Episode Details

Pride Month Series- 🌈 Happy Pride!

36. Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines (Disciples of Christ/UCC) - The Progressive, Open & Affirming Pastor Evangelicals Warned You About

What does a conversation with a progressive, open and affirming pastor actually sound like?

For many people raised in evangelical spaces, progressive pastors were often presented as people who had compromised biblical faith or wandered too far from Christianity. But what happens when you actually listen and decide for yourself?

Alexis sits down with Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, pastor, author, scholar, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Christianity, and one of the most visible progressive Christian voices online, for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, deconstruction, LGBTQ+ inclusion, Christian nationalism, biblical interpretation, raising children with a healthy faith, and why so many people are reimagining Christianity today.

Caleb serves an open and affirming church in San Diego. Open and Affirming (ONA) churches fully welcome LGBTQ+ people into the life and leadership of the church. In many ONA churches, this includes marriage, ordination, leadership, and participation at every level.

Together, Alexis and Caleb explore whether progressive Christianity is really as scary as many people were taught, why faith doesn't have to be rooted in certainty, and how Christianity can be a force for justice, compassion, curiosity, and human flourishing.

💬 In This Episode

• What progressive Christianity actually is
• What "Open and Affirming" means
• Growing up progressive in the Bible Belt
• Deconstruction, reconstruction, and resilient faith
• Raising children who can ask hard questions
• Christian nationalism and the politics of fear
• LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church
• How to find a safe, affirming church
• Why people are leaving harmful religious spaces
• Why some people are reclaiming Christianity instead of abandoning it
• Interfaith relationships and finding common ground
• Faith, doubt, mystery, and living without certainty

👥 People & Resources Mentioned

• Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines: @revcalebjlines
• The Center for Progressive Christianity: @progressivechristianity
• Church Clarity: @churchclarity | churchclarity.org
• GayChurch.org
• Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin: @marksandlin
• Marcus Borg
• Barbara Brown Taylor: @barbarabrowntaylor
• Holy Envy
• Phyllis Tickle
• Jerome Berryman / Godly Play
• Imam Taha Hassane
• Petra Costa: @petracostal
• Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix)
• The Moonshine Jesus Show: @moonshinejesusshow

📚 Books by Caleb

• Awakened: A Path to Courageous Faith in an Uncertain World
• The Great Digital Commission: Embracing Social Media for Church Growth and Transformation
Website: calebjlines.com

#ProgressiveChristianity #OpenAndAffirming #PrideMonth #Christianity #Deconstruction #Reconstruction #LGBTQChristianity #ChristianNationalism #Faith #ProgressiveFaith #ChurchHurt #InclusiveChurch #TheSacredSlope #CalebJLines #Pride 🌈

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About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

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