Prophetic Resistance Podcast
Welcome to the Prophetic Resistance podcast, hosted by Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews. Grounded in our diverse faith traditions, we are exploring what it means to embody love in the face of fear, to show up like hope in seasons of despair, to stand ready to be light in the darkness and water in a parched land. In each episode, we are learning from the stories, traditions, and wisdom of our beloved community of freedom-fighters, justice-seekers, and faith leaders. And together, we are investigating how - in this moment - leaders of faith and moral courage can cultivate prophetic resistance rooted in revolutionary love.
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Episode 71: Mary Novak
12/08/2023
Episode 71: Mary Novak
Mary Novak serves as the Executive Director of . She is a lawyer, educator, chaplain, spiritual director, restorative justice practitioner, and activist who has worked in Catholic contexts for decades. Before leading NETWORK, Mary served as a Mission Integrator and Adjunct Professor of Law at the in Washington, D.C. In this role, she worked at the intersection of spirituality, psychology, and the work of justice This episode explores how Mary’s family origins led her into an intersectional journey as a Catholic restorative justice practitioner. That journey informs her tenure at NETWORK, where she pursues a vision at the nexus of solidarity across faith, race, gender, and generation. We discuss the threats of WCN within our unfinished experiment we call democracy and how her organization is leaning into it. And we wrap with reflections on how she - in the words of the mystic Howard Thurman - “centers down.” Social media: Instagram :
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Episode 70: Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
11/09/2023
Episode 70: Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson
is an activist, philanthropist, and public theologian who pursues a vision of a community marked by justice, peace, and love. As the president & CEO of the Children's (CDF) and CDF Action Council, he advocates for children's well-being at the intersection of faith and justice. Previously, he pastored , a multiracial congregation in the city of St.Louis, while also serving as the president & CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. In the wake of the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, Rev. Wilson was appointed co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, which released the report, ‘ calling for sweeping changes in policing, the courts, child well-being, and economic mobility. In this episode, my colleague, Dr. Cassandra Gould, joins me in this conversation with her seminary classmate. Together, we explore lessons from Ferguson and the wisdom it cultivated for Dr. Wilson’s current tenure with the Children’s Defense Fund. We discuss the impact of Black institutions in shaping his vocation and approach to social change leadership. We talk about his co-generational vision that reveres elders and prioritizes children. And we wrap up with reflections on how he finds rest amid the demands of the movement. Follow Rev. Dr. Starsky on Instagram
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Episode 69: Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
10/18/2023
Episode 69: Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III is the Senior Pastor of , and is a Senior Fellow with . In this episode, we discuss themes from his new book, . We explore the reality of the Darkness and how Black spiritualities have historically engaged in the darkest moments in our history. And we learn the powerful story of Robert Smalls and the brilliant, embodied wisdom of his daughter Makayla. Referenced in this episode: Ruha Benjamin, : , hosted by Otis Moss III Otis on IG:
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Episode 68: Amanda Tyler
09/27/2023
Episode 68: Amanda Tyler
r is the executive director of the she is also the lead organizer for . Amanda also co-hosts the and she is an advisor to Faith in Action in developing a curriculum to confront white Christian nationalism. In this episode, we discuss her lifelong interest in the intersection of faith and public life. We explore what white Christian nationalism is and how her coalition, especially a dynamic array of women leaders, shapes this counter-movement. And we talk about how multi-faith solidarity can be an antidote to white Christian Nationalism.
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Episode 67: Romal J. Tune
09/14/2023
Episode 67: Romal J. Tune
Just a note that this episode discusses sexual abuse and briefly mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 is passionate about teaching others how to heal the wounds of their past. He uses the power of storytelling to bring about meaningful change. Romal is the author of three books: God’s Graffiti, Love is an Inside Job, and his latest, This episode is special to me because my story is featured in I Wish My Dad. Romal and I have been colleagues for close to 15 years, and our friendship deepened when he joined my family for a suicide prevention walk in the wake of the death of my brother Myron in September 2013. In this episode, we discuss the themes of I Wish My Dad, including healing, forgiveness, self-care, and the links between personal and social healing. Social Media Handles:
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Episode 66: Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
08/30/2023
Episode 66: Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
Jonah Pesner is a Rabbi whose work encourages Jewish communities to reach across race, class, and faith lines while campaigning for social justice. He serves as the Director of the and Senior Vice President of the Rabbi Pesner co-edited “” In this episode, we explore his roots in faith-based community organizing, the current threat of white Christian nationalism, and the power of multi-faith solidarity to help us face this moment and thrive in our beloved community. Social media handle
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Episode 65: Rev. Aurelia Davila Pratt
08/17/2023
Episode 65: Rev. Aurelia Davila Pratt
is a pastor, writer and sacred spacemaker. She is the lead pastor of . An ordained Baptist minister, she is the chair of the board for , a national, ecumenical preaching event designed to elevate the voices of women on the margins. She is the co-host with Rev. Britanny Graves of the Aurelia is the author of
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Season 7 Premiere
08/02/2023
Season 7 Premiere
It has been a long time coming, but Season 7 begins August 16. Check out this short greeting from our host, Michael-Ray Mathews. He reflects on the podcast hiatus and the theme for Season 7: Multifaith Solidarity.
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Episode 64: Pastor Rhonda Thomas
10/20/2022
Episode 64: Pastor Rhonda Thomas
In this episode, we are in conversation with Pastor Rhonda Thomas, executive director for Faith in Florida. She was the state-wide campaign director for the Let My People Vote campaign, and she helped to ensure the voting rights were returned to returning citizens. She runs the biggest, the baddest, and the most well-funded Souls to the Polls program in the country. Pastor Rhonda has a passion to build a beloved community in Florida so that all of the Creator's children feel a sense of belonging. Learn more about Faith in Florida Souls to the Polls .
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Bonus Content: Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould
09/29/2022
Bonus Content: Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould
The Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould is no stranger to the podcast. She is now the senior faith strategist with Faith in Action. Today, we revisit her first appearance during our beta launch in advance of the 2016 general election. We talked about the work she was leading in Missouri and the power of her mother’s story to inspire her commitment to organizing, activism, and voting.
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Episode 63: Rev. Nicole Barnes
09/15/2022
Episode 63: Rev. Nicole Barnes
Midterm elections are less than 100 days away, and the Prophetic Resistance Podcast is kicking off our Rise + Vote series — co-hosted by my dear sister the Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould — to explore all the ways our votes are both sacred and powerful. I can think of no better way to kick off this series than with this week’s guest, my friend and colleague, Rev. Nicole Barnes. Nicole is the national voting program director for the Faith in Action Fund, having come up through the ranks as an organizer for Faith in Indiana (then called IndyCAN). She also has a master’s degree in divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary in addition to an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In other words, she’s the perfect person to talk about the intersection of faith, politics, power, and community.
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Episode 62: Dr. Simran Jeet Singh
07/27/2022
Episode 62: Dr. Simran Jeet Singh
In this episode, we welcome my very dear brother, Simran Jeet Singh, father, runner, scholar, and executive director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute. We talk about his Sikh faith, religious pluralism, and his latest book, which just hit the shelves last week. We explore his upbringing in San Antonio, Texas, the close relationship between race and religion, and the call to practice radical compassion. This conversation is for the head and the heart.
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Episode 61: Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson
07/15/2022
Episode 61: Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson
In this episode, we welcome the Reverend Doctor Emma Jordan-Simpson, the new president of Auburn Seminary in New York. We discuss how her upbringing and grounding in the Black Church tradition have informed her approach to pastoral care, as well as her focus on the needs of children to help them thrive. In the recent wake of the tragedies in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Orange County, and Uvalde, we talk about how critical pastoral care is for grieving, healing, and the movement for justice.
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Episode 60: Dr. Maureen O’Connell
06/01/2022
Episode 60: Dr. Maureen O’Connell
Today’s guest is Dr. Maureen O’Connell, an associate professor of theology at LaSalle University in Philadelphia and a clergy leader with POWER Interfaith. Maureen recently released a book titled, “Undoing the Knots: Five Generations of American Catholic Anti-Blackness.” Maureen and I dig into the history behind the book, including how Irish Catholics learned to define themselves as Americans by rejecting Blackness, going back as far as 1820.
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Bonus Content: The Four Episode with McBride
05/04/2022
Bonus Content: The Four Episode with McBride
Hey, Fam! We are pleased to highlight another episode from our cousin project, The Four, a podcast I co-host as part of fearsome faith foursome including Jacqui Lewis, Lisa Sharon Harper and Otis Moss III.
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Bonus Content: Meet The FOUR!
04/20/2022
Bonus Content: Meet The FOUR!
The Prophetic Resistance Podcast has a first cousin!! We are pleased to bring you the inaugural episode of The Four - a fearsome faith foursome talkin Black Life, Love, Power and Joy. This podcast is for everyone. I co-host this podcast with dear friends who have all been guests on the Prophetic Resistance Podcast: Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church in New York, Lisa Sharon Harper of Freedom Road in Philadelphia, and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. In this first episode we introduce ourselves as hosts and dig into our lives as prophetic Black faith leaders rooting this podcast in joy, justice and some playful irreverence. We have a good time.
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Bonus Content: Revolutionary Faith with Leigh Butler of Akina
04/06/2022
Bonus Content: Revolutionary Faith with Leigh Butler of Akina
We are pleased to bring you a special episode from our kindred project, Revolutionary Faith, hosted by Rev. Alvin Herring, executive director of Faith in Action. In this episode, Alvin speaks with Leigh Butler, CEO of Akina and Stephanie Roberts, Co-Founder. Akina is a hub for Black mothers and women who are eagerly searching for community, connection, and information resulting in better outcomes for our next generation.
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Episode 59: Season 6 Premiere - Dr. Leah Gunning Francis
03/16/2022
Episode 59: Season 6 Premiere - Dr. Leah Gunning Francis
Welcome to Season 6. In this inaugural episode we welcome back Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, Dean at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. A scholar-activist, Dr. Gunning Francis has been featured in the PBS Documentary The Talk: Race in America and the 2021 Sundance film, Ferguson Rises: A Racial Healing Documentary. In this episode, we dig into her new book, . A follow up to her first book, , Dr. Leah revisits the clergy and activists from the front lines of the Ferguson Uprising, to hear what they’ve learned in the struggle for justice and healing five years later. We talk about what true change looks like when it comes to racial justice, and her unique perspective and experience as both a theological educator and mother of two young boys coming of age in a climate that is in a constant cycle of healing from trauma rooted in racism. Twitter:
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Season 6 is Coming on March 16
02/16/2022
Season 6 is Coming on March 16
Our winter hiatus is almost over! And season 6 will drop in your feed on March 16th.
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Episode 58: Rev. Jen Bailey
10/20/2021
Episode 58: Rev. Jen Bailey
Today’s guest is Rev. Jen Bailey, an ordained minister, public theologian, and national leader in the multi-faith movement for justice. She is also the founder and executive director of the Faith Matters Network, a Womanist-led organization equipping community organizers, faith leaders, and activists with resources for connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment. This episode explored the life cycles of justice work, the need for seasons of rest, the lost art of letter writing and Jen’s new book titled To My Beloveds: Letters on Faith, Race, Loss and Radical Hope. .
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Episode 57: Valarie Kaur
09/16/2021
Episode 57: Valarie Kaur
As we mark 20 years since 9/11, we are releasing an episode that we first recorded with Valarie Kaur in 2020, after the launch of her book, See No Stranger. The book is both a practical guide to changing the world and a very personal and communal chronicle of our lives since 9/11. . This week, our host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews joined Valarie, Rev. Traci Blackmon, Sr. Simone Campbell and many others in honoring Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh-American who was murdered in a hate crime in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He was a businessman, a family man and a beloved friend to Valarie. She will tell you that it was his death that sparked her activism. And she will tell you that Americans still have a lot to learn about the decades-long impact of 9/11 on people of color. So listeners, tune into this episode to hear Valarie’s reflections in her own words.
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Episode 56: Dr Leah Gunning Francis
08/20/2021
Episode 56: Dr Leah Gunning Francis
This August - and every August - Michael Brown, Jr. and Ferguson, Missouri are heavy on my mind. August 9th was the anniversary of Mike’s death to police-sanctioned violence. My flesh recalls the uprising that followed and the demands of young activists that those of us in faith leadership positions show up in the streets of Ferguson, and stand up for all Black Lives. As we navigate through a global pandemic; and as the weight of police-sanctioned murder of Black people still presses on us - Ferguson is still teaching us. This podcast was born out of our experiences in Ferguson and one of our earliest guests was Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, author of the book "Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community.” This week, we are re-releasing my conversation with Dr. Leah.Dr. Gunning Francis’s new book “Faith after Ferguson” was released on August 17th. We invite you to and to revisit this conversation with Dr. Leah Gunning Francis.
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Episode 55: Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
07/28/2021
Episode 55: Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Our guest today is , author of , and , and contributor to the book Dr. Barnes, is a clinical psychologist, public theologian, ecumenical minister, and university and seminary professor. In this episode, she talks with Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews about her call to ministry and centering the stories and experiences of Black women. She challenges “good Christians” to wrestle with their complicity in racism. And she reminds us that racial reconciliation starts with actually doing the hard work of healing and justice. We invite you to listen to this conversation with Dr. Barnes and to read her books. Wherever we sit on the race, gender, faith, or movement spectrums, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes has a word of wisdom for all of us.
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Episode 54: Robert P. Jones
07/15/2021
Episode 54: Robert P. Jones
Our guest is Robert P. Jones, the CEO and Founder of Public Religion Research Institute, and the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity,” as well as, “The End of White Christian America. Robby's research, analysis and storytelling unpacks the history of the institutional white church in the production of white supremacy in our culture. Robby and Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews I talked about Fredrick Douglass, James Baldwin, and their respective Georgian roots. And they talked about the specific responsibility that our white kindred have to disrupt the power of white Christian religion to perpetuate and produce white supremacy. Disruption is uncomfortable, but it is a necessary catalyst toward a reimagined Beloved Community. So we invite you into this conversation and encourage you to hang on for a special announcement. Show Notes: Learn more at https://www.prri.org/
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Episode 53: Breathe Again
07/01/2021
Episode 53: Breathe Again
Breathe Again is a mid-season reflection by Prophetic Resistance host Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews. As the weight of the pandemic causes our collective pendulum to swing from chaos to calm and we search for sure footing in a world colored by so many “new normals,” this short recording encourages us to meditate, reflect and feel all the feelings. It a reminder to breathe.
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Special Episode: Juneteenth
06/18/2021
Special Episode: Juneteenth
Happy Juneteenth! In honor of this special weekend, we are sharing a reflection that Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews presented last year. In this presentation, he reflects on the power of Akan teaching of Sankofa and cultural aesthetics of Afrofuturism to inform the ancestral wisdom that shapes our visions of a future where Black Lives Matter. As we reflect on themes of emancipation, freedom, and liberation this weekend, may these words inspire our commitment to prophetic resistance rooted in revolutionary love.
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Episode 52: Rev. Nancy Frausto and Dr. Miguel De La Torre
06/17/2021
Episode 52: Rev. Nancy Frausto and Dr. Miguel De La Torre
Joining us on this episode are Reverend Nancy Frausto and Dr. Miguel de la Torre. Nancy is an Associate Rector at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Long Beach, CA. She is a founding member of the Sanctuary Task Force for the Diocese of Los Angeles, and a clergy leader with LA Voice (a Faith in Action affiliate). A previous guest of this podcast, Miguel, is an author, scholar-activist, and Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at Iliff Seminary in Denver, CO. In this episode, we examined how immigration justice is connected to just about every other organizing issue. We asked the question of “who is my neighbor?” and explored the root causes of pain in our communities. We have waited a few months to share this conversation with you. This episode was recorded in early April during our Keeping Faith Week of Prophetic Action. We are intentionally releasing this episode on the week of the 9th anniversary of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. Rev. Nancy is among a host of DACA recipients who are organizers and faith leaders with our immigrant rights program, LA RED. Also timely is the fact that this is the second week of the Fast for Freedom. LA RED and our partners with the We Are Home campaign have organized this monthlong fast to call on lawmakers to create a pathway to citizenship for essential workers and undocumented immigrants in any reconciliation package going to Congress.
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Episode 51: Umar Hakim and Dominique DuBois Gilliard.
06/04/2021
Episode 51: Umar Hakim and Dominique DuBois Gilliard.
Joining us on this episode are Umar Hakim and Dominique DuBois Gilliard. Umar is a native of Compton, CA, and serves as Executive Director of ILM (Intellect Love Mercy) Foundation. He is the chair of the board of LA Voice, a Faith in Action affiliate. As an active alumnus of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (or AMCLI), Umar is a facilitator and trainer for its national program housed at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. Dominique is the Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the (LMDJ) initiative of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). He is the author of Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores, which won the 2018 Book of the Year Award for InterVarsity Press. His forthcoming book is Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege, and it will drop on August 24th. An ordained minister, Rev. Gilliard has served in pastoral ministry in Atlanta, Chicago, and Oakland. This episode is part of a series recorded in early April during Faith in Action’s Keeping Faith Week of Prophetic Action. Umar, Dominique, and I have all lived in communities known for escalations of gun violence. In this episode, we shared some of our personal stories, unpacked root causes, and reflected on how addressing the issue of gun violence is a way to live out our collective faith.
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Episode 50: Stephanie Strong
05/19/2021
Episode 50: Stephanie Strong
The Prophetic Resistance Podcast has reached an important milestone - our 50th episode! And it is fitting that our guest for this 50th episode is Stephanie Strong. Stephanie is the Lead Organizer for (a Faith in Action affiliate). She has been an enthusiastic supporter of this podcast since our beta launch in 2016, and we affectionately call her our Number 1 fan. In this episode, we talked about Stephanie’s success in leading Faith in Action Alabama’s Freedom Vote 2020 campaign. We talked about the emerging voting power of the Black electorate, how to be true to your purpose, and the many, many connections between God, faith, the earth, and gardening. Stephanie is also the host and creator of the Thre Things on Monday podcast. .
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Episode 49: Rev. Adam Taylor
04/21/2021
Episode 49: Rev. Adam Taylor
Rev. Adam Taylor is the newly appointed president of Sojourners and author of Mobilizing Hope: Faith-Inspired Activism for a Post-Civil Rights Generation. His forthcoming book, A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community, is out on September 14. Adam is ordained through the American Baptist Churches USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention and he serves in ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. In this episode, Adam and Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews talked about how he defines the Beloved Community, the myth of America being a Christian nation, and how we inherited the unfinished business of the Civil Rights Movement.
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