The Sacred Slope

71. The Religious Left Isn't New. The Spotlight Is. | Rev. Joseph Yoo (Episcopal) After the 2026 midterms, Ezra Klein described the “return of a religious left,” while Vox and NPR have explored progressive Christianity's role in politics. Welcome! We're thrilled this conversation is happening, and we'd love to introduce you to the bigger story. The religious left isn't new. For generations, pastors, scholars and churches have advocated for justice, challenged Christian nationalism and welcomed people beyond conservative evangelicalism. Christianity is global and diverse. No party or movement owns it. Recorded the morning after the election, Episcopal priest Rev. Joseph Yoo joins Alexis Rice to discuss progressive Christianity, the Bible, LGBTQ+ inclusion, women in ministry, deconstruction and finding affirming churches. They also explore what journalists, donors and civic leaders can learn from people who've been doing this work for decades. WHO IS THIS FOR? Christians, former evangelicals, journalists, seekers and people of any faith or none. You're welcome here. GUEST + HOST Rev. Joseph Yoo | @joseph.yooAlexis Rice | @thesacredslope PEOPLE + RESOURCES Andrew Whitehead | @andrewwhiteheadDr. Matthew Boedy | The Seven Mountains MandateRobert P. Jones | @robertpjonesdc | @prripollKristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumezDiana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbassJemar Tisby | @jemartisbyRachel Held Evans | @rachelheldevansJen Hatmaker | @jenhatmakerZach Lambert | @zachwlambertCody Deese | @codydeeseBishop Mariann Edgar Budde | @mariannbuddeBen Cremer | @brcremerJohn Fugelsang | @johnfugelsangMonte Mader | @montemaderPastor Joe Smith | @therealjoe.smithMelissa Dalton-Bradford | @mdbglobalmom Also mentioned: James Talarico, Adam Hamilton, Richard Rohr, Mike Slaughter and Gina Hinojosa. FIND AN AFFIRMING CHURCH https://www.gaychurch.org/https://www.churchclarity.org/ MEDIA + PARTNERSHIPS Journalists, funders and organizations: for interviews or introductions to progressive Christian pastors, scholars and creators, contact [email protected]. Explore https://thesacredslope.com/. Please share this episode with someone discovering progressive Christianity, or a journalist covering faith and politics. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Deconstructing and rebuilding01:55 The religious left isn't new09:46 Meet Rev. Joseph Yoo17:32 What progressive Christians believe24:20 We've been here all along29:38 Media and the religious left34:09 Deconstruction and questions39:32 Finding an affirming church45:47 Rebuilding faith54:21 Media and funders #TheSacredSlope #ReligiousLeft #ProgressiveChristianity

Send us Fan Mail 70. Can Christians Vote Democrat? Rethinking MAGA, Evangelicalism & Faith | Carter Brown, Leigh Larson & Alexis Rice How fun is this? We were on Leigh Larson's Podcast, Follow the Leighder! Can you be a faithful Christian and vote Democrat? What happens when your conscience no longer agrees with the politics you were taught were Christian? Former MAGA supporter Carter Brown, theologian and veteran Leigh Larson, and The Sacred Slope host Alexis Rice come together for an honest conversation about Christianity, abortion, voting, and the courage to change your mind. Drawing on their different faith journeys, the three women explore conservative evangelicalism, Christian nationalism, the pressure to vote Republican, and why no political candidate perfectly represents our values. From single-issue voting and reproductive freedom to deconstruction and reclaiming faith, they ask what it means to think critically, respect other people's choices, and vote according to conscience. WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR? Christians questioning the relationship between faith and political identity, former evangelicals, people navigating deconstruction, and anyone reconsidering beliefs they once held with certainty. GUESTS + FOLLOW Carter Brown | Former MAGA, former evangelicalInstagram/TikTok: @thisiscarterbrownSubstack: https://growthisaspiral.substack.com/ Leigh Larson | Theologian, veteran, host of Follow the LeighderInstagram: @followtheleighderPodcast: https://www.followtheleighder.com/Substack: https://followtheleighder.substack.com/ Alexis Rice | Host, The Sacred SlopeInstagram: @thesacredslopeWebsite: https://thesacredslope.com/ MENTIONED + RESOURCES Dan McClellan | @maklelanMonte Mader | @montemaderTim Whitaker / The New Evangelicals | @thenewevangelicalsDeconstructicon: https://deconstructicon.com/After Jesus Before Christianity | Westar Institute scholars Also discussed: James Talarico, Raphael Warnock, James Dobson, and Adam Clark. EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY Discover conversations with Christian leaders, scholars, clergy, and people rethinking inherited beliefs at https://thesacredslope.com/ Books: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope EPISODE CHAPTERS 04:25 Meet Carter Brown, Leigh Larson & Alexis Rice06:14 Christianity, Politics & Hope10:55 Abortion, Voting & Political Identity21:58 Growing Up Conservative Evangelical26:56 Single-Issue Voting & Changing Your Mind35:16 Deconstruction & Challenging Religious Authority43:10 Faith, Reason & Christian Traditions51:26 What Does Deconstruction Mean?56:08 Voting, Conscience & Community1:00:24 Making Progressive Christian Voices Visible1:08:52 Reexamining Early Christianity1:12:15 Where to Follow Carter Brown #TheSacredSlope #Christianity #Deconstruction  #ChristianNationalism Support the show About The Sacred Slope  thesacredslope.comWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected] 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

Send us Fan Mail 69. Robert G. Callahan II (Christian, Former Evangelical) | Fire in the Whole: Righteous Anger & Reclaiming Faith What if your anger at the Christianity you inherited isn't evidence that you've lost your faith, but evidence that you still care about what Jesus taught? Can you reject harmful Christianity without rejecting Jesus? Attorney, author, and Christian advocate Robert G. Callahan II joins Alexis Rice to discuss Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness. After nearly a decade deeply involved in a conservative church community, Robert confronted racism, political idolatry, and the contradictions between the gospel he believed and the Christianity he experienced. Alexis and Robert explore righteous anger, spiritual trauma, Christian nationalism, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the cost of leaving a church community. They discuss why white Christianity isn't synonymous with global Christianity, the importance of listening to marginalized voices, and how to reconstruct faith without abandoning Jesus. Robert offers encouragement to anyone feeling spiritually homeless: give yourself permission to question, grieve, rest, and heal. WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR? Christians, exvangelicals, pastors, people deconstructing or reconstructing faith, and anyone concerned about racism, religious trauma, justice, and belonging. GUEST + FOLLOW Robert G. Callahan II | @rcallahan_wacoRobertGCallahan.comFriday Fire | Robert's SubstackCallahan & King | Waco, Texas MENTIONED + RESOURCES Fire in the Whole | Robert G. Callahan IIWhen God Became White | Grace Ji-Sun Kim @gracejisunkimLisa Sharon Harper | @lisasharperDiana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbassJemar Tisby | @jemartisbyDavid Hayward, The Naked Pastor | @nakedpastorWilda Gafney | Womanist biblical scholarMichael Che | @chethinks The Sacred Slope Guest Reccos Bookshop:https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslope EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY Hear from guests around the world TheSacredSlope.com | Episodes, guests & resources EPISODE CHAPTERS 01:27 | Introduction to The Sacred Slope02:51 | The Intersection of Faith and Politics04:43 | Challenging Christian Nationalism07:09 | The Pain of Deconstruction07:32 | Reclaiming Faith01:37:07 | Introduction to The Sacred Slope01:37:07 | Nomination Process for Clergy Members #Deconstruction #WhiteChristianity #ChristianNationalism #Christianity Support the show About The Sacred Slope  thesacredslope.comWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected] 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

Send us Fan Mail Introducing The Sacred Slope Highlights! 🎙️ We're launching our new Highlights series with the most popular episode in The Sacred Slope's history! Our conversation with historian and New York Times bestselling author Kristin Kobes Du Mez (@kkdumez) is resonating with more of you than any other episode. And now, here is the snackable edition. Some of you love an hour-plus deep dive. Others want 20 minutes for your commute, your run, or while cooking dinner. Now you can have both! What if the Christianity you were taught wasn't simply inherited, but deliberately constructed? Who decided what Christians should believe, which books they should read, what music they could listen to, and what roles women were allowed to play? And what happens when the people who faithfully upheld those rules begin questioning the system itself? In this Highlights edition, Kristin, author of Jesus and John Wayne and Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made, joins Alexis Rice to explore the history behind the evangelical world so many of us grew up in. In this Highlights edition, we explore: The system: How American evangelicalism developed a self-contained culture of approved books, music, beliefs, and authorities The women: Why well-intentioned Christian women became defenders of systems that could also harm them The forgotten history: Christian feminists who fought for women's rights and interpreted Scripture as a message of liberation Purity culture: The promises of marriage, happiness, and blessing that left so many women carrying shame Beth Moore (@bethmoorelpm): What happened when one of evangelicalism's most influential women challenged abuse, misogyny, and Christian nationalism The bigger question: Why leaving or challenging a religious system can feel like abandoning Christianity itself Kristin reminds us that evangelical Christianity has never been one uniform tradition. There have always been women who questioned authority, challenged injustice, and imagined another way. "Real women's lives just do not fit in the neat boxes that fundamentalists draw." And perhaps the most liberating realization of all? The Christianity you inherited is not the only Christianity available to you. 🎧 Check out The Sacred Slope Highlights on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Substack, and Spotify! Want the entire conversation? Listen to Episode 56: Kristin Kobes Du Mez | Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made. https://youtu.be/mb5j_wGpMbY?si=kCWjH-IqNz_AQJDt We'd love to hear from you: What resonated most about this conversation? Why do you think it connected with so many people? And which episode should we highlight next? ⏱️ Highlights Chapters 00:05 The Closed System of Evangelical Culture01:19 Personal Reflections on Faith and Regret03:31 Understanding Power Dynamics in Evangelicalism04:18 The Role of Women in Shaping Evangelical History06:07 Concluding Thoughts on the Future of Christianity07:12 The Totalizing System of Evangelicalism10:08 Purity Culture and Its Impact14:43 Beth Moore: A Voice of Change21:51 Nomination Process for Clergy Members ✨ Guest + Books Kristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumez Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made Jesus and John Wayne A New Gospel for Women Publisher: Liveright Publishing, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company 📚 People & Resources Mentioned Beth Moore | @bethmoorelpm Sarah Bessey | @sarahbessey #KristinKobesDuMez #LiveLaughLove #Christianity #Evangelicalism #Deconstruction #ChristianNationalism #PurityCulture #WomenInChurch Support the show About The Sacred Slope  thesacredslope.comWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected] 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control

Send us Fan Mail 68. Robert P. Jones, PhD (PRRI) | Backslide: Christian Nationalism, Trump & America's Moral Reckoning What happens when Christians are taught that one political party speaks for God? What happens to democracy when faith becomes a tool for political power? And how do we reclaim our moral conscience? Just before the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Dr. Robert P. Jones (Robby), founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), joins Alexis Rice to discuss his book Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy. I believe Backslide is one of the most important books of our time. Whether you're in America or elsewhere, it offers a way to understand the history, research, and choices shaping this moment. Tim Whitaker of The New Evangelicals has a cameo joins the episode to reflect on some findings from PRRI's new American Values Survey. Alexis and Robby discuss Christian nationalism, white evangelical support for Trump, biblical authority, religious formation, and what happens when Christians hand their moral conscience to a party or pastor. They explore the stakes of the midterms, democratic checks and balances, protest, civic engagement, and why American Christian nationalism affects people far beyond U.S. borders. Amid the troubling data, where can we find hope? WHO IS THIS EPISODE FOR?Christians, exvangelicals, pastors, scholars, voters, and anyone concerned about faith, democracy, religious nationalism, and human rights worldwide. GUEST + FOLLOWDr. Robert P. Jones | @robertpjonesdcPRRI | @prripoll | prri.orgCameo Tim Whitaker | @thenewevangelicals @timwhitakerspeaksThe Convocation Unscripted | convocation.substack.com MENTIONED + RESOURCESBackslide; White Too Long; The End of White Christian America | Robert P. JonesGet it on The Sacred Slope Guest Reccos Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/thesacredslopePRRI American Values Survey | PRRI & BrookingsDiana Butler Bass | @dianabutlerbassKristin Kobes Du Mez | @kkdumezJemar Tisby | @jemartisby EXPLORE AFFIRMING CHRISTIANITY Hear from guests around the worldTheSacredSlope.com | Episodes, guests & resources EPISODE CHAPTERS02:18 | Christianity's Global Impact07:24 | Robert P. Jones & Backslide10:01 | Religion, Media & Politics14:39 | Why Backslide Matters16:59 | When Data Breaks Your Heart19:47 | The Welcome Table21:38 | What Americans Are Feeling24:19 | Stakes of the Midterms29:23 | Reclaiming Moral Conscience40:48 | Scripture & Religious Formation43:12 | Christian Nationalism46:51 | Protest & Civic Engagement49:32 | Finding Common Ground56:43 | A Moment of Reckoning59:55 | Moral Responsibility01:05:06 | Humanity & Hope #ChristianNationalism #Backslide #RobertPJones #Democracy #Deconstruction #christianity Support the show About The Sacred Slope  thesacredslope.comWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender - raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion. 🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky) 🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected] 🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control