The Trace

Rabbi Mark Sameth is the author of The Name: A History of the Dual-Gendered Hebrew Name for God.  His essays include “Our Father, Who Art Our Mother” which you can read on Religion Dispatches, and the Op-Ed “Is God Transgender” which appeared in The New York Times.  Mark and I talk about his book which includes wonderful insights into gender, feminism, affirming LGBTQ people, and intersectional identity.  We explore the Adam and Eve story, Kabbalah, and Jewish history.  What are the implications of a dual-gendered God?  This is a special one my friends!  

The Reverend Jennifer Butler is the founding Executive Director of Faith in Public Life and author of "Who Stole My Bible?:  Reclaiming Scripture as a Handbook for Resisting Tyranny".   Reverend Butler also wrote "Born Again: The Christian Right Globalized." We talk about her wonderful new book and how to resist empire within inter-faith dialogue and activism.  Have you heard about the horrific "Slave Bible"?  You will get that story and much more about white supramacy's version of Christian nationalism.  The good news is that there is a tradition of loving resistance that is continuing today. 

Crystal Cheatham is the creator of Our Bible App and the host of Lord Have Mercy, a podcast about God, sex and the Bible. As a writer and social justice warrior she has been featured in Essence Magazine, TeenVogue and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Find out more about her work at ChrystalCheatham.com. We talk about Crystal's upbringing in the Seventh Day Adventist church, coming out, and deconstructing religious identity.  Check out Our Bible App and the wonderful work that Crystal is doing!  

Erin Green is an affirming biblical scholar and LGBTQ+ activist.  Erin's passion is helping those excluded by the church to heal from spiritual abuse and trauma by navigating the biblical text in restorative ways. In this talk Erin and I discuss queer Christianity and possibilities for public life after Covid.  We are both hopeful about the good things that are possible when we can all gather together again whether that be at concerts, bars, church, activism, or wherever else. Thanks to Erin for the wonderful conversation!

Brett Bashaw and I have been friends since high school.  We traveled together in parts of the USA and Mexico in our late teens and early 20's.  I have always known Brett to be a sincere searcher for meaning and love.  He is someone who has overcome profoundly difficult circumstances and practiced forgiveness towards others.   He and his wife, Natashaw Lawyer, published the book "Tin Can Homestead: The Art of Airstream Living" and run their own pottery company Sugarhouse Ceramic Co.   In this conversation Brett and I talk about his rough childhood, finding community, doing forgiveness, and learning how to establish boundaries later in life.  

Tim and Jay Winterstein are programmers of the Newport Beach Film Festival and host a podcast called Saints and Cinema.  Their show is about movies and religion.  This (of course) caught my attention because these are two of my greatest passions. This episode is a crossover for both of our shows where we discuss movies that disturbed and disrupted us in positive ways.  Some of these films are legit intense and we do include some "trigger warnings" in case you want to see any of these that you haven't already seen. Tim is a Lutheran pastor so we definitely get into religious language on here.  I always try and do these sensitive topics in good faith.  I hope you enjoy the show!  If you have any comments on movies that disturbed and disrupted you then please write me on The Trace's Instagram or at thetracepodcast@gmail.com.

Wendi Cervantes is a singer, songwriter, and musician from San Bernardino, California who is now based out of Seattle.  She does all kinds of styles and does them all well.  Her newest single is a collaboration with the producer Nez and it's called "Lemons".  It's a glorious synth-pop jam that is sure to pick you up.   Wendi does music under Cervantes and also with her former band Enamity.  She is currently working with different producers and House of Breaking Glass.  In this talk we discuss art as play/therapy, how much we miss going to shows, and Wendi's hopes for the future.  Thanks again to Wendi Cervantes for the wonderful conversation.  Check out her music!

Jason Anderson and Jeremy Krommendyk are music lovers who fully identified with the same music scene as myself.  We were fully invested in 90's underground Christian bands like Starflyer 59, Roadside Monument, Pedro the Lion, MxPx, Luxury, and Zao.  We talk about what it was like then and where we are now with music and Christianity in America. This is an opportunity to talk about music, religion, and identity.  Each of our understandings of what that scene was about has changed over the years.  Hopefully you will discover a new great band or two and also consider your own identity as you listen.

Jennifer Buck teaches at Azusa Pacific University and wrote Reframing the House: Constructive Feminist Global Ecclesiology for the Western Evangelical Church.  Jennifer has wonderful insights on Christian feminism, pacifism, and the activist tradition of Quakers.  This is a theological and political conversation that I hope feels open to all listeners. I'm honored to start season 3 of The Trace with this wonderful conversation.  If you want to hear more talks like this one check season 2 episode 25 with Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons.   Let's keep working towards love, justice, and equity my friends!

A few weeks before election results feels like the right time to end season 2 of The Trace.  It's been a fantastic 34 episodes and I am so grateful to every guest for being a part of this with me. I end season 2 with some words of hope and encouragement in these unpredictable times.  We need to support and love each other big time during this next month.  Make sure you have a plan and support group for all this election madness. I then break down 5 movies for spiritual disruption.  We all need to be challenged from time to time.  These films all do the job. Thanks again to all of you listeners and guests!  Season 3 of The Trace will begin later next month.

David Llama is a filmmaker and friend who grew up in Mexico City and now lives in Seattle.  He has wonderful insights about all kinds of things in life.  In this episode we talk about the transition from Mexico to the USA and how that has changed during the Trump years. Lots of talk in here about music, movies, and culture from both Mexico and the USA.  David reminds us that we are all connected in this human experience.  Thanks to David for taking the time to have such a lovely and honest conversation.

I am so fortunate to have Johnathon Ford as my guest.  Johnathon is an incredible musician known for his work with Unwed Sailor, Roadside Monument, and many other bands.  We talk about going all in with music and staying true to the artistic dream.  Johnathon is very open and gracious as he tells stories about life on the road and songwriting.  

Odie Henderson writes for Rogerebert.com, Slant, and Big Door Vandalism.  He has been published in The Village Voice, Vulture, and much more.   He is one of my very favorite film critics writing today.  He is totally open and honest in such a refreshing way.  We talk about falling in love with movies, growing up in Jersey, Martin Scorsese, "women's pictures", horror movies, and more.  Check out his great writing on rogerebert.com and other places.

Isaac Marion is the author of "The Warm Bodies Series" with the most recent and final being "The Living".  We talk about writing, scary stories, facing the darkness, homeschooling, and the future of art after the pandemic.  

This last decade was an incredible time for film.  We are in a strange pause for movies right now while living through a pandemic.  This is a chance to look at some of the special ones from recent times.  I hope you enjoy the show and watch some of these movies afterwards.

Doug Lorig is a Seattle musician most known for his guitar playing in Roadside Monument and Raft of Dead Monkeys.  He currently plays in the band Graphic Nature.   We talk about falling in love with music, the Seattle mid-90's music scene, Tooth and Nail Records, and his time with Roadside Monument.  Enjoy the show and listen to Doug's music! 

Louie Romo is the house manager of the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, Washington.  We both break down our top 10 horror films. These are subjective lists of course!  Get ready for some Carpenter, Romero, Lynch, Cronenberg, and more.  

Sherae Lascelles is running for Legislative District No. 43.  Sherae and I talk about radical authenticity, mutual aid, harm reduction, and how all these issues relate to both Seattle and life in general.    Check out Sherae's campaign page if you are interested in getting involved.   https://www.sheraeforstate.com  

Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons is the author of the forthcoming Book "Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity".  In this talk we discuss the state of our times and how progressive Christianity has something to say about where we are and where we are headed. Guthrie has a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, where he was the William Sloane Coffin Scholar.  He and his husband, both native Texans, now live in Louisville, Kentucky.

There is a cliche that horror films are immoral and cheap.  Here I explore the ethical value of watching scary movies.  How do fear and empathy relate to each other?  What good can be found in confronting the darkness both in yourself and in the world?