A Thoughtful Faith - Mormon / LDS

Latest Episodes:

066: George Handley on Environmentalism and Mormonism Sep 08, 2014

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An interview on environmentalism, eco-theology, and Mormon intersections with George Handley, professor of comparative studies and interdisciplinary humanities at Brigham Young University. Conducted by Jay Griffith and Sarah Collett.

065: Liz and Pete Cammock Aug 20, 2014

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Mormonism has the potential to bring people together to have powerful and profound conversations, and both as Gina Colvin's bishop couple while Gina was newly married and later as friends, Pete and Liz Cammock have stood out as faithful members of the church who are also nuanced, thoughtful, questioning, and singularly unafraid of hard conversations. Its for this reason they have gained the immense respect of Mormons all over New Zealand. In this episode, Gina and the Cammocks riff on life as Mormons in a small city on the outskirts of the world, discuss this particular Mormon moment and the challenges that we face as a community in conflict, and talk about things of the spirit and the things of Christ as we look for ways to heal our church communities from the strain of ideological partisanship and lives that are often too busy for compassion.

064: Carys Bray: British Mormon Novelist and Author of A Song for Issy Bradley Aug 07, 2014

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Carys Bray is a British novelist who lives with her family in Southport a seaside town in Lancashire in North West England. A Song for Issy Bradley is Carys’ debut novel and was published recently by Hutchinson Books. It has been released in the UK and is soon to be released in paperback in the U.S. A Song for Issy Bradley has had a full suite of reviews from the UK dailies all of which have been overwhelmingly positive. his is remarkable not simple because Carys is a first time novelist but that her book is a novel about Mormons. To be precise she writes about a British Mormon family, bishops family no less. "A Song for Issy Bradley" explores five year old Issy Bradley’s death through the eyes of each family member. Ian Bradley the father, husband and orthodox Mormon, Claire his convert wife, through the eyes of Issy’s teenaged siblings Zipporah and Alma, and her brother seven year old Jacob. However rather than resorting to the predictable caricatures of Mormon life or romanticizing death from the doctrinal position of a faith tradition, Carys’ treatment of each of her characters is nuanced, compassionate, and profoundly kind. Only one who has been steeped in the Mormon faith is capable of such authenticity and Carys Bray is Mormon to the bone. A thoughtful faith is a supportive conversation to help those struggling in their faith transition, so it might come as surprise that Carys has disaffiliated from the church. Nonetheless her book is refreshingly generous in its treatment of Mormonism. While there is candor, one doesn’t find oneself blindsided by someone who uses literature to eviserate the church. It stands in this place between belief, and furious honesty and makes sense of these polarities through the perspective of faith. It’s this luminous and mindful quality that makes this discussion of the book "A song for Issy Bradley" a wonderful fit for A Thoughtful Faith.

063: A Conversation with Kate Kelly: Feminist and Optimist Jul 20, 2014

Show notes

Kelly, a recently excommunicated Mormon feminist, is the founder of Ordain Women. Though she has attracted significant media attention she still remains a bit of an enigma. A staunch apologist for the fundamentals of Mormon theology she holds doggedly to the doctrines of continuing revelation and open cannon. At the same time she is an unapologetic feminist, an international human rights lawyer, and remains deeply concerned about questions of justice. In this interview with Gina Colvin, Kelly talks about her feminist awakenings, the development of Ordain Women, her church discipline and her hopes for the future. An archetypal idealist Kelly’s irrepressible optimism and faith shines. For Kelly the question of equal rights and ordination for women are issues that are far from settled. Kelly’s thoughtful faith is reflected in her belief that her excommunication doesn’t mean the end for her and others’ pursuit for equity and fairness in the church. Rather, her excommunication signals that the conversation is merely at a beginning.

062: A Thoughtful Faith Relaunch: Mark Crego and Gina Colvin Jul 15, 2014

Show notes

After nearly a year break, A Thoughtful Faith podcast is back! Mark Crego and Gina Colvin are taking over the administrative reins, as well as serving as co-hosts. We are also thrilled that longtime ATF host Sarah Collett will continue conducting interviews. This “get to know the new gang” episode is hosted by Open Stories Foundation board member Dan Wotherspoon and features Mark and Gina sharing the broad outlines (and many specifics!) about their own faith journeys within Mormonism, as well as about their plans for the podcast going forward.

061: Elijah Abel - Early Black Mormon Priesthood Holder Pt. 2 Sep 12, 2013

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As an independent historian, Russell Stevenson has been studying Mormon history for nearly two decades. His first book, Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables, tells the vexing story of race in nineteenth-century Mormonism through experiences of Elijah Ables, a biracial man ordained to the priesthood during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. Drawing on documents unused in other treatments, Black Mormon is the first effort to understand Elijah Ables in all of his identities: black, male, Mormon, and priesthood holder.

060: Elijah Abel - Early Black Mormon Priesthood Holder Pt. 1 Sep 12, 2013

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059: Terryl Givens Part 5 Sep 12, 2013

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Terryl Givens did graduate work at Cornell University in Intellectual History and UNC Chapel Hill where he received his PhD in Comparative Literature. He holds the James A. Bostwick chair of English, and is Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond, where he teaches courses in 19th century studies, and the Bible’s influence on western literature. As a commentator on Mormon religion and culture, he has appeared on PBS, NPR, and CNN. Author of ten books, his writing has been praised by the New York Times as “provocative reading,” and includes, most recently, When Souls had Wings, a history of the idea of premortal life in western thought, and a two volume history of Mormon theology underway for Oxford University Press.

058: Terryl Givens Part 4 Sep 12, 2013

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057: Terryl Givens Part 3 Sep 12, 2013

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