Beer Christianity

Is evil structural, spiritual, or a bit of both? Do acts of selfishness or sin have cascading effects that reverberate through history? Can we shine a light on contemporary Western politics by imagining how our politicians would react to a figure like Jesus and the movement he inspired? All these questions and more (mostly about Israel and its war on the people of Palestine) are covered in this discussion between Jonty and Justin Butcher, Author and star of The Devil's Passion, which you can watch in London on Palm Sunday 2024. The Devil's Passion is a one-man play that blends historical timeframes and spiritual metaphor to present Jesus as a threat not only to the earthly status quo but to the spiritual realms of darkness. Beer Christianity got to watch a performance recently and loved it. You should check it out too, if you're in Italy or London over the next few days, or get hold of the play's text here. Watch The Devil's Passion in London on Palm Sunday, 24 March 2024 . More info about Justin and the play. New to Beer Christianity? Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Support Beer Christianity... Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer) where you can make one-off donations or do the membership thing. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Do you feel like you belong at your church? Have you found your people? Do you feel at home? In this episode we explore how much dogma, belief, diversity, relatability and stage of life determine whether we feel 'at home' in church. Along the way we ask what makes a really good home group (spoiler: it may be Jonty and Malky), we discuss wehter the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints is right for people who dislike Joseph Smith, and Laura stages a coup d' podcast with the help of her fancy new mic. Identity, dogma, community and inclusion, all in this episode of Beer Christianity. New to Beer Christianity? Hallelujah. Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, helpful and entertaining. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. He updates it according to his own wildly inconsistent neurodivergent schedule, but it’s a good read. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. Putting the show together costs a bunch of money in hosting fees, editing software, equipment and time. If you can, please help out by donating via Buy Me a Coffee (or in our case, a beer) where you can make one-off donations or do the membership thing. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and, probably, loads of other places. We love hearing from listeners. You can email us at beerchristianity AT yahoo DOT com. We often respond to mails we get on the show. And if you leave us a voicenote on Insta we might air your question on an episode. There's also a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and random chat. Other things… Malky’s design work has graced many good magazines and music videos. You can find his stuff and even commission him if he’s not too busy, here. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not literature but it’s quite fun if you like Supernatural, Africa or the Goth scene. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be, while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Is the essence of Christianity basically Judaism through a Zen lens? Can we understand some great artists and theologians better if we assume performative masculinity? Is there really a crack in everything? Is it where the light gets in? In Episode 92 of Beer Christianity we answer these and other important questions (like: Is later Leonard Cohen better than his earlier oeuvre? Is Avalanche the most devastatingly romantic song in history? Do you know what I'm thinking and who does vengeance belong to?) with Matthew Anderson, Pauline scholar, Leonard Cohen aficionado and author of Prophets of Love: The Unlikely Kinship of Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

AI is going to save the world. Or kill us all. Or another, secret, third thing. Trying to find a pattern of truth within all the cultural noise about Artificial Intelligence is pretty hard right now, so we turned to someone who has been working on and with AI since the 1980s. Jean-Louis Ecochard has been in on the development of everythting from caller ID and online banking to video conferencing and e-health, and was one of the people behind what became WebMD. He now heads up the Center for the Digital Nonprofit and is Senior Head of Innovation for Nethope, an organisation that acts as a bridge between large NGOs with Big Tech. He's also a whole lot of fun, and helped us reframe our thinking about AI. In this episode, we asked JL about the dangerous intersection between capitalism and AI (of course we did), the ethics of big data and what, if anything, humanity has to fear from this latest great jump forward in technology. It's a fascinating conversation that we hope will help you think about this much-hyped subject in a fresh way. We should also make clear that, if we didn't like JL so much or think this might reflect badly on him, this is the title we would have gone for: See the kind of restraint we show? You are all very welcome. You can find out more about the Center for the Digital Nonprofit, its mission and research here. We also recommend The Eye of the Master: a Social History of Artificial Intelligence for a left-wing academic take of what, really, is being automated. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Socialism means 'bad', right? That's what many of our churches assume. Whenever anyone suggests Socialism as an option, many Christians have a set of anti-Socialist questions locked and loaded, ready to fire. We decided to put some of them to an expert. To us, Socialism is really just a system of making sure nobody is left behind, of controlling greed and making sure it doesn't result in needless suffering. It's not a perfect system/ideology (and there are many variations, versions and expressions), but if you've ever felt like the Capitalist system most of us live under is not working, this episode may be for you. In it, we talk to Matt McManus, a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Michigan, and ask him for his responses to the most common Christian chestnuts (roasting on an open fire) that make Socialism out to be the devil. Questions we ask in this episode: What about 'If you will not work you will not eat'?Isn't forcing people to be generous bad?Shouldn't Christians and churches help the poor rather than governments?Without the threat of poverty, won't people be lazy?If society got better, how would hte Church witness? Matt helps us understand Socialism, the long and rich history of Christian Socialism, and some potential answers to common objections to Socialism, while having a beer with Jonty. Malky and Laura were either unavailable or have become filthy capitalists. You decide. Check out Matt McManus' writing for Jacobin magazine and his book, The Political Right and Equality. You can find more from Beer Christianity at beerchristianity.co.uk, on most social media and on Substack. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and its citizens should, by rights, be among the richest in the world. Congo is a country with vast and rich natural resources, abundant potential energy and a strategic place in the heart of Africa. And yet, Congo is currently home to one fo the worst humanitarian crises on earth, and its history is littered with genocides and wars that rival the scale of Europe's World Wars. The vast majority of Congo's people are not rich -- and many face brutality we cannot imagine. Since 1998, more than six million people have been killed in Congo, and the killing continues. And yet most of us have never seen a headline about it. In this episode, we talk to Maurice Carney, head and co-founder of Friends of the Congo, which seeks to raise awareness not only of the crisis in Congo, but of Congo's many great contributions to global life and the inspiring people who are doing amazing work there. Maurice talks to us about Congo's history, from the brutal period under Belgium's King Leopold II to the moment Western powers destroyed Congo's democracy and the current crisis, where Congo's neighbours continue to destabilise the East of DRC. We also talk about the connections between the Congolese situation and other crises around the world - like Palestine. And about the solidarity being shown between activists for all these causes. Covering topics like Reparations, Chinese involvement in Africa and how our own Governments might be facilitating violence in Congo, this is a fascinating episode. We learned a lot! We hope you doo, too. You can find out more about Friends of the Congo here and connect with their socials here: FotC Facebook, @CongoFriends on Twitter and their presence on Insta. You can find more about this episode at beerchristianity.co.uk New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-imperialist, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Jolyon Maugham has been called 'Public Enemy No. 1" by terrible right wing newspapers, attacked by Rishi Sunak and belittled with smears by the BBC. And if that wasn't enough to make you love him, he also heads up an organisation that works for justice in our laws and legal system, challenging powerful elites and holding wealthy corporations and careless governments to account on behalf of ordinary people. Come to think of it, the smears on his name may have something to do with that. Jolyon joined us to talk about the most popular of the slurs he's faced and the story behind it, as well as his work with the Good Law Project, a not for profit campaign organisation that uses the law for a better world. Jolyon talks about the unhealthy closeness between the executive and the police, whether newspapers and government officials really care about free speech and how the law can be used to make the world a better place from gender based violence to tax law. This interview was made possible by the lovely people at Greenbelt festival and you can hear Jolyon's talk at Greenbelt 2023 here for just three British pounds. You can buy Jolyon Maugham's book, Bringing Down Goliath here and follow him on Twitter here. You can find more about this episode at beerchristianity.co.uk New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

That's a nice patriarchy you got there. Be a shame if someone were to smash it... Whether your church is complementarian, soft complementarian, egalitarian or has never thought about the distinction, the odds are good that patriarchy is damaging people in your fellowship, and damaging the witness and ministry of your church. In this episode we examine how this happens, and why - and what we can do about it, taking our lead from author Liz Cooledge Jenkins. Her book, Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity From Evangelicalism, is an excellent starting place (with an excellent further reading list) for anyone wanting to examine their faith and faith community and how it may be hurting or holding women back. Liz is an absolute legend and exceptionally gracious and fun as we navigate these important waters with her, asking: Can complementarianism ever be healthy? What should someone questioning their faith because of patriarchal church do? What can men do to be helpful? How funny can a podcast about fighting oppression really be? The answers may surprise you! You can find out more about the book and read more of Liz's thoughts at lizcooledgejenkins.com New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

A few weeks ago, Malky and Jonty travelled to London to take part in a large (though it turns out not the largest) march to protest the continued Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza and the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine through Occupation and settlements. It was peaceful. It wass diverse. It included Jewish groups, Christians, trade unions, trans people, queer people, liberals, socialists and a whole bunch more. It was pretty damn wholesome. Laura was there in spirit. Since then, Suella Braverman has called these peaceful demonstrations 'hate-marches' and said that wishing for Palestine to be free is anti-Semitic. It isn't and they weren't. Anti-Semitism is an evil we actively oppose. As is Apartheid. As is genocide. So we and a hundred thousand other people marched. And the next week, hundreds of thousands marched. Our government has been weak in its response (except in condemnations of and threats to protesters, which were energetic), and the 'Opposition' as right-wing and uninterested in human rights as we have come to expect. This episode is just a discussion of what it was like at the march (with a little recording of us while we were there) and what the reactions, good and bad, have been. We also hear a little from a Palestinian friend of the show. We're all very tired (for reasons explained in the audio) but we cover some important ground in this shorter than usual episode. We hope you like it. You can listen to our episode with our friend Ehab here. Please pray for: Free Palestine. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Steve Tinning is a Baptist Minister, a Public Issues Enabler for the Baptist Union of Great Britain and one of the team that makes Beer and Hymns happen at Greenbelt festival. Steve is a lovely chap and talks to us about his secondment to JPIT (the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist, URC and Methodist churches), issues of asylum and refugee response, and about different responses to Ukrainian and other groups of refugees. But we also got him on the show to talk about one of our favourite things: Beer and Hymns. Steve tells us a little about the origins and spread of the idea, how he came to be involved and the deep, thorough and extensive philosophy behind it. He also has ideas abouthow you can run a Beer and Hymns (or Beer and Carols) in a pub near you! Also, given that Israel, at time of recording, was still bombing the trapped and overwhelmingly civilian population of Gaza, we also talked about Palestine and standing with Palestinians. Steve Tinning denounces Hamas, you'll be pleased to know. This episode runs a little long because Jonty and Steve argued a little, and also because we wanted to include some clips of Beer and Hymns in the wild. Included are audio tracks from Greenbelt 2023 , Greenbelt 2013 (featuring Dave Ball) and from the White House pub in Oxford, hosting St Aldates' Beer and Hymns (a more sedate and civilised affair than the Jesus Arms version) a few weeks ago. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

History does not begin when you start paying attention. And if you only start paying attention when white people get hurt, you are going to miss the root causes of the events you are seeing. As we recorded this episode, Gaza was being bombarded, with the threat of more indiscriminate violence being made by Israeli authorities. UK politicians, including the so-called Opposition, were unwilling to denounce the killing of Palestinian civilians whose ability to leave Gaza was being controlled almost entirely by Israel. We weren't planning on recording this week, but the appalling uniformity of media and political coverage, demanding every Palestinian denounce terrorism while asking no supporter of Israel to denounce war crimes like the bombing and starving of civilians (or crimes under international law like settling occupied land) convinced us that we had to add our small voice in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the people of Palestine. It's not a massively planned episode, and at times we (Jonty mostly) get a bit cross. But if you cannot get cross when children are being bombed and the international community cheers (and Christians are posting 'I stand with the people doing the bombing' statuses, complete with praying hands emojis), when can you? A few things to say up front, in case you're unfamiliar with our style or our stance, and just as a matter of clarity: This episode opens with a clip from this video by @rathbonemakesmusic on TikTok. It's worth watching the whole thing - it starts off talkign about the American War of Independence. It is worth noting that before recording we reached out to several Palestinian Christian groups, several charities and a major campaign that supports the cause of Palestinian solidarity, but, understndably, they were petty busy with other things. We do not want to take attention or space from Palestinians at this time, but we also did not want to make demands on individuals who are under immense stress already. Please see this episode as our attempt to engage our specific mostly Christian, mostly western, audience with another way for framing what is happenign in Gaza right now. Justice and peace now. Free Palestine. About Beer Christianity Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote on Instagram, we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Greenbelt Festival turned 50 this year. It is, quite possibly, the best festival in the world. It used to be the coolest Christian music festival in Britain - which is a nice accolade, but, like being the coolest engineer at the felting workshop, perhaps one with limited meaning outside specific circles. But over the years, Greenbelt has translated the seminal courage that saw it host Christian rock and punk acts into a courage to engage with society and politics, to question ungodly orthodoxies in the Church and to create a space where all are welcome and all are encouraged to make the whole Earth welcoming, just and full of life. There are also bands. Some you like, some you don't. There are people, some who are annoying, more who are ridiculously lovely. And there are things to do, from crafts and conversations to talks and gigs and happenings. Through it all runs a seam of activism, a passion for justice and an affirming spirit that aims at more than allyship. It is a festival of solidarity and creativity, which happens to have (or perhaps 'naturally has') a high concentration of Christians (as well as spiritual folk, seekers, people of other faiths and none). Greenbelt is good. And this year's expression was no exception. A space of queer freedom, leftist dreaming and agitatation for a better, more loving way. Whether you are a he, she, they or other, you can belong at Greenbelt. Whether you're happy in the Church, a refugee from it or don't understand what the fuss is about, Greenbelt is a space for opening to the numinous and the transcendent. Or it's just a time to chill, drink, boogie and bum around. It's kindof what you make it, but with a great well of depth and meaning just hidden in the trees, behind the portaloos, among the people you least expect it. It's a Kingdom festival and we love it. This episode was recorded on Saturday at Greenbelt, with a few reflections on Sunday thrown in after the fact. We discuss the acts we saw, the talks we attended, the vibe and the impact it has had on us. We talk beer 'n hymns, Ezra Furman, David Dark, LowKey Chali 2na, Harry and Chris and more. Come take a listen to get a sense of the vibe.

Alex Clare-Young (pronouns: they/them) is a minister in the United Reformed Church, with a passion for Scripture, inclusion and social justice. They identify as Jesus-follower, trans and non-binary. What does someone with identities so regularly weaponised by culture warriors actually think about Scripture, the Church and faith? Alex joins Laura, Malky and Jonty to discuss young people transitioning, the theology of being trans, living outside of gender binaries and the pain and prejudice trans people face right now. On the way, we wonder if Malky was a fateful pizza guy in Alex's university, whether Laura counts as a milennial and if conservative churches are doing damage to their own missions by excluding queer people from the start. Alex is passionate about engaging with both gender identity and how Christian spaces can be safer, and they graciously offered some advice on what Christians can do to make things better for their trans siblings. (They also taught us that 'brothers and sisters' can feel excluding and irritating to people who feel like neither a brother nor a sister - siyafunda, we are learning!) On the episode, you'll also hear Alex's suggestions for media that might help you understand the trans and non-binary experience better. You can find out more about Alex and their journey at Beyond Binaries (alexclareyoung.co.uk) New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Should trans women compete as women at an elite level of sport? The Right's Culture War (TM) has used this question as a wedge issue in its ongoing targeting of trans people as pawns in a larger game. But who is more often hurt as a result of the targeted rhetoric (and the unthinking regurgitation by ordinary Joe Schmoes)? How new is the phenomenon of gender-nonconforming people taking centre court, and what should Christians of good faith think about this issue? Cleo Madeleine is a campaigner, historiographer, academic, educator, trans woman, Christian and spokesperson for Gendered Intelligence - the UK's largest trans-led charity. She joins Malky, Jonty and Laura to talk sport, trans identity, hateful media narratives and why she loves her very high Anglican (almost Catholic) church. Listen for an opportunity to hear about trans issues from a trans person, and because Cleo is awesome. Listen also to hear Jonty, Laura AND Malky screw up dramatically with this interview. Spoiler: We are all cancelled now.

"Ramshackle, DIY and deeply Christian" - that's how Paul Northup describes Greenbelt festival in the first few years of it's 50-year life so far. It's also a pretty good description of this podcast. Paul is Director of Greenbelt Festival, a "place to believe in" that seeks to embody a Newbigin-style 'no splits' Christian festival that engages deeply with faith, arts and justice. Paul takes time (at the worst possible moment in the year, one month out from the festival), to talk to Jonty and Laura about how Greenbelt started (just a few years after Woodstock), the times when it lost support from churches and the potential for growth in the future. Following on from our last two episodes about Mike Pilavachi, we ask him to compare attitudes to Greenbelt versus those to Soul Survivor at a pivotal time, as well as what people who had profound spiritual experiences can do with those experiences now. We also cover the tensions of holding a progressive festival next to betting offices (in the past) and on land owned by a feudal lord (now) and what that tension means. AND we talk about the spiritual impact on at least one of our hosts, as well as many, many others. Greenbelt has, as Paul tells us, always been a refuge for those who no longer feel at home in the traditional church. With Deconstruction growing in evangelical spaces, is a new audience about to discover this wonderful festival? We hope so! You can buy tickets for Greenbelt 2023 (24-27 Aug) at Greenbelt.org.uk Buy tickets now! Ezra Furman is playing! And we LOVE Ezra! New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

We've been through this before. So many times. Is there anything left to learn, or are we just unwilling to learn it? Perhaps a recent study holds the answers. Mike Pilavachi is the latest 'celebrity Christian' whos eministry has been tainted by scandal. In Part 2 of Beer Christianity's look at our icons with cracked halos, we ask why, with all the information we have gained over decades of scandal, we never seem to be able to prevent good ministries from hiding bad behaviours or protecting bad people. One possible answer is out desire to shirk moral responsibility in favour of loyalty and obedience to a strong leader. Another is a little more complex and we examine it in a little detail in this episode. The NGO Halo Effect tracks how moral superiority, moral justification and moral naivity in the third sector can lead to good organisations doing bad things. If we apply it loosely to churches, religious movements and para-church organisations from charities to events, we start to recognise a lot of ways in which the Mike Pilavachi, Ravi Zacharias and other Christian celebrity falls from grace may have gone on for so long. As a lens for understandign the larger issue, we hear again from Matty Fearon of Mission Catalyst magazine, who shares his recommendations for avoiding future cover-ups, and we hear from Bible Society's Mark Woods on why we're unlikely to learn a damn thing. Spoilers: we kinda love kings. For some stupid reason. But we maintain it's worth the Church and the ecosystem around it tryng to get better. It would be good for our witness and good for the world. Most importantly, it could prevent further harm being done in and by our communities. Here's a link to the fascinating study, How Moral Goodness Drives Unethical Behavior: Empirical Evidence for the NGO Halo Effect that we quote at length. Jonty thinks recognising its findings and applying them to our cherished institutions could be a game changer in catching and stopping toxicity sooner. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Mike Pilavachi has resigned from Soul Survivor and once again we are having that conversation. Why do beloved Christian leaders fall? And why do the people around themso often protect and enable their failings? In this episode, we don't disect the ongoing Pilavachi investigation or jump to hasty condemnation, nor do we jump to his defence. Instead, we discuss what the limits of forgiveness might be, what cultural and structural factors might contribute to ongoing problematic behaviour and why some leaders become brands that are 'too big to fall' - until they do. We also hear from people in the orbit of a previous and more upsetting scandal: that of Ravi Zacharias. Thanks to Matty Fearon of Mission Catalyst magazine and Johan Erasmus of Dialoog church for their contributions. ALSO. We are acutely aware that on a podcast about a phenomenon mostly involving abuse of power by men, all our guests are men. This si a function of a few things, including: the people we know who are close to these events are also men - a reflection of church hiring perhaps; at least one woman we hoped to hear from decided to brief her husband to talk to us instead. We hope that the input from our listeners (who all appeared to be women this week) and the fact that we have one cis woman and one gender-curious on the host team makes up for that a little.

Is compassion dependent on class-solidarity? Are some lives worth more than others? Is a nuanced approach to the comedy of catastrophe possible? No, no and possibly yes. The OceanGate Titan submarine disaster (some would say 'tragedy', in the Greek sense) produced strong and wildly divergent responses. Jonty and Laura discuss them, as well as the reasons for media interest in the submarine situation, the ethics of laughing at anyone's suffering and the backlash to the backlash to the thing that's just begun. Is it ever okay to make light of suffering or death? Is it ever our place to police reactions of the oppressed to the misfortune of oppressors? What does the tone of reaction to the Titan submarine implosion (and to the idea of wealthy people being trapped and oxygen starved at the bottom of the ocean) tell us about the change in attitudes to billionaires and the ruling class generally? Is this sub our ‘let them eat cake’ moment, or an opportunity for Christians to demonstrate their prioritising of grace and mercy, or love for enemies? Beer Christianity discusses the hubris of the Titan tragedy and the schadenfreude it brought to the surface. All in Episode 77. We also feature a different take from our own that we both loved, courtesy of TikTok creator and all round excellent chap, Corey Brown ( @coreybrown748 ) You can listen to Episode 77 anywhere: In the bath, in a Zoom meeting that could have been an email, over the grave of your childhood bully with some snacks. You can find it on all major podcast platforms and, of course, right here! New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

Meet the Mitfords, memento mori monuments and meanders through churchyards and cemeteries over a few years. Jonty and Laura have been 'graveyard hopping' for many years now, often recording their explorations. But what is graveyard hopping? What's the attraction? We answer that question, discuss some of the coolest names and most beautiful epitaphs, and take you on alittle tour of peaceful places. It's not a standard episode of Beer Christianity, but it is an insight into what we like to do outside of recordng the podcast - and the lovely churchyards around here. From a grisly discovery near CS Lewis' grave to beautiful and intersting inscriptions on memorials and a quest to find an interesting grave (and an interesting family) in rural oxfordshire, Laura and Jonty examine what they like about graveyards and remember the people buried there. Check out this episode for a crash course in the Mitfords (including the graves of Nancy Mitford, Unity Mitford, Diana Mitford and Jessica Mitford), the sounds of the Oxfordshire countryside and an elusive hedgehog / mole. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.

We're back, baby, with an episode of king-shaming, favourite kings and comments on the coronation. Here's Jonty in a tiara his wife bought him: Ever topical and on-time, we break our hiatus (sorry about that, pneumonia) with an episode about the Coronation of King Charles (the third, not the spaniel) and about kings in general. Why would Christians object to the coronation? What are the reasons some Christians dislike the monarchy in general? What kinda fascist things happened around the coronation and, more importantly, who are our hosts' favourite kings? Here's a picture of the King of Sweden. New to Beer Christianity? Welcome! Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining. Follow Beer Christianity on Twitter: @beerxianity and find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Stitcher. If you leave us a voicenote at speakpipe.com/beerchristianity we might air your question on an episode. Beer Christianity also has a newsletter in which Jonty and guest authors comment on the news, theological issues and stuff that matters. Sign up to the Beer Christianity newsletter on Substack. There's a connected Show With Music on Spotify called New Old Music. Check it out if you like eclectic music and weird chat. It's not terribly serious. Jonty's novel, Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird, is not available in all good bookshops, but if you bought it and left a review that would probably make that more likely. We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.