Love Period with Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis

What if your deepest identity came from God? On this episode, writer and thought leader Tiq Milan joins Jacqui to discuss the transformative power of Love—particularly when we offer it freely and generously to our LGBTQ friends and family. He offers: "My transness and my queerness make me closer to God. It's my gift. I feel present in this life because I get to be the man I need to be. I've come into the best version of myself." Resources: To learn more about Tia, check out his website here. The transcript for this episode can be found here.

What can we do today to prevent a bit more suffering for those around us? An award-winning writer who serves as Scholar in Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg joins Jacqui for the latest episode of Love Period, to discuss healing work that is happening around us even amid chaos and uncertainty. She offers: “We must do the best we can to prevent as much suffering as possible. That is our main job down here, on earth. That’s the work.” Don’t miss this moving conversation about finding clarity for the questions we face in our world today. Listen now online or subscribe to Love Period on your favorite podcast platform. Resources: Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg's latest book On Repentance and Repair can be found here. The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Does your work fulfill your spiritual purpose? On this episode of Love Period, Majora Carter joins Jacqui to help us understand what it means to be inspired to create a professional life that is fueled by spiritual principles. As a real-estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant and MacArthur Fellow, Majora Carter’s thriving professional life is built on the moment she “found real meaning in the scriptures when Jesus says, ‘there are only two important laws: Love God and Love thy neighbor.’ And I realized—that is what I do! I love God and I love my neighbor. My work is a manifestation of that.” We hope this engaging conversation inspires you to shift your way of living—and giving—to the world. Resources: Majora Carter's book Reclaiming Your Community can be found here. To learn more about her work, visit her website here. Rabbi Harold Kushner's book When Bad Things Happen to Good People can be found here. The transcript for this episode can be found here.

What stories do we miss when we only read the Bible at the surface? In this episode, Rev. Natalie Perkins, co-author of the new book In Trembling Boldness, helps us take a deeper look at how we read and experience traditional from the Bible, as well as stories from extra-canonical texts. Natalie offers us this: “We often approach the Bible as fact. It’s not about fact. If we approached it more like poetry, we would get a richer sense of the nature of the Divine.” May this engaging conversation inspire you to change the way you read—and listen to—scripture. Resource: Natalie's book, In Trembling Boldness can be found here. Natalie's album can be found on Spotify | YouTube | and Apple Music. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

Do you see weeping as a spiritual experience? On this episode, Rev. Ben Perry joins Jacqui to help us embrace the healing power of tears. Together they explore Ben's new book, Cry, Baby, discuss how scripture inspired it, and what tears have to do with our faith. As Ben explains: “Weeping after acts of violence reminds us that this is not the way God intends the world to be. This is not preordained violence, blessed by God—it is a violation of God’s intent for our lives.” This moving conversation offers us a glimpse of what awaits us on the other side of sadness and grief, and how it can enrich our faith. Resources: Ben's book, Cry, Baby, can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

What modern rituals stir your heart? On this episode, Rev. Otis Moss III returns to the show and offers his perspective on what living a spiritually awakened life means for us today. He explains, “Love your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you are devoid of self-love, if you hate who you are, then you are incapable of loving your neighbor. And maybe that’s the most insidious thing about white supremacy. Many of us don’t love ourselves enough to love our neighbor.” Resources: Rev. Otis Moss III's latest book, Dancing in the Darkness can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

How have relationships shifted your perspective on life and love? In this episode, Jacqui talks with John Blake, an award-winning journalist who tells the story of his quest to reconcile with his white mother and the family he’d never met. Together, they explore how healing systems—from families to the culture of an entire country—begins with true and honest human connection. This memorable conversation will shift your understanding of how building relationships and telling stories have the power to invite greater love and healing into every aspect of our lives. Resources: John Blake's book, More Than I Imagined can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

What if we refused to break anyone’s heart—including our own? In this episode of Love Period, Jacqui Lewis speaks with Rabbi Josh Stanton, getting to the heart of Jesus’ radical teachings. If you have ever wondered how to love those you don’t understand (or even like), this episode offers guidance. Join us for this new season of Love Period where Jacqui invites theologians, scholars, and clergy from Abrahamic traditions to bring scriptural teachings back to their core—revealing key wisdom for our lives today. Resources: A transcript for this episode can be found here.

Can we be theologians in our own lives? In the first episode of Season 4, Jacqui talks with Marcie Alvis-Walker—author, mother, friend, and theologian who invites us to read the Bible in a way that speaks to our hearts. The author of Everybody Come Alive: A Memoir in Essays, Marcie shares her experience of finding reflections of herself in scriptures that have too long been interpreted by others. Join us for this new season of Love Period where Jacqui invites theologians, scholars, and clergy from Abrahamic traditions to bring scriptural teachings back to their core—revealing key wisdom for our lives today. Resources: To learn more about Marcie, visit her website. Marcie's book: Everybody Come Alive A transcript for this episode can be found here.

How do we teach our kids love and resilience in this divided world? On this episode of Love Period, writer, editor, and President of Interfaith Alliance, Paul Raushenbush joins Jacqui in a conversation about creating interfaith partnerships and the challenge of hopeful parenting. Listen in on Paul and Jacqui’s discussion on the importance of practicing self-love grounded in experiences of adversity. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. The transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Paul Rauschenbush: Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

How do we let go of fear theology? On this episode of Love Period, Rev. Jacqui Lewis is joined by children’s book author, editor, and activist, Jamia Wilson, for an inspiring conversation that explores how being affirmed in a fellowship of radical Love unleashes our creative potential. In this episode, Jamia and Jacqui discuss how intimate relationships can be a vital part of our journey to create a more balanced and loving world. Jamia is an award-winning feminist activist, writer, speaker, and podcaster. Jamia is passionate about mission-driven organizations and serves on the Omega Institute, Feminist.com and Center for Reproductive Rights boards, and the St. Timothy’s School Advisory Council. She is also the co-host of the second season of the Anthem Award-winning podcast, Ordinary Equality. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Jamia's book This Book is Feminist can be found here The transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Jamia Wilson: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

What if we considered ourselves first responders to the fires burning in our lives? On this episode of Love Period, Rev. Jacqui invites her friend Kerri Kelly to the table to discuss the healing power of radical love. Amid unfairness of opportunity, capitalist culture, and a maze of misleading information, we need this love now more than ever — for ourselves, each other, and the world. Kerri Kelly is the author of “American Detox” and the founder of CTZNWELL, an organization that embraces a democratic approach to spiritual growth and wellness, Kerri Kelly offers her insights on what it means to cultivate wellness and deep spiritual belonging in an age of instant gratification. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Kerri's new book American Detox can be found here The transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Kerri Kelly: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

What’s been burdening you lately? Today, it seems everyone is managing the emotional weight of the increasingly insecure tone of our world. In this episode, Religious Scholar Serene Jones joins Rev. Jacqui for a conversation about the impact of trauma on our ability to love. In this healing conversation, Serene and Jacqui share how affirming our emotional experiences can lead us to a deeper understanding of personal power. A highly respected scholar and public intellectual, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the 16th President of the historic Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. The first woman to head the 182-year-old institution, Jones occupies the Johnston Family Chair for Religion and Democracy. She is a Past President of the American Academy of Religion, which annually hosts the world’s largest gathering of scholars of religion. Jones came to Union after seventeen years at Yale University, where she was the Titus Street Professor of Theology at the Divinity School, and Chair of the University’s Program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is the author of several books including Trauma and Grace and, most recently, her memoir Call It Grace: Finding Meaning in a Fractured World. Jones, a popular public speaker, is sought by media to comment on major issues impacting society because of her deep grounding in theology, politics, women’s studies, economics, race studies, history, and ethics. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Serene Jones: Website | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

How do we walk through the fire? Trials in life have often been likened to an encounter with fire—first, we experience disorientation, but in the end, transformation, and renewal. In this episode, inter-spiritual scholar and mystical teacher, Mirabai Starr, joins Jacqui in conversation on wise ways to navigate the fires burning in our world. Embrace fire as a symbol for purging the elements of our lives that no longer serve us in loving each other more deeply. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Mirabai's book, Wild Mercy can be found here. Mirabai's latest, St. John of the Cross: Luminous Darkness can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Mirabai Starr: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

What can we learn about balance from the natural world? On this episode, Rev. Jacqui Lewis speaks with Kerry Docherty, Chief Impact Officer of Faherty Brand, to explore how each aspect of our lives has the potential to transform and strengthen our communities. Whether we're focusing on expanding our professional life or our relationships, how do we show up with a greater sense of purpose and ease? Kerry Docherty is a lawyer with a background in human rights and mindfulness, Kerry uses Faherty's platform to create community and conversation through the event series, Sun Sessions, which spotlights good people doing good work. She loves to write, and her first children's book was released earlier this year. She and her husband, Alex (whom she met in college), live in Brooklyn with their two kids. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Kerry's new book, Somewhere, Right Now can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Kerry Docherty: Instagram Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

How do our political realities affect our lives? Can we in fact, heal despite the very real threats that we face today? On this episode, Rev. Jacqui Lewis is joined by Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft the Executive Minister for Justice, Education & Movement Building at Middle Church, in conversation about the effect of political injustice on our lives. Jacqui and Amanda discuss loss and devastation—of loved ones, of spaces of safety and inspiration, and the work and clarity it demands to fiercely love ourselves and each other through challenging times. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Amanda's conversation with Doug Pagitt can be found here. Amanda's reference of The Cut article can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Are you open to a new vision of God? Dr. Christena Cleveland joins Jacqui for the first episode of the third season. In this revolutionary conversation, Rev. Jacqui Lewis and Christena Cleveland, author of God Is a Black Woman, talk about the power of encountering embodied symbols of the Divine that can move us toward greater expansion, hope, and love for one another. Together, they invite you, the listener, to let go of a vision of God who is small minded, fearful, and oppressive in exchange for an expansive God who encourages us to live in an overflowing river of love. Christena Cleveland Ph.D. is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. She is the founder and director of the Center for Justice + Renewal as well as its sister organization, Sacred Folk, which creates resources to stimulate people’s spiritual imaginations and support their journeys toward liberation. A weaver of Black liberation and the sacred feminine, Dr. Cleveland integrates psychology, theology, storytelling, and art to stimulate our spiritual imaginations. She recently completed her third full-length book, God is a Black Woman (HarperOne), which details her 400-mile walking pilgrimage across central France in search of ancient Black Madonna statues, and examines the relationship among race, gender, and cultural perceptions of the Divine. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Christena's new book, God is a Black Woman can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Dr. Christena Cleveland Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

What does your sanctuary look like? What does it feel like? On this episode, Rev. Jacqui invites author and educator Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts to the table to discuss the nature of joy—how to recognize it, feel it, and invite it into our lives. Through this stimulating conversation, explore how claiming a space of sanctuary can energize your journey of awakening. As a writer and thought-leader, Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts offers those who read her work and hear her speak an authentic experience; an opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, identity and faith/spirituality at the deepest levels. She is the host of the podcast, HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l, and founder of HeARTspace, a healing community created to serve those who have experienced trauma of any kind through the use of storytelling and the arts. As a writer, Tracey has published eighteen books including several collaborations with numerous high-profile authors. In 2021, Tracey became one of 20 writers who contributed to the groundbreaking book, You are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience edited by acclaimed researcher, Brene Brown, and founder of the MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke. Her most recent publication is the critically-acclaimed book, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration (Gallery/Simon and Schuster) which has received rave reviews from celebrities like Kerry Washington, literary writers like Kiese Laymon and Deesha Philyaw, and media outlets like Good Morning America, Essence Magazine, and USA Today. Tracey has spoken on a number of platforms around the country on topics related to race/social justice, healing, and faith/spirituality. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. Tracey's new book, Black Joy can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Tracey Michae'l-Lewis Giggetts: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

On the third season of Love Period, Rev. Jacqui Lewis gathers a cadre of writers, parents, and activists looking for common threads of wisdom as they survive and thrive in these traumatic times. What wisdom and insight do their experiences have for each of us? And, as always, Rev. Jacqui is asking "What's fierce love got to do with it?"

Kaliswa Brewster joins Jacqui for this episode of Love Period, part of our special mini-series celebrating Black History Month. Kaliswa Brewster is an actress based in NYC and helped co-produce Seasons 1 and 2 of Love Period. Kaliswa has recurred on Showtime’s BILLIONS, ABC’s series TIME AFTER TIME, and RELEASE. Film credits include PATERNO for HBO Films starring Al Pacino, the feature film PAINT directed by Michael Walker, and THE BIT PLAYER for PBS. Guest star and other television credits include CBS’ GOD FRIENDED ME, BLUE BLOODS, Netflix’s DAREDEVIL & CBS’ UNFORGETTABLE. She has worked onstage at The Signature Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Williamstown Theater Festival, The Guthrie Theater, and others. As a voice actor Kaliswa has appeared in various commercial ads, animation series (including Marvel), and her audiobook work can be found on Audible. She holds an MFA from American Conservatory Theater and a Certificate in Classical Theater from LAMDA in London. Resources: Jacqui’s new book Fierce Love can be found here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. Connect with us: We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or feedback. Send us an email. Rev. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D.: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Kaliswa Brewster: Instagram | Twitter Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter