After several conversations with Unitarian Universalist leaders throughout Season 5 of the podcast, our hosts are ready to think through some of the big themes and threads that emerged, and to offer up their own answers to the question, "What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History?" Some of the questions that come up for them include: How do we move our focus from individual to community, and how do we expand our understanding of community beyond humans? What are the first st...
Jun 16, 2023•25 min•Season 5Ep. 7
In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, Ninth President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and Carey McDonald, Executive Vice President at the UUA, to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? In this episode, we phrased the question a bit differently, asking, "If you could wave a magic wand and fix or change one thing about ...
Jun 08, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Meg Riley and Charles Du Mond, Co-Moderators of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? In this episode, we phrased the question a bit differently, asking, "If you could wave a magic wand and fix or change one thing about the world, what would it be?" Our hosts and guest...
Jun 01, 2023•31 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Dr. Janice Marie Johnson and Rev. Sarah Lammert, Co-Directors of Ministries and Faith Development at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? Our hosts and guests discuss what it means to put love at the center, and how to "widen the circle of care." About this week's guests: D...
May 25, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In this episode of the Hope and Heresy podcast, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are joined by Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, President of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and Rev. Alicia Forde, Director of the International Office at the Unitarian Universalist Association, to discuss the question at the heart this season of the podcast: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? Topics that come up in this week's discussion include: What it means, and why it is important,...
May 18, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 3
In this episode, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah sit down over Zoom with Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, President of Starr King School for the Ministry, and Dr. Elias Ortega, president of Meadville Lombard Theological School, to discuss the question animating this season: What is the Central Task for Humanity at this Moment in History? About this week's guests: The Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt became President of Starr King School for the Ministry in Oakland, CA on July 1, 2014. For 13 years, she was Senior ...
May 11, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 5 of Hope and Heresy! In this season, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah are sitting down with five pairs of Unitarian Universalist ministers, leaders, thinkers, and colleagues to ask one big question... what is the central task for humanity at this time in history? Why this question? Well, it seems impossible to ignore that we find ourselves living in unprecedented times. A global pandemic, the rising tide of fascism in our country and beyond, a climate poised on the brink of disaster,...
May 04, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Many liberal-religious people have hesitations about the structure of churches. Yet, churches can take many forms and operate in many different ways. The theological term "ecclesiology", or the study of the church itself, can provide interesting insight into the ways our institutions are shaped by their members and can reflect liberal-religious values as well as more orthodox traditions. As we end our guide to theological terms, we reflect on church itself and our hopes for the future. On this e...
Feb 10, 2022•23 min•Season 4Ep. 9
"What pneumatology tells us is that we are radically connected -- breathing in the same spirit." Pneumatology is the study of the spirit. As Unitarian-Universalists, we often discuss the Spirit of Life. Join Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah for a wider-ranging discussion of historical conceptions of spirit and body and what these have to offer for liberal-religious people. Thoughts on the show? Ideas for our ministers? Please feel welcome to email us at podcast@ccny.org, and please consider sup...
Feb 03, 2022•22 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In this continuing exploration of the theological term "eschatology", or the study of death, judgment, and the End Times, Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah take a big-picture look at the liberal-religious perspective on the end of the world. With climate collapse forming a clear and present danger to life on earth, how do we reclaim our agency and take our role in preventing Apocalypse seriously? Questions on this big topic? Suggestions for our ministers? Write to us, please! Operators are stand...
Jan 27, 2022•19 min•Season 4Ep. 7
"Eschatology" is the theological term for matters related to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and humankind. We are dividing this big topic into two shows, so stay tuned for Eschatology part two. In this episode, you'll hear Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah discuss one of religion's biggest questions: what happens after we die? How does this mystery make our lives richer and can we learn to live with the unknown? Tune in for some inspiration from Unitarian-Universalist ministe...
Jan 20, 2022•19 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Soteriology: the study of religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation is a tricky subject for modern liberal religionists. At one time, theologies of sin, punishment, and salvation were a major aspect of Western religions, functioning as a method of social control. The doctrine of Universalism, now an integral part of our Unitarian-Universalist faith, was long considered a major heresy. In a liberal-religious context, which removes fire and brimstone from the equation, how do we understand salva...
Dec 16, 2021•20 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Theology: the study of the nature of God and religious belief. Hope & Heresy is a show all about theology, and our entire last season focused on visions of the Divine (check it out!), so why do we need to define the term? Excellent question. On this episode, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy argue that defining theology in a liberal-religious context is a necessary ingredient to gaining greater understanding of your own beliefs. Discussing theology is deeply personal -- perhaps even more per...
Dec 09, 2021•19 min•Season 4Ep. 4
"The origin question never ends." Cosmology is traditionally understood as the religious perspective on origins and creation. In this episode, explore this term in depth with Unitarian-Universalist ministers Reverend Sarah Lenzi and Reverend Peggy Clarke. As liberal religious people, why are we called to understand our origins and what do we do with the myths we've created around them? Re-thinking cosmology can have heretical implications, setting the scene for radical change. Questions for our ...
Dec 02, 2021•20 min•Season 4Ep. 3
"Theodicy": conventionally understood as a defense of God in face of the knowledge of human suffering. What is the liberal-religious definition of theodicy and how do we understand it in the context of our very current moment of suffering and trauma caused by the 2020-2021 coronavirus pandemic? Join Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy to learn more about this foundational theological concept. Write back to us at podcast@ccny.org!
Nov 17, 2021•23 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Welcome to The Hope & Heresy Guide to Theological Terms! This episode is a brief introduction to our fourth season. Hope & Heresy: Life on the Religious Left is a podcast for everyday people who want to live meaningfully without letting arbitrary doctrine or oppressive religious practice prevent us from asking big questions about our complicated world. To understand our world from a liberal-religious perspective, it's helpful to be armed with the vocabulary to discuss it in depth. Join h...
Nov 17, 2021•6 min•Season 4Ep. 1
It's the final installment in our season-long exploration of aspects of the divine! Throughout this season, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy have deeply contemplated and discussed the possibilities of the divine and humans' relationship to it. Today we discuss our motivation for embarking on this season-long project and the lessons we've taken away as these conversations have become part of our own spiritual practice. Over and over, we've returned to the idea that our conception of the divine a...
May 05, 2021•26 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Throughout our season-long exploration of the divine and its many expressions, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy have often returned to the idea that our vision of the divine substantially affects how we move in the world. On today's episode, the conversation picks up the theme of "process theology" from last week's show and moves into a discussion of humans and the divine as co-creators. From making art to planting gardens to cooking meals for family and friends, humans are constantly creating ...
Apr 28, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 9
"God is beyond the realm of opposites." As our season-long exploration of aspects of the divine approaches its end, Rev. Peggy and Rev. Sarah spend time today discussing the complicated, cyclical, always-in-process relationship between humans and the divine. Beginning with a discussion of human gender binaries and how they have been projected onto the divine through time, this episode explores how humans see themselves in God -- and, perhaps, vice-versa. This episode references a few external co...
Apr 14, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Happy Easter from Hope & Heresy! On today's episode, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy spend time with the story of Holy Week and Easter. While Reverend Peggy identifies as Christian, Reverend Sarah does not and this episode reflects the complexity that is encompassed by Unitarian-Universalism. History and sociology blend with reflection and theology as we move from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday. The Easter story has much to teach us about loss, grief, redemption, and the nature of hu...
Apr 07, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Chag Pesach sameach! Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah each grew up observing Passover in mixed-faith families. This week on Hope & Heresy, we take a close look at the Passover story and what it means to our ongoing investigation of the many aspects of the divine. When the divine appears in our lives to liberate us, how do we respond? What lessons does this timeless story have to teach us this year? Join us for a conversation that will encourage you to think deeply about your relationship to...
Mar 31, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Our modern liberal-religious beliefs do not encompass "the divine right of kings", but as humans living in societies we are drawn toward certain ideas about power and those who exercise it. On today's episode, Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah take up the thorny question of the relationship between human power and the divine. What are we looking for in our earthly figures of power? What are we lacking? Join us for a conversation that unites history, theology, and personal experience to untangle ...
Mar 24, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 5
This episode picks up themes explored in the previous show, "Divine Hunter", as Hope & Heresy continues our season-long exploration of aspects of the divine. Today, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy are talking about a liberal religious approach to the relationship between the divine and free will. If we do not accept the Calvinist doctrine of pre-destination, then how do we understand our own and others' choices in life? This episode will encourage you to think differently about common cult...
Mar 10, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah continue our season-long exploration of aspects of the divine, always from a liberal-religious perspective that centers love and justice. This week, we're talking about the experience of being hunted, or given a mission, by the divine. How will you recognize this experience when it happens? What does it feel like? How can we manage a greater receptivity to the world, when that comes with feelings of deep pain? Settle in for a conversation that will stimulate you...
Mar 03, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Our season-long exploration of the divine continues, as Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy discuss divine retribution from a liberal religious perspective. What is the relationship between divine love and divine retribution or justice? What does a Universalist understanding, in which everyone is loved and saved, have to offer in our complex modern day political landscape? This episode will challenge you to see questions of justice, punishment, and consequences from a new angle that centers love a...
Feb 24, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to season three of Hope & Heresy: Life on the Religious Left! "Love isn't blind. Love sees everything, all the flaws, and includes them." In this season, we'll explore the many aspects of the divine and how we experience it in our lives as liberal religious people. Today's show, recorded just before Valentine's Day 2021, explores the many forms of love as an expression of the divine. What is divine love, what does it feel like, and how can we access it? This episode will inspire you ...
Feb 16, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Happy holidays from Hope & Heresy! In our season 2 finale, Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah discuss the complexities of Christmas celebrations in the United States for liberal religious people. Looking at the original Scriptural source material for the Christmas story, forces that shaped this mythology over time, and the way the holiday is interpreted by American families today, this episode offers a fresh take on the big question of crafting a Christmas celebration that is both true to the...
Dec 21, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 7
It's a special day for Hope & Heresy as Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah welcome their first guest to the show. Reverend Mack Brandon of Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church in Ridgewood, NJ, joins us to discuss music, anti-racism, self-care, and the ever-changing role of ministers in the struggle for social justice. This episode is also available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/rZZuToG1gKE. Write back to us at podcast@ccny.org!
Dec 14, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In the early 20th century, Community Church's famed minister John Haynes Holmes went on a ten-day spiritual retreat to determine his vision for the church. Would a woman minister have the option to do the same thing? On this episode of Hope & Heresy: Life on the Religious Left, 21st century ministers Reverend Peggy and Reverend Sarah discuss their lives as working women. How can we continue to move our spiritual and work communities toward structures that are supportive to the challenges of ...
Dec 07, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 5
As a very different type of Thanksgiving holiday approaches in the United States, Reverend Sarah and Reverend Peggy discuss cultural narratives and the opportunities they provide for healing and growth. In this episode, Reverend Sarah mentions a group spiritual development experience she is participating in at the moment. If you're interested in learning more about these circles run by Rev. Ian White Maher, please visit The Seeker's Table website at theseekerstable.com. For an introduction to Jo...
Nov 23, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 4
