Gravity Commons Podcast

Latest Episodes:

A Gospel Response to Christian Nationalism Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

This is a follow-up to our interview with Andrew Whitehead to chat about what the "kingdom antidotes" are for the fear, self-interested power, and violence that animate Christian Nationalism.

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Andrew Whitehead: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Power. Fear. Violence. These three idols of Christian nationalism are corrupting American Christianity.

Andrew Whitehead is a leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America and speaks widely on its effects within Christian communities. In this book, he shares his journey andreveals how Christian nationalism threatens the spiritual lives of American Christians and the church.

Whitehead shows how Christians harm their neighbors when they embrace the idols of power, fear, and violence. He uses two key examples--racism and xenophobia--to demonstrate that these idols violate core Christian beliefs. Through stories, he illuminates expressions of Christianity that confront Christian nationalism and offer a faithful path forward.

American Idolatryencourages further conversation about what Christian nationalism threatens, how to face it, and why it is vitally important to do so. It will help identify Christian nationalism and build a framework that makes sense of the relationship between faith and the current political and cultural context.

Andrew L. Whitehead (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. He is the coauthor of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Whitehead has written for the Washington Post, NBC News, Time, and Religion News Service and speaks frequently about Christian nationalism.

Connect with Andrew on Twitter or Instagram.

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Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
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Tom Rudelius: Chasing Proof and Finding Faith Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Immersed in his physics studies at Cornell, Tom Rudelius never thought much about God until his brother, a new convert to Christianity, challenged him to explore faith. To placate his twin, he reluctantly began exploring the Bible and the life of Jesus. Seeking proof of God's existence, he found himself in a world of uncertainty, faced with plenty of reasons for both faith and doubt.

In Chasing Proof, Finding Faith, Tom, now a rising young theoretical physicist, traces his journey to unexpected faith, through subsequent doubt and anxiety, and ultimately to a firmer, life-transforming allegiance to Jesus.

Tom Rudelius completed his undergraduate work at Cornell, earned a doctorate in physics at Harvard, and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Currently a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical physics at the University of California, Berkeley, Tom will begin a faculty position at Durham University (UK) in the fall of 2023. His research focuses on string theory, quantum field theory, and early universe cosmology. A man of faith and an avid sports fan, he is frequently requested to speak on topics related to science and faith. He is also on the board of the Mamelodi Initiative, a tutoring organization based in Mamelodi, South Africa.

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Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
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Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 4: Why it Matters For the Church Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 4, where we talk we talk about why this all matters for the church.

Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He also serves as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, a student group working to enhance Christian unity and celebrate Latina/o cultures. Connect with Dr. Cartagena at his website or on Twitter.

More info on critical race theory:

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Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
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Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 3: White Supremacy in the US, cont. Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 3, where Dr. Cartagena continues to outline a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources). It's REALLY eye-opening.

More info on critical race theory:

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 2: White Supremacy in the US Jul 22, 2023

Show notes

We are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. This is Part 2, where Dr. Cartagena outlines a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources). It's REALLY eye-opening (and will be continued in the next part).

More info on critical race theory:

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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Critical Race Theory Redux, Part 1: What IS it, Anyway? Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Over the next few weeks, we are re-posting our 4-part series with Dr. Nathan Cartagena on Critical Race Theory (CRT) from a couple years ago. Back in 2021, people were claiming that critical race theory was a grave threat to the gospel. But what in the world IS critical race theory, anyway?

In this first episode, Dr. Cartagena helps us understand what we're actually talking about. In Parts 2 and 3, Dr. Cartagena will give us a brief history of white supremacy in the United States (using lots of original sources), and part 4 will be an episode on why this all matters for the church. Buckle up, because this is a master class on critical race theory.

More info on critical race theory:

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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Jonny Morrison: Creative Action in a World of Empty Promises Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Light as Air: Practicing Authenticity, Depth, and Purpose in a World of Empty Promises. offers readers freedom from unmet desires, a way to disrupt broken systems, and an invitation into a life of depth and creative action. How? By exploring the story of Jesus and the way his kingdom engages our dissatisfaction and invites us into the life we were made for. Jesus' kingdom is a political reality that overthrows broken systems, cultivates meaningful connection, and empowers us for creative action. Light as Air shows us how to live into and out of Jesus' kingdom in a way that gives hope to a dissatisfied world.

Jonny Morrison is a church planter, pastor, and writer known for his integration of creativity, spirituality, and culture. Jonny and his wife, Tory, live in Salt Lake City, where he co-pastors Missio Dei SLC church. Jonny graduated from Western Seminary with an MA in biblical and theological studies and received his doctorate of contextual theology from Northern Seminary. You can find more of Jonny's work at jonnyis.com.

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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Shiny Happy People Documentary with Laura Robinson & Rebekah Mui Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Seems like everyone's talking about Amazon's new docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, so we wanted to host a discussion about it, and the issues it brings up. We invited Rebekah Mui and Dr. Laura Robinson to join us for this very wide-ranging, longer-than-usual discussion. Have fun!

Rebekah Mui is a PhD Student in political, social, ethical and cultural thought (ASPECT) at Virginia Tech and researches postcolonial political theology, Christian anarcho-pacifism and Anabaptism. She is the editor of the Kingdom Outpost (http://kingdomoutpost.org) and publishes personal essays on http://medium.com/@rebekahmui and can be found on Twitter at @rebekahmui.

Dr. Laura Robinson (PhD, Duke) is the co-host the New Testament Review Podcast. You can follow her writings on her excellent Substack newsletter.

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer: How to Resist Abuse and Cultivate Tov (Goodness) Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer's book A Church Called Tov, readers wrote in with stories of abuse and practical questions, such as:

How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?
I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change?
How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?
I’m not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them?

These questions are answered in their new book Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture.

We talked with Scot and Laura about how churches can implement practices, establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that resist abuse and cultivate goodness cultures.

Connect with Gravity Leadership

Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
Join our online community for free to get a curated list of interesting and edifying links each week, plus all kinds of other goodies.
Check out the Gravity Commons, a place to connect and learn with others in the Gravity community.
Check out Gravity Leadership Academy, our 12-month training intensive for Christian leaders who want to bring lasting transformation to their culture.
Are you interested in advertising on the Gravity Leadership Podcast? Contact us at podcast@gravityleadership.com.

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