What happens when you stand at the crossroads where the sacred meets the secular, where your identity refuses to fit into neat binaries, and where faith seeks understanding in the midst of doubt? In this deeply personal conversation, Episcopal priest and pioneering womanist theologian Kelly Brown Douglas returns to the podcast to explore theology as a lived experience, not abstract speculation.
We dive into her powerful concept of “crossroads theology” – that stable, definite space where the blues singer performs both pain and praise, where Black and Episcopalian identity refuse to be bifurcated, and where God meets us in our full complexity. Kelly unpacks how the dangerous narratives of respectability and white supremacy create false binaries that diminish our humanity, and how Jesus’s own crossroads moment challenges our comfortable Christianity.
From her nightly prayers on her knees to calling the names of deported families, from finding God in resistance movements to wrestling with faith after Trayvon Martin’s death, Kelly shows us what it means to do theology from “the complicated and sometimes contradictory spaces of our living.” She reminds us that Christianity has a crucifixion at its center – and it’s high time we act like it.
Plus, we celebrate Kelly’s upcoming appearance at Theology Beer Camp, where she’ll be bringing this transformative theological vision to 600 nerdy friends ready to do theology while day-drinking in a sanctuary. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this conversation about finding resurrection hope in our Gethsemane moments. EARLY BIRD TICKETS available until May 15th - Get tickets here. We will sell out!
Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas is the Canon Theologian at the Cathedral. In 2017, she was named Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and in 2019, she was appointed to the Bill and Judith Moyers Chair in Theology at Union. Kelly is considered a leader in the field of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, social justice, and sexuality and the Black church. Her books include The Black Christ, What’s Faith Got to Do with It? and Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God.
You can listen to her previous visit to the podcast here: Resurrection Hope & A Future Where Black Lives Matter.
If you appreciate the work of Tripp Fuller and Homebrewed Christianity, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the “Process This” Substack.
Kelly Brown Douglas & Grace Ji-Sun Kim Are Coming to Theology Beer Camp! Are You?
Theology Beer Camp is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to “nerd out” on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities.
Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more!
EARLY BIRD TICKETS available until May 15th - Get tickets here. We will sell out!
Join Our Next Class with Grace Ji-Sun Kim on the Holy Spirit!
REDISCOVERING THE SPIRIT: Hand-Raisers, Han, & the Holy Ghost is an open-online course exploring the dynamic, often overlooked third person of the Trinity. Based on Grace Ji-Sun Kim's groundbreaking work on the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), this class takes participants on a journey through biblical foundations, historical developments, diverse cultural perspectives, and practical applications of Spirit theology.
Moving beyond traditional Western theological frameworks, we'll explore feminist interpretations, global perspectives, and innovative approaches to understanding the Spirit in today's world. Whether you've felt the Spirit was missing from your faith journey or are simply curious to deepen your understanding, this class creates space for thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and spiritual growth.
Preview: The Spirit in Scripture and Early Christianity
Week 1: Historical Developments and Theological Tensions
Week 2: Feminist and Global Perspectives on the Spirit
Week 3: Living in the Spirit Today
FOUR LIVE SESSIONS:
Tuesdays (May 20th - June 10th) at 10am PT / 1pm ET
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Replays are available on the Class Resource Page.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more. Your contributions are what make our classes possible. We invite you to contribute whatever amount you feel led to give (including $0).
Grace Ji-Sun Kim: Feminist Christology
This video is the third livestream in our new online class entitled The Many Faces of Christ Today, and I wanted to give you a sneak peek of what you’re missing (if you’re not already registered).
In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim to discuss Feminist Christology. We explore the importance of retrieving feminine imagery of God and Jesus through the biblical wisdom figure Sophia. She argues that despite Jesus’s historical maleness, a feminist Christological approach is essential for contemporary Christianity because it challenges 2000 years of patriarchal interpretations and creates more inclusive understandings of the divine. The conversation traces Sophia’s development across Hebrew Scripture, demonstrating how early Christians identified Jesus with this feminine divine figure, particularly in Paul’s letters, Matthew, and John. Kim connects Sophia with Asian religious concepts like prajna, suggesting that this wisdom Christology offers liberating possibilities for Korean North American women navigating bicultural identities. She points out that feminist theologians are not inventing new concepts but reclaiming a significant biblical tradition that portrays God’s presence in feminine imagery, which was largely eclipsed in later Christian history due to patriarchal influences.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and host of the Madang podcast.
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