Episode HighlightsPerseverance amidst systemic injustice and economic exploitation;Importance of communal care and addressing chronic illness with dignity;Wealth as a chronic illness in spiritual and social realms;Church discipline and communal accountability for the wealthy;False security of hoarding wealth and exploitative systems.Allegiance to people and justice over economic stability.Reimagining economic security rooted in community care.Jesus' ethic—breaking powers that exploit and marginalize.Loving kindness, womb love, and compassionate care....Read LIT online: litbible.net/james-5Liberating Scripture Collective: www.liberatingscripture.orgMore about the LIT Bible: litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode HighlightsThe "desire for pleasures" James condemns isn't about sex — it's about golden toilets, rent-gouging, and union-busting.Your 401(k) might be morally complicated."The world" James warns against isn't a vague spiritual fog — it's redlining, ICE raids, and every system where one human decides they matter more than another.Public prayer was never meant to be a private hotline to God — it's how a community surfaces each other's needs and volunteers to meet them.There's a reason the jet-ski buyer doesn't ask permission from the congregation first."If you support ICE, you are an enemy of God. That's according to James."Judging someone's worth as a human is forbidden. Judging whether their actions cause harm is not only allowed — it's required."If God wills it" is not a verbal get-out-of-jail-free card you can staple to a business plan.James asks you to let other people's suffering actually land on you — and the hosts connect that to people laughing about Alligator Alcatraz....Read LIT online: litbible.net/james-4More about the LIT Bible: litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

We had an absolute blast recording this episode at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Portland, Oregon. Rather than talk about the clobber passages used against queer folk, we wanted to explore how the LIT Bible opens up new insights into moral courage and resisting scapegoating in Hebrews 6....Follow the slide deck: https://tinyurl.com/NoMoreSacrificeRead LIT online: https://litbible.net/hebrews-6More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode HighlightsDehumanizing words vs taboo words;What kind of speech disqualifies someone from church leadership;"you piece of 💩" vs "look at that 💩"Competitive self-promotion in tension with maturity;Open-mindedness, not certainty, as a mark of Christian maturity;The role of power and hierarchy in how we speak....Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-3More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode HighlightsThe importance of avoiding the word faith in translation;What James probably meant by faith;Comparing what James and Paul each meant by works;Classism and power's role in James' exhortations about modesty;The importance of solidarity with the poor in shaping our faithfulness....Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-2More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode HighlightsThe Letter of James is best understood through the lens of 1:27.Doubt in James is not about uncertainty in belief.Caring for orphans and widows is a central call of the faith.Avoiding the oppressor's mindset is the flipside to helping widows and orphans....Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-1More about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode HighlightsIs there a unifying theme behind James' meandering letter?Why did this letter piss off so many church leaders over the millennia?What can we learn about early Christianity from James?Why was James so fixated on power relationships?...Welcome to Season 8 of Found in Translation! We're thrilled to spend the next several weeks exploring the memorable, passionate, no-BS, seemingly-meandering, hotly contested letter attributed to Jesus' little brother.One of our favorite aspects of the Christian scriptures is how much better it is when heard in stereo: all of its authors are working out the meaning and beauty and scandal of Jesus. Each of the four evangelists have their own insights, Paul's pile of letters tease out what he learned about Jesus as a nationalist-turned-racial-justice advocate, Priscilla riffs on Paul's stuff in her own way, and so many more. Here we have the long-time leader of the Way in Jerusalem working out what he understood was the legacy and meaning of his older brother....Read LIT online: https://litbible.net/james-introMore about the LIT Bible: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

We've been recording three seasons at once! James is coming soon, then 1 Corinthians and some bonus episodes on the translation commitments. We're so, so stoked.Most exciting: we're recording our first LIVE episode at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Portland, happening January 22-25. www.qcfconf.org for more! We hope to see you there.Read more of the Liberation & Inclusion Translation at www.litbible.net.

Episode HighlightsAnti-Caesar coding throughout the story;how much better the gospel is apart from Christian supremacism;how to understand the great commission through a liberation & inclusion hermeneutic;identifying the inclusive center in the literary structure of Matthew;empathy and compassion are central to the gospel....Our returning guest co-host today is Kalie Hargrove (she/her). Kalie is a writer, theologian, and activist who lives in the greater-Atlanta area with her partner and two kids. She is currently writing a commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew using the LIT Bible. Kalie has been part of LGBTQ+ activism bringing awareness of the legalized discrimination queer and trans students face at religious universities. She received her Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities. Kalie is Director of Digital Outreach at the Center for Prophetic Imagination, which seeks to connect the intersection of socio-spiritual discernment and radical justice in our world....Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-28More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode Highlights for Matthew 27Pilate and the banality of evil;The enduring temptation of revering the violent;Disability injustice in the church and the Bible;Solidarity is central to salvation;Manipulating crowds into bloodlust is as old as time;Scapegoating vibes on Good Friday;Jesus' crucifixion was (like) a lynching;The varying reasons for Jesus' crucifixion;The meaning Jesus seemed to ascribe to his state murder;Resisting antisemitism as a core hermeneutical commitment.Our returning guest co-host today is Mae Forrest Barnes! She is completing her PhD on disability justice in the church, cohosts The Anarchodox Podcast, and can be found on Bluesky @dr-maeforrest.bsky.social . Her Substack is at https://maeforrestbarnes.substack.com/.Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-27More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

Episode Highlights for Matthew 26The Eucharist is about an ever-widening belonging in God, and Matthew structured his entire gospel around it.The challenge of soothing nerves when confronting state violence.The cyclical nature of domination and liberation in the Bible and history.Resisting the antisemitic lure of seeing the Pharisees as the baddies, not just one set of antagonists.Jesus behavior amid a sham trial and a frothed-up lynch mob.The synergy between various kinds of domination power.Our guest co-host today is Brian G. Murphy (he/him). Brian is the co-host of the Queer Theology Podcast and is the co-creator of Legalize Trans, an artistic and educational movement to advance gender justice. He has been doing LGBTQ activism and education for over a decade with organizations. Brian is also a certified relationship coach, working with folks to open up their relationship and navigate the issues that come with open relationships and polyamory. His upcoming book is Love Beyond Monogamy.He's on all the socials with the handle @thisisbgm.Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-25More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode Highlights for Matthew 24 and 25"I understand that reference" – How Jesus used loads of metacultural nods to embellish his alarm toward his neighbors' self-destructive nationalism;the intersection of the Black church and Anabaptism;the Bible is holy because it is a library of testimonies of the losers;Jesus' advice for getting through apocalyptic times;immigrant-love as a defining mark of Christian witness;exasperation with revolutionary violence; andwhere to see Jesus every day.Our guest co-host today is Pastor Trey Ferguson (he/him). Trey is a minister and public theologian who serves as the pastor of The Intention Church, an intentionally online church community built on the historic Black Church and the Anabaptist/Mennonite traditions. Trey also serves as the Executive Pastor at the Refuge Church in Homestead, Florida where he lives. You can check out Trey's wordplay on his Substack (The Son Do Move) and his podcasts, the New Living Treyslation and Three Black Men.He's on all the socials with the handle @pastortrey05.Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-24 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-25More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode HighlightsWhat Jesus knew would get him killed;Why he was fiercest to those – the Pharisees – with whom he was most theologically aligned;The similar anger we find in ourselves toward evangelicalism going after Christian nationalism;The importance of rebuking the temptation to read these passages antisemitically;Why religious fakers pissed Jesus off so much;How truthfulness and no-bullshit vibes became central to Jesus' social vision;Why Jesus would be so irate at Christians antagonizing LGBTQ folk in his name;and more!Our guest co-host today is Jenna DeWitt (she/her pronouns). Jenna is a writer, editor, and resource curator, working primarily in queer Christian spaces and centering aromanticism and asexuality. You can find her work at InvisibleCakeSociety.com or on Substack, Threads, or BlueSky.Substack: https://invisiblecakesociety.substack.com/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@jennadewittBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tkb2vbmnqo5wqtmnwnrsz6rm...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-23More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode HighlightsThe queer theology anthem that happened to be Jesus' favorite song lyricJesus' street pageantry entering Jerusalem parodying the imperial occupation;Merch tables in the part of the temple dedicated to hosting outsiders;Jesus' mounting sense of his looming lynching;Jesus' GTFO clapbacks;and much moreOur guest co-host is Naphtali Renshaw (she/they). Naphtali is the director of the BeLonging Space, a United Methodist ministry which resources faith communities to support LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-led liberation groups as acts of solidarity and reparations, including as de-escalators at Pride events. They are also the on-site support for the Maxwell Community Hub, a UMC building reimagined for neighborliness and queer liberation.https://www.facebook.com/naphtali.renshawhttps://thebelongingspace.org/...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-21 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-22More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Why did Jesus' thoughts on divorce and marriage cause his disciples to question whether anyone can get married?Why did Jesus respond with this thing about three kinds of eunuchs?Does being a not-dickish partner render someone a kind of eunuch in the eyes of patriarchy?Does Jesus reinforce patriarchal ideas of marriage or deconstruct them?How sexually engaged were eunuchs in Jesus' day?How do our inherited gender binaries get in the way of interpreting these stories?Who is the more prominent antagonist in the Bible: the devil or the rich?Our guest co-host is Kalie Hargrove (she/her). Kalie is a writer, theologian, and activist who lives in the greater-Atlanta area with her partner and two kids. She has been part of LGBTQ+ activism bringing awareness of the legalized discrimination queer and trans students face at religious universities. She received her Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities. Kalie is Director of Digital Outreach at the Center for Prophetic Imagination, which seeks to connect the intersection of socio-spiritual discernment and radical justice in our world.https://www.kaliehargrove.com/https://bsky.app/profile/kaliehargrove.comPodcast & Substac - https://propheticimagination.substack.com/s/the-lies-that-bind-us...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-19 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-20More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Why is Jesus so reactive to his students' difficulty with understanding his vocation? He seems grumpy at times.How does Jesus plan to escalate his confrontation with the Roman Empire and their local enablers?How is Jesus' strong words against harming children a fierce rebuke to queerphobic parents?and more!Our guest cohost is Avery Arden (they/zir). Avery is a genderqueer autistic minister in Atlanta whose work proclaims the holiness and agency of trans and disabled people. Drawing from both Catholic and Reform traditions, their theology is incarnational, Trinitarian, and rooted in breaking binaries. And of course, you've heard Avery many times on The Word in Black and Red.Avery's Linktree - https://linktr.ee/queerlychristianAvery's Website – https://queerlychristian.wixsite.com/websiteBlessed are the Binary Breakers Podcast – Apple...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-14 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-15More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jesus' cousin gets impulsively murdered in jail by a tyrant for calling out his BS – just what you'd expect from an authoritarian.Later, Jesus surfaces an abundance of food, feeding thousands – what if this miracle had something to do with mutual aide?Finally, Jesus calls an indigenous woman a "household pet," and her response jolts him to remember God's abundance. Was Jesus being racist? Did he change his mind because of her? What about her is a clue to her brave wisdom?Our guest cohost is Elle Dowd (she/they). Elle is a bi-furious pastor who preaches, writes and teaches about God’s desire to liberate us from the things we use to oppress each other: cis-heterosexism, racism, ableism, queerphobia, colonialism, misogyny, childism, capitalism and white supremacy.  She believes we must deconstruct the harmful systems infecting the Christian Church and other American institutions, that a queer/femme interpretation of scripture is at the center of grace, and all bodies – including yours – are beautifully and wonderfully made.Elle's Website – https://elledowd.com/Elle's Book – Baptized in Tear Gas: From White Moderate to AbolitionistElle on Facebook...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-14 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-15More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jesus continues spreading compassion, care, and joy among his most vulnerable neighbors – but the religious professionals won't have any of it! They're using the Bible as a weapon rather than a sacred gift meant to help us pursue shalom. This week in Matthew 12-13 we explore a few of these stories, and the cryptic parables Jesus tells in response.Episode highlightsCompassion should take precedence over strict adherence to rules.Sabbath is a revolutionary practice that promotes rest and justice.Curiosity is essential for understanding and growth.Why the story of Jonah slaps.Oppression harms everyone, including the oppressor.How what we believe & practice about knowledge & learning can be fundamentally anti-authoritarian Community and mutual aid are part of how this whole God-thing worksOur guest co-host today is Ell, a cohost over at the fantastic podcast The Word in Black and Red. She is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, is a board member at her church, and enjoys gardening spending time in nature. Ell’s pronouns are she/they.The Word in Black and Red...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-12 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-13More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Keywords: Bible, Matthew, parables, compassion, justice, authority, spirituality, faith, community, interpretation

Need to know the best Bible translation if you care about LBTQ inclusion, liberation vibes, basic Greek fidelity, and low-cringe? We present our Bible Translation Tier List!We're vibe-ranking them based variously on:Do they translate faithfully about LGBTQ kin being included in God?Was any of it actively translated to justify domination, authoritarianism, or sexism?Is it lovely?What's the cringe level?How faithful is it to the Greek?...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Jesus is bringing together his crew and sending them to get in good trouble. Familiar tales, sure. But is there something about how Jesus organizes, how Jesus relates, and how Jesus teaches that is instinctively anarchist? Teaching after teaching and tale after tale, he's challenging all the fixations that oppressors leverage into fear to secure power. And oppression, I heard a fella say, is the mask of fear.Episode highlights:Christian anarchism as a practice and a hermeneutic,the subversive aspects of Jesus' commissioning the twelve,the hidden edge of some of Jesus' spiciest sayings,Amish wisdom fist-bumping anarchismOur guest cohost is Rev. Terry Stokes (he/they). Rev. Stokes is an anarchist theologian who seeks to foster political and spiritual radicalization through his writing and speaking.He holds degrees from Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary, and was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament by Park Avenue Baptist Church, an abolitionist congregation on Mvskoke Land (Atlanta, GA).He lives on Munsee Lenape land (central NJ), where he works with children and youth as a nonprofit director.Their new book, Jesus and the Abolitionists: How Anarchist Christianity Empowers the People, is available now.More about Terry:www.terryjstokes.comIG: @anarchyterryBook: Jesus and the Abolitionists: How Anarchist Christianity Empowers the People...Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-10 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-11More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitmentsSupport LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/