Best Anna Dawahare Podcasts (2025)

1
Rambly Chat: Our Political Hellscape and How We Find Hope in Our Work with Youth 47:52

10d ago47:52

47:52

In this episode, we have a conversation about how we’ve been doing the past few months (sometimes not so great but we’re doing our best), we share our reactions to the absolute bullshit going on in the federal government (do something Dems!!! And fuck the white man billionaires running everything), and we also share stories about our respective wor…

1
The Easter/Birthday Special with April's Mama Beth Little 1:16:04

1M ago1:16:04

1:16:04

To celebrate four (!) years of the pod and April’s 27th birthday, we had a conversation with April’s Mama Beth Little! Beth shares about her upbringing at a Methodist church in Maryland, and how she ended up choosing to bring her family to “nondenominational” churches (was not the politics or theology, but the more casual atmosphere and contemporar…

1
Bible Dyke Deep Dive LIVE AT QCF: Ruth 46:38

3M ago46:38

46:38

In this episode, we get down and dirty and nerdy with the Hebrew Bible text known as Ruth. What seems like a heterosexual love story to evangelicals (between Ruth and Boaz) actually has a lot of queerness in it–two women, Ruth and Naomi, who profess their commitment to one another, and Boaz, who never expresses desire for Ruth or any other woman, o…

1
Good Contamination with Billie Hoard 1:00:27

5M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

In this episode, we have a conversation with writer and Anabaptist radical Billie Hoard! Billie talks about her faith journey growing up evangelical in the 80s, how she learned to ask questions without needing to reach a certain conclusion, and how she realized she was a trans woman. Billie also discusses her experience in the Vineyard Church movem…

1
2024 Year-in-Review with QCF Squad 1:35:02

5M ago1:35:02

1:35:02

In this episode, we have a chat with our friends Andy and Briana about what happened this year in the worlds of religion, faith, and politics . In the midst of the daunting rise of christofascism and other forms of oppression, we find strength in how our communities are stepping up to care for one another. We also share personal important moments t…

1
Let's Talk About the Trinity 52:16

6M ago52:16

52:16

In this episode, we discuss the theological concept of the Trinity–God as Creator of the universe, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Holy Spirit. April gives the historical context for how the early church wrestled to explain their experiences with God within their own cultural context, and how folks argued over words in the creeds–some of it was about co…

1
How the Fuck Did We Get Here Again? 41:55

7M ago41:55

41:55

In this episode, April and Anna pour out our anger and grief over the 2024 election in which the majority of voters chose a fascist rapist to lead the country. We talk about how we’ve been checking in with our queer kin and other loved ones this past week, and how we are balancing our well-founded fears about the future with our hopes that our comm…

1
Political Scientist Reagan Page on the 2024 Election 1:10:24

7M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

In this episode, we have a conversation with PhD student, progressive Christian, and April’s token straight best friend, Reagan Page! Reagan talks about her upbringing in liberal Christianity, her time in Seattle as a UMC service fellow, and her thoughts on the state of our country and the upcoming presidential election. Just like us, she has a lot…

1
Stumbling with Brandon Flanery 56:30

8M ago56:30

56:30

In this episode, we have a conversation with author Brandon Flanery! He shares his journey of going from being a YWAM evangelist in Germany yelling on street corners about how he “escaped homosexuality” to accepting his queerness as a blessing and exploring his spirituality. You can find Brandon on Instagram @flanbran. You can find links to purchas…

1
What Does the Death of Jesus Mean? 1:01:18

8M ago1:01:18

1:01:18

In this episode, we go through one of April’s papers she wrote in grad school. We explore perspectives on Jesus’ death and on corresponding atonement theories (or lack thereof) from Black, feminist, and womanist theologians to work towards a non-violent, liberative Christology of the cross. April wrote this for all the people who have been harmed b…

1
Queer and Ordained with Mel K 1:03:44

9M ago1:03:44

1:03:44

In this episode, we have a conversation with our wonderful friend the Rev. Mel K! Mel talks about their denominationally promiscuous upbringing, their studies in social work and life as a foster parent, and her recent ordination in the Progressive Christian Alliance. We also talk about the importance of comprehensive sex ed, and Anna and Mel talk a…

1
Let's Talk About Cults 1:19:19

10M ago1:19:19

1:19:19

A note on content for this ep: CSA and other abuse There are many cults or high-control groups that are rooted in Christianity or are Christian-adjacent (and some groups toe the line of being one…*coughHillsongcough*). In this episode, we give an overview of just a handful of them: Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the FLDS, Twin Flames Unive…

1
1946 Documentary Discussion 53:07

11M ago53:07

53:07

In this episode, we share our thoughts on the 1946 documentary, which tells the story of how the word “homosexuality” did not appear in an English Bible until the 1946 Revised Standard Version. With the help of researchers Kathy Baldock (incredible ally!!!) and Ed Oxford, director Rocky Roggio shows how the translation team took two words in Greek …

1
Personal Updates and Fundie Snarking 39:41

11M ago39:41

39:41

We are back y’all! And now our podcast has TWO Master’s degrees behind it, bringing theology and social work knowledge to you to help you on your journey of deconstructing faith and living into who God made you to be. In this episode April shares about getting her Master of Arts in Theology and Culture: Community Development, Anna talks about her n…

1
Process(ing) Theology with Mason Mennenga 1:10:02

1y ago1:10:02

1:10:02

In this episode, we have a conversation with theologian, podcaster, YouTuber, and King of #Exvangelical Twitter, Mason Mennenga!! Mason shares about listening to VeggieTales CDs and other typical evangelical kid/teen experiences (conferences, youth group, all the ccm!) he had as the Good Christian Boy. In college, he started researching what the Bi…

1
Trans Identity, Community, and Being in Solidarity with Dr. Miche van Essen 1:23:06

1y ago1:23:06

1:23:06

In this episode (despite some technical difficulties on April’s end) we have a conversation with the Co-Executive Director of Operations for Transmission Ministry Collective, Dr. Miche van Essen! Miche shares about her faith journey of growing up Jewish and how she ended up meeting Jesus and became a pastor in an evangelical church. As she was comi…

1
Joy is a Spiritual Discipline with Myles Markham 51:31

1y ago51:31

51:31

In this episode, we have a conversation with Myles Markham, a queer and transgender advocate who currently works for Trans Lifeline and serves on the board of directors for Transmission Ministry Collective! Myles shares his journey of growing up in the deep South and how he has expanded his faith over time. We get into some nerdy theological conver…

1
We Have So Much in Common with Ashley Wool 1:22:58

1y ago1:22:58

1:22:58

In this episode, we have a conversation with one of the principal actresses in the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio, Ashley Wool! She also happens to be an autistic progressive Christian and a theology nerd, so of course us neurodivergent theater nerds had to invite her to the pod. Ashley shares about becoming a Christian as a young adult and …

1
Leaving the Evangelical Basement with Tim Whitaker (The New Evangelicals) 58:25

1y ago58:25

58:25

Note: the dolphin noises that come up in a section of this episode are to take out some identifying information about April’s old church that she doesn’t want made public In this episode, we have a conversation with Tim Whitaker, founder of the non-profit The New Evangelicals, an inclusive, Jesus-centered community that holds space for those margin…

1
Finding Your True Self with Kit Sargent 1:12:44

1+ y ago1:12:44

1:12:44

In this episode, we have a conversation with LGBTQ+ Mindset Coach and host of the Queer Consciousness Podcast, Kit Sargent! They reflect on their experience of this year’s QCF Conference and talk about their “fundie lite” upbringing (they had a True Love Waits Ring!). We discuss the sexualization of prepubescent girls’ bodies and all the things tha…

1
Poetry, Somatics, and God as Mother with Starchild 1:06:26

1+ y ago1:06:26

1:06:26

Note: there is discussion of child abuse in this episode In this episode, we have a conversation with our friend Starchild, a queer autistic somatic psychotherapist, poet, musician, mystic, and ex-pastor. Starchild talks about their Southern Baptist upbringing, their journey from autistic Wonder Church Boy to renegade mystic to inclusive orthodox M…

1
2023 Year-In-Review with QCF Squad (Briana and Artie) 1:48:24

1+ y ago1:48:24

1:48:24

In this episode, we reflect upon what’s happened in the faith/religion/spirituality and deconstruction world in 2023 with our dear friends Briana and Artie (who, along with us, make up the QCF Squad group chat). We talk about the Asbury Revival, the Pope’s recent “LGBTQ Blessing” statement, the Ruby Franke case, and the queer Christian music wins (…

1
The War on Christmas and Other Bonkers Conspiracy Theories 1:15:03

1+ y ago1:15:03

1:15:03

In this episode, we talk about three conspiracy theories that are unfortunately very popular in many Christian communities: The “War on Christmas,” Zionism, and QAnon. While poking fun at the ridiculous nature of these beliefs that are not rooted in reality (Taylor Swift being named TIME person of the year is part of a 2024 election scheme, apparen…

1
The Gift of You with Jennifer Knapp 1:12:38

1+ y ago1:12:38

1:12:38

In this episode, we have a conversation with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, author, speaker and LGBTQ+ advocate Jennifer Knapp! Jennifer shares her faith journey, her career in the contemporary Christian music industry, and the burnout that led to her leaving it. She also talks about her coming out journey and the ways she has advocated for LG…

1
Food, Body Image, and Communion 1:34:04

1+ y ago1:34:04

1:34:04

A note about this episode's content: we discuss disordered eating and body image issues, if you're not in a good place to listen, take care of yourself! During a month where many of us host feasts (that are rooted in a history of colonization), we’re talking about theologies of food, and food ethics. Anna and April share stories of struggling with …

1
Church-Adjacent with Fundie Fridays 1:36:04

1+ y ago1:36:04

1:36:04

In this episode, we have a conversation with YouTubers (and damn good researchers on fundamentalist Christianity) the Reverend Jen and King James of Fundie Fridays! Jen and James share how they grew up non-religious but adjacent (literally and figuratively) to religion in their conservative hometowns in Missouri. Anna and April share our own storie…

1
Disability and Neurodivergence in the Church and Society 1:02:07

1+ y ago1:02:07

1:02:07

In this episode, April and Anna discuss our experiences of how disability and neurodivergence were viewed in the churches we grew up in and how those views changed as we came to realize our own neurodivergence and grapple with ableist theologies. April was planning on discussing more of her realization that she is autistic but her frazzled brain ju…

1
Holy Runaways with Matthias Roberts 1:02:11

1+ y ago1:02:11

1:02:11

In this episode, we have a conversation with therapist, podcaster, author, and theologian Matthias Roberts! He shares his faith journey of being raised in a non-affirming church, then going to Side B (queer-folks-are-called-to-celibacy) theology as he came to terms with being gay, to realizing that LGBTQ+ Christians existed and that he could have a…

1
Bible Dyke Deep Dive: Romans 1:11:16

1+ y ago1:11:16

1:11:16

In this episode, we get down and dirty and nerdy with Paul’s long Epistle (letter) to the Romans (more specifically, the early Christian community there). This text has been used to justify bigotry towards LGBTQ+ people and the awful doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, and to manipulate people into converting, but it also has empowering pa…

1
Barbie, Politics, and Deconstruction with Chalen Aleong 1:08:18

2y ago1:08:18

1:08:18

In this episode, we have a conversation with our friend and political scientist Chalen Aleong! Chalen shares his faith journey and feeling like he was “too religious for queer people and too queer for religious people” and how he got involved with Q Christian Fellowship. We also discuss the Barbie movie and the weird conservative response to it, an…

1
Introduction to the Apocrypha 50:44

2y ago50:44

50:44

In this episode, we discuss our first impressions of the apocrypha–both the texts that come from the Greek Old Testament that some Christians hold as canon Scripture (such as Sirach, Judith, or 1 Maccabees) and the early Christian texts that did not get canonized in the New Testament (such as several strange Infancy Gospels, the Gospel of Mary Magd…

1
Leftist in Kentucky with Chloe Specht 54:51

2y ago54:51

54:51

In this episode, we have a conversation with queer, autistic, leftist Christian pastor Chloe Specht! She shares about growing up as a pastor’s kid in the holiness/Church of God movement, pursuing ordination in that tradition (which technically ordains women but not really in practice) and wanting to bring about change, and then realizing it wasn’t …

1
On Human Flourishing and Collective Liberation 59:42

2y ago59:42

59:42

In this episode, we discuss a topic that April wrote a 15 page paper about over her spring term: what is the human being fully alive, in light of God/the Divine? We explore what it means to be humans made in the image of God, what it means to bring the fullness of ourselves to God and one another and live authentically, and how the sharing of our s…

1
Fighting for Human Rights in Uganda with Samson Turinawe 58:56

2y ago58:56

58:56

In this episode, we have a conversation with Ugandan humanitarian, educator and human rights defender Samson Turinawe! He shares his experience of becoming a Pentecostal preacher and then being excommunicated after he started preaching about accepting LGBTQ+ people and he shares his experience of realizing he is gay. He discusses the dire state of …

1
LGBTQ+ Figures in Christian/Religious History 55:12

2y ago55:12

55:12

In this episode, we discuss many examples of LGBTQ+ folks in religious history, from gay nuns to a non-binary Quaker in the 1800s to the deeply prayerful Marsha P. Johnson, and all kinds of other queer saints. April also brings up some of her favorite LGBTQ+ Christian scholars such as Marcella Althaus-Reid and Patrick Cheng. We encourage folks to l…

1
Your Body Does Not Lie with Karen Huckaby, LMFT 1:11:56

2y ago1:11:56

1:11:56

In this episode (our 50th!!!), we have a conversation with Karen Huckaby, co-founder of The Reclaim Therapy Collective, a group of therapists specializing in helping folks heal from adverse religious experiences and spiritual trauma. Karen shares about her faith background and her intense experiences of evangelizing to people on the beach, her jour…

1
Holy Anger at Current Events: Trans Rights are Human Rights 46:06

2y ago46:06

46:06

In this episode, we have a more casual (but still passionate) discussion about current events, which inevitably was centered on the legislative and cultural attack on trans and gender-expansive people in the United States and the conservative moral panic over “wokeness.” We also discuss our disappointment with Megan Phelps-Roper’s podcast that pain…

1
God's Not Dead, and God is a Woman with Peter Fenton 1:16:44

2y ago1:16:44

1:16:44

In this episode, we have a conversation with freelance writer, film producer and playwright Peter Fenton! Peter talks about his experiences as a gay man in the evangelical church, including his time as a Christian camp counselor, and how he came to terms with accepting himself and how he has explored his evolving faith through his writing. We are s…

1
Bible Dyke Deep Dive: Philemon 39:35

2y ago39:35

39:35

In this episode, we get down and dirty and nerdy with Paul’s letter to Philemon, his shortest letter in the New Testament. We discuss the historical background and the gaps that the letter doesn’t tell us (why do people assume Philemon’s slave Onesimus was the one in the wrong?). We also rant about how Paul could have been clearer in his words that…

1
Briana Michelle Meyer is a Fan of the Unknown 1:07:22

2y ago1:07:22

1:07:22

In this episode, we have a conversation with our dear friend, bookstagrammer and aspiring author Briana Michelle Meyer!!! Briana talks to us about her upbringing at a Christian school, her love of literature and how that has impacted her faith, and her life as a teacher in South Korea. We'll be cheering her on as she goes to grad school in London i…

1
The Movies Episode: From Christian Propaganda to More Nuanced Takes on Faith 1:28:36

2y ago1:28:36

1:28:36

Just in time for the release of Greg Laurie’s vanity film that erases Lonnie Frisbee’s queer identity (Jesus Revolution), we’re talking about films with religious (mostly Christian) themes! We discuss the God’s Not Dead and Left Behind movies, the Jesus Camp documentary, and films that explore religion in more nuanced ways, like Boy Erased, Philome…

1
And Don't Fuck it Up with Jess Grace Garcia 53:53

2+ y ago53:53

53:53

In this episode, we have a conversation with worship pastor and queer Christian podcaster Jess Grace Garcia at the 2023 Q Christian Fellowship Conference! Jess talks about their faith journey and with it their evolving relationship with worship music. Likewise, we also dive into Jess’ journeys with gender and sexuality and how it has impacted their…

1
Our Coming Out Stories 1:12:15

2+ y ago1:12:15

1:12:15

In this episode, April and Anna share our coming out stories (which are still always unfolding, never one and done). From our first crushes and “oh my God, how did you not know” moments, to the times we first spoke aloud that we might be queer, to openly living our joyfully queer lives, we talk about our journey towards accepting ourselves and havi…

1
2023 Q Christian Fellowship Conference Recap: So Many Hugs 48:24

2+ y ago48:24

48:24

In this episode, Anna and April recount our experiences at the Q Christian Fellowship Conference. We got to meet (and hug!) so many dear friends in-person for the first time, hear talks from folks we admire, goof around in DC, hit up gay bars, and of course do a live podcast show! It was so much fun (even when we felt exhausted at times) and we can…

1
Preparing for War with Brad Onishi 57:28

2+ y ago57:28

57:28

In this episode, we have a conversation with author and religious studies scholar/professor Brad Onishi (who also is a co-host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast)! Brad talks about his upbringing in evangelical spaces in California, his journey from being a youth pastor to deconstructing to becoming a scholar on white Christian Nationalis…

1
2022 Year-in-Review with Couch Communion 1:18:36

2+ y ago1:18:36

1:18:36

We’re back with our podcast pals Jordyn and Sara for another year-in-review! We talk about Tish Harrison Warren’s terrible not-Anglican New York Times takes, God is Grey’s problematic treatment of Jo Luehmann that left a bad taste in our mouths, the bureaucratic nightmare that is the United Methodist Church split, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, th…

1
Care for Our Souls in Sacred Activism: A Discussion of “Take This Bread” by Sara Miles 40:16

2+ y ago40:16

40:16

In this episode, Anna and April draw from our respective academic disciplines (social work and theology) and Sara Miles’ memoir Take This Bread to discuss strategies for how to sustain ourselves in the work of healing and justice, including neurodivergent-friendly alternatives to meditation. Sara Miles’ connection to bodily spiritual experience, he…

1
Not Same Faith, but Deep Faith with Dana Trent and Fred Eaker 47:51

2+ y ago47:51

47:51

In this episode, we have a conversation with Baptist pastor Dana and ordained Hindu Fred, who are happily married. They share their beautiful story of finding each other through a dating app and connecting over a shared love of spirituality despite their differing beliefs. They discuss their life together and how they take part in each others’ spir…

1
Christian Music with Assemblies of Pop Podcast 1:07:43

2+ y ago1:07:43

1:07:43

In this episode, we, along with our friends Celia and Colleen from Assemblies of Pop Podcast, share our memories of Christian music and the culture created around it (music festivals, etc): we talk about TobyMac, Family Force 5, DC Talk, Dara Maclean, the big worship bands like Hillsong and Bethel, and other artists of various genres that have been…

1
Delicious Spirituality and Wonder with Kevin Garcia 53:39

2+ y ago53:39

53:39

In this episode, we have a conversation with mystical theologian and author of Bad Theology Kills, Kevin Garcia! Kevin shares their spiritual journey from being in ex-gay ministry to finding wholeness in queer identity and finding God in their body, in other people, and in practices such as yoga. We get into some pretty deep theological discussions…

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Anna Dawahare Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen