential accounts to demonstrate the importance of LGBTQ community during challenges such as the AIDS epidemic and the oppression it prompted. This is a rather shocking look at dramatic changes in society and new vulnerabilities being created for LGBTQ people today. Running time 23:55

The host of the podcast "A People's Theology," Mason Mennenga continues our conversation about the use and misuse of theology. We discuss the opportunities for finding a path of reconstruction of wounded faith and the promise of renewal for those who leave an abusive religious past. Please comment and follow!

Our guest Mason Mennenga is a popular internet presence and podcaster. He is host of the podcast "A People's Theology." We might call Mason a survivor of "Purity Culture," and he describes for us his journey of deconstruction and reconstruction of his faith.

This episode features a continuation of an interview with Reverend Babs Miller who tells the story of being an out Lesbian who pursued her calling to ministry despite the attempts to block diversity and inclusion in the ministerial ranks. In this Episode, Reverend Miller talks about gender and the church and the bias against women ministers that persists in the leadership of many denominations. Rev. Miller is Minister at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in the Austin, Texas area.

This episode features an interview with an LGBTQ minister who worked for over two decades to overcome prejudice and become ordained in the Presbyterian Church. Reverend Babs Miller tells the story of being an out Lesbian who pursued her calling to ministry despite the attempts to block diversity and inclusion in the ministerial ranks. Rev. Miller is Minister at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in the Austin, Texas area.

In this episode author D.L. Day discusses a section from his book How the Clergy Lied: A Journalist's Academic Report on LGBTQ and Christianity. The section under discussion deals with the fact that there is a massive section of the earth where the people are not exposed to the Christian message and have not been for centuries. Under fundamentalists doctrine, it can probably be assumed trillions in this geographic area have gone to hell without ever knowing about Christian atonement. Day explores this curiosity along with strange outcomes of the doctrine of Original Sin and fundamentalist narrowing of salvation opportunity.

Guest, Dr Toby Johnson, PhD is a psychologist and a former monk. He has an enormous amount of history in LGBTQ psychological and spiritual experience. This program explores whether there is a Gay Spirituality. We also look at the impacts on the longstanding traditional LGBTQ of a sweeping gender paradigm shift and the fact that even some older LGBTQ people may be gobsmacked by its implications. (One might hear in this program generational terms like "gay culture" and "homosexual." is is a reflection of the history being discussed.)

Dr. Toby Johnson PhD is a former Catholic monk and a psychotherapist. He has written extensively on the subject of LGBTQ persons and spirituality. As a follower and friend of Joseph Cambell who wrote extensively on the power of myth, Johnson offers inspiring insight on the world's religions as well as our individual spiritual experience as we live our own heroic myth in the world. With this he also gives insight into the spiritual nature of psychotherapy. This is a guest who writing has earned him a place in the archives of LGBTQ religious influencers. Runtime 24 minutes

This episode honors Catholic Sister Jeannine Gramick who has for over 50 years been engaged in ministry to LGBTQ+ Catholics. As a cofounder of the organization New Ways Ministry, Sister Gramick stood strong on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community during the AIDS epidemic, and since has persisted in her work. We dip into the archives to feature a 1985 interview with Sister Gramick that gives insight into her work and the earlier days of the ministry. It was during a time when many LGBTQ+ Catholics had great feelings of anticipation that the teachings of The Church on same-sex topics were about to change. The program is of interest in an era when such anticipation is rising again.

This is a fascinating discussion on the rapid and disruptive changes in understanding of gender and sexuality in our society. Guest Dr. Daniel Helminiak has taught graduate courses in Human Sexuality, Statistics for the Social Sciences, Foundations of Neuroscience, and Animal Mind. He has written numerous papers and books on the subjects we discuss on this program. Transgender and LGBTQ+ topics are explored in this discussion. Dr. Helminiak has a PhD in Theology from Gregorian University in Rome and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Texas. He is author of the best-selling book What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality. This program offers stimulating conversation about society's response to our current state of monumental changes in the world.

This episode explores the nature of spirituality, the human mind and the modern exit of many from the church. Does the church own spirituality? Guest Dr. Daniel A. Helminiak is a specialist in theology, psychology and author of scores of papers on the subjects of spirituality, psychology, sexuality and gender. While a Catholic Priest, he was author of the best selling book What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality. We explore here dynamic changes in society and how they impact the social psyche and spiritual well being. Running time 28 minutes