Show Notes
What if Jesus and the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu (circa 400 BC) met beside a campfire? Michael interviews Gregory T. Smith on what that conversation might be like as Smith explains in his book, Jesus & Lao Tzu: The Way of Love. Jesus speaks of loving enemies, losing your life to find it, and becoming like a child. Lao Tzu answers with humility, simplicity, nonviolence, and the wisdom of letting go. Their traditions are not the same, but their teachings often meet in surprising places.
Learn from Smith how to bring the Gospels into conversation with the first thirty-seven verses of the Tao Te Ching, the foundational text of Taoism. Rather than blending the two belief systems, Smith lets each speak in its own voice—exploring where they resonate, where they differ, and how each can help us live with greater compassion, freedom, and love.
Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1964252970
Find Greg Smith's blog, Breathing Space, here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/breathingspace/
More from The Spiritual Brewpub
Becky Garrison joins Michael to discuss her new book, Gaslighting for God: A Satirical Guide to Save Yourself from Spiritual Narcissists. Per Becky's research, self-styled spiritual saviors are out hawking salvation and spiritually abusing church members. Why are such spiritual narcissists drawn to so many evangelical churches (and some progressive ones) and becoming small or mega-church pastors and self-proclaimed prophets and apostles? Becky reveals the tactics of gurus who weaponize faith to build empires, including sharing 7 types of spiritual narcissists.
What is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and how does it perpetuate toxic charismatic revivalism and Christian nationalism? Pia Hugo joins Michael to share her story of domestic and spiritual abuse within the church that helped start NAR. Learn how she got sucked in, suffered abuse, and eventually saw how evangelical teachings on wife submission, anti-divorce, corporal punishment, prophesy, and apostolic authority formed a dangerous cultic movement that misleads millions of people. Includes her experience in People of Destiny churches, Harvest Rock Church, and with NAR leader Che Ahn.
Over decades, evangelical worship songwriting became an industry with more and more lyrics depicting spiritual warfare and conquest. Rick Pidcock, a former evangelical and charismatic worship leader for 20 years, joins Michael to talk about how lyrics like "Praise is the water my enemies drown in" shape the people who sing them. His book "Weapons of Worship," is a critical expose that looks behind the worship-industry curtain.
Educator and Historian, Dan Henderson, joins Michael to discuss his new book, "Reflections of a Recovered Evangelical: Love Plus Nothing Else." How does one outgrow evangelicalism? Is it possible to follow Jesus outside Christianity? What is the history of the early first century Jesus movement? Why did one of the American founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, reject organized religion? Why is today's movement of Christian Nationalism idolatrous? Why is some American history being erased? Is pacifism, like Jesus supported, feasible? Find the answers in this episode.
Michael and guest, actor/comedian John Fugelsang, talk about John's new book, The Separation of Church and Hate, which reveals how the Bible has been co-opted by evangelicalism and Catholicism to control the religious masses and access political power. Fugelsang’s message starts with taking down hypocrites but ends with fighting for the love, mercy, and service that are supposed to make up the heart of Christianity. Shared with Fugelsang’s trademark blend of radical honesty, comedy, and deep political and religious knowledge, the content of this book and this conversation is the stuff every American needs to hear today. It’s a rallying cry for compassion and clarity for anyone of any faith who’s sick of religion being used as a cloaking device for hate and an avenue to political and religious control. Subjects include: how to read the Bible, Jesus' love ethic, care for the poor and marginalized, the Matthew 25 test, sexuality, LGBTQ rights, restorative love and justice, humane immigration policies, violence and the death penalty, war and pacifism, Christian Nationalism, and the recent Rededicate 250 event in D.C.