Just Conversations

Being Church In The Time of COVID-19 with The Rev. Dan Scheid

Over the next few weeks, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas will be speaking with faith and community leaders about what it means to be Church, during this COVID-19 pandemic. 

In this episode, Dean Douglas is speaking with the Rev. Dan Scheid, the rector at Saint Paul's Church in Flint, Michigan. They discuss COVID-19's impact on a Flint community that has already been on the front lines of a public health emergency through their ongoing lead water crisis. We will hear how Dan's Church is responding to the new needs of his community and where he is finding hope during this time.

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The Life and Theology of Pauli Murray

Dean Kelly Brown Douglas speaks with Sarah Azaransky, Assistant Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and the author of "The Dream Is Freedom: Pauli Murray and American Democratic Faith".

They discuss the life and theology of Pauli Murray, the activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest. They dive into the pivotal role Murray played in the American civil rights movement, and explore her legal career where she was an outspoken champion for protesting discrimination based on race and sex.

A Conversation with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

In today's episode, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas interviews Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in what was an honest and open conversation between old friends. They talk race in the Episcopal Church, Bishop Curry reflects on his legacy as the first African American to serve as Presiding Bishop in The Episcopal Church, and they respond to the Episcopal Church's decision to exclude the same-sex spouses from attending the Lambeth Conference.

Reflecting on the Flint Water Crisis

Last week, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas visited Flint, Michigan, to hear from water warriors, clergy, journalists, and documentarians who are seeking justice for the Flint water crisis.

In this interview, Dean Douglas shares what she learned during these conversations and reflects on her experience.

Margins Speak with Vinod J. Wesley

In today's episode, we continue our series "Margins Speak," in which the Rev. Dr. Joshua Samuel speaks with theologians and activists from the Global South about how they are experiencing and responding to climate change and environmental destruction.

In this conversation, Rev. Samuel Speaks with Vinod J Wesley who is working on a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Chicago.

No Ashes in the Fire with Darnell Moore

Last week, EDS at Union hosted Darnell Moore for a public lecture and conversation in James Memorial Chapel at Union Theological Seminary. Today's episode of the podcast will be the audio of that event and the conversation between Dean Kelly Brown Douglas' and Darnell Moore.

Darnell Moore is an award-winning writer, a leading Black Lives Matter activist, and an advocate for justice and liberation. His recently released spiritual memoir, No Fire in the Ashes, Coming of Age Black and Free in America was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times. In this book, he shares the journey taken by a scared, bullied teenager who not only survived but found his calling.

This conversation, as well as a lecture by Darnell Moore, can also be found on the Union Seminary YouTube Channel.

Exploring No Ashes in the Fire with All Saints Church

EDS at Union has selected No Fire in the Ashes: Coming of Age Black and Free in America by Darnell Moore as our community read. For this week's episode, Dean Douglas discusses Moore's book with The Rev. Mike Kinman and Juliana Serrano from All Saints Church in Passedina, California.

Similar to EDS at Union, All Saints has selected No Ashes in the Fire as their congregation's community read and will be hosting events at their church later this month.

Learn more about All Saints Church here - http://bit.ly/2QnZPlJ

Purchase No Fire in the Ashes here - https://www.darnelllmoore.com/book

 

Climate Justice with Karenna Gore

Dean Kelly Brown Douglas speaks with Karenna Gore, Director of Union's Center for Earth Ethics. They discuss the moral dimensions of our ecological crisis, how environmental issues are playing out in the presidential primary, and Karenna's recent New York Times op-ed.

The Center for Earth Ethics is an institute at Union Theological Seminary that envisions a world where value is measured according to the sustained well-being of all people and our planet. Learn more at their website www.centerforearthethics.org/

 

A Pilgrimage that Confronts Injustice & Crucifying Realities

Earlier this summer, Episcopal Divinity School at Union and The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest made a pilgrimage to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

Established by the Equal Justice Initiative, these sites are our nation’s first memorials dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people, those terrorized by lynching and Jim Crow segregation, and the ongoing threat of police violence and mass incarceration to African American men and women.

During the Pilgrimage, Kelly sat down with Rev. Anne Marie Witchge from the Church of Heavenly Rest, as well as Union students Carl Adair, Grace Aheron, and Galvin Mathis to discuss their experience on the pilgrimage.

Seeking Justice for Eric Garner

On this the fifth anniversary of the murder of Eric Garner, Dean Kelly Brown Douglas speaks with the Rev. Fred Davie, Executive VP of Union and the chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) for the New York City Police Department. They discuss the Department of Justice’s decision to not pursue charges against the NYPD officer who placed Eric Garner in a chokehold, the next steps for the CCRB in pursuing justice, and the role of faith communities today.